1991.Fuchu Racecourse.
Thick clouds choked the sky. Beneath that dismal horizon, horses thundered past at a breakneck pace. The grandstands erupted in a chaotic din of cheers and curses, while the heavy, stagnant air reeked of sweat, dust, and rain.
"Dammit... another loss?"
Fushiguro Toji crumpled the betting ticket in his fist, crushing it into a ball before tossing it aside. The scrap of paper stuck to the wet asphalt, its colors bleeding as it soaked up the grime. His breath hitched in the winter chill, escaping his lips like white smoke.
Beside him, a middle-aged man who had clearly backed the winner hopped in a frenzy of joy, clutching his companion's arm. Toji didn't give him a second glance. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his brow furrowing.
"... Hm?"
A muffled vibration came from his pocket. Mobile phones back then were heavy, weighing nearly as much as a loaded pistol magazine. Toji pulled it out roughly and thumbed the call button.
"Is that you, Kong Shi-woo? ... What is it? A job?"
A damp chuckle filtered through the receiver.
"That's right. You lost again, didn't you? Perfect timing. I've got a lucrative gig that'll make you a lot of money."
"Oh?"
"The contract is a bit long... but it's much easier than killing."
Toji's eyebrows twitched. He tapped his fingers against a pack of cigarettes.
"Does such a job actually exist? What is it?"
"Teaching."
"A teacher?"
"2,500 Galleons a month. That's about 2,120,000 Japanese yen. Every month. Plus bonuses."
Toji placed a cigarette between his lips and sparked a lighter. A brief flash cut through the gloom before the smoke dissolved into the cold wind. Amidst the stench of the crowd and the dust, only the tobacco smelled foreign.
"What do you think?"
"I'll take it."
The response was instantaneous. No hesitation, no feigned deliberation.
"Heh... quick answer. I expected as much. The workplace is in Britain, a school called 『Hogwarts』. ... Ever heard of it?"
"Yeah, I've heard the name. It's a school for 『Magic』—not quite the same as Jujutsu, right?"
"You're well-informed."
Toji let out a short, sharp snort.
"The Zen'in clan has looked down on 『Magic』 for generations, but the intel still reaches us. Wizards use a different energy than Cursed Energy, but to me, it's all the same."
"Heh... spoken like a true son of the great families. You really are different."
At the sound of Kong Shi-woo's mocking tone, deep creases formed between Toji's brows.
"I stopped being a son of a 'noble family' a long time ago," he said, his voice dripping with revulsion.
The smoke drifted into the night air. The Zen'in clan ── one of the three great families of the Jujutsu world. Though he carried their blood, he possessed zero Cursed Energy. He was "flawed," a failure of a sorcerer. It was for that very reason he viewed both the Jujutsu and Wizarding worlds from the "outside."
"You want me to teach wizard brats?"
"That's the gist of it. You'll be doing 『Practical Instruction』. In short, combat training."
"Combat, huh..."
Toji exhaled a thin stream of smoke, staring blankly at the commotion behind the stands.
"I can't use a wand. And I don't know a thing about this 『Magic』 they're so proud of."
"Apparently, that's exactly why they want you. They're looking for an outsider who can fight without a wand. The Wizarding world is getting restless. There's talk of a 『Darkness』 rising there."
"Darkness... ha."
Toji thought of the darkness in the Jujutsu world, where blood and curses swirled—a place where human greed and sin grew fat. Did the Wizarding world carry that same scent?
"Fine. As long as it's easier than killing and the money is good, I'm in."
"You catch on quick. You should've always been this way."
Kong Shi-woo's laughter echoed briefly before the line went dead. Toji shoved the phone back into his pocket, dropped his cigarette, and crushed it under his boot. It merged with the wet betting ticket with a dull crunch.
"A teacher, huh... That's a joke."
The clouds overhead grew denser as the biting wind nipped at his cheeks. The man with Zen'in blood, the one who knew both Jujutsu and Magic ── Fushiguro Toji.
Several days later.
Toji lit a cigarette by a dark window in a woman's room. The space smelled of stale rain, cluttered with empty bottles and discarded clothes. The woman on the bed stared blankly at the ceiling like a broken doll.
"I'm borrowing this."
