"Damn it! It's been two months since she joined us in practice. Not to mention that first and only day she didn't even do anything at all! We're supposed to observe whatever she has in her little sleeves. But every single time Yaga gave us a chance to spar, she would always leave for some random places and we couldn't do anything at all!" Frustrated, Satoru punched the wall beside him and barely cared about his throbbing knuckles.

"Calm down, Satoru." Suguru spoke up evenly. "She had been on missions all those times. Didn't Yaga-sensei already tell us so?" Although saying it, he knew better. Ever since Satoru challenged her for a fight, Asae always had missions on those training days. He doubted all of that was coincident, though.

"I know, I know." Sighing, Satoru scowled darkly. "Is she that scared of me to the point of going as far as having missions to avoid me?" Honestly, he was disappointed when the brunette backed down from his challenge, then he realized that maybe she was afraid because of his unbeatable reputation.

Many had been scared shitless for just standing in front of him. At first, it was fun because Satoru knew the power he had on people was that strong, and he once believed so, that he was the strongest just like everyone in his clan gossiped. Then he stumbled on Asae. He had never met anyone whose cursed energy was just so impressive and pure like that. All Satoru could do was to stare at her doing push-ups from the tree he was sitting on. After that time, he had found her existence interesting enough that he began using his eyes to only look at her.

Yeah, really unbelievable. Someone at his age was stronger than him. Hence, Satoru couldn't help but be curious about that person. Turns out, she was just another coward despite being a special grade sorcerer. He still remembered how disappointed he was when Asae turned his challenge down in such a straightforward way. She didn't even bother to find an acceptable excuse. The brunette simply went with whatever was on her mind. She's also extremely stupid was what his conclusion for Asae was.

Gojo Satoru was born with everything yet nothing at all. He was the strongest, people always said that. He was his clan's heir, his existence was decided to be the greatest, the wisest. Nevertheless, people didn't know that Satoru's cursed technique worked his brain to dust. Every second passed by, his brain would be always overloaded with information, from the living to everything as long as his Six Eyes could reach them.

Thus, he had to wear this stupid blind glasses as the only resort. He was powerful, no one could argue against that. However, the price was sometimes too big even for himself. At the end of the day, Satoru was fine with it so he didn't think he could complain about anything.

"I don't think she's afraid of you, Satoru. Maybe she has her reason and we still have two years ahead so chances are you will have your fight soon." Suguru smiled at his friend.

Satoru looked at the black hair guy. Ever since the first time his eyes landed on Suguru, he knew immediately that the guy was strong. Then again, the reason he accepted Suguru's friendship was that the guy had guts. It was refreshing to meet someone who didn't avoid his scrutinization. Yet, Suguru had faced him without any problems and even been able to hold his own when sparring with him. Therefore, Satoru decided to condescend to the guy as long as Suguru didn't go over the line.

As for Asae, the girl didn't deserve to be his friend. She was a coward and strong or not, coward was the first on Satoru's black list. Somehow, in a heated moment, she would remind him of those rotten tangerines. A bunch of know-it-alls and cowards. Of course, he still had the manner to act friendly around her but at this point, he was hardly holding on to his sneers every time he was near her.

"Still, her reason is that she's scared so I can't do anything but look down on her. At least, she's honest though." It was strange how the idea of her being a coward irritated him this much. Nonetheless, he blamed it on him having high hopes for the brunette.

It must be because she was the first person who felt stronger than him. Since that day, he had unconsciously considered her as his rival and equal. Hence, he was more emotionally invested when it came to fighting her. Yeah, it must be something like that. Satoru reasoned to himself. Well, he still had Suguru and Shoko after all. He didn't need Asae at all. Not even a bit.

lililil

Shoko glanced at the girl beside her. Miura Asae was a strange person, she was nothing like any other fourteen girls. That sounded hypocritical of her because Shoko was also considered as an odd one. Though she wasn't an emotional person, she would still lose her cool when something out of her mind happened. And yet, Asae was indifferent even when the girl said she was scared herself.

Sometimes, I mistake her for being emotionless.

Except, Shoko knew better. The way the brunette's body would go immediately still when talking with other people, the way she never met their eyes, the way she would flinch when their voices were a bit too loud, and she even almost had a panic attack when Shoko touched her from behind.

