A Young Man's First Cursed Tool

Fight cursed spirits directly?

"Mei Mei-senpai, is this really okay?"

In response to Toho Tetsu's question, Mei Mei merely nodded, a smile of apparent amusement appearing on her face.

"It's fine. Before deciding on the training plan, I already spoke with Teacher Yaga. He also believes it's time for you to begin practical combat training, so you won't lack experience when you take on missions later."

As though recalling something, she added a special reminder.

"I know you once dealt with a Grade 2 cursed spirit under Utahime's guidance, but that was only a coincidence and can't become the norm. You need to start accumulating combat experience against low-grade cursed spirits."

Hearing her words, Toho Tetsu froze for a moment, though not because of what she said about defeating a Grade 2 cursed spirit being impossible to replicate.

Frankly speaking, as an ordinary person who knew nothing, being able to defeat a Grade 2 cursed spirit in his first battle with only a few simple instructions and an explosive Black Flash was indeed an achievement worth being proud of.

But he cared more about the other implications in her earlier words.

Was Jujutsu High already planning to assign him missions at this point?

Though he could predict they would only be low-level missions involving Grade 3 or Grade 4 cursed spirits, this progression still seemed a little too fast.

Had the talent he displayed put considerable pressure on Jujutsu High?

Wait, that actually seemed perfectly reasonable.

Although no one at Jujutsu High had mentioned it so far, they were probably very curious about what his cursed technique was. And if they wanted a newcomer who knew nothing to master his cursed technique as quickly as possible, or at least display some initial ability, then missions and practical combat would undoubtedly be the most effective methods.

At that thought, he instead felt a hint of something strange.

He had also been considering when to reveal information about his cursed technique. It was obviously impossible to hide it forever.

But due to the special nature of his cursed technique, he could only selectively reveal certain abilities, or exaggerate its restrictions. That way, Jujutsu High would not place him on a priority watchlist because his ability was too unbalanced.

Seeing him suddenly fall into thought, Mei Mei paused, then shifted the conversation in another direction.

"Of course, if you don't want to fight cursed spirits for now and would rather train some physical combat fundamentals, I can understand that. It's just that the efficiency would be lower."

To her surprise, Toho Tetsu shook his head.

"No, Mei Mei-senpai. I agree with your proposal and reasoning. Starting with cursed spirits is indeed a very good decision. After all, time is money, and efficiency is life."

Mei Mei's eyes flickered, revealing a trace of appreciation.

"Since you have that kind of resolve, this will be easy. But before we officially begin, we still need to prepare a few things. Follow me."

Though somewhat curious about where Mei Mei was taking him, Toho Tetsu did not ask. He simply followed her through the campus.

When they stepped onto one of the campus corridors, she reminded him.

"Be careful. The place we're going next is relatively secret from the outside world, so try not to touch any of the doors along the way. You might fall into a barrier."

Not long afterward, when they arrived before a warehouse, she handed a certificate to the Assistant Supervisor stationed at the entrance. He then opened the door and let them inside.

Once they entered, Toho Tetsu saw all kinds of weapons displayed on the walls and nearby racks, and immediately understood what this place was.

"This is considered a low-grade equipment storehouse. Everything here is the most basic cursed tool, capable of increasing damage slightly through the infusion of cursed energy. I don't need to explain the definition of cursed tools to you, do I?"

As she spoke, she approached the wall, her gaze lingering briefly on a huge axe.

"Yes, so now we're going to..."

"Choose a cursed tool you find suitable or easy to handle. For the next period, our cultivation and training will not only cover fighting techniques, but also the use of cursed tools.

So the higher-ups have decided to give you one. Consider it... a newcomer benefit."

Looking at the dazzling array of cursed tools, Toho Tetsu thought for a moment before walking to the center at the far end of the room, where several long blades lay on a table.

Because he particularly enjoyed anime and novels, Toho Tetsu had always held a special fondness for identities such as martial artists and ronin.

But after looking around, he found no longswords, much less weapons like Miao sabers or Tang sabers, so he could only choose from what was available.