Toji grabbed the wallet from the table and pulled out a stack of bills. The woman said nothing; she was used to his thievery.
"You never learn, do you?"
His voice was dry as he left. He stepped out into the damp night air. The rain-slicked asphalt reflected the streetlights like a black mirror. Neon signs bled into the streets, staining the night like rot.
At the airport, his coat flapped in the moist night wind. Fake documents and cold cash made the check-in process effortless. To Toji, the law was merely a fence to be stepped over. He didn't even bother avoiding the security guards' gaze.
Using one means or another, Toji passed through the boarding gate without a single hitch.
The engines roared as the plane taxied down the runway. Outside the window, the sea of lights began to recede. Streetlights, rows of cars, the reflections on the wet tarmac—everything sank into the depths of the night.
"... Two million a month, huh? That's an exceptional sum."
Toji muttered to himself, crossing his legs and leaning back. The plane pierced the thick cloud cover. The noise of the earth faded, replaced by the silent flow of white mist outside the glass.
"Magic world, huh..."
Purple smoke drifted slowly, blurring his reflection in the window. His eyes were as cold as ice.
"Just as rotten as the Jujutsu world, I bet."
He spoke with absolute certainty. Born into the Zen'in family, he had seen enough of sorcerers to despise them. He didn't believe in human "collectives." Power, ancient rules, noble lineages, factions, and interests ── all of it intertwined to create a stench of decay. He didn't even need to imagine it; he knew the Wizarding world would have the same structure.
"... At least the money makes it a bit more bearable."
He rested his arm on the seat, exhaling deeply as he frowned. The plane's air conditioning nipped at his skin as the scent of his cigarette was sucked away.
He glanced at the screen on the seatback in front of him. On the map, the flight path drew a line from Japan toward western Britain.
"Hogwarts, huh."
The so-called "Holy Land" of wizards. He had seen the name once in the Zen'in records when he was young. A world where people waved sticks, rode brooms, and lived by a system they called Magic. A closed society clinging to tradition despite having a different power system than Jujutsu sorcerers.
── Humans are all the same at their core, regardless of the form they take.
The faces of the Jujutsu elders flashed in his mind—the ones who called him the "Shame of the Zen'in." The clan that obsessed over bloodlines and discarded him because he lacked Cursed Energy. That same scent of mold surely lingered in the Wizarding world.
"Whatever. It's got nothing to do with me. I do the work, I take the money. That's it."
As he closed his eyes, silence swallowed his world. The vibration of the plane lulled him toward sleep. In the next seat, an older businessman sipped wine while reading a newspaper. Toji spared him a glance, then lost interest and looked back out the window.
Behind the thick clouds, a full moon pierced the night. Its sharp, silvery light illuminated the plane's wings and painted the gaps in the dark clouds white.
── Hogwarts.
A sanctuary for wizards, and yet, the center of a shut-in world. A foreign den carrying the same rot as Jujutsu society.
Toji smirked, feeling the phantom weight of a cigarette between his fingers.
"Fine. Let's see just how filthy this world is."
The plane sliced through the sea of clouds, advancing quietly toward British skies. He felt no hesitation, no anxiety. There was only the job, the money, and the readiness to cut down anyone standing in his way.
── The Zen'in outcast. The monster without Cursed Energy. The Sorcerer Killer.
When he finally landed in Britain, the light of dawn was just beginning to leak through the heavy gray mist.
A cold wind mixed with light fog and rain bit at Toji's cheeks as he stepped onto the tarmac. It was a dry cold, entirely different from Japan's humidity. London's sky was a flat gray, and his breath hung in the air before vanishing into the mist.
"... So, I've arrived."
He adjusted his slightly soiled coat and walked out of the airport terminal. He carried little luggage—just a small backpack and "another load" hidden deep within his body.
As he walked across the gray cobblestones of the foggy city, a shadow passed overhead. The sound of fluttering wings ── an owl. A brown owl circled his shoulder before landing skillfully in front of him. It held a cream-colored parchment envelope in its sharp talons, sealed with a wax stamp he had never seen before. Toji opened it with a flick of his finger.
From the paper, a "presence" seeped out—harsh and jagged. It felt like Cursed Energy, yet it was smoother, warmer. These were the traces of what they called Magic.
