Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Times

"I won't say anything cruel," Shingen Genichi's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "Just tell me honestly—why did you come for this sword, and who sent you? If your answer is reasonable… I might let you live."

Within the wreckage of the school's teaching building, he stood before the maimed Curse User, whose limbs had been cleanly severed and who now lay helplessly on the bloodstained floor.

Out of concern for Yuihara Nao's emotional state, Genichi had moved the interrogation indoors, leaving her and Shirone outside. Now, it was just him and the Curse User.

The man glared up at Genichi with a mix of disbelief and contempt.

Genichi tilted his head slightly, sighing. "You know the saying, 'Refuse a toast, and you'll drink a forfeit'?"

The Curse User blinked. That wasn't Japanese. Was this brat playing with him?

"I guess another way to put it," Genichi mused aloud, "is 'You were given face, but chose disgrace.'"

With a casual motion, Genichi lifted Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. A cold gleam flashed. Then he took out his phone, ignoring the Curse User's scream as he recorded a live feed of the gaping wound he'd just made.

The image displayed the barely intact skin above the man's skull, the interior nearly exposed. When the Curse User caught sight of it, he began trembling, unable to even scream properly. The pain wasn't the worst part—it was the fear.

Fear of what came next.

Shingen Genichi adjusted the phone to give him a better view. "You Curse Users always act tough," he said, voice now like a devil whispering into the man's ear. "But did you ever think a day like this would come?"

"I told you to talk earlier. Everyone knows I won't let you go in the end—but there are things in this world more terrifying than death. Want to find out?"

The Curse User's face twisted. Genichi leaned in and activated Reverse Cursed Technique, targeting only his skull. The damage wasn't deep—just enough to shock him.

Two casual slaps followed.

Then Genichi held the phone up again. His head—restored, unmarked.

The Curse User stared, dazed, then realized something.

Reverse Cursed Technique.

That meant this Jujutsu Sorcerer could easily restore his limbs. He could heal him just to hurt him again. And again. And again.

The Curse User's will began to fracture. He wasn't dealing with an ordinary Sorcerer. He was dealing with something far crueler.

Some things… were truly worse than death.

Genichi began to shift the angle of his sword again.

"Wa-wait,wait...!" the man finally croaked, panicked.

Shingen Didn't stop, the sword keep approaching."Let me tell you something, let me tell you something... please"

The Curse User continued shakily: "It… it was Geto-Sama order… He sent me to retrieve the sword…"

Genichi blinked.

Suguru Geto?

The name stirred something in his memories—both from this life and the last. Geto, once a fellow student of Gojo Satoru. A Special Grade Sorcerer then became Curse User just because some "monkeys" thing. Truly animal abuse.

He'd formed a twisted religious cult and vanished from the public eye.

And now he was after Totsuka-no-Tsurugi?

"Why didn't he come himself?" Genichi asked coldly, pressing the blade against the Curse User's forehead.

"He's… occupied with other matters," the man stammered. "I got the orders from one of his messengers…"

The story, once forced out, painted a clearer picture.

He'd first sent a shikigami into the Minamoto ancestral home to retrieve the sword quietly. But to his surprise, Yuihara Nao had been present and, by some miracle, injured the shikigami using Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Panicked, the Curse User had retreated.

He'd thought a Sorcerer had been lying in wait.

But Suguru Geto's orders were absolute.

Bound by loyalty—or perhaps fear—he stayed close, lurking. When Shingen Genichi and Nao fell into the Curse's innate domain, he'd seized the opportunity, hoping to kidnap her and trade for the sword.

But it had all fallen apart.

He hadn't expected Genichi to be so fast. So precise. So unrelenting.

"This sword…"

Genichi studied Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Every time he wielded it—against cursed flesh, reinforced walls, or even dense earth—it cut clean. There was no resistance.

A perfect weapon.

Then came the weak voice again. "I told you… Please, let me go…"

Genichi raised the blade, intent on finishing it with one strike.

But his hand paused mid-air.

There was someone else better suited for this.

"Actually…" he said, a smile tugging at his lips. "You're going to meet someone first."

The Curse User shuddered. "Who…?"

"Kakashi brother." Now the Curse User even more confused, is Kakashi have brother?I thought he White Fang only son?

Minutes later, as Shingen dragged the half-dead Curse User back outside, a figure shimmered into existence.

White hair. Bandaged eyes. Dark blue uniform.

Gojo Satoru.

The Curse User felt his heart sink. No longer fear—despair.

'You bastard,you that this thing is Kakashi brother!!, this was his ancestor'

Gojo Satoru was not a name spoken lightly in their circles.

To the Jujutsu World, he was a protector. A shield.

To Curse Users and Cursed Spirits…

A walking apocalypse.

"Is that him?" Gojo asked lightly, turning from his brief chat with a stunned Yuihara Nao. He looked down at the bleeding mess on the ground, then tilted his head.

