As usual, after escorting Noritoshi Kamo home, Akira Zenin returned to Jujutsu High, the place he felt was freer for his mind.
It was worth mentioning that Noritoshi Kamo's awakening of [Blood Manipulation Technique] had completely shocked the upper ranks of the Kamo clan. Back then, their claim that becoming a disciple of the [Ten Shadows] made it easier to awaken a technique had been nothing more than an excuse. No one expected Akira Zenin to actually make it happen.
Akira Zenin lay half-reclined on a bench in the corridor, eyes slightly closed as he tried to ease his drowsiness. Unlike ordinary sorcerers, his Cursed Energy clearly grew stronger as time passed, yet the fatigue that seemed to originate from his very soul also deepened with each passing day.
"Oh? Akira-senpai!"
A lively voice startled Akira Zenin awake from his light rest.
"It's Haibara."
Facing this junior who was always loud, open, and brimming with energy, Akira Zenin picked up the extra coffee he'd bought and handed it over.
"Want some?"
"Yeah! Coffee's a really tasty drink too."
Seeing the faintly conflicted look on his face, Akira Zenin smiled, shook his head, and grabbed a can of iced cola from the vending machine nearby.
"Just kidding. Take this."
"Oh, you really don't have to…"
Despite saying that, Yu Haibara immediately took the cola and gulped down a big mouthful before sitting down next to Akira Zenin.
"Tomorrow's mission is pretty far away, huh?"
"Is it? Finish early, rest early."
"It feels like you're tired every single day, Akira-senpai."
"Maybe I'm just a lazy person by nature."
"Time after missions should be free to use however you want! Being able to finish tasks quickly is proof of your ability, senpai!"
Akira Zenin let out a yawn.
"Hah… you're going to praise me into embarrassment."
Still a bit groggy from just waking up, Akira Zenin suddenly felt that this scene was strangely familiar…
Wasn't this the so-called "theoretical trigger" that led to Suguru Geto becoming the monkey-slaying war god? It seemed that because Suguru Geto had been dragged around on missions by Satoru Gojo, Akira Zenin had ended up taking his place. Which meant that next—
"So you're that student from the Zenin clan? What kind of women do you like?"
A voluptuous blonde beauty appeared in front of them. Yuki Tsukumo. Akira Zenin's impression of her was that she was actually a decent person, but she always showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yu Haibara immediately jumped in to answer.
"I like girls who can eat a lot!"
"Oh~~"
Akira Zenin leaned back slightly and gently closed his eyes.
"What kind of women do I like? In dreams, anything's possible."
Yuki Tsukumo pressed on right away.
"In dreams? That's just one way. What about specifics, like looks or body type?"
"Honestly, I think what people call 'liking' is more about a connection of the soul and a resonance in how you live, not just physical attraction."
"Ah~ Still not answering directly. You're more boring than I expected."
Just as their exchange ended, Yu Haibara suddenly stood up.
"Senpais, I've still got a mission, so I won't bother you any longer!"
Akira Zenin reached out and grabbed Yu Haibara by the back of the collar. Losing his balance, Haibara dropped back onto the bench with a loud thump.
"Wait."
Caught off guard, Yu Haibara wasn't upset at all. He rubbed the part of his backside that had made intimate contact with the bench and looked at Akira Zenin with confusion.
"Hey! Do you have some instructions, senpai? Oh, right, are you asking for souvenirs? Don't worry, I'll definitely bring some back."
"I'm coming with you on this operation."
"Huh, really?"
"You look excited."
"Of course! All the third-year senpais are super strong, but they're always so busy that I never get a chance to ask them anything. This time, I'm definitely going to observe properly and learn!"
"Then wait for me. I'll ask Yuki-senpai what she came here for first."
"Okay!"
Seeing that Akira Zenin clearly had no interest in chatting with her about the state of the jujutsu world or the future of sorcerers, Yuki Tsukumo decided to state her purpose directly.
"It's a shame I didn't run into Satoru Gojo or Suguru Geto, but since you were in the same class as them, you can help pass along a message.
There's no need to keep worrying about Riko Amanai. Tengen doesn't want to get into conflict with a Special Grade either. And although I don't know exactly what happened, Tengen's condition is currently stable."
"Alright, I'll pass it on. Though they probably weren't worried about it to begin with."
Yuki Tsukumo put on her helmet, swung onto her motorcycle, and waved at Akira Zenin as she prepared to leave.
"As fellow Special Grades, let's get along well from now on."
"Special Grade, huh?"
So-called "Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers" didn't actually fall within the normal ranking system. They were simply too powerful, possessing the potential to destroy a nation on their own, which was why such overqualified existences were labeled Special Grade.
Akira Zenin took out his student ID and glanced at it. The Special Grade mark printed on it stirred no emotion in him at all.
After all, he believed it was because he had reached this level of strength that those people feared him and granted him this rank, not because a student ID proved he was Special Grade.
"Akira-senpai?"
"Hmm?"
"Well, we should get going soon. Nanami's waiting for me. With his personality, if I'm late, he'll definitely lecture me for a while."
Akira Zenin stood up from the bench, bent down to pat the dust off his pants, and slipped a can of coffee into his pocket.
"Alright. You lead the way."
"Yeah!"