JJK: Chapter 13/15

Chapter 13: The Worst Tool Man

"Let me be clear, I won't refund the commission fee."

In a red car, the two individuals whose injuries had been healed by Round Deer were chatting idly.

"I know, the commission didn't specify the number of Shikigami to tame, so this isn't a failed commission."

Eichi had no objections to this and was already thinking about how to tame Mahoraga next time.

If he could tame Mahoraga before entering high school, then at least until his third year, he would be stronger than Satoru and Suguru.

As he thought about it, a scene appeared in his mind.

A four-panel comic where Gojo, who couldn't yet use Cursed Technique Reversal: Red or Hollow Technique: Purple, was defeated by Mahoraga, his expressions shifting from confusion to shock to tears.

"Pfft."

Eichi couldn't help but laugh out loud, a childlike innocence appearing on his face.

"You, of all people, make an expression like that?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Eichi looked at Toji with a puzzled expression.

"No, it's nothing."

When he first met this kid, he exuded a maturity that didn't match his age.

When Toji had first left the Zen'in Family, everyone was afraid to approach him because of his fierce expression. But this kid had inexplicably come over and said, "We're both the same, so let's help each other out. If anyone bullies me in the future, remember to help me fight back."

What a strange kid.

Later, after meeting his beloved, she often asked Toji, "Which of you two is the adult, and which is the child?"

Perhaps tired, Eichi quickly leaned back in his seat and fell into a deep sleep.

"Only at times like this does he seem like a kid."

Looking at the young face in the passenger seat, Toji quietly slowed down the car.

He remembered his beloved saying that one should be gentle when a child is asleep, as loud noises could wake them up.

In the quiet atmosphere, time passed into the next day.

"An unfamiliar ceiling. I must have fallen asleep in Toji's car last night."

Rolling out of bed, Eichi surveyed his surroundings.

"It doesn't look like a hotel, so it must be Toji's house."

Thud.

"Wah!"

The sound of an object colliding and a cry of pain came from the next room. Eichi hesitated for a moment, then decided to check it out.

Opening the door, he saw two small figures.

Are these Megumi and Tsumiki?

Megumi was sitting on the floor, holding his head with both hands, clearly in pain after bumping into something. Tsumiki was crouching beside him, gently patting his head and murmuring, "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt."

"Finally awake, huh? The sun's already high in the sky."

Toji's voice came from behind him.

"Is this your house? Aren't you watching your two kids?" Eichi turned and asked.

"No need, their mom will take care of them."

After saying that, Toji opened a bottle of beer from the fridge and started watching TV.

Eichi's mouth twitched as he suppressed the urge to complain.

He thought that if Toji were to raise him, Megumi wouldn't even survive until Gojo found him.

As expected of the most tragic, tool-like male lead ever written by Gege.

Why call him a tool? Because if you look at the entire plot, the purpose of Megumi's existence so far has been to serve Sukuna.

This can be seen by comparing Gege's character designs. The characters he truly values are all designed to be "perfect."

For example, Suguru, despite being a summoner-type sorcerer, possesses top-tier martial arts, capable of subduing a Curse User equally skilled in close combat with just two moves.

Moreover, his Cursed Energy reserves are enormous. During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, he released thousands of Cursed Spirits to attack two cities simultaneously.

His technique activation doesn't even require hand seals, and in the entire story, he has never run out of Cursed Energy.

That means his Cursed Energy output efficiency is extremely high.

In contrast, Fushiguro Megumi, the Potential Man, whom Gege Cat labeled a "genius."

The Ten Shadows Technique's Shikigami summoning requires hand seals and has a noticeable delay. Increasing the number of summoned Shikigami is difficult. Forget releasing thousands like Geto, even summoning three or five leaves him drained.

His martial arts are average, and in battle, he often runs low on Cursed Energy after summoning a few Shikigami.

Most importantly, Mahoraga. Gege made Mahoraga the strongest Shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique, and it lives up to that title.

But this Shikigami was prepared for Sukuna.

Why?

Because Gege left no means within the Ten Shadows Technique to actually subdue Mahoraga.

For example, when introducing Mai Zen'in's Construction Technique, he stated that Construction is one of the least efficient Techniques in terms of Cursed Energy conversion.

In other words, while others deal 10 damage with 10 Cursed Energy, Construction can only deal 1 damage with 10 Cursed Energy.

Among the Ten Shadows Technique, Piercing Ox is nearly the strongest Shikigami in terms of attack power when it lands.

