Megumi Of Ten Shadows: CH037

-CHAPTER 37-

-FUSHIGURO MEGUMI POV-

“Irresponsible! Reckless! Dangerous-!”

What a bummer way to end a fight… I sighed internally as I endured through the long rant of the shrine priestess outfit wearing Utahime. 

I guess that’s what I get for getting carried away and not caring about the property damage… But how could I have known that the building would collapse?

Seriously these guys should spend more on infrastructure development! Some of these building look absolutely ancient!

Like their fossil of a principal! I stifled a laughter under my breath.

But I digress, as unfortunately a little decorum and manners had to be kept and shown- especially since some of the fault did lie with me. And Utahime was ultimately a good person and teacher, and was in the end probably just looking out for me in her own way. 

Let’s just hope I don’t fall asleep here… Gojo and the other sorcerers had bailed out the moment Utahime had started her rant- and they realized this was just a false alarm -leaving me to the tender mercy of the shrine priestess. That fucker Todo ran away too! 

Seriously, he just used the excuse that “Takada-chan’s live show will be starting in a few minutes!” and everyone just accepted that moved on! Favoritism! Favoritism, I tell you!

Finally after a few more minutes of enduring the rant of the overstressed and probably overworked teacher, I had to put a stop to this before I yawned out loud and made the situation even worse.

So I put on my finest acting cap, and acted like the liar I was by passing on the blame to the perfect target.

I put on a serious expression. Regret shining in my eyes as I looked straight in the teacher’s eyes, interrupting her rant. “I agree Utahime-sensei. It’s just…” I look down in sadness. “I don’t have a good teacher I can look up at and follow the examples of…”

I sighed out loud dramatically. “The only teacher I have is Gojo and you know how he is! Always causing chaos… Yet he is the only teacher I know, so I can’t help but follow in his footsteps…” 

Now let’s just hope this works… Though it probably won’t, my acting isn’t that good-

Utahime nods in understanding, pity shining in her eyes as if she had just found another one of “her people”. “I understand your point Fushiguro-kun. It is the teacher’s duty to set examples for the students. Young minds are so impressionable after all… And that idiot doesn’t have one teaching bone in his body!’ She grounds her teeth at the end.

IT WORKED!? Lightning flashes in my mind, and I begin to wonder if I really was a good actor or if Utahime was just that agreeable to this excuse… Probably the latter… Gojo really teased her so much in their youth huh?

Before she could start on another rant about “the blindfolded bastard” I interjected quickly, acting out a visible wince as I asked. “So can I go now Utahime-sensei?”

She sighs, looking around at the debris of the demolished building and nods. “Yes Fushiguro-kun you may go. Just don’t destroy any more building okay?” Looking at my injuries she gains a guilty expression. “I probably kept you back from healing right? Let me help you to the Infirmary.”

I got up, patting my legs off of the dust and shaking my head, an easy going smile on my face. “It’s fine sensei! A great author once said ‘pain builds character’!”

“Are you sure?” She asks, worry clear in her eyes. She really did a total 180 in a few moments huh?

I smile back and nod. “Yep!” You know what, this isn’t much of a secret anyways. My hands joined together in a symbol as my CT activated with a thought. “[Madoka]”

Neigh! The stag horned and blue furred deer Shikigami bulges out of my elongating  shadow as she announces her presence. Looking at my injured body and letting out a huff as she sends emotional waves of exasperation at me.

I pat her on her head, my smile gaining a twinge of embarrassment. “I know Madoka you don’t have to say it.”

Neigh! She lets out a noise of dissatisfaction, refusing to heal me until I fulfilled her request.

I laugh heartily. “Okay girl. I promise I won’t get injured so much anymore.”

Neigh! Neigh! She sends waves of disapproval for my recklessness.

“I promised didn’t I?” I patted her soft her in enjoyment. “You know I can’t resist a good fight, and you’ll always be here to heal and bring me back from the brink of death right?”

If a deer could sigh in exasperation, then Madoka would be doing exactly that right now as she bonks me on the head with her snout.

“Thank you girl.” I patted her on her soft furred head as her glowing nose touches my forehead and a wave of RCT heals me up on the spot. 

