Just moments ago, the memories from his clone surged into Kamo Itsuki's mind with perfect clarity.
It showed him everything—how the moment he pushed open that door, he fell instantly into Hannya's illusion, how the serpent bound him, how he was forced to watch her macabre dance, and how her cursed poison killed him without resistance.
"So that's her trick."
A faint smile crossed his lips as he lowered his gaze. "Good. That's more than enough."
The clone had been nothing more than a probe—bait thrown out to measure Hannya's true abilities. Now that he had seen through her illusion and poison, he no longer needed to tread lightly.
"Let me return the favor with a snake of my own."
Kamo Itsuki formed hand seals.
"Blood Manipulation: Great Red Snake."
The earth trembled beneath his feet. A deep rumble filled the courtyard, as though something enormous was forcing its way up from the ground. In the next instant, a massive, blood-red serpent erupted upward, its maw gaping wide as it swallowed the entire courtyard—house and all—into its stomach.
The Great Red Snake soared into the night sky, carrying the house high above before releasing it. A deafening crash followed as the house hit the ground, shattering into splinters.
Beneath the ruined debris, Hannya's furious voice echoed sharply.
Her previously enchanting appearance twisted into a grotesque, ghostlike form as she burst out from the rubble. Her limbs contorted, her claws elongated, and her eyes glowed with a sickly green light. With a shrill cry, she charged straight toward Kamo Itsuki.
"Oh?" He tilted his head slightly, amused. "A second form? Interesting."
He formed another set of hand seals, his tone light and steady.
"Blood Manipulation: Akamaru Barrage."
Three blood bullets shot from his fingertips, each one whistling through the air with blistering speed. Hannya tried to dodge, but the bullets were far too fast. Forced to defend, she raised her claws—
—and instantly regretted it.
Two bullets smashed into her arms, bending and mangling her claws with brutal force. The third pierced her glabella, shattering her skull in an instant.
Before her body could crumple, a thin bloodline flicked out from Kamo Itsuki's fingertip, spearing through her collapsing form. It pulsed once, absorbing the remnants of Hannya's power as though drinking deeply.
"She managed to ensnare my clone without him noticing," he murmured. "And that cursed poison was impressive. Not bad. Worth taking."
He retracted the bloodline and lightly licked the corner of his lips, satisfied.
With that, Kamo Itsuki completed his grading mission and formally joined Tokyo Jujutsu High as a First-Grade Sorcerer.
The Kamo Clan's relationship with Kyoto Jujutsu High's principal, Gakuganji, had always been amicable. But the truth was simple—Tokyo Jujutsu High held the most influence and produced the strongest sorcerers. With Kamo Itsuki's strength, mobility mattered far more than politics.
Kamo Masaki, the clan head, could only allow him to choose freely. With how powerful Itsuki had become, even he had little authority to restrain him. So long as Itsuki graduated, gained reputation, and continued to rise, the position of clan head would naturally fall into his hands.
Soon, enrollment season arrived once more.
In the first-year classroom of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Yaga Masamichi stood before the four new students and felt a silent wave of pressure weigh on him.
Four monsters sat before him.
Ieiri Shoko—born with the miraculous Reverse Cursed Technique.
Gojo Satoru—the Six Eyes prodigy of the Gojo Clan.
Kamo Itsuki—who had already defeated Gojo Satoru in combat.
Geto Suguru—the unparalleled wieler of Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
Yaga fought the urge to sigh.
"The higher-ups really expect me to teach this group…? Well, I'll take it as a compliment."
He cleared his throat.
"Since you're all more than capable of handling yourselves, we'll skip the usual introductory lessons. Here's your first assignment: a Cursed Spirit exorcism. The intel marks it as a Grade 1. To be safe, all four of you will go together."
He handed out the mission file.
"Consider it a chance to get to know each other."
Yaga Masamichi handed the mission file to the four students, then immediately slipped into the role of a hands-off manager.
All of them had already passed the First Grade Sorcerer assessment. Four First-Grade Sorcerers handling a single Grade 1 Cursed Spirit was more than overkill.
Even so, Yaga Masamichi couldn't help feeling puzzled.
Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, and Kamo Itsuki were all combat-type sorcerers—geniuses whose promotion to grade 1 at their age was just barely understandable. But Ieiri Shoko was a pure healer. How had she become a First Grade Sorcerer?
The answer, strangely enough, was tied back to Kamo Itsuki.
After the Three Great Families banquet, Kamo Itsuki had stayed in touch with Ieiri Shoko and Gojo Satoru. At one point, he casually suggested to Shoko that she could train in hand-to-hand combat and simply heal herself with Reverse Cursed Technique afterward. With self-healing, she could relieve fatigue far more efficiently than normal sorcerers, making physical training incredibly effective.
Shoko had refused at first. Hand-to-hand training was exhausting, and with her Reverse Cursed Technique alone, her future as a sorcerer was already secure.
But one day, Gojo Satoru annoyed her so much that she desperately wanted to beat him senseless. As she cursed him out, she suddenly remembered Itsuki's advice.
Shoko never had the patience for intense martial training, so she took a different route—using a Binding Vow on herself.
She had always been a lazy person, staying up late and sleeping until noon. Her vow was simple: she would automatically wake up after sunrise every day, and she wouldn't be able to fall asleep before dark. In exchange, the Cursed Energy she had left at the end of each day would be converted into physical enhancement.
The result was astonishing.
Ieiri Shoko was now a woman of terrifying strength—truly a Tsunade-like figure in the Jujutsu world. She still couldn't defeat Gojo Satoru, but when she needed to vent, she could send him flying with a single punch.
"Don't worry, sensei. We guarantee the mission will be completed," the four replied in unison.
---
In front of a tall office building, the group began warming up.
"This is the place," the assistant supervisor said. "The company where the Cursed Spirit emerged is on the eighteenth floor. There should be no survivors. Just exorcise it with full power. I'll deploy a curtain outside. Good luck."
"Thanks for the support," Kamo Itsuki replied with a nod.
Together, the four stepped into the shadowy lobby of the building. As soon as they entered, the curtain activated, sealing the area from civilian eyes.
---
"Itsuki, since when is it your turn to give orders?" Gojo Satoru teased as they walked.
"Don't act like a child," Ieiri Shoko sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Shouldn't the priority be protecting me, the supposed 'non-combatant'?"
"Miss Shoko, don't worry," Geto Suguru said earnestly. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
"Suguru, don't let her appearance fool you," Gojo said. "This girl is a physical monster. You should be protecting yourself so she doesn't accidentally break your ribs."
"I only use force when I'm punching you, alright?" Shoko shot back, raising her fist. "I'm medical personnel, not a battle junkie."
P@treon Seasay for advanced 20 plus chapters and Christmas spirit support...