JJK: Wheel of Time

"I won't bother with threats. Just tell me why you tried to steal this sword. Who sent you? If your answer is good enough, I might let you go…"

Standing amidst the ruins of the now-destroyed school building, Shin addressed the limbless curse user lying on the floor. To spare Nao from witnessing anything too traumatic, Shin had dragged the curse user into the building, leaving her and White Wolf outside.

Seeing the disdain and disbelief in the curse user's eyes, Shin sighed. "Don't test my patience."

He swung the sword down. As the curse user screamed in terror, Shin calmly pulled out his phone. The man's eyes widened as he saw the image on the phone—his own exposed skull…from the inside. Horror gripped him as he stared at the grotesque sight, the fear of what Shin had done overwhelming the pain.

Shin adjusted the angle of his phone slightly, giving the man a clearer view of his horrifying state. His voice, in the curse user's ears, sounded like the whispers of a demon from hell.

"Do you ever think about how things might end up like this? I gave you a chance to cooperate, but you didn't listen. Sure, everyone knows I wasn't going to let you walk away, but there are worse things in this world than death. Do you really want to find out what they are?"

The curse user, his mind nearing collapse, trembled uncontrollably. The pain was nothing compared to the terror clawing at his soul. Shin waved his hand and activated Reverse Cursed Technique, focusing solely on the man's head. The healing process was slow, but steady.

With the man's head fully restored, Shin slapped him a few times, forcing him to focus on his reflection in the phone. The curse user stared in disbelief, realizing that his previously mangled skull had been completely healed. A single thought began to take shape in his chaotic mind: Reverse Cursed Technique.

How else could he explain his head being restored? Which meant that this boy could also restore his limbs. His resolve broke. Even if Shin didn't plan on letting him live, with the Reverse Cursed Technique, the boy could drag out the pain far beyond what the curse user could handle.

Shin was right—there were worse things than death.

Just as Shin prepared to use a different method, the curse user's trembling voice finally spoke. "I'll talk…"

"It was Lord Geto… Lord Geto sent me to retrieve the sword."

Shin paused for a moment. Geto Suguru. He knew the name—not only from his past life but also from the records of the Jujutsu world. Geto had once been deeply connected with Jujutsu High, but now, he was known as a notorious curse user leading a cult-like organization.

But why would someone as powerful as Geto be interested in a sword like Dojigiri? A cursed tool, yes, but surely Geto could have retrieved it easily himself.

"Why didn't your Lord Geto come for the sword himself?"

The curse user, feeling the sharp edge of the sword pressed against his forehead, swallowed nervously. "Lord Geto has been…busy with other matters recently. The order was passed down to me through another."

It didn't take long for Shin to extract the entire story from the now broken curse user. Initially, he had used a shikigami to infiltrate the Gen family's ancestral home and steal the sword. However, Nao had unexpectedly discovered the shikigami and, using Dojigiri, had wounded it. Fearing an ambush by sorcerers, the curse user had fled, uncertain of what he was up against.

Still, bound by Geto's orders, he couldn't abandon the mission. Shin's arrival had only complicated matters further, forcing the curse user to wait for an opportunity to act. Finally, when Shin and Nao had been trapped in the domain of the curse, he had made his move, attempting to use Nao as leverage to secure his escape with the sword.

But, in the end, it had all been in vain. Given the difference in strength between Shin and Nao, even if the curse user had severely injured her, Shin could have easily dispatched him and used RCT or technique reversal to bring her back.

"This sword…"

Shin examined Dojigiri thoughtfully. The sword was undeniably impressive. During the battle, it had cut through stone, walls, and even the cursed energy-reinforced body of the curse user's shikigami like butter.

"H-help me, please! I've told you everything I know. Just…don't kill me!" the curse user pleaded weakly, his voice trembling with fear.

Shin raised the sword, ready to end it, but paused. After a moment of thought, he decided to let Gojo handle it. After all, Gojo might be able to extract even more information from this guy. Shin wasn't a professional interrogator—he only knew how to use fear to get what he wanted.

With a kind smile, Shin said, "Of course. But first, there's someone you should meet."

"W-who?"

"Gojo Satoru."

A short while later, the curse user found himself staring up at a figure who had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Clad in a blue and black uniform, with white hair and a blindfold covering his eyes, stood the most powerful jujutsu sorcerer of today—Gojo Satoru.

