Don't Steal My Prey

Under the pressure of their packed training schedule, the four first-years made rapid progress. Their physical combat skills improved, as did their understanding of Cursed Energy and Cursed Techniques.

Okkotsu made the most noticeable progress, his strength advancing by leaps and bounds.

With talent like his, it was only natural he'd catch up so quickly.

It had been barely a year since Okkotsu joined Jujutsu High. Leaving Rika out of the equation, he'd nearly caught up with everyone else.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Geto Suguru's Night of a Hundred Demons began...

As night approached, Cursed Spirits surged across the skies, streets, and cities of Tokyo's Shinjuku and Kyoto.

Yaga, Satoru Gojo, and Shinsuke Zenin stood in the street, looking at the Cursed Spirits filling it and the hostile sorcerers from Geto's group surrounding them.

"It's a diversion. Geto Suguru's after Okkotsu."

Masamichi Yaga saw through Geto Suguru's intentions. After all, Geto hadn't even tried to hide them.

He'd released so many Cursed Spirits to keep the sorcerers from both Jujutsu High schools occupied. That would give him the chance to find Okkotsu alone, kill him, and take Rika.

The plan was called the Rika Retrieval Operation.

"Just as I thought. I've already sent Inumaki and Panda back."

Satoru Gojo remained calm. He knew what Geto Suguru was after, and the only students at Jujutsu High right now were the four first-years.

This was the perfect chance to use Geto Suguru to draw out all of Okkotsu's potential.

He trusted that Geto Suguru wouldn't harm the students at Jujutsu High.

"Geto probably won't let me go back easily."

Satoru Gojo glanced at Geto's people on the rooftops. Every one of them had their eyes on him. Clearly, he was their only target.

"Hey, why don't you hold these guys off while I go back and check on things?"

Satoru Gojo turned to Shinsuke Zenin and asked.

Shinsuke raised an eyebrow. He casually swung the broad-bladed Soul Liberation Blade in his hand and shot Satoru Gojo a look. "Do you really think that's likely?"

He'd gone to all the trouble of borrowing this Soul Liberation Blade from Toji—a weapon that ignored physical toughness and Cursed Energy defenses—because he wanted to kill the Grade 1 and higher Cursed Spirits in Shinjuku, then head to Kyoto and kill the ones there.

With such a powerful weapon, he could make a lot more progress.

"See you. Have fun with these guys."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shinsuke Zenin blurred into motion and charged toward the Cursed Spirits in the street, ignoring all the weaklings and making a beeline for his targets.

Anything Grade 1 or higher was his. Nobody else was allowed to take it.

"..." Satoru Gojo.

"Can't count on that guy after all."

"You can't blame him. Everyone's got their quirks, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying killing Cursed Spirits."

Yaga spoke up from the side.

He couldn't do much to help Satoru Gojo, so all he could do was deal with the Cursed Spirits.

Satoru Gojo sighed. In a flash, he appeared on the rooftop and looked at the Black sorcerer in front of him. "You again."

That same master of elbow strikes had held him up in Shibuya last time. Geto Suguru certainly had some capable people around him.

Miguel stared at Satoru Gojo, who had only one eye exposed, and felt the pressure mount. He swung the Black Rope Cursed Tool in his hand, staying alert to every move his opponent made.

All he had to do was hold Satoru Gojo off. He couldn't fight him head-on; he had to keep moving and wear him down.

"ROAR—!"

Just then, a Cursed Spirit as tall as a ten-story building, covered head to toe in red fur, roared and lunged at Satoru Gojo.

Satoru Gojo extended one palm. Cursed Energy gathered at its center, condensing into a small crimson sphere that radiated a terrifying aura.

"Don't get in my way."

Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!

The crimson sphere shot out, seemingly ready to kill the enormous Cursed Spirit in one blow.

But before Red could reach it, a figure leaped into the air and landed in front of the giant Cursed Spirit. A massive blade swung down from above.

CRASH!!

In an instant, the giant Cursed Spirit was cleaved in two. Purple blood gushed out like a fountain, coating the entire high-rise in purple.

"ROAR!!"

The Cursed Spirit let out a scream and died on the spot.

Satoru Gojo's Red passed right by the figure in midair and shot toward a distant point, disappearing from sight.

Shinsuke Zenin turned around, a ferocious grin tugging at his lips. "Kid, don't steal my prey."

With that, Shinsuke Zenin disappeared again, turning into a Cursed Spirit–slaying machine as he swept through Shinjuku.

"That guy..."

Satoru Gojo was speechless. He couldn't even be bothered to say anything anymore.

"Gulp."

The sorcerers on the ground stared in shock. Was this what life was like for the big shots?

A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, gone in an instant.

At the same time, the sorcerers from Jujutsu High were doing their best to exorcise the Cursed Spirits. Nanami, for instance, was straightening his tie as he cut them down.

Then there was Meimei, hefting an axe, and Kusakabe, swinging his sword.

And Kinji Hakari and Kirara Hoshi, reveling in the excitement of the fight.

Not to mention Riko Amanai, who was hiding inside a building and manning a cannon.

Whether they were Grade 1 Sorcerers or Grade 2 Sorcerers, they were all putting on an impressive showing.

It was just that, as they fought, their opponents kept getting snatched away by a blur.

"Teacher Zenin, stealing our kills like that isn't right," Meimei complained, quickly picking up her pace. She was paid by the kill, after all. She couldn't let him take them all.

"Good grief, this is ridiculous. Can you do that without Cursed Energy?"

Kusakabe gripped his sword with both hands, stunned by how quickly Shinsuke was killing Cursed Spirits.

Damn, even killing chickens wasn't this fast.

Whether Grade 1 or Quasi Special Grade, he hadn't seen a single one make Shinsuke Zenin draw a second strike.

A little over ten minutes later, Shinsuke Zenin stood on a rooftop, spotless except for the purple liquid still running down the blade of his massive sword.

"Tch. That's it? Geto's a real cheapskate."

What was he supposed to do with only a few dozen?

Feeling his blood surge through his body, Shinsuke rolled his neck and looked around, picking out the direction of Kyoto.

If he went full speed, he should still have time to kill some there.

He was close to reaching the next stage of the Eight Gates. He couldn't miss this chance.

Shinsuke bent his knees slightly, aimed himself toward Kyoto, and launched himself forward with all his might.

With a thunderous boom, he shot toward Kyoto like a bullet.

The subway would take at least two hours. Running there was much faster.

"Holy crap! Is Teacher Shinsuke going to Kyoto too?!"

Watching Shinsuke Zenin leap from rooftop to rooftop until he vanished in the blink of an eye, Kusakabe's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Wait—had Shinsuke been killed by a Cursed Spirit in his past life or something? How deep did this grudge run?

"Thank goodness I'm not a Cursed Spirit..."

For the Cursed Spirits, having a monster like him show up in this era was a disaster. Teacher Shinsuke was nothing short of a tyrant to them.

"He really is a lunatic, Teacher Zenin." Nanami wiped the purple liquid from his hands and adjusted his glasses.

Whenever he ran into a powerful Cursed Spirit, he got so excited he went berserk.

Meanwhile...

At Jujutsu High, Okkotsu had already engaged Geto Suguru. He was fighting alongside Rika, struggling against Geto.

Geto Suguru wielded the Special Grade Cursed Tool Play Cloud, trading blows with Okkotsu and Rika using his physical combat skills.

Wondering where Play Cloud came from? Just look at Maki lying nearby.

And Maki wasn't the only one down. Inumaki and Panda were there too.

A month of intensive training had made them all stronger, but they still weren't quite a match for Geto Suguru, a former Special Grade Sorcerer.