WebNovels

Chapter 17 - Chapter 17 – “Taste of Battle”

The sharp trill of a phone call pierced the quiet morning. Kurotsuki Tenkai stirred awake, the light of dawn cutting across his sleek, minimalist bedroom. The screen flashed a familiar name — Gojo Satoru.

"Good morning, Tenkai! Rise and shine!" Gojo's voice practically exploded through the phone. "Don't tell me you're still sleeping! Come to Jujutsu High, I've got something special for you."

Tenkai sighed, rubbing his temple. "Gojo… it's 7 a.m. Why do you always sound like you've had five cups of sugar before breakfast?"

"Because I am sugar," Gojo laughed dramatically. "Now hurry! Don't make me use teleportation to drag you here!"

"Alright, alright," Tenkai muttered with a faint smile. Despite their evolution, both Gojo and Tenkai still clung to human comforts — sleep, coffee, and random late-night gaming sessions that always ended in chaos.

After breakfast with his parents — Masaru reading the newspaper and Akane humming softly while sipping tea — Tenkai stood up."I'll be heading to Jujutsu High," he said.

Masaru nodded. "Gojo again?"

Tenkai smirked. "Who else?"

Akane smiled knowingly. "Tell that man to at least come for dinner sometime instead of just stealing you away."

"Noted," Tenkai said, then vanished.

Singularity Transit.A phenomenon both beautiful and terrifying in its precision.Tenkai folded local spacetime into a micro-wormhole and stepped through. The moment his foot touched the other side, he reassembled at Jujutsu High's courtyard — no noise, no trace, just starlight fading behind him.

Tenkai appeared at Jujutsu High precisely at 9:30 a.m., the starlit seam closing behind him. Principal Yaga greeted him warmly."Morning, Tenkai. You're earlier than Gojo expected."

"Gojo rarely expects anything logical," Tenkai replied, nodding toward the small figure peeking from behind Yaga's leg. "And this must be Panda."

Panda waved shyly. "You're the guy Gojo bragged about, right? The one who punched a mountain apart?"

"More or less," Tenkai said casually, amused by Panda's wide eyes.

Moments later, Gojo appeared behind Tenkai — as always — tapping his shoulder."Guess who~?"

Without turning, Tenkai muttered, "The man with no concept of personal space."

Gojo grinned. "You know me so well."

He waved dramatically toward the training field. "C'mon! I've got someone I want you to meet — and train."

The field stretched under a clear sky. Standing there, dressed in training gear and catching her breath, was Erina Nakiri. Her golden hair was tied neatly, but her face was tense — the look of someone out of her element.

"It's been a few days since she joined Jujutsu High," Gojo explained. "But… her physical stats are, uh… let's say 'culinary-level,' not 'combat-level.' I need you to fix that."

Tenkai crossed his arms, studying her. "You want me to train the girl with the God Tongue?"

"Exactly! And before you ask — yes, she still faints if someone cooks instant ramen wrong," Gojo teased.

Erina frowned. "Sensei!"

Gojo grinned. "Our new prodigy chef-sorceress! Tenkai, she's all yours."

Tenkai blinked, processing the statement. "So, you want me to make an optimized, accelerated training plan?"

"Exactly! Think of it as cooking — except the dish is a human."

Erina twitched. "That sounds extremely wrong, Gojo-sensei."

Gojo chuckled. "Relax, you're in good hands. Tenkai here could probably make a volcano do push-ups."

Tenkai chuckled softly. "Alright, I'll do it. But she's still in school, right?"

Erina nodded politely. "Yes. I'm sixteen and still attending Totsuki Culinary Academy. My goal is… to become the best chef in the world."

Tenkai's eyes softened. "A sorcerer and a chef, huh? Gojo's right about one thing — he lets his students chase their dreams."

As they spoke, Aion's voice echoed quietly in Tenkai's head:

"Analyzing target's curse potential. Curse Type: Sensory Amplification. Potential upper limit — Grade 1, possibly Special Grade if trained properly."

Tenkai's thoughts raced. Amplified senses… interesting. That explains the precision of her palate. But if untrained, it must have been torture.

Erina Nakiri's Innate Technique — Sensory Divinity:Her "God Tongue" wasn't merely refined taste; it was a full-scale cursed technique amplifying all five senses beyond human limit. When activated, Erina perceives reality at molecular granularity — taste, sound, sight, touch, and smell become pure sensory data. However, the technique once tormented her; overstimulation caused physical collapse and pain. Controlled properly, it could dissect cursed constructs by flavor, density, and resonance — even identify weak points in curses through sensory overload.

Tenkai smiled faintly. "I see… this girl has serious potential."

