"How far have you gotten in your training?"
Toji's gaze fixed on Jinsuke.
His good-for-nothing older brother was way too carefree. He'd probably already opened his fifth cursed core, right? Toji guessed so.
"A little faster than you, maybe."
"Anyway, why all the questions? I'm going to see my niece and nephew after lunch."Jinsuke cut off the topic there.
After mooching a free meal, Jinsuke and Toji returned home. They checked in on Tsumiki's condition, then Jinsuke told Megumi about enrolling at Jujutsu High.
Megumi didn't object. In fact, he was eager to give real combat a try after so much training.
A month passed quickly.
Gojo finally brought Yuta out into the public eye, fair and square.
When the higher-ups learned of it, they realized they'd been played by both Jinsuke and Gojo. Furious, they immediately came to cause trouble for the two of them that very night.
But when they confronted the pair, Gojo and Jinsuke just looked indifferent, leaving the old men completely helpless.
If Gojo hadn't promised to train Yuta into a sorcerer on par with himself, those geezers might've died from sheer rage.
In the end, the higher-ups compromised—Yuta's death sentence was lifted and changed to a suspended one, pending review of his future behavior.
"Guess being a Special Grade sorcerer really does have its perks," Jinsuke said mockingly.
"Yeah? If I'd known those old fossils were this easy to push around, I'd have dragged Yuta out a month ago," Gojo complained, scratching his head while sitting on the front steps of Jujutsu High.
Jinsuke could've taken Yuta out as soon as he'd gotten paid by the higher-ups. He'd only waited out of consideration for their pride.
Still, it worked. At least this way, the old men were only mildly pissed instead of dropping dead on the spot.
"By the way," Gojo said, "Maki — that kid was from your clan, right? Why'd you send her here to Jujutsu High?"
Recently, Tokyo Jujutsu High had welcomed a new batch of first-years—four of them, including Yuta. That was quite a lot. Maki had joined around the same time.
Gojo had recognized her immediately.
After all, that nearly undetectable cursed energy… he hadn't seen anyone else quite like her.
"She came on her own—wants to get stronger. You're their homeroom teacher now, right? Make sure you take that job seriously."Jinsuke grinned.
Hakari and Kirara had already moved up to second year, so he didn't have much to look after anymore.
Gojo sighed. "Hey, hey—you're the last guy who should be lecturing me about responsibility."
"Anyway," Jinsuke said, waving him off, "in a year, my nephew will be enrolling too. Make sure you guide him properly—he's destined to become the strongest sorcerer of the modern era."
"…" Gojo stared blankly.
"Nope. Not happening. You teach your own nephew. I'm busy. If it weren't for Yuta, I wouldn't be teaching anyone."
Gojo refused flat-out. He already knew about Megumi—awakening the Zenin clan's hereditary technique was big news. Kind of like when he himself had awakened both Limitless and Six Eyes as a child.
Sure, he could become the strongest someday. And maybe Gojo would teach him—if he wasn't so swamped already.
But with Jinsuke constantly trying to dump his own students onto him? Forget it.
Not to mention—this was the son of the man who once tried to kill him.
They technically had a blood feud, even if Jinsuke acted like it didn't exist.
Now he wanted Gojo to mentor his brother's kid? Hilarious.
"It's fine—it's just a favor. You'll have time," Jinsuke said casually, hands in his pockets as he walked off.
Gojo watched him go, clenching his jaw. "That guy is still so damn irritating… I really just want to punch him."
He'd long wanted to use "training" as an excuse to beat the crap out of Jinsuke.
But every time, the man dodged him with excuses like "It's not the right time" or "Don't be childish."
And when Gojo tried forcing a fight, Jinsuke would simply vanish without a trace.
Infuriating.
Gojo sighed, shaking his head as he walked back into Jujutsu High.
Someday, he promised himself, he'd finally get his chance.
Back in the classroom, Gojo found chaos. Panda, Inumaki, and Maki were all being thoroughly beaten up—by none other than Rika.
"Rika, stop! They're not trying to hurt me!" Yuta pleaded.
But Rika could feel their hostility and was livid.
"Anyone who tries to harm Yuta will die!"
Of course, their hostility wasn't toward Yuta — it was toward Rika. Who wouldn't be tense when their classmate showed up with a terrifying cursed spirit hovering behind him?
Clap, clap, clap.
"That's enough," Gojo said, clapping his hands. "Everyone, this is your new classmate — Yuta Okkotsu."
"Oh, a new student? I thought a curse user had infiltrated campus," Panda said, rubbing the back of his head.
Inumaki stayed quiet, while Maki simply gave Yuta a flat, unimpressed look.
"Uh, h-hi. I'm Yuta Okkotsu . P-please take care of me!" he stammered nervously.
He clearly wasn't great at social interaction. Even with such a powerful cursed spirit at his side, Yuta was timid and lacked confidence—probably because of Rika herself.
"Alright, starting today, you'll all train together. In one week, I'll assign your first real exorcism mission," Gojo announced.
At that, Maki's eyes lit up. She gripped the handle of her polearm tightly.
She'd come to the right place after all—if she kept exorcising curses, she'd pass her master's test eventually.
A week later, the day of their first mission arrived.
Gojo's real goal was to help Yuta regain confidence.
Outside a school enveloped by a cursed barrier, Gojo watched as Rika tore apart a curse with her bare hands.
"What a terrifying being," Gojo muttered.
Even he, the strongest sorcerer alive, could sense how troublesome Rika truly was. No wonder the higher-ups had been so desperate to see Yuta executed.
"Gojo-sensei! We won!"
Yuta stumbled out of the building, carrying two rescued children. Maki followed, leaning heavily on her sword.
The curse had been semi-Grade 1. Without Yuta's help, Maki probably wouldn't have made it —unless she'd been allowed to use Playful Cloud.
"Didn't expect that kid to really be Special Grade," Maki admitted.
At first, she hadn't understood why Yuta was given that rank right off the bat.
But now, seeing Rika's monstrous power shredding the curse atop the school building, she understood perfectly.
This new classmate of hers… was a natural-born monster.