On the Jujutsu High training grounds, a seemingly ordinary taijutsu spar had evolved into a jaw-dropping performance due to Wuji Nagi's blazing red Vermilion Pupils.
"So, today's special training subject is—pure taijutsu combat!"
Satoru Gojo, wearing his small round sunglasses, spread his arms wide and announced this in a nearly exaggerated tone, as if presiding over a grand ceremony. He specifically emphasized the word "pure."
"The use of any Innate Technique is prohibited. Rely only on Cursed Energy to reinforce your basic physical abilities! The goal is for you little ones to properly feel where your physical limits lie!"
The morning air on the training grounds was fresh, yet filled with an invisible tension and... a hint of absurdity.
Masamichi Yaga stood expressionless on the sidelines, holding his signature ugly-cute Cursed Corpse doll. His usually stern face looked even more speechless than usual. His gaze swept over the eager Gojo and the helpless-looking Suguru Geto, before finally landing on the calm Nagi.
Gojo, that guy... deciding the training content on his own again, Yaga muttered to himself. However, observing the students' most basic physical strength and Cursed Energy manipulation precision is indeed part of a homeroom teacher's job.
He looked at Gojo.
That brat's taijutsu was actually not bad at all. The unparalleled insight of the Six Eyes allowed him to see through almost all movement trajectories and Cursed Energy flows, making predicting his opponent's actions as natural as breathing. But his personality was too flighty; he often relied more on the absolute defense of the Limitless technique and the instantaneous explosive power of Blue, lacking the patience to polish pure taijutsu skills.
Geto was different. As a Cursed Spirit Manipulator, he needed to release curses at close range or even capture them with his bare hands. His taijutsu fundamentals were quite solid, and his combat awareness was excellent, with a style leaning towards stability and practicality. Unfortunately, Cursed Spirit Manipulation consumed a massive amount of Cursed Energy, so sustained combat and physical explosive power in extreme situations were not his strong suits.
As for Nagi... Yaga's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.
This new transfer student was surrounded by mysteries. His technique was a rare manipulation of "Resistance," which was extremely unique.
Even more special were his Vermilion Pupils. Yaga recalled the excited and secretive look on Gojo's face when he first strongly recommended him.
"Teacher Yaga! I found you a super—interesting treasure of a student! His eyes can see things that are 'different'!"
"Start!"
Gojo acted as the referee himself, but as soon as he gave the command, he was the first to rush out lazily, aiming straight for Geto.
"Let's take out the weakest one first!"
"Who are you calling weak!"
Geto laughed and cursed, turning sideways to dodge Gojo's kick—which was chaotic but abnormally tricky due to the Six Eyes' prediction. He condensed Cursed Energy into his arm, ready to counterattack with the momentum.
However, a black shadow cut between them at a speed far exceeding both of them!
It was Nagi!
His movements were concise and efficient to the extreme, carrying a kind of cold elegance. The Vermilion Pupils shimmered with a faint light, as if they had already seen through all possibilities.
Geto only felt a blur before his eyes. His punch, filled with Cursed Energy and determination, was gently blocked and guided by Nagi with a single hand. All his strength instantly felt like it hit empty air, and his center of gravity uncontrollably stumbled forward.
At the same time, Nagi's other hand, as if possessing foreknowledge, pressed exactly on Gojo's wrist just as he was about to launch a sneak attack. With a gentle push, he cleverly diverted Gojo's force, nearly causing him to crash into Geto.
"Whoa!"
Gojo let out a strange yelp. Relying on the terrifying dynamic vision and reflexes provided by the Six Eyes, he forcibly twisted his body to avoid "friendly fire."
"Nagi! That's not cool! Didn't we agree on two against one?" He shouted, but his eyes lit up with the light of finding an interesting toy.
Geto also stabilized himself. The relaxed smile on his face faded, replaced by seriousness. "I see... Satoru, looks like we were underestimated."
"Just what I wanted!"
Gojo laughed loudly and pounced again, with Geto coordinating his attack simultaneously.
The scene instantly became highly spectacular to watch, and... a little funny.
Gojo's attacks were unconstrained. Relying on the Six Eyes' prediction, he used all sorts of seemingly impossible angles and moves. But at the very last moment, Nagi would dodge or block by a hair's breadth. It felt like punching cotton with full force, and Gojo was frequently thrown off rhythm, nearly hitting Geto next to him.
"Hey! Suguru! You're blocking me!"
"You're the one who suddenly squeezed in!"
Geto's offensive was more steady, his punches and kicks sharp, and his Cursed Energy flow smooth. But under the gaze of the Vermilion Pupils, every intention, every minute muscle contraction, and every tendency of his Cursed Energy flow seemed to be thoroughly seen through. His attacks always landed on empty air or were intercepted in advance, while his defense was always half a beat too slow. It was incredibly frustrating, as if fighting an opponent who knew his next move completely.
Nagi's figure weaved between the two of them like a phantom. He made almost no superfluous movements; every shift, every block, and every counterattack was precise, efficient, and just right. The Vermilion Pupils granted him dynamic vision beyond common sense, extreme prediction of muscle movement, and a keen perception of subtle fluctuations in his opponents' Cursed Energy. This allowed him to always be one step, or even two or three steps, ahead.
Yaga watched from the sidelines, becoming more and more astonished. He could tell that Nagi wasn't using his troublesome "Resistance Technique" at all. He was completely dominating the battle relying solely on the insight brought by the Vermilion Pupils and his basic physical fitness reinforced by Cursed Energy.
"Those eyes..."
Yaga whispered to himself, "They are simply born for combat... So this is what Satoru meant by 'different'."
