"This is so boring—"
Gojo Satoru exclaimed, leaning back dramatically in his chair and making it creak. His long legs almost stretched into the center of the aisle.
"Gojo, please pay attention and don't disturb others."
Mugen Nagi, whose view was blocked by Gojo Satoru, said with mild annoyance. He was trying to see a complex Cursed Energy flow model that Teacher Yaga had drawn on the blackboard. Although Jujutsu High's theory classes were completely different from regular high school, Nagi maintained his top-student habit of intense focus. His notebook was filled with neat, clear handwriting. He shifted slightly, trying to see around the human obstruction.
"Huh? Am I bothering you, Nagi-chan?"
Far from toning it down, Gojo tilted his chair back even further. His sunglasses slid down his nose, revealing those pale blue eyes as he looked teasingly at Nagi.
"Basic theory like this should be easy for an honor student like you, right~? Right, Ieiri?"
Ieiri Shoko, sitting diagonally in front of Nagi, was slumped lazily over her desk. Hearing her name, she didn't lift her head, just gave a vague "Mmm," as if speaking more was too much effort. Spread before her was what seemed to be a medical journal, completely unrelated to jujutsu theory.
Geto Suguru sat with perfect posture, his usual gentle smile on his lips. He appeared attentive, but a closer look revealed him unconsciously twirling a small Cursed Spirit orb between his fingers. Sensing Gojo's gaze, he shook his head slightly, signaling him to behave.
Yaga Masamichi stood at the front. A vein pulsed at his temple. He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to pin a certain white-haired problem child to the wall with a Cursed Corpse, and tapped the blackboard sharply.
"...Therefore! Precision and control of Cursed Energy determine a Technique's power and the user's consumption! More Cursed Energy doesn't mean greater strength! Gojo! Put those legs away!"
Gojo made a face but finally placed his chair flat. He muttered, "Fine... I know this already... I want to move around..."
Nagi refocused on his notes. He understood Yaga's words deeply. The leap in Cursed Energy control from activating his Crimson Eyes was key to his fine manipulation of "Deceleration" and "Acceleration." He unconsciously glanced at his open palm.
"Hey, Nagi-chan," Gojo's voice came again, now tempting.
"Next period is practical training. How about sparring with Geto? He's very interested in you." He gestured toward Geto.
Hearing this, Geto stopped twirling the orb. His gaze shifted to Nagi, his smile now holding a trace of challenge.
"Indeed. Your strength was only glimpsed last time with Teacher Yaga. As fellow 'Grade One' sorcerers, I'd like to experience your 'Limitless Technique' and 'Crimson Eyes.'"
Geto emphasized "Grade One," his eyes curious.
Nagi closed his notebook and looked calmly at Geto. Classroom tedium gave way to faint anticipation. He also wanted to gauge the strength of this Cursed Spirit Manipulator, Gojo's "strongest partner."
"Alright," he agreed.
The afternoon training ground was sunny, but the atmosphere grew tense.
Geto and Nagi stood twenty meters apart. Gojo sat cross-legged on the highest barrier post, munching potato chips like a spectator. Ieiri leaned against a tree in the shade, wearing her usual "what a drag" expression but staying.
"Please guide me, Nagi-kun."
Geto nodded slightly, his smile gentle but Cursed Energy surging around him.
"Please guide me, Geto-kun."
Nagi responded calmly. His eyes closed, then snapped open—
**Crimson Eyes: Activate!**
His crimson eyes, like burning rock, locked onto his opponent.
Geto moved! He didn't summon a powerful spirit. Instead, with hand seals, several low-grade Cursed Spirits shot toward Nagi like arrows! They were fast with tricky paths, attempting suppression through numbers and speed!
**Technique Activation: Deceleration!**
Nagi stood firm. An invisible resistance field expanded from him! The field was wide but weakened with distance!
The nearest spirits slammed into thick glue, momentum plummeting, movements sluggish. Slightly farther spirits slowed less, retaining some impact.
In his Crimson Eyes, the nearest spirits' paths glowed faint red (low threat).
The farther ones' points glowed brighter red! Nagi judged threat levels. He shifted subtly, evading the impactful spirits, ignoring the slowed ones.
"Screening and defending with distance attenuation? Clever."
Geto's interest grew. His fingers moved, Cursed Energy flow changing.
The two severely slowed spirits near Nagi swelled violently. Their cores, in Nagi's vision, erupted with blinding red light!
