Clap, clap, clap!
On the Tokyo Jujutsu High training ground, 8-year-old Maki Zenin was seriously wielding a wooden sword, attacking Toji Fushiguro.
Toji Fushiguro casually parried with his wooden sword.
Megumi Fushiguro sat on the steps by the training ground, quietly watching with an ugly yet cute doll in his arms.
After completing the major cleanup at the Zenin Clan, Eichi took Maki Zenin and Mai away from the Zenin Clan.
When asked what they wanted to do in the future, Mai's answer was vague.
It was probably the kind of obedient girl's answer that defers to adults.
Maki Zenin, however, answered very directly and firmly.
"I want to become strong, as strong as that man."
That day, the scene of Toji Fushiguro pinning Naoya Zenin to the ground and beating him was deeply etched in Maki Zenin's mind.
Especially after Toji Fushiguro said he also had a Heavenly Restriction, Maki Zenin's desire intensified.
The former Maki Zenin yearned to become stronger, even applying to join the Kuguru Squad to train herself.
Men in the Zenin Clan without Techniques had to join the Kuguru Squad, dedicating their bodies to the Zenin Clan.
However, there were no such requirements for women.
Women in the Zenin Clan without talent would receive strict clan rule education to become qualified servants, used to serve capable individuals or for arranged marriages.
Therefore, there were almost no women in the Kuguru Squad.
But the original Maki Zenin voluntarily applied to join the Kuguru Squad and desperately honed her skills there.
Later, she became a small captain of the Kuguru Squad.
However, even so, she still couldn't change her and Mai's situation.
This led to Maki Zenin's final choice to become the Zenin Clan head to protect her sister and fight against fate.
It was also fortunate that this generation's Zenin Clan head was Naobito Zenin, renowned as the most enlightened head in history.
Otherwise, when Maki Zenin spoke those words, her fate would have been sealed.
Seeing Maki Zenin's continued determination, he sent Maki Zenin away under the guise of a trial or test.
As Maki Zenin left, Naobito Zenin also hinted that Maki Zenin's actions might affect Mai.
However, she still firmly left the Zenin Clan.
With Naobito Zenin's tacit approval, no one, including Naoya Zenin, stopped Maki.
This led to Maki Zenin later joining Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Ah!"
Perhaps bored after
playing
with a child for half a day, Toji Fushiguro's wooden sword directly struck Maki's head.
Maki cried out in pain, then held her head and squatted down to defend.
"That's enough for today."
With that, Toji Fushiguro threw the wooden sword aside and left the training ground.
Toji Fushiguro did not know any profound training methods.
His combat relied entirely on experience accumulated through countless battles and his beastly instincts.
Although Toji Fushiguro had once joined the Kuguru Squad, it was, after all, a cannon fodder bodyguard team.
It only contained basic training methods and some not-so-clever Moves.
Therefore, Toji Fushiguro did not teach Maki Techniques or similar things; instead, he used actual combat to make Maki's body remember how to fight.
This might be a bit cruel for an 8-year-old girl.
However, both of them, also from the Zenin Clan, had no objections to this training method.
Toji Fushiguro was thrown into a pile of Cursed Spirits at the age of 6, experiencing life-and-death struggles.
Maki Zenin, after being confirmed unable to even see Cursed Spirits two years ago, had not had a good day since.
"I'm fine b... that hurts."
Megumi Fushiguro, who was sitting on the steps, got up to comfort Maki.
However, the ugly yet cute doll in his arms suddenly opened its eyes, jumped up, and punched Megumi Fushiguro's head.
Instantly, there was one more cute little one holding his head and squatting down to defend.
This doll was a Cursed Corpse made by Yaga Masamichi.
It was the same type as the one Yuji Itadori used to train his Cursed Energy control; the only difference was its smaller size.
Presumably, Yaga Masamichi was afraid the doll would actually injure Megumi Fushiguro, so he specially modified a smaller one for Megumi Fushiguro to train with.
"Are you okay?"
Maki, who was still holding her head and squatting down to defend, immediately comforted Megumi Fushiguro when she saw him like that.
It was like taking care of Mai, who was often scared because she could see Cursed Spirits.
"I'm fine."
Megumi Fushiguro blushed a little.
He had come to comfort Maki, but ended up being comforted by Maki.
"It's over already? How do you feel?"
Outside the training ground, Eichi, who had just returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High, asked.
He also held a leisurely position at Tokyo Jujutsu High now.
"No good."
Toji Fushiguro said mercilessly.
"Why?"
Eichi sat next to Toji Fushiguro.
"Her Aura is good, and she's very determined, but her talent isn't enough; if she continues like this, she'll just throw her life away for nothing."
As someone with a Heavenly Restriction, Toji Fushiguro's physical strength at that age was much stronger than Maki Zenin's.
"Is that so..."
Eichi began to frown in thought.
Although he could protect Maki Zenin and let her live a quiet life.
But that's not what Maki wanted.
What she wanted was the strength to protect her sister, not charity from others.
In Maki's view, without power, entrusting her and her sister's safety to the kind protection of others.
That would be no different from staying in the Zenin Clan.
Maki had always felt guilty after her sister Mai died for her.
She felt that, as her sister said, falling into destitution together was the best choice for both of them.
"It seems I need to solve the Heavenly Restriction problem first."
Eichi scratched his head.
If that's the case, Mai would have to suffer a bit.
"Wasn't that kind of thing decided at birth?"
Toji Fushiguro looked at Eichi, then at Maki Zenin and Megumi Fushiguro, who were encouraging each other.
"Normally, yes, but Maki Zenin is different; she should have had a reverse Heavenly Restriction like you, a complete Heavenly Restriction, but unfortunately, they are identical twins."
Toji Fushiguro understood Eichi's meaning.
Maki Zenin should have been like him, a Heavenly Restriction with completely zero Cursed Energy.
But because they were identical twins, the Cursed Energy System regarded Maki Zenin and Mai as one person.
This resulted in Maki Zenin still retaining a small amount of weak Cursed Energy, failing to achieve a complete reverse Heavenly Restriction.
It also led to a decrease in Mai's Cursed Energy amount.
Toji Fushiguro's gaze towards Maki Zenin changed.
The same background, the same experiences, even the same Technique.
Toji Fushiguro saw his own reflection in Maki Zenin.
The only difference was that Maki still had someone she cherished deep down.
So she still had the motivation to strive.
And he had nothing.
'No, someone I cherish, don't I have that too?'
Toji Fushiguro looked at Megumi Fushiguro.
Looking at this blessing bestowed upon him by heaven.
Although he, Toji Fushiguro, was forgetful of his child, a rotten gambler, bad-tempered, and married into a family, he was a good father.
"What should I do?"
'I can't just kill the other little girl.'
Toji Fushiguro did not say the latter half of the sentence aloud.
"I'll handle it; you just figure out how to teach her."
With that, Eichi got up and left.
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