"Am I to understand that my presence is formally sanctioned for this specific proceeding?"
An inquisitive look appeared on Nanami's face as he adjusted his blazer.
Meanwhile, a silence fell over the group.
Unlike Shoko, who had fulfilled her dutiful role as both doctor and sorcerer without pause, Nanami was a man who had tasted the "normal" world and found it just as undesirable as the supernatural one.
Under normal circumstances, the Higher-Ups would never allow a man who once abandoned the cause to stand at the threshold of their most guarded secrets.
"Scrap that!"
A sigh began to form in Yaga's throat, and Shoko's lips parted to offer a weary explanation, but Satoru chimed in before they could utter a word.
"Don't be such a stickler for the fine print, Nanamin! And besides, I'm the one leading the way. If anyone has a problem with the guest list, they can take it up with me."
"Your disregard for the hierarchy is, as always, spectacularly inefficient," Nanami replied, though he finally began to descend the stairs again.
"Efficiency is boring! Right, Yoichi-kun?" Satoru grinned, throwing an arm around the boy's shoulders.
A sudden surge of movement occurred as Yaga's patience eventually snapped.
He locked Satoru's arm behind his back, his muscles bulging with the effort of restraining this defiant sorcerer.
"Have you no concept of the gravity of this situation?!" Yaga roared. "Act with the decorum befitting of an adult, or I will lock you in this basement myself!"
"Oh my... That really hits the spot! He's even giving me a massage! As expected of my beloved principal. Hehehe!"
Satoru chirped, his body remaining completely limp and unbothered by the painful hold.
"How childish," Shoko muttered, shaking her head in helplessness.
"I can already tell," Yoichi replied with a blank look on his face.
Soon, the lights in the underground facility hummed to life, flickering along the damp walls as the group trekked further below the ground. The darkness was pushed back, revealing a path lined with heavy seals. Yuki suddenly picked up her pace, leaning into Yoichi's personal space.
"Oh right! You have some good ol' weapons, right? Can you please show them to me?" Yuki asked, her eyes shining with genuine wonder.
Seeing Yuki's face so close, her features striking and full of life, a stray thought drifted through Yoichi's mind.
'Choso's game must also be studied too.'
Hearing Yuki's request, the entire group came to a halt. All of them stared at Yoichi.
According to the reports, the child had a vast arsenal of weapons above their current understanding of Cursed Tools.
Even Nanami adjusted his glasses, his professional curiosity piqued.
Feeling the collective gaze, Yoichi relented.
"If you insist..."
With a sharp motion, he thrust his arms forward with style. A pristine white coat materialized around his entire torso, accompanied by holsters strapped across his chest to the back.
Most imposing of all was the massive broadsword that appeared anchored to his back, radiating a chaotic yet stylish vibe.
"Wow! How wonderful! Let me see! Let me see!" Yuki rejoiced, her hands held out in front of her like a beggar pleading for a coin.
On the other hand, Yaga stopped grappling Satoru. A heavy silence followed as he became serious as hell, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation. Shoko and Nanami stood frozen, their expressions shifting into a state of visible shock.
This wasn't like anything they had ever seen in the Jujutsu World; there was no ritual, no shadow-summoning, and most importantly, no trace of the cursed energy that usually accompanied the manifestation of tools.
"Told you so... the kid is like a walking Doraemon!" Satoru commented.
Unbrandishing the Rebellion, Yoichi held the massive blade out.
He offered the handle to Yuki and smirked.
"Careful though, it's really heavy—"
"That's nothing to me!" Yuki proudly said, her confidence radiating as she reached out.
However, the moment her fingers wrapped around the hilt, the sword remained firm.
"Huh?!?!" A gasp of disbelief escaped from Yuki's mouth.
She tried so many times, her face turning a light shade of pink from the exertion. Yuki shifted her grip, trying different positions and bracing her feet against the stone floor, yet the sword remained rebellious, true to its name. It sat in her hands like an anchor tied to the center of the earth, refusing to acknowledge any strength but its master's.
"It... it won't move," Yuki panted, eyes shining with a mix of awe and frustration.
"It has a bit of a temper with strangers," Yoichi noted, his voice calm as he watched the Special Grade sorcerer struggle.
Soon, the others took turns as well.
A curious glint appeared in Nanami's eyes as he stepped forward, but even with his refined technique and strength, the hilt remained stationary.
Even Satoru with Infinity-wrapped fingers gripping the leather-wrapped handle, but as expected, even the "Strongest" couldn't bend the unyielding nature of the sword.
"Okay, put it away," a weary command was given by Yaga.
The Principal rubbed his temples as another growing problem took root in his mind.
If this child ever decided to wreak havoc, no one could stop or even hold that blade.
Restricting such a weapon was a futile endeavor if it only answered to one master.
Which means... another troublemaker with a brand of total mysteriousness was here... again!
"It's a bit picky, I told you," Yoichi remarked as he reached down.
