1,381Welcome to a collaborative project made with my discord group as my beta readers. By the next chapter, I'll have asked who wants their name listed and who doesn't and place them accordingly as my Betas.
I don't have much to say for my reasoning for making this story. I think Jujutsu Kaisen deserves more fanfics, and I'm a long-time RWBY fan, and the two aren't SUPER far off in power scaling, so here we are: Yuji Itadori is here!
I'm trying out a different writing style than I usually do with shorter chapters and whatnot, so let me know what you think. My DMs are also open for those who don't want to publically comment.
Let's dive right in.
...
Yuji Itadori changed the world.
The final confrontation with his once best friend, now little more than a stolen husk dominated by his tormentor, had come to an end. There was no easy means to contain a monster like Sukuna. He defied all logic, going against the sheer rules of reality, and even cursed spirits to remain present in some way, shape, or form but the boy had done it, though only he could say how, but that time had long since passed.
Onlooking Sorcerers came upon the scene, only to find devastation in their wake, the signs of possession long since gone from Megumi Fushiguro's body, his twisted visage, deformed by the reincarnation of the King of Curses now returned to his original state, somehow alive, but mentally, all too gone, unresponsive, as though the teen refused to continue living with the memories of what had transpired.
Nestled nearby lay the remains of Itadori Yuji. His body was a stark contrast to his friend, torn to pieces, his gushing flesh exposed to the world, coated in the fading marks of his possessor. He was in shambles as if the fight had persisted long after the two friends had stopped exchanging blows.
Somehow, the upstart had managed to wrangle the cursed spirit back into his broken form, taking fingers and all into his body before taking his own life at a great struggle and cost. Sukuna did not go quietly into the night, and it was all too apparent his last moments were little more than absolute agony, yet in true Yuji fashion, the former student of Satoru Gojo held a gentle smile on his bloodied features, even in death, satisfied in preventing unwanted suffering onto others.
What few living friends remained grieved terribly for the boy, but there was little time to mourn or even a chance to say their goodbyes. His corpse was whisked away by the greatest sorcerers the world had left at its disposal, set on preventing another catastrophe from occurring once more. It wasn't known how long they spent working on sealing his remains, how many dozens, if not hundreds, maybe even thousands of seals were placed along him and his hidden burial site, but there was no stir or rumble from where they lay.
Time passed, with new generations keeping a watchful gaze over the grave, but soon, questions arose if the great Sukuna existed at all. Their work was diligent, but even they disappeared, their way of life becoming obsolete with the forces of change. Eventually, even the notion of a sorcerer became a distant dream, their source of power fading away as two beings coalesced from the abundance of cursed energy prowling about the world.
There was little left for cursed spirits to form and even less need to fight them off, and as such, they just disappeared with the passage of time, vanishing with their people, nations, and even continents as millions of years passed, shifting the balance of power irrevocably in a new direction, yet the grave remained, its occupant never rotting, nor withering, as if he was in a deep slumber, utterly forgotten.
The world could move on; the people could change; new races, nations, and even species could rise and take the mantle of power, but even the loss of cursed energy couldn't stop the inevitable. He was more than a man, far beyond a mere spirit. He was a concept, lurking in the depths of some brat's corpse, biding his time as he always had, stewing at a loss at the hands of someone so pathetic, but he wasn't done.
Sukuna would whittle away at these seals, bit by bit, nanometer by nanometer, burning them out, though the ones placed on his fingers would have to wait. His intentions were never benign; he could care less for his descendant's wellbeing, wishing to see the lad suffer for his insolence, but a living host was far more helpful than a chunk of rotting meat.
It was exhausting, using most of what little power remained under his grasp to keep the body fresh while using mere fractions to attack the seals he could have undone in moments at his prime, but bit by bit, year by year, millennia by millennia, he made progress.
The boy's organs came first. Their binds unraveled, and his shredded heart, intestines, and lungs reformed; taking their first labored breaths in who knows how long, the air would flow, circulating into the brain, revitalizing a sorcerer's most important organ. It was a domino effect from there: muscles, skin, bone, all of it came back.
Sukuna observed his long-term work not with satisfaction but with the sadistic understanding that this would let him achieve his goals sooner rather than later. With the body ready, there was nothing left to do but wait for the brat to face the sunshine, and so, the King of Curses receded, choosing to bide his time on his throne of bones, and with the simple snap of a finger-
*CRACK
...
Itadori Yuji awoke with a gasp, slamming his head against solid wood before bouncing back with an annoyed, "Ow ow ow!"
He slowly reached a hand up past his confined body, briefly placing it on his throbbing forehead before pulling back in confusion, watching as the all too familiar tattoos along his flesh glowed against the dark.
Yuji was no genius, but given that he had been in this situation before, it really didn't shock him at this point; the student figured out what was happening pretty quickly. Someone thought he was dead...again but managed to bury him this time...man, and here the guy was thinking it was over for good, figures.
He let out a sigh, slumping back against his coffin, "You can't just give me the win, huh?"
Why he was trying to talk to the monster living inside of him, he didn't know. There was never going to be a satisfying response besides insults, threats, and overall not being a nice guy, but for once, there wasn't an answer. No eyes opened along the slits against his face, or even an extra mouth widening to make fun of him.
Yuji wasn't the sort to think about things too hard; he screwed up. Both he and Sukuna were still alive, the story goes on, might as well get out of here and do...something...about that.
He pulled his arm back, letting his cursed energy flare along his knuckles, but paused as his elbow drifted along something papery...very papery. He looked down and around, shifting around, hearing even more papery crinkles. He stared at them for a while...were those...seals?...Did they seal him!?
He would've been mad if he were anyone else, but Yuji thought about it and the spirit inside of him for a single moment before shrugging it off, "Eh, fair."
Getting back to the task at hand, Itadori gave a nod of determination, placing his hands against the roof of his own casket, tensing as he tried to pry the thing open, only to make it budge an inch then fall straight down as loose dirt flooded in, sending sorcerer into a sputter of coughs as it landed in his mouth.
The boy spat in disgust, but this was nothing compared to eating another finger, so who was he to complain? He idly wondered how far down he was... It had to be pretty far for him to struggle like this, but if Yuji was anything, he was too stubborn for his own good.
Cursed energy flared as he doubled his efforts, straining as his limited air ran dry, and the second the door popped open, Itadori sprung into action, pushing up with everything he had, feeling the rocks above shoot up just enough to give some wiggle room.
He rolled backward, his legs slamming up as the casket came crashing down. He buckled as the weight landed, tensing as his muscles burned and bones threatened to shatter, but if anyone could handle a little pain, it was him.
Yuji growled through gritted teeth, his light brown eyes ablaze as he sank further down by the moment, only to come to an abrupt stop as the legendary tiger proved his monicker with sheer ferocity. "Come on!...this-"
The entire casket shook as rocks rained down from above, but Yuji kept pushing, and finally, his legs flashed down, compressing for a split second before rocketing up, slamming into the makeshift ceiling, breaking it off its hinges as he roared, "This is nothing!"
It shot through layers of rock and dirt, surrounded by an ethereal haze of cursed energy, breaching the surface as scattered rays of moonlight trickled in from above, leaving the sorcerer panting but not even close to done.
