"Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
When Mai woke up, her consciousness was still hazy. She stared blankly at an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Mai, you're awake?"
She turned her head to find someone sitting by the bed, holding her hand tightly.
A single ponytail, glasses, a pained look in her eyes, and a warm hand.
"You're... Maki. Onee-chan..."
"Yes, it's me."
"What happened to me?"
"It's okay. You were just injured. You're inside Jujutsu High; it's safe here."
"I'm injured?"
Mai raised her other arm and saw it was covered in bandages, stinging with pain. The familiar pain brought back memories: those purple eyes, that figure floating in the sky, the divine lightning falling from the heavens, and the desperate cries and roars of the people around her.
"I remember now," Mai said, her mind reeling. "Back then, Todo-senpai and I met a Special Grade. He told me to go first. I found a secluded spot to make a call, and after that... I don't remember clearly. I felt like I was in a daze. I only managed to use my technique to create a piece of foxtail grass when my mind was briefly clear. Did you see it, Onee-chan?"
"I saw it. That's how everyone found you. You did well, Mai," Maki said, stroking her hair.
"But later, I think I brought him to the Zenin home. So much light, so much lightning... I lost consciousness completely and woke up here. Onee-chan, what happened to the Zenin clan?" Mai grabbed Maki's sleeve, asking nervously.
"They..." Maki hesitated before deciding to tell the truth. "The Zenin sorcerers suffered heavy casualties. Father... he passed away. The Clan Head was seriously injured and is still in a coma. Mother was startled but uninjured."
"Father is gone?" Mai looked as if she had been hit hard. She sat up and hugged Maki, murmuring, "Onee-chan, did I kill Father?"
"It wasn't you; the Cursed Spirit did it. Besides, that scoundrel, it's fine that he's dead. Don't be sad for him," Maki said bluntly.
"But he was our father, after all." Mai tightened her hug. "Onee-chan, I'm so scared. Don't ever leave me again, okay?"
Maki sighed, patting her back. "I won't leave you. Don't worry."
"That's good."
Leaning into the warm embrace, the corners of Mai's mouth gradually curled up. She smiled happily.
Lord God, my wish is fulfilled. Thank you very much.
…
Tokyo Jujutsu High, Conference Room.
Gojo, Yaga, and Gakuganji sat together once again.
"Mission accomplished! We successfully recovered Mai Zenin. Mission perfect," Gojo said, leaning back and crossing his legs.
"Do you have a misunderstanding of the word 'perfect'? The Zenin clan was almost wiped out," Yaga barked.
"Don't worry about it. Most of the people who died were 70 or 80-year-old men. They didn't have many years left anyway. Death is death. Right, Principal Gakuganji?" Gojo said nonchalantly.
Even with Gakuganji's composure, he couldn't help but feel a flare of anger. "The Zenin clan, one of the Big Three, was nearly exterminated, and you're here gloating? Aren't you worried that one day the Gojo clan will be targeted too?"
"The Gojo clan has me. I'm actually hoping he shows up soon."
"Hmph. Given the speed at which this Cursed Spirit is growing, do you have confidence you can beat him? He seems to know you exist and is avoiding you. He likely intends to meet you only after he has fully matured."
"That's exactly why it's a pain. But I have a feeling we'll meet soon. Old man, you'd better pray I win. Otherwise, humanity is in trouble," Gojo laughed.
Arrogant as it was, Gakuganji couldn't refute it. He stood up. "I will propose to the Headquarters to gather our forces and locate that spirit as soon as possible. If necessary, I will apply for help from Tengen-sama. That's when you'll have to prove you're the strongest."
The Headquarters refers to the Jujutsu Headquarters, the world's largest organization responsible for managing sorcerers. Tengen is a powerful sorcerer with the technique of "Immortality," a monster-level elder who is said to be omniscient.
"Do what you want, but check my schedule first. I'm very busy."
"The Goodwill Event will proceed as planned."
"Fine by me."
After Gakuganji left, Yaga asked, "Gojo, are you sure?"
"Who knows? I won't know until we fight. Based on the abilities he's shown, it would take a lot of effort and a heavy price to win, and he likely hasn't shown his full strength yet."
Gojo spread his hands and leaned his head back, looking at the ceiling. "However, he had the chance to kill Nanami and Todo but didn't. He probably doesn't care about their lives. He's like a martial artist who just came down from the mountains after finishing his training, looking for people to challenge. He only cares about learning new skills; wanton destruction is something he disdains. You should be glad he isn't the type of spirit that is super hostile toward humans."
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"Me? Well, I'm going to take an overseas trip. Yuta-kun has been out having fun long enough; it's time he came back."
"Okkotsu? He would indeed be a great help."
"You can also use this to pressure those old fossils at the top to let the two third-years come back. That way, we won't have to worry about a spirit coming to kick our door in."
Yaga nodded. "I'll try my best."
…
In one of the few buildings left standing in the ruins of the Zenin estate:
"Naoya-sama, someone else is here to see you."
