Chapter 29: Classical Sorcery

“Hmm ~ A Reverse Cursed Technique user, huh?”

“Satoru. Sit properly, will you?”

“Why? Reverse Cursed Techniques are impressive and all, but that stuff’s useless for us~”

“Still, it’s basic manners to at least show some respect.”

Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru had already arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High, having been all but officially accepted.

Upon hearing that another student would be joining them in the same year, they were waiting in the classroom—Gojo sprawled out with a rebellious posture, while Geto sat properly.

But Gojo didn’t seem the least bit interested in this so-called classmate.

After all, from what he’d heard, they were just some greenhouse flower type—always healing, never fighting. A support type.

Being able to use Reverse Cursed Techniques to heal others was certainly impressive, but that just meant they had excellent cursed energy control.

In an actual fight? Yeah, no need to even see them in action to know they’d be weak.

‘Tch. I’d be fine with just Suguru. We could’ve been the strongest duo. Now some extra’s tagging along…’

With his chair tilted back and feet on the desk, arms crossed behind his head, Gojo jutted out his lips in a pout.

His face practically screamed “I’m annoyed.” Watching him act like a child, Suguru could only let out a wry smile.

And then, the sound of footsteps echoed toward them.

“They’re here.”

“Tch! If they’re really that boring, I swear—!”

“Calm down, Satoru.”

As Gojo pushed up his sunglasses and looked toward the front door—

The door slid open with a click, and someone stepped inside.

A breathtakingly beautiful girl walked in—so radiant that her very presence outshone the drab school uniform she wore.

Even Gojo and Geto were left speechless.

With a cigarette in her mouth, she strode in confidently.

“Phew… Let me introduce myself. I’ll be joining you two as a first-year…”

“Ieiri Shoko. Reverse Cursed Technique user.”

Standing there with a tilted posture and an air of disinterest, she made Geto’s cheeks flush while Gojo’s eyes sparkled with interest.

He slid his sunglasses down slightly to get a better look—and what he saw with his Six Eyes made his breath catch.

‘…This is… unexpected…?’

He’d thought she was just some healing-type support with no combat ability.

But the cursed energy flowing within her was impossibly dense—so vast that even he and Suguru combined couldn’t compare.

And yet, not a single trace of that overwhelming power leaked out.

Her cursed energy control was so precise, it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Without the Six Eyes, Gojo wouldn’t have noticed a thing.

She was, without a doubt, a monster.

“…Hahahaha!!! Yes!!! That’s more like it!!! Of course, if you’re gonna be my classmate, you better be the strongest!!!”

“Satoru?!”

“Huh?”

“Puhahaha!!”

Just one glance was enough. The way her cursed energy moved—it gave Gojo chills.

It was the same feeling he’d had when he first saw Suguru. The feeling that this girl could stand on the same level as him.

Another seed of greatness.

He couldn’t help but burst into delighted laughter.

A transfer student walking in with a cigarette. A grinning lunatic.

And the only one acting remotely normal looking vaguely concerned.

Yaga, who had been assigned to oversee them, could only let out a deep sigh.

The future looked grim.

***

Not long after she arrived, Gojo approached Ieiri with a huge grin, as if he’d never been disappointed in the first place.

“Shoko!!”

“Huh?!”

“Let’s fight!”

“Satoru!!”

“What?! Suguru!!! She’s crazy strong, right?! Of course I wanna fight her!”

“Strong…?”

Suguru blinked at the unexpected declaration and looked at the beautiful girl in front of him.

A high schooler who had just walked in, cigarette and all—he’d never seen her before in his life. And while she appeared delicate…

It was hard to believe someone like her could be considered “the strongest.”

Especially when she was known to be a Reverse Cursed Technique user who hadn’t even fought before.

But if there was one thing Suguru trusted more than his own judgment—it was Satoru.

So, with uncertainty in his chest, he turned back to look at Ieiri.

“You two want to fight the moment you meet?! And Ieiri’s not even a fighter! She’s a valuable support—an incredibly rare Reverse Cursed Technique user!”

Yaga jumped in, trying to stop Gojo.

After all, from what he knew, Ieiri was a girl who’d awakened her abilities at nine and had stayed within the jujutsu community ever since, constantly healing others.

She’d never seen battle.

It was only natural to assume she’d be weak.

“…Phew…”

In that moment, I took a long drag of my cigarette and gave a small nod.

“Alright. I’ll fight you. But don’t blame me if you get hurt.”

“…Hahaha! Saying that to me, Gojo Satoru?! I really like you!!!”

As he watched her accept the challenge with no hesitation, Gojo’s eyes gleamed.

Yaga was practically panicking, but the two ignored him completely and leapt right out the open window.

“WAAAH!!! Suguru!!! Stop Satoru!!!”

“Uh… yeah, about that… When he’s like this, not even I can stop him.”

Suguru, also curious about Ieiri’s strength after she boldly accepted the challenge, shrugged and followed them out the window to watch the showdown unfold.

Yaga clutched his head and screamed.

“Can’t we have one day—JUST ONE DAY—of peace on the first day?!?!”

As Suguru offered an apologetic smile, Gojo grinned wickedly, and Ieiri’s eyes gleamed with something sharp and dangerous.

The two began drawing out their cursed energy.

***

Six Eyes…

The eyes that could perceive cursed energy, techniques—everything.

It was a truly covetable ability.

If I had those eyes, my technique, Severance, would become exponentially more effective.

I’d be able to clearly see and cut through conceptual barriers—those invisible walls of limitation I’m still struggling against.

I’d not only increase my growth rate—I could surpass it.

And now, I had a perfect opportunity.

I was about to fight Gojo Satoru.

If I played my cards right… maybe I could take those eyes for myself.

After all, eyes were easy to heal with Reverse Cursed Techniques.

I grinned at the thought, eyes glinting with greed as I stared at his.

And Satoru? Still grinning like an idiot, completely unaware.

“Alright!! Let’s get started!!!”

“Sure. Gojo Satoru.”

As I spoke, I raised my hand and sliced through the air.

Crackkkkkk—

“?!”

Everyone watching froze in shock.

In the space I had split open, I reached inside and pulled something out—

A single, razor-sharp katana.

“…Is that… your innate technique?”

Gojo stared at the scene, stunned, his sunglasses sliding down his nose.

His Six Eyes confirmed it.

She had cut space.

His eyes screamed danger, his scalp tingled, and his instincts went wild.

If she could cut space—

Then even his Limitless could be cut.

A technique that could nullify the untouchable.

Silence fell.

Shhhk.

The blade slowly slid free from its sheath.