"Genichi, you've got odd tastes. Couldn't you just kill him?"

Genichi rolled his eyes. "He took Nao hostage. What did you expect? Besides, he had useful intel."

Gojo glanced at Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, which Genichi handed over. His hand reached up and undid his bandages, revealing the famed Six Eyes beneath.

After examining it, he nodded. "This is more than just a cursed tool. It's also a cursed object—likely capable of triggering something major. It might really be linked to the revival of Shuten-dōji."

"Maybe the legends were true," he added. "The Minamoto bloodline might carry some connection to this sword's power."

Soon after, the cleanup squad arrived. The barrier Genichi had placed ensured no one from the outside world would notice. Still, the destruction caused by that Cursed Spirit was extensive. The school would need to be evacuated.

In the meantime, the captured Curse User was taken into Jujutsu High's custody for interrogation.

Later, Genichi, Gojo, and Yuihara Nao sat inside a car driven by Ieiri Shoko, heading back to Tokyo.

"What!? But I haven't told my family anything!" Nao protested, wide-eyed.

From the passenger seat, Gojo turned with a smile. "Too late. Already handled. I've sent word. Your family's being protected. For now, you'll stay at Jujutsu High."

"But—what if they're targeted—?"

"They'll be fine. You're the main target now," Gojo said seriously. "And we can't risk you falling into their hands."

She fell quiet.

Upon arrival, Gojo arranged for her housing. The dorms were half-empty anyway.

Only when Genichi and Gojo were alone again did the real conversation resume.

"That sword," Genichi said, "it cuts through Cursed Energy like it's paper. Could it really resurrect something like Shuten-dōji?"

Gojo shrugged, hands in pockets. "Who knows? It could be part of a ritual. Maybe it's the vessel. Maybe swallowing it does something. But I think it's not about how—it's about why."

Genichi frowned. "Suguru Geto… His Technique is Cursed Spirit Manipulation, right? He wants to resurrect Shuten-dōji just to control him?"

Gojo stared out the window.

"Probably. But I think he has bigger plans. This sword? Maybe not his true goal."

He turned back and clapped Genichi on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You're sharp—you found the clues early. We'll stop him before he moves."

"…Alright. I'm going to bed. Let me know if that Curse User says anything else."

Gojo waved it off. "Sleep tight. And hey—keep the sword."

"What? Why me?! I'll be targeted too!"

"Fishing bait," Gojo said cheerfully, walking away. "If I carried it, they'd never show up."

Genichi cursed under his breath and returned to the dorm. Too exhausted to game, he went straight to sleep—only to be woken by Panda's booming voice.

"Genichi! Is that girl a new student? Gojo said she's joining us for training!"

Groggily grabbing his coat and Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, Genichi stepped out, walking beside Panda while checking his messages.

A new one from Gojo.

It detailed what the Curse User had confessed—alongside intel confirming that Suguru Geto wasn't just after Totsuka-no-Tsurugi.

There were others.

Two "brother blades," Higekiri and Hizamaru—also known as Onikiri and Spider Cutter.

All three swords once belonged to the same man: Minamoto no Yorimitsu.

Genichi sighed. "So cursed objects… maybe they can really bring back the great yokai."

As they reached the training field, he spotted Yuta Okkotsu, Inumaki Toge, and Maki training Yuihara Nao.

"Genichi!"

"Salmon!"

He greeted them casually. "Mission complete?"

Yuta smiled. "Yeah. We're back to rest."

Panda added, "They ran into a Semi-Grade 1. Lucky they handled it."

Genichi raised a brow. "Mission intel was off?"

"Maybe," Yuta said. "But we managed. Gojo-sensei looked into it after."

Genichi made a mental note to ask about it later.

Then, glancing at Nao sparring with Maki, Yuta asked, "Is she joining our class?"

"Probably not. She's a bit younger," Genichi replied. "She'll likely enroll next year with Fushiguro's group."

"Nice! So we'll have kouhai again," Panda said happily.

As they chatted, Maki's shout snapped them out of it: "Enough talking! Get over here!"

They jogged over, joining the drills.

"Genichi," Yuta asked quietly, "where'd you get that sword? It feels… dangerous."

Genichi sighed. "Mission-related. Annoying, but not dangerous—yet."

Yuta nodded, trusting him fully.

In a distant, palace-like building, a man in monk's robes stared at two cursed blades on an altar.

This was HIM

Suguru Geto.

"These two are fakes?" he muttered. "What about Totsuka-no-Tsurugi?"

A pink-haired woman answered, "No word from Hisao. He's likely been captured. Jujutsu High has locked the place down. One of the Minamoto descendants awakened a Technique. It's bad."

Geto's gaze darkened.

"So it's already in their hands…"

But then he smiled.

"These were just warm-ups. Our real prize…"

He looked toward the horizon.

"…is Rika Orimoto."

"Soon, Satoru~. We'll meet again. And this time—I'll win."

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Word Count:1,677