"First that Gojo guy, then the Kamo clan, and now who? Do they think the Zenin clan is finished just because we took one hit? Even a damaged aircraft carrier carries plenty of heavy weapons. Since when do any random 'cats and dogs' get to run wild here? Tell them I won't see them!" Naoya Zenin spoke angrily.
His cheeks were swollen, and several teeth were missing, causing him to lisp. He was no longer handsome, but compared to the unfortunate dead, he was very lucky. With Naobito Zenin in a coma, he had stepped up as the acting head of the clan.
"But... they are special envoys appointed by the Headquarters high-ranking officials."
"..." Naoya's face changed instantly. "Why didn't you say so earlier? What are you standing there for? Invite them in immediately!"
A man and a woman in suits entered the room.
"Greetings, Acting Head Zenin. We are special envoys from the Headquarters, here to learn about the 'Calamity Class' Cursed Spirit, Aosora."
"Calamity Class?"
"Yes. After discussion, the Headquarters consensus is that 'Special Grade' no longer reflects his danger. A new grade, 'Calamity,' has been created above it."
"Calamity? Hmph, fitting enough." Naoya gave a bitter smile. "Speak. What do you want to know?"
"First, physical characteristics." The female envoy showed a picture. "Does he look like this?"
Looking at the handsome young man in the photo, Naoya nodded. "Yes, that's him. His aura is very unique; you only need to see him once to remember him forever."
"Good. Next, abilities. We understand he has speed comparable to your former Clan Head, strong close-quarters combat skills, the ability to manipulate light and lightning, flight, barrier techniques, Black Flash, a transparent shield, and suspected hypnotic charm skills. Do you have anything to add?"
Naoya took a deep breath. "No. Your information is complete." He had been knocked unconscious by one punch; how would he know the rest?
"Third, weaknesses. Did you notice any weaknesses during the fight? Or any area where his reactions were slow?"
"Hmm..." Naoya pondered for a minute. "In combat, he showed no weakness. In other areas... he needed someone to lead the way to the Zenin estate, which means his intelligence network is poor. Second, he considers himself a god. He seems to have no empathy for other spirits and no obvious malice toward humans. The Headquarters could try to recruit him."
The female envoy was stunned. "Naoya-sama, he is an evil being who nearly wiped out your clan, and you want the Headquarters to recruit him? Don't you hate him?"
"Hate him? Of course I do! But can hatred kill him? Did you not see the ruins on your way in? He did that alone. If you fought him, you'd understand. He is invincible. Even Satoru Gojo can't beat him. For us humans, he is a true god." Naoya touched his swollen face, his expression desolate.
The two envoys exchanged glances, seeing each other's shock and dismissiveness. The Zenin clan has truly fallen. No wonder they couldn't handle a single spirit.
"Thank you for your cooperation. I will report your suggestion. We must return now. Please accept our condolences, Naoya-sama. The Headquarters believes that as long as you are here, the Zenin clan will retain its status as one of the Big Three."
Naoya looked moved. "Thank you. Please convey my gratitude to the high-ranking officials for their understanding."
Once he saw them out, Naoya's grateful expression instantly turned into a mocking smile. He dismissed his attendants, ordered that no one disturb him, and opened the door to the inner room.
Passing through a barrier, Naoya prostrated himself on the ground before Aomori, who was flipping through an ancient book. His eyes were full of fanatical devotion. "Aosora-sama, as you predicted, the Headquarters sent people to question me. I have told them exactly what you commanded."
Naoya's defection was an accident. Originally, Aomori intended to keep Naobito alive and use hypnosis to control him to hide within the clan. He hadn't expected Naoya to survive and view him as a true god, becoming a fanatic believer.
Naoya had even personally severely injured his own father as a "tribute" to prove his loyalty. Aomori immediately changed plans and used Naoya as his inside man. It didn't matter who was Clan Head; Naoya was much easier to control.
Aomori decided to stay at the Zenin estate to train and digest their accumulated resources. As for the language barrier? In every dungeon, Aomori seemed to instinctively master the local language. He just attributed it to the system.
"You did well," Aomori praised.
"It is my honor to relieve your worries, my Lord."
Who knew that Naoya, with his playboy looks, could be such a devoted follower? Aomori flicked a ball of Holy Light into Naoya's body, and his face healed instantly.
"Perform well, and one day I will help you become the strongest human, surpassing Satoru Gojo. Keep an eye on the Headquarters for me, and help me find the locations of some Curse Users."
He still needed Curse User kills for his first dungeon quest.
"Naoya will work twice as hard!"
"Good. You may leave."
As Naoya left, Aomori shook his head. "He likely views me as a backer similar to Tengen. Unfortunately, I'll only be here for a few months."
The ancient books were the treasure of the Zenin clan. Aomori had verified the location of the library with Mai and avoided hitting it during his attack. These records of jujutsu insights greatly deepened his understanding of the world.
He picked up another book and smiled. "Heh, found it. A method to counter Domains."