Principal Gakuganji Yoshinobu's office at Kyoto Jujutsu High was steeped in the heavy atmosphere of tradition and authority. Ancient scrolls lined the walls, and the faint scent of aged wood hung in the air.
"You want to see Mechamaru?" Gakuganji's voice was gravelly, his turbid eyes sharp despite his aged appearance. He sat on a soft sofa, both hands gripping his cane as if it were the only thing keeping him upright.
Kamo Itsuki lounged across from him, posture deliberately casual. "I was going to approach him directly. But I thought going through you would save the trouble of proving my identity later."
Gakuganji's brow furrowed. "Out of nowhere, why do you want to see him?"
A slight smile played on Kamo's lips. "I know Mechamaru is just a puppet. The real sorcerer behind him is Kokichi Muta, correct?"
Surprise flickered in Gakuganji's eyes. "You've done your research."
"Of course. I also know his Heavenly Restriction keeps his real body submerged in nutrient fluid. He can only move through that puppet." Kamo's voice took on a deliberate quality, projecting slightly. "Coincidentally, my recent research has yielded some breakthroughs. I might be able to give him a healthy body. And I need a test subject."
The timing was perfect.
The door burst open. "Are you serious?!"
Mechamaru stood in the doorway, his mechanical body trembling with barely contained emotion.
"Mechamaru." Gakuganji's voice carried reproach. "I haven't given you permission to enter."
Mechamaru's posture immediately deflated. "I'm sorry, Principal Gakuganji. I just heard—"
"Anyone would react the same way," Kamo interrupted smoothly, offering Mechamaru an out.
Gakuganji's stern expression didn't soften. "If one cannot maintain stable emotions, they will suffer in battle. I do this for his own good."
"Yes, yes," Kamo said, a teasing edge to his voice. "Always educating the youth. Truly a dedicated principal."
He turned to Gakuganji, gesturing at Mechamaru. "So? Can I take him now?"
Gakuganji studied Mechamaru for a long moment, reading the desperate hope barely contained behind his mechanical eyes. "Even if I refused, he wouldn't give up."
He sighed, resignation coloring his voice. "This is Kamo Itsuki. You've heard of him. In the current jujutsu world, no one understands the human body better. The Zen'in girl with the Heavenly Restriction—he cured her. If anyone can solve your problem, it's him."
"Yes!" Mechamaru's agreement came instantly, impatient with hope.
Kamo rose. "Then let's go. Take me to your real body."
They walked side by side out of Kyoto Jujutsu High, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the path.
A group of students approached from the opposite direction.
Second-years Todo Aoi, Nishimiya Momo, and Kamo Noritoshi walked together, accompanied by first-years Miwa Kasumi and Zenin Mai.
"Mechamaru!" Miwa called out, blinking curiously. "Are you going somewhere?"
Mechamaru's mechanical voice softened. "Ah... yes. I have some business to attend to."
Behind his mask, his thoughts raced. 'Kasumi... once I have a real body, I'll confess to you properly.'
His secret admiration for Miwa had burned quietly for years. The desire for a complete body was, in large part, the desire to be worthy of standing beside her. To touch her. To be real.
Whatever experiments Kamo Itsuki planned, whatever pain awaited—he would endure it. For her.
"Mr. Kamo!" Zenin Mai's voice carried recognition and hesitation. Years had passed since she'd last seen him, and the proper greeting escaped her.
Kamo nodded, offering a small smile. Acknowledgment without the need for words. Later. There would be time later.
The groups prepared to pass each other—
"Wait."
Todo Aoi's voice cut through the moment like a blade. He stared at Kamo Itsuki with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
Todo Aoi's massive fist hurtled toward Kamo Itsuki's face like a battering ram.
The other Kyoto students froze in horror. Miwa gasped. Nishimiya's eyes went wide. Kamo Noritoshi opened his mouth to shout a warning—too late.
But Kamo Itsuki didn't flinch.
He simply raised his left hand. Slowly. Deliberately. As if reaching for a door handle rather than deflecting a blow from one of Kyoto's most powerful students.
THUD.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air. Dust exploded from the ground. Several students stumbled backward from the pressure alone.
When the dust cleared—
Kamo Itsuki stood exactly where he had been. His left hand gripped Todo's fist firmly, completely halting its momentum. His expression hadn't changed. He hadn't moved a single step.
Todo's eyes widened. Then—they blazed.
"INCREDIBLE!" he roared, pure joy exploding across his face. "You caught it! You actually caught it with just your palm! No reinforcement! No technique! Just pure strength!"
He was vibrating with excitement, completely undeterred by his failed attack.
Kamo Itsuki sighed internally.
'This man is exhausting.'
"Listen," Kamo said calmly, still holding Todo's fist. "I have things to do. People to see. Bodies to fix."
"Then let's fight first!" Todo's enthusiasm was undiminished. "A man who can catch my punch like that—I have to test his limits! It's the law of brotherhood!"
"There is no such law."
"There should be!"
Kamo's eye twitched. He released Todo's fist and took a half-step back.
"One exchange. If you can land a single hit on me, I'll answer your question about women."
Todo's entire body tensed with anticipation. "DEAL!"
He exploded forward—faster than before, more focused. His Boogie Woogie technique could swap positions with anything imbued with cursed energy, but he didn't use it. This was about pure, physical contest.
His fist came again. Then his knee. Then an elbow, a kick, a shoulder check—a flurry of attacks that would have shattered concrete.
Kamo moved through them like smoke.
He didn't block. He didn't counter. He simply wasn't there when each blow arrived. A tilt here. A shift there. His feet never seemed to move, yet Todo's attacks passed through empty air every time.
"Miss! Miss! Miss! Miss!" Todo's excitement grew with each failure. "AMAZING! You're not even using teleportation! Just pure evasion!"
Ten seconds. Twenty attacks. Not one touched Kamo.
Then Kamo moved forward—one step, directly into Todo's guard. His palm pressed lightly against Todo's chest.
And pushed.
Todo flew backward twenty meters, crashing into a tree with enough force to crack the trunk. He slid down, sat there for a moment—then burst into maniacal laughter.
"WONDERFUL! I haven't been thrown like that since—" He paused, thinking. "Actually, I've never been thrown like that!"
Kamo dusted off his sleeve. "You didn't land a hit. I don't owe you an answer."
Todo scrambled to his feet, completely unharmed, and rushed back over. "Then let's go again! Best two out of three!"
"No."
"Three out of five!"
"No."
"First to ten wins!"
"Absolutely not." Kamo turned and began walking away, Mechamaru hurrying after him.
Todo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted after them: "I'LL FIND YOU AGAIN, KAMO ITSUKI! WE'RE DESTINED TO BE FIGHTING BUDDIES!"
Kamo didn't look back. But Mechamaru, glancing over his shoulder, could have sworn he saw a faint, exasperated smile on the older sorcerer's face.
"That was..." Mechamaru began hesitantly.
"A lot," Kamo finished. "That was a lot."
They continued toward Mechamaru's true body, leaving Todo Aoi behind—temporarily, at least. Something told Kamo this wouldn't be their last encounter.