Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Maki Zenin stood at the end of the corridor, holding her naginata across her body, its tip angled toward the ground.
Her breathing was rapid and heavy, her shoulders trembling slightly with anger.
A corpse lay at her feet.
She tightened her grip on the shaft.
"Suguru Geto."
Her voice was low, but every syllable seemed squeezed through clenched teeth.
Suguru Geto stood more than ten meters away, the hem of his monk's robes stained with dust, yet his stance remained relaxed.
He tilted his head slightly, as though identifying some inconsequential object, then recognized her.
"Oh, one of the Zenin Clan."
"A monkey."
He smiled.
"I was wondering why that stench seemed so familiar."
Maki took a step forward, her blade angled toward the ground. "You killed them."
"I've killed plenty of monkeys," Suguru Geto said flatly.
"But those few you particularly cared about... hmm, yes, that was me. What of it?"
"You!"
"I despise monkeys, you know?"
Suguru Geto interrupted her, his gaze finally settling properly on her face.
It was not the look one gave an opponent, but more like an appraisal of an old piece of furniture that did not suit his tastes.
"Especially monkeys from the Zenin Clan."
"Noisy and stupid, yet still putting on airs about being a prestigious clan."
"How pitiful, monkey."
"You're nothing at all, yet you struggle so desperately to prove you're useful."
Maki's pupils contracted.
Then she moved.
Her naginata traced a silver arc, the rush of its blade parting the ashes as it swept straight for Suguru Geto's throat.
Fast. Incredibly fast.
It was a speed that could have cleaved a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit in two.
But her blade never reached Suguru Geto.
Yuta Okkotsu cut in from the side, pressing one hand onto her