"... I see."
The letter was written in elegant script. It was an official invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, detailing the route and time.
『Take the Express from King's Cross Station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.』
"King's Cross... Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, huh. ... I'll head to the station then."
Toji crumpled the letter and shoved it into his coat pocket. His visible belongings were minimal.
── In reality, a single Cursed Spirit lived inside his body.
The Inventory Curse.
A distorted creature with a head like a human infant and a long, worm-like body. Its skin was dark and slick with moisture, its eyes vacant. It could swallow its own tail like an Ouroboros to form a ring, shrinking its body to a tiny size. In that state, Toji would swallow the curse, hiding it deep within his stomach.
Normally, putting a curse inside a human body is like drinking poison. An ordinary person would die instantly. But Fushiguro Toji was the exception.
── Heavenly Restriction.
In exchange for zero Cursed Energy, he had gained a physical form and senses honed to the absolute limit. His powerful internal organs completely crushed the curse's toxicity, allowing him to house the creature with cold indifference.
"... This thing has been a huge help."
As he muttered this, Toji tasted iron in his mouth—the sensation of the curse shifting at the bottom of his stomach. Inside that Inventory Curse were various tools he had "borrowed and never returned": blades, chains, seals, and ── specialized hunting tools for sorcerers.
For Toji, who had no magic of his own, this was his armory, his insurance, and his lifeline.
"No need to worry about baggage checks. Convenient."
On the bus to King's Cross, Toji watched the streets of London through the window. The stone buildings and black streetlamps looked like a monochrome painting in the fog. The cheerful chatter of tourists was nothing but white noise. The air here was heavy, carrying that familiar scent of the Jujutsu world.
"... Just as I thought. This place is rotten too."
Currents of Magic, distinct from Cursed Energy, drifted lightly in the air. Perhaps there was an old magic shop on a street corner, or a protective barrier nearby. To Toji's hyper-acute senses, these invisible markers arrived as "smells."
When he arrived at the station, the tolling of bells echoed through the air. Toji walked slowly, looking up at the great glass dome of the ceiling. King's Cross Station ── the gateway where the boundary between the mundane and the magical intersected.
The station was a sea of commuters and students. Toji moved through the crowd without hesitation, seeking the target mentioned in the letter.
"Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, huh."
A platform for wizards, invisible to ordinary people. The letter had explained the trick: walk straight through the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"Sounds like a children's magic trick."
But Toji didn't hesitate. After scanning his surroundings, he saw a young boy in a cloak and a woman who looked like his mother run straight toward the pillar. A moment later, they vanished like mist.
"Right. That's how it works."
Toji rolled his shoulders and took a single deep breath. Without a shred of tension, he stepped toward the pillar. The noise of the crowd faded, replaced by the scent of damp air.
The moment his feet hit the ground, the world shifted seamlessly. He found himself in another realm where steam engines roared and a crimson train stood waiting.
"... I'm here."
Jujutsu and Magic. Fushiguro Toji, who knew both "deviant paths," had finally stepped through the gates of the Wizarding world.
── And then, the Hogwarts Express let out a slow, heavy whistle.
I hopped into the first carriage I saw. As the wheels of the steam engine groaned, the air changed. London's fog receded, replaced by the muffled voices of children and parents on the platform. Brats in cloaks were making a hell of a racket—hugging, laughing, and crying. These wizard kids were even louder than I'd imagined.
I found an empty compartment and slid inside. The wooden floorboards creaked. I sat on the long bench and leaned my shoulder against the window. Behind the cold glass, rows of children waved to their parents, shouting at the top of their lungs to compete with the whistle.
"... Annoying brats."
The mutter was so low I almost surprised myself. What could I even teach them? Me, an ex-assassin. But... two million a month. Plus bonuses. That's the only thing that matters. Whether I hit them, train them, or ignore them, I get paid. That's enough.
The steam engine began to churn. The train pulled away from the platform. The rhythmic vibrations and the screech of metal filtered through the seat. The air inside the carriage shifted, and a faint presence of Magic began to seep through the window. Unlike Cursed Energy, this flow felt like a sticky humidity. I could feel it wrapping around the train itself.
"... So it really is a train for wizard kids."
As I muttered that, the door clicked open.