**Self-destruct!**
*Boom! Boom!*
Explosions erupted beside Nagi!
The "Deceleration" field is strongest against close energy attacks! The sticky resistance drastically weakened shockwave and debris speed, nearly pinning them at the blast points!
Nagi barely moved. He tilted his head, covered himself with Cursed Energy, and withstood sporadic impacts.
But Geto's attack continued!
As dust billowed, three condensed red points flashed from tricky angles behind the smoke (left shoulder, back of right knee, center of back) in Nagi's vision! Geto's Cursed Energy spikes! Extremely fast and concealed!
"Hmph!" Nagi's eyes sharpened.
**Deceleration - Triple Barrier!**
He pushed his hands forward. Instead of one large field, he superimposed three compressed, intense "Deceleration" fields onto the attack paths! Since spikes were distant, field strength was less but still enough to reduce speed!
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
The spikes hit high-density gel layers. Speed dropped, kinetic energy spent. They dissipated less than a meter from Nagi! Perfect distance-attenuation use for precise defense, conserving Cursed Energy!
"Nice!" Gojo cheered.
Geto emerged from the dust. His smile deepened, excited.
"Reactions, predictions, technique—impeccable. Warm-up over. Time to get serious!" He threw his arms wide!
Space warped. Two enormous Grade One Cursed Spirits appeared!
One resembled a giant ape with rock-like armor. It roared, swinging a massive fist at the ground!
The other was a floating ghost. Countless pale arms extended from its misty form, shrieking as they grabbed for Nagi from all sides!
The rock fist fell with landslide force! In Nagi's vision, the fist point glowed intensely! Simultaneously, the arms' paths lit up crimson, almost covering all evasion space!
"Now we're talking!" Fighting will surged in Nagi! Faced with dual assault, he reacted fast!
**Technique Reversal: Acceleration!**
Cursed Energy surged! Nagi minimized resistance, erupting with terrifying initial speed like crimson lightning, charging at the falling fist!
Under Crimson Eyes' extreme vision and prediction, he caught the fist's path and weakest energy gap!
As the rock fist, with overwhelming force, nearly crushed him, Nagi's figure, at an impossible angle and speed, narrowly passed the fist's edge! The howling wind almost tore his clothes! "Acceleration" speed plus Crimson Eyes prediction allowed this dangerous maneuver!
Simultaneously, a powerful "Deceleration" field covered the ghost's countless arms! It couldn't fully pin a Grade One spirit's attacks, but distance attenuation was key now!
Arms grabbing from close range were weakened extremely, struggling in mud! Slightly distant arms slowed significantly, rhythm disrupted, unable to form an effective encirclement!
Nagi targeted Geto directly!
Passing the fist's shadow and breaking from the arms, Nagi continuously pushed "Acceleration"! Speed kept increasing! Like a crimson comet accelerating, with a sound-barrier-breaking shriek, he charged Geto—attack the leader first!
Geto's pupils contracted!
So fast! And faster! Precise judgment and nerve!
He hadn't expected Nagi's aggressive, nearly reckless tactic to break the dual assault and target him! Instinctively, his hands moved to summon spirits for defense.
But Nagi was faster! Under Crimson Eyes' lock, Geto's hands gathering Cursed Energy, about to complete the technique, was clearly caught!
"Deceleration" instantly applied locally! The field didn't engulf Geto fully. It precisely covered his hand-sealing hands and wrists!
Geto felt his hands locked by invisible, sticky shackles. Finger movement fatally stalled! Hand seal fluidity forcibly interrupted!
In that moment! Nagi arrived!
A fist with concentrated Cursed Energy, terrifying kinetic energy from continuous "Acceleration," shot like a cannonball. Without flourish, it struck Geto's center! Simple, direct, lethal!
Sharp intensity flashed in Geto's eyes! Block! Cursed Energy covered his arms!
*BOOM——!!!*
A dull, thunderous impact! Shockwave expanded in a ring, violently scattering ground gravel and dust!
Geto was sent flying back, feet off ground, by the terrifying kinetic energy and penetrating impact, enhanced by "Acceleration"! He forcibly twisted his body. Feet plowed deep grooves, sliding seven to eight meters before barely stabilizing! Uniform sleeves tore. Sharp pain and numbness spread through his arms. Clear fist indentation marks on the blocking point.
Dust swirled. The two faced each other, eyes filled with fighting spirit.