Jujutsu: Heroic Spirit Summoning

Aikawa Kaze's expression was grave as he prepared for a fight with his back to the wall.

He had no idea that a sly black-furred fox and a trouble-loving cat were watching the show. Instead, he rapidly sifted through every scrap of knowledge that might prove useful.

Summoning a Heroic Spirit required the right timing, location, and circumstances. A relic connected to the spirit's life could improve the odds, but unfortunately, none of that was available to him.

A special incantation could influence the summoning. The system had already helped calculate a suitable one.

The only thing he could do...

"It's all right, Sakura. Close your eyes and count to a hundred. It'll be over by then."

Indeed, whatever the outcome, by the time she reached a hundred, either he would have successfully exorcised the cursed spirit or they would have been killed. Everything would be over.

Shhk-

As Sakura obediently closed her eyes, a sharp blade sliced across his palm, and Aikawa Kaze soaked the summoning circle with his blood.

Blood contained power. Perhaps it could strengthen the summoning and convey his resolve.

"I hereby declare-your body shall be under my command, and my fate entrusted to your sword."

"Oh? What's this? A prayer before you die?"

The smoke around the monster had yet to disperse, but it was already advancing step by step.

Aikawa Kaze ignored it, continuing swiftly and firmly.

"Answer me! Prisoner confined within the Cage of Frenzy, wanderer trapped by the Wheel of Fate, traveler bound to the Track of the Stars."

Strictly speaking, he had crossed worlds twice and seen three different worlds.

Though he had not spent much time in them, his experiences were already rich enough. Even if he died right now, no one could call his life dull.

His only regret, perhaps, was that he had never lived for himself, freely and recklessly.

Nor had he ever truly disregarded life and death as he did now, willing to risk everything for a single goal.

He looked young, but his heart seemed to have grown old.

Only moments ago, when his body had moved faster than his mind to shield the girl, had Aikawa Kaze briefly felt himself return to his fearless, adolescent days of grandiose fantasies.

Those innocent days when he had dreamed of becoming a wandering champion, a hero.

"I swear here and now: I shall accomplish all good in this world, and I shall purge all evil in this world!"

"I am the Binder of Chains, the Disruptor of Fate, the Traverser of Time. Let these words of power bind you."

"If you would follow this will and this cause, then answer me!"

Sakura, who thoughtfully chose a cheaper doll; Sakura, who adorably wheedled him into helping her find the way; Sakura, who insisted on standing because she worried he could not carry her...

Her life had only just begun. It should not end here.

So...

"Come forth through the Wheel of Restraint, Guardian of the Scales!"

-Please, answer me!

On the immaterial Throne of Heroes, a certain Heroic Spirit who had been resting his chin in his hand and boredly refusing countless summons heard someone's call.

He had witnessed the end of his ideals and grown sick of being a Hero of Justice.

Now, the only thing he wanted was to kill his past self, whatever the cost.

Thus, apart from worlds connected to his past self, he rarely answered anyone else's summons.

He often sat upon the Throne of Heroes, idly browsing various worldlines.

Then he would inevitably wonder what would have happened if he had chosen a different path back then.

He heard someone's summoning incantation. What outrageous claims.

Yet the reason for the summons was so simple that it brought a knowing smile to his face.

The heroes seated upon the Throne of Heroes had lived through bloodshed, witnessed the vicissitudes of life, and experienced all manner of joy, sorrow, separation, and reunion.

At every moment, countless summons swept past beneath their eyes.

Compared with reasons such as fighting over a wish-granting device, restoring the Human Order, or pruning Lostbelts to save the world, this one could hardly have been more ordinary.

Who would answer? Who would be moved? Who would deem it worthy?

The King of Heroes was tolerant of children and might lend a hand when in a good mood, but that did not mean he would lower himself to pay attention to such a trivial matter.

The King of Knights was upright and happy to help others, but unfortunately, all her thoughts were devoted to pursuing the Holy Grail and restoring her kingdom. In that state, she would most likely filter out unrelated information and never receive the plea.

Well, come to think of it, most of the Heroic Spirits among the Knights of the Round Table were probably in a similar situation.

"At this rate, no Heroic Spirit will notice him, will they?"

After all, the amount of information and summoning requests received by the Throne of Heroes was unimaginably vast-easily more than a hundred times the number of résumés the world's top ten companies received each day.

As he casually took stock of the Heroic Spirits he knew best, his attention was nonetheless drawn to the scene.

Was the child being saved also named Sakura?

Perhaps that counted as fate.

He remembered Sakura, the younger girl next door, from when he had still been human.

"Well, I suppose I have no choice. It would be too pitiful if no one ever answered."

It was unclear whether he meant the little girl or the person desperately calling out for someone.

"I'll lend you my power for a little while."

Time seemed to stop at that moment.

Satoru Gojo tilted his head as he watched the scene, where nothing had appeared.

Although the boy seemed to have exhausted every last drop of cursed energy in his body... nothing appeared to have happened?

Had his cursed technique failed?

He readied himself to intervene.

