"Wow, that's amazing. Just like a battlefield in a movie."
Shoko watched from a distance, her face filled with excitement.
Opportunities to watch something that looked like a live-action Hollywood blockbuster this close were rare.
"Suguru really knows how to have fun."
Seeing Suguru strike a pose reminiscent of Gilgamesh, his Cursed Spirit space behind him mimicking the Gate of Babylon, Satoru couldn't help but feel an itch to join in.
Who should I cosplay as?
Saber?
No, Saber is already in the spotlight.
Heracles?
No, too rugged. Doesn't match my invincible and youthful charm.
Who else?
"Wah, more bugs. Hey, Eichi, does Geto really like bugs?"
Looking at the spiders, worms, and other hideous flying insects whose names she couldn't even remember, Shoko frowned and asked.
"Uh, well... that's just a coincidence. Coincidence."
Remembering the centipede and other insect-type Cursed Spirits that hadn't even shown up yet, Eichi felt a bit helpless.
Suguru was perfect in every way, except for his weird love of creepy-crawlies.
"Only weaklings are afraid of bugs, you know."
Satoru teased smugly.
"I'm not a combatant to begin with, alright?"
Shoko rolled her eyes at him.
With Suguru not around, Eichi had grown mostly immune to Satoru's teasing. Unfortunately, Satoru's new classmate didn't give him much of a reaction either.
Ah, I forgot to warn Artoria that Suguru is also skilled in close combat.
Watching the scene, Eichi smacked his forehead when he saw Artoria briefly thrown off after engaging in melee.
Fortunately, Artoria quickly adjusted her rhythm with the help of Invisible Air.
Back in the training ground.
Suguru changed his approach, switching from wielding one segment of Playful Cloud in each hand to grabbing one end with both hands and swinging it in wide arcs. He used one hand to swing with full force and the other to catch the rebounding section to continue his attacks.
A single segment of Playful Cloud was shorter than Artoria's Holy Sword.
But its full three-segment length was much longer.
Since he couldn't predict the precise range of the Holy Sword, Suguru chose to dominate with greater reach and coverage.
Playful Cloud was the only Special Grade cursed tool without any embedded Technique. Its ability was simple and brutal.
It amplified physical strength. The more force the wielder applied, the greater the destructive output it produced.
It was pure physical might.
Even among countless other cursed tools, Playful Cloud's raw strength was unique.
After all, most Jujutsu Sorcerers preferred cursed tools that offered additional techniques or effects.
These attacks did make it difficult for Artoria to close the distance.
But she wasn't in a rush.
Her extensive battle experience told her that techniques emphasizing overwhelming force usually came with weaknesses, such as slower recovery time or greater stamina drain.
Sure enough, before long, Suguru's swings began to slow.
He also realized Artoria's aim.
While he continued swinging Playful Cloud, his Cursed Spirit space opened behind him.
Seeing this, Artoria adjusted the angle of Invisible Air.
Then, the Invisible Air was released in full.
The violent gusts not only disrupted Suguru's movements, but also kicked up clouds of dust and debris.
The ground around them had already been torn apart by sword strikes and Playful Cloud, so the loose soil was easily swept up.
Suguru instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes from the sand.
Suddenly, a strong sense of danger surged through him.
He kept his left hand raised while swinging Playful Cloud with his right in front of him.
Clang.
The blade of the Holy Sword scraped against the staff. Artoria twisted her wrist slightly.
With a single blow, Playful Cloud was knocked aside.
Suguru used the sword's now-visible outline in the dust storm to roughly estimate Artoria's position. With the Invisible Air dispersed, Excalibur was no longer cloaked.
Seizing the moment Artoria withdrew her sword after knocking Playful Cloud away, Suguru lunged forward. Using his height advantage, he aimed an elbow strike at her head.
Seeing the incoming strike, Artoria pivoted gracefully, avoiding the blow.
As they passed each other, she let go of the sword with her right hand and countered with her own elbow strike.
Due to their height difference, her elbow landed squarely on Suguru's lower back.
Suguru hissed in pain, voice strained.
Artoria's Holy Sword hovered beside his neck.
"I, I lost."
Artoria withdrew her Holy Sword. With a forceful swing of her right arm, she dispersed the surrounding dust cloud.
As the battle ended, Shoko walked into the field to examine Suguru's lower back.
She advised him to get it checked at the hospital and to buy some supplements.
Suguru: ....
With the spar over, the second day at Tokyo Jujutsu High drew to a close.
The students returned to the dorms, chatting and laughing, while Yaga stayed up late, rubbing his temples.
He had to write both the damage report for the training ground and the funding request for its repair.
The following days passed peacefully.
Until Sunday arrived.
At a comic convention in a large shopping mall...
Satoru stood at a booth, wearing a purple eye mask, long purple wig, and a maid outfit, posing for photos with enthusiastic fans.
"Oh my god. What a tall Medusa!"
"Medusa is naturally tall. If you actually watched the anime, you'd know she's self-conscious about her height."
"Oh, you're right!"
"Less talking, more photos!"
"Oh, right, coming!"
Soon, several people rushed forward.
Satoru was ridiculously photogenic. Even with the eye mask partially covering his face, his stunning features, fair skin, and mysterious aura drew everyone's gaze.
He looked like he had stepped right out of an anime.
"Want a photo? Come on, say cheese."
Wait... is that a guy?
The crowd only got more hyped.
"We want one too!"
This time, two young women squeezed into the booth.
"Of course."
"And me, and me!"
"Come, come, the more the merrier."
Maybe it was because the eye mask obscured his identity, or maybe it was just Satoru's natural confidence.
Shortly after arriving, he completely let loose, effortlessly striking dazzling poses with grace and ease.
"That pose is perfect. Damn, you're still the flashiest, Satoru."
Not far away, Eichi kept clicking the shutter until his finger cramped.
Originally, he just thought it would be funny for Satoru to cosplay Medusa, especially since Satoru would later be known for always wearing an eye mask. He had even hired a professional makeup artist for the occasion.
And it paid off.
The mask added mystery instead of hiding his looks.
The tailored maid costume softened his muscular frame without diminishing his presence.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)