Under that premise, Sukuna, whose Cursed Energy far surpasses Yorozu's, summoned Piercing Ox, and its hit on Yorozu's insect armor only shattered part of it, not even severely injuring her.

If Piercing Ox's attack is like that, how much stronger could the other Shikigami of similar rank—Max Elephant, Tiger Funeral, Divine Dogs, Great Serpent, or Nue—possibly be?

But according to the plot's development, if Sukuna is the one to subdue Mahoraga, everything makes sense.

Gege didn't care whether Megumi, the so-called "male lead," could tame Mahoraga, because Mahoraga was originally prepared for Sukuna, the King of Curses, who possessed a powerful second Technique.

And the reason?

Naturally, Gojo Satoru.

As mentioned earlier, Gege loves creating "perfect" characters.

Gojo Satoru is perfection itself, both in stats and in mechanics.

So perfect that even the equally perfect Sukuna had to give his all to defeat him.

But that wouldn't do.

Gojo isn't the protagonist.

The great Devil King Sukuna must be defeated by the protagonist.

However, Sukuna couldn't reveal his trump card so early in his battle with Gojo, or else the later victory of the protagonist would feel meaningless, with all glory belonging to Gojo.

Troubled, Gege thought: Sukuna can possess others, right? I'll give the male lead a Shikigami capable of defeating Gojo, then let Sukuna take it. Wouldn't that solve everything?

That way, Gojo's defeat would be justified, and the protagonist's side would still be strengthened later. Two birds with one stone.

Thus, Mahoraga was born. The strongest Shikigami, often mentioned alongside the Six Eyes, whose greatest purpose before Sukuna's arrival was to die together with its summoner.

Gege didn't care whether the Ten Shadows Technique's Shikigami were balanced or progressively stronger.

Because Sukuna would handle it. That's why the Ten Shadows Technique's design became so arbitrary. Tiger Funeral only ever appeared as a tattoo on a crocodile's chest.

At the same time, Megumi was exploited to the extreme by Sukuna—or rather, by Gege.

His physical body provided Sukuna with Mahoraga, a Shikigami capable of defeating Gojo. His soul helped Sukuna withstand the massive informational assault of Unlimited Void.

He even prevented Gojo from landing a fatal blow at a crucial moment.

That's right, Gojo held back.

After crashing Sukuna's brain with Unlimited Void, Gojo could have destroyed his brain and killed him outright. But to save Megumi, Gojo chose to strike Sukuna's chest instead.

At that time, Gojo said, "It's not over yet. At least I need to destroy his heart, liver, and lungs. I need to bring him closer to death than Yuji was in the juvenile detention center."

Note the word "closer."

Gojo's goal was to bring Sukuna to the brink of physical and mental collapse simultaneously, allowing Megumi's consciousness to surface.

Even though the opponent was the strongest in history, Gojo still restrained himself for Megumi's sake, fighting under uneven odds.

But unfortunately, as Gojo said, he could only save those who were ready to be saved.

When Sukuna used Megumi's body to kill Tsumiki, Megumi's soul had already collapsed.

And with that, Gojo Satoru's defeat was sealed.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 14: A Small Foundation

"Aniki."

"Hello, Aniki."

A strange scene was unfolding on a bustling commercial street in Tokyo.

A group of delinquents, dressed in various styles and covered in tattoos, were bowing to a boy younger than all of them, calling him "Aniki."

Eichi had already gotten used to it, as he was the one they were calling "Aniki."

Although he had told them many times not to use that title, these delinquents, lost in their own fantasies, simply would not listen.

"It's you guys. How have you been lately?"

"We're doing great, thank you, Aniki!"

"No need to be so loud."

"Aniki, where are you headed?"

"I'm going to Heroic Spirit Film and Television."

"Perfect, I'm free. Let me drive Aniki there."

"Alright."

With that, Eichi got into the car.

The existence of delinquent youths had become common in Japan for some time. The economic collapse a few years prior caused many organizations to return to the black market, reviving old criminal groups.

More importantly, many young people were easily swayed by the so-called righteousness and Bushido spirit of these groups, leading them to imitate their behavior.

This resulted in a surge of delinquent youths throughout the country.

Eichi and Suguru's school had its fair share of them as well.

Would Eichi and Suguru be afraid when delinquents came looking for trouble?

Of course not. They simply responded in kind, defeating the small ones, then the bigger ones, and when the older ones showed up, they beat them too.

