The Zenin family ambush event was like a pebble thrown into a lake; although it stirred up ripples, they eventually calmed down.
The expected retaliation and questioning did not arrive immediately, as if those three sorcerers silently sent back to the border had never appeared.
On the surface, the Jujutsu world was calm and tranquil, but beneath this calm, there was an eerie silence, like the oppressive quiet before a storm.
Life at Jujutsu High seemed to return to its original track, yet somewhat different.
And Mukyoku Nagi had almost become a fixture in the training ground, shutting himself in there, tinkering with his technique against various weird targets, developing a pile of applications that even Gojo Satoru called "outrageous."
**"Star Shatter" (Saisē):**
Initially, he just wanted to throw things more accurately. After a mission, looking at the unused Cursed Energy nails in his hand, he thought: *"Fast" (Shun) can reduce resistance to accelerate, "Zetsu" (Absolute) eliminates resistance... What if I only coat the surface of a projectile with an extremely thin layer of "Zetsu," allowing it to fly with almost no air resistance?*
He tried compressing the power of "Zetsu" to the extreme, only wrapping the nail's surface.
The first attempt, force control was off. The moment the nail left his hand, due to friction plummeting, the speed far exceeded expectations, and he almost didn't react in time to avoid hitting his own foot. The second time, controlling the force, the nail flew out silently, so fast only an afterimage remained, easily penetrating three layers of wooden planks.
Gojo Satoru happened to pass by, commenting with a lollipop in his mouth: "Wow, good move for sneak attacks! Name? How about 'Super Electromagnetic Nail'?"
Nagi expressionlessly picked up another nail: "Sounds bad."
"Then 'One Flash'?"
"Tacky."
"Then think of one yourself!"
Nagi looked at the nail whose trajectory was almost invisible under the sunlight, thought for a bit: "Call it 'Star Shatter'."
Gojo Satoru: "...As long as you're happy." (Inner thought: This name is even more chuunibyou, okay!)
**"Empty Cicada" (Utsusemi):**
This originated from a failed sneak attack.
Nagi wanted to use "Fast" to accelerate and sneak up on Geto Suguru. Result: calculation error. The power of "Fast" under his feet exploded too fiercely. Instead of being silent, he crashed like a cannonball into the butt of the Cursed Spirit Geto Suguru just summoned with a "Whoosh," creating an extremely awkward scene.
Geto Suguru held back laughter: "Nagi, stealth isn't played like this."
Nagi rubbed his bruised forehead and began to reflect. He realized "Fast" wasn't only for explosive acceleration. If he could control it extremely precisely, only canceling out all sound and vibration generated by stepping and friction the moment his sole contacted the ground...
In the following days, the training ground often saw Nagi floating around like a ghost, then suddenly falling flat on his back due to unstable control. Until he could finally stably control that power—walking, running, and even jumping became soundless.
The first time he successfully walked silently behind Geto Suguru who was reading, he scared Geto Suguru so much he dropped his book.
"Success?" Geto Suguru asked, still shaken.
"Mm." Nagi nodded. "Call it 'Empty Cicada'."
**"Black Flash: Zetsu":**
During a sparring session, his Black Flash hit the shell of a Cursed Spirit with extremely strong defense. Although it shattered the shell, most of the impact force was canceled out.
Shoko casually said: "If only power could hit directly inside. Looking fine outside, all rotten inside, how convenient."
Geto Suguru: ???
The speaker didn't intend it, but the listener took note. Nagi stared at his fist: *Black Flash is the ultimate combination of Cursed Energy and physical impact, creating spatial distortion... If at the moment of impact, I apply 'Zetsu' to the contact point, eliminating all resistance, letting Black Flash's power pour 100% into the target's interior without waste...*
Next sparring, when his fist wrapped in black lightning flashed with the faint light of "Zetsu" the moment it touched the Cursed Spirit's shell—
*Thud!*
A muffled sound. The Cursed Spirit looked intact outside but slumped down like a pile of mud.
Onlooker Gojo Satoru: "Wow! Implosion Fist! This move is cool! Name?"
Nagi shook his hand: "'Black Flash: Zetsu'."
"This one is quite simple and crude."
