Before Gojo Satoru could fully process what had just happened, Akiyama Ren calmly withdrew all of his Shikigami into the depths of his shadow. Without leaving a single trace, he vanished—teleporting away as if he had never been there to begin with.
Gojo hovered in the air, his Six Eyes scanning the now quiet battlefield, expression unreadable beneath his signature blindfold. The corner of his mouth twitched.
"…He didn't even say goodbye."
The once-proud strongest sorcerer of the modern era felt an unfamiliar sensation—frustration laced with reluctant admiration. For years, Gojo had acted as he pleased, unchallenged and unparalleled. But now?
Now he was the one being left behind.
Of course, with the analytical clarity granted by the Six Eyes, Gojo had already noticed a troubling development: powerful signatures were rapidly converging on the site of the clash. Jujutsu Sorcerers. Onmyoji. Exorcists. Agents of every faction, drawn like moths to the remnants of the power Ren had just displayed.
"Tch. Not in the mood to deal with a convention today." He clicked his tongue and rose into the sky, a streak of light vanishing toward his home at breakneck speed.
Ten minutes later, the impact site was flooded with elite operatives and high-ranking officials from both the Jujutsu Society and the Onmyo Agency. Despite their long-standing rivalry, the groups remained silent, tension thick in the air. No one greeted each other. No one needed to. Their attention was on the battlefield—a shattered expanse soaked in lingering sorcery and residual spirit energy.
Special-grade fluctuations.
Multiple sources.
But it wasn't a clash between Cursed Spirits or elite Exorcists. The analysis results were clear: these were the aftereffects of a Shikigami Subjugation Ritual. Two of the monstrous presences sensed earlier… had merely been Shikigami.
The divine pressure that had shaken the area had come not from the Shikigami themselves—but from their summoner.
Both sides reached the same terrifying conclusion at nearly the same moment.
Akiyama Ren.
The boy who had appeared only recently in the records but was now rewriting the balance of power.
The one who had not only tamed mythic Shikigami with ease but possessed a presence that dwarfed most known threats.
A sorcerer with the ability to wield foreign supernatural systems—magic, abilities, and techniques alien to their world—and assimilate them into his own arsenal with near-perfect synergy.
A god-slaying demon king in human form.
The realization hit like a curse bomb detonating in their collective psyche.
"If he wished," murmured an Onmyo Agency elder, "he could take over the entirety of Japan's spiritual system."
"Not just Japan," corrected Gakuganji Yoshinobu of the Kyoto School grimly. "The world."
That thought sparked a dangerous urgency.
He must be won over. At all costs.
And so, the great minds of both factions, men and women who had once debated curses and doctrine, simultaneously arrived at the same solution.
Send women.
Gakuganji, usually gruff and stern, stroked his beard in deep thought. "We'll start with the younger ones. Zen'in Mai, Miwa Kasumi, maybe even that pink-haired brat Nishimiya Momo… If Iori Utahime hadn't been scarred in that last mission, she could have been useful too."
Across from him, Kurahashi Genji, Director of the Onmyo Agency, nodded solemnly. "Kyōko alone may not be enough. We'll send Tsuchimikado Natsume too. Maybe even Dairenji Suzuka. The girl's arrogant, but her spiritual aptitude is exceptional. If she charms him, the benefits could outweigh the risk."
What followed could only be described as the first official collaboration between the Jujutsu and Onmyoji worlds in decades—a coordinated matchmaking initiative.
If Ren could be charmed, seduced, or simply enticed to join their side, the balance of supernatural power would shift irreversibly. No curse, no spirit, no rogue faction would dare oppose them.
Of course, if Ren knew what they were plotting behind the scenes, he'd probably just sigh and complain, "What is this, some bootleg version of the Lion King Matchmaking Agency?"
Honestly, it wasn't far off.
And as for Kurahashi Kyōko, despite being one of the girls chosen for this mission, she had the same no-nonsense attitude as Himeragi Yukina from Strike the Blood. Even with her grandmother warning her to "form a connection" with Ren, Kyōko refused to play the meek maiden.
She wasn't afraid of Ren. Nor was she particularly impressed by his god-slaying exploits.