“Fascinating.” Comes Utahime’s wonder filled voice from besides me. Turning my head slightly I see her stroking Madoka’s fur with a gentle smile on her face.

“She is isn’t she?” I patted the deer on her head as she cooed out of delight from my attention.

“So she can use RCT? Having a personal healer must be pretty useful.” She points out.

I laugh. “Like you wouldn’t believe! If it wasn’t for her then I would be dead ten times over!” With a final pat I dispelled the deer Shikigami and stretched. “I should get going then Utahime-sensei.”

She nods with a smile. “See you later then Fushiguro-kun.”

I nod back. “Likewise.” And I turned back and walked forward.

But it was only when I arrived back at the entrance of the whole compound that I realized I didn’t really know where exactly we were staying…

“… Yuta? Yes do you know where our living quarters are? Oh you’re there right now? That’s great! Can you come and pick me up at the entrance? I don’t know the way… Thanks man!”

…

-KAMO NORITOSHI POV-

-THE NEXT DAY-

“So what do you think about Tokyo’s team?” Principal Gakuganji asked, his old wrinkled hands fixed upon his walking stick even as he sat in front of them.

Utahime-sensei sat behind us, drinking a cup of green tea as she calmly looked at us.

This was an event for students… While the teachers did provide some help here and there they would much rather have us make plans and mistakes on our own in a safe environment like this…

Beside myself sat Momo, Todo and Akira-senpai. Of course, like always, Todo’s head was somewhere else in the clouds as the rest of us listened to our teachers.

Todo looks no different despite going round to round with the ace of Tokyo’s Team. I honestly don’t know if that spoke well of my classmate or of Fushiguro…

Noritoshi would be lying to himself if he didn’t say he felt some sort of comradery with the boy. Despite never actually having met him.

Their tales were similar after all… Both of them had been born outside the clan, and now were the rising stars of their generation with the fabled techniques of their Clans.

But where I had been tempered and trained with all the assets of the Kamo clan, Fushiguro had grown his strength on his own. It really made him happy that someone similar to himself was fulfilling his destiny and becoming a top tier Jujutsu Sorcerer.

That was probably why both him and Todo got off from destroying a building with a slap on the wrist. Todo was a semi-grade one already and he just had to go on a mission and exorcise a Grade 1 alone. He was real asset to Kyoto despite his eccentric nature.

Similarly, Fushiguro was also a semi-first grade sorcerer that was only held back from promoting because of his inexperience. That along with his prized technique and lineage guaranteed that he would be an important person in the future.

“They are… pretty unassuming for the most part.” Momo shrugs as she shuffles from all our gazes falling on her. 

“I would disagree Nishimiya.” Comes the graves deep voice of our senior as our heads turn towards him, yet Akira Senjiro doesn’t let the attention affect him.

The third year has sharp noble features on his face marred by scars on his right side, blood red eyes that almost glowed and raven black hair that he kept up in a ponytail. He has a tough durable and tall physique with wide shoulders and lean muscles, wearing a normal Jujutsu High uniform with a sheathed katana on his side as he sat slightly ahead of us.

Akira-senpai rubs his chins with his fingers. “The only average ones on that team are Hakari Kinji and Kirara Hoshi. The other two are… annoying.”

“How so?” Nishimiya tilts her head as she asks.

“We would have to work on your sensing skills Nishimiya.” He shakes his head as his expression turns even graver. “Fushiguro is another element on his own but… Okkotsu Yuta is on whole another level.”

He continues as his tones grows ever more hateful. “He has a pool of cursed energy that even I cannot sense the ends of… It feels truly infinite beyond anything I have ever felt. And then.. It’s that curse hiding behind him.” He spats out the word “curse:” with unimaginable vitriol.

Yet all any of us could do was look at him in pity and sadness as he continued. 

“That thing is a danger to society, and more than anything, it is the one curse that deserves to be exorcised above all else. If Yuta Okkotsu has to die to do so then so be it!” He spat out. “How low the Tokyo higher ups must have fallen to even allow that thing to continue to survive baffles my mind!”

