Jujutsu High’s Playboy - 26 - 30 (Patreon)

Chapter 26: A Summary of His Growth and a Long-Awaited Break

“Phew.”

Tōru Azuma let out a long breath and withdrew the Cursed Energy reinforcing his body, still feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

When he fought that Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirit with its unusual Cursed Technique, he had desperately poured all of his Cursed Energy into reinforcing his body. At the time, it had indeed given him explosive speed and tremendous strength.

But he had also noticed signs of minor muscle strain afterward. Most likely, he had reinforced his body so heavily that it simply couldn't withstand the burden.

His body did seem much stronger than it had been in his previous life. That was probably another benefit the mysterious online acquaintance had given him along with his enormous reserves of Cursed Energy. Even so, physical conditioning wasn't something that could be rushed. It could only be built up gradually over time.

That was why he had deliberately focused more on training his body ever since that day.

Unfortunately... his progress so far had been rather unimpressive.

Watching him from nearby, Utahime Iori couldn't resist making a rare jab at him.

“You really are hardworking. Don't you have anything else to do? Every day, you're either on a mission or training.”

Until his evaluation period ended, she and Mei Mei were still officially responsible for supervising Tōru Azuma. So even though he was already capable of going on missions himself, the two of them still took turns accompanying him, or occasionally went together.

Utahime had seen everything he had done during this time, and his relentless persistence left her both impressed and exasperated.

Tōru Azuma merely smiled when he heard her.

After everything that had happened, how could he possibly dare to slack off?

The problem was that his Cursed Technique couldn't be improved through conscious effort, so all he could do for now was keep training himself and mastering as much power as possible, giving himself a better chance of dealing with whatever the future held.

“If we're talking about working hard, you're not exactly taking it easy either, are you?”

Mei Mei, who was standing on the other side, joined the conversation and looked curiously at Utahime.

“I've heard from a few assistant managers that you two have been going to the library together a lot lately to research something. Sometimes you stay so late that the librarian has to chase you out.”

At that, Utahime instinctively exchanged a glance with Tōru Azuma.

A trace of satisfaction appeared in both of their eyes.

That was because the two of them had spent this entire period researching the possibility of giving Barrier Techniques offensive applications. The reason they had practically lived in the library was to search for relevant theory and work out possible ways of applying Barrier Techniques.

More importantly, they had actually made progress.

And that progress had come from an idea Tōru Azuma proposed.

Most Jujutsu Sorcerers generally used Cursed Energy either by wrapping it around their bodies or infusing it into an object and throwing that object.

The latter could technically be considered a ranged attack, but its destructive power was extremely limited and couldn't compare with directly attacking using Cursed Energy.

It was common knowledge that Cursed Energy couldn't normally be used for direct ranged attacks because once it left the body, it quickly weakened and became impossible to control. Aside from people with certain special Cursed Techniques, almost no one could launch Cursed Energy directly over a distance.

But what if they approached the problem differently?

If Cursed Energy became uncontrollable and weakened after leaving the body, then Barrier Techniques could be used to impose multiple layers of restraint, solidifying and compressing the Cursed Energy. Several accelerating barriers could then propel the condensed mass forward at extremely high speed for a short distance, while another barrier around the outside controlled its trajectory.

That way, it should be possible to guarantee a certain amount of destructive power within a limited range.

The overall concept was something like... an electromagnetic railgun?

The idea sounded good in theory, but their best result so far was Utahime barely managing to fire a turbulent mass of Cursed Energy at a target five meters away.

The damage was extremely weak. It probably didn't even reach half the damage she could inflict by reinforcing her body and simply punching the training dummy.

Even so, it proved beyond any doubt that they were moving in the right direction.

The only reason they couldn't achieve the effect they had imagined yet was that their mastery of Barrier Techniques wasn't advanced enough, or perhaps their precision in controlling Cursed Energy was still lacking.

As long as they continued studying and improving their Barrier Techniques, sooner or later they would be able to make the idea work.

However, because of their agreement not to tell anyone until they had succeeded, Utahime Iori turned her head away with a slightly guilty expression.

“I'm just teaching this kid some basic Barrier Techniques and helping him review general jujutsu knowledge while I'm at it. I've noticed he's forgotten quite a lot recently, so he needs to study properly!”

“Uh, that's right.”

Seeing how obviously Utahime was hiding something, then meeting Mei Mei's amused gaze, Tōru Azuma felt a little helpless.

He knew there was no way such an explanation would fool her.

But he also knew Mei Mei wasn't the type to keep prying until she got an answer. More likely, she would simply accept their excuse and stop asking.

Sure enough, Mei Mei merely shook her head.

“Fine, I'll take your word for it. Still, your performance lately has genuinely been excellent. Not only have you handled and planned your missions well, even your control of the situation on site has been nearly flawless. You're already comparable to most Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerers.”

A trace of regret entered her voice as she continued.

“It's just a shame your observation period still isn't over. Otherwise, I doubt the higher-ups would hesitate to officially rate you as a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer.”

Tōru Azuma didn't care all that much about the ranking itself.

A title on paper didn't prove anything. What mattered far more was becoming stronger.

Mei Mei seemed to notice what he was thinking and deliberately reminded him.

“Don't underestimate a Jujutsu Sorcerer's Grade. It directly affects your compensation. There's already a substantial difference between the benefits and monthly pay of a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer, never mind the gap between Grade 2 and Grade 1.”

Her next words carried a slightly pointed undertone.

“And only after you've received an official Grade will Jujutsu High stop refusing when I ask to take you along on missions.”

Tōru Azuma paused slightly.

He had heard a few things about Mei Mei from the assistant managers.

She generally didn't team up with other people and preferred working alone. On the rare occasions she did take missions with someone else, it was usually Utahime, or a large joint operation involving multiple sorcerers.

Some people thought she was cold and disliked dealing with others.

Tōru Azuma knew better.

She simply hated working with people who were unprofessional or troublesome because they wasted too much of her time.

By contrast, she seemed to think fairly highly of him. During a few breaks between missions or training sessions, she had even mentioned the possibility of becoming long-term partners in the future.

Perhaps that was why he had also unlocked 50% of the Black Bird Manipulation Technique, another achievement he had gained during this period.

