Chapter 2: If I Can't Get Into Kyoto, Then I'll Just Go to Tokyo Jujutsu High
Inside a classroom at Kyoto Jujutsu High.
The spacious room was nearly empty. Only three students were seated inside.
One was a girl with long blue hair and a visibly nervous expression.
Another was a tall young woman with short dark-green hair—her posture confident, her gaze proud, carrying an air of mature allure that felt oddly out of place for her age.
The third… barely looked human at all. Its entire body was constructed from brass-colored metal, unmistakably resembling a humanoid machine.
Standing at the lectern, Kanzaki Ren stared at the three of them in surprise.
The three stared back at him, equally stunned.
"Let's do introductions," said Utahime Iori, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke in her usual soft, composed tone.
She pointed to them one by one.
"This is Kasumi Miwa.
This is Mai Zenin.
And this is Mechamaru."
Finally, she turned back and patted Kanzaki Ren on the shoulder.
"And this is Kanzaki Ren. Your new classmate."
"What?"
The tall, short-haired girl—Mai—raised an eyebrow, her expression openly incredulous.
"Utahime-sensei, isn't this semester almost over already? Why are we suddenly getting a transfer student now?"
"Wouldn't it make more sense to just put him in the next grade?"
"Mai."
Utahime frowned slightly and cleared her throat.
"Is that really how you speak to a new classmate?"
Kanzaki Ren could clearly feel the inexplicable hostility coming from her. He curled his lips faintly, not particularly bothered.
Truth be told, he didn't want to attend this so-called Jujutsu High either.
In his previous life, he had been a postgraduate student at a nationally top-ranked university. Sure, academic elitism wasn't exactly virtuous—but being transferred straight into a technical high school like this?
Wasn't that a downgrade by several levels all at once?
If not for the woman beside him pestering him relentlessly ever since he woke up, he wouldn't have even considered it.
She had sworn up and down that at this school, he could learn everything about the newly awakened power within him—"jujutsu."
How to fully develop it.
How to wield it.
How to become a powerful jujutsu sorcerer.
At one point, Kanzaki Ren had even asked with visible hesitation:
"…Do I really have to go here?"
Utahime's expression grew even more troubled as she nodded her head.
In the end, it was her gentle persuasion and sincere attitude that won him over.
After all, when a graceful, dignified beauty pleaded so earnestly, it was almost impossible to refuse. And since he knew he could never return to his old school anyway, Kanzaki Ren finally agreed—albeit reluctantly.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing," the dark-green-haired woman said, her tone softening slightly.
"I'm thinking of him too, you know."
"If he were a junior," she added with a sweet smile toward Kanzaki Ren. The sudden bloom of flirtatious charm on her fair face was completely different from her earlier cold scrutiny.
"Then your big sister would take very good care of you."
"But since we'd be acting together as classmates," her brows lifted sharply, her presence turning aggressive once more,
"I can't help but hold you to stricter standards."
"Joining at the end of the semester—can you really keep up with our progress?"
The moment she said that, both the blue-haired girl and the mechanical student focused their gazes on Kanzaki Ren.
"Don't worry," Utahime said brightly from the lectern, smiling radiant as ever.
"Kanzaki Ren is a genius."
As she smiled, she silently scoffed to herself.
Of course he was a genius—she had rushed his enrollment precisely to snatch this talent. His innate technique, Limitless Probability Technique, was the kind of rare and terrifying ability that simply didn't come around often. If she had let admissions drag their feet and wait until next semester, what if Tokyo snatched him away in the meantime?
After all, Tokyo had recruited a monster named Yuta Okkotsu just last year. During the inter-school exchange event, he had single-handedly crushed Kyoto's entire lineup.
Fortunes rotated like the tides.
This year, it was Kyoto's turn to strike gold.
Utahime cast an energized glance at the silent boy standing nearby.
As for academic progress—she was already prepared. Worst case, she'd simply tutor him personally every day.