No time like the present, Itadori pushed off his palms, landing on his feet, and with a thunderous jump past more rock layers than he cared to count, the sorcerer's hands slammed into the dirt, climbing the rest of the way up with practiced ease.
Soon, Yuji's hand touched the soft grass above, then the other, and with a burst of excitement, pulled himself into a handstand along the edge before tumbling onto his back, staring up at the skies above with a content sigh, stretching like he hadn't stretched in years. He looked around and-
"...Did they dump me in the woods?"
There was nothing but forest around him, his grave left buried way underground in some clearing. He scratched his head at that, never one for deep thoughts, even he figured they'd bury him somewhere you could keep an eye on the body at least, but who knows?
Yuji wasn't the brightest person, and he was okay with that. Maybe they had a reason he just couldn't think of. "Man, if Fushiguro were here, he'd-"
His eyes shot wide open, and he leaped to his feet in realization, "Fushiguro!"
Itadori had somehow forgotten about his best friend, looking left, right, up and down as if Megumi was hiding under a rock or something...he stared at the ground for a second, wondering if he was buried nearby, but shook his head in denial, Fushiguro wasn't dead when he died, so that meant he had to be alive, right?
The summoner might have had a rough time as Sukuna's host, but Yuji knew his friend was tough. Itadori could only run a hand off his dirtied pink hair as he spun around, wondering what could have happened after his not-so-full death.
Soon, he grumbled, leaning back as he shouted to no one in particular, pulling the ends of his hair in frustration, "Ah, I don't know!... If only I could!...OH!"
A hand slammed against a palm as a fizzling lightbulb appeared overhead; he looked down, padding his pockets for his phone, frowning as he realized they buried him in his uniform, a black long sleeve over his red hoodie, some sleek black pants and a pair of red sneakers.
Yuji slumped over in disappointment, never expecting a nice funeral or something, but...maybe some decent clothes wasn't asking for too much... he sighed, "At least they didn't bury me in those rags I died in, I guess."
His finger grazed against his pocket, knocking him out of his stupor as he pulled out his old flip phone, giving his trademark grin as he pressed a thumb down on a button. This day was finally looking-
It was dead, not even giving him a fun little bleep for hitting a button. His head hung low, letting the whistling wind wash over him...Yuji knew what he needed to do; his friend needed him, and he had to find him no matter what.
Without Gojo or even Nobara to keep the guy company, Yuji knew he'd have to stick to Megumi like glue, or else the guy would up and disappear on him...man, things were a lot more fun with those two around...good times.
Itadori's heart hurt even thinking about them, but today was a new day, so long as there was someone he could help. Itadori wouldn't quit because of a little sadness. What would Gramps think of that? Fushiguro was all alone, and that wouldn't stand!
He bounced back, bobbing back and forth on his heels, swinging his arms in a lazy warmup, "Guess I'm walkin' until I find someone...wonder if they'd let me borrow a charger?"
He raised a finger, pointing toward the forest on one side, spinning and pointing toward the more forest on the other side. Decisions, decisions... "Eenie, meanie, minie...you"
Yuji picked a random direction and started walking; there wasn't much reason behind it, but hey, doing something is better than doing nothing; it's not like anyone was out looking for him at this point. He cringed, thinking back on the last time he miraculously came back from the dead...man, Kugisake was mad...Megumi was Megumi, but if he knew him, there'd be some silent treatment this time, but hey, company was company, right?
Yuji was never quite like your average person. Sure, he was faster than most cars and could punch a hole through concrete, but it was more his attitude toward life. He might have been alone in the dark with no clue where he was, but Itadori wasn't scared or worried...unless clowns were involved, never again.
He quickly spun around, checking every direction to make sure there wasn't some colorful tent looming over the horizon or one of those freak little cars they drove, letting out a sigh of relief. The simple thought of hearing squeaky shoes made the sorcerer tremble in fear. It was a good thing there wasn't any of that here, just him, the woods, and a whole lot of nothing.
He waited a moment, and nothing happened, earning a satisfied nod at his own genius, and the second he did, the surrounding forest seemed to shimmer, the sounds of rustling leaves drawing his gaze.
Yuji stopped in his tracks, lazily looking around for some squirrel or maybe even a rabbit to stare at, his eyes narrowed, swearing he saw the rapid movement of something small and furry through the treeline, "A dog?...Oh!"
A happy grin appeared on the sorcerer's face as he marched toward the brush without a care in the world, crouching down to eye level, thinking back to the god puppy or whatever Megumi called it with fondness, "Come here, good boy!"
No response, just more rustling, so he tried again with a whistle. Don't dogs like to smell people? He stuck a hand toward the brush, "Come on, we can be buddies! You sniff out some people, and I'll pet you lots, deal?"
Slowly, the leaves shifted as a giant white snout poked out of the green; sniffing at his hand, he practically shook with glee, wanting nothing more than to pounce the thing and give it some well-deserved attention, not wasting a moment. Yuji reached out his free hand, "You're a big guy, huh? You know, I got a friend with a white dog just like you; maybe I can get you some pals, hu-woah!"
*CRACK
With a booming roar, the beast lunged from the darkness at the young man, who, driven by raw instinct, fell back on his palms, slamming a foot upward as it crashed into the creature's chin, sending the giant dog sky high as its darkened form shot across the starlight, tumbling to the ground below.
Yuji sighed in both regret and disappointment, popping back onto his feet, dusting himself off as he turned to face the mangy mutt with a sigh, "Figures you'd be a stray. It's too bad, we could have been-"
He paused, not seeing the dog he had so vividly imagined as it struggled to get upright, but something he hadn't quite seen before. It had dark black fur coated in white scales, its face little more than a splintered mask with jagged lines running along the spot he impacted against, with gleaming orange and red eyes as they stared daggers into him, giving off a predatory growl as it hobbled onto two legs, its sharpened talons glaring against the moonlight.
Yuji's fists tightened, observing the beast in silence as a sudden tension came over him, "...You don't have a soul."
Where there should have been something, there was just a blank slate of nothing, just the eerie dark from an empty shell. It was bizarre. Even cursed spirits had souls, or at least what Itadori could call one...animal or not, everything had something inside of it, but-
The vessel steeled himself as the beast circled him with predatory intent, the cool wind washing over him as he raised a fist, "You must be suffering like that, huh?... Can't blame you for lashing out. It must be painful being so off-balance, right?"
There were no words, only a howl as the furred monster charged on its hind legs until falling forward onto all fours, its jagged white teeth glistening in anticipation of its next hunt.
Yuji's face remained neutral as he slid a foot back, head hanging low until it shot up with a burst of cursed energy, blasting off the ground like a tiger as the forest became a blur. One moment, he was still; the next, he reached the tormented animal as it tried to leap into the sky, fists engulfed in a blinding blue flame.
Yuji was never the best in his group; his cursed energy manipulation was always lackluster compared to his friends, but he made up for it with sheer grit and a lot of tenacity. A weakness could just as easily become a strength when played with the right hand.
Time slowed as his fist slammed into the wolf's chest, feeling its sternum crack on impact as he burrowed through solid flesh, coming to a stop somewhere lodged inside, a noticeable bulge appearing on the monster's back. A moment later, his cursed energy came flooding in for a second strike on his weakened target, shredding its insides as they erupted out the other side. It spasmed in his grasp for a second before going still, its glowing eyes dimming.
