Maki Zen'in stared silently at Akiyama Ren's back, her thoughts spinning like a typhoon.
She knew who he meant.
Gojo Satoru.
The prodigy of the Gojo clan. The one blessed with both the Six Eyes and the Limitless—a once-in-a-millennium genius whose sheer talent bent the laws of Jujutsu to his will.
Even among elites, Gojo was a singularity.
But… Ren had just said something terrifying.
"I can use all Jujutsu techniques in the world."
All of them.
Not one, not two—all.
That wasn't just talent. That was transcendence.
Innate Techniques varied from sorcerer to sorcerer. Each person was born with one, a single affinity etched into their soul. Even the strongest couldn't master another's Innate Technique—let alone all of them.
If what Ren claimed was true, then… wasn't he no longer human?
Was there any difference between him and a god?
Maki's heart pounded. It was almost too absurd to accept, but she had seen it with her own eyes. That cursed spirit—nearly Grade 1—hadn't even lasted a heartbeat under his Cursed Technique Reversal: Red. And then, to top it off, he'd healed her injuries with Reversed Cursed Technique as if it were second nature.
It was terrifying.
It was also… oddly reassuring.
At least the Jujutsu world had someone powerful enough to shake those crusty old men at the top. Maybe now they'd finally shut up and listen for once.
Ren suddenly clapped her on the shoulder, jolting her from her thoughts.
"Don't forget the three meals," he said, smirking.
"Seriously?" Maki rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the slight smile tugging at her lips. "All you think about is food."
She bent down to pick up her Naginata, only to notice the deep cracks running along the blade and shaft. Her heart sank.
Ren caught the look on her face and said casually, "Go on one date with me, and I'll give you something stronger."
Maki flushed instantly. "W-What kind of bribery is that?"
"It's a trade," he said coolly. "One date for a cursed tool that's stronger than anything you've ever seen. Sounds fair, right?"
Maki gritted her teeth, internally debating. Her current Naginata was already a high-grade cursed tool. Anything stronger would be in the Special Grade category—or beyond.
It's just one date. I won't die. I'm not signing a marriage certificate…
After a moment of self-convincing, she sighed and muttered, "Fine. Deal."
"Glad to hear it," Ren said, stepping forward and activating his Structure Technique.
In front of them, energy began to swirl, forming the shape of two weapons—one, a Naginata with elegant curves and stormy silver lightning motifs; the other, a katana with a sleek, violet blade that shimmered like moonlight over a dark sea.
Then Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial—glowing with a soft, celestial gold.
Divine blood.
He had drawn it while showing off to Kyoko the previous night. With a deep breath, he split the blood into two and carefully infused it into each weapon.
A radiant golden aura exploded around the blades.
The Gym shook under the divine pressure.
When the light faded, Ren frowned. "Tch… even split, the divine blood was too potent. These two are no longer Special Grade. They've reached… quasi-divine artifact level."
Maki's jaw dropped as she stared at the weapons. She could feel it—the weight, the power, the overwhelming aura that threatened to pierce the very fabric of the world.
She stepped forward, almost reverently, and picked them up. Her hands trembled.
"These… they're incredible. What are their names?"
Ren scratched his cheek. "Eh… I suck at naming stuff. So I borrowed from an old game I used to like."
He pointed at the Naginata. "That one's called Nagusa no Inazuma."
Then the katana. "And this one's Mist Splitter Reforged."
Maki blinked. "Huh. Sounds kinda cool, actually."
She slid the katana into her waist sheath, then spun the Naginata experimentally in a wide arc. The weapon sang with power, slicing through the air with elegance and weightless precision.
She grinned. "I love them."
Ren nodded. "Good. Now that everything's wrapped up, we should head out."
Maki stopped her practice and agreed. "Right. Let's dispel the Tent."
Ren casually snapped his fingers. The barrier surrounding the School shimmered for a moment, then dissipated into nothingness.
Instantly, a group of support staff burst through the gymnasium's destroyed entrance.
"Zen'in-san! What happened inside?!"
Maki gave a quick summary—scorpion-type Curse Spirit, near-Grade 1, exorcised by Akiyama Ren, building destroyed.
The group began rapidly relaying the report through their earpieces. Their faces twitched slightly upon hearing the full extent of the damage—especially the part where the gymnasium and several adjacent buildings were reduced to rubble.
Because Akiyama Ren had used Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.
A flashy, large-scale cursed technique that looked more like a demon lord flexing than an actual exorcism. Even though he had used the bare minimum of power, the result was a smoking crater where the gym used to be.
Naturally, the Jujutsu Alliance would have to foot the bill—at least up front. Reconstruction costs would be reimbursed later by the Japanese government, once all fiscal reports were filed at the end of the year.
Still, it was a logistical headache. And one the higher-ups definitely wouldn't ignore.
As for the Soubu High itself, it was clear that classes wouldn't be resuming anytime soon. The main building had taken a hit, and the structural integrity was compromised. The school board issued an emergency notice to all staff and students: classes were suspended for at least one month.
The student body reacted exactly as expected—wild cheering broke out in every group chat. Free time was a rare blessing in the world of jujutsu sorcery.
Even Akiyama Ren couldn't help smiling.
Maki Zen'in noticed the faint grin on his face and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You didn't blow up the school on purpose, did you?"
"Oi, oi, what kind of person do you think I am?" Ren put on a hurt expression, reacting as if he'd been unjustly accused. "You think I'd intentionally destroy school property just to get a vacation?"
Maki stared at him for a long moment.
Then sighed.
"…You totally did it on purpose," she muttered, shaking her head. "I should've known. With your level of control, you could've erased that Curse Spirit without even raising your hand."
She wasn't wrong. Against a mere quasi-grade 1 Curse Spirit, Cursed Technique Reversal: Red was complete overkill. It was like using a missile to swat a mosquito.
Still, she let it go.
"I've got to report this to headquarters. See you next time," she said, shouldering her new naginata.
"Don't forget our date. And the three meals," Ren called out, waving casually.
"I… I know!" Maki snapped, face flushing red as she turned and hurried off.
Akiyama Ren chuckled. "The Zen'in heir, acting all tsundere? Kinda cute, honestly."
As he stepped out of the school gate, he spotted a familiar figure waiting patiently near the stone steps.
"Ren-kun!" Kurahashi Kyoko ran over, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity. "How did it go? Was the Curse Spirit taken care of?"
"Perfectly exorcised. Easy win," Ren replied, flashing a peace sign.
"Good. Oh, the school just issued a notice—classes are on hold for at least a month," Kyoko added, pulling out her phone.
"I saw. Not gonna lie, a vacation sounds nice right about now," Ren said, stretching with a satisfied yawn.
Kyoko tilted her head and gave him a knowing look. "You didn't cause the class suspension, did you?"
His smile froze in place.
Again with the sharp intuition. First Maki, now Kyoko.
Were all the girls around him psychic, or was he just getting too obvious?
Just as he was about to fumble for a clever excuse, a stern voice cut in.
"Oi, Akiyama. Those special personnel from earlier… you know them?"
It was Hiratsuka Shizuka—Ren's homeroom teacher and one of the few faculty members he respected. She approached briskly, arms folded.
"Ah, yeah. My family's got some connections," Ren replied, casually lying through his teeth. "Old ties to some government agencies and such."
Technically not wrong. Just... heavily abridged.
Hiratsuka studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Makes sense. The Adagaki family is one of the old houses in Osaka. Guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Ren breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
After all, she was just a normal person. No sense dragging her into the world of curses, sorcery, and demons—at least not yet. If she ever became someone important to him… that would be a different story.
For now, though, the curtain fell on another chaotic day.