At his current stage, he still couldn't reveal the effects of his Cursed Technique, but acquiring a new ability was something worth celebrating regardless.

More importantly, it meant Mei Mei genuinely regarded him as a friend.

To him, that was a better reward than the Cursed Technique itself.

Just as he was about to say something, a familiar voice came from nearby.

“You three are still here?”

The three of them turned around and saw Masamichi Yaga entering the training grounds.

They immediately put aside the relaxed mood from their conversation.

Since Yaga had personally delivered missions to them several times in the past, their first thought was that another assignment had come in.

Seeing their reaction, Masamichi Yaga got straight to the point.

“I'm here to tell Tōru Azuma something.”

Tōru Azuma and Utahime Iori instinctively exchanged a glance, while a thoughtful look appeared in Mei Mei's eyes.

Sure enough, Yaga's next words revealed why he had come.

“Your evaluation and review are officially over. Jujutsu High has decided that you've passed. Once the other new students arrive in a few days, you'll formally begin your studies and become an official student of Tokyo Jujutsu High.”

Only then did Tōru Azuma finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He had always thought Jujutsu High probably wouldn't casually dispose of him or seal him away, but now that the decision had been made, the weight hanging over him finally disappeared.

Utahime Iori made no attempt to hide her happiness. The joy on her face was almost overflowing.

Even Mei Mei, whose expression rarely changed much, smiled faintly.

Perhaps she was happy that he had passed the evaluation.

Or perhaps she was pleased that her future partner was now secure.

No one knew.

Seeing how close the three had grown during their time together, Masamichi Yaga felt somewhat gratified.

He continued with a word of caution.

“Even though you've passed the evaluation, I'd still personally advise you not to leave the school grounds alone too often or stay away for too long.”

He paused, seemingly considering how to phrase what came next, before ultimately deciding to say it plainly.

“After all, there are still people who remain very suspicious of you.”

The words sounded like a warning, but Tōru Azuma could hear the concern behind them.

He nodded.

“I understand. Thank you, Yaga-sensei.”

With his business finished, Yaga waved a hand and turned to leave.

Only after he had completely disappeared from sight did Utahime speak with obvious delight.

“Congratulations. Now you're officially my junior.”

Mei Mei nodded beside her.

“Since you've passed the evaluation and become an official student, I imagine it won't be long before you receive an official Grade of your own.”

Tōru Azuma was in an excellent mood.

For the first time, he even suggested taking a break.

“This is definitely worth celebrating. How about we relax for a while?”

Utahime's eyes lit up instantly.

“Of course we should celebrate! We've spent all this time running around on missions and training, and we've barely had any chance to go shopping properly. Now that we're finally free, let's go out, get something good to eat, and have some fun.”

Mei Mei wasn't especially interested in those things, but seeing how eager the other two were, she unexpectedly nodded as well.

“That does sound like a good idea.”

Since both of them agreed, Tōru Azuma contacted an assistant manager who was currently free.

After paying the necessary fare, the three of them got out of the car in central Tokyo a little over ten minutes later.

Utahime had spent the entire drive enthusiastically explaining where they could find good food and which places had interesting things to see.

Neither of the other two had particularly strong material desires, but they didn't reject her enthusiasm or dampen her mood. They simply followed along wherever she wanted to go.

As they passed one particular shop, Tōru Azuma deliberately stopped.

Under the curious gazes of the two women, he walked over to the shopkeeper, exchanged a few words with her while smiling, then handed her several bills.

Watching the two of them chatting pleasantly in the distance, Utahime Iori, who had been happily eating her dessert, suddenly felt strangely unsettled.

Her brows furrowed without her realizing it.

Mei Mei immediately noticed.

A trace of amusement rose within her, though she spoke in a thoughtful tone.

“I thought Azuma had been busy with missions and training this entire time. I wonder when he met her?”

Utahime's grip on her dessert tightened slightly.

When Tōru Azuma finished talking and returned to them, she deliberately glared at him and spoke in an oddly pointed tone.

“Listen, kid... as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, you'd better keep some distance from ordinary people. Otherwise, things might not end very well.”

Tōru Azuma froze at the strange warning, then looked at her in confusion.

“What are you talking about, senpai? I was just paying her back for those crepes I got from her before.”

“Huh?”

Utahime froze.

Only then did she realize what he was talking about.

She immediately turned her head away and replied somewhat stiffly.

“Oh... y-you mean what happened that day.”

Seeing her reaction, Tōru Azuma had more or less figured out what she had been thinking.

Even so, he deliberately put on a confused expression.

“Yeah. What did you think I meant, senpai?”

“I... I thought you meant that day too! Anyway, let's go!”

She turned around and pulled Mei Mei, who was wearing a distinctly knowing smile, along with her.

Tōru Azuma found the whole thing rather amusing, but he still followed after them.

Just then, a girl happened to step out of the convenience store beside them.

She was holding a freshly purchased pack of Mild Seven cigarettes and was just about to tear open the wrapper when the three figures walking away caught the corner of her eye.

She thought for a moment, uncertainty appearing on her face.

“That person on the left in the shrine maiden outfit... why does she look familiar?”

The figure did seem vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her before.

In the end, she could only shake her head and turn in the opposite direction.

She would officially be starting school in a few days.

Maybe she'd get to see some new faces then?

With that thought, she lit a cigarette and disappeared into the night.

...

Chapter 27: The First Day of School

About three days had passed since Tōru Azuma learned the results of his evaluation, and he continued living according to the same steady routine and plans as before.

The only real difference was that he felt a little more relaxed mentally, but only a little.

Cursed Energy control, practical combat training, research into Barrier Techniques, completing missions. He hadn't eased up on any of them in the slightest.

Still, on the evening of the third day, after receiving notice that classes would officially begin the next morning, he lay in bed staring blankly for a long time.

Barring any surprises, tomorrow he would finally meet the trio in person, become their classmate, and spend the days ahead studying and growing alongside them.

Just thinking about it made it difficult to stay calm.

But no matter how excited he was, he still needed a good night's sleep to prepare himself for the next day. After all, all three of them had very distinct personalities, and since they would be complete strangers at first, getting along probably wouldn't be that simple.