All those details were signals for the thing that Shoko didn't want to admit, Asae had been traumatized. Worse, the girl might have PTSD. She couldn't ask the brunette what had happened because that would be too far a stretch and cruel. Still, Shoko worried for her friend nonetheless.

And Shoko was determined to help her friend with all her might.

:

Weekends were when Asae allowed herself to rest. Not that she was a workaholic, it was just when she stopped being busy herself, her mother's smiling face would be the only thing in her mind. That was what she was truly scared of. Because that smile would never belong to her.

If she was asked what was the cruelest thing that mother did to her, Asae would point at that smile without hesitation. Since that day, Asae finally accepted that she was never loved. A loveless child, a loveless soul. What was the meaning of her existence anyway? She doubted she would ever know. A meaningless life wasn't what people would desire, so Asae was thankful to Masamichi for giving her reasons to go on.

"Asae, you have to live, to continue your story. Every individual has their meaning once they are born, and you too, Asae." The man set his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them slightly.

"I don't know, sensei." She sighed tiredly. "Up until now, my life has been full of heartaches, pains, and sleepless nights. When mother used her cursed energy on me the first time, for once I felt alive. My existence was meant for my mother's fulfillment, for her to develop and grow into her powerful self. Thus, when she was gone, I had no meaning anymore."

"Asae…"

She had never seen that look on Masamichi at all. Before her eyes, his face crumpled into a crestfallen look as though he was feeling her pain. It hurt her to see the man being like that, Asae had to admit.

"Then what should I do now, sensei?" She stared at him desperately, in hopes she could find an answer for herself. "I can't die by will, I can't just close my eyes and sleep forever. Is this the way mother let me know how she despised me? Am I a human anymore?" A self-mockery smirk tugged at her lips.

"No, I'm a cursed monster. The way my wounds keep healing at an inhuman speed is enough proof. All of this power for what reasons? I would rather die than live this painful life, but I can't." The last sentence was said bitterly.

Masamichi seemed to have a lot to tell her, but in the end, the man just gave her a reassuring smile.

"Asae, listen to me. You have your second chance to make life yourself that not many people have, you know? I know your last life wasn't the brightest, but this time you have me to guide you along the way, so don't worry, kid."

"You can go outside and explore the world, find your meanings in life, do anything you want. And when you're tired, come back to me and rest as long as you want. I will be here for you, Asae." He put his hand on her shaky shoulder and squeezed lightly.

That was two years ago when she reached her breaking point after completing a mission with the man. That was also when he suggested meditation to her. Needless to say, the exercise worked well with her mental state. Exhaling slowly, Asae felt slightly better. As she was about to continue, a knock was heard outside her dorm.

Oh right, yesterday, Brownie had offered to visit her this morning. Though she preferred being alone, it wouldn't hurt to have some visitors sometimes. If she declined again, Asae would likely put her friendship with Brownie at risk. Without a doubt, that would become a problem when they go on missions together.

"Asae, good morning. How are you today?" Behind the door was Brownie in her plain white T-shirt with a pair of shorts. Asae noticed the girl was carrying a hamper that smelled a lot like cookies.

"I'm good, come in." Asae shrugged nonchalantly and went back inside.

"Thanks for having me." After closing the door and changing her shoes, Shoko followed the smaller girl to the couch.

"Well, I don't have anything besides tea, please make yourself at home and feel free to use everything in here."

"Okay then, I have some cookies here," Shoko opened the hamper to take the cookie container out. "When the teas are done, we'll have our girl's time." Shoko smiled warmly at the brunette before setting the container on the table.

Girl's time? What is it? Although Asae would like to find the answer, she realized that Brownie would let her know anyway, so she shrugged mentally and ambled to the kitchen to prepare two cups of tea for her guest.

"Thanks for the tea, Asae! Now is girl's time!" Brownie, the ever laid-back person, was making a cheerful face, using a cheerful voice and it weirded Asae out. A lot.

Letting it slide, for now, Asae focused more on Brownie's strange behavior. Despite everything, she could see through Brownie's acting. The girl was worried about something. It must be related to Asae and her visit today was definitely part of it.

Oblivious to Asae's internal deduction, Shoko was ruminating about her plan since she didn't want to leave out important things. The brunette was being suspicious and Shoko could feel it. Truthfully, the girl kept things to herself most of the time so even Shoko couldn't do anything more than pick up some pieces, but she didn't want to give up so soon when she hadn't helped her friend yet. Then, the idea of having girl's times with Asae came up. It was a good excuse for more chances to observe the girl, so Shoko decided to go with it.