**"Sky Staircase" (Taikū Kaidan):**
This was purely the result of Gojo Satoru teasing. Gojo Satoru often used "Blue" for high-speed aerial movement and smugly invited Nagi: "Come up and play~"
Nagi looked at the smug white-haired guy in the air, very annoyed. He tried jumping and using "Fast" to accelerate, but could only sprint in a straight line, unable to change direction. "Slow" could generate resistance, but what if used in reverse?
He tried creating a small, extremely strong "Slow" force field under his feet instantly, attempting to use it as a stepping stone.
First attempt, force field strength uncontrolled. The moment he stepped on it, almost broke his ankle.
Second attempt, force field position miscalculated. Stepped on air and fell solidly.
Gojo Satoru laughed like a goose in the air: "Hahahaha! Nagi, are you playing hopscotch? Need me to draw a grid for you?"
Nagi climbed up with a dark face and continued trying.
After countless falls (and Gojo Satoru's ruthless mockery), he finally mastered the trick: generating an extremely short-time, small-range, high-intensity "Slow" force field, combined with the explosive stepping force from "Fast." He could finally perform strange folding jumps in the air.
Although far less smooth and high-speed than Gojo Satoru's "Blue," that unreasonable mobility was amazing enough.
"What's this move called? Aerial Ballet?" Gojo Satoru was still laughing.
Nagi couldn't be bothered with him, naming it "Sky Staircase" on his own.
**"Micro-Dust Disintegration" (Mijin Hōkai):**
This was the most dangerous development.
He tried to play extreme tricks with the power of "Slow." "Vermilion Eyes" allowed him to see the minute structure of matter. Could he apply two extremely strong "Slow" forces in opposite directions simultaneously on two extremely close points inside an object to tear it apart from the inside?
He first found a leaf to experiment. Spirit highly concentrated, "Vermilion Eyes" operating to the limit, carefully applying opposite forces on both sides of the leaf vein...
The leaf silently turned into a small pinch of extremely fine green powder.
Success, but Nagi also felt a slight mental exhaustion; the requirement for precision was too high.
Not believing in evil, he found a specially made steel plate for training. This time, the moment two opposite extreme resistances generated inside the steel plate—
*Screech—Boom!!*
The steel plate didn't turn into powder but emitted an ear-piercing metal tearing sound, then exploded fiercely from inside! Fragments flew everywhere!
The huge noise attracted Teacher Yaga. Looking at the mess on the ground and Nagi nearly cut by fragments, Yaga's face was iron green.
"Mukyoku Nagi! Forbidden to use such dangerous and uncontrollable techniques inside the school! Do you want to demolish the training ground?!" Yaga's roar echoed through the training ground.
Thus, this technique was silently named "Micro-Dust Disintegration" by Nagi and listed as a forbidden technique, not to be used lightly.
In this way, amidst day-after-day exploration, attempts, failures, and occasional successes, Nagi gained a deeper understanding of his power.
Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru were also not idle. One played "Limitless" more superbly, the other's Cursed Spirit collection looked more and more like a zoo.
Ieiri Shoko continued to sit firmly on the throne of the infirmary's strongest logistics, occasionally handing specially made ointment to the injured Nagi during training, and complaining a sentence or two by the way.
When the cherry blossoms bloomed again, they muddled through to become second-year seniors.
Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru were also becoming stronger in their own ways.
Gojo Satoru's Limitless Technique became increasingly profound and unfathomable, and the application of Six Eyes was even more superb. Geto Suguru's Cursed Spirit Manipulation included more Cursed Spirits with various functions, and tactical combinations emerged endlessly. Although Ieiri Shoko still focused on Reverse Cursed Technique, she seemed to be studying some more profound medical Jujutsu theories.
A year flew by in crazy cultivation, endless missions, and dealing with various people in the Jujutsu world. They became more reliable companions and saw the dark side of this world more clearly.
When cherry blossoms bloomed again, they advanced to the second year.
Becoming seniors, the responsibility on their shoulders seemed heavier. Beneath the calm appearance, everyone knew the storm would come sooner or later. What they could do was become strong enough before the storm arrived.
Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru also didn't stop their steps.
Although Gojo Satoru didn't say it, Nagi's rapid growth undoubtedly stimulated this "Strongest." His development of the Limitless Technique seemed to enter a deeper level; the aura occasionally revealed made even Geto Suguru feel alarmed.
Geto Suguru continued his path of collecting and taming Cursed Spirits. His Cursed Spirit army steadily improved in both quality and quantity, and tactics became more varied.