With a satisfied grunt, Itadori yanked his hand free, covered in black ooze, but before he could even try to wipe it on a tree or something, it fizzled away in his grasp, floating away as black particles...what?
He looked down at the remains as they did the same, slowly vanishing before him...was this thing a cursed spirit?...but why didn't it have a-
*Crack-Crack-Crunch
He stopped, eyes shifting about on sides as dozens more of the beasts emerged from the forest, their deep growls doing little to dissuade the upstart sorcerer, "...Dogs do travel in packs...right?"
He was met with nothing but ferocious howls as they charged to avenge their fallen comrade...or get a chunk out of him...either or, but Yuji just dumbly stood there a moment, expecting someone to answer his question but got nothing. The silence only served to remind him of why he was still pushing on.
With a firm nod, he looked to the moon, swearing something looked different about it today but couldn't say what, "Don't worry, Megumi, I won't let these things get in my way-"
With renewed vigor, he raced across the field toward what would only be certain death for your average person against man-sized wolves, shouting to a friend he couldn't help but miss, "I'm coming, buddy!"
He leaped into the sky, soaring like a bird of prey as his jacket billowed in the breeze, his body ablaze in cursed energy as one of the monsters tried to meet him head-on. With a tuck and roll and an overhead kick, the sorcerer's heel came crashing straight through its skull.
As the corpse landed, Itadori followed suit, feeling its ribs crack as he landed, but there was no time to apologize for defiling the dead. Another beast lunged from the side as he leaned back at the last moment, watching as its talons streaked across his clothes, coming within an inch of his eyes as it sailed past.
Itadori wouldn't let it; his hands flashed up, catching the monster by its hind legs; spinning on his heels as it howled, he lifted and raised the entire beast's body overhead with the ease only Sukuna's vessel could know, slamming it face first into the ground again and again before launching into a violent spin, beating the wolf against its friends as they tried to join the fray.
Reaching his limit, the sorcerer let go, sending the animal flying into one of its allies, sending them careening back. He took off, narrowly dodging another as it pounced where he once stood; moving so fast, he skidded to a stop between the falling pair; grabbing their skulls between his calloused hands, the teen slammed them together with a booming blast of gore as the goo splattered into his eyes.
Yuji stumbled back, trying to wipe a sleeve on his grime-covered eyes, only to duck to the side as a pair of claws took a swipe. This time, the boy miscalculated, wincing as it took a jagged slice out of his arm.
He lept back, his shoes dragging along the grass as he tried to see through the dark haze coating his vision, unsure if he was seeing double or if more were coming out of the woods by the second, but soon the ooze burned away, leaving him in a slump, gripping his injured arm as blood and cloth rained down, realizing option two was correct. A few dozen had turned into many dozens...dozens of dozens, in fact...Yuji didn't know math terms, but it was a lot.
His focus landed on a batch of falling trees, the forest literally parting ways as a giant four-legged entity emerged, far larger and more muscular than its counterparts, tearing an entire log in half with the simple swipe of a hand, with more appearing nearby. Yuij guffawed, "...Is that a bear?"
The sorcerer briefly spaced out, wondering what Panda was up to these days. He was probably a lot smaller than these guys if Itadori remembered right, at least since the last time he saw him. Maybe they were cousins-
*RAAAAHHHHH
Yuji hardly had time to react as one of said bears came barreling into him, knocking the sorcerer onto his back as all one thousand pounds came crashing down. The teen caught the beast's fall with his legs, holding it at bay as its white jaws snapped at his face, missing by inches as its claws dug into his sides.
Moving through the pain, Itadori wasted no time, matching its roar with his own as he pushed back onto his back, raising the bear into the air as its arms tore their way out of his skin as it tumbled behind him.
With a new anger, Yuji sprung off his palms, catching the bear mid-fall. He spun in the air, his boot careening around, slamming across the monster's snout with so much force its head blasted off with a thunderous crack, sailing far into the horizon, crushing one of the many wolves into darkened goop.
Itadori looked around him, utterly ignorant of his wounds; having endured far worse and healed from far more fatal, it didn't even cross his mind to deal with it. The first task at hand was surviving whatever this was...and it seemed harder by the moment.
Yuji tried to count the number of nightmares looking for a piece of him, and his head practically started spinning. He could only whistle, "Man, it's like a monster house or something-"
He didn't complain, but having some crowd control like Inumaki sounded really good right now, but Yuji wasn't gonna gripe over hard work. He trained like crazy to get where he was, and the vessel wasn't about to let it go to waste; some evil bears and wolves weren't going to get the best of him, not even close.
His hands came together, only to slam a right elbow back, exploding through a bear's outstretched arm, blowing the offender's arm clean off as it tumbled onto its side off-balance. It didn't even make the fall before cursed energy blasted it apart.
Yuji fought on like this for who knows how long, leaping into the chaos again and again, unknowing of how many of the beasts he attracted with his mere presence. In small numbers, they couldn't do much, but he was one man, using nothing more than limited wit, fists, and a lot of cursed energy to back it up.
It started as knicks, a chomp taken out of his clothes here, a laceration there, the usual for Itadori, but he wasn't invincible. For every few dozen he obliterated, they'd get a good hit on him, and it was getting hard to heal when the second you landed, ten more were on top of you.
It went on like this for what felt like hours, with the student fighting through it all, too stubborn and oblivious for his own good, wailing against endless hordes that seemed to gravitate toward him for reasons the sorcerer could only guess.
...
Sometime later
The grass softly thudded as a pair of ornate black dress shoes slowly crossed their surface, propped up by a cane that matched its user's steps tit for tat as they wandered through the wilderness in the black of night.
A cold gust of wind billowed through the man's disheveled silver hair, only for the biting chill to be met with a sip of warm hot coco held in his free hand, never leaving home without it.
Your average person would've been terrified to even walk near the Emerald Forest, let alone through it, but if age brought anything to the Director of Beacon, it was stoic indifference. He had done this before, and he'd very likely do it again at some point or other down the long road of life, that much was certain, but-
Ozpin took another hearty sip of his beloved beverage, looking around for any unwanted visitors, yet finding none, curious but expected; why, it was the only reason he wandered out here in the first place. Glynda had kicked up a fuss about his age. He chuckled at that, but there were still things the man had to do on his own, secrets to be kept, things to investigate, kept private, even from her.
The grimm had seemingly wandered off from their usual hunting grounds; nothing new, he surmised. They were attracted by negativity; they simply went where negativity lay...and that left him concerned, though precisely what of, there were few satisfying answers, and so, the Headmaster took it upon himself to find out.
The walk itself was nothing to speak of. In fact, were it not for the circumstances, it would have been quite lovely. The forest was all but empty, though it became apparent that something else was at play as the Director passed by the signs of activity: claw marks, chunks torn from trees, shrubbery flattened, the list went on, all heading in the same direction, and so, he followed.
The elderly Huntsman ignored a grumble as he crossed over a hill, not quite the young man he once was, though that would undoubtedly change someday, wouldn't it? He paused as he reached the top, coming upon a...crater of sorts.
He approached, lazily sipping his brew, looking down over the edge and into the abyss below, leaning out of the way to let the moonlight trickle in, seeing only...wood and-
*Crinkle
He hummed, slowly kneeling down to pinch a piece of parchment between his fingers, never letting go of his cup for a moment, heaven forbid, looking it over, "Paper?"