BAM!

He slams his fist on the table in front of him as the rest of us jump from the sudden noise.

“Alright! Calm down Akira!” Utahime-sensei shouts out strictly, still a complicated emotion passes her eyes as she continues sternly. “And killing is absolutely forbidden. Play the game like it is meant to be played as!”

She moves her gaze to all of us. “And this applies to the rest of you too! The event is organized to promote the cooperation between both the schools as a show of unity of the Jujutsu Society! Your action reflect on the school itself! So I want all of you to show some sportsman spirit and play it fairly!” 

Finally her expression softens as she smiles. “And bring the win to Kyoto again ‘kay?”

“Uwahhh!” Nishimiya lets out a loud squeal as all the tension in the room melts away. “Utahime-sensei is so cool!!!”

“Ouch!” I jerk my head away from her, as I held my ears in pain. I’m pretty sure that noise would have destroyed a wine glass if it was held in front of her mouth…

Nishimiya continues to fawn over the flustered Utahime-sensei, as the teacher blushes red from the blonde’s compliments. “Y-you really think so Nishimiya?” She coughs as she regains her composure, straightening with a joyful smile on her face. “I mean- Of course I’m cool! Fufufufufu~!”

“I apologize everyone.” Interject Akira-senpai, his head bowed as regret crosses his face. “I’m sorry for losing my composure, I’ll make sure nothing like that happen again.”

“It’s fine senpai.” I nod back as Nishimiya follows in accepting his apology.

“Good student spirit everyone!” The principal praises. “Now that that is over with, please share what plans you have made for today’s group battle?” He pauses as he looks over us. “And someone please find where Todo wandered off to…”

What does he mean? I look back at Todo only to twitch in surprise when I find him missing. Yet all I could do was I let out a sigh as I remembered him muttering about a recording that idol he is obsessed with was going to air today.

…

-FUSHIGURO MEGUMI POV-

“You ready Yuta?” I ask as I shadow-equip my cursed red gauntlets. A stone Torii gate ahead of us, with a massive forest behind it being our venue for the next couple hours.

“Yep.” Yuta replies as he concentrates and takes a few deep breaths, his katana by his side, only for it to be interrupted by a slap on his shoulder by Hakari.

“Loosen up kouhai!” Hakari grins, wearing a plain black sleeveless shirt with the pants of his uniform. “We are going to be rich when we win this!”

Yuta’s shoulders slump. “You really bet money on this?”

Hakari nods happily. “Yep! There’s this greedy money hungry sorcerer I know that would never deny a bet like this!” 

That description only fit one person as far as I knew.

He knows Mei Mei? I shake my head with a smile. Of course, he knows Mei Mei! She’s the only other sorcerer as obsessed as he is with money.

Kirara nods alongside him, wearing her normal uniform with a few sheathed knives on her belt and an easygoing expression her face. “It’s basically free money because of how easy it’s going to be.”

Yuta just sighs and shakes his head as he lets out a chuckle. 

“Well, if he doesn’t want a cut then I’ll take it!” I declare with a grin.

“Not you too Megumi!” Yuta sighs in exasperation as I guffaw. “And I’ll take my cut too if we win.”

All of us stare at him as he wilts under our attention. “What? Money is important for a future career you know? Even if I stay as a Jujutsu Sorcerer I would at least like to have some kind of side business to be safe.”

My eyebrows climb up. “I didn’t think you thought that far ahead Yuta.” Then I fire off a thumbs up at him. “Good job!”

“Let’s go guys!” Kirara shouts out at us as the speakers start blaring. “I think they’re starting!”

“Well then. “ I said as I stepped forward and we stepped through the gate together. “Let’s win this!”

So begins the Day 1 of the Exchange Event: Capture the Cursed Tool!

…

A/N: It took me a while to write this chapter. Probably because I wasn’t that satisfied with the last one. In hindsight that fight scene really wasn’t very good, so I promise to do the next many fight scenes (because there are going to be a few) justice. I’m gonna have to go rewatch the whole anime to get it right next time…

Other than that, how did you feel about this chapter? Share your thoughts!