Given the gap between geniuses and ordinary sorcerers—and the fact that their teacher was famously unreliable—the students collectively chose to ignore Gojo Satoru's presence.
"Alright," Zenin Maki said, stretching her shoulders. "Let's begin, Assistant Instructor Leon."
"Please teach us," Panda added.
"Salmon," Inumaki Toge agreed.
Leon didn't refuse. Although becoming a teaching assistant hadn't been part of his original plan, he had plenty of experience explaining strategy. Being a Trainer meant constantly teaching—both Pokémon and people. His own lack of an inherited Cursed Technique had forced him to think deeply about tactics long before this moment.
"First lesson," Leon said, stepping onto the training field. "Tactical thinking—how the weak fight."
"Weak?" Maki smirked. "You mean me?"
"No. All of us." Leon pointed around the field. "You, me, Panda, Inumaki—even Gardevoir. Except for Gojo-sensei, everyone here has clear limitations. Talking alone won't help. Let's demonstrate while we fight."
"I'll go first," Maki said.
Wind cut through the air as her long polearm swung forward. Her stance was stable, movements precise—clearly the result of more than a decade of disciplined training. The blade swept in wide arcs, each strike heavier than the last, steadily forcing Leon backward.
"Got you!"
The weapon descended—
—and snapped off course.
At the final moment, Leon sidestepped and drove a punch into the wooden shaft, shifting its balance. Maki stumbled slightly, recovering with a backward flip, but Leon was already moving. His elbow struck her midsection, sending her sliding across the ground.
He stepped forward to follow up.
"Don't move."
Inumaki's voice cut through the air. Pulling down his collar, he revealed the snake-and-fangs seal of the Inumaki clan. The cursed command froze Leon in place for a split second—long enough for Panda to rush forward and knock him back with a powerful slap.
Leon rolled with the impact, reinforcing himself with Cursed Energy before landing lightly.
"Good teamwork," he said, adjusting his shoulders. "But your thinking still isn't flexible enough. Panda—why attack from the front? A human has far more blind spots behind them."
"I had to protect Maki," Panda replied. "If I couldn't push you back, I planned to retreat with her."
"Reasonable," Leon said. "But not optimal. You're a cursed corpse—you don't breathe. That alone makes stealth your greatest advantage." He raised a second finger. "Second rule for the weak: maximize your strengths. Pull the enemy into the environment where you hold the advantage, then defeat them with experience."
"Then what should Maki do?" Panda asked.
"Leave her to Inumaki."
"…Huh?"
Gojo, watching from the side, reacted instantly. "I get it. Because Cursed Speech ignores differences in size or physical ability."
"Exactly," Leon said. "Cursed Speech is powerful—but it forces direct confrontation. Against weaker enemies, one command ends the fight. Against stronger ones, the backlash becomes severe."
"Salmon," Inumaki agreed.
He demonstrated his quick footwork, darting sideways as if practicing repositioning.
"Good," Leon said. "But still inefficient. With that ability, you shouldn't be running away—you should be coordinating timing. If you freeze the opponent at close range, that's the moment your teammates deliver decisive strikes. Inumaki can become a close-combat nightmare."
Maki frowned thoughtfully. "But mastering that level of coordination takes time. We can't spend all our training focusing on close combat."
"Then specialize—or use tools," Leon replied calmly. "Sorcerers are still human. There's no reason not to use human advantages. Against human enemies, firearms or grenades are extremely effective. One pause, one shot, fight over."
Gojo burst out laughing. "Brutal. I like it."
Leon shrugged. "A defeated enemy is a good enemy."
Maki and Panda instinctively took half a step back. For a moment, the calm teaching assistant gave off a chillingly pragmatic aura.
Leon quickly returned to a normal tone. "Against curses, though, choose tools that can store and transmit Cursed Energy—or use proper cursed tools."
Gojo nodded. "Easy enough. This afternoon we'll take Inumaki to select some lightweight ranged cursed tools."
"The same applies to Panda," Leon added. "Even without weapons, smoke bombs, flashbangs, or shock devices can change a battlefield. Some people say relying on equipment isn't true strength. That's nonsense. Training is one thing—survival is another. When you're weak, victory comes first. Elegance comes later."
"I've learned a lot," Panda said, bowing respectfully.
Leon turned to Maki. "Finally—your case."
"I figured," she said.
"You have the most complicated situation. Your physical ability far exceeds ordinary humans—even enhanced sorcerers struggle to match it. But if I'm not mistaken… you don't possess innate Cursed Energy."
"That's right," Maki said calmly, adjusting her glasses. "Without external assistance, I can't even see curses."
Zenin Maki—by the standards of the sorcerer world—wasn't considered a sorcerer at all.
Leon looked at her for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"That just means we design a different path."