Even among Jujutsu Sorcerers, Eichi and Geto were strong. Without even using their Techniques, they could take on a hundred people just by reinforcing their physical abilities with Cursed Energy.

The result was that the two of them ended up subduing all the delinquents across several nearby streets.

Afterward, those same delinquents began pestering them, begging to follow them as their bosses.

Suguru wasn't interested, still dreaming of becoming a band's lead singer.

Eichi, however, gave in to impulse after repeated requests and agreed.

Maybe it was because, after his Rebirth, he wanted to live a more comfortable and stable life.

So, Eichi invested some money and selected a few dependable people to open several shops, assigning these energetic youths to work there.

When the shops first opened, many people assumed Eichi was just a naive rich kid and tried various schemes to swindle him.

However, Rabbit Escape, who had been secretly monitoring them, saw through all their tricks. Eichi quickly turned the tables, exposing those troublemakers in public and kicking them out of the group.

It turned out that most of these so-called delinquents weren't truly bad people. They were just lost for a while. Under Eichi's guidance, many turned into excellent employees, forming a small but capable core team. Although they lacked great ability, they provided Eichi with significant convenience in many small matters.

For instance, a portion of the shops' monthly profits gave Eichi an additional source of income besides exorcising Cursed Spirits.

And more importantly, most of the staff at Heroic Spirit Film and Television were recruited by them.

To summon a Heroic Spirit, Eichi needed to collect enough Illusion Power related to that Heroic Spirit.

However, Illusion Power doesn't appear out of thin air. That's why businesses like anime, film, and gaming were essential for Eichi to establish.

At this point, the small team that had once seemed insignificant unexpectedly revealed a vast network of useful connections for Eichi.

Most of these connections came from the parents of his delinquent followers.

They had long been worried about their children's situation but had no way to help, too burdened by work and overtime.

When Eichi appeared and guided their children back to the right path, giving them legitimate work, these parents were naturally overjoyed.

So, when they heard that their children's boss needed talent in the animation industry, they all began helping to look for people. On one hand, they wanted to thank Eichi; on the other, they hoped their children could earn more opportunities under his guidance.

Thanks to their help, the film and television company that Eichi initially thought would take months to build was up and running in just half a month.

With a car for transportation, Eichi soon arrived at the entrance of Heroic Spirit Film and Television.

As soon as he entered, a heated discussion reached his ears.

"I told you, the length isn't enough. We'll have to cut supporting character scenes if necessary."

"Ha, then why cut my part and not yours?"

Watching the spirited debate, Eichi nodded in satisfaction.

Very lively.

He then walked into the adjacent office.

"Director Yamaguchi, is the anime production plan complete?"

Eichi asked as soon as he entered.

"Ah, Young Master Eichi, please have a seat. I'll make you some tea."

Director Yamaguchi was currently leading the anime production team. He had previously worked at a large company, but after his boss lost all company funds investing in the bank a few years ago, the company had been half-dead due to financial collapse.

The core members of that anime production team, including the experienced Yamaguchi, had all been poached by Eichi.

Soon, a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of him.

Taking a sip, Eichi nodded.

Then, three project proposals were laid out before him.

After carefully reading the first one, Eichi frowned slightly.

Director Yamaguchi quickly explained the pros and cons of the proposal.

If they followed the first plan, Fate/stay night would run for 52 episodes, but the story would be somewhat chaotic.

This was because, when Eichi had first handed over the game script, he had asked the director to try combining all routes into a single adaptation.

At the time, Eichi's idea was to showcase the charm of every Heroic Spirit within one anime, so that he could gather the phantom power of seven Heroic Spirits through a single project.

But reality proved he had been too greedy.

After reviewing all three proposals, Eichi made his decision.

"Let's produce it in two parts. The first part will follow the Fate route combined with UBW, made into a 26-episode anime. The second part will focus on the Sakura route."

In his original world, the 2006 Fate/stay night had been a classic Platonic love story, and it best embodied the theme of Fate/stay night.

The story presented a flawed beauty that lingered in memory, almost dreamlike in its artistry.

That was also why the 2006 version so easily turned viewers into die-hard Artoria fans.

However, the 2006 adaptation also had many flaws, the most important being poor production quality and shallow storytelling.

The production issue could be solved. The holidays were approaching, and if funds ran low, Eichi could always exorcise some Cursed Spirits for money. The storytelling depth, however, was more troublesome.

