First, the monsters that appear in Jujutsu Kaisen, called Cursed Spirits, are usually invisible to ordinary people.
One must have Cursed Energy above a certain threshold, or a special constitution, to see them.
Cursed Energy can be understood as mana in fantasy, or something similar to chakra in Naruto.
Although ordinary people possess Cursed Energy, few can see Cursed Spirits. This is because their amount of Cursed Energy is weak.
"Not a Cursed Spirit?"
"See?"
Instead of explaining, I pointed with my chin through the window. Just then, my eyes met Koyanskaya's.
─Ah.
Koyanskaya smiled, nodded, and then picked up one more milk. Her consideration is good. It's good, but she's tucking three milks into her cleavage.
'Wow, she can really do that.'
I remembered the "Tawawa Challenge" that was once popular. Was it about putting bubble tea on your chest and drinking it?
─U-uh, there...
─The total, please?
─Yes, yes. Understood.
Through the window, I saw the flustered employee and Koyanskaya smiling at him.
Koyanskaya took out her wallet from her jacket pocket, paid, and immediately walked out of the convenience store.
Whirr.
As the automatic door opened, Koyanskaya approached.
"Did you wait long? Our guest has arrived too?"
"As you can see, I'm here."
"So I bought some milk. Here, have some."
Koyanskaya pulled a milk carton from her cleavage. Touching it, it was a little lukewarm.
"I'll drink it well."
I tore open and drank the strawberry milk Koyanskaya offered. It tasted even sweeter, perhaps because it was heavily imbued with her scent.
"Here, for you too, guest."
"Uh… me?"
"Yes, please have some."
Koyanskaya offered milk to Toji. Toji's brow furrowed noticeably.
Not out of annoyance, but out of surprise. He was at a loss for words.
"…I'll drink it well."
In the end, Toji also accepted the strawberry milk. It was better than refusing the gesture and making the atmosphere awkward.
Gulp, gulp.
We stood side by side, drinking milk.
"Phew──."
Toji finished his milk first and sighed. He drinks well, probably because he's a healthy man.
"I'd like to continue our previous conversation, if that's alright?"
"Of course."
As I nodded, Toji opened his mouth again, his gaze fixed forward.
"You said this woman isn't a Cursed Spirit, right? Then what on earth is she? My intuition tells me she's definitely not human."
"Really? Are you sure you're not just mistaken?"
"You approached me knowing about my Heavenly Restriction, didn't you? If you're not just stalling, you can say you don't want to talk about it."
Heavenly Restriction.
It's a characteristic of being born with a binding vow, and there are several types.
Cases where Cursed Energy becomes zero, but physical abilities become extremely strong. Cases where the body is shattered, but the amount and range of Cursed Energy expand, and so on.
Toji is the former among these. Thanks to his transcendent senses, he could see Cursed Spirits even without Cursed Energy.
"Then I just won't tell you. What's certain is that she's not a Cursed Spirit. If she were, she wouldn't be able to pay, and that person wouldn't have seen her either."
"That's true. More importantly, she really is on your side, right?"
"She's my most reliable ally. Want to see?"
I conspicuously patted Koyanskaya's butt. Tap, tap.
"Aang...! Master, you really...♥"
See? I'm openly harassing her, and she's smiling and happy.
Is Koyanskaya immune to this sort of thing? Is it for manipulation? Those aren't wrong, but there's no need for that between us.
"She's being openly harassed, but she doesn't seem upset, so I should be at ease?"
Toji blinked and asked, his expression as if wondering if this was truly real.
"Exactly."
"Then it's fine. I don't know much, but it seems like a special relationship, so I won't probe any further. I'm not in a position to, anyway."
"Thank you."
"Hmm. Then let's leave this topic and move on. This is actually important."
Crunch!
Toji crumpled the milk carton in his hand and sat down in front of me.
"For whatever reason, you are my benefactor. Just say whatever you want me to do."
Ah. He set the mood because of the work. I understood perfectly.
"Toji-san, you have a lot of money, right? You're infamous as the sorcerer and curse user killer."
"Money? Money is... I've just started saving, so I don't have much."
Toji scratched his head, looking troubled.
Zenin Toji was originally a man who lived a dissolute life. He's not the type to diligently save money.
He might have been diligent after meeting his wife, but that period was short. He wouldn't have had time to save a large sum.