He spun it around, observing splotches of ink now torn asunder. What was once a coherent drawing seemed to have dissolved, not with time, no...some parts were perfectly fine, but others appeared...burnt. He could feel it falling apart in his grasp, likely ancient... he'd have to task Oobleck with thi-
Ozpin suddenly lurched as his thumb crossed the center of the talisman, a bone-chilling shiver traveling across his arm as a tiny flicker of blue and black flame tickled against his skin for just a moment, the entire sheet burning away in an instant as he stumbled back.
The Professor stood there, wide-eyed, clenching a fist as he trembled, having been subjected not to pain but what he could only call sheer malice in physical form, pure, unadulterated hatred...the kind he had only felt once before, and one he was warned of from powers far above.
Ozpin walked toward the edge once more, looking down with renewed attention, seeing claw marks lining the sides of the tunnel, with visible fist imprints along the outer rim, realization dawning on the man, "...It crawled its way out-"
He turned to march away with haste, "I have to warn!-"
*BOOOM
The treeline exploded behind the man as a bestial figure emerged, its glistening black fur a stark contrast to its ferocious white mask as it bore down on him, the ground trembling in its wake as it lept over the crater with ease.
The Doctor's cold gaze returned as he raised a brow, surprised yet disappointed as he glazed over its sharpened spines, "An Ursa major?-"
He turned to face it, seeing little threat from the otherwise giant beast, raising his cane with little ceremony or interest, "I suppose a few stragglers are to be expecte-"
*FWING
His head shot up, watching as a blur came crashing down from above, rushing straight into the grimm's spike-covered back, breaking through the defensive line with ease as blackened gore splattered across the surrounding area with a gust of wind.
Ozpin stared in surprise; whatever it was moved so fast, even he struggled to perceive it; he watched with baited eyes as the smoke cleared, anticipating some kind of threat or unknown adversary, but-
"...Gramps-"
His eyes slightly widened as a young man emerged from the dissipating fog, the Ursa's spikes having gone clean through his shoes, erupting out of his feet as his blood mingled with the Grimm's.
His clothes, if one could even call them that, were all but tatters, his upper shirts and jackets ripped to shreds, his torso lined with bite wounds and lacerations.
The boy wasted little time, tearing himself free as he seemingly ignored the pain of having his feet nearly torn off, landing before the Director, their brown eyes meeting as he slowly marched toward the man, mumbling as blood leaked from the corners of his mouth, "...What are you doing...in a place like this?"
He lurched but barely caught himself on a knee, his pink hair dirtied and frayed as he stared up at the man, the latter seeing genuine concern on the boy's features despite standing at death's door, "It isn't...It isn't safe- for an old timer, like...youuuu-"
He collapsed, but before he could hit the ground, Ozpin had made the ultimate sacrifice, letting his beloved beverage take the boy's place, catching him in an arm, ignoring the immediate stains on his clothes as he looked down on the wounded sorcerer, "I could ask the same of you, young man."
Not getting a response, the Headmaster briefly looked him over, then at the hole down below; the boy was...a bit too much on the alive side to come from down there, but...the size fit on a cursory glance, questions for later he supposed.
Ozpin sent off a quick text to Goodwitch, shoving the device back into his pocket as she flooded him with messages. Not touching that tire fire with a twenty-foot pole, the Doctor looked around for a good enough landing site.
The forest seemed to clear ways ahead from where the boy came from, and so, he all but dragged the unnamed teen, coming to a sudden stop, observing the sheer carnage ahead.
The field was in ruins, with craters and dead Grimm lining the entire area as far as the eye could see. Beowolfs, ursa, and even a few death stalkers lay dead and dissolving. He looked over the kid in disbelief, not seeing a single weapon on him, leaving the Director to wonder how the boy broke through their armor at all, but given his bloodied hands- "There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there, my young friend?"
All he could do now was wait and fumble tonight's chaos into something coherent before Goodwitch got her hands on the boy, brothers forbid.
...
Later
"Old man!"
Yuji shot awake, reaching out into the void before even opening his eyes, no longer seeing the endless forest but a sight he was more familiar with than not. Sterilized beds lined the room with random pieces of medical equipment dotted around, earning a hum from the sorcerer.
"...You're up early-"
Itadori followed the voice, seeing the same person from before kicking his legs off the bed, trying to stand up; his feet made contact with the floor, sending shivers up his spine, "Old man, are you alrig-EEH, cold, cold, cold!"
Yuji all but lept back onto the bed like a cat as his self-proclaimed Gramps chuckled, placatingly raising a hand from his cane as the man stood beside him, "Now, now, don't get ahead of yourself, you've had a rough night, you should be more worried about your own wellbeing."
Itadori didn't buy it, giving the old timer a once over before shaking his head, "Nope!"
"...I'm sorry?"
Yuji adamantly pointed a bandage-wrapped finger at the man, "It's the duty of the young to take care of their elders. What kind of person would I be if I just let you get hurt out there, Gramps?"
Ozpin sweatdropped at the name but soon straightened up, "You're awfully considerate to people you don't even know."
The pink-haired menace only gave a nod as he crossed his arms in a huff, "Everyone's a mystery until they're not. Today's unknown is tomorrow's friend, and Yuji Itadori always helps his friends!"
Ozpin's smile seemed to grow, "We're friends, are we?... Pray tell, what were you doing in that forest all alone?"
"I died."
The clock ticked as the gears turned in Ozpin's head, "I...I'm sorry, what?"
Yuji hummed in agreement, leaning back as he popped his back, stretching out his arms as the good Headmaster watched on, "Mhm, not even sure how long I've been out, last time it was a few days, this time it's been a while-"
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "I think."
If this were anyone else, they'd have called the boy insane, but the way he talked felt so genuine it left Ozpin leaning a bit more into his cane with interest, "Has this happened before?"
Another nod, "Sorta, but it always ends the same-"
The same bright light the leader had seen before engulfed the young boy, burning away his carefully placed bandages and stitches, his wounds vanishing before the man's very eyes, and just like that, all the damage done to him seemed to have reversed to the man's surprise, but the teen only sighed, "You wouldn't happen to have a charger I could borrow, right?"
"A...charger?"
Yuji nodded, patting along his pockets, "Yeah, so I can charge my phone...gotta call my buddy Fushiguro and see...where is-"
"You mean this?"
Yuji's brown eyes gleamed in recognition as Ozpin held the blank smartphone in his hands, "I found it and a few other odds and ends on you while fixing you up; I hope you don't mind."
The sorcerer shrugged, "Eh, no harm, no foul, find anything good?"
The Director slipped a hand out of his jacket, and the boy only saw a small card with his own face on it as the man read off the label, "Yuji Itadori, a citizen of...Japan is it?-"
Ozpin looked at the boy with affirmation in his gaze, "I found that you aren't a liar, but as for your...phone, was it? I'm afraid I won't be of much help, but I'm more than happy to point you toward someone who can and someone to work on those clothes of yours if you'd like."
It was only then that the boy realized he was wearing nothing but his tattered pants, but seemed all too indifferent about it, slamming his palms together, giving the man a rapid bow, "Thanks, Gramps, you're a lifesaver."