And so, his first day of school arrived.

The next morning, instead of heading straight to the training grounds as usual, Tōru Azuma changed into his new Jujutsu High uniform, said goodbye to Mei Mei and Utahime, who were heading out on a mission, and made his way to the classroom Masamichi Yaga had told him about beforehand.

It was still early, so no one else had arrived yet.

Tōru Azuma took out his books and began reviewing the basic knowledge of the jujutsu world that Utahime had taught him while waiting for his future classmates.

He had briefly considered preparing some kind of prank or welcome ceremony, but ultimately gave up on the idea.

That simply wasn't the sort of thing he enjoyed doing.

Time passed slowly as he reviewed what he had learned and waited.

Half an hour later, footsteps sounded outside the classroom.

Tōru Azuma looked up toward the door.

Soon, an attractive figure appeared in the entrance.

The newcomer had short brown hair and a beauty mark beneath the corner of one eye. Her neatly tailored Jujutsu High uniform complemented a figure that was still youthful, yet already beginning to mature.

Tōru Azuma recognized her immediately.

Shoko Ieiri.

Strictly speaking, Shoko ranked among his top three favorite female characters in the original story, with no particular order among the three.

For many people, their impression of Shoko might amount to little more than an ordinary school doctor with severe dark circles under her eyes and the exhausted look of someone thoroughly worn down by work.

Tōru Azuma, however, had always rather liked the weary, languid air she carried as an adult.

And during the Hidden Inventory period, she possessed a unique mixture of youthful innocence, laziness, and a calmness that seemed almost too worldly for her age.

More importantly, he knew exactly what kind of future awaited this girl.

Her classmates, friends, and familiar faces would leave one after another, until she alone remained in that treatment room, healing people over and over again, until there was no one left who could simply call her Shoko.

He wanted to change that future.

While he was thinking, Shoko Ieiri was also studying the only stranger in the classroom.

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke.

“Excuse me, is this the first-year classroom?”

“Yes.”

Tōru Azuma nodded, then introduced himself.

“I'm a new student this year. Tōru Azuma. I look forward to getting along with you.”

In his opinion, getting along with Shoko required a different approach from how he interacted with Utahime and Mei Mei.

Because of her abilities, Shoko had been exposed to the jujutsu world at a young age and had witnessed far too many Jujutsu Sorcerers come and go through life and death. As a result, she had developed a personality with very clear boundaries.

If he had to compare her to something, she was like a stray cat that had grown accustomed to watching its companions disappear.

Not knowing whether someone beside her might suddenly leave one day, she had learned not to place too much eager expectation on new companions.

But that didn't mean the expectation itself had disappeared.

It was simply buried somewhere very deep, and only long-term companionship and time together could bring it back to the surface.

So if Tōru Azuma suddenly acted too enthusiastic or eager, it would only make a girl who barely knew him instinctively want to distance herself.

Seeing how calm he was, Shoko Ieiri suddenly had a strange feeling.

This person in front of her... somehow seemed to understand her, and they might even get along unusually well.

“Shoko Ieiri. Nice to meet you.”

She blinked and dismissed the odd thought, offering only a very brief introduction before taking a seat not far away.

There was some distance between the two of them, but it didn't feel deliberate.

Tōru Azuma didn't say anything more. He simply nodded and returned to the book in his hands.

After staring blankly into space for a while, Shoko pulled out her phone and began tapping at it, apparently passing the time.

Around ten minutes later, another set of footsteps sounded outside the classroom.

These were firmer and heavier than the last.

Shoko glanced toward the doorway, while Tōru Azuma had already guessed who was probably coming.

Soon, the footsteps stopped outside, and a tall figure entered the room.

He had medium-length black hair tied into a bun behind his head, with a single lock hanging over his forehead. His school uniform was worn neatly and properly, and he carried an old-looking cloth bag in one hand.

Most striking of all were his narrow eyes and the faintly thoughtful, somewhat gloomy look within them.

“Oh, someone's already here?”

He looked at the two of them as he spoke, then walked over to a seat near the window and placed the cloth bag on the desk before introducing himself.

“Hello. My name is Suguru Geto, and I'm a new student this year. My Cursed Technique is called Cursed Spirit Manipulation. Simply put, I can subdue Cursed Spirits and make them serve me. I hope we'll all get along.”

After finishing, he gave them a friendly smile.

Watching him, Tōru Azuma fell into thought.

In his eyes, the future cult leader had yet to develop the complicated, conflicted demeanor he would have later, but the beginnings were already there.

To put it simply, Tōru Azuma thought Suguru Geto was an intensely conflicted person.

Because he too had developed and begun using his abilities at a young age, he had been exposed to far too much of the darkness within the jujutsu world.

But what he saw was a different side of that darkness, which led him to wonder how he might change the world itself.

Unfortunately, his maturity, perspective, and way of thinking all had certain limitations.

In the end, he chose an increasingly extreme path, one that led him to part ways with his best friend and eventually walk toward his own destruction.

More tragically still, he wasn't even allowed peace after death.

His corpse was taken over and manipulated by someone else, who used his name and face to commit atrocity after atrocity.

That was another future Tōru Azuma intended to change.

Just as he was about to greet him, Shoko Ieiri spoke first.

“Shoko Ieiri.”

Then she lowered her head and went straight back to her phone, as if she had merely completed a basic social obligation.

Suguru Geto paused slightly at her reaction before turning toward the other person in the room.

“My name is Tōru Azuma. As for my Cursed Technique... I don't even know whether I have one at the moment. Maybe I'll find out someday.”

His answer was half true and half false.

After all, he couldn't casually reveal the effects of his Cursed Technique to other people. For now, hiding it to some extent was probably the better choice.

Shoko Ieiri instinctively glanced at him upon hearing that.

Suguru Geto thought for a moment, then nodded.

“That's perfectly normal. Cursed Techniques are something you have to explore gradually. Until then, there's nothing wrong with practicing your other abilities first.”

Before he could finish, the window at the front of the classroom suddenly shattered.

A figure leaped through it and landed inside the room, speaking in a cheerful tone filled with unmistakable mockery.

