Chapter 54 (Patreon)

Satoru Gojo began introducing the two of them to everyone.

“A Cursed Tool specialist, Maki Zen’in.”

“She uses special weapons to exorcise curses.”

Yuta Okkotsu suddenly asked, “Is it the same as Ragnar-nii… no, wait, Ragnar-sensei?”

Since Ragnar Kagenou didn’t really care about how Yuta addressed him in daily life, Yuta had gradually gotten used to calling him that.

But this was a formal introduction, so saying it like that felt a little inappropriate.

Gojo scratched the side of his head and said, “Uh… the gap between those two is way too big to compare.”

“But… if you only look at the result, then sure. They both use Cursed Tools to exorcise curses.”

Gojo silently thought to himself that properly handling Cursed Tools and crushing enemies by throwing out a mountain of them were two completely different things.

Still, as long as the curse ended up exorcised, close enough.

“Next, Cursed Speech user, Toge Inumaki.”

Toge Inumaki raised one hand and said flatly, “Kelp. (That’s me.)”

Seeing that Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto were still confused by his strange way of speaking, Gojo explained.

“His vocabulary is limited to rice ball ingredients, so you’ll have to put in a little effort when talking to him.”

Well, that counted as an introduction.

Next was—

“Panda.”

Panda stretched lazily and greeted them. “I’m Panda. Nice to meet you.”

After finishing the introductions, Gojo thought for a moment.

“That’s about it.”

Yuta stared at the Panda in front of him.

He was clearly the one Yuta wanted to know about the most, yet Gojo had explained absolutely nothing about him.

Still, everyone seemed satisfied.

Jujutsu High’s first-year class had grown from three students to five.

Although one of them was a panda.

Immediately after that, Gojo began assigning teams.

“For this afternoon’s practical jujutsu training, we’ll split into two groups. One group of three, and one group of two.”

Gojo glanced over them.

“Inumaki, Panda, and Rika. You three are one group.”

The moment Gojo finished speaking, Rika Orimoto’s expression darkened with dissatisfaction.

“Maki and Yuta, you’re the other group.”

Hearing that, Rika finally couldn’t hold back.

How dare that woman be put in a group with Yuta?

Maki Zen’in clicked her tongue. Then she noticed Rika glaring at her, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

It wasn’t even me who made the groups. Why are you staring at me?

And honestly, it was pretty scary.

Gojo said, “If there are no objections—”

Rika walked over to Yuta and said, “I’ve always been in a group with Yuta. Besides, how can Yuta be in a group with that woman?”

Maki’s eyebrow twitched. “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? You want to fight?”

Rika smiled sweetly. “A woman with nothing but muscles in her head should be careful. Keep going like that, and you’ll turn into a gorilla.”

“You—!”

Seeing the situation start to go bad, Gojo quickly stepped in and stopped them.

He had heard from Ragnar Kagenou that Rika Orimoto’s Cursed Energy was different from that of an ordinary jujutsu sorcerer.

Rather than a normal human, she was closer to a Cursed Spirit with a human appearance and emotions.

If that were all, it would already be troublesome enough.

But Rika Orimoto’s Cursed Energy was far more terrifying than that of an ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirit.

Most Special Grades couldn’t even compare to her.

“Alright, alright… then Rika, you can join them too.”

“Thank you, Gojo-sensei.”

Gojo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered, “She’s surprisingly polite.”

——————

At a certain elementary school.

Yuta Okkotsu entered the campus and looked at Gojo, who was walking ahead.

“Where are we?”

“An elementary school.”

Gojo’s tone remained light.

“One where people have gone missing.”

Rika Orimoto could already sense the presence of a curse within the school.

“A Cursed Spirit?”

“That’s right.”

Yuta understood immediately.

It seemed someone inside the elementary school had either been attacked or taken by a Cursed Spirit.

Seeing their expressions, Gojo didn’t explain much further. He simply told them that two children were trapped inside by the curse.

After all, places like schools and hospitals were natural breeding grounds for curses. Fear, anxiety, regret, pain—negative emotions gathered there far too easily.

“Exorcise the curse and save the children. If they’re already dead, recover the bodies.”

After saying that, Gojo raised his hand and began chanting.

“Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure.”

In an instant, a dark veil spread across the sky above the school.

It was a Curtain.

A basic barrier technique used by jujutsu sorcerers to conceal an area from ordinary people and keep the outside world unaware of what was happening within.

“Alright. Good luck.”

With that, Gojo left the school before the Curtain fully descended.

Maki Zen’in looked at the two who still hadn’t moved, took out her Cursed Tool, and aimed it at the low-grade Cursed Spirit in front of them.

“You two, stop standing around.”

Yuta Okkotsu drew the katana from his back, while Rika Orimoto had no need for a weapon.

The Cursed Spirit, which looked like a dumpling, opened its mouth and said, “Co… come in…”

Rika looked at Maki’s tense posture, smiled, and said, “There’s no need to be so cautious against a curse of this level.”

The moment she finished speaking—

Maki only saw a black shadow flash past her eyes.

The Cursed Spirits in front of them were crushed instantly.

“What speed…”

Rika put her hands behind her back and leaned against Yuta.

Yuta reached out and gently patted her head.

Maki’s expression changed. With a cold face, she turned and walked ahead, unable to keep looking at the two of them.

After that, the three of them entered the school in an atmosphere that could barely be called friendly.

In the hallway, Yuta tried to smooth things over.

“Zen’in-san, Rika doesn’t mean any harm. It’s just…”

Maki cut him off. “Don’t call me by my last name.”

Rika looked at Maki, her gaze growing slightly dangerous.

Maki felt helpless.

It really did feel like being targeted by a Cursed Spirit.

She could only continue, “I don’t like my last name. People who know me just call me by my first name.”

Well, that settled it.

Just then, a giant carp-like Cursed Spirit opened its mouth and swallowed the three of them whole.

Rika grabbed Yuta. “Oh my, it’s a carp. I wonder what it would look like if we ripped it open.”

Looking at Rika’s smile, Maki couldn’t help thinking that this woman really was like a Cursed Spirit given human form.

She was far too terrifying.

Yuta was about to say something, but then he noticed the missing students in front of them.

“Please… save him. He’s about to die.”

Yuta looked at the boy who had spoken.

Both children had already been corroded by the curse.

Fortunately, they could still be saved.

As long as the Cursed Spirit was exorcised.

Swish!

Yuta drew his katana.

The carp’s stomach was sliced open directly.

Then Rika smiled faintly.

A terrifying shikigami-like figure appeared behind her and violently tore the Cursed Spirit apart through the opening Yuta had made.

Maki Zen’in stood to the side, stunned by the scene.

Rika Orimoto had torn the Cursed Spirit apart by force.

Of course, she had also taken part of the school with it.

Outside, Gojo leaned against the car and watched the scene unfold. He couldn’t help muttering,

“Ragnar, your student really is terrifying. She’s basically a Cursed Spirit herself.”

Then he sighed.

“Women really are scary.”

With Rika Orimoto’s intervention, the incident was resolved almost instantly.

The two students were rescued without serious injuries.

The three of them walked out of the school completely unharmed.

Only Maki Zen’in looked as if she still hadn’t recovered from the shock.