JJK: Wheel of Time

Chapter 3: Gojo Satoru

Mei Mei looked at the small boy sitting on the ground. Judging by his exhausted state and the residual cursed energy that hadn't fully dispersed from his body, she found it hard to believe, but the curse spirit must have been exorcised by him.

Still, to be completely certain, Mei Mei asked, because it was truly beyond reason for such a young child to have eliminated a Grade 1, almost Special Grade, curse spirit. The burst of cursed energy earlier that had drawn her in was also terrifying.

However, the young boy remained silent, simply staring at her. Mei Mei sighed and rubbed her forehead, frustrated by her lack of experience dealing with children, especially one who seemed wary of her.

Composing herself, she put on a kind and gentle smile, half-squatting as she spoke to Shin Shuichi, "Don't be afraid, I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer. I deal with these monsters for a living. You can think of me like a police officer! Can you tell me what happened here, little one?"

"Jujutsu Sorcerer…"

Shin Shuichi seemed to be struck by something as he struggled to recall. Suddenly, something clicked.

Jujutsu Sorcerer! He remembered now, the people from Jujutsu Kaisen. In that world, negative human emotions could give rise to curses, birthing curse spirits, and those born with techniques who could harness cursed energy were known as Jujutsu Sorcerers. Their duty was to exorcise those curse spirits.

Images from the anime flashed rapidly in his mind. He had only a superficial understanding of it from his previous life, having only seen parts of the anime without delving into the manga.

Right, Mei Mei! That beautiful character with white hair—no wonder she looked familiar. So, he had been reincarnated into Jujutsu Kaisen! His "psychic power" was actually cursed energy! Did that mean he had innate talent?

Though Jujutsu Kaisen had been a big hit in his previous life, Shin wasn't deeply familiar with it. He'd only seen part of the anime and never got around to finishing it.

As these chaotic thoughts swirled in his mind, Mei Mei's smile began to freeze, seeing no response from him. Just as she was about to try another approach, the boy finally spoke.

"My name is Shin Shuichi. There was a big monster that ate my sister, Koharu-nee. So, I killed it."

Following where Shin pointed, Mei Mei saw Ayako Koharu lying on the ground. She walked over and examined her, then said, "She's only passed out, not seriously hurt. The curse didn't penetrate deeply, but she'll need a long rest."

With that, Mei Mei turned back to Shin Shuichi, exhaling in relief. She was now filled with curiosity. She approached Shin and easily lifted him.

"Well, I'll believe you for now. You took care of the big one, and I've cleared out the small fry. Let's head out. Did you see any other survivors?"

Shin told her about the two children hiding nearby. Mei Mei, with Shin in one hand and the unconscious woman in the other, walked out as if carrying nothing.

They passed through the veil-like barrier, which if she remembered correctly was called a curtain, a field used by Jujutsu Sorcerers to isolate their operations from the outside world.

She placed the two on a black car. Then, Mei Mei went back inside the barrier and shortly returned with two frightened but otherwise calm children.

Afterward, Mei Mei called Shin to one side. He had rested enough and looked much better. Mei Mei, with a curious expression, said, "In a moment, people will come to handle the aftermath. Could you tell me what happened in detail?"

After some thought, Shin Shuichi selectively recounted what had happened. Now that he was certain this was the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, Shin had set a new goal: to enter Jujutsu High!

He had no family, and Jujutsu Sorcerers passed down their knowledge. Even with talent, it would be impossible to progress without guidance. Not to mention, the strongest sorcerer, Gojo Satoru, was there!

His plan was set: enroll in Jujutsu High, receive Gojo Satoru's guidance, and grow stronger! With this in mind, Shin did not refuse Mei Mei's request, especially since explaining what had happened could attract the right kind of attention and help him enter the Jujutsu world.

The vast world of jujutsu had finally revealed a glimpse of itself, and with his abilities, how could Shin Shuichi refuse?

As he stumbled through his explanation, Mei Mei's expression was hard to read—whether astonishment or admiration, it was hard to tell. She patted Shin on the head. "There are some snacks in the car. The police and hospital staff will be here soon, so just wait for a bit."

Shin sat in the car, sharing snacks with Yumiko, who had also escaped the danger. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mei Mei standing not far away, talking on the phone.

…

"Satoru, you won't believe this. In the domain of that half-formed curse spirit, a kid exorcised it."