With an effortless flick of his wrist, the Rebellion was lifted from the stone floor as if it weighed no more than a feather.
The absolute ease of the motion made the others' previous struggles look almost comical.
As they walked deeper into the damp corridors, Shoko's curiosity finally outweighed her fatigue. She glanced at the massive blade and the tactical gear.
"Is there any history for these weapons?"
Yoichi stroked his chin thoughtfully as he navigated the stone steps.
"They are called Devil Arms."
"Devil Arms?"
The group looked at each other for quite a while until they shrugged their shoulders.
The term didn't exist in any Jujutsu text or historical scroll. Even Yaga, a sorcerer for all of these years, found himself completely unaware of their existence.
"From what I know..." Yoichi continued.
"These weapons have a soul of their own. As for how they are made, they are the remains of a demon. They transform into a weapon only after someone beats them into submission. Sometimes it works; other times, it doesn't."
Without a shred of hesitation, Yoichi brought the information to the group.
The weight of such a secret didn't matter to him at all. Unless they fought and defeated demons themselves, the knowledge was practically useless to them.
Even then, Yoichi remained unsure if the demons of this world would manifest as Devil Arms upon their defeat.
"Yoichi-Sensei! Yoichi-Sensei!"
Satoru's hand shot up into the air with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Yes, my student?"
"What about the Oni you defeated?" Satoru butted in. "Does that also bring Devil Arms?"
"Hmmmm..."
"To be honest, I don't know."
The group slowed their pace, their eyes squinting at him with heavy suspicion.
They found it hard to believe that the boy was so well-informed about the nature of these weapons but clueless about his own recent victory.
"What's with that look? I truly don't know!" Yoichi replied, hands raised in a defensive gesture. "The mechanics... might be different. Not everything that dies leaves a souvenir."
A sudden transition occurred as the group reached the deepest basement.
The narrow, damp stone walls vanished, replaced by the sight of a massive, ancient tree whose roots seemed to weave into the very foundation of the world.
Then, the landscape changed magically.
A white canvas of infinite space greeted Yoichi's eyes, stretching out as a void of pure light. A sense of displacement hit him, but a steady breath was taken as he surveyed the field with his heightened perception.
In the center of this boundless white, a thumb-headed individual greeted the group.
The figure sat with an air of absolute stillness, possessing four eyes and a presence that felt less like a person and more like the earth itself.
"The anomaly has arrived, I see," a serene, echoing voice was offered by Tengen.
The figure didn't stand, but the weight of their gaze was palpable as it settled on Yoichi.
"Welcome to the Star Corridor, Yoichi Murakami. I am Tengen. I have watched the borders of this world for centuries, yet your arrival felt like a stone dropped into a still pond, ripples where there should be none. It is rare for something to enter my sight that I did not see coming."
"Nice to meet you, Tengen-sama," Yoichi replied. "I hope I didn't disturb your free time here."
A faint chuckle escaped from Tengen's mouth.
For a long time, silence ensued. Tengen remained motionless, her four eyes tracking every minute movement of Yoichi's breathing and the subtle hum of the gear on his back. Her eyes went wide, reflecting the infinite white of the void, until a conclusion was finally reached in her mind.
"I see... I didn't expect that your kin is still alive."
With Tengen dropping a bombshell of information, Yoichi and the group's curiosity was piqued instantly.
"Wait? You knew me?" Yoichi said, his brow furrowed.
Must've been that damn god's intrusions. He really knows how to throw a party!
"Yes, but I have only some faint memories regarding you... and that chaotic bloodline that you are holding on to," Tengen replied.
Hearing this, Yaga stared at Tengen with eyes beaming like lasers. The Principal's stoic mask cracked, his expression practically screaming...
Why didn't you tell us sooner?
The fact that the bedrock of the Jujutsu world had been sitting on this information while they scrambled for answers was almost too much for his patience.
Feeling the intensity of the gaze, Tengen continued, her tone remained serene despite the mounting pressure.
"I understand your confusion. However, fret not. Even I was shocked by your emergence in modern times, Yoichi Murakami. To my knowledge, the fire of your bloodline had been extinguished a millennium ago. To see it burning so brightly now... it suggests the world is preparing for something I cannot yet name."
"Great, so I'm an endangered species now," Yoichi muttered. "Just what I needed."
"A real-life legend standing right in front of us," Yuki said, her voice dripping with amusement as she leaned toward Yoichi.
"Look at you, kid! You're officially a bigshot. I'm starting to feel like I should be asking for your autograph."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Satoru chimed in. "If Yoichi-kun is from a legendary bloodline, and I'm his teacher... does that make me the Legendary Grandmaster? Oh, I can see the headlines now! 'Gojo Satoru: Tamer of Ancient Chaos.' I should probably get a new cape. Or a throne! Tengen, do you have a spare throne lying around in this white closet of yours?"
A heavy silence followed as the group stared at Satoru's antics.