The massive drain on his cursed energy left Aikawa Kaze dizzy, but he stubbornly tightened his grip on his sword.

Did it fail?

"Tch. So there's nothing after all?"

The twisted monster laughed wildly, speaking with palpable irritation.

"All that fuss, and it was just a bluff-hey! You'll pay dearly for making a fool of me!"

Aikawa Kaze said nothing. He simply tightened his grip on the Jewel Sword, his face expressionless.

Better to rely on yourself than someone else.

At that moment, he understood that deeply, and a sudden pang of regret struck him.

Back then, he had thought summoning Heroic Spirits was the best fit for the one ability he could choose. In reality, if he had chosen either of the other two options and strengthened himself, it would probably have been far more useful than this worthless summoning.

He could have honed his acting skills to improve his cosplay performance, or studied and trained hard, improving his physique to adapt to the Eye of Insight.

If I survive this...

Forget it. There's no point thinking about that now.

Reality was neither a game nor an anime. He understood that clearly now, and he was ready to bite a chunk out of his opponent even if it killed him.

Literally.

[With that kind of resolve, you're not too hopeless. Much better than before. You barely pass.]

A man's voice suddenly rang out in his mind. As he stood stunned, he heard a trace of amusement in it.

[I'll lend you this power for now.]

[Ding~ Heroic Spirit Archer Emiya has answered your summons.]

[Use immediately?]

Of course-yes!

Just as Satoru Gojo was about to act, fierce winds rose around Aikawa Kaze, accompanied by flashes of golden light.

His black hair gradually turned white, his previously fair skin took on a tan, and his pitch-black eyes shimmered with golden light. Even his black trench coat turned bright red.

"Hmm? Interesting."

The monster before him-whether it was Sukuna himself or some mutated cursed spirit-narrowed its eyes, its expression growing serious.

But it was already too late.

If his opponent had not toyed with him like a cat with a mouse, giving him so much time, it might have killed him instantly. But now...

"I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my blood, and glass is my heart."

Hearing more incomprehensible words, the monster immediately sensed danger. This time, it did not dare underestimate him and attacked at once, only to find its arm severed by a single slash.

It happened so quickly that it had no time to react.

Such a drastic leap in combat prowess was utterly unreasonable.

Aikawa Kaze paid it no mind. He had unleashed his ultimate move immediately partly to be safe—there was no reason not to use it—and partly because he had sensed something hiding in a tree off to the side.

If they aren't helping, they certainly aren't allies. If they're enemies, I might as well take them out too.

Whatever they are, they surely don't know I've noticed them-or that I have an area attack, right?

At that thought, Aikawa Kaze sped up his recitation.

"I have crossed countless battlefields undefeated. Yet though I have never known defeat, neither have I known victory."

"Alone, I forge swords upon the Hill of Swords. Without regret, this is my only path."

"No meaning is needed. No regrets remain..."

The dark sky gradually filled with the glow of a setting sun, while the courtyard became an endless expanse of rolling hills.

No, these were not merely hills. Countless blades, spears, swords, and halberds stood embedded across them.

This was the Hill of Swords. This was a battlefield.

Before the final line fell, the monster sensed disaster, turned, and ran.

Yet no matter how hard it tried, it could not escape [Unlimited Blade Works], a "Noble Phantasm" formed from a Heroic Spirit's legends and abilities after death.

Some Heroic Spirits possessed a [Reality Marble], a manifestation of their inner world and an ultimate ability akin to a Jujutsu Sorcerer's "domain."

Countless manifested blades hung densely in the air, surrounding their target.

"This body shall be made of infinite swords!"

"This life is [Unlimited Blade Works]!"

Boom, boom, boom-

An unending rain of swords fell, accompanied by a continuous thunder of explosions.

When it was over, the monster had turned to ash and vanished, leaving only a deep, enormous crater and a lone Sukuna's Finger within it.

That thing is pretty tough. Or does it have plot armor?

Even so, the previously immense concentration of cursed energy within the finger had diminished considerably. It seemed he would not need to worry for the moment.

Aikawa Kaze stopped paying attention to the finger and turned toward the tree that had also just been subjected to concentrated attacks.

After gaining Archer's abilities, he had detected someone secretly watching nearby and attacked them as well.

Under an attack that intense, even if they survived, they should be seriously injured, right?

While Archer's abilities were still active, he motioned for Sakura to hide farther back, then boldly approached, confident in his strength.

Then he saw a spotless, snow-white cat, utterly out of place amid the surrounding ruins, meowing mockingly at a black-furred fox covered in dust and looking thoroughly bedraggled.

"Hahahahaha! Geto, you're such a loser! How did you end up getting beaten this badly? Hahaha!"

"No, I have to get some pictures to remember this! I'll have to show Shoko when I get back!"

"Click, click~"

Aikawa Kaze silently stared at the badly injured Suguru Geto as Satoru Gojo circled him with his phone raised, taking flash photos from every angle. A question mark slowly formed in his mind.

He had checked before. This timeline should have been the year Yuta Okkotsu enrolled, during the movie!

Shouldn't these two have parted ways long before this?