Tsukasa Hatayama raised his right hand slightly and used dark matter to create a pitch-black block.
"Mei Mei, please stand on the block. I'll use it to lift you up."
Without thinking much of it, Mei Mei stepped onto the block in her knee-high boots. Once she stood steady, the block actually extended upward like the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
After delivering her safely to the surface, the dark matter immediately crumbled into dust.
Before Mei Mei could wonder what was going on, Tsukasa Hatayama used Dark Gravity to fly out of the well and landed smoothly beside her graceful figure.
He had spent the past month not only studying at Jujutsu High, but also researching Dark Gravity in his spare time. Though he still couldn't pull down a meteorite.
But that month of research had not only taught him to wield a trace of gravity; he had also unexpectedly discovered an utterly broken exploit in Dark Manipulation.
It completely countered incarnation. He could forcibly extract incarnated beings from their human hosts and turn those parasites who refused to rest in peace into spheres.
In the original story, anyone used as a host was effectively dead. But if he caught it early and extracted the intruder in time, the host could still be saved.
Perhaps he could use this exploit to save Megumi Fushiguro's beloved someday.
Mei Mei gave him a composed once-over, then happily took out a red flip phone and began sending an email with a smile on her red lips.
Driven by curiosity, Tsukasa Hatayama discreetly lowered his eyes to peek. A deposit notification flashed across the tiny screen.
Before he could see the balance clearly, Mei Mei snapped the phone shut.
Looking pained, she turned to Tsukasa Hatayama. "My dear junior, do you have a bank card? If you do, give me the details and I'll transfer your payment."
Tsukasa Hatayama shook his head and said regretfully, "I don't have one. Please hold on to it for me and transfer it when I turn eighteen."
"R-really?"
Mei Mei's pained expression vanished. Her sparkling black eyes fixed on Tsukasa Hatayama, plainly revealing her delighted surprise.
"Really."
Tsukasa Hatayama looked away, his earlobes slightly red, and murmured, "Until I turn eighteen, please keep it safe for me, Mei Mei."
Already blinded by money, Mei Mei failed to notice anything unusual about him.
Patting her chest lightly, Mei Mei promised, "Then I'll hold on to it for now. When you turn eighteen, I'll transfer every last bit back to you."
Outwardly, her promise was perfectly solemn. Inside, however, she thought, What a silly little junior. Once money lands in my hands, how could I ever give it back?
Heeheehee... another hundred and fifty million for nothing.
At that moment, the look she gave Tsukasa Hatayama grew a little friendlier.
Tsukasa Hatayama noticed, but merely looked away without giving it much thought. To him, money was nothing more than a casually scribbled string of numbers.
Perhaps Mei Mei's lifetime savings couldn't even compare to what the Hatayama Family earned in a day. Rather than take that paltry sum, he might as well win a beautiful woman's smile.
But seeing her continue to cradle her phone and grin, Tsukasa Hatayama helplessly took her delicate wrist and led her away.
Perhaps she let him do so because she was busy calculating the value of that wrist.
That evening.
On the Kanagawa coast, Mei Mei sat on a rock with her lovely legs crossed. She had taken off her boots, revealing soft, shapely feet with purple-painted toenails that swayed as she read her messages.
The 1.5 billion yen displayed on the screen made Mei Mei want to throw back her head and laugh uncontrollably.
Ever since arriving in Kanagawa, she had accepted one curse-exorcism assignment after another, including no fewer than five Grade 1 Cursed Spirit exorcisms.
Although she had taken the jobs, she had never lifted a finger. Everything had gone to her special grade hired muscle-her adorable junior, little Hatayama.
Thinking of that tireless, uncomplaining junior, Mei Mei turned her gleaming, alluring eyes toward the distant shore, where the waves surged.
An enormous eight-tentacled octopus cursed spirit was pinned beneath countless Black Cages descending from the sky. Then her junior calmly turned it into a sphere.
Mei Mei thoughtfully stroked her chin and smiled seductively. "So this is what it feels like to make money while lounging around. I'm starting to envy those bloodsucking capitalists."
Stuffing the sphere into his bulging pocket, Tsukasa Hatayama mused, "Tomorrow's February third. Six Grade 1 Cursed Spirits for Geto's birthday present."
"And I'll give him the attack method I created last month. That should make him happy..."
With that, Tsukasa Hatayama slowly walked toward his lazy senior.
"Come on, hop up."
In an excellent mood, Mei Mei patted the empty space on the rock beside her and invited Tsukasa Hatayama up with an irrepressible smile, making a rare exception so he could admire the ocean view with her.