“That's true. He definitely needs more practice. If he can't even put up a Curtain properly, he'll just end up dragging everyone down later, won't he?”

The newcomer had tousled white hair and wore round black sunglasses. His Jujutsu High uniform hung loosely open, revealing the shirt underneath, while an irreverent grin rested on his face.

He removed his sunglasses and fixed a pair of ice-blue eyes on Tōru Azuma.

When he noticed something, his gaze flickered slightly, but his mouth didn't stop.

“But it doesn't really matter. I'm the strongest, after all. As long as you behave yourselves and stick with me, I'll keep you safe.”

Shoko Ieiri frowned slightly.

She had assumed her future classmates would all be relatively easy to deal with.

She hadn't expected one of them to be this obnoxious.

Suguru Geto's expression also became subtly displeased.

He had only just met Tōru Azuma, but they were still going to be classmates from now on.

For someone to walk in and immediately mock another person with such casual arrogance made him uncomfortable.

Especially when the insult was something as unreasonable as saying Tōru Azuma couldn't even put up a Curtain properly.

So he spoke, his voice lower than it had been during his introduction.

There was no anger in it, only a seriousness that was difficult to ignore.

“Before criticizing someone else's abilities, shouldn't you at least introduce yourself first? That's basic courtesy, isn't it?”

Satoru Gojo seemed to only now notice him.

He looked Suguru Geto over a few times.

For an instant, Geto had the strange sensation that the other boy could see straight through him.

But he didn't avert his gaze.

He simply looked back calmly.

That seemed to pique Satoru Gojo's interest.

“Your name... Suguru Geto, right? Then the girl over there must be Shoko Ieiri?”

As he spoke, he casually dragged over a chair and sat down in front of Tōru Azuma's desk, looking curiously between the two of them.

Having their identities called out without warning left both of them with slightly odd expressions.

After all, he hadn't even been inside the classroom when they introduced themselves.

So how did he know their names?

“Did you use a Cursed Technique to eavesdrop on us?”

At Suguru Geto's guess, Satoru Gojo scoffed.

“Eavesdrop? I wouldn't bother doing something like that. One of the elders in my family gave me your information beforehand. They even told me to get along with you and help each other out from now on.”

As he spoke, an arrogant smile appeared on his face, as though he were repeating the most boring joke in the world.

“But that's unnecessary. As long as I, Satoru Gojo, am here, you guys only need to handle the easy stuff. I'll take care of everything else.”

Satoru Gojo.

The moment that name was spoken, both of their expressions changed slightly.

Both of them knew enough about the jujutsu world to understand exactly what the name meant.

The wielder of the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes and Limitless Technique.

The person widely regarded throughout the jujutsu world as the future strongest.

He had possessed extraordinary talent since childhood. He had once been targeted by a Curse User, only to force the man to retreat with a single look.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was destined to become the future Head of the Gojo Clan and one of the most powerful figures in the entire jujutsu world.

Neither of them had expected someone this troublesome to be among their classmates.

Seeing the two suddenly fall silent, Satoru Gojo noticed that the way they looked at him wasn't quite like the sycophantic gazes he was used to.

Even so, he quickly found them boring and turned his attention back toward the person who was still calmly reading.

Just as he was about to say something else, Tōru Azuma raised his head and met his gaze with that familiar calm expression.

“Gojo, have you found an answer to that question from the other day?”

...

Chapter 28: The Strongest's Defeat

At his words, the smile on Satoru Gojo's face immediately froze. Several seconds passed before he answered with obvious annoyance.

“That question again? Aren't you being a little impatient?”

Of course he couldn't answer it, because that was precisely the greatest question he faced.

Who exactly was he?

If he stripped away the bonds of family and blood, along with everyone else's expectations of him, what kind of person would he become?

It was something he found extremely difficult to imagine.

In the original story, he seemed to eventually find the right path. By his own will, he carried the title of the strongest and protected his students and the future of the Jujutsu World.

Yet when he reached the end, he still chose to head south.

Perhaps that was because he had always lived for others, and in the end, all he wanted was to return to what had been the easiest and happiest period of his life.

Of course, the current Satoru Gojo knew none of that.

After Tōru Azuma's question had struck a nerve that day, he had gone home and spent a long time thinking about it.

If he cast aside his identity as the genius of the Gojo Clan and had instead been born as an ordinary person, what kind of life would he have lived?

For some reason, he couldn't picture it at all.

For the first time, that left him genuinely curious and confused.

Who exactly was that unfamiliar boy?

How had someone meeting him for the first time managed to ask the one question he couldn't answer?

Faced with Gojo's complaint, Tōru Azuma merely turned another page of his book.

“Didn't you bring up my shortcomings first? Consider this payback. Now we're even.”

Seeing that his expression hadn't changed in the slightest, Satoru Gojo smiled again.

This time, however, there was no mockery or contempt in it.

He was genuinely amused.

“You really are interesting. Looks like my next few years at Jujutsu High might not be so boring after all.”

Tōru Azuma gave a noncommittal shake of his head.

“Maybe not. What if I'm only pretending to be interesting and the act falls apart later?”

“Even saying that is more interesting than listening to those pretentious old men.”

Watching the two of them exchange words in a way that was both strange and surprisingly harmonious, Suguru Geto found himself confused.

Only moments ago, the Gojo Clan's genius had been unbelievably arrogant. Yet a single sentence from Tōru Azuma had changed his entire attitude.

He even seemed to be... enjoying the conversation.

What exactly had happened between them?

And what was that question?

Suddenly, Geto found himself intensely curious about both of his classmates.

Shoko Ieiri also turned her attention toward them.

She had never met anyone quite like Tōru Azuma before.

When dealing with her, he responded with quietness and distance.

When dealing with the newcomer named Suguru Geto, he responded with politeness and gentleness.

And when dealing with the outrageously arrogant young master of the Gojo Clan, he struck directly at the man's deepest weakness.

He was almost like a mirror, reflecting something different depending on the person standing before him.

But... how could a human being truly be a mirror?

What kind of secret was he hiding?

Her finger remained motionless over her phone for quite some time.

At that same moment, from three completely different perspectives, all three of them firmly etched the name Tōru Azuma into their memories.

