Yuta Okkotsu Becomes Gojo Sawa's Disciple

"My name is Rika Orimoto. Thank you for saving me!"

"My name is Yuta Okkotsu. Thank you for saving Rika!"

Inside the fast-food restaurant, Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto bowed to Gojo Sawa in gratitude, their attitudes utterly sincere.

If not for the fact that the two were holding hands, Gojo Sawa might have been happier.

The taro pie in his hand seemed tainted by the sour stench of young love, and he set it down with disdain.

"You're welcome. After all, we're distant relatives, Yuta."

"Distant relatives?"

Yuta Okkotsu blinked in confusion.

Staring at Gojo Sawa's striking white hair—clearly a sign of mixed heritage—when had he ever had a relative like this?

"Gojo."

Gojo Sawa pointed at himself. "My surname is Gojo. Your parents should have mentioned it to you, right?"

Hearing this, Yuta finally recalled. His father had indeed brought up that surname, said to belong to some wealthy conglomerate clan.

"The Gojo Clan and the Okkotsu Clan are both descendants of Michizane Sugawara's bloodline. Though the connection is distant, we're still considered relatives."

"Michizane Sugawara?"

"Yes, one of the four great vengeful spirits of ancient times."

"Speaking of which, we of the Three Great Families are all descendants of vengeful spirits. The Zenin Clan's inherited Ten Shadows Technique and Mahoraga were born from the vengeful spirit Taira no Masakado, while the Kamo Clan's Blood Manipulation originates from Emperor Sutoku."

"Descendants of vengeful spirits, now working to exorcise curses—how ironic, isn't it?"

Yuta and Rika had no idea what Gojo Sawa was talking about, and even thought he might be a bit unhinged.

Yuta scratched his head. "Aren't these all just vague legends?"

Gojo Sawa smiled, glancing around. "Let me check... There's nothing here. Wait for me a moment."

With that, Gojo Sawa stepped out of the fast-food restaurant.

Just as Yuta and Rika thought he might have bolted without paying.

Two minutes later, Gojo Sawa returned.

At the same time, he seemed to be carrying something in his hand.

But to everyone else, he was just holding his arm up, clutching at empty air—a very odd pose.

"Look at this!"

Gojo Sawa held the "thing" in his hand up in front of Yuta Okkotsu's eyes.

"Ah!"

Seeing the "monster" gripped in Gojo Sawa's hand, Yuta Okkotsu let out a startled cry, drawing confused looks from the other customers in the shop.

Rika looked at Yuta in bewilderment. "Yuta, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly so worked up?"

Yuta Okkotsu pointed at the curse in Gojo Sawa's hand. "A m-monster!"

"Monster?"

Rika looked and looked again, but in her eyes, Gojo Sawa was just holding his palm around thin air.

Gojo Sawa chuckled. "This thing is called a curse. It's a creature born from cursed energy generated by human negative emotions. Only those with a talent for jujutsu can see it."

"Right now, besides you and me, everyone else—including Rika—can't see it."

"A curse?"

"Looks like your family never gave you any education on this matter!"

Gojo Sawa spread his hands. "Then let me give you a lesson. Listen up..."

(ten thousand words omitted)

Rika Orimoto gasped in amazement at the "strange tales" Gojo Sawa spun, while Yuta Okkotsu wore an expression of utter disbelief.

But no matter how much he doubted, the bizarre-shaped "curse" in Gojo Sawa's hand was right there, flailing before his eyes.

And he could even sense the so-called "cursed energy" radiating from that little monster.

"So, you..."

"That's right!"

Gojo Sawa crushed the curse in his grip. "I'm a jujutsu sorcerer. You can think of us as a special group that protects humans from curses."

"You have potential in this area—immense potential. So I want to take you on as my student. What do you think?"

"Well..."

Yuta Okkotsu fell silent.

To be honest, having a stranger suddenly pop up, tell you that monsters actually exist in this world, and then invite you to fight them alongside him to protect world peace—

It sounded, more or less, like a sign of mental instability.

Though the facts were right before his eyes, Yuta Okkotsu was, after all, still just an elementary schooler—a first-grader.

"I... I'll go home and talk it over with my parents..."

Gojo Sawa thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone. "Hey, connect me to the head of the Okkotsu Clan. I need to discuss something with him."

Before long, Yuta Okkotsu held the phone, his small face filled with shock.

On the other end of the line, his parents were in full agreement—even eagerly hoping—that Yuta would take Gojo Sawa as his master.

A Special Grade Sorcerer!

Sure, within the circle of Gojo Sawa, Suguru Geto, and their ilk, this title might seem ordinary.

But in the jujutsu world, its status was no less than that of a National Defense Minister.

"And Rika... I don't want to be separated from Rika..."

"The school you two attend—I've already bought it."

"..."

Yuta Okkotsu's tiny head was filled with giant question marks.

Only then did he understand what his parents meant when they called the Gojo Clan a "zaibatsu noble house."

"Well... okay then!"

Gojo Sawa revealed a faint smile.

That smile sent a chill down Yuta Okkotsu's spine, and he suddenly regretted agreeing to him just now.

"Excellent, Yuta! From today on, I am your jujutsu teacher!"

"Let's savor the burning passion of youth together!"

"..."