Tombs
"Your saying he was mind controlled?" Yaga said as he raised his eyebrow, the scratching of the fountain pen stopping as he looked up.
"Yes, I can confirm it. I believe I have found him and he is mentally broken… that much about him is clear." Atlas spoke, his words hollow and his expression empty. He was a soldier giving a report, he wasn't allowed to have feelings about what he was saying. It was easier this way.
It made everything easier to deal with.
"If you can find traces of cursed technique in his mind and bring me proof I will do the best I can for you Atlas. But the Higher-Ups are holding a lot of hostility towards Frank Langley for killing one of their members. I suspect that they won't care if he was mind controlled or not." Yaga responded, his gaze looking into the distance as he held his chin. Clearly deep in thought.
To be honest, Atlas didn't think Frank even did it… the technique lined up with Ayumu's corpse but Kenjaku probably had heaps of ways to fake something like that. But there was no way that he could persuade people that Frank didn't do it at all. So he would settle for the next best thing.
Nodding his head Atlas stood up and but before he left he asked something, his voice hesitant as he asked the question. "Principal… do you think. That I have the power to go against this society on my own?" His gaze turned cold as he asked that.
Staring at Atlas for a moment Yaga said factually, as if he was giving a lesson. "Techniques that make the target impossible to hit are troublesome but can be countered. Such as using domain amplification or sometimes even overloading the defence… However. You're technique, sorry property. Is unique because even those won't work to hit you. There is no defence, you simply are not there. And your attack power is steadily climbing. If the Society deemed you an enemy, they would not be able to take you out without expending a lot of resources." Yaga finished as he went back to writing before stopping.
Remembering something he took out a letter that was in a pile next to him and said. "It seems that Ayumu foresaw his death and left this to you. There is one for Gojo as well, he asks that you don't read it as it isn't your knowledge to know. But once he enlightens then you are to give it to him. He trusts you with this, so please. Do not fail him." Yaga said, clearly he was holding emotions to the death of the principal and his abrupt appointment as the principal but he was doing well to hide it.
Nodding his head Atlas took the letters. One was addressed to him and the other to Gojo. Pocketing them both he got up to leave the office.
He would keep on moving.
'It would get worse before it gets better. You will see many more horrors. It will not get better for a long time. It will get better.' He would remember that.
Starting to think a plan formed in his head as he decided to just trust his gut feeling. Reaching down to his hip he took something that had been hanging off it on a rope that he had kept in another plane since he got it to hide it.
"I also should hand this over. I don't know what it is but it feels dangerous." Atlas said as he puts a finger of Sukuna on the principal's desk and watches his eyes widen a bit.
Although he did one thing, he left the barest fraction of it imbued with his energy keeping part of it in another plane.
---
Appearing in the apartment complex Atlas looked at the still sleeping form of Frank before walking over and snapping the frames. Picking the man up Atlas looked at the worn-out face, he was old. Maybe it would just be easier to let him pass away.
He knew that might be the logical choice, Kenjaku was going to use him again if he was alive, that much was certain. But Atlas refused to even let that be an option.
Sitting down he closed his eyes and felt for the part of the finger that he had left in another plane. It had been moving since he put it on the principal's desk but finally, it stopped. Nodding his head he knew that it had been put into the cursed warehouse where it would stay safe.
Smiling a bit he picked up Frank and together stepped into the folding space. Staying in another plane as he appeared in the warehouse he kept an eye and ear out. Making sure that no one was inside before looking over the countless seals that they had stored away. Finding a few that he wanted, one with a specific trapped curse spirit he was lucky they had one.
He would have settled for a simple sleeping one but this made things much easier.
Leaving the warehouse by phasing through the doors he looked at countless leafless trees that sat outside. Their horrid limbs stretched towards the sky, grasping for the air as if trying to pull something down.
