บท 21: Ch.21 Ieiri Shoko, Fushiguro Tsukimi
Akira's mention of a "trip" was quite accurate. The Gojo family was based in Tokyo, as was Gojo Satoru, but his adopted son, Fushiguro Megumi, didn't live in Tokyo. He resided in Saitama Prefecture, which bordered Tokyo.
Saitama was known as a vibrant city, not only thriving in agriculture and forestry but also excelling in culture and the arts. It was a great place to visit.
Since this was a request from Gojo Satoru, Akira and his group didn't need to worry about travel or accommodations. As the head of the Gojo family, Satoru's resources rivaled those of Japan's traditional conglomerates. Everything he wore and used was custom-made from top brands, and the cars he traveled in were luxury vehicles.
With just a nod from Akira, Gojo called for a luxurious black sedan, and they didn't even have to pack their belongings—if necessary, they could just buy new ones at their destination.
Driving the car was a small, thin man, who fit the stereotype of a diligent, overworked Japanese salaryman. His name was Ijichi Kiyotaka.
He worked as an assistant supervisor at Jujutsu High, supporting the jujutsu sorcerers with various tasks such as driving, setting up barriers, evacuating civilians, and gathering intel. According to Gojo, he was a "poor guy caught between the higher-ups and the sorcerers."
In reality, only someone like Gojo Satoru would give Ijichi a hard time. Akira and the others always treated him with respect, greeting him politely and occasionally mocking Gojo on his behalf. Ijichi had a high opinion of Akira—if their age difference weren't so large, he would've invited Akira for drinks at a local izakaya.
In less than three hours, they arrived in Saitama City.
Upon entering the city, Gojo didn't head directly to the Fushiguro residence. Instead, he first took them to a private hospital.
The first person they met wasn't Fushiguro Megumi but a young woman who exuded a delinquent vibe.
Her appearance and figure fit the standard of Jujutsu High's exceptional beauty, but on closer inspection…
Her eyes had dark circles that rivaled Naughty Pancham's, so pronounced that she used smoky makeup to try and hide them.
A faint scent of alcohol lingered around her, and there were telltale signs of long-term smoking between her thumb and index finger.
The moment Gojo saw her, he immediately asked, "How's the situation?"
"Not good. Although we know it's a curse, my Reverse Cursed Technique isn't working. All I can do is what a regular doctor could."
The woman shook her head and instinctively reached into her pocket, but ultimately, she didn't pull anything out, merely shaking her hand in frustration.
She then shifted her gaze toward Akira and Maki standing behind Gojo.
"These are the new first-year students?"
"Yes," Gojo introduced them. "This is Akira and Zen'in Maki. You've read their files, so I won't repeat myself. This is Ieiri Shoko, the doctor at Jujutsu High. If you ever get injured in battle, find her. As long as you're not dead, she'll fix you."
"Don't make promises I can't keep," Shoko said nonchalantly, "This time, I couldn't save her. Take care of yourselves. I'm just a doctor."
"Yes, Dr. Ieiri," Akira responded respectfully.
Although Shoko drank and smoked (she had mostly quit smoking, though), she was still a kind-hearted person, known as the "Treasure of Jujutsu High." Her importance rivaled even Gojo Satoru's.
"If possible, could you tell me what happened?" Akira asked.
"It's Megumi's sister, Tsumiki. She was cursed yesterday," Gojo finally explained. "Where's Megumi?"
"He went out, saying he was looking for a way to lift the curse," Shoko replied.
Gojo didn't say, "We have someone who's invincible and another who's a treasure, and even they couldn't solve this. What can a kid like you do?" Instead, he stayed silent for a moment and then said, "It's probably good for him to vent his emotions a little. I'll take you to the hotel first. We'll talk when he comes back."
"Could I see Tsumiki first?" Akira asked.
Shoko paused. "You… have experience with curses?"
"Just a bit. My partner and I are somewhat unique, and we might be able to help."