Mei Mei spoke with an odd smile, and after hearing the response on the other end, she continued, "Yes, it seems he's awakened a technique. He's shown basic control of his cursed energy, but what's really terrifying is the sheer amount of it…"

"Alright, come as soon as you're done on your end."

Soon, police cars and ambulances arrived. Ayako Koharu and the two children were taken away. The police talked briefly with Mei Mei before heading to the now barrier-less orphanage.

Mei Mei turned back to the car. Shin Shuichi glanced at her, then looked out the window. Mei Mei said nothing, and the two sat in a peaceful silence.

Suddenly, Shin's gaze caught sight of a figure. His eyes widened slightly as he took a closer look: the same white hair slicked back, a tall figure dressed in black, with sharp, handsome features wrapped in layers of bandages over his eyes.

Gojo Satoru! The strongest sorcerer in the jujutsu world, and one of the main characters of Jujutsu Kaisen! As Gojo approached, Mei Mei opened the car door and gestured for Shin to get out as well.

With his hands in his pockets, Gojo bent down slightly, examining Shin Shuichi. Shin knew that Gojo's sight wasn't hindered by the bandages.

Straightening up, Gojo touched his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting… He's Shin Shuichi, right? He's got a lot of cursed energy in him, and he's figured out some ways to control and hide it on his own. Impressive…"

"Can I see your technique?"

Shin put on a puzzled look. "Technique? You mean my superpower?"

Gojo smiled and snapped his fingers. "Exactly! Just focus on that superpower of yours and show it to me."

Gojo raised his hand, pulling off the bandages, revealing those stunning blue eyes—the legendary Six Eyes of the jujutsu world, which could see the flow and mechanics of cursed energy and even decipher techniques.

Under Gojo's intense gaze, Shin Shuichi took a deep breath and activated his power—no, his technique.

Everything around him seemed to slow down. When Shin raised his head, he saw Gojo still observing him, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.

Even as Shin moved around, Gojo's eyes followed him—something no one else had been able to do in this state.

Meanwhile, Mei Mei had more trouble keeping up. When Shin finished his demonstration, she curiously asked, "So, what do you think? Is his technique speeding up his movements? I could barely follow."

Gojo closed his eyes, deep in thought. "No, it's not just speeding up. I can't be sure yet, but… it's very interesting…"

Mei Mei was even more intrigued now. It wasn't often that Gojo found something so captivating. Considering the boy's immense cursed energy and mysterious technique, perhaps he might one day become a Special Grade sorcerer himself?

Gojo's expression shifted into a wide grin. He crouched down and, with a playful, almost tempting tone, said, "Shuichi… You've already awakened your technique. You're no longer an ordinary person. You, me, and this lady here are the same. We have a school for people like you."

"There are lots of fun things there, and they can teach you how to use your 'superpower.' So, what do you think? Want to join us?"

Mei Mei rubbed her forehead. "Gojo, can you not sound like you're trying to kidnap a child? And besides, Jujutsu High doesn't take kids this young."

Gojo stroked his chin. "He's already awakened a technique. Leaving him out here isn't a good idea. If cursed users find him, that could be bad news. We need a plan… I've got it!"

"First things first, we need to get him out of this orphanage. If those cursed users track him down, the whole place could be in danger."

Seeing Shin frown slightly, Gojo knew the boy understood. Shin then asked with a hint of worry, "So, what should I do?"

Gojo laughed heartily, waving his hand. "Don't worry about it! I'll handle it. I'll get you adopted. The Gojo family can easily take care of one more kid."

Gojo then tied the bandage back over his eyes and continued, "We can't stay here forever. This place isn't safe for you. How about I take you somewhere else?"

Seeing Shin nod in agreement, Gojo suddenly bent down with a sly expression on his face. "Actually, we're bad guys here to kidnap you!"

Shin, however, showed no signs of the panic Gojo had hoped for. Instead, the child gave him a slightly disdainful and annoyed look. Unfazed, Gojo burst into hearty laughter.

Standing nearby, Mei Mei maintained her smile. Gojo still had that slightly mischievous personality—he was almost like a child himself in some ways.

Gojo then placed his hand on the back of Shin's neck. Without any visible effort, he lifted Shin up like a sack of potato, but still very secure.

"We're off then!" Gojo said, addressing Mei Mei. In response to her call of "Don't forget my payment," Shin felt the scenery around him blur and shift, unable to make out how much had changed. In the next moment, they appeared in a completely unfamiliar place.

°°°

A/N: That's all for now, I'll do double release tomorrow. No pătreons for now, but soon.