I'm in hell. I'm officially in hell.

"...But then Naoya-sama said the leaves were too hard and crunchy for the shiso maki, and we went to make new one, but he paused and noted that it made the dish refreshing. Really, Naoya-sama has such a refined palate." Mana continued to gush. "He just looked so elegant as he spoke with such confidence and insight. Isn't he wonderful, Iori-senpai?"

Everyday.

Everyday. Every. Single. Fucking. Day.

No matter the time. No matter the occasion, Mana would start praising 'Naoya-sama~' in my presence.

Is this bullying? Is that the Zenin Clan's tactic? Send someone to annoy me long enough so that I'd marry their stupid son?!

Seriously, all I did was ask 'what did you want to eat on the way to our mission'?

What did I do to deserve this?

Mei Mei shoved some donuts in Mana's mouth.

"Hmmm, hmmm! Hmm?" Mana kept trying to talk, only stopping once she realized something was in her mouth.

"We're close to the location. You need your energy for the mission. Start focusing on the Cursed Spirit." Mei Mei said bluntly.

Oi. Don't think I don't see how amused you are about this whole thing.

Mei Mei handed me a donut.

"That will be-"

"I bought the donuts." I cut her off.

"Ah, I forgot."

"Like hell you did!"

Our mission this time was in the Aokigahara. Yep, the Suicide Forest.

Given the place and it's "history" Jujutsu Sorcerers have to regularly go clean up the place.

It's something of a routine mission for us, thankfully this is my first time going there. Hopefully I won't frequent the place too soon in my life times.

And of course, nothing is being done about stopping people, or placing guards there or something, beyond anything the mundane side does.

Be it Jujutsu Society or normal people, dealing with the main cause of the problem is always the last option. We're just treating the symptoms not the cause!

Seriously Japan, why can't you stop being socially fucked up?

"Ah, Iori-senpai, have I told you about-" Mana began again.

"We're here." I said, seriousness in my voice shutting Mana up.

Crossing the police taps, along with the thankfully empty blockade because the police shushed everyone away hours ago, we enter the forest.

Five minutes walking and we're greeted with a hanged body.

Right. The shit storm begins.

"Mana, I'll ask one last time, what's your Technique?" I said.

This is something that came up in conversations before, but Mana always deflected that her Technique was something she hadn't mastered yet, thus isn't worthy show or using yet.

Bullshit excuse is a bullshit excuse, but I expected her to drop it eventually.

"I, that's..." Mana looked to the side in discomfort, unlike her usual cheerful self. "Don't worry, Iori-senpai!" She faced me again, doing guts pose, while giving me a resolute look. "I am an accomplished enough Sorcerer to not be a burden." It seemed more like she was just hyping herself up. "And if I became one, you can leave me behind."

A disgusted scowl came to my face. What the fuck did they teach her in that shit hole?

"I promise I will not disappoint you." She said fiercely but had a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Then don't die." I grunted.

"Mei Mei, did you gather enough?" I asked as I walked focusing my awareness and sensing of Cursed Energy outwardly.

A murder of crows cawed as they flew past our head. Mana cried out in surprise at the sudden wave of birds flying by.

"They should be sufficient." Mei Mei said.

"Right," I nodded. "Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure." I held a hand sign up and chanted.

A ball of Cursed Energy appeared in the sky, then broke down and began falling down like a dome. In an instant the Curtain formed and covered the region we were in.

"...Woah." Mana said, jumping a bit. What got her spooked? "It... it just appeared. Do Curtains form up this fast?" She muttered to herself. Did she not see the barrier forming? Maybe my casting was a bit fast.

I think this is the first time I heard her natural voice, without it sounding like something she rehearsed or an act she had to put on.

"The way this mission is structured, as it's usually always is from the reports on it. We go around slay all the Curses that will emerge, big or small. We don't move too far away from each other, as the Curses that emerge here tend to have powers to mess with our mentality and sense of self. If you suddenly feel a wave of depression for no reason, channel it into your Cursed Energy and don't think on it." I explained. "And Mana?"