Like claws, unsettling and eerie. Matching the dark atmosphere of the barriers roof. Knowing Tengen probably knew he was here he didn't care. Simply started to make his way further down the path with the warehouse on his left. He was pretty sure it needed to be on his left for him to go in the right direction.
Carrying Frank over his shoulder and the seals in the other hand he soon got to an old elevator and getting inside he headed down. Deeper into the star corridors. He was surprised by how easily he managed to get inside here.
Although it was pretty easy when you knew what to do and where to go. After all multiple people and curses had broken into them in the original canon… Tengen for a master of barriers wasn't doing the best at keeping himself safe. Although there was only so much someone could do.
And Tengen wasn't exactly a well-known about existence so people shouldn't be actively looking for him.
Getting jolted from his thoughts as the elevator stopped he looked up as the doors creaked open. The metal shutters slid to the side as he stepped out and into the old complex of buildings that circled around a gigantic tree. The trunk was wrapped in thick rope that multiple talismans hung off of.
It was quite an impressive sight. Seeing the entrance to Master Tengan's abode at the bottom of the trunk he ignored it, he had no need nor want to meet the immortal sorcerer. He was simply looking for a place where Frank could stay safe and out of the way. Hiding him away from the Society right under their noses.
Walking into one of the old houses he saw that it was filled with dust, the old furniture unused for years yet no rot could be found on any of the wood. Just a fine coating of dust.
Walking to the bedroom he shook the sheets out and opened the sliding windows. The old shutters creaked and groaned a bit in protest of actually being moved. He just wanted to make sure some fresh air could get in here.
Laying Frank down on the old futon he got the man comfortable before saying. "I'm sorry… I just want to keep you safe. I will come back for you, I promise…"
Taking the seal in his hand he stuck it to Frank's face over the man's eyes and instantly felt the cursed energy flow into the old man's body. Watching his chest that had been steadily rising and falling gradually slow down he waited for just a few more moments before finally… it stopped completely.
The seal had put Frank in stasis, just as some barriers could warp time. The technique trapped in this seal would seal someone in stasis, it was easy to break out of as the seal simply needed to be removed by someone else but no one should ever come down here.
As a final defence, Atlas pushed Frank into another plane. Now no one would be able to take the seal off, and Kenjaku shouldn't be able to wake him up or do any mind fuckery as long as Frank was in stasis. He shouldn't be able to do it anyway with Frank being in another plane as he was pretty sure that whatever connection Kenjaku had with Hoshi was much stronger than what he must have had with Frank.
It didn't matter anyway, Frank was hidden and Kenjaku wouldn't be able to use him against Atlas anymore. Satisfied with what he had done Atlas stood up and without looking back, as he didn't want to face the emotions, he made his way towards the elevator.
Hearing the doors close behind him Atlas just kept his eyes on the ceiling of the elevator going back up above ground…
---
He needed to get moving. Just making progress towards something. The Higher-Ups had ordered him to hunt down Frank Langley as the strongest special grade currently but Atlas had refused saying he had no business with a man whose actions were not his own.
He refused to pretend that Frank was guilty even if it was easier. Of course, they didn't believe a word he said, he didn't care though. He didn't want to have that job, because he would never hand Frank over. In the end, Minori ended up getting the job. Doing an entire song and dance about Atlas slacking off.
The Higher-Ups must have thought it was because of Atlas' reputation of being a slacker and battle junkie only accepting jobs that he thought would give him a good fight, it seems that he had gained quite the reputation. Despite that, they were still clearly annoyed at him for refusing and started to make his life difficult. Giving him missions further and further out from Jujustsu High using the excuse that he could teleport.
He didn't mind though. Gojo and Geto were already on the correct path to becoming friends. He didn't care about much else right now.
Watching the body of another curse slowly fade away into grey particles he sighed. A lot of jobs were being unloaded on him right now… he checked on Frank every now and again but the man stayed in stasis where he was put.
It was alright, everything was moving on. He hadn't heard or seen from Toji since the day the man left but he did start to hear about the sorcerer killer.