Yuji slightly frowned, running a hand over the back of his head, "I figured I should try to call my friends...at least let em' know I'm alright, but a little longer can't hurt, right?"
Ozpin nodded, a new mug of hot chocolate seeming to materialize out of nowhere as if it had always been in his grasp. The man took a slow, hearty sip, wondering just how many drinks a certain Qrow would have were he here right now, "Patience is a virtue after all...how long would you say you've been down there?"
Itadori cocked his head, "...in the ground?"
The Professor nodded, but all the boy could do was hum, tapping a foot along the soft bedding as he looked toward the ceiling, "...Who knows? One second, I'm dead; the next, I'm here...oh! Where are we anyways?"
The Doctor paused, uncertain of how to handle how nonchalant such a young boy was about his own circumstances, and if the card was anything to go by, fifteen was such a young age to pass away, but he digressed, preparing a speech given many a time before, "Well, as of right now you're under my care at Beacon Acadamy, of which I'm the Headmaster, we train prospective applicants to fight the creatures you faced in the woods just a bit ago...Grimm."
The gears in Yuij's head went to work, unsure if those animals would even be called Cursed Spirits without souls, but decided it was close enough, "A school?... You wouldn't happen to know anyone from Tokyo Jujutsu High, would you? I'm a first-year there!"
Ozpin tilted his cane as he adjusted himself, sitting on a bed opposite the boy, inviting him to do the same, smirking as Yuji muttered how cold he was, "Oh? And what do you study there?"
Itadori grinned in pride, a fist igniting in the same ethereal flame as before, "Jujutsu!... We use it to hunt down Cursed Spirits and-"
He paused, his face falling into uncertainty, his cool demeanor becoming stiff, "...You can see it...right?"
Ozpin sputtered as he took a sip of his drink, trying not to laugh at the boy, "I can... go on, but what exactly are these Spirits you're speaking of?"
Yuji sighed, counting through his fingers as he tried to give a bold and daring speech but forgot half the lines, slumping over in defeat, "...Gojo Sensei was always so much better at this...-"
Yuji cupped his chin in thought, looking back to the Professor as he patiently waited, "Cursed Spirits are made from negative feelings, ya know? All that bad mojo comes out as cursed energy and sorta...pools outa everyone and eventually makes monsters that most people can't even see."
The Headmaster waved a hand, "And I take it you fight said monsters with that very energy?"
The sorcerer's eyes widened a bit, "Eh? How did you-"
Ozpin smiled from behind his glasses, giving off a slight shrug, "Deduction, given you were fighting while sustaining so many injuries, I could only assume you either had your aura shattered and fought on...or, for lack of a better term, you used something else."
Yuji raised a hand, "Gramps?"
"...Yes?"
"What's an aura?"
The Director raised a brow but settled down soon after, "Simply put, an aura is a projection of one's soul and has all sorts of capabilities, even defensive-"
Yuji hummed, looking over the man as if he were seeing something, "Ohhhhh, that's why yours is all wobbly and green. I thought your soul was just gross-"
"I'm sorry?"
The student leaned closer, confusion growing on his face, "One or two souls I can get, but you've got a lot in you, Gram-HFFFF-"
The man's cane shot into the teen's mouth, stopping him from talking as the Director gave a curt yet firm smile, "...You can see souls."
A statement, not a question, Yuji only nodded, and the man's closed-eyed smile gave off a strange pressure, "...Why don't we keep what you've seen between us, hm?"
Itadori tried to talk, forgetting about the chunk of metal in his mouth, so he just nodded with a hum, and soon the cane retracted as Ozpin awkwardly looked away, "I apologize for that...never know who could be listening."
The sorcerer shrugged it off with a wave of a hand, "Nah, I get it, but don't worry, Gramps, I keep all my friends' secrets. My lips are sealed!"
The Headmaster chuckled at the boy's honest nature, "Well, if you're willing to be friends with an 'old man' like myself, I'm more than happy to do the same, but what is it you're planning to do once you find these friends of yours?"
Yuji blankly stared at him, "I don't know."
"You...don't know?"
The teen shook his head, "Before I died...a lot of the people I knew did too, even my mentor-"
"Gojo?... You mentioned him before."
Itadori glumly nodded, "Yeah, as far as I know, it's just me, Fushiguro, and maybe a few others if I'm lucky...I don't really have any family, so...I just wanna find my friends and make sure they're doing okay...if that makes sense."
Ozpin reached out, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder in support, "And I'm sure they'll be more than happy to see you again, Yuji. In the meantime, I'll do what I can to help you on your way."
He pulled back, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a small device, taking slight amusement as the boy gawked at its projected screen coming to life, figuring his society was a bit on the backward end. "This is a scroll; I suppose it fits the same principle as your phone, though a bit more compact-"
He tapped along the screen, pulling up a digitized image of various islands and dotted sites of interest, "Right now, we're in the Kingdom of Vale. Does any of this look familiar?"
Yuji blankly stared at it for a moment, never being a star student in his life, but even he could see the stark differences; reaching out to hold the device between his fingers, he glared down at the screen, "...This doesn't make sense-"
He tapped a finger, accidentally zooming in before going back out again, trying to circle the globe to find anything familiar but, "...I don't understand..."
Ozpin silently winced, knowing fully well that it might have been some time since the boy last saw the surface. This just reaffirmed his suspicions, but he wasn't heartless enough to say it quite yet. The Headmaster lowered the scroll away from the boy's face, "That's fine; we have a crack team at Beacon that I'll have look into your circumstances. Give it enough time, and... I'm sure you'll be home before you know it."
"Gramps-"
The Professor flinched as Itadori suddenly hugged him, "You've done so much for me. There's no way I can pay you back for this, not in a million years!"
Ozpin struggled to wonder if he was being literal with that statement given his...issues, but he digressed, gently patting the lad on his back, "There just might be a way you can-"
Yuij shot to attention, pulling back immediately and hopping to his feet once more, "How!?"
The Director slowly stood, leaning on his cane for support, beaconing the young man with a hand, "Follow me-"
He paused after a few steps, "Keep the scroll. Consider it a gift you'll be needing."
Yuji blankly stared down at the thing, tapping along the side until the screen disappeared in a blur before quickly shoving it in a pocket, hopping to the ground, and following the man through the building.
All in all, the place was impressive, way more modern than Sendai, at least. Nah, this place was more in line with Tokyo, way too advanced for the country boy to ever hope to understand. It had a massive stone architecture, with all the amenities of modern life.
Ozpin stopped at a window, waving the boy over to look at a massive tower stretching far into the night sky, overlooking the entire facility he seemed to have found himself in, "Right now, we're in the Health Center, and that is what we call, Beacon Tower, where my office and the general functioning of the Academy stems from."
Itadori just gawked at the sight, "...Woah, it's huge!"
The Headmaster nodded, "Indeed, this entire institution was designed with only the best intentions in mind to help forge new generations of Huntsmen and Huntresses in our endless fight against the Grimm...in fact, we're due to have a new batch of arrivals in a mere few days, and that is where you can be of assistance, young man, if you're interested of course."
Yuji pointed a finger at himself, "Me?"
Ozpin gave the boy a thumbs up at his deduction skills, "You've more than proven your worth against the Grimm. I'd say even a trained Huntsman would have struggled with what you achieved with simply your wits and fists...You're a bit on the younger side. Our students typically start at the age of seventeen or so, but we've already made one exception; why not another?"
