After crushing the blade, the Cursed Spirit showed no intention of stopping. Its other hand reached toward Maki Zenin, the person who had dared to "bully" Yuta Okkotsu.
The moment its fingers moved, the air in front of them twisted. The podium was the first to shatter, followed by the desks and chairs. Everything in the hand's path broke apart before it could even touch them.
Seeing this, Maki finally understood how Yuta Okkotsu had managed to stuff four boys into a storage locker that normally felt cramped with just two people. It also explained why those boys had suffered such terrible injuries without being killed outright.
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit attached to Yuta possessed strength far beyond ordinary physical attacks. Even a casual strike carried enough Cursed Energy to overwhelm everything in its path, almost like being caught inside a Domain Expansion.
For Maki, who relied entirely on close combat, this was about the worst opponent she could face.
And with the enormous hand already in front of her, there was no time to dodge.
At that moment, Akira moved.
He had been watching the situation from the beginning. Seeing that Maki could no longer avoid the attack, he grabbed a nearby desk and poured Cursed Energy into it before charging straight toward the giant hand.
**Bang!**
The desk exploded into pieces on impact.
That was within his expectations. An ordinary wooden desk, even reinforced with Cursed Energy, was never going to survive a direct collision with a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
However, the combined force of Akira's charge and the Cursed Energy released at the moment of impact was enough to stop the hand.
The tremendous recoil sent him stumbling backward. Before he could regain his balance, his back collided with something surprisingly soft.
"Hm?"
Akira turned his head.
Behind him, Maki Zenin had already looked away, her expression rather stiff.
"...Thanks."
"No need."
Akira gave her a crooked smile and stepped forward again.
Maybe doing good deeds really did bring good fortune.
After its attack was stopped, the Special Grade Cursed Spirit finally began revealing more of its body.
One enormous hand remained protectively around Yuta Okkotsu, while the fingers of the other moved back and forth with an almost playful rhythm.
Then, in a voice that sounded strangely innocent despite its terrifying appearance, it asked,
"Do you want to play with Rika Orimoto?"
"Wait! Rika Orimoto, you can't come out!"
Yuta Okkotsu finally recovered from his shock. Seeing the wrecked classroom and the enormous Cursed Spirit surrounding him, he hurriedly tried to stop her.
Unfortunately, Rika Orimoto did not seem interested in listening.
Akira waved his hand.
"It's fine. She just woke up, so letting her stretch a little shouldn't hurt. Let her play for a while."
"Huh?"
Yuta stared at him.
Was this really something they could treat as playing?
Akira had his own reasons for allowing the situation to continue.
Over the years, he had destroyed hundreds of Cursed Spirits. He had accumulated plenty of combat experience, and ordinary opponents could no longer pose much of a challenge to him.
However, there was one thing he still lacked.
He had never fought a truly top-level powerhouse.
He knew that he was strong, and he knew approximately how strong his Pokémon were. But without fighting an opponent at the highest level, those estimates remained just estimates.
And now, a perfect opponent had appeared right in front of him.
Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto.
With Satoru Gojo present and Shoko Ieiri also inside Tokyo Jujutsu High, Akira had no reason to worry too much about the consequences of a serious fight.
He glanced toward the white-haired broom head standing nearby.
Satoru Gojo showed no intention of interfering.
Good. That settled it.
Akira turned toward the classroom wall and threw a punch.
**Boom!**
The reinforced fist smashed through the outer wall, opening a large hole and sending broken concrete falling outside.
"There isn't enough room to fight in here. Let's go outside."
He looked toward Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir, Psychic Power."
"Sha~"
Gardevoir nodded and floated into the air.
An invisible wave of psychic power spread outward, lifting Akira from the floor. Yuta Okkotsu was caught in it as well, and even the enormous body of Rika Orimoto began floating.
A moment later, all three were carried through the hole in the wall and out into the open area.
"Ah! W-We're flying!"
Yuta had never experienced anything like this before. His feet left the ground without warning, and he immediately returned to his usual timid state, looking around in a daze.
Rika Orimoto reacted very differently.
"We're flying! We're flying! This is so fun!"
She clapped her enormous hands together and cheered happily, looking as though she had completely forgotten about the fight.
Gardevoir, however, frowned.
Something was wrong.
This was the first time she had encountered an opponent who could remain completely unaffected while being held by her Psychic Power.
In previous battles, once her psychic abilities were reinforced with Cursed Energy, most enemies could barely struggle against them. Even those strong enough to move would still have their movements seriously restricted.
But Rika Orimoto was different.
She was floating in Gardevoir's Psychic Power, yet her arms moved freely. She could clap, turn around, and do whatever she wanted.
It was as though the force restraining her barely existed.
Of course, there was also Satoru Gojo, but his situation was different.