"Asae, what do you think about Suguru and Satoru?" In Shoko's opinion, initiating a conversation with the brunette was even harder than Masamichi's homework. That said a lot about the girl's closed-off attitude in the class.

"What do you mean?" Asae tilted her head.

"I mean do you think they're handsome, kind, or strong?"

"Oh, Suguru-san is nice and Satoru-san is such a drama queen."

"What?"

"What?"

They blinked at each other. Shoko couldn't believe what she heard and the fact that Asae was gossiping about Satoru in a monotone made it even more hilarious. Seeing her clueless face was difficult for Shoko to hold her laughter back.

"Y-you know," Shoko fought back the urge to burst into a laugh. "I think you're right with Satoru being a drama queen it suits him too much."

"Yeah, the way he acts is always so dramatic. One time I saw him complain to Suguru-san about the quality of some sweets he ate the day before, I mean food is food so I didn't understand how he could tell between the good one and the not-so-good one." Asae put a cookie in her mouth and chewed slowly, in her hand was a cup of tea.

What a priceless moment, Shoko mused inwardly.

"So between those two, who is your type?"

"Why? I don't see what's so important to choose between the two of them." Asae frowned incredulously.

"Aren't they handsome? I mean, you must be feeling some things for them at some point, right?"

"Is this supposed to happen with normal humans?" Asae sipped her tea.

"Yes, I heard that there were many girls who persuaded those two in the past." Shoko offered reluctantly. The way the brunette phrased it was odd.

"Oh." Asae nodded thoughtfully.

"So do you have feelings for them?"

"I don't know, what does having feelings for someone feel like?"

"Well, whenever you see them, your body would heat up, your stomach would be stirred a little bit, your heart would slow down one second and the next moment it would beat faster and louder in your chest. You would feel attracted to that person physically and emotionally. Even their simple actions would take you off guard easily and make you feel giddy." Shoko reiterated everything she had read from those shoujo mangas. She hoped it would make sense to Asae.

"Complicated." Asae remarked. She understood a little why her mother was so heartbroken when father passed away.

If love was something stronger than this, it made sense now why mother was so damaged back then. She stared at the reflection of herself in the tea.

"Right, humans are always complicated and that's why we're human, you know?" Shoko gave out a helpless smile.

"I guess." Asae admitted that she was also a complicated one but still, the majority were like trouble magnets to her.

"So, what do you usually do on this kind of day?" Shoko tried to make it come off casually.

"I would wake up at five and do my morning exercise routine, have breakfast and then meditate." Asae glanced up in contemplation.

"That's it?" Stunned, Shoko was surprised at how simple the girl's life was. She would've been bored to death if she was Asae. Though, she also wondered how the girl could live a life like that.

"I read too and sometimes when Yaga-sensei is free, I would have conversations with him." Sensing Brownie's puzzlement, she helpfully added on as an afterthought.

"Wait, how long have you known Yaga-sensei?" Suddenly, Shoko had a feeling she was going in the right direction.

"Hm? Oh, I've known Yaga-sensei since I was ten." Asae bit on the cookie in her hand. It was a bit too sweet for her liking but she wasn't picky, so no need to make a fuss about it.

"That means four years, why–"

"Huh?"

"Nothing, do you enjoy my cookies, Asae?" Shoko felt like she knew a little more about the girl's mysteriousness.

However, when she was about to ask the girl that question, something stopped her. Maybe that was her instinct but Shoko couldn't afford to accidentally trigger some of Asae's traumas. Better be careful than never. Thus, Shoko decided the problem should be brought up on another day. And right now, she would rather have some peaceful time with her friend.

"Thanks for your thoughtfulness, the cookies are good and I would like to make lunch for you if you don't mind." Asae offered calmly.

Shoko couldn't help but grow fond of the girl's politeness. Sure, at first things were quite awkward because she never knew friends could be so formal to each other, but when she realized under that surface was honesty and kindness, she accepted and became familiar with it.

"Yeah, I would like to. Oh, can I borrow some books? I know you prefer silence so I can read a book while you meditate, sounds good?"