"Yes?" She blinked as I suddenly addressed her.

I pulled up my shotgun with a quick draw and fired behind us at the hanged corpse.

It let out a scream as the Cursed Spirit contorted and revealed it's true form, before crumbled into nothing.

"WAAAH! It, it..."

"Keep your eyes peeled open. All the bodies have already been removed beforehand. The Curses here are good at hiding themselves. Attack first, ask questions later." I explained.

"Y-Y-Yes, Senpai!" Mana drew her combat knife and held it like a lifeline.

The mission, despite the location, history and creepiness, really was routine.

Walk around, find a Curse trying to act like part of the background, or they get too amped up by the barrier that they just appear before us, kill them and move on.

Most of the Curses here were Grade 2, so for me it was a point and shoot situation.

Or a point and stab, or look and Bird Strike with Mei Mei. She really was ruthless with those birds. Not only had the kamikaze attacks improved, making Bird Strike more deadly, a group of them flew to the side, always in close up groups. Mei Mei was ready to bring out Birdman at any moment.

Seriously watching that thing form is fucked up, and Mei Mei telling me she was inspired by me and thanked me was more fucked up. ...Not as shocking as her giving me a discount on the next "service" I asked from her, due to inspiring Birdman.

Mana was jumpy for a while, but kept close and successfully slayed any Cursed Spirit that got close. Although whenever Mei Mei and I weren't looking at her she would suddenly disappear and reappear, and a Cursed Spirit would end up dead. I felt her activate her Cursed Technique during those moments.

I had my suspicion on what it was, but if she's that desperate to hide it, I won't actively ruin her attempts to keep it a secret.

Regardless we kept going while focusing on the mission. I didn't have much of a reason use Cursed Technique Reversal. All the Curses here were too weak to be worth it. Although I reminded myself that pride is a killer, so I set Gathered Hallowed Belt on standby.

I can't use the Cursed Technique Reversal like in my Domain, and the sure-kill purification effect on Cursed Energy needs proximity. Touch or near touch and it's a maximum full on effect. The further away from me the weaker the effect, but in my range Cursed Spirits will still get hit by worsening debuffs the closer they are to me.

I'm basically a Demon Core for Cursed Spirits. I thought with some amusement. Well, a sentient one, since if I actually focus I can remotely target a Cursed Spirit in my range with the full blessing effect.

For now the shotgun would suffice and it was good practice in imbuing an object with Cursed Energy using Solo Forbidden Area to improve the effect.

Cursed Spirit that looks like a ball with a human-ish face? Shotgun.

Cursed Spirit that looks like an insect? Shotgun.

Cursed Spirit that looks like a giant anaconda? Shotgun, shotgun, shotgun.

What? Look, Snakes On A Plane fucked me up, okay.

This replacement shotgun I got was from calling the Principal's grandson, Gakuganji Katana. They also gave me a second time that I wore as part of my miko-combat outfit. A set of shimenawa, sacred ropes. I'm using it like a backpack, so it's just around my shoulders, and styled into a bow behind me.

Of course I'm not walking with fucking shibari bindings, get your mind outta the gutter.

All in all we should be done in an hour or two-

BANG!

His target was on the sight of his scope. She was one kilometer away, and in the middle of a dense forest filled with any many Cursed Spirits are their are leaves, she was completely calm.

Sometimes he wondered if there was something in the water, here in Japan.

Regardless, her strength and the confidence it gives her, will be what allows him to succeed.

His name was Casper Claasen. A professional assassin.

He was a meticulous man who did everything with precision. He was also a Jujutsu Sorcerer, which meant he was much more successful than the average assassin, thus highly recommended and with many jobs lined up. Money flowed steady.

Japan wasn't some place Casper would set foot in, if he can help it. Satoru Gojo lived here after all. Not that such a thing was a restriction. If Satoru wanted to go anywhere in the world no one would stop him.

It also meant that Casper's contracts had to be limited to government ones, which stifled the cash flow he was used to, but he got over it as the years passed.

Then he heard about the Miko Sorceress, Utahime Iori.