And in Ren's eyes, that wasn't a problem—it was refreshing. Women who fawned over him just because of his power bored him. The ones who dared to challenge him, who had their own pride and purpose? They were the ones worth remembering.
---
The Next Morning – 8:00 a.m.
Maki Zen'in arrived at Ren's villa, dressed in casual sportswear and exuding quiet irritation.
Her sharp eyes instantly locked onto an unwelcome presence: Kurahashi Kyōko.
Her expression soured.
This was supposed to be our place.
Storming past the entryway, she kicked open the bedroom door and marched up to Ren's bed.
"Wake up, idiot."
Ren groaned, cracked one eye open, and smiled lazily. "Good morning to you too, Maki."
He reached out, tugged her closer, and pulled her onto the bed with a grin.
"Pervert," she muttered, though the blush on her face said otherwise.
Still, she pushed him back and scowled. "Why is she here? This is our home. You said no other girls would stay here."
"Relax. Kyōko just arrived in Chiba and had nowhere to go," Ren said, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "The apartment I rented before? Already returned."
"You totally did this on purpose," Maki huffed, smacking his chest.
It would've hurt most men—but Ren's body had long since surpassed human limits. Her strikes were sharp, heavy, and precise thanks to her Heavenly Restriction, but they only made Ren laugh.
"If it bothers you so much…" Ren grabbed her wrists, his voice soft but firm, "Why not just move in permanently?"
Maki froze.
Then, without missing a beat, she nodded. "Fine. But I'm sharing your room. Every night."
She wasn't going to let Kurahashi Kyōko—no matter how talented or noble—get any ideas. Maki had decided. She was his, and she would make that clear to everyone.
Ren chuckled softly. His plan had worked even better than expected. Not only had he managed to appease Maki's jealousy, but she'd also willingly claimed her space beside him. Two birds with one well-placed seed of manipulation.
And, of course, he wasn't exactly complaining. After experiencing the unfiltered strength of Heavenly Restriction firsthand, Ren found himself… nostalgic.
"Fine by me," Ren said, flipping her down onto the mattress with a smooth movement. "As long as you're here, I'll do whatever you want."
He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. But Maki swiftly reversed their positions, straddling him with a confident grin.
Untying her usual ponytail and letting her dark green hair fall over her shoulders, she looked down at him with a fierce glint in her eyes. "I like being on top."
Ren's grin widened as he raised an eyebrow. "Be my guest, baby. Show me what you've got."
What followed was less of a quiet morning and more of a heated duel in its own right—one that didn't end until after 9 AM.
When the two finally emerged from the room, Kurahashi Kyōko—seated on the living room couch—looked up with an awkward expression. Her face flushed the moment she saw them, especially noticing Maki's triumphant aura.
She hadn't expected Maki to take things so far. She, too, had been instructed by the Onmyo Agency to keep tabs on Ren, possibly get close to him—though she still hadn't decided how far she'd go for her duty. But now…
Maki glanced over and lifted her chin slightly, her posture one of quiet pride. She wore the smug expression of someone who had claimed her territory.
"Hmph. What's there to be so smug about?" Kyōko muttered under her breath, trying not to show her irritation.
Maki didn't respond. She didn't need to. Her body language said it all—I'm already here. Deal with it.
After Ren finished freshening up, Maki eagerly dragged him outside. She needed to retrieve her things from Tokyo Jujutsu High's dormitory. But as soon as they stepped out, Ren frowned at the idea of calling a taxi.
"Too slow," he muttered.
A swirl of runes and energy signatures flared beneath his feet as he used short-range dimensional warping—a spell adapted from his assimilation of a teleportation technique from another world.
They vanished from Chiba and appeared moments later on campus.
After collecting her belongings and exchanging a quick goodbye with Principal Yaga Masamichi—who gave Ren a knowing look—they teleported back just as easily. The entire round trip had taken barely half an hour.
Once back at the villa, Maki didn't hesitate. She rolled her suitcase straight into Ren's room, opened the wardrobe, and started hanging up her clothes like she'd always lived there. The rest went into the walk-in closet without ceremony.
Kyōko blinked in disbelief. "You're… seriously just going to live together like this?"
"Why not?" Maki replied, flashing a smile as sharp as a katana's edge. "It's my room now too."