Megumi loves her family, as far back as she can remember. Her goofy father, who always tells what she is thinking for some reason.

He's a silly man, but she likes it when he's being silly. She likes it when he can tell that she wants to be carried on his back. When Daddy comforted her after she learn that the sun is going to explode in a billion years, or when she found out that quicksand existed.

But she loves Daddy, she loves him so much.

Megumi can't say she shares the same feeling when talking about her mother.

Scarry is what she wants to say, but then she thought about her father, "intimidating" is what she said.

And she wouldn't be wrong, even her dad agrees with it. She can't understand it. That woman was mean, she was loud, everything her dad isn't. Isn't it like she can rebuke her either, whatever excuses she can say, her mother can retort back just as much. One time she broke a plate and was forced to do a handstand for half an hour.

But she can never bring herself to hate her mother, despite her being strict and mean. But she is still her mother.

"Hey, kid. Let's go."

"Yes, mom."

The two of them walked, it was a quiet walk. Her mother isn't someone to chat much. And if she does, what could they talk about ?

Megumi didn't know, so she kept walking by her side. They did hold hands, unbothered by the sound of other people or loud vehicle honking on the road.

Stopping at an old tunnel. The street lights were barely functional, the place she imagined where cars and people could move around conveniently now looks old and abandoned. Megumi looked up to her mother. Tojiko had a very bored expression on her face when they stopped, but Megumi didn't doubt her at all.

'If she wants to go here, then it must be something important.' In her mind, a part of Megumi wished her mom would explain about what they were doing before actually doing it.

"Do you know why we're here?"

"No, mom."

"Well, to keep it short. You're here for a real-life experience." A weird noise caused Megumi to look at her mom, she froze up when her eyes discovered something on her mom.

The thing coiled around her waist all the way to her shoulder, it looked weird and gross. Like a giant worm with a face.

"Mom ?" She wanted to ask, but choked on her words.

"What ?"

"Nothing."

She saw that thing before, it was one of those curse spirits her dad taught her about.

Why did Mom have a curse spirit ? What was it doing near her ? Question of the likes filled her curious mind, but Megumi kept her mouth shut.

When the worm thing opens its mouth, Megumi can see a long handle come out. Her mother grabbed the handle and pulled it out of the worm's mouth, a sword now in her hand.

That's when it clicked to her, why they're here.

"Your father has told you about cursed spirits before, yes ?"

"He told me what they are and what you two did." Noticing her mom's gaze hasn't left her, she continues. "You and Dad are sorcerers who hunt down curse spirits and people who use Jujutsu for the wrong things."

"Good, now watch carefully child." As she stopped talking, Megumi could catch something moving just out of the street light range.

Then, it appeared. No, they appeared. There was a large group, they were so much bigger than her giant of a mom. Their claws leave marks when they move on the concrete.

"Are you afraid?" Her mom asked, she wanted to say no, but her hand, clutching Tojiko's shirt, would disagree.

"It's okay." A hand was placed onto her own, it wasn't the kind and gentle hand she was used to. But for some reason, it reassured her and made her calmer, was it because this was one of the rare times her mom showed her a sense of care ?

Perhaps it was the way her mother reacted, she was composed. Like these things are not even worth worrying about. Confident in her own self, she can see it through her eyes and that alone was something for her to admire.

'How strong is she?' Just how strong is her mother ? How strong must a woman be to act so carefree in the face of danger in front of her?

Megumi stared, she didn't know exactly what she was looking at. First, Tojiko walked up to them, casually and intentionally slow. She wanted for her to see.

The fight was completely one-sided, from the beginning, her mom had no problem disassembling those curse spirits.

She started by cutting down the weakest, two curse spirits that looked like monkeys with swords for arms were beheaded with a swing.

A bird-like curse dove down to attack. Tojiko didn't dodge or block the incoming hit. All she had to do was point her sword forward, and the bird killed itself by flying into her blade. Slice in half by its own force.

Her body moves with a surprising amount of flexibility and speed for someone who has such a body. Brimming with muscle, Megumi watched as her mom did a barrel roll in the air, cutting and slashing every spirit that was dumb enough to get close to her blade.

A snake tried to escape while its comrades were killed. It didn't make it far before being cut from the head down. Killed by what she found out to be just a butter knife.

They were helpless to her attacks, suffering while screaming. Quick and ruthless, in the crowd of monsters, she stands out as the strongest monster among them. Once the last curse split apart, evaporating into nothingness, the street fell silent again.

Walking away, Tojiko had kept the same cold facial expression. Not a single scratch, her clothes did not have one wrinkle on them. Through, Megumi saw a small detail on her face. A small tug on the corner of her scarred lips, the smallest of a sneering smile.

"Megumi."

"Yes, mom!"

"Let's go home now."

The walk back was just as silent as when they began. But now the girl's head was filled with the scene of her violent mom butchering curse spirits.

"Mom, can I ask you something ?"

"Sure."

"You think I can be a sorcerer like you and Dad ?" She asks, eyes looking up to her mother.

Megumi didn't know what to expect, maybe some wise advice or something mean.

“I wanna do that too! I wanna grow strong, like you and Dad!” Megumi tugged at his mother’s sleeve, her little face full of determination.

Toji stopped walking. She looked down at her child, the girl’s eyes were shining, not with fear, but with admiration.

She smirked, reaching down. She patted Megumi's fluffy mess of hair.

"Listen, brat. You don't need to worry your tiny brain about what you want in the future."

"No! I wanna be strong. So I can protect you and Dad!” But Megumi shook her head stubbornly, clutching her little fist.

Toji blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Protect me, huh? You’re still years away from holding a blade, kid.”