Sure she was just some teenage high school kid, learning the ABCs of Jujutsu Sorcery, but Casper was always a man who could notice patterns. It's what helped him stay alive for so long, and what helped him stay in this game as long as he did, even with that white haired bastard, Satoru.

The teenager's power was to amplify her own and other's Cursed Energy. Neat, but nothing interesting. Then she learned Reversed Cursed Technique. At fifteen.

Fuck me, I only know two or three people outside of Japan that can do that. Worldwide. The fuck is in the water!

So one might think that Utahime's Cursed Technique Reversal would be to dampen Cursed Energy output, right? Then somehow the miko girl went and learned how to erase Cursed Spirits, being, energy and all.

No one can understand how she did it but that didn't matter. Because again, Casper was good at noticing patterns.

The miko girl's growth was astronomical. She wasn't Satoru... but she might well on her way to be.

Worse that Satoru, the Gojo brat was, when you get right down to it, a very strong Sorcerer-The strongest, point blank. There are some others that sorta equal him, but none outright stronger.

But at the end of the day he just exorcises Curses.

This girl? Utahime? With the rate of her growth? She could potentially wipe out Cursed Spirits all together.

...Okay, probably not. Yet seeing both of them. Satoru and Utahime, both Sorcerers, both in Japan, made Casper uneasy.

Because if somehow, Cursed Spirits are gone, then Sorcerers like him will be next. His life, his comforts, all gone.

Paranoia? Maybe. But again, Casper was good at noticing patterns and he trusted his gut. It's what got him to where he was in life thus far. So when he saw a contract for the miko girl, a big one at that, he took it. Someone was willing to put up a whole hundred mil dollars on her head.

And Satoru Gojo was busy traveling to deal with Curses born from the recent earthquake in Honshū. Reportedly no one died, just lots of injured. But that only made it worse for the Jujutsu side of thing. The sheer fear of the event, the survivors, the stories. That people had been so luck this time. What about the next?

Then tsunamis were reported in several of the eastern coast islands.

The Gojo brat will definitely be busy.

The circumstances just seemed to line up. So Casper accepted the call of fate and arrived to Japan, steering away from Satoru, and focusing on Utahime.

Casper had made his preparations for the job. Bought some Cursed Tools to induce hypnosis and brought several homeless and forgotten people to the Aokigahara Forest and killed them. That should have the forest start to wake up and produce the usual Curses. The location was infamous for producing Cursed Spirit out of sheer infamy. Sure they are mostly weak and are regularly culled, as news of death in the Suicide Forest usually are hidden, except for major cases. Thank Japan for pushing its problems under the rug.

No, this was just the start. The set up if you will. Thankfully it didn't take much work, beyond one or two bribes to have Utahime's team take on the cleaning duty. It seemed it might have even happened on its own. What luck!

The last step... He hopes it doesn't come to that. But he needed the insurance, in case his first or second attacks didn't work.

The ten people trapped in the barrier behind him, with knives in their hands, tears and snot running down their faces, held in place by tamed Cursed Spirits, were Plan C. The Cursed Spirits were controlled by a talisman he bought from a friend. Cost him an arm and a leg, so some friend that was, but it was worth it. He might not even need to use them, but just in case.

One of them whimpered. Nearly making a sound, but they learned not to beg him for mercy.

Noises however were a distraction he didn't need.

"Quiet!" Casper growled out, not bothering to look to see, the victim he scared held a hand to their mouth to quieten their cries. Casper put on his headphones, and took out his rifle and waited. He was a kilometer away and already prepared his Technique hours ago.

The group of teenage Sorcerer were treating the Aokigahara cleaning like a stroll through, well, a forest. Which was honestly sheer lunacy to him.

He waited as the girls killed Cursed Spirits. Waited as they felt comfortable in their strengths. Waited until they finished a whole area, just about to kill the last Cursed Spirit in there, for when the feelings of surety and victory were at their highest.

And their guard at their lowest.

The mercenary Mei Mei was away from her teammate just enough. The shorter girl was darting around behind her teammate, her Technique had off movements, but she had to stop before using it again.

