The Season of Enrollment, The New Generation

Summer cicadas rang out across the entire Jujutsu High—it was once again the season for new students to enroll.

The Zenin Clan.

A girl in training clothes, gripping a naginata, wore her hair in a ponytail. Behind her glasses, her eyes held an unparalleled resolve.

Before her sat an old man with rippling muscles and a spirited demeanor—none other than the head of the Zenin Clan, Naobito Zenin.

"I'm going to Jujutsu High, become a sorcerer like the 'Strongest Trio,' and then destroy the Zenin Clan!"

The girl spoke rebelliously, spouting wild words, but Naobito Zenin, hearing this, did not grow angry.

On the contrary, he let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! Is that so? Maki!"

Watching Maki Zenin's figure, Naobito seemed to catch a glimpse of that man's shadow.

"Very well! Then go ahead, Maki!"

"I'll be here, waiting for the day you return!"

The Inumaki Clan.

"Toge-chan! Make lots of friends at school, get along with your classmates!"

"Salmon!"

"Remember to listen to your teachers, and call Mom and Dad when you have time!"

"Salmon!"

"Thinking about not seeing Toge-chan for so long makes Mom so sad! Boohoo..."

"Mustard leaf!"

Sunshine Cafe.

Suguru Geto smiled wryly as he dealt with the police officer before him.

"Um... they're my three adopted daughters and son. This shop really doesn't employ child labor illegally!"

Behind him, Nanako Hasaba, Mimiko Hasaba, and Rikyu Negi huddled together, whispering.

"Hey, this is the fourth time this month, right?"

"Those customers see us, leave the shop, and call the cops!"

"That's why I said we should put up a sign!"

"You forgot? We're heading to Jujutsu High tomorrow!"

"Speaking of which, why aren't Geto-nii and Haruko-nee getting married yet?"

"..." The next day, Jujutsu High.

Beneath the gate at the school entrance, a giant panda lay lazily under a tree, rubbing its fluffy belly.

The panda's name was Panda, a special Cursed Corpse created by Masamichi Yaga using his technique, Cursed Corpse Manipulation.

What made it special was that Panda not only possessed independent consciousness and emotions but could also generate and absorb cursed energy on its own.

This was almost on the level of a creator deity.

And because the higher-ups saw Panda's potential, they openly and covertly pressured Masamichi Yaga, hoping he would hand over the method for creating Panda.

Because if Panda could be mass-produced, they could command an army loyal to them.

For Yaga, who saw his Cursed Corpses as his children, this was unacceptable.

So he resolutely refused, stating that Panda's birth was an accident and he couldn't replicate it.

The higher-ups naturally didn't believe that excuse.

But considering that three of the current four special-grade sorcerers were Yaga's disciples and had good relations with him, the higher-ups dared not use forceful measures and could only keep nagging him.

"Ahhh~ ha~ so slow!"

Panda yawned, unable to help complaining.

At that moment, a boy with ash-gray hair, whose collar covered his entire mouth, appeared at the school gate.

At the same time, a tall girl with a ponytail, carrying a naginata on her shoulder, walked over. Seeing Toge Inumaki, she raised a hand in greeting.

"Hello! Are you a new student? Me too. I'm Zen... just call me Maki!"

"Salmon!"

"Huh?"

"Salmon! Salmon!"

Maki stared with puzzled dot eyes, tilting her head. Toge Inumaki also turned into dot eyes and tilted his head along with her.

After a moment of staring at each other, Toge Inumaki seemed to remember something and pulled a resume-like piece of paper from his backpack.

Maki took it and looked it over. "Oh, Toge Inumaki! So you're a Cursed Speech user! We're classmates from now on—nice to meet you!"

"Salmon!"

Maki clapped Inumaki on the shoulder without restraint, her peripheral vision catching sight of the panda not far away.

"Huh? The school keeps pandas too?"

Panda raised a hand in greeting. "Yo! Nice to meet you! I'm Panda!"

Maki and Toge Inumaki both froze.

"A panda that talks?!"

"Seaweed!"

"No need to be that surprised, I'm a Cursed Corpse!"

Panda pressed a hand to his forehead, looking exasperated as he explained.

"Cursed Corpse?!"

Only then did Maki remember that Masamichi Yaga, the principal of Jujutsu High, held the title of "the foremost master of Cursed Corpse Manipulation."

That explained it.

Suddenly, Toge Inumaki and Panda both whipped their heads around toward the school gate.

Maki, whose cursed energy was nearly zero, belatedly turned her head along with them.

Then, through her special glasses, she saw a terrifying surge of cursed energy approaching, so dense it seemed ready to pierce the sky.

Maki was stunned. "This is..."

"Special grade!"

Panda shrugged. "Must be one of those three!"

"Seaweed!"

Soon, the three of them spotted the figure of the newcomer.

Suguru Geto walked slowly into Jujutsu High, accompanied by Nanako, Mimiko, and Rikyu.

The three kids were full of curiosity about the school, and as they looked around, they quickly spotted Maki and the others.

"Wow! A panda!"

Seeing this, Geto greeted them. "Long time no see, Panda!"

Panda looked at Nanako and the others. "Didn't expect you to personally escort them here, Geto-sensei!"

Geto scratched his head. "Sawa and Gojo are coming too. It's been a while since we all caught up, so I figured I'd drop by."

"Suguru Geto..."

Upon learning the newcomer's identity, Maki's gaze turned reverent.

The "Strongest Trio"—legends of the jujutsu world. They had once made bold proclamations outside the Tombs of the Star Corridor, grinding the faces of the Three Great Families into the dirt.

That kind of bold, defiant style was practically heroic in the eyes of Maki, who had suffered abuse at the hands of the Zenin Clan.

For that very reason, these three had become the goal Maki aspired to as a jujutsu sorcerer.

"Hello, I'm Nanako Hasaba!"

"I'm Mimiko Hasaba!"

"Rikyu Negi."

The warmth of their personalities matched the length of their words.

But since they were all students, they quickly grew familiar with each other.

Just then, a grating, mischievous laugh rang out.

"Ehehehe! Geto! Long time no see!"

Suguru Geto smiled helplessly. "Yeah, Gojo, long time no—"

"Look, look! This is my student, Megumi Fushiguro! The heir to the Ten Shadows Technique! He's already exorcised seven grade-one cursed spirits, and he's a grade-two sorcerer before even enrolling!"

Gojo Satoru held Megumi Fushiguro in both hands, showing him off endlessly.

Megumi was covered in exasperation, embarrassed to the point of wanting to disappear, and hid behind his father, Toji Fushiguro, with a look of disgust.

"You came too?"

Ignoring Gojo's frantic showing off, Geto looked at Toji Fushiguro.

Toji scratched his hair. "He's my kid, after all. Had nothing better to do, so I tagged along."

Suddenly, Toji's gaze sharpened, locking onto Maki in the crowd.

At the same time, sensing the stare, Maki looked up and met Toji's eyes.

The scarred corner of Toji's mouth slowly curled up into an unreadable smile.

"Heavenly Restriction, huh?"