Although countless ideas and feedback from fans in his previous life had helped him perfect this world's Fate/stay night, the main storyline of the 2006 version was too short and lacked sufficient development.

That flaw could be perfectly complemented by the UBW route. The UBW route had excellent plot depth, though it couldn't match the 2006 version's dreamlike and unforgettable tone.

Combining both would create a perfect balance.

Eichi and Director Yamaguchi then began refining the new plan.

For example, how to portray Caster and Teacher Kuzuki's story concisely, achieving clarity and emotional impact within limited runtime.

The budget had to be used wisely. Every character deserved at least one beautiful highlight scene, and fight scene funding must never be cut.

Eichi knew that in later generations, many people became fans after being captivated by a single breathtaking scene or fight sequence.

Finally, after confirming the progress of the opening and ending themes and ensuring there were no issues, Eichi left Heroic Spirit Film and Television.

Next stop, the Institute of Eastern Folklore.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 15: The Age of Adults is Changing

The underground experimental area of the Institute of Eastern Folklore.

Eichi was listening to an old professor report on the latest research progress.

"Speak in plain language."

After listening to the old professor drone on for over ten minutes with incomprehensible jargon, Eichi finally couldn't take it anymore.

Interrupted, the old professor paused, subconsciously looking at Eichi's clear yet confused eyes.

"My apologies, I forgot you haven't even gone to university yet. I got a bit carried away and used too many technical terms."

The old professor scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. Not only was Eichi their research benefactor, but he had also been treating a child as an equal in an academic discussion.

When Satoru and Suguru weren't around, Eichi often displayed a maturity beyond his age. Combined with his rapid growth, if not for his still-youthful face, no one would have thought he was a child.

He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, "If you count my previous life, I might not be younger than you," but then thought, "Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?"

Eichi reluctantly closed his mouth.

This sight made the old professor chuckle, clearly interpreting his reaction as childish stubbornness.

"Simply put, we've discovered a property of Cursed Energy: Cursed Energy is idealistic."

After saying this, the old professor's hands trembled slightly.

He had originally conducted research on energy weapons, but later, due to a directive from Japan's government, many projects were cut.

His research funding was drastically reduced, and disheartened, the old professor chose to retire and enjoy his later years.

When Eichi heard the news, a strange idea immediately came to mind.

Energy. Weapons.

Cursed Energy should also be considered a form of energy, energy meant for individual combat and Cursed Tools were weapons that utilized this energy.

This idea lingered in Eichi's mind. Later, he prepared a pair of glasses identical to Maki Zen'in's, which allowed ordinary people to see Cursed Spirits, and went to visit the professor.

The old man, bored and restless at home, was clearly unaccustomed to retirement. When cooking, he cut potatoes too thick or sliced his hand. When cleaning, he left watermarks everywhere and even broke a vase.

Under his wife's disapproving gaze, he could only drink tea and read newspapers all day.

Go out and have fun? Having spent his entire life in research, the professor didn't even know what "fun" was.

His children were busy with work, and he didn't want to disturb them.

Then, one day, a strange young man appeared, showing him a world he had never known.

The old professor's curiosity was immediately reignited.

After an in-depth conversation with Eichi, he agreed without hesitation to help with Cursed Energy research.

Initially, Eichi was thrilled—until he saw the equipment procurement list the professor handed him.

Trembling, he pulled out the bank card Gojo Satoru had given him. Looking at the balance, Eichi, who hadn't smoked since his Rebirth, suddenly wanted to light a cigarette to calm down.

That was also why he began taking on numerous Cursed Spirit exorcism requests.

Scientific research devoured money, but fortunately, exorcising Cursed Spirits earned money just as quickly.

After discussing the equipment with his subordinates, Eichi directly called Gojo Satoru.

There was no helping it; some items were restricted, and others required special connections.

Once the equipment arrived, several assistants were also recruited. Eichi didn't need to handle that—the professor found the people himself.

Several Grade 4 Cursed Spirits were captured for study, several sets of restraint devices were purchased, and two low-level Jujutsu Sorcerers were hired to manage the Cursed Spirits.

After all the procedures, the amount of money spent made Eichi want to throw up his hands and quit.

"Cursed Energy is inherently idealistic, isn't it? Otherwise, how would we control them?"

Eichi looked at the professor, speechless.

You spent all that money just to figure this out?

Hearing that, the old man sighed softly.

