Arriving at the door to her office, Makima pushed it open and stepped inside.
Within the office, two figures sat somewhat nervously on their chairs. The moment they saw Makima, they hurriedly stood up.
"Lady Makima!"
These two were none other than Miwa Kasumi and Nishimiya Momo, the ones Makima had rescued during the exchange event attack.
"There's no need to be so nervous. Sit."
Gesturing for the two girls to take their seats again, Makima pulled out two contracts from her desk and handed them over.
"This is…?"
Still unsure why they had been summoned to the Headquarters, Miwa and Nishimiya quickly looked down at the documents—only to discover that they were employment contracts.
"Based on your performance when facing special-grade curses—being able to hold out under the siege of three special-grade curses until reinforcements arrived, and doing so without abandoning your companions—I, on behalf of the upper echelon of the jujutsu world, affirm your abilities and extend this invitation."
"Would the two of you be willing to follow me and serve as my guards?"
"Eh? Guards… us?"
Hearing Makima's words, Miwa and Nishimiya exchanged looks.
With Lady Makima's strength, did she really need small-time sorcerers like them as guards?
And honestly speaking, they didn't think their performance during the exchange event had been particularly outstanding. If those three special-grade curses hadn't seemingly chosen not to kill them immediately, they would probably have died long ago.
On the other hand, Lady Makima had easily exorcised three special-grade curses. If danger truly arose, wouldn't it just be Makima protecting them instead?
That said, neither of them was foolish. They quickly realized that while the position was called "guard" on paper, its nature was closer to that of an attendant—or, to put it more bluntly, their performance during the exchange event had caught Makima's eye, and she was now inviting them to become her confidants.
To become the confidants of a high-ranking figure in the jujutsu world—especially someone as powerful as Lady Makima, whose strength likely rivaled that of a special-grade sorcerer—was nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for two girls who had practically no background to speak of.
However, accepting Makima's invitation would likely mean far less freedom in how they allocated their time. After all, guards were expected to stay by her side at all times.
Miwa Kasumi initially had some concerns in this regard. Her family situation was difficult; she needed to become a fully independent sorcerer as soon as possible to earn money and support her household, and she often had to take part-time jobs to make ends meet.
But then, her eyes landed on the section of the contract detailing the compensation.
"E-every month… fifteen million yen?!"
Fifteen million yen per month—over a year, even after taxes, that would still amount to more than a hundred million yen in income.
With that level of pay, not only could she support her family—she could easily give them a comfortable, affluent life!
"Thank you very much for valuing me so highly, Lady Makima! Please, allow me to serve as your guard!"
Miwa Kasumi decisively signed her name on the contract.
"Kasumi, you—"
Just a moment ago she had been full of worries—how did she end up signing even faster than her?
Nishimiya Momo clicked her tongue, then also signed her name on the contract.
If even Miwa had no more reservations, then she certainly didn't either. Missing out on an opportunity like this would probably be something she'd regret for the rest of her life.
Seeing both girls sign the contracts, Makima nodded in satisfaction.
"It's merely a trifling sum of money. Believe me—going forward, you'll gain far more valuable things from this relationship."
...
In the blink of an eye, two and a half days passed.
During this time, another major event shook the jujutsu world.
Makima—previously a Grade 1 sorcerer, as well as a member of the upper echelon, the Tokyo-region sorcerer representative, and a key figure of the Headquarters—submitted an application for special-grade sorcerer status.
After unanimous approval by the higher-ups, and with endorsements from two existing special-grade sorcerers—Seele and Gojo Satoru—Makima was officially confirmed to possess special-grade-level strength. With the Headquarters' approval, she was formally promoted to become the sixth special-grade sorcerer of the jujutsu world.
Once again, the mid- and lower-tier sorcerers of the jujutsu world were thrown into an uproar.
After all, setting aside Suguru Geto, the former special-grade sorcerer who had defected years ago and become a curse user, the jujutsu world now possessed a full five active special-grade sorcerers:
Gojo Satoru, Yuki Tsukumo, Yuta Okkotsu, Seele, and Makima.
Looking across the years, this was undoubtedly the most powerful era the jujutsu world had ever known. Its prosperity was visibly on the rise!
—
Near noon, in central Tokyo—Ginza.
On this street, hailed as the most prosperous and expensive commercial district in all of Asia, a black luxury sedan pulled over to the roadside.
As the car door slowly opened, Makima stepped out—having shed her usual work attire and changed into casual clothes.
A white women's blouse, black tailored slacks, and black high heels with gold accents. She looked less stern and formal than she did at work, yet still exuded the commanding presence of someone in a position of power. Paired with her striking appearance, she drew frequent glances from passersby.
Behind her followed Miwa Kasumi and Nishimiya Momo, both dressed in matching suits as they accompanied Makima.
"Um… Lady Makima, is it really okay for us to come out like this during work hours?"
Miwa asked hesitantly.
For this earnest and straightforward girl—who probably hadn't even lied to anyone before—skipping work alongside her superior was far beyond her comfort zone.
Although Lady Makima now simultaneously held the positions of special-grade sorcerer and Headquarters director, overseeing all jujutsu-related matters in Tokyo—effectively wielding absolute authority—Miwa still felt that this was somehow inappropriate.
"All necessary arrangements at the Headquarters have already been made. The remaining work no longer requires my direct involvement."
Makima replied with a smile.
"Since that's the case, it's only natural to make good use of the time I've freed up."
"Alright, let's head over there first. It looks like the person we're waiting for hasn't arrived yet."
And so, the three women—each with a distinct style—stood by the roadside, waiting for nearly ten minutes.
Finally, a voice came from the distance.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late. I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?"
An Xora walked over, greeting the three of them.
Naturally, his gaze lingered most on Makima—now dressed in an entirely different style than usual.
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