Chapter 56 – Mai's Transformation
"Master… do you really think I can become as strong as you?"
Maki followed behind Shinsuke Zen'in, her voice trembling with excitement.
After witnessing her master clash with the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, Gojo Satoru, she couldn't help but doubt herself. Could she really grow into someone who could stomp the air itself, soar through the sky, and hurl firestorms with her fists?
Before, she had always thought her teacher was strong. But what she had seen today went beyond "strong" — it shattered her understanding of what was possible.
"Why are you overthinking?" Shinsuke gave her a sideways look and smirked. "It took me decades to get this far. You're still young. The path we walk has to be taken one step at a time, one bloody footprint at a time.
"As long as you're willing to put in the work, you'll step on Gojo's head one day too."
Shinsuke had high hopes for Maki. She had the grit.
In fact, he suspected her progress with the Eight Gates would outpace his and Toji's.
Her body wasn't as monstrously tough as theirs, which meant she would reach her limits faster — and the blood-energy required to open each gate would be much less.
Of course, that also meant that even though she might advance faster, the raw power she could unleash with the Gates would never equal his.
It was like comparing Might Guy to Rock Lee — the foundation determined how high the ceiling was.
That was why Shinsuke, with just six gates open, had been able to withstand Gojo Satoru head-on.
"I understand, Master. I won't let you down."
Maki nodded firmly, her gaze blazing with determination.
For the first time, she felt she was walking a path with real hope. She would give everything to reach the end.
---
Meanwhile, over in Kyoto Jujutsu High.
Mai froze mid-training. Something foreign surged into her body, and suddenly her entire being felt light, unshackled — more alive than ever before.
"What… is this?"
She stared blankly at her hands, shocked by the sudden change. Her cursed energy flowed smoother, denser, and for a moment she felt invincible.
On instinct, she raised her palm, gathering cursed energy into a condensed sphere. A cursed-energy bullet formed.
She waited for the exhaustion that always came… but nothing.
Eyes widening, she formed another. Then another.
By the time the sixth bullet flickered into existence in her palm, Mai finally felt fatigue creeping in.
"I… I really did get stronger."
Her chest tightened with exhilaration. She had no idea why this had happened, but the joy of it left her giddy.
Until now, she had never been certain she could beat her sister. But now… she had hope. No, more than that — she could see the future.
A future where she wasn't limited to bullets, but could construct entire arsenals.
"Ahahaha! Just wait, Sis! I will defeat you!"
Mai could already picture Maki's shocked face when the day came.
Then a wild thought struck her: If I keep getting stronger… could I even surpass my brother someday?
But the memory of Shinsuke casually butchering cursed spirits flashed in her mind. She immediately dropped the idea. Beating her sister was one thing — beating that monster of a brother was suicide.
What Maki and Shinsuke didn't know was that the tiny fragment of cursed energy Shinsuke had expelled from Maki's body during training hadn't disappeared. It had drifted — and lodged itself inside Mai.
That single fragment had filled the gap in her once-flawed constitution, making her at last… a complete sorcerer.
From now on, how far her Construct Technique could go would depend only on her resolve.
The twins' cursed fate had, at last, found a perfect resolution.
---
At the same time, the higher-ups of the jujutsu world received word of the fight between Gojo Satoru and Shinsuke Zen'in.
"What if… what if he already suspects it was us who ordered Gojo to move against him?"
One elder trembled. After all, the plan had been his suggestion. If Shinsuke found out, he'd be the first target.
"That lunatic really would kill me…" he muttered, pale.
Another elder tried to soothe him — though mostly to calm his own nerves. "Don't worry. Gojo and that man don't get along. He won't tell him."
"…Should we go hide under Master Tengen for a while?"
One of the more cowardly geezers already looked ready to pack his bags.
"Shameful!" the most authoritative elder slammed the table. "You think Tengen-sama cares about your petty schemes? Enough! This matter ends here."
They all knew dragging Tengen into it would only backfire.
After all, they had been in the wrong from the start.
Still, that knowledge didn't ease their fear. For days afterward, many of them slept fitfully, waking from nightmares drenched in cold sweat.
As for the chaos he'd stirred in the upper echelons, Shinsuke Zen'in didn't have the time or patience to care.
"Megumi, from today onward, you're officially a first-year at Jujutsu High. Here's your student ID. Keep it safe."
Shinsuke handed over the card, formally completing his nephew's enrollment. Megumi Fushiguro was the very first of the new batch of first-years to register.
"Understood, Uncle."
Megumi tucked away the ID, then raised his head to ask, "Uncle, does this mean I can start taking missions to exorcise curses?"
He had already studied all the basics of techniques, cursed energy, and curses themselves back at the Zen'in household. There was no need to repeat it at Jujutsu High.
His reasons for enrolling were straightforward: take missions to earn money to support his household, and hone his strength through real combat.
After all, both his uncle and his father were expecting him to one day inherit the Zen'in clan headship — and the fortune that came with it.
"You can," Shinsuke nodded, "but start with small jobs. Don't go charging into the hardest missions right away. Build your experience step by step.
"You've got plenty of theory, but your practical combat experience is almost zero. Take it slow."
He spoke earnestly, like a strict but careful guardian. After all, this boy wasn't just his nephew — he was also a future cash cow. The Zen'in clan's wealth had to stay in the family. It could only be passed down through Megumi, or through his disciple, Maki.
"If you run into trouble, come find me. If I'm not around, look for Gojo Satoru — he's also teaching the first-years.
"And if neither of us are here, ask your aunt, Zen'in Maki. She's in the second year."
Compared to Toji, Shinsuke came off more like an old-fashioned father — fussing over every detail, making sure Megumi had a safety net.
Of course, Shinsuke already knew what lay ahead. Someday soon, Megumi would cross paths with Yuji Itadori… and then catch Sukuna's eye.
When that time came, either he or Gojo had to be at Jujutsu High. Ideally, both. If Sukuna needed someone to toy with, let it be anyone else — not his nephew, not his niece.
"…I understand, Uncle. My father already warned me about most of this before I came."
Megumi's tone carried a hint of impatience, though he didn't dare show it openly. His uncle's presence was intimidating — even his father became meek in front of this man.
"Oh? Getting restless already?" Shinsuke raised a brow, then gave him a light kick. "Fine, get lost. And don't come bothering me for nothing."
"Yes, Uncle! Goodbye!"
Megumi's face brightened at the dismissal. Without hesitation, he bolted. He finally had permission to hunt curses, and he wasn't about to waste a second.
Shinsuke watched him go, shaking his head. "…Hmph. When did I turn into an old man who nags?"