Surprisingly the Zenin clan wasn't wiped out. Megumi never left the clan and his last name stayed as Zenin, he also formed a closer relationship with Maki and Mai as they were all still young, before the hostility towards Maki started making rifts between her and others.
Atlas even checked in on Yuji… he was just a normal kid living a normal life.
He would leave the original finger alone since he still wanted those events to happen the same. He already saw the effect that changing things had on Kenjaku and he was sure that even if he removed the original finger another would end up in Yuji's possession sooner or later.
Sighing Atlas couldn't help but feel a bit hollow. He had been in this world for just a year yet so much had already happened.
Things were already becoming distorted though, and there were not even bloodstains in the tombs yet. Remembering that panel from the Manga Atlas couldn't help but laugh. So many things were happening…
But it was also getting interesting. He hated all of it, but at least life was moving quickly…
Appearing back at Jujutsu High he dropped the mission briefing in the office where he was meant to before heading to bed. As he was walking through he heard a voice stop him.
"Oi. Atlas, you have a moment to talk." Turning around Atlas saw Torio approach him. His shikigami flapped its wings as it landed.
Jumping off its back his year mate jogged over to him, eager to catch him before he ran off to wherever he went and he wasn't able to find him again. Torio had seen him as he was flying over and jumped on the chance before Atlas disappeared somewhere for another week hunting whatever spirits he normally hunted.
"You know what the goodwill event is?" His voice was eager as he nodded his head, actually excited for something for what seemed like once in his life. "I know this is your first year here so I wouldn't blame you if you don't but it is basic-"
"I know what it is yes, do you want me to join in?" Atlas interrupted as he tilted his head to the side, his eyebrow raised.
"Uh, yeah sorry. This is my last year and a good friend of mine goes to Kyoto, they have won every match for the last few years. Our Ace Minori is too much of a rule stickler to use his strength properly in case he hurts someone so he was more of a hindrance the last few years. Just want to fill the numbers out since two of the second years don't want to go and Marcus is too much of a wimp." Torio says with a sigh.
"So who is going? And I assume from what you said it is in Kyoto." Atlas asked as started to pay proper attention.
Nodding his head Torio responded. "Yeah, it's in Kyoto. Currently, the lineup is Me for the third year, the second years are Tatsuo and Chikako, and the first years are Gojo and Geto. If you join that will make 6 and I know they will have 8 students. We might not have to worry about Mamoru anymore since he is now a fourth year but Mayumi and Genki are still monsters and now that they are third years I am pretty sure we will need some help to deal with them." Torio explained as he started to ramble about the game, his smile widening a bit when he mentioned Genki.
Nodding his head in understanding Atlas thought about it. To be honest, Geto and Gojo probably could take the game by storm if they wanted to, they were already very strong despite just being in their first year, although their experience was lacking.
Why not, it would be a good distraction from things and let him talk to some more people. He had been pretty anti-social recently… well actually since he got into this world he had.
"Sure, count me in," Atlas said with a small smirk. "You do know I might take the fun out of it all right?" A bit of emotion now in his voice thawing out the cold tones. Maybe excitement or curiosity but there wasn't enough to tell.
"Maybe, but at least you will make it interesting. Just leave some fun to the rest of us will you? I trust you a good enough guy to do that at least." Torio said as he smirked.
"You barely know me." Atlas pointed out.
"Yeah, but assumptions are fun. And I think you will. Cya round Atlas, have fun being a scary mystery man. You should hear some of the rumours the second years have since they have never seen you apart from when you kicked Minori's ass. Marcus isn't helping either." Torio said as he turned and started to make his way back towards his bird. Getting on his back he gave one final wave before taking off and leaving Atlas behind.
Shaking his head Atlas made his way back to his dorms. Looks like life was still interesting.
Honestly, he thought that nothing would happen between now and next year… boy was he wrong.