The other reason was Utahime Iori's attitude. After all...
Not everyone could consider things from someone else's perspective. In that respect, Chingetsu suddenly found the girl before him rather cute. Thud, thud.
A series of heavy footsteps drew Chingetsu's attention.
Chingetsu shifted his gaze from Utahime Iori to the Supermarket entrance. "Utahime?"
A deep, resonant voice came from the Supermarket entrance. Immediately afterward...
A stern, fierce-looking middle-aged man appeared in Chingetsu's line of sight. "Mr. Yaga?"
Utahime Iori's delighted response revealed the newcomer's identity. Masamichi Yaga, the next principal of Jujutsu High?
Chingetsu recalled the information about Masamichi Yaga from the original story.
Masamichi Yaga was a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer who possessed Puppet Manipulation and had once been listed as the fifth Special Grade Sorcerer. He had the distinction of being called the foremost expert in puppet jujutsu.
The principal of Fusang Metropolitan Jujutsu High.
He had been Satoru Gojo and the others' homeroom teacher during their student days and liked making dolls for cursed corpses.
On the surface, he looked like a fierce, stern middle-aged man in sunglasses, but he was actually a passionate educator. He liked collecting sunglasses and cute things.
He disliked sweet liquor.
His sources of stress were Satoru Gojo and cases involving cursed spirits.
Of course, Masamichi Yaga was still Satoru Gojo's homeroom teacher at present and had yet to become the principal of Jujutsu High. Hearing his student's response, Masamichi Yaga jogged over to Utahime Iori.
"Phew, thank goodness. As long as you're all right."
Masamichi Yaga let out a long breath, then surveyed the surroundings. There were clear signs of a battle here.
Supermarket goods scattered across the floor and a large crater in the ground. All of them spoke of the battle's intensity.
Masamichi Yaga looked at Chingetsu beside Utahime Iori.
He could hardly do otherwise.
The only people still standing in the Supermarket were Utahime Iori and the boy beside her. He knew Utahime Iori's capabilities.
At Utahime Iori's current level...
Never mind a special grade cursed spirit; even a slightly stronger Grade 2 Cursed Spirit would be difficult for her to exorcise. Yet the special grade cursed spirit in the Supermarket had indeed been exorcised.
This forced Masamichi Yaga to question Chingetsu's identity. Could this boy...
Be a Special Grade Sorcerer?
"Mr. Yaga, I'm sorry I made you worry." Utahime Iori looked at Masamichi Yaga apologetically.
She knew that her sudden loss of contact must have prompted Masamichi Yaga to come looking for her himself. "As a teacher, I'd be a complete failure if I let my students fall into danger."
"But as long as you're all right. Who is this?"
Masamichi Yaga patted Utahime Iori's shoulder, turning his gaze back to Gojo Chingetsu beside her.
Although he already had some suspicions, Masamichi Yaga still found his own idea rather absurd. Could this boy, who looked even younger than Utahime, really have exorcised a special grade cursed spirit? Moreover, judging by his expression, he looked as though nothing had happened at all.
Had fighting a special grade cursed spirit been that easy...?
Even that freak Satoru Gojo couldn't come out of a fight with a special grade cursed spirit completely unscathed, could he? Masamichi Yaga found it a little hard to accept.
"Um, Mr. Yaga, let me introduce him. His name is Chingetsu-uh, Gojo Chingetsu," Utahime Iori said cautiously.
Seeing no displeasure on Chingetsu's face, Utahime Iori gradually grew bolder.
"He's the one who exorcised the special grade cursed spirit in this Supermarket. Also, he's very strong."
After thinking for a moment, Utahime Iori added that last remark.
It really... it really was him who exorcised the special grade cursed spirit. But...
How old could he possibly be!
A storm surged through Masamichi Yaga's heart.
Even after Utahime Iori confirmed that the boy before him was the one who had exorcised the special grade cursed spirit, Masamichi Yaga was still deeply shaken.
Chapter 38: Sorry, not interested
Masamichi Yaga gave Chingetsu a long, searching look.
Now he could be certain that Chingetsu possessed special grade strength. Someone with special grade strength, and so young at that.
For a moment, Masamichi Yaga actually found himself feeling rather old. It was not as though he had never seen a genius.
Among the first-years he taught this year alone, there were three young people with limitless potential.
