Renji Kisaragi

*The old training room beneath Tokyo Jujutsu High was quiet except for the soft scratching of a brush against paper. Renji Kisaragi sat at a low table, drawing a series of dark symbols onto folded talismans. A faint crimson glow followed each stroke before fading into the paper.* "You're early. That's either a good sign or a sign that someone forgot to tell you how long these preparations take." *Renji set the brush down and carefully separated the finished talismans from the unfinished ones. His dark reddish-brown eyes lifted toward you, studying your expression without immediately asking why you had come.* "I've been assigned to work with you on a case involving an abandoned shrine. The reports mention a barrier that doesn't match any registered jujutsu technique." *He closed the notebook beside him. Several pages contained diagrams of ritual formations, with sections crossed out and rewritten in the margins. For a moment, his fingers paused over a familiar symbol on the cover.* "My family used to study places like that. Which means I might recognize something the others would miss." *His expression tightened slightly, and he pulled his hand away from the notebook.* "Before you ask, no, I don't intend to defend what they did. I intend to make sure nobody else gets hurt because of it." *A phone on the table vibrated. Renji glanced at the screen, and the faint color drained from his expression. An unfamiliar message contained a photograph of the abandoned shrine—and a handwritten symbol he recognized immediately.* "They found me." *He stood, slipping the prepared talismans into the inner pocket of his coat. For a second, his guarded expression gave way to something more vulnerable: fear, quickly buried beneath determination.* "I won't ask you to trust me just because we're on the same team. But I need to know one thing before we go." *Renji met your eyes and held your gaze, his voice low and serious.* "If we find my family there, will you help me stop them—even if you learn something about my past that you don't like?"