Chapter Four:
The path Maki Zenin led him on was uneven and poorly lit, winding through groves of ancient, shadowy trees that seemed to whisper secrets in the rustling night breeze. Kai followed a step or two behind her, his senses on high alert, though his outward expression likely remained a carefully constructed mask of bewildered compliance. Each crunch of gravel under his unfamiliar shoes, each distant, unidentifiable sound from the deeper woods, registered in his mind as a potential data point, a variable in an equation he desperately needed to solve.
She's leading me towards the main complex, judging by the faint light spill ahead and the increasing density of buildings hinted through the mist. His internal analysis was a constant stream, a defense mechanism against the overwhelming fear. Her posture is relaxed but ready, weapon held at a low guard. She's not treating me as an immediate combat threat, but definitely as an unknown variable requiring containment. He noted the way her muscles moved under her uniform – fluid, powerful, economical. The real Maki was even more impressive than her animated counterpart. Heavenly Restriction… the sheer physical output must be immense. What would the frictional forces involved in her maximum speed or impact even look like? He mentally shunted that thought aside. Not the time for idle theorizing.
"You're awfully quiet," Maki observed, not turning around, her voice cutting through the quiet night. "Most people caught sneaking around here have a lot more to say for themselves. Usually a lot of bad excuses."
Kai's mind raced for a suitable, non-incriminating response. She's probing. Testing my reaction. "I… don't have any excuses," he said, his voice still a bit unsteady. "Good or bad. I'm still trying to understand… any of this." That, at least, was profoundly true.
Maki made a noncommittal sound, a sort of 'hmph'. "You said you saw a light. What kind of light?"
Details. She's looking for inconsistencies, or something to verify. "White," he replied. "Very bright. It came from… my laptop screen. Then everything went black. And then I was… here." He cringed internally. It sounded even more ridiculous said aloud.
"Your laptop," she repeated, her tone unreadable. "Right."
They walked on in silence for a few more minutes. Kai focused on matching his stride to the unfamiliar length of his legs, trying not to stumble again. He felt a persistent, low-grade ache in his muscles, as if they'd been stretched and rearranged without his consent. The air here felt charged, not just with the ambient Cursed Energy he was slowly getting used to, but with an older, deeper sense of solemnity and, perhaps, sorrow. This place had seen things. Many, many bad things.
The path opened into a wider, stone-paved courtyard. Lanterns hung from the eaves of several large, traditional wooden buildings, casting pools of dim, flickering light. This area felt more central, more… official. Maki led him towards the largest, most imposing structure, one with a heavy, dark wooden door.
As they approached, the door slid open with a quiet rumble, revealing a tall, powerfully built man standing in the warmly lit entryway. He wore a stern expression, sunglasses despite the darkness, and a simple, dark kimono. His presence was immense, a solid wall of authority and controlled power. Kai's breath caught.
Masamichi Yaga. Principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High. Creator of Panda. Another figure from the screen, made real. His Cursed Energy signature was formidable, a deep, resonant hum that spoke of immense reserves and precise control.
Maki stopped a respectful distance away, giving a slight bow. "Principal Yaga. I found this individual just outside the main western gate. He claims he doesn't know how he got there."
Yaga's gaze, hidden behind the dark lenses, swept over Kai. It was an unnervingly thorough assessment. Kai felt like a specimen under a microscope. He forced himself to stand still, to meet that unseen gaze, though his instinct was to shrink away, to analyze from a safe distance. His face felt stiff, unresponsive to the turmoil inside.
"Name?" Yaga's voice was deep, resonant, carrying an an undeniable weight of command.
"Kai Sato," he managed.
"Age?"
"Seventeen."
"Affiliation?"
Kai hesitated. Affiliation? Suginami Ward resident? Jujutsu Kaisen anime enthusiast, season two completionist? Member of three online theorycrafting forums? "None," he said. "I'm… just a student. A regular high school student."
Yaga's expression didn't change. "Regular high school students do not typically materialize inside the barriers of this institution in the middle of the night, Sato Kai." He paused. "How did you bypass the wards?"
This was the critical question. The one he had no sane answer for. The truth is impossible. A lie needs to be constructed carefully. "I… I don't know, sir," Kai began, choosing his words with extreme care, his internal processor working furiously. "I was in my room. There was a… a problem with my computer. A bright flash. And then… I was outside your gates. I don't remember anything in between." He focused on conveying confusion, not deception, hoping his genuinely bewildered state would lend some credence to the unbelievable parts.
Yaga listened impassively. Maki stood silently beside him, her expression unreadable, though Kai could feel her attention fixed on him.
"A problem with your computer," Yaga repeated, his tone devoid of inflection. He took a step forward, out of the doorway and into the cooler night air of the courtyard. He was even more imposing up close. "You wear a standard school uniform, yet it doesn't match any local feeder schools I'm aware of. And you… carry yourself differently." His gaze seemed to linger on Kai's height, his build. "You don't appear to be an ordinary civilian."
He noticed. Of course, he noticed. Kai's mind raced. My physical change is an unexplainable variable. Does it make me look like a threat? Or just an anomaly? "I… I can't explain that either, sir." He felt a flush of heat rise in his neck. He was failing, badly. His story was tissue-thin.
"Can you use Cursed Energy?" Yaga asked, the question sudden, direct.
Kai's breath hitched. Direct test. He could feel Cursed Energy all around him, a constant, almost overwhelming sensation now that he was attuned to it. But could he use it? He had no idea. He had theories, certainly. Years of them. But practical application? "I… I don't think so," he said, which was honest. "I only learned about… Cursed Energy… recently. Conceptually." From an anime, his mind silently screamed.
Yaga was silent for another long moment. The only sounds were the distant crickets and the soft rustle of Maki's uniform as she shifted her weight. Kai's internal state was a maelstrom of calculations, anxieties, and a desperate search for a viable explanation, a path through this. He felt Yaga's unseen eyes still on him, dissecting, evaluating.
"Maki," Yaga said finally, not looking away from Kai. "Take him to the old infirmary wing, B-block. Secure him in one of the observation rooms. Ensure he is comfortable, but ensure he also stays put."
"Yes, Principal," Maki responded crisply.
Observation room? Secure him? Panic, cold and sharp, lanced through Kai. This was not good. This was escalating towards containment. "Wait," he blurted out, louder than he intended. "Please, I… I'm not a threat. I just want to understand what's happening. Where I am… when I am." The last part slipped out, a product of his dawning horror that this might not even be his own time, given the impossible nature of his arrival.
Yaga's head tilted slightly. "We all want to understand what's happening, Sato Kai. Your presence here is a significant anomaly. Until we have a better understanding of that anomaly, precautions are necessary." His voice was firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "We will speak again in the morning, after you've had a chance to rest, and perhaps your memory of this 'computer problem' will have improved."
The implication was clear: Yaga didn't believe a word of it, but he was willing to follow procedure, for now.
Maki gestured with her chin. "This way."
Defeated, Kai could only nod again. He felt a profound sense of dread. He was a prisoner, albeit a politely handled one for the moment. He had no allies, no resources, and a story so unbelievable it was practically an admission of guilt for something. As he turned to follow Maki once more, this time towards an unknown period of confinement, he couldn't shake the feeling that his meticulously ordered, analytical world had not just been violated, but completely and irrevocably overridden by a system whose rules he was only just beginning to perceive, and whose penalties he was terrifyingly unprepared to face.