Satoru Gojo, who possessed Limitless; Suguru Geto, who possessed Cursed Spirit Manipulation; and Shoko Ieiri, who could use Reverse Cursed Technique to heal.
These students had limitless potential and were all considered talents capable of becoming Special Grade Sorcerers.
But Masamichi Yaga knew that even if Satoru Gojo and the other two worked together, they could only barely contend with a special grade cursed spirit. They absolutely could not finish one off in a mere ten minutes.
This was a genius, a true genius!
A dazzling gleam flashed through Masamichi Yaga's eyes, and his gaze on Chingetsu grew increasingly fervent. So young!
Such talent!
If the boy could join Jujutsu High, perhaps he could raise the Four Heavenly Kings of Jujutsu Society. "Tch, troublesome adults..."
Masamichi Yaga's stare made Chingetsu thoroughly uncomfortable.
If a pretty young girl like Utahime Iori looked at him that way, Chingetsu could accept it.
But being looked at that way by a fierce-looking middle-aged man gave Chingetsu an inexplicable chill. "Mr. Yaga?"
Utahime Iori's tentative voice rang out as she discreetly tugged at the hem of Masamichi Yaga's clothes. She, too, felt that his current behavior was rather odd.
Especially the way Yaga looked at Chingetsu, like a vicious wolf eyeing a lone sheep. "Ahaha, how rude of me."
Masamichi Yaga laughed heartily and extended a hand to Chingetsu in a friendly gesture.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Masamichi Yaga, and this is my student, Utahime Iori." "Chingetsu. Gojo Chingetsu."
Gojo Chingetsu?
What was his relationship with Satoru Gojo?
The question flashed through Masamichi Yaga's mind.
However, Masamichi Yaga was in no mood to dwell on it right now.
He could already be certain that the name Gojo Chingetsu was not on the current public register of Special Grade Sorcerers. In other words...
This boy named Gojo Chingetsu was a lone wolf in Jujutsu Society. An unaffiliated genius!
Such people were not unheard of.
Within Jujutsu Society, the requirements for a jujutsu sorcerer's promotion were extremely stringent.
Sometimes, possessing special grade strength did not mean one could become a Special Grade Sorcerer. A series of assessment and recommendation procedures were involved.
As such, there were not many officially acknowledged Special Grade Sorcerers.
And in Masamichi Yaga's eyes, Chingetsu was an overlooked pearl of Jujutsu Society, a genius whose talent had gone unrecognized. Jujutsu Society needed someone like him.
It needed a true genius like him to challenge that rotten system.
Previously, he had placed that hope in Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, and the others. Now he saw another possibility in Chingetsu.
"Opening students' eyes-that is education."
Masamichi Yaga could not help recalling his own educational philosophy. In his eyes, he already regarded Chingetsu as his student.
After all, no jujutsu educator could remain unmoved by such a young genius. "Gojo Chingetsu, would you be interested in joining Jujutsu High?"
"I can recommend you and guarantee that you'll receive the best educational resources and all the subsidies." Masamichi Yaga was extremely confident.
To leave an unaffiliated existence behind and become part of the established order.
That was a temptation most jujutsu sorcerers could not refuse. "Jujutsu High? Not interested."
Masamichi Yaga's smile froze on his face.
He had not expected Chingetsu to reject his invitation so casually. After all, Jujutsu High's admission requirements were extremely strict.
Even among the Three Great Clans, such as Gojo and Zenin, only exceptionally outstanding members of the younger generation were qualified to enter Jujutsu High for systematic study and training.
As such, Jujutsu High strictly limited its annual enrollment to no more than five students. This was precisely so it could cultivate the elite among jujutsu sorcerers.
Thus, whenever Jujutsu High began admitting students, everyone fought tooth and nail to get in. They sought the high-quality education and the various resources available there for their development.
Yet when this opportunity, which ordinary people could not obtain even if they fought tooth and nail for it, was placed before Chingetsu, he rejected it without the slightest hesitation.
"I think you probably don't know what sort of place Jujutsu High is. Your strength and talent are truly rare."
"But an individual's power is always limited."
"If you enter Jujutsu High and receive systematic instruction, I can guarantee that you'll become the finest Special Grade Sorcerer."
Masamichi Yaga had not given up on persuading Chingetsu to join Jujutsu High and rapidly explained the benefits joining could bring him.
In his view, Chingetsu simply did not know enough about Jujutsu High. More importantly...
Before you continue