The person receiving all that attention merely turned another page, seemingly unconcerned by the exchange that had just taken place.

The atmosphere in the classroom had also changed.

The initial unfamiliarity and silence had given way to a subtle stillness, with each of them quietly measuring the others.

Soon, someone broke the mood.

Masamichi Yaga pushed open the door and stepped inside. When he saw where everyone had positioned themselves and noticed the atmosphere that had already begun to shift, something flickered in his eyes.

“Looks like everyone's here. I assume you've already introduced yourselves before I arrived?”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the shattered window at the front of the classroom.

Satoru Gojo raised his right hand, speaking with his usual carefree attitude.

“Yeah, we've already gotten to know each other, so we can skip the introductions. Let's get straight to the point, Yaga-sensei.”

Masamichi Yaga glanced at him but didn't respond. Instead, he walked to the front of the classroom and opened the folder in his hands.

“I'm your homeroom teacher, Masamichi Yaga. From now on, I'll be responsible for assigning your missions, evaluating your Jujutsu Sorcerer Grades, and overseeing your daily training.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a steady, serious weight.

“Jujutsu High isn't an ordinary school. Anything you learn here could determine whether you come back alive someday.”

His gaze lingered briefly on a certain white-haired figure.

“I know some of you have already learned quite a bit in advance. That doesn't mean you've truly mastered it, so you'd better get rid of any thoughts of simply going through the motions.”

His eyes swept across all four students.

“I only have one requirement for you. When you go out on missions, come back alive. Everything else can be learned gradually.”

The words were simple, yet they carried an unmistakable weight.

The loose atmosphere in the classroom immediately became more serious.

Even Satoru Gojo put away his infuriating grin and sat a little straighter.

For the rest of the session, Yaga briefly explained several things related to the school, including the mission system, Jujutsu Sorcerer Grades, the relationship between Jujutsu High and Jujutsu Headquarters, and how their upcoming adjustment period would work.

Tōru Azuma listened while occasionally nodding.

Although they hadn't spent much time together, Masamichi Yaga really was just as Tōru Azuma remembered from the original story.

Strict and serious, yet deeply responsible toward his students. He simply wasn't very good at expressing that concern because of his personality.

He wondered whether Yaga had already started making Panda at this point.

The image of this stern teacher sitting there with a serious expression while crafting an adorable panda made the corner of Tōru Azuma's mouth twitch upward.

That immediately caught Satoru Gojo's attention.

He had been watching Tōru Azuma fairly closely, and suddenly seeing him make that expression during such a serious lecture was strange enough to pique his curiosity.

Gojo was just about to ask what he was smiling about when Yaga's gaze pinned him firmly in place.

“That's roughly everything you need to know. Your specific mission assignments will begin once your adjustment period is over.”

As he spoke, he closed the folder.

“That's all for today. You're free to go.”

The moment it finally ended, a certain white-haired teenager breathed out in relief and immediately stood, stretching his arms.

“Finally. I'm heading out, then. See you tomorrow?”

He had already started turning toward the door when Masamichi Yaga suddenly stopped him.

“Wait. There's one more thing before any of you leave.”

“Hm?”

All four of them looked over in confusion.

Yaga simply pointed at the shattered window at the front of the classroom.

“Before you leave, fix that window. I don't care how you do it. Tape it together, fill the gaps with glue, or nail a wooden board over it if you have to. Whatever method you choose, when I come back tomorrow, I expect it to be intact.”

Then, as if to make absolutely certain there was no misunderstanding, he added another condition.

“No Cursed Techniques, and you're not allowed to ask any assistant managers for help. The four of you will do it yourselves.”

“...”

The classroom fell silent.

For the first time, a crack appeared in Satoru Gojo's smile, nearly causing the expression to collapse altogether.

Suguru Geto's mouth twitched.

Shoko let out a resigned sigh and stuffed her phone into her pocket.

Tōru Azuma felt somewhat like an innocent bystander being dragged into someone else's mess, but he could only put his book away as well.

Once the person responsible realized Yaga wasn't joking, he opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest.

In the end, however, Satoru Gojo could only sigh helplessly and accept his fate.

“Fine.”

Masamichi Yaga nodded and left the classroom, leaving the four of them staring silently at the broken window.

Quite a while passed before Satoru Gojo finally spoke, sounding unusually awkward.

“So... what are we supposed to do?”

Because of his extraordinary talent and unique status, he had never dealt with the ordinary chores of daily life.

Now that he had specifically been forbidden from using a Cursed Technique, he genuinely had no idea where to begin.

The realization left him somewhat bewildered.

Seeing him standing there looking lost, Suguru Geto unexpectedly found the sight amusing.

This was the same person who had just arrogantly declared himself the strongest, yet apparently even he had moments when he was no different from an ordinary person.

Meanwhile, Tōru Azuma had already walked over to the window.

“Whatever we end up doing, we should clean up the glass first. After that, we can buy some tape, or maybe a clear acrylic sheet, and figure out a way to patch it.”

“Fine.”

Satoru Gojo sighed and went to look for a suitable container.

Shoko Ieiri had already crouched down and started gathering the shards of glass scattered across the floor. Without looking up, she spoke.

“You'd better move quickly. I don't want to be stuck here until dark.”

Suguru Geto rolled up his sleeves and joined them as well, giving the others a smile.

This time, the smile looked far more natural than the one he had worn when he first entered the classroom.

Looking at the three of them, something flickered in Tōru Azuma's eyes.

For some reason, he suddenly felt that... even many years from now, he might never forget the scene from this day.

...

Chapter 29: Gojo and Geto's First Clash

When the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Tōru Azuma opened his eyes. The light was still soft, not harsh enough to hurt his eyes, but bright enough to draw his attention.

As he got out of bed and tidied himself up, he began thinking back on everything that had happened yesterday.

If he had to sum up how much progress he'd made with those classmates who felt both familiar and unfamiliar, how would he put it?

There had been some progress, but not much.

After repairing the window, the four of them hadn't spent much more time together before going their separate ways.

After all, the first day of school had mainly been for them to meet and become familiar with one another. Actual classes wouldn't begin until the second day, so they had been given plenty of free time.

