Preparation

"A humanoid cursed spirit that could talk and communicate?"

Shen Yuanyi shifted his gaze from the steaming pot on the table to Gojo Satoru across from him, then nodded with certainty.

"I talked to him for quite a while. He was like someone with mental problems, calling himself Mahito. His technique was related to the soul, and most of my attacks didn't do much to him, which was why he got away."

Gojo Satoru rubbed his chin. An unrecorded Special Grade Cursed Spirit, and such an unusual one at that. Had it only just been born, or... There was no information from the Window either.

"Gojo-sensei, do you know of any cursed tools or methods that can attack the soul?"

Gojo Satoru came back to himself, thought for a moment, and said, "Things like that are extremely rare. I've seen similar cursed tools before, but I have no idea where they are now."

Shen Yuanyi nodded, then asked, "What about Gen Naine? Hasn't she woken up at Shoko's place yet?"

Gojo Satoru slumped in his chair and said helplessly, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Matters concerning the soul are far more complicated than we imagined, and the Gojo Family hasn't done much research in that area."

After a pause, Gojo Satoru continued, "The Kamo Family in Kyoto, along with some higher-ups, proposed a condition. They'll provide us with some research materials on the soul to help us study it and wake her up."

Shen Yuanyi raised a brow. "And what do they want? They can't possibly be the kind of people who do good deeds without asking for credit."

Gojo Satoru chuckled. "They want Gen Naine to enroll at Kyoto Jujutsu High."

Shen Yuanyi did not answer immediately, mulling it over in his heart. The request seemed simple enough—she would merely be attending school somewhere else. But were they really offering such precious materials just to have Gen Naine enroll at Kyoto Jujutsu High?

Only after a while did Shen Yuanyi speak. "They want Gen Naine—or rather, the Gen Family behind her—to join their faction?"

Gojo Satoru clapped his hands and grinned. "Correct!"

The smile on Gojo Satoru's face faded slightly as he continued, "They've taken an interest in Gen Naine's talent, as well as the Gen Clan main family that has already begun paying attention to her. Whether in jujutsu or social standing, they're no small source of support."

"So the Gen Family had no choice but to agree."

Gojo Satoru sighed. "Yeah. I was hoping the next batch of First-years would be a little livelier..."

Shen Yuanyi said nonchalantly, "Who can say what the future holds? Waking Gen Naine up would be a good thing. Let's eat first, or the beef will get overcooked."

The two chatted about other matters while eating the piping-hot sukiyaki.

"You're planning to reveal your technique to the higher-ups and apply to become a Special Grade Sorcerer?"

As Shen Yuanyi ate tender beef and fish balls, he replied, "More or less. I can now keep Cursed Technique Reversal active around the clock without consciously controlling it. Besides, I'll have access to more resources after becoming Special Grade, right?"

"The Jujutsu World isn't made up of only those traditionalists among the higher-ups. The title of Special Grade should give your side a bit more clout too, sensei."

Gojo Satoru laughed and scolded, "You brat, what kind of nonsense are you thinking about all day? I'll arrange it for you. They'll probably just send someone to document your technique, but the missions assigned to you will become more demanding afterward—unless you don't want any authority at all."

Seeing Gojo Satoru's gloating expression, Shen Yuanyi ignored him and lowered his head to focus entirely on eating. Before long, Gojo Satoru joined him in devouring the meal.

When they returned to Jujutsu High, Shen Yuanyi found Megumi Fushiguro looking utterly exhausted. Taking the hot drink Shen Yuanyi tossed him, Megumi sat on the steps, caught his breath, and took large gulps to replenish his sugar and water.

"How's the training going?"

Shen Yuanyi sat down beside him and asked. Megumi Fushiguro's expression showed no particular change as he replied calmly, "Pretty well. Maki-senpai is very skilled with weapons, and I've learned a lot. At this rate, I'll soon be able to subdue my next shikigami."

"Why don't I see Okkotsu or Inumaki?"

Only Panda and Maki were sparring at the Training Ground. Hearing that, Megumi Fushiguro looked over and said, "Okkotsu-senpai is preparing to go abroad, and Inumaki-senpai seems to have taken a mission, so he isn't at Jujutsu High either."

Maki noticed the two sitting on the steps and stopped beating up Panda. She raised the wooden spear in her hand and pointed it at them. "You two, what are you lazing around over there for? Get over here!"

Shen Yuanyi patted Megumi Fushiguro on the shoulder and smiled. "How about the two of us have a spar?"

Megumi Fushiguro's expression shifted slightly. "All right."

The two then walked onto the Training Ground. Hearing that they were going to spar, Maki raised a brow with an eager expression, while Panda sprang up from the ground in one motion.

"Hand-to-hand sparring. No techniques or Cursed Energy, just a contest of skill. Stop at the right time."

Maki stood between them and announced the rules. Both sides then took up Wooden Swords and assumed their stances. Panda cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "The loser has to treat everyone to dinner!"

Without turning around, Shen Yuanyi waved a hand. "No problem! Megumi will treat everyone to dinner."

His trash talk did not distract Megumi Fushiguro in the slightest. Shen Yuanyi spun the Wooden Sword in his hand, then circled Megumi Fushiguro with a smile, the Magatama Earring by his ear swaying with every step.

From beginning to end, Megumi Fushiguro remained perfectly guarded, facing Shen Yuanyi directly, even though only two or three strides separated them.

Seeing Megumi Fushiguro's airtight defense, Shen Yuanyi smiled. "Then I'll attack first!"

The figure in Megumi Fushiguro's vision suddenly blurred, and he instinctively raised his sword to block the direction from which a fierce gust was rushing toward his chest.

