Chapter Text
—SHIBUYA — 11 Days after the Incident —18:34 PM.—
The three sorcerers walked by the empty streets of Tokyo.
Choso finishes off a fallen dragon-like curse with a quick Piercing Blood.
He had been getting better at this since the first day he gained a human body a few months ago.
Yuji burns down another with the eagle handsign Adevel taught him.
No smile for having destroyed a giant spider curse this time.
Only cursed blood on his black jacket...
And a huff of relief.
Adevel had already sheathed Triarii and turned to walk away.
"Move."
Yuji and Choso trade a look.
They turn to follow him.
The acidic smell of the fallen neon signs mixes with the sound of boots over concrete.
They have been hunting down the curses around Tokyo for a week by now.
As it turns out, the stronger curses have different hunting methods than the weaker ones.
Those who appear in bands are always of the weakest kind — fly-heads, as Adevel calls them.
They always scatter after they realize the prey survived the first few waves of attack.
The stronger ones, however, get to somehow be even bigger cowards.
After a simple impaling & tearing apart procedure... Even the Grade Ones start to flinch at your gaze.
Triarii purrs softly.
Something like a question — or a sob.
Adevel looks at her.
Wraps his hand tighter around the grip.
She goes quiet again.
Yuji had been glancing at Adevel for a while.
He stayed with him under the prospect of protecting his friend no matter what the higher ups think of him.
Now?
He isn't really sure if his friend survived.
Choso, for his part, stayed for two reasons:
Itadori is — apparently —, the last person with blood ties with him...
...and he owes Adevel a few debts.
Probably for a few lifetimes.
Yuji decides to speak up.
"That fire-aquila thing really is useful, huh."
"..."
A beat.
"Sensei taught me." Adevel mutters dryly.
"..."
"...seems like a good teacher." Choso comments.
Yuji exhales. "Knew that, already..."
Choso just observes their reactions. Or, in Adevel's case, the lack of reaction.
Adevel heard steps getting closer.
Yuji locks his forearm over Adevel's neck, pushing him against an abandoned shop window.
It cracks under the pressure.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Yuji demands.
"The Adevel I know is not like that! My colleague— my FRIEND is not like that!"
Adevel just stares at him. Not a single muscle movement.
That only makes Yuji angrier.
"Just, look at you! React, do things...! Things Adevel would!"
"Yuji. This is not the time."
"It is! I'm not dumb! It's been a week, Silva! A week!"
Adevel looks away.
Not tilting his head to the side, nor glancing somewhere else.
His eyes simply... Travel a mile.
'I can't even pretend anything anymore. I can't smile.'
'How do I put this to him...? Isn't it obvious?'
'Grk, thinking like I've surrendered... Doing what my father does...'
Triarii hums quietly.
'I wonder how he managed to smile those times, when I was with him... Knowing his deeds.'
Yuji's fists turn white.
"Just..." His jaw tenses. "Just say something..."
"Brother, maybe you should..." Choso begins to say.
"No!" Yuji snaps. "I'm not your brother! We have nothing to do with each other! Stop this!"
"Hey. Mr. Mirkinikov."
Yuji snaps to Adevel again.
Adevel points a finger to his forearm.
"If you stay this close, I'll start to get flustered."
Yuji doesn't blink.
He just stares right into his eyes.
"Hmph."
He lets go of him abruptly.
"Fucking nerd..."
Yuji stomps away towards their Secret Base™.
Adevel finally realizes he was out of air. "HRH!"
Choso quirks an eyebrow at him. He doesn't understand that social dynamic.
"You alright?"
"Eh... I'm fine."
Adevel draws Triarii just to use her as a cane.
She blinks with fire for a moment.
"Don't start singing about it."
She hums something cynical before Adevel follows Yuji.
Choso makes a weird face. '...How did I understand what the sword said? Is she like Hanami?'
He follows along anyway.
The Secret Base™ is located inside a recently abandoned pub in a random ghetto, surrounded by buildings from all sides.
The type of architectural pragmatism you'd only find in the biggest city in the world.
There's only one door to inside of it, which makes it easier to hide from curses — those who can't just crash their way through it, that is.
Adevel goes to his Capital Territory™ — a black sleeping bag — and slumps down over it. Not before doing an exaggerated circular movement with Triarii and resting her down beside him.
Yuji was already on his Boxing Arena™ — blue sleeping bag, located on Adevel's right border —, while Choso rested his back on the door, making sure nothing followed them.
Only Yuji noticed Adevel's theatrics.
It brought a smile to his face.
"Everything clear, it seems."
"Yeah, we're safe..." Adevel sighs, eyes closed.
"I'll go find some food." Choso says as he exits the room.
"Alright. Be safe out there." Yuji says.
"Ave Maria..." Adevel whispers to himself, running a hand through his hair.
Triarii follows the rhythm.
Yuji quirks an eyebrow, but something tells him that's his way of healing.
Not more than five minutes after, Choso arrives with three steaming containers of pasta. Forks in hand.
He hands it to them.
The smell cuts through their nostrils like a blessing.
Yuji lights up. "Thank you!"