Once the window was fixed, Satoru Gojo casually said he'd see them tomorrow, got into a car, and left.

Suguru Geto had seemed like he wanted to say something, but perhaps because they'd only just met, he merely said goodbye and left the campus as well. Tōru Azuma had no idea where he'd gone.

His personal guess was that Geto had used the opportunity to subdue some Cursed Spirits. After all, the enormous collection of Cursed Spirits he would possess later couldn't have appeared overnight. He must have accumulated them little by little over the years.

As for Shoko Ieiri, she had probably disappeared the earliest out of all of them.

The moment they finished repairing the window, she seemed to vanish into thin air without leaving a trace.

Still, Tōru Azuma vaguely felt that Shoko had glanced at him a couple of times before leaving.

As for himself, he had naturally stuck to his usual routine. After eating, he'd gone straight back to the training grounds.

When Utahime returned from her mission, he had even spent some time with her in the library, continuing their research into Barrier Techniques and bringing a full, productive day to an end.

So all he'd really confirmed on the first day was that their personalities hadn't changed much from the original story.

The original work had never shown exactly how the three of them went from acquaintances to friends.

Now that he could observe that process from up close, it seemed like an interesting experience in its own way.

Thinking about this, Tōru Azuma arrived downstairs at the dormitory.

He had barely taken a few steps outside when he noticed someone standing in the distance. The moment the other person saw him, he raised a hand in greeting.

“Good morning, Azuma.”

Seeing Suguru Geto waiting downstairs, Tōru Azuma was slightly curious, but he immediately smiled back.

“Good morning, Geto. What are you doing here?”

“Since we'll be taking our classes together, I thought it might be better to wait here so we could all go together.”

Perhaps the incident with the broken window had made them feel a little more familiar with one another, because Suguru Geto's smile now seemed noticeably more genuine than before.

Looking at him like this, Tōru Azuma found it difficult to connect him with the cult leader who would one day unleash the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

But he knew that future came from certain problems buried deep inside Geto.

Tōru Azuma already had an idea of how to deal with them, but now wasn't the right time.

He would have to be patient a little longer.

“Sounds good. Let's go, then. Gojo got into a car and left yesterday, so he probably won't show up that early today.”

Based on what he knew of that man's personality from the original story, Tōru Azuma made his own prediction.

“Then let's not wait for him.”

Thinking about Gojo's carefree attitude, Suguru Geto nodded as well.

Then he hesitated and glanced toward the girls' dormitory.

“Should we wait for Ieiri, though?”

Tōru Azuma knew Geto meant well, but he felt it would be better not to.

He had already thought about Shoko's personality. She wasn't someone you could simply approach too eagerly and expect to grow closer to.

Going out of their way to wait for her so they could attend class together wouldn't necessarily make her feel touched. If anything, she might find it unnecessary or even mildly irritating.

But since they had only met yesterday, Tōru Azuma couldn't exactly start explaining Shoko's personality in detail.

So he simply waited beside Geto.

Before long, that familiar figure emerged from the girls' dormitory.

When Shoko saw the two of them, her steps paused for an instant, but she immediately resumed walking at her normal pace.

As she approached, Suguru Geto greeted her with a smile.

“Good morning, Ieiri. Want to head to class together?”

Just as Tōru Azuma expected, Shoko Ieiri responded to his friendliness with a flat, indifferent remark before continuing forward on her own.

“Do whatever you want.”

Seeing her cold response, Suguru Geto blinked, unsure what he'd done wrong.

Tōru Azuma merely shrugged and followed after her.

Still confused, Geto could only follow as well, privately thinking that every one of his new classmates seemed stranger than the last...

Before long, the three of them reached the classroom, and their teacher arrived right on time.

Although Jujutsu High mainly focused on knowledge related to the jujutsu world, it didn't neglect ordinary academic subjects either.

After all, this was still called a school. It wasn't some organization dedicated solely to producing fighters, so their general education couldn't be ignored.

That morning, they first attended ordinary subjects such as language and mathematics, followed by jujutsu theory.

There wasn't much worth mentioning about that part.

They simply listened and absorbed the material.

As expected, a certain white-haired boy in sunglasses never appeared.

His absence lasted all the way until their afternoon practical training session...

An hour after lunch, the three of them changed into the somewhat old-fashioned black tracksuits used for practical training and gathered on the training grounds that Tōru Azuma already knew extremely well.

Their instructor was Masamichi Yaga.

Or rather, barring any surprises, this stern-looking man with a soft heart would be responsible for most of their instruction from now on.

Yet Satoru Gojo still hadn't appeared.

As a result, Yaga paced back and forth with a distinctly unpleasant expression.

Only after several dozen more minutes did footsteps finally approach from outside the training grounds, accompanied by an irritatingly carefree voice.

“Good afternoon. Why haven't you started training yet? Were you waiting for me?”

Seeing Satoru Gojo strolling in as if nothing were wrong, Suguru Geto frowned.

He had just opened his mouth to say something when Masamichi Yaga, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead, cut him off.

“Go change immediately. You have two minutes.”

Seeing that Yaga genuinely seemed angry, Satoru Gojo didn't push his luck.

But as he passed Tōru Azuma, he gave him a rather strange look and spoke in a teasing tone.

“Azuma, something pretty interesting might happen to you soon. I'm looking forward to seeing how you react.”

After saying that, he didn't immediately leave.

Instead, he stood there grinning, clearly hoping Tōru Azuma would ask what he meant.

Tōru Azuma merely looked at him and nodded.

“Thanks for the warning, Gojo. But you'd better go change first. Otherwise, Yaga-sensei might get even angrier.”

Seeing that he refused to take the bait, Satoru Gojo clicked his tongue in disappointment, then went off to change before returning to the training grounds.

When Masamichi Yaga began teaching them the most basic methods of Cursed Energy control, the other three followed his instructions and went through the foundational exercises despite already being quite proficient.

Only one person stood lazily off to the side, barely participating, as though nothing could hold his interest.

Seeing that, Suguru Geto's frown deepened.

But since their teacher hadn't said anything, he didn't feel it was his place to interfere.

So the session continued in silence.

“All right, that's enough for now. Take a break and do what you want for a while. We'll continue afterward.”

