Megumi Fushiguro Arrives

"Boss! He's here! He's here! He's finally here!"

On a bright, sunny day, Naomitsu was training in a rather good mood when Naoya Zenin's shouting made him open his eyes.

"Who's here?"

"Who else? That old geezer Toji's two kids, of course! My dad went to pick them up himself!" Naoya Zenin replied breathlessly.

Naomitsu gave a crooked grin. "Come on! Let's take a look!"

He had made a promise, so he couldn't go back on his word. From now on, he would have to take good care of Toji's children.

Stepping outside, Naomitsu and Naoya Zenin ran into Maki and Mai. The sisters had heard Naoya Zenin's yelling from a long way off.

"Nao-chan! Where are you going?"

After asking that, Maki shot Naoya Zenin a glare, afraid that he would lead her precious little brother astray.

"We have guests. We're going to take a look. They're Toji's kids, and I promised him I'd take good care of them."

Hearing this, the sisters put down their work. Curious, they decided to go with Naomitsu to meet Megumi Fushiguro and his sister.

A black sedan stopped at the front courtyard's gate. Old Naobito Zenin led two children out of the car: Tsumiki Fushiguro and Megumi Fushiguro.

Tsumiki Fushiguro had dark brown eyes. Her hair was tied into a single ponytail that fell past her shoulders, with two long strands of bangs hanging naturally over her forehead.

She wore her school uniform and looked rather ill at ease.

Behind Tsumiki Fushiguro, Megumi Fushiguro, who was a few years older than Naomitsu, hid behind his sister as he surveyed this unfamiliar place.

"Over here! Follow me!"

When Naomitsu spoke up, Naobito Zenin nodded and left him to arrange the siblings' food, lodging, and daily needs.

With the adults gone, Megumi Fushiguro relaxed considerably. He no longer hid behind Tsumiki, instead looking curiously at Naomitsu and Naoya Zenin.

"Aren't you younger than me?"

Megumi Fushiguro walked beside Naomitsu, puzzled that someone younger than him had so much authority.

"Hey! You little brat! Is that any way to talk to my boss?"

Naoya Zenin slung an arm around Megumi Fushiguro's shoulders, looking every bit the lackey. Naomitsu clapped his hands, signaling for Naoya Zenin to let Megumi Fushiguro go.

"I made a promise to your dad, Toji. From now on, I'll look after you. If anyone bullies you, tell me. I'm your boss now."

Megumi Fushiguro looked up at Naomitsu, then glanced back at his sister, Tsumiki Fushiguro, who was smiling demurely.

"Megumi-chan! You've already made a new friend!"

Megumi Fushiguro was utterly speechless. Come on, sis. How is he a new friend? He clearly wants to boss me around like a servant.

"Don't worry. I'll help you get stronger."

"That's right, that's right. I'll help you get stronger too."

Naoya Zenin hooked his arm around Megumi Fushiguro's shoulders again, grinning as though he had gained a lackey of his own.

Megumi Fushiguro's lodgings were beside Naomitsu's courtyard, not far away, right by the bamboo grove where Naomitsu often trained.

In his spare time, Naomitsu could regularly spar with Megumi Fushiguro using the Ten Shadows Technique.

"Um... thank you..." Not knowing Naomitsu's name, Tsumiki scratched her head and smiled awkwardly.

"My name is Naomitsu Zenin. You can just call me Naomitsu, Tsumiki."

Perhaps because she had lost her mother at an early age, Tsumiki was gentle with everyone. Even toward Naomitsu, who was younger than her, she was unfailingly polite and sincere.

"Please take good care of Megumi! Sorry for the trouble!"

Naomitsu nodded readily. "Of course. I promised your father. You can live here from now on and attend school in Kyoto."

Once the pleasantries were over, Tsumiki and Megumi Fushiguro went inside. Naomitsu, whom they had just met, returned to practicing with his Soul Liberation Blade.

"This blade really is wasted on me. Without the Heavenly Tyrant's physique, I could train until I died and still only bring out ten percent of its power."

A "summoner" was fragile by nature. Even after training to the limit, he could never compare to an assassin. Naoya Zenin, on the other hand, at least had more reliable agility than Naomitsu.

"If only Maki awakened the Heavenly Tyrant's physique. I could give her this blade and have her handle the remaining shikigami for me."

Shaking his head, Naomitsu picked up the Soul Liberation Blade again. Whatever the case, it was still one of his trump cards.

Before chanting "Yura, yura" to summon Mahoraga, Naomitsu had four requirements for himself.

First, he had to learn Reverse Cursed Technique. Second, he had to land consecutive Black Flashes. Third, he had to successfully tame the other nine shikigami. Fourth, he had to comprehend and develop a domain of his own.

So far, he had accomplished none of them.

If Sukuna appeared in the future while he was still like this, he would be nothing but cannon fodder, dead before he even knew what had happened. How could he possibly protect his sisters?

"I have to work hard! Harder! Even harder!"

Naomitsu's only advantage was his cursed energy, which could double. But for a jujutsu sorcerer, what mattered most was how that cursed energy was used.

Having all that cursed energy without knowing how to use it made him no different from a useless fool.

He closed his eyes and stood with his blade in hand, losing himself in a single slash.

The motion of that slash replayed over and over in his mind. In that brief moment, Naomitsu entered the Black Flash state.

There it is!

He slashed again. Black enveloped the blade, and space warped slightly, as though Naomitsu's strike had cleaved space itself.

He opened his eyes, leaving that state.

Two consecutive Black Flash slashes had forcibly reduced the three-meter-high wall before Naomitsu to dust and gravel, leaving his view wide open.

The blade remained completely unscathed. A long trench stretched across the ground beyond the wall. If physical strikes alone could cause such destruction, he could hardly imagine the power Satoru Gojo and Sukuna wielded.

"Good. The second requirement is done. Next, I should spend some time practicing Reverse Cursed Technique. But before that, I should take a break."

Throughout this period, Naomitsu had remained tense and never rested. It was far too exhausting for his current body.

"I'll get everyone together and go have some fun in Kyoto! The Summer Festival is coming up, too! We can try some Kyoto food!"

With that idea in mind, Naomitsu went to find Maki and Mai. Naturally, both were more than willing.

Afterward, Naomitsu took the sisters along to invite Tsumiki and Megumi Fushiguro. As newly arrived guests, this outing would be a perfect chance for them to get acquainted.

As for Naoya Zenin, no one gave him a thought.

Once they agreed on a date, everyone began planning the itinerary. They settled on where they wanted to go. The Summer Festival was only four days away.

During that time, Naoya Zenin heard about their plans for the Summer Festival and sought out Naomitsu. As Naomitsu's number-one lackey, how could he possibly miss it?

And so, their group grew to six.

In the days before their departure, Naomitsu and the others prepared their clothes and money. He got the money from his mother. As one of the Three Great Families of jujutsu sorcerers, they were hardly short of cash.

All that remained was to wait quietly for the Summer Festival to arrive.