"I figured as much. Then earn some money by taking on commissions. Cursed Spirit and Cursed User-related jobs pay well, don't they?"
"They do. Enough to cover expensive liquor."
"Good. Commissions to exorcise Cursed Spirits. Pick only the really malicious ones among the Cursed Users. Leave the Jujutsu Sorcerers and petty criminals alone."
Toji nodded. Our thoughts were different, but the conclusion was the same.
"Anything else? Just make money for now? To spend that money?"
"Now, your money is my money, Toji-san. However, it's not to be squandered... Anyway, please find me some jobs first."
"Find some? Are you planning to come along?"
Toji tilted his head. He probably never imagined I'd suggest coming along.
"Yes. Please contact me at Tokyo Regent Hotel, room 1203."
"You're staying at a hotel?"
"Koyanskaya is very capable. Well then, I look forward to working with you."
I shook hands with Toji, then turned my back. My business was done, so it was time to go back.
"Master."
About 300m away from the convenience store. Koyanskaya, walking beside me, spoke up.
"Hm? Why?"
"Are you planning to go sightseeing with that man? Or reconnaissance?"
"Both. Honestly, I've been in the hotel for too long."
"That's true. But your body is still young, so it would be better to be safe…"
Koyanskaya rolled her eyes and trailed off. Her character was too different from when she was in Chaldea.
That's why I like it, and I'm grateful.
"What's there to worry about when Koyanskaya is here? And Toji is with us, so don't worry too much."
"You're planning to use that man as a substitute for a Servant, aren't you?"
"More than enough."
In Jujutsu Kaisen, Toji's combat power is one of the top ten. At least, that's what I think, regardless of reality.
Because of this, I made Toji my slave (Servant). It was thanks to the timing working out well.
If it had been a little earlier, it would have been fine, but if it had been a little later. For example, around the time he was hired to kill a woman named Amanai Riko…
'It would have been a bit of a waste.'
A waste, and regrettable. It would have been quite something in many ways.
"Indeed. Compared to that hellish battlefield, this is nothing. I worried too much."
Koyanskaya also sighed, easing her worries. She realized what I wanted to say.
"Exactly. We can't let our guard down, but there's no need to worry too much either. Still, thank you for worrying. I'm genuinely happy."
"Master…"
Koyanskaya looked at me, her eyes sparkling. It was the face of a woman genuinely smitten with a man.
How do I, without experience, know this? I learned it by watching the female Servants who were charmed by Ritsuka, who was also a Master.
He captivated the Artoria-face series, the Rin series, and all sorts of other female Servants.
Even more, it wasn't excessive; it was natural. Because he deserved it.
"Mmm... Really! If Master were grown up, I would have thrown you onto the bed without hesitation and loved you to bits!"
Koyanskaya groaned and hugged me tightly. She wasn't like this when I was just born, but it's getting more serious.
Of course, I like it, but it feels truly awkward. I even wonder if this is a dream.
'U-uh... Abubu!'
As my face was buried in her chest, the baby inside me stirred. I felt my intelligence plummeting.
Whoosh.
While I became a baby, Koyanskaya soared through the sky.
Two days later, Toji contacted me. The destination was Hokkaido.
"Here it is."
Hokkaido, Rumoi City. We arrived in a city right next to the sea.
Our goal was to eliminate the Cursed Spirits and Cursed Users residing in an abandoned hospital there.
"It's spooky."
My shoulders shivered slightly. Even at a glance, it was chilling, and I felt that chill creeping up on me.
"The target is extorting people disguised as a test of courage here. They also want to use Cursed Spirits for robbery and murder."
"In other words, robbery-murder."
"Yeah. So there should be a good amount of assets they've gathered. They've converted them to physical goods and are storing them."
"Then aren't the locals getting involved?"
"Hokkaido is Ainu Jujutsu Alliance territory, but they're also short-handed. Explanation's over, let's go."
Toji finished explaining and walked ahead. He showed no hesitation even when walking towards that den of evil.
"Ah. It's been a while since I was in actual combat, I almost forgot."
Toji stopped walking and tapped something on his shoulder. It was a thick, ugly-faced caterpillar.
"…Oh."
Upon being stimulated, the caterpillar opened its mouth wide and spat something out. It was a thick sword with fur on the hilt.
The caterpillar was a Cursed Spirit like Doraemon's pocket, or a spatial storage pocket. The sword was a Soul Splitter, an item that severs souls, and seeing it in person was impressive.
