Flashback, Father and Son
December 2015, Zenin Clan
Maki Zenin confronted Naobito Zenin as she left the Clan. Alarms were raised as the Hei and the Kukuru unit assembled directly in front of the Clan gates, warily eyeing four people who walked in.
Maki observed her father commanding the Hei to prepare for action. Mai, her younger sister, stood beside her, overhearing Naobito's conversation with Maki. Their attention turned to their father, whose usually composed demeanor was now spooked. Ogi Zenin had never displayed such fear before. The Hei and Kukuru Unit, usually stalwart and unshakable, were visibly shaken by the presence of the four figures: three men and a child.
The leader of the group wore an arrogant and confident smirk, echoed by the white-haired man beside him. Another man had a serious expression, while a black-haired child stood behind them.
"Sister, who are they? Father has never looked this afraid before," Mai asked Maki.
"I don't know," Maki replied, her curiosity piqued.
Naobito emerged and faced the three men, though his nerves were evident. As a clan leader, he knew the importance of maintaining composure, even in the face of individuals capable of obliterating him and his clan effortlessly.
"Senju Hiroshi, Gojo Satoru, Suguru Geto... To what do I owe the pleasure of having all three of you visit?" Naobito inquired.
Maki listened intently. These were names she had grown up hearing, the strongest sorcerers of the modern era.
"Senju Hiroshi? Gojo Satoru? And Suguru Geto?" Maki thought to herself.
"Ah, Naobito, just the old dude I'm looking for. Megumi, come here and meet your granduncle," Hiroshi gestured.
A 13-year-old Megumi stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Naobito, then on the Hei and the Kukuru Unit. "They're pretty weak," Megumi remarked. The Zenin Clan bristled at his words. "Toji's son?" Naobito questioned, noting Megumi's resemblance to Toji himself.
"Weak, huh? Big words for a brat," Naobito retorted. Megumi remained unperturbed. "No, I was expecting my Clan to be strong, but I am disappointed, for a clan who treats cursed technique as supreme it's embarrassingly weak. No wonder pops left this place; all talk, no show."
"With this treasure... I summon," Megumi chanted calmly. "Wait, you're going to kill us all!" Naobito shouted, but Megumi continued, "Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga."
Mahoraga emerged from the shadows, surprising Naobito. He couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity; in his mind, Mahoraga would slaughter everyone in the Clan. But to his astonishment, Mahoraga stood behind Megumi, calm and docile.
"Impossible! It's been tamed! No Ten Shadows user has ever managed to tame it!" Naobito exclaimed. "Wake up, old man. You're looking at the strongest Ten Shadows practitioner in history," Megumi proclaimed confidently.
Observing Megumi, Hiroshi glanced at Suguru and Satoru. Both facepalmed. "Is it just me, or has Megumi rubbed off our arrogance and conceit?" Hiroshi remarked.
"No Shit, Sherlock," Suguru muttered.
The trio had trained Megumi since he was a child. It was natural for him to inherit their boastful and arrogant natures.
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One might ask, how did Megumi tame Mahoraga? It all happened last month.
November 13, 2015,
Hiroshi was sparring with Megumi. The 13-year-old already had the nine Shikigami in his arsenal and was using their merged versions against Hiroshi.
Nue: Totality - Merged Beast Chimera, a merged form of Piercing Ox, Round Deer, Orochi, Nue, and Toad. It took the form of a three-headed beast, featuring the heads of an ox, deer, and toad, with the tail of Orochi and the wings of Nue.
Tiger: Totality - Merged Beast Kirin/Qilin, a merged form of The Divine Dogs, Tiger Funeral, Rabbit, and Max Elephant. It took the form of a massive white tiger, with eyes both white and black, the size of an elephant, and the speed of a rabbit.
"Hiroshi Sensei, remember our bet, right? That if I manage to make you use your Cursed Technique, you'll help me tame Mahoraga, right?" Megumi asked, smirking confidently.
"Oh, you still remember that? Sure," Hiroshi responded with equal confidence.
As he was attacked by Chimera and Qilin, Hiroshi confidently weaved through their attacks.
"Megumi has come far with his technique, don't you think, Suguru?" Satoru asked.
"Yes, indeed he has," Suguru affirmed proudly.
Hiroshi was struck by Chimera's lightning, but a veil of energy protected his skin. "You gotta hit harder than that, Megumi."
"That was just CT Reinforcement. What a monster you are, Hiroshi Sensei!" Megumi clicked his tongue in frustration.