The curse user felt a wave of despair wash over him. For jujutsu sorcerers, Gojo represented hope and security, but for curse users and curses, he was nothing less than a living nightmare.

"Is this the guy?" Gojo asked, casually greeting Nao before turning his attention to the broken curse user. He glanced over at Shin. "You really went overboard this time. Couldn't you have just killed him?"

Shin sighed at Gojo's nonchalant attitude. "He took a hostage. Besides, we needed information from him. Oh, and here's the sword."

Gojo examined Dojigiri for a moment before pulling down his blindfold to get a better look with his Six Eyes. After studying it for a while, he turned to Shin. "It's not just a cursed tool. It has some properties of a cursed object. There's a possibility that this thing could actually revive Shuten Doji."

"The legends say the Gen family's ancestors used this very sword to slay Shuten Doji. There's likely some deeper connection between the family's bloodline, the sword, and that demon."

After handing the curse user over to the authorities for detainment, the situation began to resolve. Thanks to the barrier Shin had set up earlier, no ordinary people had noticed the strange events, but the damage caused by the curse was significant. It would likely require official intervention to relocate the school's students for a while.

Shin had already explained everything to Gojo, and now they were headed back to Jujutsu High in Ieiri's car.

"W-what? But I haven't even told my parents yet!" Nao exclaimed, surprised at the sudden change of plans.

Gojo, sitting in the front seat, turned back with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll inform your parents. It's not safe for you to stay at home right now. There are dangerous people after that sword, and you're likely to be a target too."

"What about my parents and grandfather?" Nao asked, clearly concerned.

Gojo's response remained lighthearted. "They'll be fine. I'll arrange for people to protect them as well. Besides, while normal defenses might not work against curses, they'll certainly be effective against curse users."

"Still…if my guess is correct, you're the one in the most danger right now."

Though slightly reassured, Nao fell silent. Once they arrived at Jujutsu High, Gojo assigned her a temporary dormitory. There were plenty of empty rooms, and soon it was just Shin and Gojo left.

"This sword is sharper than anything I've ever seen. It cuts through cursed energy defenses like nothing. But can it really revive Shuten Doji? How would that even work?" Shin asked, still intrigued by the sword's potential.

Gojo shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe someone has to swallow it, or maybe the sword is just a vessel. The bigger question is not how, but why."

Shin thought for a moment before asking, "So it's Geto, then? His ability is to control curses, right? Is he trying to revive Shuten Doji just to add him to his collection?"

Gojo stared out into the night sky. "Most likely. And if you're right, Geto isn't just after this one sword. He's probably targeting other powerful cursed objects and beings. If he succeeds…"

He trailed off, but then slapped Shin on the shoulder with a grin. "Don't worry about it. You've already uncovered his plot before it's too late. We'll stop him."

"Right…" Shin sighed. "I'm heading to bed. If you get any more info out of that curse user, let me know."

"Oh, and what should I do with this sword?"

Gojo shrugged again. "You keep it. No way I'm giving it to that girl. She'd be a target for sure."

Shin's face darkened

Shin's face darkened. "And carrying it around myself won't make me a target?"

Gojo smirked as he walked away. "Think of it as bait, Shin. You're strong enough to handle whatever comes your way. Besides, if I kept it, nobody would dare show their face."

Shin grumbled under his breath, but there was nothing he could do. Gojo was right. The sword would serve as a lure for any more of Geto's followers or other interested parties. If they could draw out the enemy, it might lead to bigger discoveries.

With that thought, Shin dragged himself back to his dorm, feeling the weight of the legendary blade in his hands. He quickly showered and collapsed into bed, too tired to even play video games.

---

The next morning, Shin was jolted awake by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Shin! Are you up? Come on, today's training!"

It was Panda's booming voice. Shin groaned, pulling himself out of bed and getting ready. Grabbing Dojigiri, he headed out to join the others. He met Panda on the way, who looked curiously at the sword.

"Shin, where'd you get that blade? It feels dangerous," Panda asked, his tone serious for once.

"Yeah, you're not wrong. It's a cursed tool, a real pain in the neck from my last mission. It's called Dojigiri. Pretty sharp, cuts through cursed energy like nothing."