And besides—
"Don't let the fact that he's new fool you," she said calmly, confidence laced into her voice.
"He may already be the strongest among you."
"Because Kanzaki Ren already possesses Grade 1 sorcerer–level combat power."
"And that's without using his innate technique—just pure physical strength."
The combat power of an Polymorphic Soul Isomer rivaled that of a Grade 1 sorcerer. This conclusion came from combined intelligence reports of multiple sorcerers who had fought the cursed spirit responsible for creating them.
The flaw lay in instability: such beings existed only briefly, collapsing into extreme fragility after a short burst of power.
But Kanzaki Ren was different.
As a special case, his body had shown no abnormalities even now. This meant one thing—he had permanently retained that inhuman strength.
The fundamental purpose of jujutsu schools was to cultivate sorcerers.
And yet this boy's starting line was already the finish line many sorcerers could never reach in their entire lives.
Compared to such an overwhelming gap in power, things like "learning progress" were utterly irrelevant.
"What?!"
The classroom erupted.
Kanzaki Ren himself was utterly confused. He didn't even fully understand what a "jujutsu sorcerer" was—how had he suddenly become a "Grade 1"? And judging by the reactions, that title seemed even more impressive than Utahime's own Semi–Grade 1 rank.
Just as he was puzzling this out—
Click.
A sudden, sharp sound.
Without warning, the dark-green-haired woman flicked her wrist. Somehow, she had produced a handgun. The black muzzle snapped toward Kanzaki Ren, and she pulled the trigger repeatedly.
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!!!!
"Mai!"
Utahime cried out in horror, completely caught off guard.
"Relax."
As smoke curled lazily from the barrel, Mai Zenin casually blew on the muzzle, lips curling upward.
"My aim's perfect."
"The bullets won't directly hit him. At most, the air pressure will cause a few minor abrasions."
She rolled her eyes toward the lectern.
The boy stood frozen, unmoving—looking as though he'd been scared stiff.
"This is a friendly reminder," Mai said coolly.
"Cursed spirits won't play harmless little games like this."
"Given his reaction, I'd say—for his own good—he should enroll next year instead."
Utahime was just about to explode when Mai shrugged innocently.
"At worst, I'll cover his medical bills. I was just—"
"But even so,"
a low voice suddenly sounded from the lectern,
"it would still… hurt, wouldn't it?"
Kanzaki Ren raised his right hand. His fingers opened.
Several twisted, deformed bullets clattered onto the floor.
Mai Zenin's smug expression froze solid.
…What?
He caught her bullets.
With his bare hands.
But that wasn't even the scariest part.
The terrifying part was—
Up until the moment he dropped those bullets—
She hadn't seen how he caught them.
Not even the motion itself.
"Utahime-san," Kanzaki Ren turned toward the equally stunned black-haired woman, his tone blunt,
"Can I withdraw?"
"I think this school is way too dangerous."
"No—no no no!"
Utahime blurted out instantly.
At that moment, she genuinely wanted to murder Mai Zenin.
This was Kyoto Jujutsu High's future. Her precious trump card!
"I promise you—this was an exception! A total exception!"
She forced a gentle smile, frantically reassuring him.
"Mai! Apologize to Kanzaki Ren right now!"
"What?"
"Right now!"
Mai hesitated. But the proud, arrogant woman quickly caved.
Utahime was usually gentle and mild-tempered. But when someone like that actually got angry, it was terrifying.
Mai strode over, lowered her head, and spoke sincerely.
"I'm sorry, Kanzaki Ren."
Just as Kanzaki Ren was thinking, That's it? An apology and we're done?—
She suddenly shoved the handgun into his hand.
"Or," she lifted her face, her cold arrogance melting away into softness and charm,
"you can shoot me a few times too."
"I swear, I really didn't intend to kill you earlier."
"So if you do shoot…"
she smiled sweetly,
"Please be gentle with me, okay?"