Tsukasa Hatayama hopped up lightly and sat beside her, hugging his knees.
Facing the cool, pleasant sea breeze, the two quietly watched the pitch-black, turbulent ocean. Nothing but warmth lingered between them.
After more than ten minutes of silence, Mei Mei broke the peaceful atmosphere. She asked softly, "Are you collecting cursed spirits for Suguru Geto?"
"Yeah."
Tsukasa Hatayama nodded and hugged his legs. "Tomorrow's Geto's birthday. As his good friend, of course I have to prepare a present."
"What an enviable friendship."
Mei Mei tucked a windblown lock of lustrous silver hair behind her ear and chuckled. "If you found out when my birthday was, would you prepare something for me too?"
Tsukasa Hatayama lifted his head from his knees. First, he gave Mei Mei's stunning profile a puzzled look as she smiled silently. Then he nodded earnestly.
"I would."
"But I don't know when your birthday is. I'm afraid giving it at the wrong time would upset you, and I'd feel even worse about it."
Mei Mei's smile blossomed in stark contrast to the turbulent sea, sending faint ripples through the depths of Tsukasa Hatayama's otherwise tranquil heart.
Mei Mei turned toward him with a smile, her red lips parting... A surging wave crashed, carrying her seductive voice to Tsukasa Hatayama's ears.
The following day.
Jujutsu High.
Colorful streamers filled the first-year classroom, and the cake on the lectern lent warmth to its usually quiet atmosphere.
Wearing a birthday crown, Suguru Geto watched with a smile as Gojo Satoru fooled around at the lectern, repeatedly tossing little Panda into the air.
With every toss, little Panda let out a hoarse, terrified howl. Watching from below, Masamichi Yaga clenched his fists.
Had it not been his beloved student's birthday, Masamichi Yaga would have let Satoru Gojo taste his disciplinary fist and pay for his behavior.
At that moment.
Satoru Gojo was having the time of his life tossing little Panda, hoping to use him to get back at Mr. Yaga.
That's what you get for smacking me on the head all the time. Just watch me wreck your cursed corpse.
"Satoru, enough. Keep tossing him and Panda's going to fall apart." Suguru Geto couldn't bear it and tried to stop him, afraid his birthday party would turn into a funeral.
Mr. Yaga's menacing stare really was enough to make anyone nervous.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Satoru Gojo pursed his lips and tossed the cursed corpse back to Masamichi Yaga, still unsatisfied.
Tiny Panda scrambled behind Masamichi Yaga, his furry face wary and frightened as he watched the sunglasses-wearing villain at the lectern.
Suddenly.
Satoru Gojo pulled a hideous face at Panda, frightening him so badly that he lost his balance and toppled toward the floor. Fortunately, Masamichi Yaga reacted quickly and caught him.
Masamichi Yaga shot Satoru Gojo a fierce glare, then tenderly inspected Panda's furry body to see whether his beloved student's tossing had damaged him.
That deft, delicate side of him left the three people in the room speechless. To think such an enormously muscular man could be so gentle...
"Shoko!"
While everyone watched intently, an airy, sweet voice suddenly rang out.
They all turned to see Utahime Iori standing sheepishly in the doorway, an exquisitely wrapped gift box in her right hand.
As though he had spotted an amusing toy, Satoru Gojo rushed straight up to Utahime Iori and teased, "Well, if it isn't Kyoto's weak little Utahime?"
Utahime Iori's face immediately darkened, and she shot back mercilessly, "I may be weak, but at least I'm better than a certain arrogant jerk who got knocked unconscious on the field."
Satoru Gojo's mouth twitched. With no comeback, he took off his glasses and glared at Utahime Iori, then returned to the classroom looking thoroughly dejected.
News that the Child of God with the Six Eyes had lost to a complete unknown had already spread like wildfire throughout Jujutsu Society.
People were saying that the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes might be powerful, but still couldn't match someone trained by Jujutsu High. It had left the normally aloof Gojo Clan grinding their teeth in anger.
As one of Jujutsu Society's Three Great Families, when had they ever endured such humiliation? They were itching to send someone out to take on Jujutsu High.
But being outmatched was being outmatched. Even the Six Eyes had lost; those without it could only swallow their anger.
If he had to guess, Jujutsu High's higher-ups were probably fanning the flames. After being suppressed by the Three Great Families for so long, they naturally wanted to return the favor.
Despite the apparent harmony between the Three Great Families and Jujutsu High, with all three sending family members to attend the school, they were fiercely at odds behind the scenes.
Before you continue