Chapter 56: Training and Points Above All (Patreon)

Chapter 56: Training and Points Supremacy

…

Honestly, Haruki Yamauchi was far too fragile, and he'd run away far too fast.

Satoru Anjouin hadn't even brought up the fact that the guy had led a gang of followers to harass a first-year girl.

Yamauchi thought he looked cool with a horde of lackeys in tow, and that having awakened the Ten Shadows Technique made him some kind of chosen one. But with that sloppy face of his… there was simply no way any girl would fall for him.

That's right. Even with the Ten Shadows Technique awakened.

Anjouin hadn't set out to target Yamauchi at first.

He'd only been patrolling with Ai Morishita when he saw the guy's grand parade, complete with flower petals and streamers flung everywhere. It was hard not to notice. He'd meant to probe the guy a little, and, well, that was how it ended up.

As for the accomplices, Anjouin only had them register their names in the end.

If he was going to deal with them properly, he'd rather wait until the complaint box was set up.

After all, the guy had awakened the Ten Shadows Technique, so the Zenin family would surely take notice. That was also why Anjouin had tested him on the spot when he ran into him.

He just wondered whether he could use the guy to squeeze some money out of the Zenin family.

—

Despite the little interlude, the rest of the patrol went smoothly.

Best of all, Morishita took the opportunity to lead Anjouin into a hidden shop.

"Damn, they really do have everything."

Tucked in a corner of the basement level of Keyaki Mall, the shop sold single-use special cursed talismans and cursed objects.

He'd known this school might really sell anything, but he never expected talismans that worked like Poké Balls.

It would also greatly raise his success rate at capturing idol cursed spirits.

"The high-grade one costs 1 million and can capture any cursed spirit below Special Grade. The mid-grade one costs 100,000 and can capture cursed spirits up to Semi-Grade 1. The low-grade one costs 10,000 and can capture cursed spirits up to Semi-Grade 2."

Of course, Anjouin bought one of each.

"Little Blue, you've been a huge help."

Without these talismans, he'd have needed two or three more weeks of preparation, and he'd have had to ask Kento Nanami, a Grade 1 sorcerer, for help.

"Hmph~"

Morishita puffed out her chest, wearing a proud look.

(/≧▽≦)/

"Looks like I'll have to step up the search of Keyaki Mall and the other facilities."

Anjouin already had new ideas.

It was just that, for now, he couldn't spare much time.

In fact, he'd also accepted an invitation from Student Council President Manabu Horikita, which meant tonight's extra tutoring session for his classmates had ended early.

—

That night, after finishing the lessons, Anjouin headed to the gym in the mall.

Manabu Horikita, who had just wrapped up his Student Council duties, had already changed in the locker room and was waiting for him in a private room he'd reserved.

"Senior Horikita, you're really loaded."

Anjouin had changed into the clothes the gym provided, then walked into the room.

"I booked it a while ago, and it didn't cost many points."

Unlike his cold, all-business image at work, Manabu seemed a little talkative now that he was off the clock.

"So, did you call me here to give me a beating, Senior Horikita?"

Anjouin struck a defensive pose. He had no martial arts training, so his form was thoroughly amateur.

"You could say that. You've been a good help to Suzune."

"Huh?"

Hearing that, Anjouin was completely lost. He didn't think he'd said much of anything to Suzune Horikita.

He'd called himself her tutor, but apart from sending her some notes from the specialized classes and telling her a few basics of the jujutsu world, he'd hardly given her any guidance at all.

Even the notes he sent her lagged far behind what Class 1-A and Class B got.

After all, Class 1-A and Class B had paid for their lessons. Even though the content of the specialized classes was hardly classified, he couldn't help treating them differently.

That he sent Suzune notes and told her the basics at all was only out of respect for the points Manabu had given him, and for the sake of that ancient book.

Even if the so-called ancient Binding had grown less practical in this era, it still helped Anjouin quite a lot.

But while he was still puzzled, Manabu came at him without mercy.

A fist carrying no cursed energy at all passed straight through his sham of a guard.

In response, Anjouin slammed both hands together, trying to catch the fist that swept in like wildfire.

Anjouin had never been in a fight before.

Still, he knew that fighting came down to having the nerve to throw a punch and the nerve to face one.

So the moment he realized he couldn't catch Manabu's fist, he changed course at once. He took the hit on his body and, without any hesitation, kicked back at the other man.

Perhaps because he'd read quite a few Krav Maga instruction books, his kick was aimed straight at the groin.

Manabu backed off, thoroughly exasperated. He pushed up the glasses on his nose and sighed.

"At least you know how to trade injury for injury."

To dodge Anjouin's kick at his vital spot, Manabu had pulled back early, which meant his guard-piercing punch landed on Anjouin's chest with only moderate force.

"Didn't I fail to trade, though?"

Anjouin rubbed his chest. Even with Manabu holding back, that punch left his whole body aching.

"That's fine. Let's do a few more rounds."

With that, Manabu closed in again.

Anjouin didn't ask why. He tried to dodge, and when he couldn't, he blocked with the parts of his body least likely to get hurt, all while trying to trade blows with Manabu.

But against Manabu, who had years of systematic training and the skill to both teach and fight, Anjouin was flattened in a few exchanges.

