Drawn out by the damp air, cursed spirits welled up alongside mold and slugs. For the students of the Jujutsu High, this was the season where 'missions' finally began to take priority over 'academics'.
To begin with, the Jujutsu High curriculum itself designated the period from June to August primarily as self-study time for workbooks and the like. There was an aspect of the school expecting the students to prioritize 'work', so the students spent their days busily flying around various regions.
Amidst this, on this particular day, Naoya had rented a room at the Kyoto School to hold a meeting regarding the apprehension of the 'Gokujukai', a Yakuza-style curse user group that had recently become active in Osaka. He was teaming up with a rare set of partners.
"Hello, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Special Grade, Naoya Zen'in. Please treat me well, Utahime-senpai."
"So stiff~ Zen'in-kohai. Utahime-senpai is a nice person, so you don't need to be so formal, right?"
"Greetings are important, as a human being."
The person Naoya was bowing to and greeting was the Grade 2 sorcerer, Utahime Iori. And standing next to Naoya was Shoko Ieiri, who had recently been registered as a Grade 4 sorcerer.
It was a mission with flowers in both hands. Naoya's scum mind was relatively in high spirits, thinking, 'Well, the tits are so-so, but just having cute girls around is good enough. I heard Utahime-senpai is support type, and Shoko-senpai is basically rear guard. I like women who don't come forward unnecessarily. Though, the tits really are just so-so.' However, due to a Binding Vow, Naoya couldn't voice such thoughts even if his mouth was torn open, so he simply output the polite greeting mentioned earlier as his body moved on its own.
And then.
As a result, Naoya was suddenly embraced tightly by Utahime Iori. Due to the 'Gentleman' Binding Vow, he couldn't resist and harbored absolutely terrible thoughts like, 'This sensation... it's a B!' despite the situation. However, Utahime's evaluation of him was excellent.
"What is with this kid! He's such a good boy! Totally different from Gojo or Geto!"
"Ahaha, I knew you'd like him, Senpai. Zen'in speaks in a dialect so his honorifics are a bit subtle, but his attitude is proper. Though he's pretty much a typical boy on the inside."
"Is that so?"
"Back when he was provoked by Gojo, he retaliated by screening videos of Gojo's personal collection of gravure idols in the discussion room."
"What's that? Tell me the details!"
Because this exchange happened while he was being petted, Naoya's "Naoya" was in a slightly precarious situation. However, thanks to the desperate resistance of his scum brain screaming, 'Calm down! She is merely a B! Are you satisfied with just that?! She is incredibly soft and smells good, but she is a B, you know?!', he managed to avoid hunching over.
It was a slightly noisy meet-and-greet, but they had gathered to subjugate curse users. Since it was person-versus-person and against a group, a Special Grade was being deployed just to be absolutely safe.
"Sorry, Zen'in. We got carried away reminiscing. I mean, thinking 'Who the hell can keep dragging on a moratorium!' I debuted as a sorcerer with such enthusiasm, but, well, it does feel nostalgic."
"Utahime-senpai, normally you would have finished fourth year and be in that name-only fifth-year moratorium, right?"
"That's right. I heard some guys from the previous generation just disappeared during their fifth year, so I asked Principal Gakuganji to treat me as graduated already... Wait, I'm gossiping again. This isn't getting us anywhere; let's have our meeting!"
"I agree. Opponents who are curse users are dangerous. If we let our guard down, they'll sweep our legs. Well then... Senpais will be the rear guard, and I will be the vanguard. Is this acceptable?"
Utahime nodded honestly at Naoya's confirmation. If this were Gojo saying, "Utahime is weak so stay back. Actually, why don't you go home?" she would have snapped and gotten stubborn. However, she wasn't foolish enough to say no to a role distribution based purely on ability characteristics.
And that went for Shoko Ieiri as well.
"Yeah. I use a gun, and Utahime-senpai's technique isn't suited for combat."
"Well, the location is identified, right? Theirs. Shall I gather them up and take them out all at once? Come to think of it, Utahime-senpai, your technique is a buff type, right? What is it like?"
"Umm, it's a temporary increase in total cursed energy and cursed energy output for sorcerers within range, including myself. The multiplier is about 120%."
"That's lawless. Isn't that too strong? That effect. Surely there is a Binding Vow involved."
"That's right. It requires omitting nothing—using incantations, hand signs, dance, and music to sublimate the technique into a ritual—so the bottleneck is that it takes quite a bit of time."
Utahime shrugged as she said this, but the effect was so exceptional that the scum Zen'in logic inside Naoya genuinely thought, 'That is a terrifically useful technique; shouldn't we have her marry into the Zen'in clan?'
Naoya was increasing his total cursed energy little by little while writhing in agony every time he consumed a cursed spirit due to the Binding Vow of 'Tasting Gall'. If she could increase it just like that with no risk, it would be well worth the effort even if a ritual was required.
"In that case, we should change the plan. I don't have a lead on a musician, but in the worst case, would it be alright if I played?"
"Hmm? Zen'in, can you play an instrument?"
"No, I cannot play at all, but I can use my technique to force my fingers to move."
"It's fine, I think I can ask Principal Gakuganji for that part. ...I'll strengthen Zen'in's technique with mine, and you storm the enemy hideout. Shoko will provide backup for that. Is that image okay?"
"As expected, you are reliable, Senpai. That is spot on. I intend to do just that."
"Fufun! Well, of course! —Then, I'll try asking Principal Gakuganji!"
"I am counting on you, Utahime-senpai. Then, the rest is up to you, Shoko-senpai."
"I'm backup, after all. The curse users' office is in a regular business district, right? Then I'll stand by in a nearby building. I've become pretty usable with a rifle, so I can handle guys who are turning tail to run."
"Please be extremely careful of your back. Utahime-senpai, shall I have you close in with her?"
"Yeah, after Utahime-senpai casts the buff she's free, so it might be better to stay together."
As Naoya and the others worked out the details and set the schedule, Principal Gakuganji, brought along by Utahime, joined them, and the raid plan against the curse user group 'Gokujukai' gradually took shape.
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