Chapter 13: New Strength

After eliminating the Hollow, Hisagi sensed that the cursed spirits had also been taken care of, so he returned home.

"It's time to improve my skills..." Hisagi didn't find Aoki at home, so he lay down on his long couch.

*[… Name: Shuhei Hisagi

General Attributes:

Strength: 6 [956/1100]

Speed: 7 [1150/1300]

Endurance: 5 [808/900]

Spirit: 8 [1309/1700]

Combat Skills:

Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship): 3 [49/300]

Hakuda (Hand-to-Hand Combat): 2 [250/500]

Hoho (Speed Techniques): 4 [790/900]

Kidou (Magic): 0 [0/100]

Zanpakuto:

Name: Ryujin Jakka (All Things of this World, Turn to Ashes.)

Type: The sword with the oldest fire

Shikai Abilities: 3

Shikai Techniques:

Jokaku Enjo: 0 [0/100] – (Burning Fortress)

Taimatsu: 2 [0/500] – (Torch)

Ennetsu Jigoku: 3 [0/600] – (Flames of Hell)

Shikai Level: 4 [0/900]

Bankai:

Name: Zanka no Tachi

Description: Intense flames with a blazing aura

Bankai Level: 0 (Sealed)

Cursed Power Level:

Level: 2 [300/500]

Items:

Hollow and Cursed Spirit Bait: [One-time use]

'Bakudo • Path of Binding' Book (A book with the 99 Kidou techniques. These can only be learned through hard work, not soul points.)

General Status:

Souls Sent to Eternal Rest: [3901]

Cursed Spirit Souls Eliminated: [184]

Soul Points: [3336] …]*

"Unexpected gains..." Hisagi's first move was to use the soul points he'd earned from eliminating numerous cursed spirits at the school and the intermediate Hollow he had fought.

First, he increased his strength to level seven, which was already about to level up on its own, but he wanted to balance his stats as soon as possible. His physical endurance had taken a hit during the fight, so he leveled that up as well.

Next, since he would eventually need to use his Shikai or spells, he boosted his Spirit directly to level nine, as it was his primary source of power.

After months of training and guiding the soul marks he'd found during his explorations, Hisagi had raised his stats through sheer hard work, so he wasn't overly reliant on soul points, even from a young age.

Having trained little with his sword, he decided to raise his Zanjutsu to level 4, along with his martial arts. His special movement skill was also promoted, allowing him much more agility when using Shunpo and its variations.

As for his Shikai, he directly promoted it to level 6, knowing that if he wanted to unlock his sword's hidden power, he needed at least some control over the flames. At this level, he could control half of its Shikai power, able to release powerful flames at will.

With the remaining points, he raised his Torch skill to level 5, leaving him with only 34 soul points. In just a few upgrades, he had spent everything he had earned in one night.

"Reaching the maximum level will require more than just a special-class Spirit..." Hisagi muttered as he climbed the stairs of his home.

He reclined in a chair, and the moonlight fell on his dust-covered face as he gazed out the window, deep in thought.

"I don't think I'm ready yet to face the Jujutsu sorcerers..."

"But I can't join the Jujutsu High School either. First, I completely missed my chance to connect with the sorcerers after that Intermediate Hollow appeared out of nowhere. Second, how could I possibly join a school of sorcery as a nobody?"

These problems were peculiar and could cause him issues that he didn't need right now. After traveling the world killing cursed spirits, the possibilities of improvement were slim unless he directly went to the sorcery school. He couldn't recall any disastrous events happening in Tokyo, so the only way to grow was by working in isolated places.

"I knew that if I didn't return tonight, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet those sorcerers..." Hisagi shook his head. He had prioritized eliminating that Hollow over his own future but didn't want to reveal too much of his power either. With things turning out this way, all he could do was wait for a better opportunity.

"Forget it, I'm a bit hungry. I'll cook my dinner first." Hisagi took off his tattered shirt and, after changing into clean clothes, walked to the kitchen to prepare something to eat.

He had a unique ability that only he knew—he could eat anything that filled him without caring about appearance or other trivialities others might consider, like texture.

Many people tend to eat food prepared by others, but Hisagi, who had gotten used to eating things he disliked, now prepares his meals whenever possible. It was a good habit; aside from managing his money well, he also had to avoid eating expensive food.

So, with his limited resources, Hisagi prepared his meal. After all, he had been doing it before.

"This time, some noodles will be enough..." Hisagi said as he poured the boiling water over the noodles and then covered them.

After the eight minutes of cooking passed, Hisagi drained the water and added the rest of the ingredients.

Tap-tap! Tap-tap!

At that moment, just as Hisagi was about to eat, he heard a series of footsteps approaching his building.

"It's not Aoki, and besides, who else could emit that aura in this building unless someone new moved in? So, could it be a neighbor or someone else?" Hisagi paused his movements and held his sword, which wasn't in its sealed form, while his eyes fixed on the door.

Boom, boom, boom!

The sound of knocking came, and Hisagi frowned. The steps were light, and the sound they made wasn't hidden, but the energy of that person was very different. He could tell that the footsteps outside belonged to someone else.