"Okay, you can go to my room, there's a bookshelf in that. I will start the meditation right now so feel free to enjoy yourself then." Asae pointed toward her room then moved to sit crossed legs on the floor.

Shoko looked curiously at the small figure sitting on the floor. The girl was far more relaxed than when she was in class, she observed. Then again, it must be due to her social anxiety. Though it hurt, she could tell after four months, Asae still didn't consider them her friends at all. Hence, she was always restless whenever they were nearby. Sighing, Shoko randomly took some books and went to sit on the couch, and started reading. After a while, she could understand why Asae would make time for reading books, because they had a calming effect, especially on people who always felt restless like Asae.

She once again looked at the girl that she had considered her friend long ago. Strangely, even if Shoko knew she wasn't a friend to Asae yet, she still enjoyed the brunette's silence and calming nature greatly. Even the girl's existence soothed her nerves to no end, and Shoko found it interesting. Peaceful yet so powerful. Asae was like a coin that had two sides. One was for healing and one was for destruction. And strangely, they completed each other. Shoko realized.

The girl couldn't be just peaceful, it would be dearth. And she couldn't be just powerful, it would be overwhelming. Shoko wondered which individuals would be special enough to stay by Asae's side. And obviously, they couldn't be less than the girl herself. Regardless, it was still too early to consider such a thing, she shook her head to chase off those thoughts. Back to the book in her hands, Shoko decided to continue her pleasant reading before her sleep-deprived brain could come up with something weird again.

lililil

The winter break was over. Along with it, her friendship with Shoko had steadily grown and Asae didn't know how to think about that. She couldn't stop Brownie being friendly, couldn't stop Brownies' weekends visits, and she didn't dare to do anything to damage their friendship. Maybe, just one more besides Masamichi would be fine. And if Brownie ever wanted to cut ties with her, she wouldn't let things go easily. Asae hoped the healer knew what she had signed herself into. Sighing, Asae ignored the banters between Earrings and Snowy in the background.

For the first few months, Asae was a little jumpy with loud noises from them but then, she gradually got used to it and learned to tune out everything they said. After all, what could be so important in teenage boys' conversations?

"...Asae, Asae." Brownie tapped lightly on the table in front of her.

"Huh?" Blinking slowly at the girl, Asae tried to comprehend what Brownie was calling her for.

"Suguru and Satoru want to say something to you." Finally, Brownie answered her unsaid question.

Strangely, ever since the day she backed down from Snowy's challenge, the guy had become distant with her. Even though he was still friendly enough, she could see his annoyance directed at herself. Meanwhile, Asae couldn't tell what problems he had with her. Though, certainly, she didn't care about them, either. As for Earrings, he always initiated conversations with her. Talking with him was nice and intellectual. However, ever since two months ago, he and Snowy had become joined at the hip. Wherever Snowy was, Earrings would also be there. Therefore, she didn't talk with him that much anymore.

"Hello, Suguru-san and Satoru-san, may I help you?" Asae lifted her gaze to look at them.

While Earrings gave her a friendly smile, Snowy sneered at her. "How polite, Asae-chan." This was weird, she didn't remember what she had done to offend him.

"Satoru, don't be rude." Earrings chided his friend lightly then nodded at her. "We're sorry to bother you, Asae. Yaga-sensei has a mission for the three of us so this guy and I would like to observe your abilities and skill set." Earrings explained calmly. They all knew what he was implying.

He was asking for a spar, she deduced. Oh, so that was why Snowy was so pissed. Last time, she had backed down from him so this was the second time he challenged her though it was unofficially. Asae mused inwardly then she looked critically at the white-haired guy.

The other three were caught off guard since they had never seen the brunette be serious like this, especially Satoru who was at the given end of those violet eyes. The way she looked at him from head to toe wasn't Satoru's original goal. True, he had been curious about her. Some days, he would come across Suguru talking to her and get irritated because he was selfish, he didn't want to share. Satoru didn't know when it began, but he had deemed her as his. His rival, his intrigue, his desire, and his source of agitation. Eventually, Satoru just accepted it, because he, too, looked at her with an almost similar look. Heh, what a hopeless duo we are. Suguru remarked after listening to his rant. And though as unwilling as he was, Satoru couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

He wasn't a fool, he knew that she was strong. The heaviness and pureness of her cursed energy were not anything that could be scoffed at. Thus, the one who always craved for power inside him was awakened just by her existence alone. What irked him to no end was her easy backdown. It frustrated him. Satoru didn't understand that someone powerful like her would have a reason to not fight him. Then again, a lot of people had simply backed down from him just because of his clan's reputation.

