Martial Exhibition Before the Emperor

When Hajime Kashimo opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.

"Yo, Koshika, you're awake!"

Shiratori Gotsu's head suddenly popped into view from the side:

"Congratulations! You're a girl now!"

"I made dinner, so get up and eat."

Hajime Kashimo: "...?"

His head was full of questions, so he immediately fired three deadly questions at Shiratori Gotsu:

"How did you find my house?"

"What do you mean, I'm 'a girl now'?"

"And what do you mean, 'you made dinner'?"

Having anticipated this, Shiratori Gotsu had three deadly answers ready:

"I'm your fan. I've been secretly keeping tabs on you, so I know where you live."

In reality, the system had a navigation function, but he chose the classic "I'm your fan" excuse.

"As for you becoming a girl, I was joking. Your little Koshika is still alive and well."

"You slept for over a week. I couldn't just sleep alongside you, could I? So I've been eating your food and staying at your place these past few days."

"Speaking of which, you had quite a few good things in your icehouse~"

"..."

Unexpectedly, Hajime Kashimo made no comment about the sudden appearance of a "fan" who gave him so much to complain about.

Nor did he take issue with Shiratori Gotsu eating his food and staying in his house.

He sat up, rubbing his head, and looked down at his smooth skin, which showed no trace of injury. He couldn't help asking:

"You healed my wounds? Was that Reverse Cursed Technique output?"

"Yes, but I can't do it myself. I used a Cursed Tool."

As he spoke, Shiratori Gotsu pulled something all too familiar to Hajime Kashimo out from between his legs.

"Isn't that my lightning staff?"

Hajime Kashimo was baffled.

His lightning staff had no other function besides becoming an "absolute conductor" of electric current after being steeped in his Cursed Energy for so long, right?

Since when could it help a Jujutsu Sorcerer output Reverse Cursed Technique?

As if he knew what Kashimo was thinking, Shiratori Gotsu answered before he could voice his question:

"I'm nothing special, but I happen to be a Cursed Tool craftsman."

"Your lightning staff was an excellent starting point and a fine conductor of Cursed Energy. I made a few modifications, and it could channel Reverse Cursed Energy out of the body."

As he spoke, he suddenly got the urge to be a little shit.

Once he thought of it, he did it!

Shiratori Gotsu, who had always lived by "Just do it," flashed a strange smile and, without the slightest hesitation, shoved one end of the lightning staff in front of Hajime Kashimo:

"Come on, open wide. I'll give you some more treatment~"

Hajime Kashimo shuddered, suddenly feeling utterly horrified:

"You... don't tell me..."

Shiratori Gotsu gave him a knowing smile and nodded slightly:

"It's just what you're thinking~"

An earth-shaking flash of lightning lit up the entire mountain in an instant.

A few seconds later, Shiratori Gotsu lay on the ground like a dead dog, his hair standing up like a sea urchin and his body charred on the outside but tender on the inside.

"What are you doing~ Haha, ow!"

"You... you...!"

Hajime Kashimo was so angry his mouth twisted, veins bulging on his forehead and his entire face turning red.

He raised a trembling hand and pointed at Shiratori Gotsu, but for a moment he couldn't even think of anything to call him. So he simply gave him two more shocks, making Shiratori Gotsu howl:

"Yowwww! I'm innocent! I really was trying to heal you!"

"I'll electrocute you to death!"

In fact, Shiratori Gotsu really hadn't been deliberately messing with him or intending to do anything dirty that could easily be misunderstood.

Channeling the positive energy of the Reverse Cursed Technique out of his body through a Cursed Tool was only one step. To use it on someone else, he also had to inject the energy into their body.

In his first playthrough, he had used a javelin Cursed Tool, piercing his target to inject the energy.

But using the same method for healing was obviously impractical.

Would he have to poke a hole in someone to heal them, then poke another hole to heal the first one?

Wouldn't that be an infinite loop?!

So Shiratori Gotsu had no choice but to resort to this makeshift solution and shove the lightning staff into an existing hole in Hajime Kashimo's body: his mouth.

"You really went for the kill there..."

Shiratori Gotsu tried to smooth down his hair, which had been zapped into a sea urchin, while discreetly shooting daggers at Hajime Kashimo, who was sitting across from him and devouring his meal.

"That's what you get for being a little shit."

Hajime Kashimo picked up a piece of charcoal-grilled eel and shovelled another big mouthful of rice into his mouth:

"Come to think of it, you're actually a pretty good cook!"

"Oh, right..."

As if he had suddenly remembered something, Hajime Kashimo swallowed his food and took a sip of water:

"I've been calling you 'you' this whole time, but I still don't know your name."

"You're strong, and I really enjoyed our fight. Someone strong deserves to have their name remembered by me."

"Heh heh... since you've asked so sincerely, I'll be merciful and tell you!"

Under Hajime Kashimo's utterly baffled gaze, Shiratori Gotsu began his chant:

"To protect the world from devastation, to preserve world peace!"