A dry cough erupted from Yaga's throat, cutting through Satoru's nonsense like a guillotine.
"Be quiet for once in your life!"
"Tengen-sama," Yaga prompted, his voice low. "Please continue."
Tengen nodded slowly, her four eyes reflecting the ancient history she was about to recount. "According to the oldest historical texts, records kept far away from the eyes of the public, demons and mythological creatures truly roamed Ancient Japan. They were most active during the Kofun and Yayoi periods, long before the modern systems of Jujutsu were codified."
A look of genuine confusion appeared on Yoichi's face. He blinked, his golden eyes darting between the others as the names of the eras failed to register.
"... It's eras in Japan," Satoru explained.
A hand was extended by Satoru as he tried to pat Yoichi's messy hair, but the boy was quick enough to dodge it.
"And I'm guessing these 'mythological creatures' weren't exactly friendly neighbors?" Yoichi said.
"Precisely," Tengen replied. "During those brutal times, numerous named vengeful spirits and demons were recorded as living entities. That includes the very spirits who would become the ancestors of the Three Great Clans we know today."
A solemn nod was shared among the group, their silence prompting Tengen to continue the history lesson.
"Demons... they were far more maniacal and hungry than the curses of this era," Tengen's voice echoed through the white void. "They were driven solely by a relentless avarice against humanity. However, some remained neutral, seeking isolation rather than slaughter. We call them today as Yokai."
"Yokai..." Yoichi cupped his chin.
"Is it like Yokai Watch or Inuyasha?"
"Whoa! That is some top-tier cultural knowledge right there, Yoichi-kun!" Satoru chimed in, leaning forward with an amused grin.
"I didn't take you for a fan of the classics!"
Shoko stepped forward, her tired eyes narrowing as she flicked a bit of ash away. "Then... how did they disappear? If they were that powerful and hungry, they wouldn't just pack up and leave."
"I don't know," a blunt admission was offered by Tengen. "Even the historical texts provided only vague clues. By the time the Nara Period had started, they were simply gone. The records suggest they presumably retreated to the deep mountains, remaining hidden until he appeared. It is highly possible that a seal or a barrier kept them from returning, so we may rest assured... for now."
A collective sigh rippled through the group as stillness reclaimed the white space.
"Is there anybody else who knew of these things?" A sharp question was asked by Yaga, his arms crossed over his chest.
A faint smirk appeared on Yoichi's face as he glanced at Tengen. He didn't miss the way she adjusted her posture ever so slightly.
"Probably... not," Tengen said, her four eyes remaining unblinkingly calm. "In any case, we should immediately strengthen ourselves against the incoming disaster that will surely manifest."
What a crafty old lady!
She hadn't mentioned Sukuna or Kenjaku once.
There was a high probability they knew exactly what was happening, yet Tengen was withholding information—as always.
"This meeting is adjourned," Tengen declared. "Take the boy. And Masamichi... You will stay behind. We have matters to discuss regarding the school's foundations."
"Finally! My stomach has been making more noise than the history lesson!" Satoru chirped, clapping his hands together.
"Hey, Yoichi-kun! You want to grab some katsudon? Or maybe some high-end sushi? My treat since you're a 'Legendary Bigshot' now!"
"I'm starving," Yuki added, her eyes sparkling. "Let's find a place with good drinks. You're buying, right?"
"Count me out," Shoko muttered, already turning toward the exit. "I have a mountain of autopsies calling my name."
"I shall also decline," Nanami remarked with a crisp nod. "My scheduled shift ended ten minutes ago. I am now officially off the clock."
As the group filtered out, the magical landscape shifted back into the rooted basement.
Once the echoes of Satoru's laughter faded, Yaga turned to the immortal guardian.
"You're holding back, Tengen-sama," Yaga said.
"We must take the kid as an ally, Masamichi," Tengen replied. "His bloodline is the only counter to what is waking up in the deep mountains."
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Why?"
"The Higher-Ups... They are likely planning to execute the child immediately. Terrified of having another uncontrollable entity like Gojo Satoru on their hands." Yaga replied.
Hearing this, both parties fell silent.
Sure, Yoichi could prove to be a remarkable ally right now.
But the questionable decisions from the higher-ups were truly beyond stupidity itself.
If Gakuganji was the man who had long since chosen to give up and follow the script, then Yaga was a man trapped in a midlife crisis.
Desperately wanting a vibrant future for the Jujutsu Society, yet remained locked by the confines of the ones at the top.
"Be careful, then," Tengen replied.
"Will do," a curt reply was offered by Yaga.
Not catching the subtlety in her words, he turned and stepped through the barrier, his silhouette vanishing as he left the space.
A heavy silence returned to the void.
"...Those oppressive humans at the top will see how a true demon bares its fangs."
___________
Is this a little bit chatty or not? Lemme know in the comments. As for my sudden leave, had some personal business needed to be attended but it's fine now.
I'll upload the next chapter later on since it will be the confrontation between the two parties... You know what it meant.