Ieiri Shoko remained the stabilizing force of the infirmary, treating various injuries from companions' training and missions.
Her relationship with Nagi seemed to have an added layer of indescribable tacit understanding. Occasionally meeting in the hallway, an exchange of glances brought mutual understanding. She would still complain about Nagi's reckless training in a seemingly casual but actually caring tone, and would casually hand over special ointment when his muscles were sore from overtraining. That faint, sweet fruity candy scent seemed to become an imperceptible solace to Nagi's tense nerves.
The first-year time passed quietly in day-after-day missions, training, and learning.
They dealt with countless strong or weak Cursed Spirits, from fly heads to Semi-Grade 1, and even occasionally joined hands to deal with sudden Grade 1 Cursed Spirits when Assistant Directors made intelligence errors. Their cooperation became more tacit, often needing no words; a movement or a look could convey each other's intentions.
They also dealt more with various people in the Jujutsu world: arrogant aristocratic children, slick association higher-ups, or freelance Jujutsu Sorcerers tired of running around. Nagi mostly responded with silence, observing everything calmly with those vermilion pupils. Gojo Satoru was responsible for handling all annoying social scenes, while Geto Suguru maneuvered among them, collecting intelligence from all sides.
On the surface, all danger seemed to have passed. But each of them knew that the mastermind behind the scenes would never let it go. The Zenin family's silence was more like brewing something. This calm was merely the gap in the storm.
During the wait for the next battle, the only thing to do was constantly get stronger.
...
Time flew. When cherry blossoms bloomed again, they welcomed the start of the second year.
Cherry blossoms bloomed and withered; they successfully became second-year seniors. Days were, apart from Cursed Spirits being a bit ugly, missions a bit troublesome, Gojo Satoru a bit noisy, seemingly not bad.
New semester, new missions, daily life continued.
One sunny afternoon, Yaga Masamichi walked into the classroom, looking at Gojo Satoru paralyzed on the chair playing with his phone, Geto Suguru reading, Shoko researching new potions, and Nagi gesturing at the air seemingly thinking of new ideas, and rubbed his glabella.
"Alright, stop pretending." Yaga said grumpily. "A mission came, small situation."
The four looked up.
"Utahime and Mei Mei,"
Yaga was concise. "Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerers Iori Utahime and Mei Mei, along with their Assistant Director, who went to investigate anomalies in that village, have been out of contact for two days beyond the specified time limit. The last signal sent back was extremely weak and chaotic, mentioning 'strong Cursed Energy reaction' and 'barrier.' Preliminary judgment raises mission level to above Semi-Grade 1, high risk exists."
He threw the mission briefing on the table: "Headquarters orders you four to depart immediately, head to the incident location at fastest speed. Primary objective is to confirm the safety of Utahime, Mei Mei, and their Assistant Director and implement rescue; secondly investigate the truth, exorcise Cursed Spirits if necessary. This is mission permission. Treat it as... extracurricular practical activity."
"Eh——? Go find that idiot Utahime?"
Gojo Satoru immediately got spirited, throwing his phone. "She must have stepped on a trap somewhere again or been chased by low-level Cursed Spirits! Hahaha! Finally have a chance to mock her!"
Geto Suguru closed his book, smiling: "Good too, just in time to try newly tamed Cursed Spirits. Hope Senior Mei Mei is fine."
Shoko yawned: "Got it, I'll bring enough trauma medicine and sobering agents, hope Senior Utahime won't need them."
Nagi nodded, didn't speak, but his eyes were eager to try, seeming to want a chance to test new techniques.
"Don't be too careless."
Yaga habitually instructed, but he also knew that for these four monster students, this kind of rescue mission was indeed not much different from an outing. "Depart quickly, finish early come back early."
"Know it~" Gojo Satoru dragged out his voice, rushing out of the classroom first.
Ten minutes later, at the High entrance.
The Assistant Director watched Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru hooking shoulders discussing how to prank Utahime, Shoko with a calm face, and Nagi standing quietly aside but seeming to think about how to hit Cursed Spirits with new moves, suddenly feeling... the style of this mission might be a bit skewed.
"Let's go let's go!" Gojo Satoru drilled into the car first. "Quickly go save our 'weak, pitiful, and helpless' Utahime!"
The black official car carried four problem students who completely didn't know what nervousness was, driving toward that remote small village. To them, this was less a dangerous mission than a long-awaited, interesting "joyride."
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