A Bizarre Adventure That Begins in Jujutsu Kaisen

"Hiruhito, can you see this?"

After the meal, Kaori Itadori extended her index finger, and a faint blue light shone from the tip of her finger.

Using her magical powers and exquisite barrier techniques, she wove a clear, glowing number "1" into the air.

"Mom, I can see it! It's sparkly!" Hisahito Itadori exclaimed, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"How about this?" She removed the intricate outer layer of the barrier and, using only pure magical power, condensed another "1" of the same shape.

"I can see it too!" Yujin nodded vigorously.

"So you really did inherit Jin's and my talents." Kaori's eyes showed satisfaction.

She gently guided her son: "Come on, give it a try."

Think back to things that made you feel sad, regretful, remorseful, or painful... even the smallest emotions.

Try to extract some power from these 'sparks,' and then... release it from your palm.

Little Yuujin tried to concentrate, frowning as he recalled some less-than-happy moments.

For example, the helplessness of not being able to save an injured bird, or the frustration after arguing with a friend.

Gradually, a faint blue energy, carrying a slight coolness, began to gather and leap in his palm.

"Mom! What's this? It's cold!"

"This is the power of the 'curse'," Kaori replied softly, her smile gentle. "We call it—cursed power."

And so, she led her bewildered son and pushed open the first door to the world of magic.

In the living room, Itadori Yasuke watched all this in silence, without uttering a word to stop it.

He couldn't stop it, and he knew that giving his grandson the power to protect himself was by no means a bad thing.

More importantly... he dared not act rashly.

He could vaguely sense the formidable magical power emanating from the woman.

If we rashly expose something and make her stop playing this "mother and son reunion" act... perhaps the grandfather and grandson will really disappear from this world without a trace.

When the night was deep and quiet, Itadori Yasuke, after confirming that there was no movement in the next room, quietly slipped out of his room and went to his grandson's bedroom.

Yujin was still awake, staring at the ceiling with his eyes open, seemingly unsurprised by his grandfather's visit.

"Grandpa," he asked softly, "Is Mom...doing something strange?"

"..."

Yasuke hesitated for a moment.

He could sense that the woman was aware of his actions but did not stop him, which might be an admission that she allowed him to interpret the "basic situation" to some extent.

He lowered his voice and spoke the harsh truth:

"Yujin, your mother... Kaori, has actually died once."

I don't know if this "Kaori" is a kind of "resurrection" or... a "spirit" possessing your mother's body.

"—!" Yujin's eyes widened suddenly, and he was about to exclaim in surprise, but he immediately covered his mouth with both hands, leaving only a shocked look in his eyes.

Yasuyuki continued somberly, "Your father always wanted a child, but he and Kaori were unable to fulfill that wish."

Kaori died... because of a difficult childbirth.

Later, a woman who looked exactly like Kaori, except for the suture line on her forehead, found your father.

Not only her appearance and mannerisms, but she also seems to possess a portion of Kaori's memories, and her techniques and strength have not noticeably declined.

But... Jin and I watched as Kaori's body was buried.

Therefore, I cannot feel at ease no matter what.

I don't know what exactly enabled this "resurrection," or whether it's just some extremely sophisticated "skin-changing" technique.

I've advised Ren many times, telling him that woman is dangerous and something bad will happen to her.

But he... ignored all my advice and those obvious abnormalities, insisted on staying with this 'ghost,' and then... you came into being."

Yasuke's voice was filled with weariness and heartache:

"Two years after your birth, they both disappeared together during a commissioned exorcism of a cursed spirit."

Later, I "retired" from the world of sorcery and brought you to the countryside, where you've lived ever since you started middle school.

Yuujin processed this massive amount of information, and after a while, he asked softly, "Then... did Mom tell Grandpa what she's been doing all these years?"

"It's pretty much the same as what I told you."

Yamato nodded.

She said that she and Jin were framed by the higher-ups in the Cursed Arts Directorate. Jin died, and she faked her death to escape abroad.

It wasn't until recently, when she heard that an overseas sorcerer named Theo had joined forces with our domestic top-tier sorcerers to launch a reform and purge the high-ranking members from back then, that she dared to reappear.

She seems to have reconnected with people she knew before. Although she didn't attend that all-out sorcerer conference this morning, she should regain her legal status soon and continue her activities as a sorcerer.

"It sounds..." Yuji thought hard, trying to sort through the information, "It seems pretty normal? It's similar to the plots of 'enduring hardship to achieve one's goal' and 'being exonerated' in novels."

"That's the biggest abnormality."

Yamato shook his head.

"How can reality be as 'reasonable' as a novel, with every step 'within reason'?"

Let's assume for now that what she said is true.

When she teaches you about spells, you should study diligently; there's no harm in it.

But if she asks you to do anything unusual, or takes you to meet anyone unusual... you should be careful, understand?

"Oh—" Yu-Jin nodded as if he understood, and kept his grandfather's words in mind.

Just then, the bedroom door was gently pulled open.

Kaori Itadori stood in the doorway, a gentle yet enigmatic smile on her face, and asked softly:

"Father-in-law, it's so late, what are you talking about with Hisahito?"

Children need plenty of sleep during their growth spurt. Can't we talk about this tomorrow?

"Ah..." Yasuke was speechless for a moment.

"Are you talking about... my 'faked death'?"

Kaori's gaze shifted between the grandfather and grandson, her tone remaining calm.

"Ren has already confirmed that I am who I am. Are you still not at ease?"

...Could it be because I was the only one who came back alive?

I am deeply sorry again for Jin's death. (Private marriage/marathon)

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly took a step forward, leaned forward, and knelt down, as if she were about to perform a solemn dogezu (a deep bowing gesture) on the spot!

"Mom!" Yujin exclaimed, rushing forward to support Kaori, who was only halfway down her knees, before anxiously turning to look at his grandfather.

"...!" Yamasuke's heart sank.

He understood that as long as Hisahito remained in this family and still held expectations and feelings for his "mother," he could not take any drastic action.

The missing parts of childhood are like a void in the heart, which will always be sought to be filled in some form in the future.

In this small family, "three generations living together in harmony" is, for the time being, an irreversible trend.

He took a deep breath and said to Kaori:

"You... teach him properly. I'm not good at it, and I don't have much talent, so I can't teach him these things."

I heard that the new director of magic plans to integrate resources to establish a school that expands its enrollment to the whole society, merging the original faculty of the vocational college.

Perhaps... Yuujin could give it a try.

Anyway, his grades aren't particularly outstanding, so this way he might be able to avoid the brutal high school entrance exam.

With Hisahito's help, Kaori stood up, her gentle smile returning to her face, and nodded slightly to Yamasuke.

"Yes, Father-in-law. I will teach him well during the six months before Hisahito enters the junior college."