After saying that, Masamichi Yaga stepped back toward the edge of the training grounds and quietly observed them.

Even after the training stopped, Tōru Azuma didn't relax completely. He simply steadied his breathing and seemed to be thinking about something.

The instant Shoko Ieiri heard that they were on break, she visibly relaxed.

She quickly found a shaded spot beneath a tree, leaned against the trunk, and pulled out her phone.

Satoru Gojo, who clearly disliked physical training to begin with, seemed to melt on the spot.

He sprawled sideways across a bench in the shade and continued complaining.

“Seriously... is there any point in training this stuff? And why do we have to stand out here getting roasted by the sun?”

Hearing that, Suguru Geto finally reached the limit of his patience.

He strode toward Gojo, his long shadow stretching across the ground beneath the sunlight until it covered him.

Gojo pushed his sunglasses down slightly and looked up with those ice-blue eyes, curiosity and confusion mixed in his gaze.

“What?”

“Gojo.”

Looking down at him, Suguru Geto spoke in a voice that was clearly suppressing irritation.

“The training grounds aren't here for you to lie around sunbathing. Everyone else is training while you're doing absolutely nothing. Even if you're a genius from the Gojo Clan, don't you think that attitude is a little disgraceful?”

Satoru Gojo merely gave a dismissive laugh.

“This kind of basic training is as simple to me as one plus one equals two. Do I really need to take it seriously?”

“Whether it's necessary isn't for you to decide.”

At this point, Suguru Geto stopped hiding his dissatisfaction.

His voice sharpened.

“As far as I'm concerned, that kind of careless attitude could affect future missions. I don't want to trust my back to someone this unreliable.”

The moment those words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.

The others nearby immediately looked over.

By this point, the tension between the two was obvious.

Sure enough, Satoru Gojo's smile disappeared.

He rose from the bench and stared directly at Suguru Geto.

“Are you saying... I'd be a liability to you?”

“Of course. You keep saying you're the strongest, but I haven't seen anything strong about you yet.”

At those words, the corner of Gojo's mouth rose again.

But this time, the smile contained none of his earlier carelessness or teasing.

Only fighting spirit and seriousness remained.

“Then how about we find out?”

Their gazes met head-on.

Suguru Geto showed no intention of backing down.

“Fine. Let's find out.”

Satoru Gojo's smile widened, but he didn't attack immediately.

Instead, he turned toward Masamichi Yaga, who was watching from nearby.

“Yaga-sensei, I want to spar with Geto. That's fine, right?”

A sharp glint appeared in Masamichi Yaga's eyes as he watched them.

He nodded, then calmly added several conditions.

“That's fine. Sparring with each other is also part of improving. But you'll divide the match into two rounds.”

“The first round will be a Cursed Technique battle. You may only use your Cursed Techniques and basic movement.”

“The second round will be a hand-to-hand battle. No Cursed Techniques and no Cursed Energy Reinforcement. You will rely entirely on pure physical combat.”

Tōru Azuma's eyes flickered slightly.

He could vaguely sense that Yaga had another intention behind those rules.

A thoughtful look also appeared in Shoko Ieiri's eyes, though it was mixed with far more annoyance than curiosity.

The two standing opposite each other in the center of the training grounds paid no attention to any of that.

They simply agreed at the same time and took their positions.

The first clash between Gojo and Geto was about to begin.

...

Chapter 30: The First Battle Between Limitless and Cursed Spirit Manipulation

“Three, two, one, begin!”

As the countdown ended, the two facing each other simultaneously took a step back.

Since this was purely a clash of Cursed Techniques, creating some distance would make it easier for both of them to use their abilities.

Satoru Gojo intended to finish the match as quickly as possible, so he immediately raised his right hand toward Suguru Geto. A brilliant blue light began swirling and condensing at his fingertips, ready to shoot out at any moment.

Before the fight began, Masamichi Yaga had specifically declared that they were forbidden from using attacks that could actually injure each other. The winner would instead be determined by the number of hits landed or by strikes to vital areas.

That meant Gojo could only use Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue at minimum output, while Geto could only summon Cursed Spirits with relatively weak offensive capabilities.

Even under those restrictions, Gojo didn't believe he could lose.

Suguru Geto reacted just as quickly. With a sweep of both hands, several birdlike Cursed Spirits suddenly materialized in the air and swooped toward him.

Although Gojo had already mastered Limitless to some extent, he still couldn't activate and deactivate it freely at will. He therefore diverted some of the Cursed Energy maintaining Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue and used it to bring up Limitless instead.

The effect was immediate.

The Cursed Spirits stopped several centimeters away from his body, unable to move even an inch closer, as though they had crashed into an invisible wall.

Gojo casually released the Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue he had already condensed.

The flying Cursed Spirits were instantly caught in its pull, twisted together, and hurled toward Suguru Geto.

Geto narrowly avoided them, but seeing how effortless the exchange had been, Gojo couldn't help laughing.

“If that's all you've got, you're not a threat to me at all, Geto.”

“Is that so...? Then try these, Gojo.”

Seeing his first attack dealt with so easily, Suguru Geto's expression hardly changed. He simply waved his hand again, summoning even more Cursed Spirits to surround Gojo.

This time, there weren't only flying Cursed Spirits.

Several other small Cursed Spirits rushed forward at once, gathering in such numbers that they almost seemed ready to bury Satoru Gojo beneath them.

Gojo didn't take the attack seriously in the slightest.

He maintained Limitless around himself while casually firing several minimum-output Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue to scatter the incoming Cursed Spirits. He even let out an obnoxiously casual yawn.

“If this is all you're going to do, this is getting pretty boring. If you don't show me something more interesting soon... I'm ending this.”

As he spoke, an even brighter light began condensing at his fingertips.

It seemed he was finally preparing to take the fight a little more seriously and finish it with the highest output allowed under the rules.

From his perspective, he had been in an unbeatable position from the very beginning.

Suguru Geto reacted quickly, and an army of Cursed Spirits was certainly troublesome to deal with, but none of them had any way to break through Limitless.

That was exactly why Gojo called himself the strongest.

To his surprise, however, Geto didn't look discouraged.

