That was the advantage of focusing on a single path. You play to your strengths, drag the enemy into the field you excel at, and then defeat her with experience. Grace and style could wait until you were strong, because the weak had to spend everything just to win.

  Akira’s words were all etched into Maki Zenin’s mind. She did not care about being injured or mocked, and even her explanation now was meant to press down on Megumi Fushiguro’s nerves. As long as she won, all of it was worth it.

  “Divine Dogs, Toad, Nue, Great Serpent. You have only used four under Ten Shadows Technique, which means six are left. Your only chance is to beat me with the remaining Shikigami, otherwise you lose. In a close fight, you have no chance.”

  Megumi Fushiguro bit his lip until blood seeped out, a frustrated sound leaking through his teeth.

  “What’s wrong, not summoning a new Shikigami?” Maki Zenin said. “Then it’s my turn to attack.”

  Blood was at the corner of Maki Zenin’s mouth, yet she looked far more arrogant than the uninjured Megumi Fushiguro.

  “Wait.”

  Akira raised a hand to stop Maki Zenin. Megumi Fushiguro’s eyelid twitched as he noticed that a moment ago Akira had been leaning by the rooftop door, and now he was already in front of her. That speed was no slower than Maki Zenin’s, and Megumi Fushiguro could clearly feel that Akira possessed Cursed Energy.

  “Maybe it’s not that he won’t summon a new Shikigami, but that he can’t,” Akira said. “The Ten Shadows Technique should not be something you can fully control from the start.”

  “I remember now,” Maki Zenin added. “According to the records, aside from the initial pair of Divine Dogs, everything else has to be subdued before you can use it freely. With how confident he looked, I thought he had mastered them all. Beating a Jujutsu Sorcerer with only four shadow techniques is pretty boring.”

  She casually tossed her weapon to Akira, then pulled out a hair tie and began tying up her hair. Akira caught the weapon and complained, “Which of you is actually more full of yourself? Guess it’s true that people from different families don’t get along.”

  “You are…” Megumi Fushiguro finally looked at her properly.

  “Maki Zenin. You can just call me by my name,” she said. “I’m kind of running away from home right now, so the rest isn’t important.”

  Megumi Fushiguro fell silent. He was a kid with a rough fate as well. He lost his mother early, and his father was extremely irresponsible, either wasting his life away or vanishing completely, until he disappeared for good after Megumi Fushiguro entered elementary school.

  It was only when a suspicious white haired man showed up that he learned he had been sold to the Zenin Clan. The man promised to handle the Zenin Clan and make sure he was provided for until adulthood, but given how unreliable he felt, Megumi Fushiguro had long prepared himself for the clan to come knocking. He waited nearly ten years, and when someone from the Zenin Clan finally appeared, it turned out to be a runaway.

  Seeing that neither aunt nor niece from the Zenin Clan were good at talking things through, Akira took on the role of mediator and explained everything. He talked about the Zenin Clan’s belief in Jujutsu above all else, the meaning of the Ten Shadows Technique, Maki Zenin’s goal, and the purpose of this visit.

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  “Megumi, you have to become stronger,” Maki Zenin declared once he finished. “You need to master all the shadow techniques so that you are worth defeating.”

  Megumi Fushiguro’s expression grew even more complicated. This cursed technique was never something he asked for. Years of being dragged around by an unreliable father had given him enough sense not to say that out loud, otherwise Maki Zenin’s mood would have been even worse.

  Akira tried to persuade him. “You might feel that Maki Zenin is being pushy, but getting stronger is not a bad thing for you. Whether it is for revenge or protection, power is necessary, and training alone cannot compare to a professional Jujutsu school. What do you think, Fushiguro?”

  Megumi Fushiguro stayed silent. Akira continued, “Someone important to you was cursed, and it’s natural to feel angry and blame yourself. But living in anger and guilt will only destroy you.”

  He snapped his fingers, and Gardevoir raised a finger at the same time. “Sha.” Psychic Power activated, stirring the air and whipping up a fierce gust around Megumi Fushiguro. His spiky, gel-soaked hair was blown into the same style as Satoru Gojo’s.

  The force spread backward, ripping the iron mesh railing of the rooftop clean out and flinging it away. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Megumi Fushiguro’s forehead. He had thought one Maki Zenin was already strong enough, but now there was an even more terrifying monster, and that display even reminded him of the so-called invincible Satoru Gojo.

  “Feeling calmer now?” Akira asked with a smile.

  Megumi Fushiguro nodded frantically. If he did not, he might never get another chance to calm down. “So what’s your answer?” Akira pressed.

  “I’ll get stronger,” Megumi Fushiguro finally said. “But not for Miss Zenin, and not only for that idiot sister. I’ll act according to my own will.”

  “Don’t call me by my family name,” Maki Zenin protested.

  Megumi Fushiguro ignored her, and Akira did as well. “So what you plan to do is?”

  “I’ll go to Tokyo Jujutsu High and make myself stronger as soon as possible,” Megumi Fushiguro replied. “As for Tsumiki Fushiguro, I’ll leave her to that person. I don’t like it, but right now I don’t have the ability to fix things and would only cause trouble.”

  “He says that,” Akira said, jerking his chin toward the stairwell. A white haired figure with broom-like hair stood there with his arms crossed and a smile. “Leave it to me.”

  Realizing he had been overheard, Megumi Fushiguro looked awkward, but he forced himself to calm down. Still stiff, he lowered his head and squeezed out a line. “Thank you. I’ve caused you trouble all this time.”

  “It’s fine,” Satoru Gojo said gently. “Cleaning up after kids is a parent’s responsibility.”

  The smile lasted only two seconds before twisting. “Heh, little Megumi finally sees how great I am. Come on, jump into my arms.”

  “I refuse,” Megumi Fushiguro snapped.

  Veins popped on his forehead. What was wrong with him to ever expect anything from this guy. “Don’t be so cold, I’m your guardian, basically your dad,” Satoru Gojo said, spreading his arms and lunging forward.

  “My dad is dead. Don’t come any closer.” Megumi Fushiguro turned and ran, but his short legs were no match for Satoru Gojo’s long stride. He was quickly caught and could only struggle uselessly.

  Akira pulled out his phone in time and recorded the precious scene. “Makoto really is peace.”

  Because of Satoru Gojo and his chaotic way of doing things, the path Megumi Fushiguro had finally chosen toward Tokyo Jujutsu High fell back into doubt. It had taken him a lot of effort to make that decision, only for it to wobble again after a few careless words. He stood there, clearly torn, unable to settle his thoughts.

  Before, you were in Tokyo and I was in Saitama, and meeting once a week was manageable, like a change of pace. But if they had to live on the same campus, Megumi Fushiguro felt he might collapse before his sister ever woke up. Just imagining it made his head spin.

  In the end, Akira stepped in with the presence of a “Makoto-like teacher.” He first chased off the “fake teacher,” then calmly explained in detail how that “fake teacher” loved being late, slacked off whenever possible, and was rarely seen, with actual teaching handled by others. Only then did he manage to pull Megumi Fushiguro back from backing out.

  After some thought, Megumi Fushiguro reluctantly agreed to try auditing first. His student registration would stay in Saitama, and he would go to Tokyo Jujutsu High to sit in on classes when he had time. It was a compromise that left him uneasy but willing to move forward.