Gardevoir's Psychic Power could not even reach him. The moment it approached, it would be stopped by his Infinity.
Rika Orimoto, on the other hand, was receiving the full effect of the technique and simply enduring it.
Akira noticed Gardevoir's expression and reached out to pat her head.
"Don't worry. This is what a Cursed Spirit at the very top looks like. She's not an opponent you can handle with your usual methods."
He glanced at Rika Orimoto, who was still enjoying herself.
"You don't need to hold back this time. Use your full strength."
"Sha! Sha!"
Gardevoir nodded firmly.
The doubt in her eyes disappeared, replaced by determination.
She immediately canceled her usual Psychic Power and began gathering Cursed Energy for another move.
This time, she would use a skill she had only recently mastered after reaching level 42.
**Skill: Psychic Force.**
It was an upgraded version of Psychic Power.
Compared to the original move, Psychic Force possessed twice the power, twice the effective range, and twice the precision.
Each individual improvement was already substantial. When combined, they produced an enormous increase in overall combat ability.
It was currently one of Gardevoir's strongest moves.
Although another Pokémon had joined the team, and Gardevoir had been going out less frequently since Akira entered Tokyo Jujutsu High, her experience gain had not slowed down.
In fact, it had increased.
The reason was the newly acquired Pokémon Trainer Template.
Green.
Known as the trainer of trainers, Green possessed a special effect that was simple and practical.
Increased experience gain.
There were no complicated conditions or unusual restrictions. As long as the template was active, the experience gained through training and combat would increase.
For Pokémon that relied on experience to level up and learn stronger skills, this advantage was naturally valuable.
And now, Gardevoir was about to demonstrate the results.
Just before the attack was released, Akira suddenly remembered something and called out,
"Okkotsu, move farther away. Don't get caught in this."
"Ah, okay!"
Yuta hurriedly backed away.
Then, as though remembering something important, he turned around and warned them.
"Please be careful! Rika Orimoto is really strong!"
Even now, he was still worried about their safety.
"I know."
Akira nodded.
He understood exactly how dangerous the opponent in front of him was.
Even with Satoru Gojo nearby, that did not mean he could afford to be careless. A single mistake against Rika Orimoto could leave both him and Gardevoir seriously injured before anyone had time to intervene.
Akira adjusted his breathing and opened the backpack he carried with him.
From inside, he drew an ancient-looking sword.
It was one of the weapons he had personally selected from the Cursed Tool Vault.
Ordinarily, Akira preferred fighting with his fists and feet. They were convenient, flexible, and allowed him to respond quickly to changes in the battle.
However, when it came to pure destructive power, ordinary hand-to-hand combat could not compare with a proper Cursed Tool.
Especially one like this.
Akira held the sword in one hand and slowly poured Cursed Energy into its blade.
The weapon possessed a special ability.
With a single swing, it could release a compressed wave of Cursed Energy that traveled through the air and struck targets from a distance.
The resulting attack resembled a crescent-shaped sword slash.
It was a rare First Grade Cursed Tool.
Just like Jujutsu Sorcerers, Cursed Tools had their own ranking system.
From lowest to highest, they were divided into Grade Four, Grade Three, Grade Two, Grade One, and Special Grade.
Naturally, the higher the grade, the greater the value.
A good Cursed Tool could easily cost hundreds of millions of yen, while Special Grade weapons were even more expensive.
To put that into perspective, the ten billion yen the Zenin Clan had been willing to pay for Megumi Fushiguro would only have been enough to purchase two Special Grade Cursed Tools.
That alone showed how valuable such weapons were.
And now, Akira had taken one out for actual combat.
He raised the sword.
Cursed Energy gathered along its edge before being compressed into a thin layer.
Then he swung.
**Whoosh!**
A crescent-shaped sword wave shot forward, cutting through the air toward Rika Orimoto.
At almost the same moment, Gardevoir completed her preparation.
"Sha!"
**Psychic Force!**
A massive burst of psychic power erupted from her body.
Unlike the usual invisible restraint of Psychic Power, this attack concentrated its destructive force into a powerful blast.
The compressed psychic energy tore through the air with a frightening roar as it rushed toward Rika Orimoto alongside Akira's sword wave.
The combined attack carried enough power to tear apart an ordinary Cursed Spirit instantly.
However, Rika Orimoto did not dodge.
She simply raised both hands.
**Boom!**
The attacks struck her directly.
The enormous psychic force drove her backward and slammed her into the ground, causing the earth beneath her to crack.
Her arms bent unnaturally under the pressure. The surface of her chest twisted, and the Cursed Energy forming her body rippled violently from the impact.
Yet despite all that, she held on.
Both hands remained in front of her as she forcibly stopped the attack.
