"This isn't simple at all."
"Your cursed technique is pretty unusual. Have you given it a name?"
"Life and Binding."
"So lame."
Dai Li was speechless. He expressed it with his eyes, silently staring at Satoru Gojo without a word.
"Your cursed technique is a double-edged sword."
"A normal binding vow is one you impose on yourself. At worst, breaking it means losing the benefits you gained. Your cursed technique is more like a binding vow agreed upon between two people. Break that, and the consequences could be pretty terrible."
"Remember one thing: when you use your cursed technique, consider the cost first, then the benefits."
As though he had switched into a different mode, Satoru Gojo immediately began his explanation after using the Six Eyes to understand Dai Li's cursed technique.
"And that's it. All done."
But he finished just as quickly, leaving Dai Li only half understanding what he had heard.
"I'll take you back to Jujutsu High first. You're staying at a hotel here anyway, right?"
"It's summer break right now, so your upperclassmen might not be around, but the principal's still there. Come meet Principal Yaga. He should like you. Probably."
"The principal of Jujutsu High? Sure, I'll go meet him with you in a bit."
Once they had finished eating and drinking, Satoru Gojo suggested returning to Jujutsu High. After he reported this to the higher-ups, plenty of people would come looking to give Dai Li trouble if he wasn't at the school.
Dai Li agreed. He was also quite interested in seeing this school specializing in jujutsu.
Still, he was an undergraduate.
"Oh, and I'll let the money you won using jujutsu slide this time. But no doing that again."
"Tch."
Dai Li clicked his tongue quietly, expressing his displeasure.
Satoru Gojo still hadn't forgotten about that. Once Dai Li joined Jujutsu High, he would have to earn his money honestly by taking missions.
Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School was a school dedicated to training jujutsu sorcerers.
The school stood in a secluded mountain forest in Tokyo, surrounded by dense groves of evergreen cedars. Following the winding stone steps upward to the foot of the mountain brought visitors into the school grounds, with stone lanterns along the way, their bases covered in moss.
Surrounded by mountain forest, the air here carried a hint of moisture. Occasional breezes swept through the trees, and there seemed to be a few caws from crows as well.
"This is where you'll be going to school from now on: Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High."
"So lame."
"I think so too, but let's go inside first. You might change your mind."
Dai Li and Satoru Gojo walked along the dirt-caked stone steps. With trees surrounding them, they couldn't see the end when they looked up.
"Any unregistered source of cursed energy will trigger the barrier's alarm here. I've already asked Ijichi to register yours, so don't worry."
The two leisurely made their way to the foot of the mountain, where a series of vermilion torii gates marked their arrival at Jujutsu High.
"The school's past this barrier. Just walk straight through."
"Did that Tengen person set up this barrier?"
"Correct."
Dai Li stepped into the barrier and felt no reaction at all. This was an exceptionally sophisticated barrier technique.
Past the final torii gate, the buildings of Jujutsu High slowly came into view.
Most of the buildings resembled temples and shrines, with dark timber walls and roofs covered in black tiles.
Old shrines mingled with modern sports grounds-or rather, training grounds.
Two somewhat weathered stone komainu statues stood by the gate, seemingly guarding the entrance in silence.
The place had a quiet, solemn atmosphere.
"The principal himself is in here. Ready?"
"More or less. I'm not that nervous."
They entered a building that looked no different from the others on campus. Numerous lit candles were set into its pillars, their flickering flames bathing the room in a yellow glow.
"This is the jujutsu sorcerer you mentioned, the one from that special grade incident?"
"Yep. I took this seriously, you know. I've gotten the whole story straight. I really don't understand why you're so worried about me being a teacher."
"This is Masamichi Yaga, the principal of this Jujutsu High."
The man before him had a heavy brow and a rugged, stern face. Wearing sunglasses and sporting a goatee, he was the very picture of a tough guy.
Yet he was currently making cute dolls out of felted wool, creating quite a contrast.
"Oh, my name is Dai Li. Dai is my surname..."
"What are you here for?"
"Huh?"
"What did you come to Jujutsu High to do?"
"Oh, that's what you meant. If I had to say, to beat Sukuna."
As for his reason for joining Jujutsu High... well.
The system gave me a mission to fight Sukuna. It didn't say I had to win.
But if he didn't win, Sukuna would either cut him in half at the waist or dice him like a mango. Sukuna wouldn't be kind enough to let him leave and complete his mission without a hitch.
"I suppose I'll take that to mean you want strength surpassing the King of Curses from a thousand years ago."
"Really? That's your goal? He never told me that. I didn't expect you to be so ambitious. I thought you didn't really have any aspirations."
"That's about it. Get stronger, then beat Sukuna."
Judging by Masamichi Yaga's and Satoru Gojo's reactions, perhaps no student had ever joined the school with the goal of defeating Sukuna. Besides, Sukuna hadn't even been resurrected yet. Even if Dai Li wanted to fight him, he couldn't find him.
"Then why do you want to become so strong?"
"To fight Sukuna."
"No. Sukuna is still a Special Grade Cursed Object right now. Don't you have another reason?"
Masamichi Yaga thought he had encountered yet another jujutsu sorcerer who wasn't right in the head. Satoru Gojo had clearly told him Dai Li was both powerful and mentally sound...
"I see. Then..."
"I want to create a world without cursed spirits, but I would never approve of extreme methods like Suguru Geto's."
This was another reason Dai Li had come up with. He simply disagreed with Suguru Geto's views. As for actually achieving that goal, he would leave it to the Tiger Heavenly Emperor later on.
"Nothing but grand claims you don't mean. You fail."
With a guiding gesture of his hand, Masamichi Yaga sent a doll charging at Dai Li.
The doll was a little bear with pink fur and big eyes. It was adorable, the sort of gift you couldn't go wrong giving a girl.
This cute little bear was now rubbing its paws together eagerly, as though it would leap forward and punch Dai Li at any moment.
"Hey, my cursed energy still hasn't recovered."
"Who cares? That's your problem. You want to become strong enough to change the world, yet you can't even handle a setback this small?"
"Here we go again."
Satoru Gojo was used to this. Once this weird old man's lectures started, they wouldn't end anytime soon.
Before you continue