Jujutsu High School was located deep in the remote mountain forests on the outskirts of Tokyo, isolated from the noise of the ordinary world by a barrier. Beneath towering ancient trees, the simple and solemn buildings exuded a heavy sense of seclusion. The air carried the fresh scent of grass and trees, along with a faint, lingering trace of... Cursed Energy.
Mugen Nagi followed behind Gojo Satoru, climbing up stone steps covered in moss. He wore simple dark casual clothes, out of place both with his surroundings and with the world he was about to enter. The monotonous sound of his suitcase wheels bumping against the steps was the only anchor to "normalcy" he could grasp at that moment.
"Welcome to your new 'school,' top student~"
Gojo Satoru pushed open a heavy wooden door, his voice echoing in the empty corridor.
"First, you need to meet our 'homeroom teacher,' Yaga Masamichi-sensei. A friendly heads-up: he's not some old man who's easy to fool."
The principal's office was spacious yet austere. Behind a huge desk sat a burly, stern-faced middle-aged man.
He wore sunglasses and the Jujutsu High teacher's uniform, his thick fingers deftly sewing a strangely shaped doll. Even with his head lowered, an intangible pressure spread palpably through the room.
This was Yaga Masamichi, Jujutsu High's homeroom teacher and master of the Cursed Corpse Technique.
"Gojo, is this the new student you 'picked up'?" Yaga didn't look up, his voice deep and steady as his skillful fingers worked the needle and thread.
"That's right! Freshly baked Special Gra— uh, I mean, a Grade One seed with unlimited potential!" Gojo Satoru said cheerfully, pulling a chair over and making himself completely at home. "Mugen Nagi, introduce yourself?"
Nagi gave a slight bow. "Yaga-sensei, hello. I am Mugen Nagi."
Yaga finally set down his needlework and looked up. The gaze behind his sunglasses was sharp as a blade, seeming to pierce through flesh to see the soul. He scrutinized Nagi, his eyes lingering on those calm, blood-red pupils for a moment.
"Sit," Yaga said succinctly.
Nagi complied, sitting upright in the chair beside Gojo Satoru.
"Gojo has reported everything about you to me. The encounter with 'Darkness,' awakening your Technique, the Crimson Eyes... and your mother's deathbed curse."
Yaga's voice held no emotion, as if stating a report. "A heavy experience."
Nagi remained silent, his hands on his knees curling slightly.
"Then, Mugen Nagi," Yaga looked directly at him, posing the core question, "Tell me, why have you come to Jujutsu High?"
This question was within Nagi's expectations. Countless images flashed through his mind: the stench and darkness of the alley, the piled mountain of pale bones, the single bloody tear tracing from his mother's eye, and the words, "Once you know the truth, you can no longer pretend not to see it."
He took a deep breath. He didn't immediately answer "rage." That was the initial driving force, but now, under Yaga's heavy gaze, he needed clearer expression.
"To understand," Nagi began, his voice not loud but exceptionally clear, carrying his characteristic calm quality.
"To understand everything that has happened to me—these eyes, this power, and the 'blessing' my mother left me. What they mean, and what responsibility they bring."
He paused, meeting Yaga's scrutiny. "To gain control. Rage was the catalyst, but uncontrolled power only brings destruction. I need to learn how to use it correctly, to direct it where it should go."
"Finally," Nagi's voice lowered, yet held undeniable determination,
"To end it. Beings like 'Darkness,' the tragedies behind those thirty-four nameless sets of remains. Since I've seen this other side of the world, since I know of Cursed Spirits and the pain they bring, I can no longer remain detached. Escape is not my choice. Ending them is."
The office fell into brief silence. Only the soft tapping of Gojo Satoru's fingers on the chair armrest could be heard. Yaga's face remained expressionless, but the look behind his sunglasses seemed to shift slightly.
"Practical reasons," Yaga assessed, his tone neutral. "But a jujutsu sorcerer is not playing a hero's game. It's a profession walking the line between life and death. You seem to have the resolve. What about strength?"
With those words, the atmosphere in the room instantly changed, the temperature seeming to drop several degrees. Mugen Nagi said nothing, merely turning his body slightly, his posture sharpening as he faced Yaga Masamichi, ready.
