Jujutsu Kaisen: The Sorceress of Control

50 PS

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Once at Makima's doorstep, Gojo tilted his head slightly as he looked at her, his eyes gleaming with curiosity behind his glasses. "So... won't you tell me how you did it?" he asked in his usual tone, though clearly intrigued.

"You're smart enough; figure it out," Makima replied coldly as she opened her door. Without waiting for a response, she entered and closed the door behind her, leaving Gojo standing in the doorway with a frustrated sigh.

"Well then..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "now I have to go and prepare the supposed plans for this war..." His voice faded as he began to walk away.

Inside the house, Makima walked firmly to the living room. Her eyes scanned the place quickly, noticing Rika's absence. "She must be with Ieiri-san," she thought, dismissing the idea. She paused for a moment, patiently waiting until Gojo had completely walked away.

Once she was sure the area was clear, she walked to the center of the room, where the space was wider, ready to continue with her plan.

Slowly, she raised both hands in front of her, with deliberate movements that denoted a cold confidence. Her fingers positioned themselves precisely: the index and pinky fingers of her right hand extended, while the rest remained bent. With her left hand, she extended only the index finger, aligning it with the other in front of her chest.

Makima's voice, barely a whisper, seemed to resonate in the air. "Come to me, Toad."

The ground beneath her feet began to tremble slightly. A dark shadow materialized before her, growing until it took shape: a pair of giant toads emerged from the floor with glowing eyes and robust bodies, their skin gleaming with cursed energy.

For a moment, Makima observed them with her usual serenity, but something in her gaze shifted. The toads did not show the immediate obedience she expected. Instead, their eyes shone with hostility. One of them opened its mouth and lashed its tongue like a whip, aiming straight at her.

Makima turned her body slightly, dodging with an almost casual elegance, but the second toad took advantage of the opening and leaped toward her with its legs extended, ready to crush her.

"What a nuisance," she muttered, raising her right hand calmly.

From her fingers, gray chains sprang forth like snakes, extending in an instant. One of them caught the first toad's tongue mid-movement, while another wrapped around the second's legs, stopping it in midair. The cursed energy in the chains shone with a dull glow, but their strength was unyielding.

"If you won't submit..." Her tone didn't change, but the pressure in the atmosphere intensified. The chains tightened abruptly, slamming the toads against the ground with a dry noise that echoed like thunder. The shikigamis croaked gutturally, a mix of rage and pain, but they couldn't break free.

Makima raised both hands, and the chains coiled around the creatures, squeezing them with brutal force. Their bodies began to distort and ooze a dark liquid, becoming the shadows from which they had emerged.

"Now, I'll show you your purpose."

With one final movement of her fingers, the chains contracted, crushing them and disintegrating the original bodies of the toads into a cloud of black energy. When the mist cleared, the figures of the shikigamis were gone, but Makima showed no signs of surprise. Calmly, she repositioned her hands into the exact seal, her movements as precise as before. The cursed energy concentrated around her, and instantly, the toads reappeared from the shadows at her feet. This time, they showed no resistance, remaining still, their eyes gleaming in absolute submission, awaiting their new master's command.

Makima smiled with barely visible satisfaction. She was about to summon the next shikigami when the sound of a door opening abruptly interrupted her concentration.

"I'm back!... Oh, Makima-sama, you're here already?" Rika's cheerful voice resonated as she entered the living room with light steps and a big smile.

However, that smile vanished instantly when her eyes landed on the two massive figures next to Makima. "Hyyyaaaaaa!" she screamed, her voice trembling with fright.

Instinctively, Rika gathered energy in her hands, extending them in front of her. From her palms, a sphere of cursed energy of a bright pink hue appeared, aiming directly at the toads.

"Rika, calm down." Makima spoke serenely, her tone as soft as it was authoritative.

Rika halted the attack mid-motion, her eyes still filled with confusion and fear. "A-are they yours, Makima-sama?" she stammered, not fully lowering her hands.

Makima nodded slightly, not bothering to explain immediately. "They are. There's nothing to worry about."

Rika slowly lowered her hands, but her expression twisted into a grimace of disgust. "T-those things are yours? Gross!" she muttered, clearly uncomfortable, her gaze alternating between the toads and Makima.

Instead of being annoyed, Makima smiled softly at the young girl's attitude. The toads, responding to a nonverbal command, began to sink slowly into Makima's shadow, their bodies disappearing as if absorbed by the floor.

This did nothing to soothe Rika, who stepped back, her eyes even wider. "W-what's happening? Where did those things come from?"

