The group had returned from the mission, but silence reigned in the halls of the Kyoto Technical School of Sorcery. Utahime Iori walked toward the Gakuganji director's office with a report in his hand, while the students who had participated in the mission remained seated, processing what they had experienced.
The task had been simple: eliminate a rank 3 cursed spirit on the outskirts of the city. Practice for the more experienced students, not a real challenge. At least, that was what it was supposed to be.
"I can't believe... that he did that," murmured Hayato, one of the calmest students in the group, still pale.
"You saw the same thing I did, didn't you?" asked Aika, another student. "I mean... he didn't lift a finger until the very end. He didn't even bother to help us!"
"He was... watching us," said Riku, another member of the team, in a muffled voice. "Like we were... animals in a corral."
On the mission, the team had surrounded the spirit. It didn't seem like a problem. But suddenly, it unleashed a cursed technique unusually violent for its rank, injuring one of the students. Tensions grew. Riku almost lost control. Aika tried to protect him with a barrier, but it broke. Chaos ensued.
And then, Naoya Zen'in walked slowly toward the scene, his face expressionless.
The spirit shrieked at the sight. It sensed it. Something about it was different, something lethal.
Naoya stopped five meters from the monster. He didn't say a word.
And then… it disappeared.
For a split second, his companions didn't understand what was happening. When they blinked, Naoya was already behind the spirit, his arm extended, piercing the creature's throat.
A blast of cursed energy resonated with a tone different from usual. It wasn't raw energy. It was a technique of speed, precision… it was something no one had ever seen before.
The creature fell dead, without time to scream. It had been killed with a technique impossible to follow with the eye.
"He used some kind of time jump," Aika whispered. "It's not just speed. It's something more... as if time itself had taken a step forward, just for him."
"Why didn't he help us from the start?" Hayato asked, furious. "He knew the spirit was dangerous!"
"What if he was testing us?" Riku added, frowning. "Or did he simply not care about us?"
No one had any answers.
Hours later, Utahime handed the report to Director Gakuganji, who read it silently. When he reached the final section, describing the technique Naoya used, he frowned.
"A time jump?" Gakuganji muttered. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. It's subtle, but it's not pure speed. It's a time slip." As if he were moving between moments. I saw it with my own eyes.
"Hmph. And he didn't cooperate with his group," the old man said, his voice raspy. "As expected of a Zen'in."
"He may be arrogant, but that technique... We can't ignore it," Utahime insisted. "It can be dangerous. But it can also be valuable."
"Do you think we should transfer him to Tokyo?"
"Yaga would want it, but... could he control it?"
Gakuganji didn't reply. He stared out the window, as if waiting for the answer to come from the wind.
Meanwhile, in the dining hall, rumors spread. Some students spoke with admiration of Naoya's power. Others with fear. Others with rage.
"He's a monster, like Satoru Gojo," one said.
"No. Worse. Because Gojo, at least, smiles," another replied.
No one understood. And the worst part is that Naoya didn't seem to want to be understood.
The heir to the Zen'in clan was leaving a mark on Kyoto. But it wasn't a warm or inspiring mark.
It was a cold mark. Cold as steel that cuts through without hesitation.