"Okay, I accept," She inclined her head. "But we have to talk with Yaga-sensei about some problems before the fight."

"Whatever, Polly." Snowy shrugged in boredom. "I don't wanna deal with your cowardice anymore so get up quickly and we can have a good fight." The guy shoved his hands into his pockets then made his way out of the classroom.

"Polly?" Asae tilted her head.

"Probably because of your politeness so he calls you by that nickname to annoy you." Brownie kindly explained with an amused smirk.

"That was rude of him, I'm sorry, Asae." Earrings looked at her apologetically.

"Don't be, it's his fault for being rude so you shouldn't apologize for him, Suguru-san. It would get him into more trouble if he doesn't know how to say sorry." She said absentmindedly.

"Excuse me then. See you, Shoko." Asae stood up and headed out of the classroom.

"Well, see you soon, Shoko." Earrings followed after her.

"See you later, Asae, Suguru." Brownie waved at them.

Snowy had become stronger than the last time, Asae could tell as much after looking at him. Maybe, he would be fine if she was in a restricted mode, but she didn't understand why Masamichi would arrange this kind of team for a mission. Firstly, she was able to handle herself alone, thank you very much. Secondly, the other two had never seen her in action so what if they couldn't catch up with her? Thirdly, Masamichi had agreed with her that in their second year, when they became stronger, she would join in with them. On the other hand, at the moment, they would only slow her down.

Asae mulled over her options. One, she would let those two stand out and finish her job quickly, but that was a wistful thought because it would be considered insults in their case. The other one was to let them do whatever they pleased and she would be on standby. Knowing Snowy, she would likely be on standby until things got rough.

"Finally, I thought you'd run away again, Polly." Snowy said in a mocking tone as they arrived in front of the headmaster's office.

"I won't run away, Satoru-san. And why did you call me Polly?" She turned to him. Given that their heights were different, Asae had to crane her neck to look at the guy. It was an uncomfortable position for her, though.

"Why not, hm?" He tilted his head then leaned his face toward her closely. "Are you upset? Would you rather me stop?"

"No, I don't usually interfere with other people's personal preferences unless they're problematic." Asae shrugged nonchalantly at the Gojo's heir.

"Tch," Snowy retreated and folded his arms over his chest irritatedly.

"Now, now, don't be such a child, Satoru." Earrings patted Snowy's shoulders lightly.

Asae didn't mind his attitude. After all, she couldn't feel these intense emotions such as anger or jealousy so whatever Snowy did would never affect her the way he used to affect people. Plus, she was used to insults so 'Polly' wasn't a big deal at all. The reason she asked him to stop calling her such was because she wanted to see if it was a sign of his friendship. Apparently, it was a 'No'. Turning away from Snowy, she knocked on the headmaster's office door and waited. Normally, Asae didn't need to do that but considering Earrings and Snowy were here, she should at least make an example of good manners for them.

"Come in, please." Masamichi sounded behind the door. Receiving his permission, Asae pushed the door to step inside.

"Oh, Asae, you know about the mission, right?" Masamichi looked up from his paperwork.

"Yes, Yaga-sensei. I would like to know the reason why we have to form this team because I could do this mission alone if you want." Without delay, she went straight into the issue.

"What ridiculous thing are you talking about, Polly? You're not only a coward but also an arrogant one, huh?" Snowy scowled darkly at her.

"Satoru, enough." Earrings frowned slightly after hearing her words. His lips were set in a grim line, but he didn't forget to remind Snowy about manners.

"What? I can go solo, too. She's the one bragging here, Suguru." Snowy frowned while pointing at her.

"About that, Asae, this is the upper echelons' order." As the room went back to silence, Masamichi continued. "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, everyone." He looked at his three students.

Asae didn't have any problems with the upper echelons. However, Earrings, Snowy, and even Masamichi thought otherwise considering the tense atmosphere surrounding them. Regardless, she decided to not be bothered by it and informed her guardian about a more pressing problem.

"Another thing, Satoru-san and Suguru-san ask to spar with me."

There was a pause about Masamichi, but he resumed his movement quickly enough to not raise suspicion. He looked at her thoughtfully.

