"That was incredible, Nanamin!"
"Exorcising a Special Grade so easily... you're amazing!"
Yuji and Nobara completely abandoned their previous skepticism, circling Nanami in full-blown praise mode. Nanami's expression, however, remained as steady as a stone monument.
"That Special Grade was relatively weak," he stated plainly. "Combined with Haibara's timely support, we were able to neutralize it quickly. It was a matter of professional efficiency, nothing more."
Yu Haibara rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Hehe! Thanks for the shout-out, Nanamin!"
"It wasn't a compliment." Nanami adjusted his goggles, his tone dry. "I am simply stating the facts. Your growth is notable, Haibara. However, from this point on, I expect everyone to maintain maximum alertness. Encountering a Special Grade at the very start of the operation suggests the path ahead will be far more treacherous. I cannot guarantee your safety indefinitely."
With that, Nanami gripped his blunt shortsword and took the lead. His no-nonsense silhouette was strangely reassuring. To the three freshmen, this man—though stiff and seemingly joyless—was a pillar of absolute reliability.
"Even so, I don't want to spend the whole night being protected," Yuji said, slamming his right fist into his left palm. "Nanami-senpai, we want to help!"
Nanami paused and looked back at them. The atmosphere grew heavy. The trio swallowed hard, feeling like students waiting for a teacher to hand back a failed exam.
After a long silence, Nanami gave a single, curt nod. "Very well. But you follow my orders to the letter."
"Yes, sir!" they chirped in unison.
The group soon reached a major thoroughfare where Transfigured Humans and low-level curses were swarming like locusts.
"Haibara!"
"On it!" Yu Haibara clasped his hands, his cursed energy radiating outward to encompass the group. "Augmentation Technique: Pulse!"
Yuji and the others felt an immediate, violent surge in their internal power levels.
"Ino, handle the enemies on the left."
"Copy that, Nanami-san! Seance Technique: Auspicious Beast Summon!" Wearing his signature ski mask, Takuma Ino charged into the fray. His right hand manifested a golden, rune-covered horn that spiraled like a high-speed drill. It tore through the air like a bullet, skewering curses and Transfigured Humans alike.
"The seniors are so cool! I can't fall behind!" Yuji lunged forward. His fist, wreathed in cursed energy, slammed into a curse, obliterating its torso.
Due to his freakish physical speed, Yuji's cursed energy often lagged behind the initial impact of his punch. This resulted in a secondary shockwave of energy hitting the target a fraction of a second later—the "Divergent Fist." He had mastered this double-impact strike during his brief stint at the academy, and now, the "Tiger of West Junior High" was truly beginning his hunt.
"Divine Dogs!"
"Straw Doll Technique!"
Megumi and Nobara joined the fray, their styles distinctly more "sorcerer-like" than Yuji's raw brawling. They cleared the street methodically, carving a path through the designated sector.
"Wait." Nanami suddenly came to a halt, extending an arm to bar their path. "Strong cursed energy readings ahead. Likely Grade 1 or higher. Be ready."
CRASH!
Even as he spoke, the glass front of a nearby clothing store shattered outward. A Grade 1 curse flew through the air, doubled over in pain, followed closely by a shirtless man who delivered a devastating flying kick to its midsection.
Before the curse could even hit the pavement, three more high-level spirits emerged from the shadows of the store, surrounding the man. He didn't flinch. Instead, he flashed a confident, dashing smile, his sweat-slicked eight-pack abs gleaming under the amber hum of the streetlights.
"Damn you, Todo!"
Momo Nishimiya appeared in the sky, hovering on her broom. She glared down at Aoi Todo, who was currently busy pummeling a Grade 1 spirit with his bare hands. "You're the squad leader! Since when does a leader just ditch his team and run off on his own?"
Todo pulverized another curse with a single hook, his teeth white against his tan skin. "You guys were just too slow!"
"That's incredibly rude, Todo-senpai!" Miwa Kasumi shouted as she drew her katana, neatly bisecting a Transfigured Human.