Minutes later, Gojo and Geto stood back-to-back, panting slightly. They were covered in dust and looked a bit disheveled. In contrast, Nagi's breathing was steady, and even his hairstyle hadn't been messed up much. He just looked at them quietly, his crimson eyes holding neither sadness nor joy.
"I'm not playing anymore, I'm not playing!"
Gojo was the first to act shamelessly. He snatched off his sunglasses, his azure Six Eyes widened round as he looked at Nagi in disbelief.
"Nagi! You cheated, didn't you?! You definitely cheated! How could you completely see through my moves? Even without using Limitless, my Six Eyes aren't just for show!"
Geto also shook his head with a bitter smile. "Completely seen through... Nagi, your eyes... are too scary. In front of you, I feel like I'm naked."
He even subconsciously checked to make sure his clothes were actually still there.
"Wow! Brilliant!"
Shoko Ieiri had arrived at the sidelines at some point. With a cigarette in her mouth, she clapped slowly, wearing a smile that suggested she enjoyed the chaos.
"The strongest duo of Tokyo Jujutsu High got crushed by a freshman in a one-on-two? How much hush money can I get for selling this news to you two?"
She winked mischievously at Gojo and Geto.
"Shoko!"
Gojo protested, then excitedly darted in front of Nagi, almost pressing his face against Nagi's eyes.
"But seriously, Nagi, these Vermilion Pupils of yours are too broken! Dynamic vision, prediction, and you can even vaguely perceive the flow of Cursed Energy? This is simply a humanoid self-propelled combat forecast machine!"
Nagi leaned back slightly to avoid the excessive proximity. He nodded, then shook his head. "They do give me a lot of information. But the processing and reaction depend on me."
"That's ridiculous enough, okay!"
Gojo complained loudly, then his expression suddenly became slightly serious—although such an expression appearing on his face was strange in itself.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've formally explained it to you, have I? About your Vermilion Pupils."
Nagi looked at him, a trace of imperceptible fluctuation flashing through his crimson pupils.
Gojo pointed to his own Six Eyes. "My eyes are a 'gift' born with me. They represent the pinnacle of Jujutsu, seeing through the essence of techniques."
He then pointed at Nagi's Vermilion Pupils.
"But those eyes of yours,"
His voice rarely held not a single trace of joking.
"They are not a natural gift, but born from the most twisted and intense 'curse'—it is love, it is concern, it is the manifestation of your mother's obsession on her deathbed that you 'must be safe and sound'."
The training ground fell silent. Even Shoko put away her teasing expression and listened quietly.
"It gives you the help you need most based on your situation when you fall into desperation. When you were on the verge of death fighting that Special Grade Cursed Spirit 'Gloom,' it was the Vermilion Pupils that stimulated your potential. They allowed you to instantly awaken Cursed Energy, then gradually comprehend your Innate Technique, and even master the Reverse Cursed Technique and Black Flash at the same time, giving you a starting point higher than the vast majority of Jujutsu Sorcerers."
Gojo looked at Nagi, his tone more serious than ever before.
"This might be the only eye in the world that can rival, or perhaps in the future surpass, the Six Eyes."
He paused, laughing lightly with a hint of complexity.
"After all, it was born from the most twisted and powerful curse: the Curse of Love. In a sense, she has always been by your side, never leaving."
A breeze blew across the training ground, bringing a slight chill. Geto looked surprised, while Shoko looked at Nagi with a bit more understanding and imperceptible softness.
Nagi stood dazed in place, his hand subconsciously touching his eyes. Is that... so? This power was not a gratuitous gift, but the deepest protection left by his mother and... the most twisted blessing.
"Wow... saying it like that suddenly makes it so cheesy."
Gojo immediately reverted to his unreliable demeanor, rubbing his arms.
"But Nagi, you are now definitely the undisputed 'Strongest All-Rounder' of our school! Of course, once I completely master Limitless, I'll still be the strongest! Hahahaha!"
Geto recovered from his shock and smiled helplessly. "Satoru, those words really lack persuasiveness."
He turned to Nagi and said sincerely, "But really, Nagi, you are truly amazing."
"So, the conclusion is that the youngest one is the one you shouldn't mess with right now?"
Shoko walked up to Nagi and handed him a lemon candy. "Here, replenish some sugar. Also,"
She looked closely at Nagi's eyes.
"Next time I research the Reverse Cursed Technique, are you interested in being an observation subject? I'm very interested in the working mechanism of those eyes."
Nagi took the candy and nodded. "Okay."
He gripped the candy in his hand, feeling a mix of emotions. But the slight confusion that had always been there seemed to be gradually replaced by a heavier yet warmer emotion. He looked at the candy in his hand.
Perhaps this path wasn't as lonely as he imagined.
"Alright!"
Masamichi Yaga finally spoke, breaking the atmosphere.
"Training is over. Gojo, although you lost, your analysis was fairly accurate. Geto, your taijutsu foundation is good, but when facing supernatural insight, you need to think about more flexibility. As for Wuji..."
Yaga looked at those calm Vermilion Pupils.
"Make good use of your power. Protect your comrades, and protect yourself. That is the best response to your mother's 'curse'."
He picked up the Cursed Corpse and turned to walk toward the school building.
"Class dismissed!"
Behind him came Gojo's shouting: "Teacher Yaga! Wait! I demand extra training! I refuse to accept this! Next time I will definitely last more than three minutes under Nagi's Vermilion Pupils!"
And Geto's helpless voice: "Satoru, you didn't even last one minute just now..."
As well as Shoko's merciless mockery.
The corner of Yaga's mouth hooked up in an almost invisible arc.
These noisy brats. Perhaps... the future Jujutsu world will change because of their existence.
He looked up at the sky. The sunlight was just right.