Yaga put his hands in his pockets. "Good, I understand. Show me your 'Limitless Technique' and 'Crimson Eyes.' No need to hold back. Attack me with everything you can currently muster, or... withstand my attacks."
The moment he finished speaking, Cursed Energy surged around Yaga. Several small but extremely fast Cursed Corpses shot from behind him like arrows, whistling through the air as they attacked Nagi from different angles!
Faced with the sudden attack, Nagi's eyes sharpened.
**Technique Activation: Deceleration!**
An invisible force field instantly expanded with Nagi at its center. The Cursed Corpses leading the charge seemed to slam into thick glue, their speed visibly plummeting, their movements becoming sluggish and heavy.
One could even vaguely see the dust trails they stirred up slowing abnormally as they neared Nagi. The following Cursed Corpses also floundered as if in quicksand, their impact and threat level dropping drastically. This was the potent hindering effect of "Deceleration" on physical entities.
"Oh? A range-based deceleration field?" Gojo Satoru stroked his chin, watching with interest.
But Yaga's Cursed Corpses were clearly more than that. One of the hovering Corpses suddenly opened its mouth, firing a compressed blast of Cursed Energy point-blank at Nagi's chest!
However, the moment this energy blast entered the "Deceleration" field, its speed was immediately suppressed! Though the Cursed Energy it contained remained powerful, its flight path became clearly visible, like moving through thick honey, losing its sudden, explosive force.
Moreover, the closer it got to Nagi, the stronger this resistance became, giving Nagi ample time to react!
**Crimson Eyes: Activate!**
Nagi's eyes instantly turned crimson like blood, like ignited molten rock! The moment he activated his Crimson Eyes, the world in his vision suddenly clarified and slowed. The energy blast's trajectory, speed, and energy intensity were instantly analyzed. His dynamic vision, reflexes, and physical coordination were elevated to their limit!
**Technique Reversal: Acceleration!**
Applied to himself! Under the extreme perception and control granted by the Crimson Eyes, the resistance acting on Nagi's body was greatly reduced.
Mugen Nagi shifted his body, twisted his waist, and leaned back almost the instant the energy blast was about to hit him—with superhuman speed and fluidity! The Cursed Energy grazed the fabric of his clothes with a roar, exploding in a shower of sparks against the barrier behind him.
His movements flowed seamlessly, so fast they left only a faint afterimage where he had been.
"Nice!" Gojo Satoru whistled. "Activation 'Deceleration' for defense and crowd control, Reversal 'Acceleration' for evasion, paired with the Crimson Eyes' perception and reaction... not a bad combo."
Yaga gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. But he didn't stop. More Cursed Corpses swarmed out like a hive, their attack patterns becoming complex and varied, combining close and long-range assaults, attempting to seal off all of Nagi's evasion space.
Nagi was fully focused now. The crimson glow of his eyes brightened, allowing him to precisely track every threat amidst the chaotic swarm. Whenever a red light flared in his vision, it signaled an impending attack.
He alternated between "Deceleration" and "Acceleration," sometimes creating slowing fields to limit the Cursed Corpse swarm's movements, carving out space for himself; other times accelerating instantly, weaving through gaps in the Corpses' attacks. At times, he applied "Acceleration" to the Cursed Corpses themselves, causing them to lose control and collide. He seized those moments to counterattack with punches or kicks. His movements were precise, efficient, without a single wasted motion.
However, Yaga, as a seasoned jujutsu sorcerer, commanded Cursed Corpses whose strength and cunning far exceeded the manifestations of "Darkness." During one concentrated assault, though Nagi used "Acceleration" to dodge most attacks, a small Cursed Corpse that attacked from his blind spot under the cover of others still managed to leave a shallow, stinging cut on the outside of his left arm.
Pain shot through him, but Nagi didn't even frown. At the wound site, a faint white glow flashed briefly—**Reverse Cursed Technique** activated. The wound stopped bleeding, healing at a visible pace, leaving only a faint red mark.
"Reverse Cursed Technique... you've mastered that too." Yaga finally spoke, a hint of surprise in his tone. He raised a hand, and all the Cursed Corpses instantly froze, as if paused.
The test was over.