"Oh, u-um... excuse me... can I sit here? Everywhere else is full..."
The voice was weak. When I looked up, a boy with glasses was standing there. Black hair, thin arms. The sleeves of his cloak were a bit too big for him, and his frame was scrawny. There was a shadow on his face, and something strange lingering in the depths of his eyes.
... A presence, huh. This kid... he smells weird. Not like a normal wizard child. The scent was that familiar "impurity" I was used to smelling. It was exactly like people who had been possessed by curses—a rancid, stagnant feeling.
"Do what you want."
I answered in English. It was a language I'd picked up for fooling around with foreign women, but it came in handy for situations like this.
"Thank you! I'm... I'm Harry Potter!"
The boy smiled innocently. Despite his bright voice, there was a shadow clinging to his back. It didn't matter to me, but my intuition had never failed me. This kid had something on him.
"I see."
I gave him a cold reply and looked back out the window. Harry Potter ── a name I didn't know. But I had a feeling his name would end up etched somewhere in my memory later.
The boy sat down carefully on the opposite bench. He was clearly tense; his body was trembling slightly. Even his breathing was shallow enough to be annoying.
"Um..."
"What?"
"What's your name...?"
"I'm Fushiguro. Just remember that."
"Oh, okay..."
The boy's presence, and that foul thing sticking to him, irritated me. I don't see curses with my eyes; I perceive them almost entirely through their presence. The boundaries of his soul were visible to me. This kid was being possessed by something.
"You..."
I muttered under my breath. Harry blinked and looked me in the eye. Deep within those innocent eyes, something like black fog was swaying gently.
"W-What is it?"
"Nothing... nothing at all."
It wasn't wise to say too much here. I was still wearing the "teacher" mask. Telling a kid about curses and possessions on day one would be a pain in the ass. Besides, regardless of what he was carrying, my job was just to "hone these kids' bodies." Dealing with curses wasn't my business.
"... You said your name was Harry, right?"
"Yes, that's right!"
His voice perked up. It was filled with sweet things like hope and dreams—an echo I hadn't had any connection to for a long time.
"... Got it."
Even though the boy was nervous, his eyes were shining. To carry the scent of a curse without knowing it and to laugh so innocently ── that side of him disgusted me.
The scenery outside the window flew by. London's streets vanished, replaced by forests and plains shrouded in thick mist. The steam roared louder as the train gained speed. The Magic inside the carriage grew denser, and my skin began to prickle.
"Wow... amazing."
Harry pressed his face against the glass, letting out a childish gasp of wonder. I watched him closely. This boy, as I suspected, wasn't ordinary. There was a strange "resonance" as if he were in sync with the flow of Magic. It was like the curse on him was reacting with joy.
"Hey, kid."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever... felt strange things happening around you?"
Harry looked startled.
"Strange... things?"
"Yeah. Like the air suddenly getting cold, or feeling a foul presence... anything."
"Um... I don't know for sure... but ever since I was little, I felt like a lot of weird things were happening."
Just as I thought. I exhaled deeply and leaned back. The vibrations of the train hit my lower back.
"Kids like you exist in every world. Even in the Jujutsu world."
"Ju... Jujutsu?"
"Yeah. It's a bit different from what you call 『Magic』. But it's... just as filthy."
Confusion clouded Harry's face. Well, it wasn't something he could grasp yet. The sky outside began to darken, and the train pushed deeper into the woods. I reached for a cigarette but saw a no-smoking sign and stopped. Lighting up in a train full of kids would probably make a bad first impression as a teacher. ... Then again, was it really that bad?
"... Whatever. Do as you like, kid."
"Huh?"
Harry stared at me, dumbfounded. Seeing his face like that, the corner of my mouth quirked up.
── Harry Potter. This kid isn't just a regular freshman.
The wheels of the train spun faster, and waves of Magic filled the carriage. For the first time in a while, a small spark of excitement rose within me.
"Looks like this job might actually be interesting."
A short while later, another boy entered the compartment. He had bright red hair.
"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is completely full!"
His voice was way too loud. Honestly, these brats are annoying wherever they go. And it's not like this place was empty.
"Mr... Fushiguro? What should we do?"
Harry asked in a low voice, his eyes darting behind his glasses.