Among those blades, one inconspicuous sword at the very edge caught his eye immediately.

Its scabbard was made of somewhat worn wooden material. The handle was wrapped only in old dark cloth rather than ornate silk cord or other premium materials. Its guard was an utterly ordinary square, without even a single decoration.

When Toho Tetsu picked it up and slowly drew the blade, he saw two small inscriptions carved into its body—Immovable.

Although the sword looked somewhat old and overly inconspicuous, it gave him an inexplicable sense of reassurance. So he sheathed it again and carried it back to Mei Mei.

"Mei Mei-senpai, I'll take this cursed tool."

Seeing that he had selected the cursed tool he wanted, Mei Mei nodded. Without asking further questions, she turned and led him out of the display room.

When they registered it with the Assistant Supervisor at the door, he looked at the blade and could not help freezing for a moment.

"I didn't expect you to choose this cursed tool."

"What is it? Does it have some story behind it?"

Seeing the sentimental expression on his face, Toho Tetsu did not want the conversation to end there. He was quite curious about the blade's origins as well.

"This sword is a cursed tool made by a senior I know. How should I put its trait? It's very sturdy. Even if the blade suffers some damage or wear, it can be repaired by infusing it with cursed energy. So after that senior finished making it, he named it Fudōmaru."

As the Assistant Supervisor spoke, he recorded the details of this withdrawal on the registration form.

Grade 3 cursed tool—Fudōmaru, granted to Toho Tetsu.

After handing the other copy of the duplicate document to Toho Tetsu, he said with emotion.

"From now on, this Fudōmaru belongs to you. I hope you'll use it well."

"I understand."

After accepting the receipt and thanking the Assistant Supervisor, Toho Tetsu followed Mei Mei away. On the way out, Mei Mei glanced at the cursed tool in his hand, a hint of fluctuation entering her voice.

"I didn't expect you to choose a cursed tool with such a simple effect. I thought you would choose one with some offensive properties."

To her question, Toho Tetsu's answer was equally simple.

"If I need a more offensive cursed tool, I can consider buying a better one once I have sufficient funds in the future. This is only a training cursed tool for now. As long as it's sturdy and easy to repair, that should be enough, shouldn't it?"

Listening to his pragmatic words, Mei Mei nodded almost imperceptibly, and the appreciation in her eyes increased a little more.

Though the school had assigned her the task of supervision, instruction, and a certain degree of probing, Mei Mei had her own considerations and thoughts.

As her number of missions grew, she increasingly felt that she needed a reliable partner who could help her handle certain matters.

In the past, although she had worked with other Sorcerers, every one of them had one problem or another.

Even Utahime Iori, her only friend, was close to her merely because their cursed techniques worked well together and they had been classmates.

They could be friends, but becoming fixed partners was out of the question.

But if she did not consider classmates or fellow students, she found the independent Sorcerers in society somewhat untrustworthy.

So when she heard that the school had suddenly gained a special student with a large amount of cursed energy, someone who could quickly gain an initial control over cursed energy and even land a Black Flash in his very first battle despite knowing nothing—

She truly did have some ideas.

Of course, they were merely ideas regarding value and investment.

So when she accepted this task, she had been constantly thinking about what kind of person Toho Tetsu was.

And up to this point, the various qualities Toho Tetsu had displayed all suited her requirements: he understood how to assess the situation, did not casually cause trouble, and favored practicality and efficiency over emotional actions.

If he continued to grow and reached her minimum standard of strength, perhaps he really could become her fixed partner.

Moreover, although Utahime had tsundereishly claimed on the surface that she did not like the guy very much, her later insistence that Mei Mei take him seriously showed otherwise.

This freshman seemed to have a rather good relationship with Utahime. If the three of them went on missions together in the future, there would be no barriers or trouble between them.

Though such thoughts passed through her mind, Mei Mei still wore only a faint smile as she led Toho Tetsu to the foot of Jujutsu High's back mountain.

"Next comes the practical combat portion. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Toho Tetsu also tightened his grip on Fudōmaru and turned his gaze toward the entrance to the back mountain.