Shinichi's move

"Hey, Shinichi Zenin, you've been enjoying yourself lately, haven't you?"

In a side room of the Fujiwara Northern House's estate in Heian-kyo, Shinichi Zenin lay prostrate on the floor.

Before him stood an ornate folding screen, and the nobleman behind it spoke with undisguised displeasure.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Normally so arrogant, Shinichi Zenin now looked like a beaten dog, barely daring to breathe as he endured the nobleman's wrath.

"I dragged you out of a backwater like Mutsu and brought you to Heian-kyo because you promised to stake your life on helping me become Kampaku."

"And what exactly have you done for me these past few years? Other than spending the stipend I pay you every day, I've seen nothing of these supposed jujutsu sorcerer talents of yours!"

The voice behind the screen grew increasingly shrill, until the furious nobleman hurled his fan at Shinichi Zenin, tearing a large hole through the exquisite screen.

"Please calm yourself, my lord! I'm no useless parasite! I've actually been searching for allies for you all this time!"

Even with the screen damaged, Shinichi Zenin did not dare lift his head for so much as a glance-as a staunch believer in the social hierarchy, he would never dare overstep his station.

Still, to soothe the nobleman's fury, he chose to speak in his own defense.

The voice behind the screen abruptly stopped, and for a moment, the room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.

Only after a long while did the nobleman speak again, his voice unhurried.

"Then where are these allies you've found for me?"

Sensing an opening, Shinichi Zenin rejoiced inwardly and immediately replied, "A month ago, I sent a member of my clan to Mutsu Province-I heard that the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna, had been active nearby."

Though he was not a jujutsu sorcerer, as a nobleman of the Heian Era, he naturally knew the name Ryomen Sukuna.

He had, of course, also heard of Sukuna's title, the King of Curses.

He narrowed his eyes. If he could truly gain Sukuna's aid, it might indeed help him secure the position of Kampaku.

"Go on. Did you find this Sukuna in Mutsu Province?"

Shinichi Zenin fell silent for a moment, seemingly gathering his words, before saying, "The clansman I sent a month ago was extremely reliable, and he brought lavish gifts... but so far, no word has come back."

"You haven't even caught a glimpse of him, and you dare use this to fob me off?!"

The nobleman's anger, which had begun to settle, flared again. He rose directly from the cushion behind the screen, his shadow falling over Shinichi Zenin through the hole.

"Please hear me out, my lord! Though the clansman I sent hasn't returned, I've already formed a theory!"

Shinichi Zenin straightened his kneeling posture and began speaking faster.

"My clansman was most likely killed by Sukuna, who also stole the precious gifts and joined forces with the enemies of the court in Hiraizumi!"

The nobleman felt his temples throbbing. "And? Doesn't that just make your incompetence even more apparent?"

"No, no, no! This isn't a slap in my face-it's a slap in yours, my lord!" Shinichi Zenin's voice suddenly rose, startling the nobleman.

What on earth was this fellow talking about?

The nobleman nearly laughed in anger. He could not quite follow Shinichi Zenin's logic.

Clearly, Shinichi Zenin realized this too, and hurried to explain.

"Think about it, my lord. Upon meeting Sukuna, my envoy would certainly have announced whom he represented. Sukuna chose to attack despite knowing who had sent him."

"It's one thing for him to look down on the Zenin clan, but he showed no regard whatsoever for your Fujiwara Northern House. If word of this gets out... I'm afraid it would reflect poorly on you, my lord."

The nobleman narrowed his eyes and carefully considered the chain of reasoning, finding that Shinichi Zenin actually had something of a point.

He then returned to his cushion, much of his anger now dissipated. "Then how do you think we should handle this?"

Shinichi Zenin answered without hesitation. "I believe we should send someone to teach Ryomen Sukuna a lesson and show him the might of the Fujiwara Northern House. That way, we can restore our reputation and force him to serve us."

Anyone who had seen Sukuna with their own eyes would have thought these two were thoroughly drunk if they overheard this conversation.

Someone capable of teaching Sukuna a lesson probably would not be born for another thousand years.

But precisely because these two knew so little of the world, they could discuss the matter without a care.

Their thinking was simple-even if Sukuna was powerful, could he fight a hundred jujutsu sorcerers?

Thus, the Fujiwara Clan Jujutsu Sorcerers, Shinichi Zenin included, actually had no clear understanding of this King of Curses.

The nobleman considered Shinichi Zenin's proposal carefully and decided it was feasible. "Then I'll leave this matter to you-you will go to Hiraizumi in person and teach that Sukuna a lesson."

Shinichi Zenin, who had just been congratulating himself on escaping disaster, was dumbfounded.

"Huh? I'm supposed to fight Sukuna?"

Though he had little idea of Sukuna's combat prowess, he understood his own all too well.

Without the cursed corpses he created, Shinichi Zenin himself could probably only just scrape by as a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer in hand-to-hand combat.

In other words, even if Megumi Zenin fought Shinichi Zenin at close quarters, he might not be able to beat the little girl.

"What, you sounded so confident a moment ago, but now that it's your turn, you don't want to do it?"

The nobleman's voice behind the screen was full of mockery. If Shinichi Zenin were willing to settle down and become an entertainer, he might actually have a promising future.

"No, no, no, of course I'm not unwilling. It's just that there may be a tiny gap between my strength and Sukuna's..."

Shinichi Zenin put it delicately, but the nobleman needed no translation to understand his meaning.

Shinichi Zenin had lost his nerve.

Still, this fit the nobleman's impression of Shinichi Zenin-little ability and grand ambitions, yet the moment he actually had to step up, he turned into a spineless coward.

"Heh. I didn't think you'd dare trouble Sukuna alone. I'll have a member of the Sun, Moon, and Stars Squad accompany you."

Then the nobleman cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and softly called, "U."

"Here."

A clear female voice sounded beside Shinichi Zenin.

Shinichi Zenin looked back to find a woman dressed entirely in black, even her face completely covered, kneeling on one knee a short distance behind him.

Though Shinichi Zenin was not particularly strong himself, he was nevertheless a bona fide Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer.

Yet he had not noticed U's approach in the slightest.

A chill crept up Shinichi Zenin's back. Had U attacked just now, he would not even have known who killed him.

"From now on, you will temporarily take orders from Shinichi Zenin until he completes his mission to teach Ryomen Sukuna a lesson."

As the nobleman spoke, U raised her head and met Shinichi Zenin's gaze.

The instant their eyes met, Shinichi Zenin felt an intense urge to flee.

Then something occurred to the nobleman, and he added, "If your opponent is Sukuna, things may prove a little troublesome... go to the Forbidden Storehouse and bring 'that thing' with you."

"Yes."

U's reply was brisk and decisive. As a member of the Sun, Moon, and Stars Squad, whose creed was to "put aside the self and serve the public," her duty was to serve the Fujiwara Northern House.

Then she vanished from the room at a speed Shinichi Zenin could not comprehend.

"What are you still doing here?" Seeing Shinichi Zenin still kneeling there in a daze, the nobleman grew irritated again. "U has already gone to prepare. Get moving!"

"Yes! Yes!"

Given his orders, Shinichi Zenin scrambled out of the room on all fours as though he had been granted a pardon.