"Do what you want."
Dammit, one kid was annoying enough, now there were two. The red-headed boy didn't hesitate; as soon as he shut the door, he barged in and plopped down next to Harry. Does this kid know nothing about personal space?
"Thanks! I'm Ron Weasley! Oh! And this is Scabbers!"
As he introduced himself, he pulled something out of his pocket. On his palm sat a fat, grimy rat.
"What a pathetic-looking rat."
"A direct insult just like that?!"
The boy who called himself Ron widened his eyes. No, I was just stating a fact. The musk of a beast and a foul scent like rusted iron began to fill the cramped compartment.
... Not just that. This rat wasn't a normal animal. Its eye movements were different. It didn't have that "shallowness" found in small animals. Even the boundaries of its soul were unnaturally large—not something a single rat should possess.
"Don't pull out filthy things. Hide it, fast."
"That's mean! Scabbers is family!"
Ron huddled over the rat as if to protect it. But I didn't look away. The "smell" of its soul was too thick. It was different from a normal creature. My nose and skin told me so clearly.
"... That rat isn't just a rat."
"Huh?"
Harry's eyes went wide. Ron stopped pretending to laugh.
"What do you mean?"
"If you don't know, forget it. But my nose doesn't lie. Whatever's inside that thing isn't natural."
"... No, don't say weird things like that!"
Ron's voice carried a slight tremor. His reaction was too honest. It seemed he had heard something before. The rat was visibly shivering, darting its eyes around frantically, watching me. For a rat to watch a human like that... it was enough to give anyone the creeps.
"Well, whatever. It's not my problem."
I said it coldly and leaned back. Ron and Harry exchanged looks. I felt the tension between them snap, and they bonded in an instant. Kids find common ground fast.
"... Hey, you said your name was Ron, right?"
"Yeah, and you're Harry, right? You're famous!"
"Oh."
At Ron's words, the atmosphere shifted. Harry's shoulders tensed.
"H-How do you know me..."
"Everyone knows you, 『Harry Potter』. You're the boy who defeated You-Know-Who, aren't you?"
Ron said it with pride. My eyebrows twitched at that. You-Know-Who ── the symbol of "Darkness" in this country's magic world. I'd heard that name before. It was definitely in the Zen'in records. So this kid was at the heart of that storm.
"... So you're a celebrity."
"I'm not, I'm just..."
Harry stammered, clenching his fists. Was this why there was such a deep shadow in his eyes despite his age?
"... Good for you. You found a friend."
A dry laugh escaped my throat.
"Huh?"
"Never mind. I'm not interested in your little friendship games."
Ron frowned, confused, while Harry looked bewildered. Their reactions were exactly like kids in a classroom, giving me a strange sense of comfort. Outside the window, the train passed through the forest, cutting through the sea of fog. I felt the density of the Magic increasing. There was a damp "pressure," unlike Cursed Energy, permeating every corner of the carriage.
"... It's getting a bit hard to breathe."
"Huh?"
"This train is absorbing Magic from the outside. Didn't you know that?"
"I've never heard of that."
"Brats like you wouldn't."
I looked out the window. Through the fog, I could see flickering shadows. The Magic was so thick the train seemed to be moving through the guts of a beast. Ron clutched the rat fearfully. And that rat ── Scabbers ── was watching me even more now. It didn't have fangs, but I felt a strange "intelligence" in its gaze.
"Don't take that rat out in public too often. Not if you don't want someone like me watching you."
"W-What is that supposed to mean!"
"Just advice. If it tries to bite, I'll kill it."
Ron turned pale and shoved Scabbers into his pocket. Silence suddenly filled the compartment.
"... You're a scary person."
Harry muttered softly.
"Am I?"
"Yes... a little."
"I see."
I shrugged and laughed. With an assassin working as a teacher, this school clearly wasn't a good place at all.
Ron started talking to Harry—about his family, his brothers, and Wizarding world rumors. I only listened to half of it. The sound of the train and the fluctuations of Magic were far more interesting. Still, their voices reached me naturally. Harry, though shy, was holding his own. Ron was social. They became friends in the blink of an eye.
"... Must be nice."
