"I don't understand a single word of this." Hasegumo tossed the book aside and looked around.
Shoko was currently cradling Hachi, trying to coax the dog into playing. As a Shiba Inu who had seen the world, Hachi remained entirely unmoved by the ham sausage she was dangling. He turned his face away with a look of sheer snobbery, only for Shoko to playfully grab his muzzle and wiggle it back and forth.
Woof! Hachi cast a desperate, pleading look toward his master.
"I can't save you, buddy," Hasegumo replied with a look of his own. Hachi seemed to understand; he slumped over, giving up on resistance and accepting his fate.
Further off, Satoru and Suguru were playing one-on-one under the basketball hoop. With a flashy feint, Satoru Gojo leaped high into the air and slammed the ball through the rim.
"What did those two eat to grow so much? It's only been six months," Hasegumo muttered, gauging their height from a distance. Suguru was already a full head taller than him, and Satoru was even taller than Suguru.
"Oh? Is someone feeling crushed by the height difference?" Satoru Gojo teased, having overheard the self-muttering from across the court.
"Looks like maintaining the dignity of a 'senior' is going to be difficult now," Suguru Geto added instantly.
Because Hasegumo was four years older than them, Masamichi Yaga—though Hasegumo himself didn't care—frequently lectured Satoru and Suguru about respecting their seniors whenever they got too snarky with him. Occasionally, those lectures were delivered via the "Fist of Love."
"Can't be helped. That's just my biology," Hasegumo said. "As a price for my strength and speed, I've stopped growing. There was a legendary martial artist a thousand years ago who was exactly like me."
As the two boys ran over and sat down before him like well-behaved students, Hasegumo began spinning the tale of Rikka Ijichi.
"Question! What's your current level? Can you one-shot a Special Grade curse?" Student No. 1, Satoru Gojo, asked.
"I don't know," Teacher Hasegumo replied. "I've only ever encountered one Special Grade. I exorcised it alongside Tetsuya Yamagami-senpai. Back then, I was still weak; I nearly died."
"Why don't we spar? I'm dying to see the strength of the 'Greatest Martial Artist of the Millennium,'" Student No. 2, Suguru Geto, suggested, eager to test his skills.
"Please don't give me such an arrogant title. And there's no need to spar," Hasegumo said, waving them off as he prepared to go back to his Barrier Technique studies. "If I destroy the curses you control, Suguru, it'll affect your strength. As for Satoru, I can't even touch you with Limitless active. I don't need to fight to know I'd lose."
"Come on, come on! No techniques. We'll only use basic Cursed Energy and physical reinforcement." Satoru was hooked now. "In exchange, we'll take turns tutoring you in Barrier Techniques after we're done."
Shoko, who had been about to make a run for it, sat back down and continued fiddling with Hachi's head.
"You spend all your time training or studying—aren't you bored?" Suguru continued to stoke the fire. "Unless you're afraid that once your height is surpassed and your martial arts are beaten, you won't have any 'senior dignity' left to protect?"
"That 'senior' stuff is just something Yaga-sensei says; I've never thought of myself that way." Hasegumo stretched. "Fine, let's do it. But let's set the rules: you two can use Cursed Energy, but I'll only use my physical body."
Hasegumo gestured for them to head to the clearing.
"I'm not looking down on you. It's just that due to the nature of my Innate Technique, it's basically a passive state now. I can't use Cursed Energy without the technique running. But... just my physical body should be enough."
His tone was humble, but his next words were anything but: "The two of you, come at me together."
"Ready, Suguru?" A vein popped on Satoru's forehead.
"Let's teach this guy a lesson," Suguru replied, cracking his knuckles.
"Ah, it's been a while since I really moved. I was starting to feel a bit rusty." Hasegumo rubbed his shoulders as he walked back to pick up his book. "As I thought, a good workout really does wonders for the mood."
"This guy...!" Satoru Gojo muttered, lying on the ground covered in bumps, his face flushed with indignation.
"If we could have used our techniques, I could take ten of you," Suguru added, lying right next to Satoru, his pride equally bruised.
"But seriously, Barrier Techniques are just too hard. I don't know how you guys learn them so easily." Hasegumo was a master of "temperature control"—with one sentence, he deflated their anger and replaced it with a sense of superiority. "I'll be counting on your guidance next."
"Now that I think about it, you're a total math idiot, aren't you?" Satoru Gojo instantly revived, activating his Taunt skill.
"Unbelievable. How can someone not understand basic Barrier calculations?" Suguru Geto joined in. The two of them transformed into 'Mockery Curses,' launching a ruthless assault on Hasegumo's mathematical aptitude.