Just as Hisagi was about to ask something, the other person spoke first. "Um... Don't be nervous. I'm Gojo Satoru from the Jujutsu school. I sensed that you are someone very special with a unique sense of duty, which is why I'm here. Is it convenient for you to open the door and talk?"

Gojo Satoru knew that Hisagi was holding some kind of cursed weapon that seemed to contain immense power, but he couldn't detect anything else. The power of the young man he was interested in was extremely hard to sense unless he released it. If it weren't for the trace of cursed energy inside Hisagi, Gojo would have thought he had the wrong address.

"Gojo Satoru?" Hisagi froze when he heard the name of the person outside his apartment. Why would a Jujutsu sorcerer come to him?

First of all, how did he even find him if they had never met?

But now it was pointless to think about any logical explanation or mistake that might have happened, as Gojo Satoru himself was standing at his door. Hisagi held his sword and walked toward the door, opening it to see the person he had always thought of as the most powerful being in this world.

"Hello, hello!" The tall figure of Gojo Satoru appeared before Hisagi, with a clean, orderly, strange, and beautiful uniform that only Gojo Satoru could wear so vividly and perfectly.

"Uh... Hello." Hisagi did his best to calm the disturbing thoughts that sought an explanation.

To be honest, this was the first time he had seen such a high-level sorcerer in person. If Satoru wanted something, Hisagi could do little to defend himself with his current abilities.

Although from the start, Hisagi had underestimated his own power, which had been growing ever since he arrived in this world.

However, Hisagi wasn't concerned with these small details. Even though Hisagi could be arrogant and indifferent to some human deaths, he still had his human side.

"Ah, it smells so good. Are you cooking something?" Gojo Satoru sniffed with his imposing nose, as if he had found something delightful.

"Oh, yeah, I was making some instant noodles. By the way, if you don't mind, could you tell me who you are?" Hisagi didn't finish his sentence when suddenly Gojo Satoru's figure passed through the door and entered as if it were his own home.

"Ha, ha, ha, don't worry, don't worry. I didn't come empty-handed either." Gojo Satoru proceeded to disregard Hisagi's words and soon entered his home.

Hisagi couldn't question him. Instead, he wanted to take advantage of this visit from the Jujutsu sorcerer. Even with his strength, he didn't have the power to do so. This benefited him so much that it was irrational to feel angry or unfocused by what was happening right now.

'It seems I left some kind of trace in my last fight. This man wouldn't have found me unless he had special eyes, and judging by that white blindfold, that seems to be the case,' Hisagi thought as he closed the door and approached the figure who towered over him.

"There are utensils and chopsticks here. I also have forks if you need them." Hisagi sat in front of Gojo Satoru, placing his sword on his lap.

"No need, I'll handle it myself." Gojo Satoru smiled more and more as he observed Hisagi's subtle movements. This young man had been ready to enter battle at any moment from the moment he opened the door until he sat in front of him, but he wasn't impulsive or violent. He knew how to identify superior threats, so he didn't act unless provoked.

Gojo Satoru had made a judgment about Hisagi and understood why he had survived for so long without being exposed or killed while eliminating cursed spirits. Someone like him fighting against the forces of evil without training, recognition, or money was admirable.

After picking up the bowls and chopsticks, Gojo decided to test Hisagi's calmness and started eating.

Hisagi was hungry, so he ate his noodles slowly while pondering the possibilities and Gojo's purpose in acting this way. He didn't ask why Gojo had come here, choosing instead to talk about it after they finished eating.

But Hisagi could more or less guess what was going on. After all, he wasn't a fool.

"Your name is Hisagi? It seems you don't live here alone. So, since we're the only ones here, why did you cook so much?" Gojo looked at the boards filled with information, understanding more or less the situation.

"I've heard a lot about Jujutsu sorcerers. I also kill cursed spirits, so I'd like to know more," Hisagi responded calmly.

Gojo Satoru was eating noodles while listening. Originally, he wanted to get more information, but Hisagi acted unusually.

"Something that never fails," Satoru said after finishing his bowl of food.

Hisagi put down his own bowl, having finished as well, and looked at Gojo Satoru, trying to figure out what he was doing.

"I was still hesitating. Now, you must come with me," Gojo Satoru set down the bowls and suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Hisagi didn't understand those words.

"Your food is good, and you're really a good person with numerous powerful skills. If I leave you here, it would be a waste of talent, don't you think?" Gojo laughed and looked at Hisagi, saying, "There's a cursed aura nearby. If you can eliminate it, you'll meet my expectations. Consider it a task to test your abilities."

Though Gojo said it abruptly, Hisagi knew he seemed to have some doubts about his power and skills. His true intention was probably to bring him to the sorcerer school to find out.

"Even though your traces of cured energy are very few compared to that powerful energy that goes unnoticed in your body, even I can't detect it unless I get serious. You left a breath of power in the last area where you fought. A cursed spirit saw you and told me that a demon with a sword killed a powerful cursed spirit. My students also mentioned they saw someone holding a sword."

"Since I have special abilities, I knew those two energies belonged to you... I understand that the creature you killed was at least a Class 3 or even Class 2 cursed spirit, so that's not something just anyone could kill... But I'm curious, if your goal was to kill cursed spirits, why didn't you return?"

Gojo Satoru stopped smiling, wanting to know the answer to his question.