A week later, on the outskirts of Kouh Town.
A thunderous roar split the sky as a blinding torrent of crimson flames swallowed a writhing, two-meter-tall yellow Cursed Spirit, turning it into shimmering ash within seconds.
"Rias, how was that?"
Satoru turned around, dusting off his uniform as he looked toward the red-haired heiress. "Any flaws in my spell structure I need to fix?"
"...You've already surpassed me."
Rias murmured, her voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and utter awe.
Tucking a stray strand of vibrant crimson hair behind her delicate ear, she offered a helpless smile.
In the span of just one week, the landscape of their training had completely inverted.
Aside from the exclusive, hereditary Power of Destruction, Satoru had essentially cannibalized her entire magical arsenal.
He had learned every spell she possessed, and to her profound bewilderment, he hadn't just copied them—he improved much of it.
He streamlined casting efficiency, boosted spell output, and raised destructive power beyond what she thought possible.
Even knowing his talent was monstrous, this level of mastery was overwhelming.
Swordsmanship. Close-quarters combat. Magic control.
He was practically flawless in every single martial and magical field.
"Well, to have lasted a whole week against me, Rias, you still know a lot of theoretical knowledge," Satoru offered with a light chuckle, attempting to soften the blow.
Rias shot him a playful, exasperated glare. "Even knowing your intentions are good, that still sounds like a backhanded insult, Satoru-kun."
Straightening her posture, she smoothly shifted the conversation forward. "Regardless, the rogue Cursed Spirits roaming the perimeter are completely cleared out. Let's head back to the academy."
"Right. The scheduled time is approaching," Satoru agreed, falling into step beside her.
"By now, the Jujutsu sorcerer dispatched from Tokyo to reinforce the seal on the Sukuna finger should have arrived at the clubroom."
"Then let's not keep them waiting."
As they walked, Satoru subtly flicked open his internal system panel, scanning his updated parameters with quiet satisfaction.
The compromised seal on the finger had acted like a beacon, dragging a massive influx of Cursed Spirits straight into Kuoh Town over the past week.
Most had been low-level grunts, but they consistently dropped usable combat traits when exterminated.
Capitalizing on the surge, Satoru had actively hunted them down between sparring sessions and dojo drills, accumulating a mountain of white and green foundational traits.
After consuming and synthesizing them, two new slots had permanently locked into his grid.
[Name] — Satoru Mikami / Basara Toujou
[Race] — Human / Devil / Hero / Dragon / God
[Strength] — Level 2
[Function Unlocked]
[Traits]
[Power Of Destruction (Red): Imbues mana with the absolute attribute of destruction, vastly amplifying offensive lethality.]
He had unlocked Power of Destruction during a particularly intense private spar with Rias mid-week.
Perhaps wracked with lingering guilt over the incident with the Sukuna finger, she had momentarily let her guard down and held back her true strength.
Satoru hadn't.
Stacking his Boost ability straight up to the fourth layer—multiplying his base physical and magical output by a staggering sixteen times—he had completely overwhelmed her defenses in a single, earth-shaking clash.
Closing the glowing interface from his mind's eye, Satoru picked up his pace, following Rias back toward the familiar gothic architecture of the Occult Research Club.
And yes, he still kept everything regarding his hidden background reveal a secret from everyone.
There was no point in telling Rias that he was her cousin at the moment anyway.
By the time they crested the hill toward the building, Akeno, Yuki, and Koneko were already waiting outside, having gathered in anticipation of their guest's arrival.
Stepping past the heavy oak doors of the Occult Research Club, Satoru noticed an unexpected visitor standing by the window conversing softly with Akeno.
She was a sharp, striking young woman with raven-black hair falling neatly past her shoulders, framed by a sleek pair of intellectual glasses that caught the afternoon light.
Rias came to an abrupt halt.
"Sona? Why are you here?"
Sona Sitri turned slowly away from Akeno, her expression completely devoid of its usual calm composure.
Her jaw was tight, and an unmistakable edge of tension stiffened her posture.
Without wasting a breath on pleasantries, she delivered the devastating news straight to the point.
"...Sukuna finger is missing."
Rias stared at her, her mind flatlining as the words stubbornly refused to register.
"...???"
The bombshell dropped by the student council president left Rias massaging her throbbing temples, a sharp line creasing her brow.
"Can you Explain, What exactly happened?" Rias demanded, her voice dropping into an icy chill.
"Didn't you think the sheer volume of Cursed Spirits swarming Kouh Town over the past week was unusually high?"
Sona countered calmly, adjusting her glasses as they caught the light.
Rias's eyes flashed with sudden realization. "I did. Are you telling me... those swarms were deliberately released?"
Sona nodded grimly. "Precisely. The culprit used them as a smoke screen to draw everyone away from the perimeter, giving them an uninterrupted window to break into the academy and steal the finger."
"And Teacher Natsuki?"
"She accepted an emergency overseas exorcism assignment early this morning. The timing is far too convenient to be a coincidence."
"...Interesting."
Rias's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
The strategy was chillingly calculated. First, verify the school's primary barrier supervisor was out of the country.
Second, seed just enough Cursed Spirits to pull the defense team away from the vault.
The enemy possessed an intimately detailed understanding of their combat roster and patrol routes.
Yet, only a microscopic circle of individuals knew she had secretly taken Satoru under her wing just a week prior.
An internal leak within her immediate inner circle was virtually impossible.
Which meant only one logical conclusion remained.
"The surge of Cursed Spirits wasn't just a diversion for the theft," Rias said, the pieces clicking together in her mind.
"You reached the same conclusion," Sona replied, crossing her arms. "The culprit has been actively testing our defensive limits by continuously probing the perimeter over the past several days."
"Do you have any leads on the identity?"
"None yet. But I managed to harvest the residual cursed energy left at the break-in site."
"Let me see it."
Satoru stepped forward abruptly, breaking his silent observation.
"Of course," Sona answered without hesitation.
•
[Sona Sitri]
•
*******
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