For a moment, Akira stared at the scene.
"...I'm impressed."
He had known that Rika Orimoto was powerful.
But he had not expected her to be this powerful.
Gardevoir's Psychic Force was currently one of her strongest attacks. With its increased power, range, and precision, it was far beyond what she could accomplish with ordinary Psychic Power.
And yet Rika Orimoto had taken it head-on.
She had not used any complicated technique or special defense. She had simply relied on her overwhelming strength and Cursed Energy to withstand it.
Even more troublesome was what happened afterward.
The injuries on her arms and chest began healing almost immediately.
The twisted flesh returned to its original shape, and the damaged portions of her body were restored in the blink of an eye.
Akira carefully observed the changes in her Cursed Energy.
The amount she had consumed was almost negligible.
For a being like Rika Orimoto, whose body and energy were closely connected, damage of this level was apparently nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
And the most ridiculous part was that she still had not revealed her complete form.
As the last traces of her injuries disappeared, Rika Orimoto began changing.
Until now, only part of her enormous body had been visible. Her upper body and arms were already terrifying enough, but the rest had remained hidden.
That was no longer the case.
Her lower body gradually emerged, revealing thick, powerful legs that matched the monstrous size of her arms.
Strange, demonic limbs supported her enormous frame. Scattered curses dripped from her body like flowing blood, making her already frightening appearance even more disturbing.
The ground trembled slightly as her full body settled into place.
Even Satoru Gojo, who had been watching the fight from the side, could not help commenting.
"Scary, scary. So that's Rika Orimoto in her full form."
His tone sounded as casual as ever.
But the sight in front of them was enough to prove why Rika Orimoto had been classified as a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit.
The ceiling among Cursed Spirits truly lived up to its reputation.
Akira tightened his grip on the sword.
Rika Orimoto slowly raised her head.
Her attention had shifted away from him.
Instead, she was staring directly at Gardevoir.
More precisely, she was staring at something hanging around Gardevoir's neck.
"Red..."
Rika Orimoto tilted her head.
"Rika Orimoto likes red."
Akira followed her gaze.
There, resting against Gardevoir's chest, was her bright red pendant.
"..."
So that was what had caught her attention.
Before Akira could say anything, Rika Orimoto moved.
Both of her enormous hands stretched forward.
The motion looked almost casual, as though she were simply reaching out to grab a toy she wanted.
But the moment those hands moved, a terrifying pressure swept across the area.
**Whoosh!**
The air in front of Rika Orimoto twisted under the force of her movement.
A violent gust spread outward, carrying enough pressure to make it feel as though everything in her path would be crushed.
Akira's expression immediately turned serious.
He understood that trying to block those hands directly would be a terrible idea.
Even if he could withstand the initial impact, there was no telling what Rika Orimoto might do next.
There was no reason to take that risk.
"Split up!"
Akira gave the order without hesitation.
At the same moment, he moved left while Gardevoir flew right.
The two separated instantly, forcing Rika Orimoto to choose between them.
It was a simple move, but Akira had already considered several possibilities.
If Rika Orimoto chased him, Gardevoir would have an opportunity to attack from the side.
If she chased Gardevoir, Akira could close in with his sword.
And even if she decided to reach for both of them at once, he had another move prepared.
Whatever she chose, he would have a chance to respond.
Unfortunately for Rika Orimoto, she had already made her preference very clear.
"Red!"
Her attention remained fixed on Gardevoir's pendant.
The enormous hands immediately changed direction and followed Gardevoir.
Akira saw this and acted at once.
He circled around behind Gardevoir, using the moment Rika Orimoto was distracted to position himself for another attack.
His right hand tightened around the sword's hilt.
Then he struck.
**Swish! Swish! Swish!**
The blade flashed again and again.
Akira's arm moved so quickly that an ordinary swordsman would have struggled to follow the individual strikes.
One slash had barely finished before the next was already coming.
The sword cut through the air in rapid succession, each movement precise and controlled. There was no unnecessary motion, and the blade never stopped long enough to give his opponent an opening.
This was not a technique Akira had mastered overnight.
It was the result of years of relentless training.
Day after day, he had practiced his movements, improved his physical control, and pushed his body to its limits.
However, training alone was not responsible for his current swordsmanship.
There was another important factor.
The Trainer Template provided by the System.
The template Akira had obtained from Megumi Fushiguro was actually the second one he had acquired.
His first template had been provided by the System itself.
It was the default template that had accompanied him from the beginning, and even now, it remained the one he used most frequently.
Its name was **Wisdom**.
The template was based on Ash Ketchum.
Despite having a name associated with wisdom, Ash Ketchum was a young trainer whose natural talents leaned heavily toward physical strength.
And that very characteristic was what made the template so useful to Akira.