Understanding came over Yuji's face as he made a confident expression, "I see...I don't get it."
The Headmaster snorted but kept quiet, knowing there was more to the boy than his less-than-bright demeanor, "Simply put, you'll attend Beacon as one of our new students, learning the ways of the Huntsman and using your knowledge to help in our struggle, your expenses will be met, and in return, I give you my word that we'll work on getting you home-"
"Hold on a sec-"
"...Yes?"
Yuji raised a brow, "You'll...pay me...to go to school?" Silently whispering, "Not even Japan does that..."
Ozpin tilted his head at where he was going with this, "I suppose...is something wrong with that arrangement?"
In a rare sign of pride, the sorcerer nodded, "Yeah!... You're making me out to be some freeloader. Yuji Itadori doesn't take handouts; I work hard for what I'm given!"
...
...
"Wha-"
"I want a job!"
The Director just blankly stared at him before silently chuckling at the boy's confusion, struggling to compose himself, "...And if you're given a job, you'll agree?"
The host didn't waste any time, nodding as he crossed his arms in a huff, "Mhm, better than doing nothin', but I can't promise good grades-"
He deflated, looking away in shame, "...I'm not good at studying."
Ozpin raised a brow, "...I only ask that you try."
Itadori gave him a committed two-finger salute, leading the man to wonder if he'd need to fudge the records to pass him at all...a later problem, "Well, there's no shortage of work around Beacon, is there anything you're...particularly good at?"
Yuji hummed, tapping his heels on the ground as he thought on it for a moment, "...I'm pretty fast."
"Fast, you say?"
The boy grinned, clenching a fist in pride, "Yeah! I hold the record for a fifty-meter sprint in three seconds at my old school!"
The Headmaster sweatdropped, "If I hadn't seen you crush an Ursa with your foot, I'd question it, but...no matter...how would you feel running...Oh, I don't know...deliveries?"
"Like a mailman?"
Ozpin snapped a finger, "Exactly, students get shipped all sorts of things from 'the web' as they say; how would you feel being the one to deliver them?"
Yuji shrugged, figuring a job was a job, might as well do something he's good at, reaching out a fist to the Director, "Pound it, Gramps!"
The Headmaster paused, halfway reaching for a handshake, but decided to play along, balling his fist up as it bounced off the teen's fist, to their amusement.
To Yuji's amazement, the Doctor pulled another scroll out of his pocket, leaving him to wonder how rich the guy was to afford two phones, "I'll send you the information for your dorm; feel free to explore Beacon while I make a few calls, we'll need to get you some kind of ID if you're going to live in Vale but don't get too comfortable, you'll have roommates soon enough."
Itadori saw sparkles. The only roommate the sorcerer ever had was the one living in his head, and he kept trying to kill him and everyone else. The thought of making a few new friends while he was here sounded fun, so why not go with it, right?
Figuring enough had been said, the sorcerer turned to walk away and find an exit, waving the Professor off, "Gotcha, Gramps. Talk to you later!"
As the boy began to walk out of earshot, he heard the man call out, "...I'm sure we will, Mr. Itadori."
As Itadori left the building, Ozpin watched him walk about campus, gawking at everything in his vicinity. He took a slow sip of his brew, not having expected another exception to slip through the cracks and join the ranks of students coming in this year, but who was he to complain. He slightly smiled, leaving the endless questions and undertakings to find out what the teen was for later, "What a nice young man."
Glynda was going to kill him...probably both of them, but he assured himself it was a necessary sacrifice for the betterment of all.
...
"Man, this place is huge," Yuji hummed to no one in particular, walking about aimlessly, hands in his pocket. He'd been at it for hours at this point, but around every corner, there seemed to be something new catching his eye. Who cares that he was shirtless, shoeless, and probably looked as vagrant as can be? No one was around, and if they were, he'd pay it no mind.
Itadori knew the world had some impressive things out there, not that he had the chance to see many of them, spending all of his life in the same nation, but Tokyo was definitely a wakeup call to all the neat things you could do to kill time, but this place took the cake.
Jujutsu High was nice, but it had a more...traditional feel to it, old buildings with some modern stuff to pass the time; he fondly smiled at the sheer number of movies he watched with his Sensei...good times with a lot of popcorn.
Beacon wasn't that far off, but Yuji could only guess it was a little European, at least what his comics showed. He hummed, tapping a foot as he observed the almost gothic yet way more advanced styles around the buildings, "Gothic...Gotha...OH! Gotham!"
Yeah, this place was a little like his favorite Western comic series if he squinted; it was a lot more advanced and probably had less crime, but it was close enough for him to get it. With all the giant towers with sharp stone edges, there was definitely some likeness.
Heck, this place was basically a city in its own right; he'd seen...well...buildings...that were locked, so he just stared at them, but there was probably even more cool stuff inside. He spaced out, wondering if the ponds had some fish he could catch to kill some time, but the weird-looking moon hanging overhead made the guy figure he should head home...wherever that was.
Even more, wandering later, Yuji happened upon a building that had the words 'Dorm A' in big, bold letters across the top, but how to get in...
Megumi would ask for a key or pull something dependable out to get in...Nobara would break a window...Gojo Sensei would've already been inside somehow...how would he do it?
He tugged at the door and maybe, just maybe, bit it a few times after it didn't open. He could rip it off its hinges, but he got yelled at enough for doing that at his last school...last two schools...not his fault they didn't make doors Yuji-friendly.
After fiddling with the thing, the student sighed, reaching into his pocket to withdraw the 'scroll' Gramps had given him. Weren't they supposed to be made of paper or something? He shook it and moved it around, but it didn't do the cool projector thing, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Itadori wasn't one to complain, but he felt so out of his element; the foreign location, the weird ways of doing things, and not knowing what happened to his friends left his head spinning as he leaned against the wall, letting his hand slap against the wall in defeat, "...I don't get it."
*Click
A sudden beep caught him. Yuji looked down, seeing the scroll had slapped against a little metal thing on the wall, the red light turning green as he heard the door unlock...huh?
Walking around inside, he was in an endless maze of hallways and numbers, and after enough fiddling with his scroll, the screen extended, turning on as a whole load of icons shimmered in front of the sorcerer. It was similar enough to his phone for him to find his way, tapping a little chat bubble with a big one stretching out of it.
"Contact name: Gramps...who put that there?"
Yuji shrugged it off, glancing through the simple text, getting a room and a number, ignoring the parts about some visitor tomorrow or something. He walked some more, eventually finding another door, and armed with all his brainpower, the student proudly slapped the screen onto the scanner...once...twice...three times before it opened.
The place was simple, but it had more space than Itadori had ever gotten in his life. Japanese apartments were usually tiny, making the most out of what little room there was, but this was a palace!
He happily strolled through what he pictured as his ideal living room, with a TV, some games, and a big stack of comics and snacks, idly imagining himself, Megumi, and Nobara side by side as they ran through the channels as Sensei secretly held the remote to pick what he wanted.
He passed through into another room, with four beds lined in groups of two against both walls. He could see it now; they'd have a sleepover every night, tell stories, and study together sometimes, it'd be great.