"Yes, Cursed Energy is inherently idealistic. How can someone like me, who's studied materialism his whole life, possibly handle this?"

After speaking, the old professor, a little dispirited, patted one of the Divine Dogs beside Eichi.

The worldview and values he had believed in for decades had been shattered. It had taken him a long time to adapt.

"You can see them now?"

Eichi was a bit surprised. The professor was wearing glasses, but they were ordinary ones for nearsightedness, not Cursed Tools for seeing Cursed Spirits.

"Exactly. That's also why I said Cursed Energy is idealistic."

"Once I subjectively understood Cursed Energy, I gradually began to perceive it."

Eichi was skeptical. If truly understanding Cursed Spirits allowed one to see them, why did Maki Zen'in in the original story still need to wear glasses to observe them?

She'd been educated in Jujutsu and had slain numerous Cursed Spirits—would anyone dare claim Maki didn't understand them?

He summoned Round Deer from his shadow. Sure enough, the professor didn't notice the additional shikigami in front of him.

However, the Divine Dogs' reaction made the old man notice something was off.

"Judging by those little guys' reactions, you summoned a new shikigami?"

"Exactly. If, as you say, understanding Cursed Energy allows one to see Cursed Spirits and shikigami, then why can't you see Round Deer?"

"Because I don't know Round Deer's appearance, size, or the nature of its Cursed Energy. My mind cannot imagine what it looks like, so naturally, I can't perceive it. But as for the Divine Dogs, I knew their appearance from the first time we met."

Hearing this, Eichi recalled Nanami teaching Yuji how to observe residual Cursed Energy in the original story.

The residual Cursed Energy had always been there, but Yuji couldn't see it until Nanami explained it to him.

"Young man, do you know about Schrödinger's Cat?"

"I've heard of it."

"You should study that if you have the time. Now, let's look at my research results."

With that, the professor led Eichi to a laboratory.

Inside was a metal box, within which a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit radiating intense cold was confined.

"Matsushita-kun, begin."

"Yes, Professor."

The researcher named Matsushita flipped a switch.

The space inside the box seemed to fluctuate slightly, and Eichi noticed the air inside distort faintly.

The Cursed Spirit, radiating cold, began howling in pain.

"What is this?"

"A type of electromagnetic wave."

"Electromagnetic wave?"

"Exactly. You can think of it as us heating the experimental device with this electromagnetic wave."

"An induction cooker?"

"No, that thing inside is a box."

"A microwave oven?"

"…It's different, but if that helps you understand, it's close enough."

Seeing Eichi's confusion, the professor continued explaining.

"At first, we had a question: why can Cursed Spirits clearly pass through matter, yet also physically damage it?"

Eichi recalled the Cursed Spirit at the beginning of the story that phased through a ceiling and wall to attack Megumi Fushiguro, and another that appeared through a wall to grab a child and threaten Nobara.

"When a young researcher proposed the idealistic viewpoint, we quickly verified it and discovered that Cursed Spirits also perceive themselves through this 'idealistic' mechanism."

"They believe they can pass through walls, so they pass through walls. They believe they can touch, so they touch. Later, we even conducted a test: a researcher without cursed tool glasses fired a bullet through a Cursed Spirit, and it passed harmlessly. But when an observer wearing glasses fired, the bullet pierced the Cursed Spirit's head."

"This further confirmed that Cursed Spirits and Cursed Energy exist in an idealistic state."

"However, this idealism has limitations. It cannot exceed their perception, or the Cursed Spirit will be unable to maintain its form and collapse."

"Through studying the residual Cursed Energy left after a Cursed Spirit dissipates, we discovered the unique energy that constitutes Cursed Spirits."

"Later, we began researching this energy and found a way to interfere with it."

"For example, this Cursed Spirit."

The professor pointed to the one in the box, which had already begun to dissipate.

"According to the catalog you provided, this one was born from people's aversion to extreme cold. Through repeated research, we found that by observing it and subjecting it to electromagnetic heating, we could destabilize its energy structure and kill it."

After some thought, the professor decided against using technical terms and instead explained it in simpler terms.

"Basically, we're killing it with something like a microwave oven."

"Without using Cursed Energy?"

"Without using Cursed Energy."

Hearing the old man's confident reply, and seeing no trace of Cursed Energy in the large "microwave oven," Eichi believed him.

They had truly found a way to harm Cursed Spirits scientifically, without relying on Cursed Energy.

Regardless, it was a promising start.

(To be continued.)