Clap, clap, clap!
On the Tokyo Jujutsu High training ground, 8-year-old Maki was seriously swinging a wooden sword, launching attacks at Toji.
Toji casually blocked her strikes with his own wooden sword.
Megumi sat on the steps near the training ground, quietly watching while holding an ugly yet cute doll in his arms.
After the major cleanup at the Zen'in Family, Eichi had taken Maki and Mai away from the clan.
When asked what they wanted to do in the future, Mai gave a vague answer.
It was the kind of obedient, safe response that deferred to the adults.
Maki, however, answered directly and firmly.
"I want to become strong. As strong as that man."
The image of Toji pinning Naoya to the ground and beating him was deeply imprinted in Maki's mind.
Especially after Toji mentioned that he had a Heavenly Restriction, Maki's desire only grew stronger.
The former Maki had yearned to grow stronger, even applying to join the Kukuru Squad for training.
Men in the Zen'in Family without Techniques were required to join the Kukuru Squad, dedicating their physical strength to serve the clan.
However, there were no such requirements for women.
Women born into the Zen'in Family without talent would receive strict instruction on clan etiquette, trained to become servants for the gifted or prepared for arranged marriages.
As such, there were almost no women in the Kukuru Squad.
But Maki had voluntarily applied and trained desperately within that unit.
Later, she became a small captain in the Kukuru Squad.
Even so, that still wasn't enough to change the fate of her and Mai.
This was why Maki had chosen to become the Zen'in Family head, to protect her sister and resist her fate.
Fortunately, the head of the clan at that time was Naobito, regarded as the most enlightened leader in Zen'in history.
Otherwise, the moment Maki said those words, her fate would've been sealed.
Seeing Maki's unwavering determination, Naobito had allowed her to leave under the pretense of a trial.
Before she left, he had even hinted that her actions might impact Mai.
But Maki left the clan without hesitation.
With Naobito's tacit approval, no one, not even Naoya, tried to stop her.
That was how Maki had eventually entered Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Ah!"
Perhaps bored after playing with a child for half the day, Toji's wooden sword smacked directly onto Maki's head.
Maki yelped in pain, then clutched her head and squatted down in defense.
"That's enough for today."
Toji tossed the wooden sword aside and left the training ground.
Toji didn't know any formal training methods.
His combat relied entirely on battle experience and beast-like instincts forged through countless real fights.
Although he had been part of the Kukuru Squad before, it was only a cannon fodder guard unit.
Its training methods were basic, and the moves it taught were crude.
So Toji didn't teach Maki any Techniques or structured lessons. Instead, he used actual combat to help her body learn how to fight.
This might have been a bit cruel for an 8-year-old girl.
But both of them, born in the Zen'in Family, had no objections to this method.
Toji had been thrown into a pit of Cursed Spirits at age six and experienced life-and-death struggles.
Maki, after being deemed unable to see Cursed Spirits two years ago, hadn't lived a peaceful day since.
"I'm okay b... that hurts."
Megumi, who had been sitting on the steps, got up to comfort Maki.
But the ugly yet cute doll in his arms suddenly opened its eyes, jumped up, and punched Megumi on the head.
In an instant, there was one more child squatting on the ground, holding his head in defense.
This doll was a Cursed Corpse made by Masamichi.
It was the same type as the one used by Itadori Yuji to train his Cursed Energy control. The only difference was its smaller size.
Masamichi had probably modified it to be smaller so it wouldn't hurt Megumi during training.
"Are you okay?"
Maki, still holding her head and squatting, turned to comfort Megumi when she saw him like that.
She was used to taking care of Mai, who often got scared because she could see Cursed Spirits.
"I'm fine."
Megumi blushed a little.
He had come to comfort Maki, only to end up needing comfort himself.
"Is it over already? How was it?"
Outside the training ground, Eichi, who had just returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High, asked.
He currently held a relatively idle position at the school.
"No good."
Toji answered bluntly.
"Why?"
Eichi sat next to him.
"Her Aura is fine, and she's very determined, but she doesn't have enough talent. If this continues, she'll just die for nothing."
As someone with a Heavenly Restriction, Toji's physical prowess at her age had been far superior to Maki's.
"Is that so..."
Eichi frowned in thought.
He could protect Maki and let her live peacefully.
But that wasn't what Maki wanted.
She wanted the strength to protect her sister, not the charity of others.
In her eyes, depending on someone else's kindness to keep her and Mai safe was no different than staying in the Zen'in Family.
Maki had always felt guilty that Mai died for her.
She believed that, just as her sister had said, it might have been better for them to fall together.
"It seems I need to solve the Heavenly Restriction issue first."
Eichi scratched his head.
If that was the case, then Mai would have to suffer a bit.
"Wasn't that kind of thing determined at birth?"
Toji glanced at Eichi, then at Maki and Megumi, who were encouraging each other.
"Normally, yes, but Maki is different. She should've had a reverse Heavenly Restriction like you, a complete Heavenly Restriction. Unfortunately, they're identical twins."
Toji understood what Eichi meant.
Maki should have been like him, born with zero Cursed Energy and a complete Heavenly Restriction.
But because she and Mai were identical twins, the Cursed Energy system treated them as one person.
As a result, Maki retained a trace of weak Cursed Energy, and her reverse Heavenly Restriction was incomplete.
At the same time, Mai's own Cursed Energy was also reduced.
Toji's gaze toward Maki changed.
Same background, same experiences, even the same kind of ability.
He saw himself in Maki.
The only difference was that Maki still had someone she cared about deep in her heart.
So she still had a reason to keep fighting.
And he had no one.
No... someone I care about. I have that too, don't I?
Toji looked at Megumi.
At this gift the heavens had granted him.
Though he was forgetful, a rotten gambler, bad-tempered, and a man who married into another family, he was a good father.
"What should I do?"
I can't just kill the other little girl.
Toji didn't say the second half of that sentence aloud.
"I'll handle it. You just figure out how to train her."
With that, Eichi stood up and left.
(To be continued.)