Casper waited.

Mei Mei was far. The short girl just ended her Technique.

Utahime raised her shotgun to kill the last Cursed Spirit present. Her finger pulled the trigger.

And Casper pulled the trigger.

BANG!

His rifled was filled with Cursed Energy, the focus was on the bullet carrying it. The Technique hopefully won't be needed, but the bullet on it's would be fast and hard. He aimed for the head of course. Reverse Cursed Technique can't work without a brain.

Even if the bullet alone wouldn't have been enough, the Cursed Energy within should give it an extra oomph-

Utahime jerked.

Casper's eyes widened.

At first glance it looked like he hit his target, but he knew what being shot looked like. And the way the miko girl stood, she had managed to dodge at the very last second. More than that, he could feel the location of his bullet, and could see it. It was in the miko girl's outstretched hand behind her.

She dodge then caught it. Casper couldn't believe it. Dodging was one thing, but catching a fucking bullet?

He could hear the girls reacting from the implanted microphones in the trap location.

"Iori-senpai!" The short girl shouted.

"I'm on it." Mei Mei said.

While Utahime just stared at her hand that caught the bullet. The Cursed Energy in it dead.

No, this can still work. That's what his preparations were for, and more importantly, he still had his eyes on the miko girl.

Casper activated his Cursed Technique. Mark Momentum.

In a period of six hours, five hundred and ninty nine items that he touched and marked with his Cursed Energy that weight six kilograms or less would be chosen. Then the last item, his six hundredth, once marked by his Cursed Technique, is thrown at an object or a designation that he decides on in his line of sight, he can have all the other marked items move at the speed of the last marked item toward designated target.

He had Utahime in his line of sight, rocks, dumbbells, other bullets he left lying around, miscellaneous items all were launched at the miko girl at bullet speed.

"Maximum Output: Gathering Hallowed Belt!" The range of Utahime's technique exploded outward. The circle of light indicating her technique grow outwardly, very quickly like a bomb had gone off.

The moment his Marked items passed the boundary the immediately began to lose speed. Then Utahime untied the sacred rope around shoulders and threw it as it landed forming a wide circle, twenty meters wide, maybe around her.

"Mei Mei! Mana! Get in the circle, now!"

...This wasn't working.

Casper couldn't believe his eyes but Utahime was actually managing to handle his trap. He didn't wait to see her teammate get inside the shimenawa circle, and then easily handle his relatively slow items that immediately became regular items without Cursed Energy the moment the crossed the boundary of the ropes.

He still had his back-up of the back-up. Plan C.

"All of you. Do it." He called out to his hostages.

"P-Please!" Someone cried out.

"If you want your families alive in the next hour, DO IT NOW!" Casper shouted, still not taking his eye off the miko girl to keep his Cursed Technique functional.

A moment passed. Still nothing.

He was about to force the tamed Cursed Spirit to force the victims to do it, which wouldn't have garanteed the Disaster Curse's revival.

Then he heard a choked cry of pain followed by a thud. Then the same thing again. And another, and another.

When the final one one fell down, Casper was grinned, taking his eyes off Utahime to confirm the deed was done. The ten victims followed his order, laying lifeless on the ground in a pool of their own blood.

"Mana, something happened in the direction. Cursed Energy just started skyrocketing!" Utahime voice cried out in Casper's headphones.

The assassin's eyes widened as he looked back to see Utahime looking and pointing in his general direction.

...No way.

"How are away, Senpai?" Mana asked hurriedly.

"I dunno, more than three hundred meters. Double that? Just there. Go Mana, I think that's where the Sorcerer that did this is located." Utahime instructed.

The Marked items had all failed, lying scattered on the ground, the girls unharmed. Without his sight directing the items, they would lose their Cursed Energy, and without that even just direction and momentum wouldn't have led to them hitting any of the girls. Thus his third option.

Revive the Curse of the Aokigahara Forest. The Hopelessness Curse.

Casper began to pack his shit and run.

