Once a Jujutsu Sorcerer clan reaches a certain level, it will privately keep Cursed Spirits in captivity. Ideally, they can be tamed like Shikigami. If not, they can still be used as training targets, sparring tools, or even instruments of execution.
But Jujutsu Sorcerers raised in that kind of environment get used to the existence of Cursed Spirits early on, so when they face them later, they skip the period of discomfort most people go through.
After all, Cursed Spirits are usually hideous. Even if their Cursed Energy does not affect you, staying around those things for too long will still wear down your sanity. So in the great clans, the odds of producing "weirdos" are about as universal as the odds of Cursed Spirits being ugly...
That also means the Jujutsu Sorcerers of the great clans skip the very first hurdle of becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer. And that hurdle is the hardest one, the one that directly decides whether someone can truly become a Jujutsu Sorcerer at all...
It was not quite as extreme as the Zenin clan, where everything from the front gate to the torture chamber was divided by category and fully stocked.
But in the Kamo clan, Cursed Spirits could still be seen everywhere.
Looking a little tired, Noritoshi Kamo glanced at the two humanoid Cursed Spirits by the door. Their bodies had no skin, their veins and vessels exposed, and they muttered blankly,
"Fa... family... pro... tect..."
These two Cursed Spirits seemed to have formed from some Kamo ancestor after death...
So obsessed with bloodlines that even their Cursed Spirits had to come from their own lineage rather than outside sources. In a way, that really was making full use of everything...
After shaking his head, Noritoshi Kamo straightened his clothes, smoothing out the last wrinkle in his old fashioned kimono, then pushed open the main door.
What appeared before him was not the usual meeting hall he had expected, but layer upon layer of talismans.
Thousands of talismans filled his entire field of view, covering the whole room, including the inner courtyard. Every single one was densely covered with the character for "seal."
Noritoshi Kamo, who was extremely familiar with talismans, recognized them at a glance.
[Seal Gap]. A kind of talisman that disrupts the use of Cursed Energy and prevents a Technique from functioning at its source.
[In other words, the same "death row dark room" Yuta Okkotsu and Yuji Itadori stayed in in the original story.]
A prison formed from large numbers of [Seal Gap] talismans could be used to detain Jujutsu Sorcerers, and many interrogations of Curse Users were also carried out inside them.
Among the Jujutsu Sorcerers currently known, the only one who could still use his Technique completely unaffected was Satoru Gojo, thanks to his precise control over Cursed Energy.
Noritoshi Kamo narrowed his eyes and glanced at the surrounding talismans.
Without a word, he bit open the index finger of his right hand and smeared blood onto one of the talisman's nodal points. The entire talisman instantly dimmed.
Then, using that flaw in the talisman as an opening, Noritoshi Kamo shot out a fine arrow of blood.
Under the interference of the surrounding talismans, the blood arrow lost control and burst into a mist. As it scattered, it splashed onto one nodal point after another, causing a large swath of talismans to fail...
A way to deal with talismans at this level would not even count as a difficult problem in the "workbook" Akira Zenin used to test him with back then...
Seeing that the carefully arranged [Seal Gap] setup was about to be completely dismantled, the person behind the curtain finally could not sit still any longer.
An aged voice came from behind the curtain.
"Noritoshi Kamo, destroying the layout of the meeting at will does not exactly reflect the bearing expected of a 'legitimate son'..."
Noritoshi Kamo stopped dismantling the surrounding talismans and looked calmly at the old men in front of him.
Of course, part of the reason he stopped was because the remaining [Seal Gap] talismans were no longer enough to interfere with him anyway...
"I do not remember routine meetings being held inside a 'cell.'
And as the next clan head, I need to ensure I can use my Technique properly at all times, if only for my own safety."
Perhaps because their preparations had proved useless, the tone of the old men softened a little.
"Not informing you in advance was our fault. But the subject we are about to discuss is rather sensitive, so we had no choice but to take precautions in case you acted impulsively."
Noritoshi Kamo opened his eyes slightly and looked toward the right side of the curtain. They were afraid he would act impulsively before they had even said anything. If that was the case, then maybe the subject was not worth discussing at all...
"Then just say it. If there is nothing to discuss in this routine meeting, I will be leaving. I still have a few ideas I need to sort out."
The figure seated on the right spoke with the voice of a middle aged man.
"Akira Zenin is dead. We conservatives need a new Special Grade to balance Satoru Gojo. After discussion, and considering that you displayed a large scale Technique during the school tournament, the clan is prepared to recommend you for Special Grade."
The corner of Noritoshi Kamo's mouth twitched.
That really was a sensitive topic. One sentence had shocked him four separate times...
[First, when exactly did Akira-sensei die...? Did news really spread that fast? Could it be that Satoru Gojo returned and said Akira-sensei had fallen asleep, then the Gojo clan inferred from his tone and the state of the tournament grounds that Akira-sensei was dead? And since the Three Great Families "share what they know," if the Gojo clan knows, then the Zenin clan knows, which means the Kamo clan knows too?
Second, Akira-sensei really was treated as a "backer" by many uninformed conservatives because he rarely took direct action, but the upper ranks of the Kamo clan should know perfectly well what the reality is…
Third... me, balance Satoru Gojo??? Do you people hear what you are saying?
Fourth, have you all lost your minds, asking me to become a Special Grade? Never mind whether I even have the power to "destroy a nation" right now. The title of Special Grade is mostly a tasteless burden with slightly better resources attached, and for a prospective clan head like me...]
"I refuse."
The figure in the middle of the curtain nodded.
"Mm. Then we will record it that way."
Noritoshi Kamo shook his head speechlessly and walked out of the room. Those old men had obviously left something unsaid. They were just wary now because he had cracked [Seal Gap] and did not want to push too far.
"Forget it. I should go back and properly write down my recent ideas. When sensei comes back, he will probably want to review my progress again..."
Just thinking about how strict Akira Zenin had been when teaching him gave Noritoshi Kamo a headache.
...
[You are a Jujutsu Sorcerer! Not a machine for moving Cursed Energy around, and not a Cursed Object that only knows how to use a Technique! Could you please think for yourself a little? Rewrite this month's report.
Here, I will give you a hint. You have been studying Riemannian geometry and Lobachevskian geometry lately, right?
Then by next month, propose at least two possible talisman layout methods under extreme spatial conditions!
Do not just give me an idea. Your preliminary deductions and proof process both need to be there!]
...
[Why is he only this strict with me...?]
A formless pressure seemed to crawl back out of that memory. Noritoshi Kamo, who prided himself on having some talent for learning, hurriedly shook his head and could not help sighing.
"Ah... Akira-sensei has been worn out for so long. For the sake of his mental well being, maybe he should sleep a little longer..."