"Hmm?" Erina tilted her head.

"Nothing. Just thinking how Gojo always drags interesting people into my life."

Gojo yawned. "You'll thank me later. Anyway, gotta run — meeting with Yaga. Try not to blow up the training ground, Tenkai."

"Not making promises."

As Gojo vanished, Tenkai turned to Erina. "Alright, Nakiri. Let's start simple — physical reinforcement through cursed energy, precision control, and martial stance."

Days turned into weeks. Under Tenkai's guidance, Erina trained tirelessly. Her hands grew steadier, her breath more measured. Tenkai had her run through martial drills, cursed energy reinforcement, and sparring simulations.

Meanwhile, staff members whispered about Tenkai."That's him… the one who fought Gojo.""I heard their battle changed the island's climate.""No one knows his cursed technique…"

Gojo, of course, made things worse by bragging."I'm telling you, the kid almost turned the moon blue! He's ridiculous!"

The higher-ups panicked but did nothing. You don't provoke a man who might delete geography by sneezing.

During breaks, Gojo often interrupted with snacks. "Erinaaa, do you think you can taste how overcooked my chips are?"

She glared. "Sensei, they're burnt."

Tenkai smirked. "She's improving. Last week, she couldn't sense you sneaking chips from a kilometer away."

By the third month, Erina stood confidently before them. Her cursed energy was stable — elegant, refined, and deadly in its own right.

Gojo clapped his hands. "Perfect timing! I've got her first mission ready."

✦ Mission: Doryado Ruins, Hachiōji, Tokyo

A decrepit inn swallowed by forest and fog — an infamous haunted site crawling with lesser curses. Ideal for first missions.

When they arrived, the mist hung thick around the ancient ruins. Erina took a breath, her cursed energy flaring."Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness… Purify that which is impure."

The curtain rose — a veil spreading like black silk over the ruins.

Tenkai stood with his hands in his pockets. "I'll just supervise. Don't rely on me — think of this as your kitchen."

Erina unsheathed her gifted katana, recalling Tenkai's words: 'Weak curses gather in packs — taste the flow of their intent.'

Six Grade 4 curses emerged, their twisted forms dripping with miasma.

She exhaled, channeling her energy. Her technique activated — every vibration, every hiss of cursed air became taste and rhythm. She sidestepped the first curse, slicing cleanly through its torso. Another lunged — she parried, spun, and kicked off debris, striking with precision.

But the swarm thickened — four Grade 3 curses closing in. Their distorted shapes roared, claws clashing against her blade. One grazed her arm — she winced but refused to falter.

"Never close your eyes in battle," Tenkai's voice echoed in her mind.

She kept them open, tasting every fluctuation in cursed pressure, turning defense into dance. Her technique resonated, and her strikes began to flow like music.

"Celestial Palate — Resonant Edge!" she cried, channeling her senses through her blade. The air rippled, slicing through the curses like invisible waves of taste and sound.

Within fifteen minutes, all ten curses dissolved into smoke. She dropped to her knees, exhausted but triumphant.

Then — the ground quivered.

A deeper, guttural shriek echoed. From the shadows crawled a massive Grade 2 mutated spider, its body veined with glowing curses.

Erina froze. Her energy reserves were empty. The beast lunged — faster than she could react.

Time seemed to slow. Is this… the end?

Her eyes widened — the spider's claw just inches away — but suddenly, the world folded. The air shimmered like shattered glass, and Tenkai stood between her and death.

The spider slammed its claw — but Tenkai's hand shot forward, gripping it midair. The impact shattered the ground, yet he stood still.

"You picked the wrong dish to devour," he said calmly.

He pulled his hand back — energy spiraling around his fist — and struck. The explosion of force obliterated the spider in an instant, dust scattering like ash.

Erina gasped, trembling, unable to comprehend. "W-What was that…?"

Tenkai turned to her. "Lesson one: always keep a margin for unexpected guests."

She managed a weak smile before realizing — Tenkai wasn't looking at her anymore. His gaze fixed on the shadows.

"Come out," he said, voice low and dangerous. "I can sense your cursed presence."

From the darkness emerged a man with long black hair tied loosely, a soft smirk on his face — Suguru Geto.

"Well, well," Geto said, clapping slowly. "The infamous Kurotsuki Tenkai. I've wanted to meet you for quite some time."

Goosebumps prickled Erina's skin. The air felt heavier, darker.

Tenkai's eyes narrowed, starlight swirling faintly in his irises. "Then I suppose today's your lucky day."

Geto's smile widened. "Or perhaps yours is over."

The chapter closed in silence — a cold wind sweeping through the ruins.

[To be continued…]

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