Shoko made a small sound of acknowledgment, while Gojo, behind his blindfold, scrutinized Akira and his ever-present companion, Gardevoir. After a long moment, he nodded.
"Alright, please take a look."
Gojo led them up to the VIP ward on the hospital's top floor.
The room was elegantly furnished, and it had all the necessary equipment to maintain a patient's vital signs, but none of that could address Tsumiki's condition.
The girl lying in the bed had long, flowing hair and delicate features. Even in a coma, there was an undeniable sense of warmth and calm about her.
This was the second time Akira had encountered a woman who gave off such an impression of pure grace—it was no wonder she could rein in someone as wild as Megumi.
On Tsumiki's forehead was a strange red mark that started between her eyebrows and spread across half of her forehead. From it, Akira could faintly sense cursed energy.
Undoubtedly, that was the source of the curse.
Akira reached out and gently placed his hand on Tsumiki's forehead. He released a small amount of cursed energy, but it was immediately repelled by the cursed mark.
He rubbed his fingers together, carefully feeling the residual energy, and came to a conclusion: "The level of precision is incredible. I've only seen such precise techniques on someone like Gojo-sensei."
"Special grade?" Maki asked, surprised. Shoko and Gojo, however, showed no reaction; they had clearly already deduced this.
"If it's just the technique, Gojo-sensei could…" Maki started.
"It's not the technique itself that's the problem," Shoko interrupted, "The issue is her body. Fushiguro Tsumiki isn't a sorcerer. Her body, especially her brain, isn't equipped to handle cursed energy. Forcibly dispelling the curse could cause irreversible brain damage."
The two adults explained in turn, keeping their explanations as concise and simple as possible.
Normally, their conclusion would be considered final. Allowing Akira to take a look was more about trying anything, even if it seemed futile.
"That's what I thought," Akira said, withdrawing his hand. "The problem isn't that the curse can't be broken; it's that the margin for error is too small. If we can fully analyze the technique and apply targeted measures, it should theoretically be possible to lift the curse. Am I right?"
"Yes, but theory is just theory. Unless you—" Shoko began to ask.
Akira took hold of Gardevoir's hand. "Do you think you can do it? It might feel a little uncomfortable."
"Gar~ Gar~"
The first "Gar" was a confident response to her trainer. The second conveyed Gardevoir's personal feelings: Fushiguro Tsumiki was a good person, someone like Hayami, and Gardevoir already had a favorable opinion of her.
Akira was once again grateful to be surrounded by such genuine and straightforward companions. He gave the command: "Gardevoir, use 'Synchronize.'"
In the Pokémon games, Synchronize wasn't an active skill but rather a passive ability that inflicted any status condition received back on the opponent.
In the real world, however, the ability had evolved. Gardevoir could control whether or not to "transmit" conditions and could also use it to take on others' conditions.
Akira understood it as a kind of chain reaction: if you can give a status condition, you can also take it, though normally you wouldn't want to.
Gardevoir was about to use this ability to take on Tsumiki's curse, analyze it, and hopefully help dispel it.
As for Gardevoir's safety, Akira wasn't worried. Gardevoir was much stronger than Tsumiki, and Akira had a clear understanding of the curse's effects. If there had been any significant risk, he wouldn't have let her attempt it.
There was no special effect when Synchronize activated. A brief glow flashed in Gardevoir's eyes, and the same red mark appeared on her forehead.
The Pokémon swayed slightly, and Akira quickly caught her, asking softly, "Are you okay?"
Gardevoir shook her head, gesturing and whispering in her soft voice.
Akira understood and translated: "The mark itself doesn't have any offensive power, but it continuously releases cursed energy. Tsumiki's brain is being affected by it, preventing her from waking up. If we can remove the effect of the cursed energy, her brain should gradually recover. I'll have Gardevoir—"
Suddenly, the room was filled with a bright red light.
The source was the center of Gardevoir's forehead.
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