"I see. Then come here, I have something for you." The man started rummaging through his desk drawer.

Once she was by his side, he took out two thin white ropes and then tied them around her wrists like some sort of bracelets. Asae noticed they had many tiny letters on them, each letter was carefully written in black ink. She guessed these were the restraint tools the man mentioned before. Meanwhile, Earrings and Snowy eyed her quietly, they didn't make any more sounds after seeing the bracelets. Maybe they also knew about them since she heard they both came from clans.

On the other hand, unbeknownst to any of them, Asae was thankful that her back was facing Earrings and Snowy. Because that way, they wouldn't be able to see her pale complexion. She could tell her cursed energy was suppressed to a certain degree. In a sense, it felt like she was eight years old again. Nostalgic? Definitely not. Asae blinked rapidly to ground herself. There were times she had to be careful, and having two strangers in the same room as her was considered a risk to Asae. They weren't her allies, yet. Therefore, she couldn't let them witness her weakened state no matter what.

"Satoru, Suguru, you two should head to the training ground first. I and Asae will be there in five minutes." Noticing her situation, Masamichi nodded at the other two guys.

"Yes, sensei." Earrings responded calmly.

"Alright." Snowy squinted his eyes at her one last time then sauntered out of the office with Earrings in tow.

:

"Something's wrong with her." Suguru glanced at the Gojo's heir who was walking beside him.

"I know, those ropes are used to suppress cursed energy and he made her wear it." A pensive look appeared on Satoru's face.

"Maybe she backed down from your challenge wasn't because of cowardice." Suguru shrugged lightly.

"She was," Satoru frowned deeply as he headed in the training ground's direction. "If she wasn't afraid of whatever was in her mind, she would tell me frankly that I was weaker than her at that time and the battle with me would not be worthy enough of her energy, point-blank." Satoru voiced his thoughts in great annoyance. He wasn't stupid. Having Six Eyes meant he could see anything whether he wanted to or not. Of course, he would know how strong the girl was without her saying it to his face. Honestly, who did she think Gojo Satoru was?

"Or, maybe she knew your stubborn tendency and you wouldn't leave her alone until you're strong enough to fight her properly, so she backed down instead and had her peace." Suguru smiled at his friend. They both knew what he said was true, though.

"Still, it's better than being disappointed a whole day." Satoru shrugged nonchalantly.

"Come on, don't sulk, we should go or we'll be late and the fight would be cut short." Suguru urged the white-haired guy.

"Fineeeeeeee."

lililil

When the duo arrived, Shoko was already there. Of course, no way in hell their healer would pass up the chance to watch the battle of the century between the two strongest people of their class. A second later, Masamichi arrived with Asae beside him. Then, the man walked around the ground for a moment before turning to Satoru.

"Alright, I've set up a barrier so you two can fight without catching someone in a crossfire."

His words meant that they would have an all-out fight even though it was just a friendly spar. Satoru had mixed feelings as he looked at the brunette. He didn't notice it before due to his agitation, but now, he could tell her cursed energy had decreased drastically compared to when they first entered the headmaster's office. Certainly, she could overpower him easily and it made Satoru excited. Ever since his birth, he was said to be the strongest and no one could beat him. His entire world had been equally too large and too tiny that it stuffed him up. He just wanted to destroy it all. Badly. Until one day, he found someone who was capable of it and his life had changed from that day. And now, he was going to fight against that very person. Standing across from Asae, he couldn't help but tremble in anticipation.

Don't disappoint me too quickly.

As he mumbled the words to himself, Masamichi signaled for the spar to begin. Instantly, Satoru lunged at the girl with a blow to her head, intending to K.O his opponent. He knew that to take her down, he couldn't hold back.

Impressive speed. Asae avoided the blow and retaliated with a hook to his ribs. They'll break but nothing Brownie can't heal. With a neck cut speed, she appeared behind the white hair guy and sent him a high kick to dislocate his shoulder.

Grimacing from the injuries, Satoru braced himself for the pain from the girl's attack and readied his stance at the same time. As Asae was delivering another high kick, he suddenly caught the girl's leg and followed her momentum to throw the brunette to the ground without wasting his energy too much.

Ah ha, Six Eyes aren't toys to fool around with, Polly. His lips twitched up into a smirk.