"Solid fundamentals. Flexible Technique application. Excellent combat awareness. What's rarer is maintaining composure under high pressure." Yaga looked at Nagi, whose eyes remained calm. "The Crimson Eyes' enhancement effect is significant. Add Reverse Cursed Technique to that... Very good. You truly have the potential, no, the *qualifications* to become a Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer. Welcome to Jujutsu High, Mugen Nagi."
After the test, Gojo Satoru led Nagi toward the student dormitory area.
"Wow, not bad at all, Nagi-chan~! Even Yaga-sensei's poker face cracked a little!" Gojo Satoru said cheerfully, slinging an arm around Nagi's shoulders. "Next, let's go meet your future classmates. Especially that always-serious topknot guy!"
Just as they reached the open area below the school building, they saw two figures.
One was a tall youth with an odd topknot, a strand of hair hanging over his forehead, wearing Jujutsu High's black uniform. A gentle but seemingly appraising smile played on his lips. He exuded an aura of steadiness and powerful Cursed Energy. This was **Geto Suguru**.
The other was a short-haired girl with slightly upturned hair ends. She had an unlit cigarette (or perhaps a lollipop?) dangling from her mouth. Her uniform jacket hung open casually over a white T-shirt. Her expression was lazy, carrying a touch of indifferent world-weariness. She leaned against a pillar. This was **Ieiri Shoko**.
"Yo! Geto! Ieiri! Look who I brought!" Gojo Satoru waved broadly.
Geto Suguru's gaze immediately landed on Mugen Nagi, especially on those eyes that hadn't completely lost their crimson hue. His look held clear curiosity and scrutiny.
"Gojo, this is...?"
"That's right! Mugen Nagi, new classmate! Freshly baked Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer!" Gojo Satoru introduced. "Nagi, this is Geto Suguru, my 'best friend' and strongest partner. And this is Ieiri Shoko, our school's treasure—the only, well, now one of the only two holders of Reverse Cursed Technique. Doctor-neesan~"
"Grade One?" Geto Suguru's eyebrow rose slightly. His gentle smile gained a trace of barely perceptible sharpness.
"Nice to meet you, Mugen-kun. I am Geto Suguru." He extended a hand.
"Hello, Geto-kun." Nagi reached out calmly and shook his hand.
Mugen Nagi could feel the strength in the other's grip and a probing pulse of Cursed Energy. Geto Suguru's Cursed Energy felt... vast, and carried a peculiar sense of "containment."
"Ieiri Shoko." The short-haired girl merely lifted her eyelids lazily in acknowledgment, her gaze sweeping over Nagi and lingering briefly on his now-healed arm.
"Heard you can use Reverse Cursed Technique too? How... troublesome. Another one's shown up."
"Hello, Ieiri-kun." Nagi nodded, unfazed by her attitude.
"Mugen-kun was a top student at a regular school before?" Geto Suguru withdrew his hand, asking with a smile. His tone was gentle, but the question itself held probing intent.
"Yes. Tokyo Metropolitan Sougen Academy." Nagi's reply was succinct.
"Oh? That's truly... an unexpected change." Geto Suguru's smile deepened slightly. "The peaceful life of an ordinary person and the bloody storms of a jujutsu sorcerer are completely different paths. What made you abandon the former and choose the latter?"
This question echoed Principal Yaga's, but Geto Suguru's tone seemed laced with more complex emotions—curiosity, scrutiny, and perhaps a trace of barely perceptible... disapproval?
Nagi looked into Geto Suguru's deep purple eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through people, and answered clearly once more: "To end what should be ended. That's all."
His voice remained steady, his gaze calm and firm, without the slightest waver. It was a kind of purity and directness completely different from the profound depth hidden beneath Geto's gentle facade.
Geto Suguru paused for a moment, then his smile returned to normal. "...A fine resolve. Welcome to Jujutsu High, Mugen-kun. We'll be classmates from now on."
Gojo Satoru grinned beside them, his gaze behind the sunglasses shifting between the two. Ieiri Shoko yawned, as if utterly uninterested in the conversation.
The setting sun's remaining light bathed the ancient school buildings. Mugen Nagi's new life officially began amidst this calm yet undercurrent-filled first meeting. He took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the inside of the case lid—where a tiny, pasted photo of him and his mother at the amusement park was affixed.
The road ahead was long, but he had taken the first step.