Hiroshi caught a lunge from Qilin with one hand and Chimera with the other, but as he did, Chimera's electric attacks began slightly numbing his hand.
"That's strong enough to injure Special Grade Cursed Spirits," Hiroshi remarked, feeling the lightning dance on his skin.
While Hiroshi engaged both Totalities in combat, Megumi was planning his attacks. He stretched out his hand towards Hiroshi. "DO IT!" he shouted, as if on cue, Chimera used its Orochi's tail to wrap around Hiroshi and Qilin created ropes of water to entangle him.
"Hiroshi Sensei, I'll borrow your technique for a bit!...CERO," Megumi charged and fired a concentrated beam of cursed energy towards Hiroshi.
"Heh, you learned it?" Hiroshi smirked as he watched Megumi's Cero steadily approach. He dodged it by tearing his bindings to pieces.
But as Hiroshi dodged, he realized Megumi was close at hand, with Chimera and Qilin beginning to emit dangerous levels of cursed energy.
"Hoh! What are you going to do with that?" Hiroshi challenged, as Chimera launched massive lightning strikes at him while Qilin fired a massive water spout.
"Domain Expansion: Chimera Shadow Garden!" Megumi unleashed his Domain. Hiroshi knew that Megumi did not have a sure-hit effect on his Domain yet, so he weaved through Chimera's and Qilin's attacks.
"Sensei, you underestimate my Domain!" Megumi declared as he began spawning multiple Chimeras and Qilins.
"He didn't show this in the anime...spawning Totality beasts," Hiroshi thought, realizing this was no longer the Megumi from the anime; this was the Megumi they had trained.
Megumi knew that to make multiple versions of Totality beasts, he had to use a lot of cursed energy. His reserves had already taken a dip, but for him, it was all or nothing since he badly wanted to tame Mahoraga, and there were only three people who could help him—his three Senseis.
"Alright, Megumi, you surprised me with your improvements," Hiroshi acknowledged as he put his hands together, and a multitude of hands appeared. "I'll show you the pinnacle of Domains, Domain Expansion: Divine Tree Emergence."
Hiroshi summoned his Domain within 0.2 seconds, just to destroy Megumi's Domain from the outside, with Megumi suffering minimal attacks.
After Megumi's domain fell, Hiroshi was already attending to his healing. "So, seeing your domain appear briefly, does that mean you'll be helping Megumi tame Mahoraga?" Suguru asked.
"In a way, yes. But we're not tackling that directly. We all have cursed energy, but I'm calling someone from the afterlife to help," Hiroshi smirked as he began dialing his phone. "Yes, Patriarch?" came a voice over the phone.
Hiroshi was thinking of a curse user who could summon the dead, that old granny from the Shibuya Incident.
"Find the curse user Ogami, an old woman who possesses a cursed technique called Seance. Capture her and bring her to me; you have half a day," Hiroshi ordered.
"Yes, Patriarch. The target will arrive within the hour," the voice over the phone responded. "Alright," Hiroshi ended the call.
"Who are you planning to call, Sensei?" Megumi asked. Hiroshi glanced at Satoru and Suguru and said, "Megumi, I believe it's time that we talk about your father."
"My father?" Megumi was baffled.
---
Within the hour, four Senju Sorcerers arrived with an old woman in chains and a random curse user. The woman, upon seeing Hiroshi, Satoru, and Suguru, was visibly shaken.
"Place her here, and the sacrifice," Hiroshi gestured to the front.
As the old woman was positioned and the sacrifice prepared, Hiroshi commanded, "Use your cursed technique and revive Toji Fushiguro. Mess it up, and you're not walking out of here alive." Hiroshi threatened as Satoru and Suguru stood menacingly behind him.
"Yes..." Ogami was visibly scared as she handed a small tube to the sacrifice. However, this particular curse user refused to consume it, leading one of the Senju Sorcerers to force it down his throat.
The old woman began chanting. When she finished, she uttered, "Toji Zenin."
The sacrificial lamb began spasming as Toji took control of the body. He immediately attacked the closest person, who was Hiroshi.
As Toji threw punches at Hiroshi, Hiroshi smirked, "Yo, assassin, how are you?" while parrying and exchanging blows with Toji.
"Senju kid," Toji stopped, gaining control over the body.
Looking around, Toji saw the faces of Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, smirked, then his gaze landed on Megumi, and memories flashed before his eyes.
He glanced back at Hiroshi, then back at Megumi. "Kid, what's your name?"