Panda whistled. "That sounds like a lot of trouble. You sure you're okay carrying it around?"

Shin gave a nonchalant shrug. "Not like I have a choice. Gojo-sensei decided I should be the one to keep it. It's bait, apparently."

As they walked toward the training grounds, Shin checked his phone for updates from Gojo. There was a message from a couple of hours ago.

It confirmed what they already suspected—Geto was indeed targeting multiple cursed objects, including ancient relics tied to legendary monsters like Shuten Doji. Among them were two other famous swords: Hizamaru and Kogarasumaru, both once wielded by the Gen family's ancestor, Minamoto no Raikou.

The two most famous swords connected to the legends of gods and demons, as well as to the legend of Dojigiri, are a pair of "brother swords" called Higekiri and Hizamaru. Due to their association with the legends of demons, they are also known as Onikiri and Kumo-kiri. Both swords, along with Dojigiri, once belonged to the same master, the ancestor of the Settsu Minamoto clan—Minamoto no Yorimitsu.

'So, these items, with the characteristics of cursed objects, could potentially bring back the 'great spirits' or 'imaginary vengeful spirits.'

Forget it. We'll deal with whatever comes. If only we could track down those cursed users directly and solve this from the root.'

With these thoughts in mind, Shin and Panda arrived at the training grounds. Yuta Okkotsu and Toge Inumaki were already there, warming up, while Maki was off to the side teaching basic combat techniques to Nao Gen.

"Shin!"

"Kelp!"

After greeting the two, Shin asked, "Did you guys finish your mission?"

Yuta smiled, "Yeah, we just got back. Now we're resting a bit, waiting for the next suitable mission."

Panda chimed in, "The two of them went on a mission together and ended up encountering a quasi-first-grade cursed spirit. Fortunately, they successfully exorcised it."

Shin raised his eyebrows in surprise and then praised them, "Not bad! Was the mission intel wrong? How did you encounter a spirit stronger than the report suggested?"

Yuta smiled lightly, "Maybe the intel was inaccurate, but with Inumaki-senpai's cooperation, we exorcised the curse. Later, Gojo-sensei also came to investigate."

"I'll have to ask Gojo-sensei about it later," Shin thought, putting the matter aside for now. His attention then shifted to the two sparring on the other side.

"Shin, do you think she'll be our new classmate?" Yuta asked curiously, glancing at Nao.

Shin pondered for a moment. "Probably not... It's already late. I think Gojo-sensei plans for her to join the next year, probably with Fushiguro Megumi." And, in the future, with Itadori Yuji and Kugisaki Nobara as well.

From Shin's previous conversations, the others had learned a bit about Fushiguro Megumi. Upon hearing this, the atmosphere relaxed, and Yuta chuckled, "So, we're already certain we'll have a juniors. I hope the next year has even more students."

The group bantered and laughed until Maki's angry voice interrupted them from across the grounds, "Get over here already!" They quickly joined her, greeted Nao in turn, and began their usual training.

"Uh, Shin, where did you get that sword? It feels... dangerous," Yuta asked, his sensitivity to cursed energy picking up something unusual.

Hearing Yuta's concern, Shin sighed, "It's a cursed tool tied to the mission I just completed. It's a bit of a hassle, but don't worry, everything's under control."

Yuta nodded, trusting Shin's judgment. He then focused on sparring with him.

—-—

Meanwhile, in a palace-like building, a man with black hair, dressed in a monk's robes, stood gazing at two ancient swords laid out before him. He sighed and said, "These two are just ordinary cursed tools. But what about Dojigiri? Has Kuyu not returned yet?"

A fashionable woman with pink hair standing nearby replied, "Not yet, and we've lost contact with him. According to the intel, the Minamoto family has heightened their security and added more jujutsu sorcerers for protection. It seems their family has a descendant with inherited jujutsu abilities. I'm afraid... Kuyu has already been captured."

The black-haired man, who was once a special-grade sorcerer and now the infamous curse user Suguru Geto, murmured to himself, "So the legendary Dojigiri has fallen into Jujutsu High's hands. No matter... These were just side objectives. Our primary goal has always been that special-grade vengeful cursed spirit—Rika Orimoto."

"Gojo, we'll meet again soon. And this time, I will achieve my dream."

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