The next day after Han's inauguration into the clan and the Hei, a certain figure had approached him to teach him the basics of jujutsu, or at least to gauge what he knew about the subject.
This short figure approached Han's courtyard, opened the doors and was surprised to see the young man training diligently in front of his home.
'Even though he's the talk of the clan right now, he still continues to train as if nothing happened. How admirable.'
Hearing the intrusion, Han lowered his blade and turned his gaze towards the culprit, his eyes sharp as he said, "You…if I remember right, you're one of the Hei too aren't you? What do you want?"
The figure standing by the gate scratched his head, smiled and responded,"Hehe, you remembered me, Han. I'm Ranta, and the clan head sent me here to teach you about the jujutsu native to the Big Three Clans."
Han raised an eyebrow as he heard this. Jujutsu was something he was interested in, but he couldn't truly wrap his head around the concept of the skill when it didn't concern sword techniques in tandem with it.
If Ranta could provide some insight, it would take his skills to the next level.
WHOOSH!
Immediately sitting down cross legged with an excited look on his face as he laid his sword to the side, Han looked Ranta dead in the eye and said,"Then, I'm all ears. Show me the way of the Ze'nin."
Ranta chuckled and pulled out a small notebook with a pair of glasses attached.
"Alright, listen up! I'll start from the beginning!"
Han listened well to the theory of cursed energy, cursed techniques, simple domain, various applications of simple domains, cursed spirits, the difference between sorcerer/cursed spirit grades and everything else he needed to know about the world of sorcerers.
The explanation went on for so long that several hours passed by the time he was done.
"But it is the first time that I've seen a cursed technique manifest as a weapon like a sword. It's so…simple but I guess your skill makes it effective."
As Ranta ran his fingers across Cloud Gouger, Han scratched his head and thought about everything he learned so far. While he could retain the information, applying it was shockingly hard.
The theories about some of the techniques just didn't make sense.
"Ranta, you said there were two applications of Falling Blossom Emotion. One that you could use bare handed, and one that involves a sword. Could you show me the technique?"
Ranta, still a bit enamored by the sword, hopped up from his stupor and adjusted his glasses, taking a stance with two hands in front of him.
"As I said before, falling blossom emotion is an anti-domain technique. This is a vital part of a sorcerers arsenal…"
Cursed energy encapsulated the entirety of Ranta's body as he said this.
"See, falling blossom emotion shrouds the user in cursed energy that counter-attacks the moment a domain's guaranteed hit makes contact. The advantage of it is the cursed energy defends the user automatically, countering any attack with equal force to nullify it. Handy, don't you think? Now, can I borrow your sword?"
Han immediately handed Cloud Gouger over Ranta and the latter held it to the side in Iai stance, continuing, "While I'm not as adept in the sword as you or Elder Ogi, even someone like me could use this…"
Ranta crouched down and once again covered his body with cursed energy. This time though, he also covered the sword.
"The technique changes when its power is applied to swordplay. It gains a more offensive aspect to it. Not only is the user shrouded in cursed energy, but their sword is as well. This allows the blade to automatically strike anything the cursed energy comes into contact with. Obviously, this application is probably better suited to yourself."
This technique made sense to Han, so with a thought, Cloud Gouger reappeared within his grip as he crouched down into a Iai stance.
As cursed energy covered his body, Cloud Gouger worked in tandem with him to help regulate it, effectively achieving the technique on his first try.
Ranta was stunned by this achievement.
'Already? Usually it takes a few weeks for someone to achieve it! And the sword can teleport too…this guy is full of surprises. Sigh, when Naoya comes back, I wonder how he'll take this news…'
Unbeknownst to Ranta though, Han wasn't necessarily impressed by the technique. While it was certainly useful against a domain, it would be useless in almost every other situation.
"I feel like it's missing something. Ranta, can you give me some time…I need to think."
A bit surprised by this revelation, Ranta gave a respectful farewell and left Han to his own devices. After all, he had already completed the task assigned to him.