"Huh? What an odd way to greet somebody. Fushiguro Megumi," Megumi replied.
"Fushiguro, huh... that's great," Toji felt a sense of relief, knowing that revealing his son's whereabouts to Hiroshi was a good choice.
"Let's leave the father and son for a brief talk," Hiroshi gestured to Satoru and Suguru, allowing some space for Toji and Megumi to connect.
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Toji, poised to speak, was interrupted by Megumi's direct gaze. "I am aware that you died," Megumi stated firmly, then continued, "Why would you sell me? And leave us alone?"
Toji took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, the weight of years evident in his sigh. "When your mother died, I knew I couldn't raise you properly because I knew that the moment she left, I would go back to my old ways of gambling... That's why I sold you to the Zenin Clan. But I did this hoping that they would think that I do not care about you... but I did... we did, your mother and I."
Although Megumi had come to some conclusions on his own, Toji's words opened old wounds even as they offered some understanding. Toji continued, "Before I met your mother, I was an assassin. I lived as an assassin and died as one, killed by Gojo Satoru. But it was only justified that he did. I thought I had killed him... and he came back for a rematch..."
"Are you regretting it now? Being an assassin?" Megumi asked, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and challenge.
"No... I would do it again. I met your mother that way. Look, I'm not going to play Dad. That Senju kid revived me for some reason. Seeing you here now, I believe those three taught you how to be a sorcerer?" Toji inquired, shifting the focus slightly.
Megumi nodded, an acknowledgment tinged with respect. "I'm glad. I'm proud of you, son," Toji said sincerely.
Hearing this, Megumi felt a warmth in his chest, a soothing balm to the stings of past hurts. "You know... although you weren't present in my life... Thank you, Pops. Thank you. Even though you left me, in exchange, life gave me three people, dare I say, the greatest family in the world," Megumi expressed, feeling the burden lift from his chest—the mystery of his father's disappearance and his words of pride freeing him from old chains.
Toji nodded, the simplicity of the gesture conveying depths of emotion. "And... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he said, his voice low, carrying a heartfelt regret before he turned to walk away, leaving space for Megumi to process the enormity of their brief reunion.
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As Toji stepped out of the space where he had shared a moment with Megumi, he encountered Hiroshi, Satoru, and Suguru waiting for him outside. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation, laden with the weight of unspoken truths and the complexities of Toji's past actions.
Hiroshi, always astute and calculating, regarded Toji with a piercing gaze. "Was your meeting with Megumi fruitful?" he inquired, his tone betraying a curiosity tinged with underlying emotions about the significance of their exchange.
Toji, his demeanor composed yet carrying a newfound sense of resolution, simply nodded in acknowledgment. "It was necessary," he admitted, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability that was rare for him. "Now, what's the plan? You didn't bring me back just for a family reunion."
"Let me explain," Hiroshi responded, taking charge of the conversation as the others listened intently.
Toji, arms folded, listened attentively as Hiroshi delved into the intricacies of their situation.
"In the Zenin Clan, when a 10 Shadows Practitioner emerges, there will always be a Heavenly Restricted User within that generation or the previous one. Have you ever found this mysterious?" Hiroshi posed the question, prompting Toji's response.
"No," Toji replied bluntly. "The Clan can actually be wiped out; I couldn't care less," he added, underscoring his indifference to the Zenin Clan's fate.
Hiroshi continued, explaining the significance of the Divine General Mahoraga and the unique circumstances surrounding its taming ritual. "The Tenth Shikigami of the 10 Shadows is the Divine General Mahoraga, which has not been tamed ever since. In the taming ritual, only the practitioner alone should tame it, as any foreign sorcerer's help will invalidate the ritual. However, Heavenly Restricted Users like you are an exception. You do not have cursed energy, nor can sorcerers and cursed spirits see you," Hiroshi elucidated.
"So, you mean to say I would help my son in this taming ritual?" Toji clarified, his tone serious and contemplative.
"Bingo!" Hiroshi exclaimed, echoed by the approving nods of Satoru and Suguru.
"I would need my weapons for that," Toji stated matter-of-factly.
"You can have the rest. The Inverted Spear of Heaven will cancel Mahoraga and the taming ritual. Thus, you can have this," Hiroshi declared, tossing an Inventory Cursed Spirit at Toji.
Toji caught it effortlessly, recognizing its resemblance to his previous Cursed Spirit. "It looks like your cursed spirit, but we, the Senju, managed to clone it and use it," Hiroshi explained, shedding light on the origin of the Imitation Inventory Cursed Spirit.
