"Black Flash."
It was a phenomenon that occurred when a jujutsu sorcerer landed an attack under extremely precise conditions.
Normally, cursed energy flows from the abdomen, moving through the chest, arms, and into the fists or other parts of the body. This process, guided by intention, always carries a slight delay—a fraction of a moment.
Most people wouldn't even notice it.
But top-tier sorcerers were different.
Their cursed energy flow was unpredictable, and more importantly—their physical strikes and cursed energy were nearly synchronized. This marked a higher level of control.
However…
That synchronization was never perfect.
Black Flash occurred when the gap between physical impact and cursed energy application shrank to an almost impossible degree—
A deviation of just 0.000001 seconds.
Whether by skill or sheer coincidence, landing a Black Flash pushed a sorcerer into a special state.
A state similar to being in the "zone."
In this condition, cursed energy flowed as naturally as breathing. Everything seemed to revolve around the user.
Once a sorcerer experienced this state, their understanding of cursed energy deepened significantly—making it easier to trigger consecutive Black Flashes.
Of course…
"Easier" was relative.
Externally, Black Flash manifested as a distortion of space, with cursed energy turning black at the moment of impact.
And most importantly—
Its power was amplified to the 2.5th power of a normal strike.
In theory, no sorcerer could intentionally trigger Black Flash.
It was something that "just happened."
But those who had experienced it stood on an entirely different level compared to those who hadn't.
However…
Tokiya Shingen was an exception.
Because for him, the conditions were far easier to achieve.
When his technique—Wheel of Time—was applied to both himself and his cursed energy—
That microscopic margin of error…
Was no longer unreachable.
All he had to do was—
At the instant before impact—
Observe the nearly frozen world—
Then accelerate his cursed energy to that exact point—
And trigger Black Flash.
It sounded simple.
But in reality—
It required absurd precision.
This was made possible by Shingen's unique technique—
And his extraordinary perception of time.
At will, he could heighten his sense of time to an extreme level—
Where seconds felt like minutes.
Even so—
Landing a Black Flash on his very first punch still made him genuinely happy.
He had triggered it once unconsciously before—
And had been practicing ever since.
He couldn't guarantee it every time.
But—
Within ten punches—
At least one Black Flash would occur.
And that probability was still increasing.
…
After destroying the curse with just two punches—
Shingen felt a strange frustration.
He was in perfect condition.
He knew—
The next punch could also trigger Black Flash.
But—
The curse couldn't take it.
"…I should've held back…"
Nearby, Maki watched him with a twitch in her expression.
That… was Black Flash, right?
This curse had been the type that resisted ordinary attacks—
But was vulnerable to overwhelming, full-body-impact damage.
And yet—
He killed it in two hits.
Even a Grade 1 curse would struggle to endure that.
If his third punch had also been a Black Flash…
He might've exorcised one outright.
Maki lifted her naginata, glancing at the now-widened corridor.
"Let's clean up the remaining weak curses."
They split up.
Ironically—
Clearing the weaker curses took longer than defeating the main one.
They were too scattered.
Too weak to detect easily.
Too good at hiding.
Eventually—
They finished.
Outside the hospital—
A car waited by the roadside.
Next to it stood a man in a suit.
At first glance, he looked middle-aged—
But it was mostly due to his outdated hairstyle and plain black-framed glasses.
"Mr. Ijichi!"
Shingen waved.
Ijichi Kiyotaka—two years junior to Gojo Satoru—was an assistant supervisor at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
In short—
A reliable guy.
Ijichi bowed slightly.
"Good work, both of you."
Shingen scratched his head with a grin.
"Thanks, Ijichi-san. So… are we heading back now? Anything else scheduled?"
Ijichi adjusted his glasses.
"No. That was the only assignment. Gojo-san hasn't given any further instructions."
Shingen stroked his chin—
Then smiled.
"In that case… let's eat before heading back. I want sukiyaki!"
Maki had no objections.
After all—
He was paying.
They stored their weapons in the car—
And Ijichi drove them to a well-reviewed nearby restaurant.
After a satisfying meal—
They returned.
At the school—
Panda and Toge Inumaki were already back.
Panda flexed dramatically.
"Shingen! Too slow~ Panda and Toge already finished our mission!"
"Salmon."
Maki calmly added—
"Not really. This guy killed the curse in two hits. We went to eat sukiyaki afterward."
Panda's jaw dropped.
"Wait—Shingen's that strong?!"
Then—
He processed the second half.
"WHAT?! You went for sukiyaki without Panda?! And Toge?!"
He lunged—
Pinning Shingen down.
"I didn't know if you guys were done yet! And Panda, how were you even gonna eat out?! You'd cause a scene!"
Under Panda's overwhelming strength—
Shingen surrendered.
"Next time! I swear I'll invite you next time!"
Maki adjusted her glasses—
Smiled slightly—
And walked away.
…
The following days were peaceful.
Training.
Studying.
Occasional missions.
Their rankings were also assigned:
Tokiya Shingen — Grade 2
Toge Inumaki — Grade 2
Panda — Semi-Grade 2
Maki Zenin — Grade 4
Naturally—
No one was happy about Maki's ranking.
Except—
Maki herself seemed unsurprised.
Later, they learned from Gojo—
The Zenin Clan had interfered.
After collectively cursing out the clan—
Maki eventually stopped them.
"It's fine. What I've lost… I'll take back myself."
"MAKI, YOU'RE THE BEST!"
"Tuna mayo!"
Panda and Shingen gave enthusiastic thumbs-ups.
Inumaki nodded in agreement.
"…You guys…"
Maki covered her face.
Then—
Smiled dangerously.
"This afternoon—weapon training and hand-to-hand combat."
The three froze.
No cursed energy.
No techniques.
Just—
Pure skill.
Which meant—
Maki would absolutely destroy them.
"Mustard leaf…"
Inumaki patted Panda sympathetically.
Panda teared up.
"Toge… you're so kind…"
Shingen smirked.
"Don't get the wrong idea. She goes easy on him. We're the real victims."
They headed to the training grounds.
"The path to strength starts now!"
Panda declared—
Thwack.
A wooden staff slammed into his face.
He dropped instantly.
Shingen tightened his grip on his wooden sword.
Facing Maki—
Battle began.
Maki's weapon reach gave her overwhelming control.
Every one of Shingen's attacks—
Was blocked.
Countered.
Punished.
"Your weapon is an extension of your body!"
She struck repeatedly—
Forcing him back.
"Spears, swords, anything—"
"They're all just extensions of fists, palms, and movement!"
"Your weapon reflects your martial will!"
Distracted—
Shingen slipped.
His sword was knocked away—
And a strike hit his shoulder.
Pain shot through his arm.
Maki spun her staff—
Resting it on the ground.
Smirking.
"You're dead. That would've pierced your heart."
"…Can you go easier on me?!"
Shingen rubbed his shoulder—
Still processing the fight.
"No."
Maki replied flatly.
"Pain speeds up learning."
Still—
She acknowledged silently—
He was improving fast.
Soon—
Only real combat would push him further.
"…I need to get stronger too."
Shingen charged again.
Maki smiled—
Spinning her staff into a blur.
The next round began.