Unnecessary mercy

"Hurry up and get into your stance, baldy. Didn't you say you were going to beat me at least once?"

"Right."

Okkotsu bent down and scooped up the bamboo sword that had rolled onto the ground. His fingers tightened around the hilt, his arms tensed slightly, and he held the sword across his body. Setting one foot ahead of the other, he resumed his fighting stance.

The two continued sparring.

"Yuta's movements have gotten a lot more fluid."

"Salmon."

"He's become more proactive, too."

"Salted salmon roe."

Watching Yuta Okkotsu trade blows with Maki on the field, Satoru Gojo felt quite pleased with his growth over the past few months. But where had Dai Li gone off to make his fortune now?

"Where's Dai Li?"

"Miss Mei Mei took him on a mission ages ago. Didn't you know? She said you were the one who asked her to come."

"Salmon."

Ah, now that you mention it, I think that did happen. I'd almost forgotten. It's been two months since I sent Miss Mei the money, after all. I've been so busy coaching Okkotsu lately that I forgot about Dai Li. I really am a failure as a teacher.

Precisely because Dai Li was so outstanding, Satoru Gojo had ended up neglecting his training.

In a dark alley somewhere in Tokyo, a tall, beautiful woman and a man walked with a finely dressed boy, looking like a family of three.

Just as the three rounded a corner at an unhurried pace and emerged from the narrow, gloomy alley enclosed by high walls, a long-concealed surge of cursed energy suddenly erupted.

"Finally showing yourself, are you?"

From the layers of shadow piled at the end of the alley, a dark figure shot through the air, moving so fast that only an afterimage remained.

"Black Bird Manipulation: Divine Wind."

A crow cloaked in cursed energy charged at the attacking curse user. Before he could even register what had happened, a gaping hole had been punched through his abdomen, and he bled to death.

"The remaining curse users are all utter scum, too. No need to hold back. Just kill them, Dai Li."

"I know. I won't waste any pity on scum."

Projection, begin.

Several short blades materialized and shot forward like deadly arrows, striking from vicious angles at incredible speed and piercing two enemies straight through the heart.

The two curse users, who had been about to attack, suddenly went rigid. The savage expressions froze on their faces, their cursed energy dissipated completely, and their bodies crashed heavily to the ground, lifeless. The entire process caused them no pain whatsoever.

"Killing them painlessly is a kind of mercy, too."

Mei Mei swung the enormous axe in her hands again and again, instantly reducing three attacking curse users to pieces. Another was pierced by a crow and killed. The expression on his dead face made it clear that he had suffered terribly before dying-the retribution he deserved for all his evil deeds.

In just a few exchanges, Dai Li and Mei Mei killed every member of the curse user group that had rushed over at the noise, wiping out the depraved group entirely.

"Wonderful! Even the way you carry yourself in battle! That's my dear sister!"

Watching from the sidelines, Ui Ui applauded nonstop, looking almost moved to tears.

"Thank you for enduring the humiliation of pretending to be this man's wife to complete the mission, dear sister."

Mei Mei wiped the blood left on her axe cursed tool. Ui Ui then took it from her and wrapped it up, the entire sequence flowing seamlessly.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to be my son?"

"No, having you as my mother would be such an honor. Ah, dear sister!"

Neither Mei Mei nor Ui Ui showed any hesitation about discussing this in front of Dai Li.

"Could you two put that on hold for a moment? What are we doing about all these bodies?"

The biological siblings' lovey-dovey exchange made Dai Li's skin crawl, but he had no interest in meddling in other people's private affairs. Right now, he was more concerned with dealing with the bodies lying in pools of blood.

"What an insensitive man. You should count yourself lucky that my dear sister pretended to be your wife. The Window personnel in the police department will handle the bodies. We don't need to worry about them."

So Jujutsu High has people inside the police department, too. No wonder Satoru Gojo dared to use Limitless in the city before.

"By the way, you didn't actually need to join me on this mission to wipe out the curse user group. Even during your promotion evaluation, you don't have to keep taking the same missions as me.

"I only accepted this mission because the pay was good enough. Killing people is still a little premature for a first-year, after all."

"It's fine. I hate scum who don't treat ordinary people's lives as worth anything. I won't feel guilty about killing them."

This had indeed been Dai Li's first time killing people, but it hadn't felt particularly real. All he felt was anger toward these curse users. When he had read what they had done in the briefing, an unnamed fury had flared in his heart.

Curse users who didn't regard ordinary people as fellow human beings were all too common in this world.

"Let's head back. Including this one, you've completed three missions rated Grade 1 or higher with me. Your promotion to Semi-Grade 1 should be no problem now."

"With your ability, you should have been promoted to Semi-Grade 1 after your very first mission. Every Grade 1 Sorcerer knows you were the one who killed that cursed spirit capable of Domain Expansion.

"It looks like the Jujutsu Higher-Ups are making your promotion as difficult as possible because your teacher defied their orders. I can't say whether having Satoru Gojo as your teacher is good luck or bad luck for you."

Mei Mei's impression of Satoru Gojo was still largely shaped by his arrogant, domineering behavior during his days at Jujutsu High. She had no idea what he was like now that he had become a teacher.

"Whether it's good or bad is another matter, but being his student sometimes means getting driven half-mad by his idiotic behavior."

"I can agree with that."

With their mission complete, the three drove back to Jujutsu High.

After this mission, Dai Li was confirmed to have the qualifications to become a Grade 1 Sorcerer and officially became a Semi-Grade 1 Sorcerer. Reaching Semi-Grade 1 within four months of enrollment might not have been exceptionally remarkable at Jujutsu High, but it still placed him among the best.

"Long time no see, Miss Mei. Thanks for taking my student out to gain some experience."

"No problem. Just have this ready next time, too."

Mei Mei pressed the tips of her right thumb and index finger together and rubbed them back and forth, mimicking the motion of counting money.

"Okay, no problem."

Satoru Gojo answered with a gesture of his own, making an okay sign.

"I look forward to working with you again. That's all, then. I'll be going."

Beside her, Ui Ui gave Satoru Gojo and Dai Li a respectful bow, impeccably polite, quiet, and reserved.

Then he straightened and hurried after Mei Mei. The two left Jujutsu High at a leisurely pace.

Satoru Gojo watched Mei Mei leave without saying anything more, then turned to Dai Li with a question.

"So, the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event is coming up. Are you going to participate?"

"Do you even have to ask? Sign me up. I'll take on ten at once!"

"Hahaha, I'm looking forward to seeing how you and Yuta do at the Goodwill Event."