Nanami watched her form for a moment. "New Shadow Style?" he murmured.
Soon, the rest of the Kyoto squad—Mechamaru, Mai Zenin, and Noritoshi Kamo—arrived on the scene. When they spotted the Tokyo group, the atmosphere turned lukewarm at best.
Mai Zenin narrowed her eyes, her gaze landing on Nobara. "Hey. Maki Zenin is one of yours, isn't she?"
Nobara's brow arched. "Who are you calling 'Hey,' you rude brat? Yeah, she is. What's it to you?"
Sensing the hostility, Mai let out a mocking sneer. "Your school is truly desperate. Letting a Grade 4 failure like Maki lead the Sixth Squad? It's pathetic."
Nobara's face flushed with anger. "Huh? What kind of garbage are you spewing? Maki-san is a failure?"
Mai laughed. "Spoken like a clueless country bumpkin. Maki Zenin is a victim of Heavenly Restriction. She has almost zero cursed energy. She can't even see curses without those glasses. A person who can only swing a stick and play soldier isn't a sorcerer. She's a waste of space."
"Shut your mouth!" Yuji roared. "You don't know what you're talking about! Maki-san is incredibly strong!"
"Watch out!" Todo suddenly shouted.
In his excitement, Todo had launched a Grade 1 curse with a palm strike. The monster was sailing through the air like a cannonball, headed straight for Yuji's head.
"Huh? What?" Yuji, still fuming from Mai's insults, didn't even look. He simply pivoted and threw a blind, instinctive punch.
Fueled by his protective rage for his senior, the blow carried far more weight and cursed energy than usual.
BOOM!
The Grade 1 curse didn't just fly back—it disintegrated into fragments upon impact.
The Kyoto students froze. Even Megumi and Nobara stared at Yuji in shock. Yuji himself blinked, looking at his smoking knuckles. "Eh? Did... did I do that?"
Nanami commented dryly, "Though the spirit was already weakened by Todo-kun, breaking through the defensive hide of a Grade 1 with a single strike is a remarkable feat."
"Hahaha! What a magnificent punch!" Todo strode over to Yuji, his eyes gleaming with genuine interest. "Hey! My name is Aoi Todo. You're Itadori, right?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm Yuji Itadori."
Todo grinned widely. "Excellent! Then, Itadori-kun, I have a single question for you."
Behind him, Mai and Momo covered their faces with their hands. "Here we go again..."
Yuji tilted his head. "A question?"
"Itadori... what kind of woman is your type?"
"Eh???"
"Answer me seriously! This is a grave matter of character!"
Seeing the deadly seriousness in Todo's eyes, Yuji actually took a moment to reflect. "Well... if I have to say... I like tall girls with big butts. Like Jennifer Lawrence!"
In an instant, Todo's eyes went wide. His pupils dilated.
Suddenly, memories that never existed began to flood his mind.
(The Fantasy Sequence)
It was a brilliant afternoon. Cherry blossoms drifted through the air of a high school courtyard.
"Please go out with me!" A younger Todo held out a love letter.
But across from him, the idol Takada-chan didn't take it. Instead, she bowed gently. "I'm sorry, Todo-kun. We just aren't compatible!"
Todo collapsed to his knees, a defeated hound watching the love of his life walk away. His heart was shattered.
Suddenly, a hand reached out. Yuji Itadori stood there, offering a supportive arm. "You failed again, didn't you, you big dummy?"
"Shut up! Even in failure, I am charging toward the horizon of love!"
"Yeah, yeah." Yuji waved a hand dismissively. "Come on, I'm starving. Want some ramen? My treat."
"Let's go, brother!"
The two walked off, arms slung over each other's shoulders, glancing at posters of tall models as they headed toward the food stalls. Their shadows stretched long in the setting sun, a silhouette of youth and brotherhood etched into time.
Read The Full Story at: Patreon .com/zefyrus