"Hoh...welcome to the future, is it?" Toji remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone. When Megumi emerged, he smirked and declared, "Let's go tame that Shikigami of yours." Megumi nodded in agreement.
"Satoru, Suguru, let's set up a barrier, the Four Red Yang Formation," Hiroshi instructed.
"We need one more for that," Satoru noted.
"Don't worry, I got it," Hiroshi reassured as a clone emerged from him.
Suguru and Satoru positioned themselves horizontally from each other, a kilometer apart. Similarly, Hiroshi and his clone took their positions. They all joined hands and began channeling cursed energy.
The sky darkened within the barrier as four red rays briefly rose up before disappearing.
Observing the barrier set up, Megumi turned to Toji and asked, "Pops, are you ready?"
"Pops? Is this a new generation title for father?" Toji pondered silently as he prepared his Soul Splitting Katana and the Chain of a Thousand Miles.
"With this treasure, I summon," Megumi chanted, and everything fell silent as the howls of wolves and the shadows of his nine Shikigami stood in a straight line, as if welcoming something. From behind Megumi, Mahoraga emerged, restrained.
"Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga," Megumi proclaimed, summoning the imposing figure of Mahoraga in front of the father and son duo.
Without hesitation, Toji sliced the Shikigami in half, but it regenerated instantly. "Tough one," Toji thought to himself.
"Tiger: Totality-Merged Beast Qirin!" Megumi summoned Qirin, which attacked Mahoraga directly.
"Pops, Piercing Ox will be the killing move. It needs time to charge up. Buy me some time!" Megumi instructed.
"Alright," Toji agreed as he continued to cut at Mahoraga.
Dong
The wheel on top of Mahoraga turned.
Feeling his cuts becoming harder, Toji realized, "It's becoming harder to cut?"
Mahoraga attacked Qirin, attempting to catch it and destroying any and all obstructions. Toji cut its limbs from time to time, while Megumi landed blows on the Divine General.
*DONG* The wheel turned.
This time, Mahoraga turned towards Toji, who sliced off its limbs, causing it to kneel.
Seeing Mahoraga turn towards him, Toji realized, "That's bad. It can see me now!" He distanced himself quickly, narrowly avoiding a massive hand that landed where he had stood a moment ago.
"It's adapting, huh?" Toji observed, noting the turning wheel. "It's got something to do with that Eight Handled Wheel."
As Toji observed, Megumi threw hands directly at Mahoraga. Although it dealt damage, it wasn't enough. Mahoraga swung at Megumi, but he dodged, just in time for the ground to turn to rubble.
As Mahoraga fought Qirin again, Megumi summoned another shadow, "Orochi: Totality-Merged Beast Dragon!" The merged beast was serpentine, with the body of Orochi, the eyes of Toad, wings and limbs of Nue, and the antlers of Round Deer.
The dragon bit Mahoraga and turned to the skies, dropping the Divine General downwards.
Meanwhile, Toji found a peculiar weapon in his arsenal. He took it out, realizing, "A firearm? No, it's a cursed firearm, a machine gun." Toji smirked as he fired directly at the falling Mahoraga, the bullets hitting the Divine General.
*DONG* The wheel turned.
The bullets that pelted Mahoraga no longer injured the Divine General.
Seeing this, Toji was disappointed. "Well, that was good while it lasted." He hid the machine gun and took out Playful Cloud, beginning to play with the nunchucks.
As Mahoraga dropped to the ground, Toji struck it hard with Playful Cloud, bouncing it towards a nearby hill. Toji chased Mahoraga, hitting it repeatedly in all directions.
Left, right, down—toji hit Mahoraga in every direction. Playful Cloud amplified the user's strength with its cursed energy, allowing even those with little to no cursed energy to overpower special-grade cursed spirits. In Toji's case, he could compete with Mahoraga in the strength department through the hits of Playful Cloud.
As Mahoraga reached for Toji, he backflipped onto the arm of Mahoraga and swung Playful Cloud at its head, twisting the Divine General's head in the process.
*DONG* The wheel turned.
As Toji hit Mahoraga again, this time, the Divine General was resistant to blunt force attacks.
"It's adapting fast," Toji thought as he looked towards the skies. Thunder roared, and Toji distanced himself as Dragon threw down thunderbolts at the Divine General.
Megumi watched his father go hard on Mahoraga, realizing, "So that's how strong pops is."
A/N: How do you like the Story So Far?