"A Cursed Spirit pulling out a weapon?"
"It's my armory. Very convenient in many ways. Come on, let's go. Your master won't have to lift a finger, I'll guide you properly."
Toji chuckled and moved forward, his steps very steady and unwavering.
Koyanskaya and I followed behind Toji. The deeper we walked past the main gate and onto the premises, the more eerie it became.
Then, the moment we entered through a wide-open door, the chill washed over us like a wave.
The air was bone-chillingly cold, and the increasingly bizarre sounds stimulated one's fear.
'It's been a while.'
I remembered the ghosts that appeared in the London Singularity, or other places, back then. They were quite eerie too.
"They're here."
Toji looked to his side, then lightly swung his sword. It was in the blink of an eye.
The sword accurately, and mercilessly, split something's body in half.
─Uuuuugh…
The scream of whatever was hit by the sword scattered into dust. He tore it apart without giving it a chance to even be observed.
"About thirty Cursed Spirits detected immediately. Their grade is… about 2 to 3. As expected, nothing much."
Grade is a measure of a Cursed Spirit's strength. The highest is Special Grade, and the lowest is Grade 4.
Toji walked down the hallway, sharing his analysis. It seemed like a consideration, telling us not to worry as it was nothing.
Thanks to this, Koyanskaya and I walked down the hallway comfortably. It was very peaceful.
If I thought about intervening, Toji would disappear, reappear, slash, and then vanish again. With his Flash Step and martial arts-like footwork, there was no opening.
"He's quite good. With that, he could easily deal with low-grade Servants."
Koyanskaya muttered, wiggling her fingers. I thought the same thing.
"He could easily toy with most non-combat types, and even some combat types."
"Yes. Especially that weapon of his looks very dangerous."
You saw well. The Soul Splitter is threatening because it ignores defenses.
"That's probably Noble Phantasm class."
"Yes. If classified, it would be a constantly active type."
A constantly active type is a Noble Phantasm that doesn't require True Name Release. Simply put, it's a weapon with only passive skills.
'We must be there.'
While we were chatting, Toji stopped in front of a door. It was the operating room.
"I have a feeling he's inside. Stay back, it's dangerous."
"Okay. Please take care of it."
As I kept my distance, Toji kicked the door open with one swift motion.
Bang!
The door, bent at the waist, flew inside and embedded itself.
─Kyaaaah!
At the same time, a significant number of Cursed Spirits swarmed out. Their forms varied, including insects, ghosts, and animals.
"Just small fry."
In barely 1 second. Toji swung his sword so fast that only a blur of his arm was visible.
The combat scene I had seen in manga, or anime, flashed through my mind.
'It was an instant.'
The Cursed Spirits were torn apart and extinguished by the barely visible flurry of blows. They were completely shredded.
Then, a shadow beyond them rose. Looking closely, it was a person.
Of average height, a face that looked to be in his 40s. Even the hoodie he wore. His appearance was ordinary, but his aura was gloom itself.
"That's him. Exactly as in the photo."
Toji suddenly disappeared, then instantly entered the room, cutting the gloomy man's upper body with a long slash. His attitude showed no intention of conversation whatsoever.
'Wow.'
One breath? Or one and a half breaths?
The battle was decided in roughly that short amount of time. Blood tracing an arc in the air along the blade. The blood scattered in the air was proof.
'This is right.'
He's the one who once killed Gojo Satoru, one of the most powerful figures in Jujutsu Kaisen. This much would be easy.
However, he seemed not to have expected the purple mist that burst from the man's body to fly towards me. I didn't know this either.
"Damn it...!"
Toji rushed forward, shouting urgently, but I remained relaxed. Because Koyanskaya was there.
"How dare you try to contaminate my Master with such filth?"
Snap!
Koyanskaya snapped her fingers.
Her voice and gaze were utterly chilling.
Immediately after, a black form suddenly emerged from the wall. It was the heads of a three-headed dog with spiked collars: the heads of the hellhound Cerberus.
No, this here? This is a bit much, isn't it?
"Toji! Just dodge it!"
As I urgently shouted, Toji quickly moved his body to the side. He managed that even mid-swing?
─Awooo!
Immediately after, Cerberus's heads simultaneously spewed blue flames. The mist melted, and soot and a burning smell covered everything.