Yuta Okkotsu

The year was 2016.

Inside a classroom at Jujutsu High.

"Let's introduce our transfer student! Get hyped, everyone!"

Satoru Gojo, his eyes wrapped in bandages, shouted from the podium as he waved his arms around.

The three people and one panda seated before him showed no excitement at his words. They simply watched him calmly.

They gave him no respect whatsoever as their teacher.

"Come on... get hyped!"

Gojo's face practically turned green with embarrassment.

A girl with glasses and dark green hair in a high ponytail sat with her legs crossed. Turning her head aside, she grumbled irritably:

"I heard he's pretty full of himself. I'm not setting the mood for someone like that!"

"Salmon!"

Beside her sat a boy with short silver hair, pale purple eyes, and delicate features that gave him the air of a frail scholar. His collar covered his mouth.

He voiced his agreement by naming a food.

The panda beside them wore a distinctly human expression. He did not seem particularly welcoming toward the transfer student either.

"Don't be like that, everyone. Maybe he had no choice but to do what he did!"

The last boy had tousled black hair and sharply sculpted features, exuding a distinctive, handsome charm.

With a gentle smile on his lips, he urged them not to be so prejudiced.

"Yuanfang is the nice one after all! The rest of you have no compassion!"

Gojo was so moved that he nearly cried. At least one of his students was a good kid.

Maki Zenin pursed her lips, thinking Yuanfang was far too naive.

"Come in!"

As Gojo finished speaking, the classroom door slowly slid open.

A boy wearing a white, wide-sleeved Jujutsu High uniform top walked in, his head slightly lowered and his manner timid.

The instant he stepped inside, Maki Zenin, Panda, and Toge Inumaki felt a terrifying wave of cursed energy wash over them.

It was as though a bloodthirsty monster were baring its fangs and claws as it stared at them.

Yuanfang kept smiling gently, utterly unconcerned by the terrifying cursed energy.

"My name is Okkotsu..."

Yuta Okkotsu had barely reached the podium and had not even finished speaking.

Suddenly, a long blade thrust toward his side like lightning, frightening him stiff. He did not dare move a muscle.

"Is this some kind of test?"

Maki Zenin gripped her sword tightly, her expression stern.

Panda and Toge Inumaki stood beside her, limbering up and eager to act.

Yuta Okkotsu looked bewildered, and it did not seem to be an act.

Maki Zenin continued:

"Hey, you're cursed. This is a place to study curses, not somewhere a cursed person like you should be!"

Her words only left Yuta Okkotsu more confused.

Gojo, standing by the window, was about to explain when a gentle voice spoke first:

"On average, more than ten thousand people in Japan die mysteriously or go missing every year. These incidents are actually caused by the negative emotions people emit-in other words, [curses].

Some malicious incidents are also caused by curse users. Only curses can fight curses.

This is the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical College, where we study curses in order to exorcise them!"

After hearing the gentle explanation, Yuta Okkotsu finally understood why the three had treated him that way. He turned toward Gojo with a hint of reproach in his eyes and said:

"You should've told me sooner!"

Maki Zenin and the other two were equally speechless at his words, and all turned to look at Gojo!

They could not understand why he had brought this new student here without even telling him these things. Just what was Gojo trying to do?

"Sorry!"

After offering an utterly insincere apology, Gojo seemed to suddenly remember something and continued:

"You'd better get away from him. Now!"

Before Maki Zenin and the other two could react, a pair of ghastly pale claws reached out from behind Yuta Okkotsu.

At the same time, a voice as hoarse as an evil spirit's threatened:

"Don't you... bully Yuta!"

"Wait, Rika!"

Seeing things take a bad turn, Yuta Okkotsu tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

Facing the enormous hands hurtling toward them, Maki Zenin and the other two felt a mountain of pressure bearing down on them, impossible to overcome.

But just as the arms were about to reach them-

Their movements suddenly slowed, and the terrifying cursed energy radiating from them rapidly vanished.

"Yuanfang's cursed technique really is powerful. It can suppress even a cursed spirit this strong!"

Standing nearby, Gojo once again could not help marveling.

Yuanfang's cursed technique could suppress even him, preventing him from projecting any cursed energy outward.

Most frightening of all, he could not see through the secrets of this cursed technique.

"Too bad it doesn't work on me!"

Maki Zenin let out a relieved breath, then spoke with a proud expression.

Beside her, Inumaki and Panda were left speechless, unsure what she was so smug about.

"Heh."

Yuanfang smiled faintly, unbothered.

Even if his domain had no effect on Maki Zenin, she would still struggle to beat him before she fully awakened.

Even after awakening, she might not win. By then, Yuanfang's plan would be nearly complete, and no one would be able to stand against him.

"Calm her down, or she'll destroy the classroom!"

Yuanfang reminded Yuta Okkotsu to keep Rika under control and stop her from going berserk.

Despite his words, he was secretly eager for her to go berserk so he could absorb more cursed energy.

Yuanfang had discovered that as his domain expanded and his strength increased, he needed to absorb more and more cursed energy to grow stronger.

He had already killed nearly all the powerful cursed spirits in Tokyo. Finding a stronger one now was practically impossible.

So, having finally encountered such a powerful cursed spirit, Yuanfang naturally did not want to pass up the chance to absorb her energy.

"Rika, stop right now, or I won't talk to you anymore!"

Even without Yuanfang saying anything, Yuta Okkotsu was already doing his best to stop Rika.

Rika seemed unwilling to see Yuta Okkotsu upset. Like a child who had done something wrong, she immediately withdrew her arms.

"Don't be mad, Yuta. Rika will behave!"

"Good. Go back for now."

"Okay!"

Only after Rika disappeared did Yuta Okkotsu finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He silently rejoiced that the three had not actually attacked him. Otherwise, Rika would not have been so obedient.

Maki Zenin and the other two were even more puzzled by Yuta Okkotsu's situation.

Yuanfang, meanwhile, felt a little disappointed that he had not been able to absorb more cursed energy.

Knowing what they were wondering, Gojo began explaining Yuta Okkotsu's story.

"So that's how it happened. He was cursed by Rika, who loved him more than anyone. This is Yuta Okkotsu. Please make him feel welcome!"

After hearing Gojo's explanation, they finally understood a little about Yuta Okkotsu. None of them had expected a simple promise like that to produce such a powerful curse.