"I'll explain later," Makima responded in a tone that brooked no argument. "For now, I want to leave this place."

Rika swallowed hard, still visibly shaken, but nodded nervously. "A-alright... but those things... did they have to be toads?" she muttered under her breath as she followed Makima out of the room. Makima said nothing more, her thoughts already focused on what she was about to do.

Megumi felt his body strange, as if something didn't quite fit. Inside, doubt gnawed at him, wondering if he had made a mistake too big to fix.

"Megumi, are you okay? You look so tense."

Tsumiki's voice pulled him from his thoughts. His sister was looking at him with concern, and seeing her calmed something within his unease. Despite everything, she was awake. She was here.

"It's nothing," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

Tsumiki observed him for a moment, clearly unconvinced, but decided not to press the matter. "Will you tell me who that girl was? You only said she woke me up and that her help wasn't cheap."

Megumi hesitated. Should he tell her everything? Ultimately, he decided on a controlled version. "Her name is Makima Zenin."

At hearing that surname, Tsumiki visibly tensed. "D-did you go to your clan?"

Megumi quickly shook his head. "No. I met her at the Jujutsu school. She's my classmate, the same age as me. We barely know each other."

Though his words were honest, Tsumiki still looked worried. "What did she ask for?"

Megumi sighed, averting his gaze. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it was something like… becoming her servant and using my technique for her."

Tsumiki frowned, her expression a mix of disapproval and bewilderment.

"Don't look at me like that," Megumi said, his tone firmer. "No one could heal you. Everyone said the only way to free you was by killing the cursed spirit that cursed you, but she came out of nowhere and said she could do it… and she did. I'll fulfill my part of the deal, and that's it. The matter's settled."

Tsumiki watched him with a mix of concern and resignation. Finally, she sighed. "If you say so." Then, her expression shifted to a warm, albeit still tired, smile. "How about, when I recover, we go to the park? Like we used to."

Megumi rolled his eyes, feigning indifference, but couldn't help the small smile that escaped him. "If you want to, sure."

For a moment, the tension in the air disappeared. Though both knew things would never be normal for them, they could at least enjoy the new chance they'd been given.

Makima stood in a secluded clearing in the forest, calmly watching the tree canopies sway in the wind. Rika lingered a few meters away, arms crossed, her concern plain to see. "What if I skip straight to the Mourning Tiger?" Makima thought as she formed the corresponding seal with both hands. Her movements were precise, almost ceremonial.

At this hour, the area was completely empty. Just moments ago, she'd been in the company of Satoru Gojo, ensuring no one would suspect her absence. Now, she had just enough time to test what she'd been plotting. A soft smile curved her lips before she murmured with determination:

"Come to me, Mourning Tiger."

The forest remained silent. Makima narrowed her eyes, expectant, but nothing happened. She frowned slightly as she contemplated the result. "Interesting... Does the technique progress in stages? Do I have to defeat Orochi and so on?" Her gaze turned pensive as she brought a finger to her lips. "No. I refuse. I want to summon Mourning Tiger now."

Her eyes began to glow intensely, projecting an aura that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Simultaneously, in another place, Megumi, who was quietly chatting with his sister, clutched his head. A searing pain shot through him, eliciting a stifled scream.

"Megumi! What's wrong?" Tsumiki exclaimed, alarmed. Despite her weakened state, she slid off the bed to try to reach him. Megumi was breathing heavily, his face contorted in pain as blood began to drip from his nose.

Back with Makima, a shadow beneath her feet rippled as if a dark liquid were being stirred from the depths. Her eyes glowed even brighter as she repeated, her voice firm and resonant:

"Come to me, Mourning Tiger."

The shadow expanded rapidly, releasing an imposing figure. A humanoid creature emerged from it, its white fur striped with black contrasting against its glowing golden eyes, which shone with a fierce glint. Standing over three meters tall, the beast's body was pure muscle. Its sharp claws seemed capable of tearing through anything, and a thick, powerful tail swayed elegantly behind it.

The tiger lowered its gaze to Makima, its golden eyes flashing with latent ferocity. Its overwhelming presence made the air feel heavy. Makima examined it calmly, her lips curving into a faint smile.

"So this is the one your previous summoner described as a heavy hitter," she murmured, her eyes alight with a mix of interest and challenge. "Let's see if it's true."

From a distance, Rika swiftly raised a hand, summoning a veil that concealed the scene from the outside world. Makima, unmoving and confident, kept her gaze locked on the creature.

"Come on, don't keep me waiting," she declared, her voice laden with unyielding authority