Let's calm your mind a little

The system of jujutsu roughly followed the principle of equivalent exchange.

The stronger the jujutsu, the greater the cost.

Divine Dogs and Toad were manageable, but Nue and Great Serpent consumed no small amount of Megumi Fushiguro's cursed energy due to their size.

Although Maki was also expending stamina, her stamina bar had directly absorbed part of her cursed energy bar, making it far larger than a Jujutsu Sorcerer's.

Megumi, however, had both, and they could not be shared.

Once Megumi exhausted his cursed energy, even if he had more stamina left, he would never be Maki's match.

That was the advantage of specializing in one thing.

Play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. Drag your enemy into the field you excelled in, then defeat her with your wealth of experience.

Composure, grace, and the like could wait until you became strong. We were weak; striving for victory alone already took everything we had.

Maki took every word Akesato had said to heart.

She did not care about getting hurt or being mocked. Even this explanation was meant to put psychological pressure on Megumi.

As long as she could win, all of it was worth it.

"Divine Dogs, Toad, Nue, Great Serpent—the Ten Shadows Technique has only used four of its ten shikigami. You still have six left. Your only chance is to defeat me using the remaining shikigami. Otherwise, you lose. In hand-to-hand combat, you have no chance."

Megumi instinctively bit his lip until it bled, an unwilling sound slipping through his clenched teeth.

"What, you're not summoning any new shikigami? Then it's my turn to attack."

There was blood at the corner of Maki's mouth, yet she looked even more arrogant than the uninjured Megumi.

"Wait."

Akesato raised a hand to stop Maki.

Megumi's eyelid twitched again. Akesato had been leaning against the rooftop door just moments ago, yet in the time it took to say a sentence, he had arrived in front of Maki. That speed was no slower than hers.

And Megumi could clearly sense that Akesato possessed cursed energy.

"Maybe it's not that he doesn't want to summon new shikigami. Maybe he can't. The Ten Shadows Technique probably isn't a Cursed Technique you can master all at once, right?"

"I remember now. According to the records, aside from the initial pair of Divine Dogs, the others all need to be 'exorcised' before they can be freely controlled. Seeing how cocky he was, I thought he'd mastered them all. Beating a Jujutsu Sorcerer with only four shadow techniques is boring."

Maki casually tossed her weapon to Akesato, then pulled a hair tie from her pocket and began tying up her hair.

"Which one of you is actually cockier?" Akesato complained. "Birds of a feather really do flock together."

"You are—" Megumi finally looked at her properly.

"Maki Zenin. I'm sort of your... never mind. I'm currently a runaway, so just call me by my name."

"..."

For a moment, Megumi had no idea what to say.

He was a child with a rough life too.

He had grown up without a mother, and his father had been extraordinarily irresponsible. Every day, he was either eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and smoking, or nowhere to be found at all. After Megumi started elementary school, the man had simply vanished.

It was not until a suspicious white-haired man came looking for him that Megumi learned he had been sold to the Zenin Family.

The white-haired man said he would help resolve the matter with the Zenin Family and ensure Megumi was fed and clothed until adulthood. But considering that the white-haired man was just as unreliable as his irresponsible father, Megumi had long prepared himself for the Zenin Family to come knocking.

He had not expected that after waiting nearly ten years, the first person from the Zenin Family he met would be a runaway.

What the hell was this supposed to be?

Since neither aunt nor niece from the Zenin Family knew how to speak properly, Akesato had no choice but to act as mediator and commentator.

The Zenin Family's doctrine of Jujutsu Supremacy, the significance of the Ten Shadows Technique, Maki's goal, and the purpose of this visit.

"Megumi, you must become stronger. Master all the shadow techniques. Only then will you be worth defeating."

Once Akesato had finished explaining, Maki made that declaration.

Megumi's expression grew even stranger.

It was not like he had asked for this damn Cursed Technique.

Fortunately, he was used to being screwed over by his unreliable biological father and adoptive father, so his emotional intelligence was not terrible. He did not say it out loud. Otherwise, Maki's mood would have been...

Akesato advised, "Maybe you think Maki is being too presumptuous, but becoming stronger is not a bad thing for you. Whether it's for revenge or protection, strength is necessary. In that regard, training alone will ultimately never compare to a professional jujutsu school. What do you think, Fushiguro?"

Megumi remained silent.

"It's understandable that someone important to you was cursed, and that you're upset and stubbornly believe it was your responsibility. But you can't stay trapped in anger and self-blame forever. It'll only destroy you—"

Akesato snapped his fingers, and Gardevoir raised a finger at the same time.

"Gardevoir~"

"—So calm your head down a little."

Psychic activated, stirring the air and whipping up a fierce gust around Megumi. His hedgehog-like hair, caked with who knew how much hair gel, was blown into the same hairstyle as Satoru Gojo's.

Finally, the Psychic force spread backward, uprooting and hurling away the over-three-meter-tall iron mesh fence surrounding the rooftop.

A line of fine cold sweat seeped across Megumi's forehead.

He had thought Maki Zenin was already strong enough, but he hadn't expected there to be an even stronger monster.

That move just now had even reminded him of the supposedly invincible Satoru Gojo.

"Calmed down now?" Akesato asked with a smile.

Megumi Fushiguro nodded frantically. If he didn't, he might never get another chance to calm down again.

"So, what's your answer?"

Megumi finally stopped playing mute. "I'll become stronger, but not for Miss Zenin, and not just for that idiot sister of mine. I'll act according to my own will."

"Don't call me by my surname!" Maki protested.

Megumi ignored her, and so did Akesato. He merely said:

"So what you need to do is—"

"I'll go to Jujutsu High and make myself stronger as soon as possible. I'll leave Tsumiki to him. I don't want to, but I know I don't have the ability to solve this problem right now. I'd only get in the way."

"So he says—"

Hearing Megumi say that, Akesato smirked toward the stairwell, where the white-haired broomhead stood with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

"Leave it to me."

Knowing he had been eavesdropped on, Megumi looked somewhat embarrassed. But he quickly forced himself to calm down. Though it still felt awkward, he lowered his head and squeezed out the words:

"Thank you. I've caused you trouble all this time."

"It's fine. Cleaning up after children is a parent's responsibility."

Satoru Gojo's smile was gentle, but sadly, it only lasted two seconds before becoming warped.

"Hehehe, little Megumi has finally realized how great I am. Come on, throw yourself into my arms."

"I refuse."

Veins bulged on Megumi's forehead. Give me back the emotion I was feeling! What the hell was I thinking, expecting anything from this guy?

"Don't be so heartless. I'm your guardian—basically your dad." As Gojo spoke, he spread his arms and lunged at him.

"My dad's been dead for ages. Don't come any closer—"

Megumi was having absolutely none of it. He turned and sprinted away, but his short little legs were no match for Gojo's long ones. He was quickly caught and could only struggle in vain.

Akesato promptly took out his phone and recorded the precious scene.

"What a peaceful sight."

PS: To emphasize, Megumi is currently in his third year of middle school and is in full Big Brother Megumi mode.

PS2: Please support with recommendations, monthly votes, tips, and follow-up reading.