The next instant, an immense force struck his sword hand numb. Megumi Fushiguro did not even have time to catch his breath before the experience Maki had drilled into him over the past few days made him quickly block another sweeping kick.

Is Genichi this fast even without using his technique?

As he thought, the Wooden Sword in his hand slashed toward the smiling figure before him. Yet every consecutive strike was dodged or blocked.

Hearing a whistling sound by his ear, he tilted his head aside. A wooden blade passed before his eyes. Megumi Fushiguro made a snap decision and released his Wooden Sword, then rammed forward with his whole body. At the same time, both hands wrapped around Shen Yuanyi's sword hand like a hunting python. One twist, one wrench, and he seized the Wooden Sword.

"Oh..."

Shen Yuanyi watched Megumi Fushiguro use No-Blade-Taking to catch his opening, take the Wooden Sword, and toss it aside. Then, with a hook of his foot, Shen Yuanyi steadily caught the Wooden Sword he had thrown down.

"Now this is getting interesting."

Even without a weapon, Shen Yuanyi still attacked first. Relying on his superior speed, he continuously evaded Megumi Fushiguro's blade, then countered his attacks in a seamless flow with fists, feet, fingers, and elbows.

"I can use No-Blade-Taking too!"

When he caught an opening in Megumi Fushiguro's movements and controlled his blade, Shen Yuanyi also successfully seized the Wooden Sword by exploiting the limits of his joints. Yet rather than use it, he casually tossed it aside as well.

Shen Yuanyi clenched his fists and gave a strange grin. "Megumi, surrendering only means you lose halfway. Come to think of it, you've never beaten me in a fight since we were kids, right? If you won't admit defeat, then today we'll have a long-overdue fistfight."

Megumi Fushiguro's face darkened. How childish. Ever since they were little, Shen Yuanyi had used his inexplicably extensive fighting experience and a body far stronger than those of children his age to crush every delinquent at their school.

Whenever they argued, Shen Yuanyi and Megumi Fushiguro often got tangled up in rolling fights on the ground. But more often than not, just as Shen Yuanyi pinned Megumi Fushiguro down and they exchanged, "Do you submit?" and "I don't," Tsumiki would arrive to stop them. Then she would gently talk them both down until they exchanged sideways glances, shook hands, and apologized to each other.

At the thought of Tsumiki, Megumi Fushiguro's mind drifted for a moment. In that instant of distraction, he realized his arm had been locked, and the figure close before him filled his vision.

"Not good..."

Held tightly in place, Megumi Fushiguro could only struggle futilely. The world flipped upside down before his eyes, and then he saw Shen Yuanyi smiling at him from the bottom of his inverted view.

"Woohoo, I won!"

Lying on the ground and gazing at the clouds drifting leisurely across the sky, Megumi Fushiguro showed no sign of frustration. He braced his hands against the sand and prepared to rise.

When he looked up, a hand was held out before him. Following it upward, he saw that smiling face looking down at him. After a brief pause, Megumi Fushiguro grabbed Shen Yuanyi's hand and stood up, only to hear him talking to Panda.

"Let's get sushi, at that Fujiwara place..."

Megumi Fushiguro's face darkened. If he remembered correctly, that chain restaurant was absurdly expensive. Seriously...

Still, as he watched Panda cheer, and Maki, who had no idea what Shen Yuanyi had said to provoke her, raise her brows and prepare to chase him with her wooden spear, a warm current quietly flowed through Megumi Fushiguro's heart.

"Sister, I'll work hard to become stronger and wake you up..."

In the end, they did not go to that sushi restaurant. Instead, they bought ingredients and cooked food in the dormitory, with Shen Yuanyi as the chef.

"What is this called? Hot pot... isn't it just sukiyaki?"

After Shen Yuanyi explained the differences between the Chinese and Japanese versions, they could tell the two apart just from their appearances.

"You're not trying to burn us to death with spice, are you?"

Maki looked at the bubbling crimson broth, feeling a little intimidated. The spicy scent seemed to drift over on the steam.

Shen Yuanyi declared with absolute confidence, "Don't worry, it's not spicy!"

The mouthwatering aroma still made everyone unable to resist digging in. Sure enough, it was not very spicy at first bite. Layered fragrances wrapped around a moderate heat that set their taste buds ablaze, while the fresh flavor of the ingredients mixed with different seasonings and made it impossible for anyone to stop.

Before long, however, things changed. Maki's face had turned red, and she had already taken off her glasses because of the steam. Exhaling, she twisted open a carton of milk and took a long drink while glaring at Shen Yuanyi. "Didn't you say it wasn't spicy?"

Megumi Fushiguro beside her was also silently drinking milk. Panda, on the other hand, barely reacted and continued eating happily, even commenting on Maki's weak sense of taste.

"Uh... maybe everyone ate too fast? How about... Maki, you take a break?"

After seeing Panda finish what was in the pot and start adding more ingredients, Maki silently took another drink of milk. "No need. This much... is nothing."

Suppressing his laughter so he would not get hit, Shen Yuanyi got up and retrieved several cans of cola from the freezer. Yes, even in winter, he liked ice-cold drinks, especially at times like this. Nothing could feel more refreshing.

"Hm? What are you all doing in the dorm? I could smell something from outside."

Yaga Masamichi pushed open the door and saw them sitting around the steaming pot. Shen Yuanyi immediately greeted him warmly. "Principal Yaga, you haven't eaten yet, right? Come eat with us. I made a lot of food."

"Uh... I'd better not. I still have some things to do..."

"Masamichi, come eat! What Genichi made is delicious!"