The corner of my mouth turned up involuntarily. When I was their age, all I had beside me were curses, blood, and hell. There were no kids I could laugh with. Their innocence disgusted me in a roundabout way.
"Hey, red-head."
"Yes?"
"Watch that rat carefully. ... It'll be a pain if it gets away."
"W-Why me all of a sudden..."
"You have the face for it."
Ron went quiet, wearing a strange expression. Harry looked at me and Ron with concern.
── Just as I thought, this train won't be boring.
I laughed deep in my chest as I watched the thick fog outside. The train continued toward the direction where the Magic was strongest.
While Fushiguro Toji rode the Hogwarts Express, cutting through the fog toward the castle ──.
In the Headmaster's office at the top of the castle, the fireplace logs crackled softly. The heavy walls were adorned with countless portraits of former headmasters, looking down with boredom. Outside, rain began to fall, and thunder rumbled in the distance.
Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, sat in a chair decorated with phoenix-feather patterns.
Before his desk stood a woman with a sharp gaze, her back straight and her cloak collar fastened tight: Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Her cold eyes pierced a single document atop a pile of parchment.
"Albus, are you truly serious about inviting a Physical Education teacher?"
"That is correct."
Dumbledore nodded calmly. His usual gentle smile was on his face, but deep in his eyes was a stillness that suggested he saw beyond the surface.
"Why on earth...? There is no such thing as 『Physical Education』 in the Hogwarts curriculum."
McGonagall frowned, her voice low. It was a natural reaction from someone of her legendary strictness.
"Because it is 『necessary』."
"But..."
McGonagall's voice wavered. She understood the weight of "necessary." But acting on it in this way was nothing short of madness.
"Albus. The man you're trying to invite is ── 『him』, isn't he?"
"Yes. Fushiguro Toji."
Dumbledore spoke the name coldly.
"... An outcast from the Zen'in clan of the Jujutsu world. A man with a 『special constitution』 who possesses no Cursed Energy. A mercenary. And on top of that, not even a wizard."
"Exactly."
"This is dangerous, no matter how you look at it!"
McGonagall's voice rose. Anger and anxiety broke through her calm mask.
"If we consider student safety, hiring him is out of the question. His reputation has spread even outside the Jujutsu world... The man they call the 『Sorcerer Killer』—and you're bringing him to Hogwarts?"
"There is no one else who can teach the students the meaning of 『reality』."
Dumbledore's voice was calm, yet it carried an unshakable resolve.
"The Wizarding world... will soon be swallowed by a storm. No, the winds have already begun to blow."
"... Voldemort."
When McGonagall whispered the name, the room's temperature seemed to drop. The former headmasters in the portraits stirred as if they had heard a ghost.
"The air freezes at the mere mention of his name. Those times are returning. This is the year that boy ── Harry Potter ── enters Hogwarts. Peace is no longer an option."
Dumbledore looked at a sealed letter on the desk. Toji's name was written on the seal.
"An outlaw of the Jujutsu world. A man without magic, untouched by Magic or Cursed Energy, who has lived for one thing: 『Combat』. He possesses a strength that those who fight with wands simply do not have."
"And you think the students need that?"
"One day, Hogwarts will become 『a place that must be protected』. There are things that cannot be defended with wand charms alone."
"Are you saying you want him to teach the students how he fights?"
"No, not all of them."
Dumbledore closed his eyes. His voice was soft but carried the chill of preparation.
"Those who learn from him will be the 『Chosen Children』. Those who must have the resolve to stand on a battlefield."
"... Does that include Harry Potter?"
"Most likely."
Dumbledore looked into the fireplace. The flickering flames danced in his eyes like gold.
"Until now, we have taught 『Magic for Protection』. From now on, we must teach them 『Combat for Survival』."
"... You sound as though you are preparing for war."
"It is war, Minerva."
Those words changed the room's atmosphere instantly.
"One day, we will face a 『violence』 that cannot be countered by a mere wand. A moment will come where spells fail, and there is nothing left but to face the enemy head-on. What we will need then is not knowledge, but... 『survival techniques』."
McGonagall fell silent. She knew better than anyone that Dumbledore did not speak of war lightly.
"So, Fushiguro Toji is the teacher for that."
"Yes."