"Amém!" Adevel says with enthusiasm.
Choso nods, sitting on his sleeping bag in front of them. Lips curling up before he can stop them.
They eat together for a while. The only sound in their hideout being of their chewing and occasional vibration from Triarii.
Adevel feels a weird taste. Weirdly familiar.
It's in the smell, too.
'Iron. He used his blood as a microwave.'
He trades a look with Triarii.
Then with Yuji.
'He didn't notice.'
Then at Choso. "Tastes great. Thank you."
Choso nods again. "No problem."
"Yeah! Like, how did you heat it up?" Yuji asks.
"Huh..." Choso thinks for more than necessary.
Adevel intervenes. "Cursed techniques do wonders... Especially cursed fire."
Yuji nods. "Mm. Makes sense."
Choso simply goes back to eating, giving Adevel a small nod.
Triarii giggles before starting to hum ambient music again — Blue Moon.
"Talking about fire..." Adevel begins to say.
They lift their heads to look at him.
"There's little hope of liberating Gojo-sensei in the near future. We lost that battle before it even started. It will be very hard for anyone from Jujutsu High to get us out of here, so."
Everyone stops eating at that.
"Well, then things didn't change much. We've always done that." Yuji mutters under his breath.
"Watching our backs was always the obvious answer." Choso adds,
"And on that subject, Choso... I need to ask for your forgiveness. For your brothers, and such."
Every muscle in Choso's body seems to go still.
"...What do you mean by that?" He whispers harshly.
Yuji tenses — shifting his weight as if expecting a fight to break out.
Adevel's expression doesn't change at all.
"I mean it. I really do. I don't hold any grudge for everything else, too. No one was in control of that."
Choso's expression turns into a scowl.
His hands curl into fists.
He looks seconds away from jumping across the room.
Yuji looks between the two of them. Ready to join a brawl if necessary.
Adevel remains utterly calm.
"..."
Silence stretched.
"..."
Choso grits his teeth.
Before finally resigning to a scoff.
"It's not my fault. You're just too easy to kill."
Yuji blinks — then deflates like a gas station balloon.
"Ughhhh!!"
Adevel simply smiles.
Those small, barely perceptible ones.
And then goes back to eating his meal.
Then, Choso asks:
"I... Have a question for you."
He looks down at his hands.
Completely serious.
"...How do you talk to girls?"
Yuji and Adevel exchange a look.
"..." — "..."
'Oh God.'
'This is gonna be a war crime.'
Adevel cracks his knuckles.
"Alright, kid. Lesson One..."
Triarii stirs inside the scabbard.
Yuji leans forward, suddenly invested.
"Be confident."
"Don't mention your powers right away. Say it's personal stuff." Adevel says.
"Pay the bill on the first date. Oh! And don't pay for ice cream if you think she's on a diet."
Yuji pauses.
"Actually, maybe don't think about her diet at all."
Adevel nods solemnly.
"Good correction."
Choso starts taking notes.
Literally.
With a notebook he apparently always had with him.
"Also, don't mention her weight. No matter what." Yuji points out.
"Say she's beautiful if she says otherwise." Adevel takes note.
"And be respectful! If she says no, then it's over!" Yuji instigates.
Adevel raises one finger.
"Also, do the stoic thing."
Choso stops writing.
"...The stoic thing?"
"Yes. Be mysterious."
"How?"
"Say less than she does."
Yuji stares at him.
"That's terrible advice."
"It worked for me."
Triarii disagrees.
"Did it?"
Adevel thinks about this.
"...No."
Choso writes it down anyway.
"You're weirdly self aware sometimes..." Yuji points out.
Adevel shrugs.
"Just survival instincts."
Yuji looks increasingly concerned.
"And don't try to act like someone you're not."
Adevel immediately raises another finger.
"Unless who you are is currently going through something emotionally complicated."
Yuji turns to him.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means retreating into your traumatic past is always an option."
Triarii stirs again. Like a groan.
Choso nods seriously.
"Understood."
"No, don't understand that!"
Adevel puts a hand on Choso's shoulder.
"Most importantly: if she says you're beautiful, accept the compliment."
"And if she says you're not?"
"Tell her she's beautiful."
Yuji stares at him.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't have to. Women are a mystery. That's the fun."
Triarii unsheathes herself.
Choso writes that down too.
Yuji's face falls.
"Do not write that down!"
Choso looks up from his notes.
"I see. Does this work with non-sorcerers too?"
Yuji and Adevel look at each other.
Yuji speaks first.
"Just don't mention the family tree."
Adevel nods.
"Yeah. Not on the first date, at least."
Choso looks between them.
"Why?"
Yuji and Adevel answer at the exact same time.
"Just don't."
A beat.
Triarii hums something like a huff.
Choso writes it down.
Adevel looks at Yuji.
"He's going to be fine."
Yuji looks at the notebook.
"No, he isn't."
Triarii draws a heart on the air with cursed energy.
Choso stops.
Looks at it.
Does the same with blood manipulation.
"Oh my God."
Adevel claps his hands.
"That's our boy! Do that with the sorcerer ones! Every time!"