"How did it feel?"
Puck hovered in front of the two of them, asking with a cheeky grin.
Gojo Satoru didn't think much of it, but Natsuki Subaru, experiencing this for the first time, was breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Sugoi!"
After snapping back to his senses, Subaru's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"The effect is even better than I imagined!" Subaru said breathlessly. "Puck, quick, teach me how you did that!"
"It's actually quite simple. You just need to imagine a 'gate' within your body, and then..."
Puck began explaining the basics of how to release this entry-level Yin magic. On the side, Gojo Satoru was busy comparing the process to Jujutsu.
Cursed Energy was inherently a negative energy—this was true for both Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers. This was precisely why Reverse Cursed Technique possessed the power to regenerate human flesh.
According to the logic of this world, if I use Reverse Cursed Technique to flip my Cursed Energy, does that mean I'd possess a second affinity—Yang?
Gojo looked down at his palm, lost in thought.
The spell Shamak reminded him of the most common Barrier Technique used by sorcerers: the "Curtain." Both were similar in that they produced an effect over a specific area. However, a Curtain was mostly directed at those outside the barrier—making it so people without Cursed Energy couldn't see or perceive what was happening inside. Shamak, on the other hand, focused on those inside the field, stripping away their senses.
Recalling the fluctuations he saw when Puck activated the spell and combining it with his experience casting Curtains, Gojo slowly extended his hand.
Suddenly, a pitch-black mist, dark as ink, erupted from his palm. It expanded rapidly, enveloping the entire area where they stood.
Subaru had been listening intently to Puck's explanation when, in the next second, he was plunged back into that state of sensory deprivation. He couldn't speak, nor could he feel his surroundings. It felt as though he were imprisoned in a bizarre void; aside from his own conscious thoughts, he could perceive nothing.
Pop.
Fortunately, just like before, the sensation dissipated quickly. As the black mist scattered, he finally saw the light of day again.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
A violent fit of coughing ensued. Subaru braced his hands on his knees, the cold sweat on his forehead doubling.
"That's not okay, you know! You should at least give us a heads-up before casting a spell."
"Besides, casting magic for the first time without someone watching is very dangerous behavior."
Puck flew over to Gojo, perched on his head, and gave him two light thumps with his tiny paws, speaking with mock gravity.
"Luckily it was just Shamak. If you had hurt my precious daughter Lia, I wouldn't let you off the hook!"
Gojo pressed his palms together and gave a little wave toward Emilia. "My bad, my bad."
Emilia was generous enough to shake her head, though she looked a bit worried.
"How do you feel?" she asked. "Releasing magic for the first time can easily hurt the caster if they lack experience."
Gojo did a quick internal check, then patted his chest with a laugh.
"No problems here. Casting magic isn't as hard as I thought. Pretty easy, actually."
"Yoshi!"
Hearing Gojo's words, Subaru became even more eager to try. Since Satoru learned it so fast, even if my talent is a bit lower, it shouldn't be a huge problem, right? Subaru thought to himself.
Puck heard him and flew over from Gojo's head.
"I'll help out." Puck landed on Subaru's head. "Now, start by slowly imagining..."
Watching Subaru's serious expression, Gojo started thinking back to when Subaru mentioned wanting to learn Jujutsu. They had talked about it before, but things kept getting in the way. Looking at him today, Subaru also had a Yin affinity; from another perspective, perhaps he did have the talent for Jujutsu?
If that were the case, teaching him wouldn't be out of the question. He was the protagonist, after all—it would be a bit sad if he had zero abilities. Besides, Gojo didn't have any desire to hoard his techniques. If Jujutsu could take root in another world, it might actually be quite interesting.
As Gojo was musing, his peripheral vision caught a sudden change in Subaru's body.
"Are?"
Puck, perched on Subaru's head, let out a strange noise, his expression turning a bit awkward.
Gojo reacted instantly. He grabbed Emilia, who was still oblivious to what was happening, and flicked away to a safe distance in a flash.
The moment they cleared the area, a massive, dense cloud of black smoke surged outward like an explosion.
Unlike when Puck or Gojo cast the spell—where the effect was brief and controlled—this time, Subaru's Shamak seemed to have spiraled out of control. Continuous billows of black mist poured out incessantly, making him look like a startled squid.
"Is Subaru actually a squid in a past life?"
Gojo, having pulled Emilia twenty or thirty meters away, finally stopped once they were safely outside the mist's reach.
"Not a squid... Subaru... he seems to have lost control?" Emilia said hesitantly, watching the rolling black clouds.
"Lost control?" Gojo frowned slightly. Puck was right there; how did things go south?
"Subaru didn't seem to have a handle on his mana; it's just constantly leaking out in a release state," Emilia explained simply. "If he doesn't stop, he could be in life-threatening danger."
Gojo's eyebrows shot up. He focused his gaze, piercing through the black mist to look at Subaru.
Fortunately, the dire situation Emilia feared didn't come to pass. Under his observation, the black mist around Subaru began to recede. Once the mist cleared completely, Subaru let out a soft groan and collapsed, falling unconscious with a "thud."
"Puck! Is Subaru okay?"
Emilia saw this and rushed over, asking anxiously. Puck had said he would help, but for this to happen was a bit of an oversight.
"He's fine. He just released a bit too much mana all at once. His body is just exhausted," Puck said, sticking his tongue out apologetically at Gojo.