Chapter 34 - Surprising Recommendations and Planting Doubts

23rd October, 2018

"I've got news, everyone!" Gojo said cheerfully to his students, "Yuuji, Nobara and Megumi got recommendations for promotion to Grade-1."

"Huh? Me?" Itadori asked in surprise and scratched his head sheepishly.

"What's with that look? You literally fought with two special grade curses back then. I think that counts as accomplishment?" Sachiko said.

"She's right. Yuuji-kun had really improved in a few months. There's no need to be modest." Gojo agreed.

"Yeah, your progress is so fast that I even feel a little jealous." Sachiko said in a teasing tone.

"Isn't yours faster? You just killed a special grade two days after getting into Jujutsu Tech." Itadori said.

"Yeah, no." Sachiko shook her head.

"Why?"

"You think I just know how to do all that in a few days? Of course not, I've been training for years , even before coming here. That's why I said it's amazing to get to your level in this much time." Sachiko explained.

"So there was a time you actually took training seriously? wow, I wonder where that part of you went." Nobara said to Sachiko.

"What do you mean by that? I always take things seriously." Sachiko tried to defend herself, only to add a few words later because of the looks her classmates were giving, "Well, when I want to, of course."

"And that doesn't happen very often, apparently." Nobara said as she crossed her arms around her chest.

"I actually agree to that." Megumi said.

"Me too." Itadori agreed.

"I haven't known you as long as they have but I think it's kinda right," Junpei also agreed.

"Wow, you guys are so cruel." Sachiko faked a cry, causing Gojo who was looking at the chaos silently chuckle.

"Anyway, three of you need to get ready to accompany a Grade-1 Jujutsu sorcerer." Gojo finally said after laughing all he want. He then gave some instructions to them before deciding to leave.

"Nakamura, I have something to ask you." Megumi said.

"Huh?Why?" Sachiko asked.

"Just come."

"Fine." Sachiko said before following him.

It seemed that Megumi brought her to the room where she usually trained.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Sachiko asked.

"It's about Muta Kokichi. There is something going on, right?"

"Hm? Why would you think so, Megumi?"

Sachiko was curious. She knew Megumi was suspicious of her involvement but she didn't think he would confront her like this.

"It's not important."

"Well, there's nothing important to tell you." Sachiko said.

"Fine, I guess I'll go and ask Gojo sensei." Megumi saud quietly.

"And why did you think it was a good idea to ask him?" Sachiko asked with a frown.

"You were spending awful amount of time with him so I thought he might know. And with all these events happenning, I feel like it's all connected or something big is going to happen. So, he should know something," Megumi said with a sigh.

" Wait, I understand what you're going with this but what does it have to do with me spending some time with Gojo sensei? And you know I don't tell Gojo sensei everything right?" Sachiko defended.

"I think you pretty much told him everything." Megumi replied.

"Fine, if that makes you happy. But, I'm gonna tell you that had nothing to do with this! Besides , I don't even spend time with him that much." Sachiko said.

"I think you do." Megumi deadpanned.

"..."

Sachiko looked at Megumi as if she was accused wrongly and all Megumi could do was sigh. Megumi, on the other hand , was watching the sheer drama Sachiko was pulling off with an annoyed look.

"So, something's definitely happening right?" Megumi finally asked again after a while.

"No, that has nothing to do with spending some time with Gojo sensei!!"

"I wasn't even talking about that anymore." Megumi sighed, again.

"Oh....that...I don't know. Maybe or maybe not." Sachiko replied.

"You know that's not a good answer."

Sachiko shrugged.

Megumi thought, 'She's not going to tell me anything. Damn it.'

-----------------------

The next day, Itadori, Nobara and Megumi were sent to accompany a Grade-1 Jujutsu sorcerer. As if it was a coincidence, there was an incident at a middle school.

"Isn't it strange that this case sounded more like a haunting ghost than a curse incident? I mean it was an accident that happened six months ago and the girl has been haunting the school ever since? Do they even listen to their own words?" Nobara said impatiently.

"But, it is confirmed as a curse in the reports right ?" Itadori asked.

"It only said it was either a curse or a curse user." Nanami said as he read the details given by Ijichi.

"Why are the reports getting inaccurate at all?!" Nobara said, frustrated.

" We're facing the cases we have never seen in the past at all. There might even be some greater forces behind all of this but let's not talk about it for now. " Nanami said.

"Then, let's give our best to uncover that!" Itadori said enthusiastically.

"I appreciate your confidence but let's focus on the issue first." Nanami said with a sigh.

"Wow, he's so tense." Nobara whispered to Itadori.

"I know, he's like this last time we met too." Itadori whispered back.

"You've met him?" Nobara asked in surprise.

"He said he met Nanami san before when we was sent to a mission with Nakamura." Megumi said with a sigh.

"What's with that sigh, Fushiguro?! You think I'm such a pain or what ?!"

"I didn't say that." Megumi sighed.

"See, he's doing it again !" Nobara said as she pointed to Megumi.

Suddenly, Nanami stopped his tracks. They were currently in front of a staircase covered in dark aura.

"Let's go up to see what's up there." Nanami said as he lead the trio upstairs.

The aura lead them straight to a rooftop. There were railings all over as if to prevent students from jumping down. But, what caught them by surprise was a girl who could not be older than fifteen standing in the midst of the dark aura surrounding the rooftop.

"So, you're here." She chuckled before slowly turning around to face them.

"Your face...."

Her face was deformed as if it was damaged from falling from a high building. And if someone looked closer, they would see cracks in her skull, despite the hair covering her head.

"Ah.. Pardon my face. I fell from exactly this place six months ago. You see the railings right? That's because I jumped down from here that they decided to build those things." She chuckled darkly.

"But... Shouldn't you be dead then?" Itadori asked.

"I don't know, I think I died but she said I'm alive." She replied.

Nanami studied her carefully but he didn't see an anomaly, she looked like a living person but at the same time, it was simply impossible. There was no way to make a dead person come to life after all. That would be messing with the very fundamental laws of nature and even someone who's capable of bending possibilities find it difficult to do so.

"And who exactly is she you are talking about?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Can't tell hahaha. I can't tell you all but I can give you a hint if you play nicely haha."

"Or we're going to fight you until you tell us who is behind." Itadori announced.

"We don't even know what she is yet." Megumi said to Itadori.

"That wouldn't make a difference but I guess I can show you some mercy because she likes three of you, so much that she would hestitate to kill you all." The girl laughed in a twisted manner.