"If words could kill curses, these two would have been Special Grade a long time ago," Shoko said, placing Hachi on top of her head and pretending the dog was the one speaking.
"You two are only Grade 2s! Who are you looking down on?!" Hasegumo joked back.
"Which is why I need your help," Hasegumo said, remaining unruffled as he prepared to learn from the "math geniuses." "All my talent points went into punching, I guess."
"I knew it! That whole 'calm and dignified' act he puts on is a total sham," Satoru fumed.
"Exactly. People who look that sunny on the outside are usually pitch black when you cut them open," Suguru analyzed, rubbing his chin sagely.
February 29, 2006. University of Tokyo.
A blanket of silver snow covered the ground. A black Curtain acted as a veil between worlds; outside was a scene of winter peace, but inside, the air was thick with the stench of lingering Cursed Energy.
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than black. Purify that which is impure."
"Seriously, if you two are such 'math geniuses,' why do I have to be the one to set the Curtain every time?" Hasegumo asked, blowing into his hands to keep them warm.
"Huh?" Satoru Gojo looked at him like he was an alien. "This is your Grade 1 promotion exam. Show some respect to your proctors."
"And honestly, is a Curtain even necessary? Who cares if some civilians see? It's not like they can see the curses or the jujutsu anyway," Satoru added, walking forward arrogantly with his hands behind his head.
"It's freezing today." Suguru Geto had his hands tucked into his sleeves, complaining about the weather while bickering with Satoru. "Of course it's necessary. To suppress the birth of curses, we have to maintain public peace of mind. To do that, we have to hide threats they can't see. Furthermore—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Satoru said impatiently, swinging a leg back in a sudden sweep. "Catering to the 'weak' is such a drag."
Suguru hopped over the sweep effortlessly. "The survival of the weak—that is how society should be. Supporting the weak and restraining the strong. Remember that, Satoru."
"Jujutsu exists to protect non-sorcerers," Suguru continued, tilting his head to dodge a snowball thrown by Satoru. "Are you even listening?!"
When he saw Satoru use Blue to compress a massive, dense orb of snow, Suguru gave up on the lecture. "Cursed Spirit Manipulation!" He summoned the Rainbow Dragon, which coiled on the ground, allowing him to pack a snowball that was even larger.
"Take this! Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!" Satoru launched the massive snow-projectile at Suguru.
"Child's play." The Rainbow Dragon flew up with the snow orb and swiped its tail. The two giant snowballs collided in mid-air and exploded, showering Hasegumo in white powder.
"So energetic," Hasegumo sighed, watching them brawl in the snow. He shook the flakes off his jacket and began his warm-up.
Six months ago, after Hasegumo and Tetsuya Yamagami exorcised the Ootengu, Yamagami had contacted his colleagues—other non-clan Grade 1 sorcerers—to recommend Hasegumo for promotion.
However, because Yamagami had lost his Innate Technique and submitted his retirement shortly after, his influence had waned. Higher-ups in the jujutsu world used Hasegumo's age as an excuse to stall the process.
Then came the report: A Cursed Womb had manifested over the University of Tokyo. Scores of people in the Mathematics Building were mysteriously losing their memories, becoming sluggish and losing the ability to think logically. Two Grade 1 sorcerers sent to investigate suffered the same fate, though they were expected to recover within a week.
Because of the sensitive location, the matter had to be resolved quickly. Based on the intel, the task was assigned to Hasegumo as his Grade 1 promotion exam. Simultaneously, Masamichi Yaga had assigned Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto—who were already Grade 1s—as his proctors.
"Could you two stop for a second?" Hasegumo finished his warm-up. "This is my promotion mission, after all."
"It's your mission, not mine," Satoru replied flippantly. "Unless you're about to die, I'm absolutely not stepping in."
"Same here," Suguru added, showing his petty side.
"How cold. Look at the environment—the Innate Domain has already fully manifested. Our opponent is a powerful Special Grade," Hasegumo said, gesturing for them to follow. "Take this seriously."
The moment they entered the building, they felt an invisible pressure.
"This pressure... the total volume of Cursed Energy... it might be close to mine," Satoru Gojo said, tilting his head, though he couldn't see the source yet.
"That much? Your Cursed Energy reserves are roughly double mine," Hasegumo noted, leading the way. "If I had to exorcise it alone, it might be a bit of a struggle."
"Just a 'struggle'? Try not to get killed," Suguru Geto added, maintaining his sarcastic banter even as his posture tensed.
As they investigated and chatted, a man in a well-tailored suit and glasses descended slowly from the second-floor staircase. He looked refined and cultured, but the skyrocketing Cursed Energy and the third eye on his forehead marked him clearly as a Special Grade.
"Excuse me," the man said softly. "What is it you're looking for?"