He sat on one of the beds, his grin ever present. It was empty for now, but that could change. Yuji knew the four of them could...the four of them could-
He looked around once more, not seeing his classmates or his teacher, remembering just what had happened to them a short while ago in his mind. The room was blank, and his smile slowly softened as his eyes drifted to nowhere in particular...his thoughts went quiet as he fell back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling until sleep took hold...alone.
...
*TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP
A sudden thudding shocked the teen awake as he flew off his bed and into the wall, bouncing off before hitting the floor face first, "...Why?"
Yuij sleepily rubbed an eye, unsure of where he was, while the other pushed off the thankfully carpeted ground and onto his feet while the knocking refused to stop for even a second. "Comingggggg-"
He stumbled toward the door, groggily trying to run before running headfirst into a wall, making it to the door handle with stars filling his vision. He pulled it open, "Ye-PFFFFF-"
A bundle of cloth slammed into his face as a hand pushed him inside, and he fell flat on his back as rapid footsteps raced around the apartment, "Awake...good-good, sleep does little when you're asleep for so long I'm certain, put those on, and we'll be on our way!"
Was he getting robbed?... Could you get robbed when you had nothing but a pair of pants?
Yuji pulled the cloth mask off his face, strangely reminded of how he started his last school, realizing they were clothes...his clothes, "Woah, you guys got these fixed fast, thanks-"
The sorcerer squinted at the man beside him, furiously writing notes at every motion he made, wearing a simple dress shirt, yellow tie, and black pants overlaid with some vintage jacket, his face hidden behind a pair of foggy glasses and long green hair, still writing. The student didn't know what to make of it, "...Who are you?"
The archeologist stopped his scribbles, turning to rambling instead, "Right...introductions, a fundamental principle of every organized society...you do have a society and state...wouldn't have identification papers otherwise...yes-
He energetically slammed a fist against his chest, "Professor Bartholomew Oobleck, at your service!"
"Huh?"
The sorcerer dumbly stared at him for a second before pointing a finger at himself, "I'm Y-"
"Yuji Itadori, our guest from an unknown place and an unspecified time," Oobleck commented, looking over the boy as he studied his every feature, mumbling to himself, "Can't be too distant, physical features too human for any noteworthy differences...ten fingers...ten toes...yes, yes-"
He didn't stop writing but barked orders nonetheless, "There's no time to waste. Get dressed, and we'll be on our way for greater prospects, you and I!"
Yuji gawked at the man's insane energy but nodded, choosing to go with the excentric like he usually did, "R-right."
Within moments, the boy was dressed like when he arrived, fluffing his beloved hood in amazement, "Wow, you guys even got the fabric right-Woah!"
He went spinning as the Professor stormed past, yanking him along for the ride as he stumbled, soon following behind the man's rapid pace out the door and through the halls, "Uh, Mr...Oo-"
"Oobleck, my boy! You simply must keep up with the times-" the historian grimaced, rapidly shaking his head, "Second thought, don't do that; records must be preserved!"
"Okay...where are we going?"
"Breakfast, of course! One can't start an interview without proper nutrition-" The archeologist answered as curtly as possible but spoke as if he had drank a gallon of caffeine beforehand.
Yuji dully followed the man like a robot, yawning as he tried to stretch, wondering what Europeans ate anyway...would he finally get to try an American hotdog...was that European?
...
...
Was this place Hogwarts or Gotham? He couldn't tell.
Yuji never read the former's books; there were too many words and a lot of things he didn't understand, but the movies were pretty good. The cafeteria looked a lot like theirs, with big wooden tables strewn around with simple benches to sit on. What he wouldn't give for a nice, warm kotatsu right now...or even a chabudai...just looking at those seats made his butt hurt.
Oobleck had run off at the speed of sound toward the coffee bar for "Archeological fuel," or however that meant, leaving Yuji to figure things out for himself with a few straggling staff members bringing out trays of things for the minority of people on campus.
The sorcerer went with the flow, ignoring the laid-out signs on not mixing food. The boy made his beloved rice bowl, dumping as many eggs and bits of meat as he could until it stood as a mountain to behold; satisfied with his work, Itadori fell onto his seat with a grimace, "...I see...my hypothesis was correct...-
His head slumped onto the table in a huff, "My butt hurts-"
*CRASH
A mountain of mugs slammed down across from the boy, jolting him awake with a suspicious glance as he counted them off with his fingers, "Uh, Professor...OO...Uzbek-"
"Oobleck, my boy."
Yuji stiffened up, "Right...what's with the...one-two-three-six coffees? Are you expecting someone else-"
The historian scoffed, straightening his glasses, "No, that's simply the breakfast becoming of a proper enthusiast in the fine art of research, my young friend! One cannot function without a brew at his side, wouldn't you agree!?"
The student fiddled with his spoon, shoveling a bite into his mouth, "Is that so?-wow, that's good-"
Oobleck huffed in pride, unaware of what the boy was even focusing on, "Of course it's good. Coffee does wonders for the mind and for the soul; pray tell, do they have it where you're from?"
Itadori swiped a grain of rice off his face as he grumbled in thought, "Mhm, but most people drink tea...I think?"
"And you?"
Yuji leaned back in his chair, possibly flailing his arms to not fall over before catching himself, rubbing a hand along his sleeve, "Nah, I'm more of an energy drink kinda guy-"
"...I see-"
"Eh?"
A cloud of malice washed over the archeologist, so intense it brought out genuine fear in the sorcerer as he mumbled, "...unforgivable...simply unforgivable, to think I could befriend such a barbaric individual-"
"Uh, sir?"
The man's demeanor shifted in a split second back toward his usual hyperactive smile, "But I digress, so tell me, how does Beacon compare to your place of origin?"
Yuji sweatdropped at the man's bizarre habits but figured he was just excitable, "To Japan?... Well...it's big; I'm just a country dweller from Sendai, so I'm not real familiar with all the fancy stuff you big city folk have. I wasn't in Tokyo all that long, but it's pretty similar, I guess," he laughed.
Oobleck rapidly scribbled notes on a magically appearing sheet of paper, "...Multiple settlements, evidence of wider connectivity...good-good."
He looked up at Yuji, who just stared at him like a confused puppy, "And I take it Tokyo is your capital?"
Itadori shrugged, faintly smiling as he thought back on his time in that chaotic city, 'We love Tokyo-' playing a bit in his head before he shook it off.
He smirked, "Yeah, it's got all kindsa fun stuff. They even got buildings taller than Gramps' tower...-"
The sorcerer zoned out, grumbling to himself, "I still wanna go to Chinatown, but Sensei wouldn't let us see i-"
A booming voice echoed throughout the largely empty hall, "Ah, Oobleck, just the man I wanted to see!-"
The voice got closer, "Ah, and I see you've brought a young friend to our morning meeting, and who might you be?"
The historian stopped his rambling, glancing up at the figure, "Ah, Port, I thought you had some business to attend to."
"Bah, just some preparation work for a new generation of Huntsmen. Can't be too careful when that information could very well save their lives someday-"
"I'm sure-"
Oobleck waved a hand, prompting Yuji to turn and look up at the man, "Yuji Itadori, meet Professor Peter Port, your future tutor in Grimm studies-"
The sorcerer's brown eyes widened; an older...portly gentleman wearing a lavish burgundy suit, with one hand holding a fresh mug of tea, the other twiddling his giant white mustache, his massive eyebrows and colorless hair sent sparkles in the student's mind.