"All right, that's it for the no-cursed-energy portion. Now we'll move on to jujutsu sorcerer hand-to-hand combat."

Hearing this, Anjouin, who had been lying on the ground for a while, climbed to his feet.

Then cursed energy poured smoothly out of his body.

Manabu studied it for a moment, and Anjouin thought he glimpsed a faint smile.

Then Anjouin saw the cursed energy surging from Manabu.

Compared to his own, it was on another plane entirely, both in quality and in nature.

Both were cursed energy, yet Anjouin could vaguely sense the difference.

To borrow the words of Jujutsu Kaisen's designated best bro, Todo:

A sorcerer who has never landed a Black Flash drives cursed energy like someone who has never tasted the ingredients, just tossing them into a pot by feel and stewing them together.

A sorcerer who has landed a Black Flash understands the "flavor" of the ingredient called cursed energy. As a head chef, they're on a completely different level, with better knife work, better heat control, and a far more perfect dish.

Manabu's cursed energy seemed to be at a boil, with a more "vivid" feel than his own.

"Get ready, Anjouin."

"Yes."

Anjouin gathered most of his cursed energy into his arms and torso and braced for impact…

He didn't think he was qualified to brawl with Manabu at this stage.

What followed was a barrage as swift as a gale.

From fists to elbows, from feet to knees.

It shattered the defensive line Anjouin had built by reinforcing himself with cursed energy as if it were nothing.

His kicks in particular had absurd penetrating power.

Driving off the ball of his foot, Manabu speared a kick diagonally upward, broke through the defense Anjouin had reinforced with condensed cursed energy, and sent him flying backward.

Luckily he'd reinforced himself with cursed energy, or that blow might have sent him straight to the afterlife.

In his own estimation, it felt like being hit by a car.

Of course, he was gradually starting to see what Manabu meant to teach him.

Ignoring the pain, he naturally pulled himself up again.

He wasn't the type to take a beating without hitting back, and this time he went on the offensive himself.

Every punch and kick was wrapped in smooth cursed energy. He lacked fighting experience, but he did remember the essence of Krav Maga.

That left Manabu struggling to keep a straight face. One careless moment, and Anjouin would try to grab his balls, gouge his eyes, smash his nuts, kick his crotch, scoop at his groin, or jab his ass.

Damn.

Every single move was aimed below the belt.

"Stop, hold on. Your attack intentions are way too dirty."

Anjouin's technique kept improving, and with Manabu deliberately feeding him openings, it was slowly starting to look like something. But Manabu had to guard against sneak attacks every so often, and he was growing worn out.

"Anjouin, be serious."

"Yes, Senior Horikita."

Anjouin had no choice but to agree.

Even knowing Manabu was doing this for his own good, getting beaten up was never a pleasant feeling.

Wanting a little petty revenge wasn't strange at all.

"I recall that once the Exorcism Club is established, you plan to accompany Instructor Nanami on outings and take part in official exorcism missions?"

"That's right."

Though that was really just a pretext. Anjouin was mainly going out to catch Pokémon—ahem, wrong, to capture idol cursed spirits.

Of course, he'd also take part in exorcism missions alongside the original Jujutsu High students.

After all, to "revive" the so-called Anjouin family, he would need a solid track record.

Still, a newcomer like him wouldn't be handed anything too difficult at the start.

He'd begin at Grade 4 and slowly work his way up.

Ordinary jujutsu sorcerers generally top out at Grade 2.

Some manage to reach Grade 1 simply by outlasting everyone else, and some are rated Special Grade sorcerers because they come from the Three Great Families.

In the end, a qualitative leap in cursed energy doesn't depend entirely on Black Flash. Still, landing one really is the fastest way to grasp the essence of cursed energy.

Cursed energy springs from a sorcerer's own negative emotions, and so, naturally, from the sorcerer's sense of self.

Put simply, once you understand what the "self" is, your caliber as a sorcerer rises on its own.

"Then let me tell you something."

"What is it?"

Thanks to the beating Manabu had given him, Anjouin was covered in bruises, and he winced at even the lightest touch.

"If a student of Advanced Nurturing High School meets an unnatural death, they can be revived at the underground altar connected to the Old School Building."

"Huh?!"

"The first time is free. After that, each revival costs 50 million points."

In the plainest terms possible, Manabu explained just how outrageous the school's doctrine of points supremacy really was.

It wasn't quite true that points could buy everything, but what they could buy was already outrageous enough.

"Of course, this is an exclusive perk for Advanced Nurturing High School students, and only a Student Council President is entitled to know about it."

"But there's no way to keep that secret, right? As soon as a student dies…"

"No. The relevant memories get altered. A student revived after an unnatural death will only believe they were saved by the school's emergency care."

Hearing this, Anjouin fell silent.

He'd already thought the place was absurd, yet he still couldn't help marveling at how remarkable this school was.

"By your plan, you'll be heading out in a week or two. In that case, starting tomorrow I'll make time to train you at this same hour."

"Then I'll be counting on you, Senior Horikita."

Anjouin didn't refuse the offer.

At worst, he could just help this sadistic tsundere sis-con four-eyes's little sister a bit more down the line.