"A divine being who embodies shamelessness and truth, the one and only lovable, charming protagonist-"

He jumped onto his stool and planted his hands on his hips:

"Shiratori is my surname, Gotsu is my given name. My name is Shiratori Gotsu!"

"A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"

"...?"

Hajime Kashimo was completely thrown by his performance:

"What was any of that supposed to mean?"

"You... Shiratori Gotsu, was it? Is there something wrong with your head?"

Shiratori Gotsu sat back down and smiled faintly. "Is there something wrong with me? Both are possible!"

"After all, what Jujutsu Sorcerer is normal?"

"...Fair point. Let's eat."

Hajime Kashimo readily accepted the explanation, which made perfect sense given the circumstances, and lowered his head to continue shoveling down his food.

After all, he had been unconscious for over a week, and his stomach had long since emptied.

The two quickly polished off the meal. Shiratori Gotsu smoothly gathered up the dishes and carried them to the kitchen to wash.

Watching him, Hajime Kashimo couldn't help teasing:

"I have to say, you're surprisingly domestic, aren't you?"

"What do you mean, domestic? I'm just keeping house!"

Shiratori Gotsu's retort came from the kitchen over the sound of running water:

"Haven't you always lived alone deep in the mountains too? I used to live alone as well, so I got used to doing this stuff a long time ago."

"Isn't that still being domestic, though?"

For some reason, Hajime Kashimo suddenly felt like being a little shit.

"...I suddenly think you were cuter when you were unconscious," Shiratori Gotsu replied.

"Cute?! Say that again if you dare!"

Veins instantly bulged on Hajime Kashimo's forehead.

Just as he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to storm into the kitchen and smack Shiratori Gotsu, a man and a woman dressed like attendants suddenly knocked on the gate to the little courtyard.

They bowed with their hands clasped, paying their respects to Hajime Kashimo.

The woman then stepped forward and presented an invitation, while the man remained bowed and spoke:

"Lord Kashimo, this year's Martial Exhibition Before the Emperor will be held in three days. We represent the Gojo Clan and have come to invite you. We hope you will represent us in the competition."

"If you will come, my lord, we will receive you as an honored guest!"

"We take our leave."

The courtyard gate closed again. Shiratori Gotsu, who had finished washing the dishes, came out of the kitchen, flicking water from his hands everywhere.

"Who was that just now? I didn't hear clearly."

He casually sidled up to Hajime Kashimo, snatched the invitation, and examined it.

"Martial Exhibition Before the Emperor?"

"You don't know about it?" Hajime Kashimo was a little surprised.

"Should I?" Shiratori Gotsu looked puzzled.

"Tch..." Hajime Kashimo clicked his tongue and explained:

"It's held once every ten years, led by the current Three Great Families of Jujutsu Society: the Gojo, Zenin, and Kamo Clans. The emperor and those high-ranking generals attend as well."

"At first, it was meant to let the younger members of the families spar with one another, something like a 'goodwill event.'"

"Later, it gradually turned into an 'arena tournament' where they competed to show off their families' strength and connections in front of the higher-ups. That was when it became known as the 'Martial Exhibition Before the Emperor.'"

"The Three Great Families invite some strong independent Jujutsu Sorcerers to take part. Of course, you can also sign up on your own. The last time I went, I was eighteen."

"I made a name for myself in that battle, heh heh. That's why they came all this way to invite me."

"Oh~ I see."

Shiratori Gotsu couldn't help thinking of the Sister School Goodwill Event, which would be held at intervals after Jujutsu High was established later on.

It seemed the beginnings of it could already be seen in this era.

He rubbed his chin. "So you're twenty-eight now, right?"

"You're focusing on the wrong thing entirely!"

Hajime Kashimo wiped his face.

"Anyway, I'm planning to go in three days."

"The current head of the Zenin Clan happens to have the Ten Shadows Technique, and the head of the Gojo Clan has also awakened the Six Eyes."

A battle-hungry smile rose to Hajime Kashimo's lips as he looked off into the distance:

"I can't wait to see the two clans' strongest inherited abilities for myself..."

"Hiss..."

Hearing "Ten Shadows Technique" and "Six Eyes," along with the keyword "Martial Exhibition Before the Emperor," Shiratori Gotsu suddenly recalled that extremely bizarre part of the story he had seen before transmigrating-

As Satoru Gojo had explained it to Megumi Fushiguro:

"More than four hundred years ago, the heads of the Gojo and Zenin Clans fought in a match before the emperor, and things got serious."

"In the end, they killed each other."

At that point in his recollection, excitement instantly welled up inside him. Could this be the one?!

"I'm going too! Take me with you!"

His bloodthirsty spectator persona instantly awakened, and Shiratori Gotsu immediately hooked an arm around Hajime Kashimo's neck:

"That's okay, right?"

"You're too close!"

Hajime Kashimo shook off Shiratori Gotsu's hand, then answered without hesitation:

"If you want to come with me, then come."

"To be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing how you do there too... after all, you're strong as well..."