Santa?
The teacher observed the young man for a moment, "Ah, getting a headstart on your studies, are we? Why...I remember at your age, I did much the same. Connections can make the difference, after all. Ah, but where are my manners?"
Yuji caught his hand the second he reached out, shaking it so fast he moved like a blur, "I'm a huge fan of your work! It's such an honor!"
Port appeared stunned for a moment but soon heartily chuckled, picturing himself a paragon among heroes, looming over the creatures that wished to destroy civilization, "Ho-ho-ho, I see my reputation precedes me; our efforts often go unrewarded, but your praise means the world, my young friend!"
Itadori practically glowed with excitement, picturing the man riding on a sleigh across the world, giving gifts far and wide, "So cool!"
The teacher looked down at the boy, raising a brow as he scratched his chin in thought, "Say, my boy, if you've seen my work, I must ask, have you any experience with Grimm?"
A lightbulb dinged over Yuji's head, "Yeah! Last night, I fought a whole lot of them in the woods! They were kinda weak, though..."
The researcher snorted, "Some are, but as with all things, looks can often be deceiving. What sorts did you encounter?"
Itadori tapped a foot along the ground, "Hmmmmm...Some were these big old wolves-"
"Beowolves, yes...quite dangerous in high numbers, but on their own pose little threat-"
The sorcerer nodded, "Then there were these big bears with masks-"
Port hummed, "Ursa?...quite formidable opponents to face at your age. What sort of tactics did you employ to face them?"
This was remarkable; not only had the Professor found a true fan of his craft, but one who seemed excited to discuss and learn of Grimm without falling asleep in his class. How could this get-
"I punched 'em really hard, and they exploded!"
Both professors seemed to go silent for a moment until Port cleared his throat, "You...punched them?"
Yuji shrugged, "Or kicked...sometimes both-"
Oobleck leaned into the table, elbows propped up, "Ah, Port, if you remember that message Ozpin sent this morning, it might help job your memory-"
The jolly man grumbled, "Message...message...Ah!-
He faced Yuji with renewed vigor, "You're the transfer student he spoke of! I must say I've been quite curious about your institution's...methods of hunting Grimm. I've been told they're quite unique."
Itadori tilted his head, having no clue what they were talking about. Until today, he didn't even know Grimm was a word, let alone an actual thing. He shrugged, "It's nothing special, I just-"
*Fwoosh
With the flick of a wrist and a generous dose of cursed energy, the boy's fist ignited, and as Oobleck scribbled his notes, Port leaned in, studying the boy with a keen eye, "And how does it work, exactly?"
Itadori shrugged, "I just think negative thoughts, and Whoosh!-" he laughed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head with said flaming fist, "It's kinda cool when you put it that way."
Port simply nodded, "Ah, that would explain the Grimm's behavior last night...you must have been the one attracting them-"
"Huh?"
Port's giant hand landed on the teen's shoulder as he bellowed out like the true narrator he was meant to be, "My boy, Grimm are peculiar creatures. They're all unique in their own ways, just as you and I are from one another...but if there was one common point, they're drawn toward the darker emotions."
He closed his eyes in thought, "We don't quite know how, but we can tell their migrations depend on our emotions. If you weaponize those feelings as you say you do, then it's only natural that they would flock toward you like moths to flame...wouldn't you agree?"
Yuji internally wondered if the ancient evil sealed inside him had something to do with it...probably, no...definitely, but either way, he nodded at the man's words, "Ohhhh, I get it...so, would making everyone feel good about themselves keep them away?"
The Professor glumly nodded, "Were it only so, my young friend, but our societies are rife with division, beasts stand on the frontier, and all we can do is focus on what separates rather than unites-"
Port glanced at the teen's face, focusing on the dark narrow slits beneath his eyes, "Though if I were to guess, a faunus like yourself would know much more than I about such hardship...if you don't mind my asking, what sort of animal are you most like?"
The gears didn't turn in Yuji's head...why was this guy calling him a baby deer? These accents were so confusing, but maybe...Ohhh...that old nickname...but how did Gramps know about that? He never brought it up...well, whatever.
Yuji shrugged, "People used to call me the Tiger of West Junior High growing up," but that was because his name had that kanji, and people kept calling him an animal at sports.
Oozbeck chimed in from the side, "...Were there any others of that sort in your homeland?"
Yuji snapped a finger with a grin, "Yeah! I'd show you a picture of him, but my phone is sorta dead...I got a buddy back home named Panda; he's...well...a panda, but I don't know what you're getting at with people not liking animals. I never saw that back home."
The historian rapidly scribbled notes, mumbling to himself with a raised brow, "Faunus...included in Japanese society."
Port let off a disappointed sigh, "Alas, not every kingdom has come as far as yours, I'm afraid, but worry not, my young friend!"
"I'm not worried?"
Port ignored him, "I'm sure you'll find bonds that will stretch far beyond your days at Beacon, and when you're hunting Grimm with your fellow man, those divisions will dissipate with time-"
He gave a thumbs up, his booming voice echoing out, "A Tiger need not be a solitary Hunter, for it's far better to place trust in those you come to know. It's why this institution exists in the first place!"
The sorcerer followed the man's hand as it stretched across the room, "Really? I thought school was because of laws or something?"
The Grimm expert chuckled but continued, "Not so, my friend. A Huntsman is a voluntary position, but what Beacon stands for is unity among men and to allow each prospective batch of recruits to forge the ties they need to work together as adults. It may seem confusing at first, even terrifying, but once your team has been assigned, you'll begin making great strides, so I'll ask, why do you fight, Yuji?"
The student didn't wait or need to think about it; he knew the answer before the question even happened. He smiled, thinking back to the man who raised him as best he could, despite their circumstances, until his last breath.
Itadori pictured the angry old man no one batted an eye at, but he knew better, "My Grandfather told me something a little before he passed, he said I was strong, so I should help others...even if it was just the people I cared about, I should save the people I can, and that I shouldn't worry if they thank me or not."
He grinned up at Port, "I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer, but if being a Huntsman means I can keep making him proud, then I'll work even harder to make it happen."
The man huffed in pride, patting his shoulder, "Good man, not many join for such selfless reasons, but that's all the better for you. A Huntsman must be strong, fearless, and selfless if they're to protect what little remains of our world from the Grimm, and I'd say you're well on your way already, my young friend...leave it to your teachers to help guide you on that path, and I assure you we won't lead you astray."
The man pulled back, reaching out a hand to the boy who shook it in stride with a smirk, "I'm looking forward to it, Sensei!"
The booming man chuckled, "An honorific is it? I quite like that...now, with all that said and done, let's get on with our breakfast before Goodwitch has our head-
*BOOM
The doors exploded open as a figure lurked in the daylight, their form nothing more than a shadow with glaring green eyes, staring right at the sorcerer as he couldn't help but tremble, "W-who is that?!"
He felt a hand push him forward toward the blonde beast as she angrily stormed toward him, riding crop in hand as a voice rang out, "Remember what I said of being fearless, young man!"
Yuji fell toward certain doom, wondering what he had done to be betrayed by Santa.
...
And that's a wrap on chapter one; I hope you enjoyed it. This project is a bit unique for me, and I'm trying new things out; take it easy, and I'll see you in the next one.