"This technique is too restrictive. Too defensive. Even the offensive application is a little too weak for my taste. What else can I do…"
Minutes turned into hours and hours into days. Weeks turned into months as Han continuously trained the technique, feverently. Nothing came of it. Making alterations to the technique felt almost impossible.
Feeling frustrated from this deep sense of failure, Han turned his attention back to mastering the sword on a deeper level. After all, in his mind, he didn't need all these esoteric techniques and domain expansions, all he needed was his sword.
To cut down anything and anyone in his path. Whether it be human, creature or the universe itself. That was his intent.
So as any sane swordsman would do, Han left the clan grounds for a short while and found himself a large waterfall in the mountains of the countryside.
There, he only let his mind focus on one thing, the sword. Thrusting, slashing, these two motions were done back to back incessantly under the warterfall until the resistance of the falling water meant nothing.
What made this maddening session different from the rest was that he used no cursed energy to reinforce himself or the blade. For days he laid under the pressure of the waterfall until he was able to stand on his own two feet, like a warrior.
When he could stand, he started to practice the basics. Soon enough, his physique became so strong that the basics could be performed without resistance. As he progressed past that level after a month, he started honing various techniques of the [Shadowless Blade] and [Iai White Purity Style].
Complicated techniques were several magnitudes harder to perform under the waterfall because of the various unsteady bodily movements required. The resistance of the falling water didn't help either.
Another month passed by as Han continued to forge this path of sorcery. He had gotten much bulkier from the consumption of red meat from the animals he had hunted for and the ruthless training he had put himself under.
Winter was also here, so any sane man would have left, or at least put something on while training in freezing water of all things.
But Han didn't falter.
The warmth of his blood raging in his body as he swung his sword incessantly would keep him warm.
Soon enough, the waterfall became nothing to him. He required more stimulus. And so…
SPLASH!!
Han dived to the bottom of the river and stood on its bed.
It wasn't particularly deep, an estimation would be around 30 feet. So it wasn't anything absurd.
But one swing of his sword said it all. The resistance here again was multitudes higher than anything the waterfall could provide. This resistance was different.
It wasn't active and powerful like the waterfall…no, it was still, and eerily calm. He felt like he was a toddler swinging a weapon that weighed thousands of pounds within its depths. It was like he had restarted his training from day one.
A wide smile appeared across Han's face as this thought flashed through his mind. This is how training should be. An endless road of hardship that could forge a man into a living weapon.
Not to mention, the moment he started this training, Cloud Gouger revealed its final gift to him one night as he slept. A new sword style that would complete his swordsmanship. The missing segment to his power.
'The [Moonlight Sword Style]? Why did it wait so long to give me this knowledge? Maybe…I wasn't ready? Where did this sword come from anyways? Sometimes I feel like I'm apart of something bigger but…I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.'
Immediately, Han began training in his new style above ground, mastering its movements in a regular environment before he even thought about adding resistance.
The [Moonlight Sword Style] was a sword art with a rather bloody history and a tradition of murder. It emphasized using skills and techniques according to the situation, using brute force when it was available or flexibility when called for.
Like the [Shadowless Blade], both of these sword styles were unorthodox and contained techniques that normal swordsmen wouldn't even consider. The main culprit being, the throwing of the sword. A foolish move at first glance due to a swordsman throwing away his only weapon, but this disadvantage could be mitigated and turned into a devastating weapon in the right hands.
Han continued to train as the months and seasons passed, unaware of the events that had started to transpire in the world.
Time waited on no man, and the curse users didn't wait long until they decided to make a move once again.
This time, as Han trained feverently, high in the mountains, an ancient evil had been awakened from its slumber in the cities below, its wretched presence causing even more cursed spirits to come forth.
Worse yet, the evil had entrenched itself within the body of a teenage boy, an innocent boy named Itadori Yuji. He was pulled savagely into this wretched world of wickedness and nefarious plots.
Unbeknownst to Han, by the time he made his way back to the clan, a new task would befall him. A task, that would plunge him into the terrible central world of Jujutsu.