Dumbledore flicked his wand, and a blurry image appeared in a silver basin in the corner. It showed Fushiguro Toji sitting irritably by the window of the Express, unable to smoke.
"... He certainly doesn't look like a 『teacher』."
McGonagall let out a small sigh.
"He isn't a teacher. But he is a man who can teach a 『way of life』. There are things someone who only carries a wand can never do."
"Are you truly sure this is the right choice?"
"No one knows if it's right. But ── what we need now is 『Strength』."
McGonagall nodded slowly after a long silence. Outside, thunder roared. Rain lashed against the window of the Headmaster's office as the night grew darker.
── Before the coming war, the castle carried the portents of a storm. And at the heart of that vortex, the outcast of the Jujutsu world was about to set foot.
"By the way, what is his salary?"
Minerva asked cautiously, her eyebrows knit. Dumbledore nodded and clasped his hands. The firelight illuminated his white beard.
"Um... it's 2,500 Galleons a month...!"
Minerva's face froze.
"You're joking, right?"
Her voice jumped an octave. Genuine shock broke through her usually stoic expression.
"For heaven's sake, that's several times what I've been earning after all these years...!"
"Minerva, I value your efforts immensely. But inviting such a man requires a... suitable 『offering』."
"An offering... did you say an offering?"
"Yes. He is a man who carries no wand and has no magic, yet he can kill sorcerers. In short... he is a presence that fills the 『gap』 no ordinary teacher can."
Minerva's lips trembled. For her, who never lost her composure, that number was a massive shock.
"... Will the Ministry of Magic even approve such a budget?"
"It's not a public budget."
"Albus...!"
"It's not illegal money, of course. But it is a... 『Special Budget』. It comes from those financial streams known only to a few within the Ministry."
Minerva's expression hardened. She understood exactly what "Special Budget" meant in the Wizarding world.
"In other words, it is worth paying all that money... just to hire him."
"Exactly."
Dumbledore laughed softly, but there was a cold shadow in his smile.
"The time of war is coming. Children cannot be protected by wand charms or books alone. One day, this castle will become a 『battlefield』."
"And for that reason... Fushiguro Toji."
"Yes."
Minerva took a deep breath and straightened her posture. Her eyes behind her glasses held doubt, caution, and a tiny shred of fear.
"... He is more a soldier or an executioner than a teacher. Is it really wise to place such a man near the students?"
"We aren't inviting him to be 『near them』. He is coming to 『teach』."
"Teach what?"
"To teach them the boundary between life and death."
The wood popped, sending sparks flying. Dumbledore's voice was as calm as ever, but his words were heavy.
"The path he has walked is a hell ordinary wizards cannot imagine. He survived. And that strength is not a 『spell』—it is 『life』 itself."
Minerva looked down, and a long silence followed. 2,500 Galleons ── that amount wasn't just a salary. It was proof that the future of Hogwarts had been placed in the hands of one man.
"... Albus, are you sure you won't regret this decision?"
"... I might."
"...!"
"But it's better than facing the storm and doing nothing."
Minerva's brow softened. It wasn't the face of the strict Deputy Headmistress, but a tired face that showed her age.
"... And you think the students need to carry such resolve?"
"The Chosen Children will have to, one day. Starting with Harry Potter."
At the mention of that name, a shadow fell over Minerva's eyes. The boy entering the school this year ── the existence that would shake the balance of the world. The storm was already approaching the boy who knew nothing.
"Fushiguro Toji has the 『Strength』 of a survivor. He is a man who kills sorcerers without waving a wand. Whether we make such a man an enemy or an ally ── we no longer have the luxury of hesitation."
"... I see. So that's why it's 2,500 Galleons."
"That is the reason."
Minerva let out a long sigh and took off her glasses. The gesture carried a mix of exhaustion and a strange kind of respect.
"Albus. You really are... making an incredible gamble."
"Life is a series of gambles, Minerva. Especially on a board called War."
Outside, thunder crashed, and the night air grew thick. The conversation ended quietly in the depths of the office as the flames swayed.
── And so, the man who would be the "betting chip" in that gamble was currently being jolted by the train toward the castle.
Fushiguro Toji. The outlaw of the Jujutsu world. In the heart of the vortex, his presence would fundamentally change the fate of Hogwarts.