The impact of her fall caused dust to be all over the place and shook Asae strongly but she still got up before Satoru had a chance to attack. Ankles have swollen, some bones were broken as well. Instantly, she assessed her injuries out of habit.

Faster, Asae went for Snowy with a kick to his belly, then another kick to his sternum. This time, it was a mock to his chin but the guy was able to avoid it and caught her arm. In a spur of a moment, she was pulled toward him. Immediately, she heaved out dryly as his knee made heavy contact with her belly. Asae had a feeling she would've vomited if her breakfast didn't have been digested already. Then, he tried to throw her over his shoulder just like last time by grabbing her arm. However, in mid-air, she gained her balance quickly then she punched on his other shoulder to dislocate it. Before Snowy could recover from the shock of pain his dislocated shoulder caused him, Asae landed behind the guy and attacked the place behind his knees with a strong and swift blow. Without a doubt, his legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground.

What do you do now, Snowy? You have only your head left and–

"Stop, the two of you." Masamichi's voice broke the intensity of the moment.

Like a spell, Asae's body went completely still. At the same time, her leaking killing intent also disappeared.

"Asae, come here. Slowly." A gentle voice entered her ears and she felt compelled to obey it.

Still drunk in adrenaline, Asae headed toward the source of the voice then her wrists were being held lightly. Dumbfoundedly, she looked down and saw one of the ropes was broken.

Oh, so my cursed energy is too strong and it is the cause of the rope being broken. She blinked as the ropes were removed from her wrists.

Immediately, the fullness of her cursed energy surged her inside. It felt like taking in a breath of fresh air to Asae. Even though she had been restrained before, she could never get used to that uncomfortable feeling. On the other hand, in the back of her mind, she discerned the reason why the spar was stopped abruptly. Otherwise, she would have killed Snowy…

"Asae, we will practice more so don't worry about it, okay?" Masamichi patted her hand reassuringly.

"Okay, sensei." Asae nodded stiffly at him. Still unstable, she grimaced. Maybe, she was used to exorcising cursed spirits and it had been a long time since she battled with humans. Or, she shouldn't let loose around people at all.

"Hey, I've finished healing Satoru. Asae, do you need some help with your injuries…" Shoko eyed the girl then stopped mid-sentence which made Asae look at her.

"What? Oh, they've already healed. Thanks for your concern, Shoko." The girl nodded at the healer, oblivious to her friend's confusion.

I don't recall seeing her use Reverse Technique to heal herself at all. One second she's just a bit better than Satoru, the next moment her injuries all healed. I know she has fast healing according to her state at the moment, but that's still too fast. While Shoko looked at the brunette warily, Satoru was still in his dazed state.

"Hey, are you okay, Satoru? Did she hit your head too?" Hovering beside him, Suguru knocked on his forehead as if to wake him up.

"Hey, Suguru, I think I'm in love."

"Yeah, with yourself." Suguru looked at his friend funnily.

"Yeah, with her, too."

"Ye-What?"

"I'm serious." Blue eyes stared into black.

"Honestly," Suguru sighed, "Are you even sure about that?"

"Uh-huh, shit, she was extremely hot when she's attacking me like that and it hurts as hell." Satoru started cackling like a lunatic.

"Do you know what love is, Satoru?" Suguru raised his eyebrow. "I think you're just mistaking admiration and love."

"Hm, maybe you're right." The Gojo's heir rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Suguru was right, he didn't understand what love was. After all, living a life where everyone literally worshiped over him hardly taught Satoru anything about human sentiment.

"Besides, if you love her, you would've fallen for who she is, not how strong she is." Suguru shrugged lightly. As the white hair guy was lost in thoughts, an artful smile crept on his face. Then, he offered his hand to Satoru. "Come on, we still have another two classes before our day is done."

"Can you not remind me about that?" Grabbing on the raven-haired hand, Satoru was on his feet in no time.

"You're about to play truant? Not a chance." Pointing at Masamichi who was standing not so far from them with his thumb, Suguru shook his head.

"Next time, I swear I'll win." Clenching his fist, Satoru glared daggers at the brunette.

"Good luck with that." Suguru patted his friend's shoulder, knowing full well he was fooling Satoru into dismissing his feelings for Asae.

It was better to root out the seed before it could grow into a tree. Certainly, before he could persuade the brunette, Suguru would do anything to chase off her other pursuers. And Gojo Satoru wasn't an exception.