Instead, a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

“Gojo, looks like you haven't realized you've already fallen into my trap.”

“Oh?”

Gojo gave a dismissive laugh and prepared to end the battle.

Then the flow of Cursed Energy inside his body suddenly slowed for a fraction of a second.

The Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue gathering in his hand immediately began to distort and fluctuate.

Watching from the side, Masamichi Yaga's eyes sharpened slightly. His gaze settled on several of the Cursed Spirits surrounding Gojo, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

Shoko Ieiri wasn't particularly interested in the fight between her two classmates, but even she quickly noticed that something was wrong.

Tōru Azuma, meanwhile, fixed his eyes on one particular Cursed Spirit with an intrigued expression.

“Mist...”

That was exactly what it was.

An extremely faint mist, almost impossible to notice with the naked eye, was being released from the mouth of one of the Cursed Spirits surrounding Satoru Gojo and entering his body.

In the original story, Gojo had once mentioned that his Limitless initially couldn't filter out toxins or certain more abstract threats.

But that was something Gojo himself had revealed.

Other people didn't know about that weakness. Most simply assumed that Limitless could block every form of attack.

Suguru Geto had naturally heard the same information, and even before proposing this match, he had already been thinking about how he might deal with Limitless.

According to what was commonly known throughout the jujutsu world, Limitless could identify threats according to the user's judgment and prevent them from reaching the body.

If it relied on the user's own judgment, then what happened if the threat was something the user failed to notice?

Would Limitless fail to block it?

Something like air.

Or perhaps dust, smoke, or mist.

Geto didn't know whether his theory was correct, but he had decided it was worth testing.

So he searched through his collection of Cursed Spirits and found one he had never used in actual combat before.

It could release a mist that interfered with the flow of Cursed Energy.

The effect was weak, but the mist was almost invisible and made no sound.

Geto then used large numbers of weak Cursed Spirits to obstruct Gojo's vision while having that particular Cursed Spirit quietly spread its mist around him, waiting for an opening.

He only needed one.

After all, Geto didn't need to truly defeat Gojo.

He only needed to show him that he wasn't actually invincible, and that being the strongest didn't mean having no weaknesses whatsoever.

With that thought, Suguru Geto's gaze sharpened.

A remarkably fast Cursed Spirit suddenly materialized behind Satoru Gojo.

Gojo still hadn't figured out why the flow of his Cursed Energy had slowed, but the instant his Six Eyes detected the threat behind him and fed him the relevant information, he instinctively activated Limitless.

At that exact moment, however, the mist interfered again.

The activation of Limitless stalled for a single second.

A light but extraordinarily precise strike landed squarely against his back.

It didn't hurt.

Yet the impact that blow had on Gojo was greater than anything he'd experienced before.

Because from the moment he was born until now, this was the first time he had genuinely been outmaneuvered by someone else.

And it had happened in front of everyone.

The unfamiliar emotion shook him.

The blue light in his hand suddenly flared brighter than before, and the output of Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue immediately exceeded the limit Yaga had allowed.

Seeing this, Masamichi Yaga shouted sharply.

“Gojo!”

Only after hearing Yaga's voice did Satoru Gojo snap back to his senses.

But by then, the brilliant blue vortex had already shot toward Suguru Geto at tremendous speed.

Its attraction was several times stronger than before, ripping several paving stones from the ground and pulling up a large cloud of dust with them.

The black-haired boy didn't panic.

He simply summoned a samurai-like Cursed Spirit clad in black armor and carrying an enormous shield, placing it directly in front of himself.

The rotating Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue slammed into the shield.

A sharp, piercing grinding noise rang out, making everyone watching instinctively frown.

At the same time, a spiraling pattern of twisted and torn damage spread across the shield's surface.

Only after Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue completely dissipated did Geto dismiss the Cursed Spirit.

Masamichi Yaga then calmly walked between the two of them and announced the result.

“First round, Suguru Geto wins.”

“Wait. Why did I lose?”

As expected, Satoru Gojo had absolutely no intention of accepting the result.

His face was filled with stubborn dissatisfaction.

Masamichi Yaga simply looked at him.

“You were the first to exceed the permitted output.”

Gojo paused for a moment, then immediately argued back.

“What about Geto? He obviously used a Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirit too. That ability that interfered with my Cursed Energy couldn't possibly belong to some ordinary Cursed Spirit.”

Faced with the accusation, Yaga calmly shook his head and repeated what he had said before the match.

“Pay attention. I said you weren't allowed to use attacks that could injure the other person. Control-type abilities don't fall under that restriction.”

At that, even if Gojo was still annoyed, he had nothing left to say.

The Cursed Spirit's ability had merely interfered with the circulation and activation of his Cursed Energy. It hadn't caused him any actual injury.

Gojo, on the other hand, had been the first to use Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue at normal combat output.

Even so, seeing Suguru Geto smiling at him still left him unconvinced.

“That was just a cheap trick. In a real fight, if I could go all out, that mist wouldn't affect me at all.”

“Cheap trick or not, if it works, that's enough, isn't it?”

Suguru Geto wasn't provoked in the slightest.

He simply continued looking at Gojo with that irritating smile, causing Gojo's gaze to sharpen again.

“You won't be able to get through the next round with little tricks.”

“Heh. We'll see.”

After a brief rest, the two moved on to the next phase.

Hand-to-hand combat.

Since there was no way to ensure that their Cursed Energy Reinforcement was perfectly equal, neither of them was allowed to use it.

They would fight using only ordinary close-range combat.

In other words, a straightforward physical brawl.

The first person to take ten hits to vital areas would lose.

Seeing the two of them already glaring at each other again after barely resting for a few moments, Shoko Ieiri sighed inwardly.

From her perspective, the entire argument was completely unnecessary.

Whether it was because of Satoru Gojo's laziness or Suguru Geto taking things too seriously, this was ultimately nothing more than teenage pride.

They could have simply left each other alone and gone about their days peacefully.

Instead, they had somehow managed to turn it into an actual fight.

“What a pair of idiots.”

Two identical voices spoke at exactly the same time.

Shoko turned to the side in surprise.

Standing beside her was Tōru Azuma, wearing an equally startled expression.