The ground began to shake at where the Kyoto Jujutsu Sorcerers were. Even a kilometer away, Casper could feel the spirit's vileness and malevolence.

"Someone... someone revived, Arati." Mei Mei said, uncharacteristically thrown off from his usual detached persona.

"That fucking sick bastard!" Utahime cursed.

The third girl was quiet, likely already heading to where he was.

Good luck for her to find him in this large forest thought.

As for his target and the mercenary girl, they had to deal with the revived Cursed Spirit.

The ground before Utahime and Mei Mei rumbled and cracked before a being exploded upward from it.

Its snake-like body made of skull and bones. Its arms like a scorpion, and its head a fanged skull with iconic devil horns.

Its name was Arati.

The embodiment of all the anguish and despair of those that took their own lives in Aokigahara Forest. Due to it's unique Cursed Spirit properties, for as long as the forest existed, and knowledge of it existed, Arati can not die. Not really.

It can be vanquished, slain, but even killed a new one would be formed in it's place.

"Mei Mei, are you alright?" Utahime said, grabbing Mei Mei's arm as she flooded both of themselves with Reverse Curse Technique. Then immediately created a Simple Domain.

And upon being revived, Arati immediately unleashed it's Cursed Technique.

The area in-range around it, and for those with in it, the whole world seem unbearable. The only respite is Arati's face.

Yet upon meeting its eyes, if one looked for longer than a second, they will find themselves dead. Believing themselves dead, their brain follows, causing brain death.

Arati's gazed was fixed on Utahime and Mei Mei.

Casper was driving far away from the forest site, planning to stay in town to check the confirmation of his kill. If the fucking Hopelessness Curse didn't work, surely at that point the miko girl would be tired, and he could just finish her off.

Just as Casper picked up his cellphone to make calls and adjust his plan, he noticed someone in the rear view mirror. Some far away runner in the middle of the road.

...Are they getting closer-

BOOM!

The car was struck. Flipped over and rolling in the air without control before Casper heard the sonic boom.

Casper had reinforced his body with Cursed Energy, yet he felt multiple broken bones throughout his body, and numerous fractures. He didn't have time to wonder what hit him or how before he heard a voice.

"The life of Lady Iori isn't for the likes of you to decide."

An arm burst through the car door and through his chest.

"Mei Mei, close your eyes." Utahime called out.

"I... I can't... for too long." Mei Mei said, even though her eyes were closed.

"Mei Mei, one million dollars for you to use your birds as your eyes!" Utahime cried out.

Immediately Mei Mei's panic and hesitation were gone.

"Done!" Mei Mei said, her eyes closed but her posture back to being firm and assured of herself.

"Haha!" Utahime laughed and she ran picked up her Shimenawa Cursed Tool. Its ability was to perfectly channel Cursed Energy without waste. However too much energy poured through it may cause the ropes to fray and snap or burn. But if a certain output is send through, it will never break or waste energy.

Utahime sent her Positive Energy through it, and applied her Cursed Technique Reversal.

Then used it like a whip.

"Back!" SMACK! "Back!" SMACK! "Back bitch!" SMACK!

Arati roared in agony that surprised it.

"Loneliness?" SMACK! "Anguish?" SMACK! " Despair!" SMACK! "Those are nothing but further fuel for Sorcerers!" SMACK! "'Special Grade' my miko ass!"

Arati cried out as its body was being ripped apart in places. It's Cursed Energy enough to instantly repair the damage, yet the pain never seemed to leave it.

"Mei Mei, get Birdman! I'll do something about it's Cursed Technique." Utahime called out.

"I thought you utterly hated me creating him?" Mei Mei said, almost playfully.

"Three million dollars! Summon Birdman!" Utahime shouted.

"My Cursed Technique, Black Bird Manipulation, is to control birds specifically crows." Mei Mei explained, her Cursed Energy spiking as she invoked the Binding Vow. "But through refining my control and sacrificing the lives of my crows for me." The murder of crows that was following the Kyoto Sorcerers, began to slam into one another, crashing, cracking and squishing into one mass. "I discovered that I can use Cursed Energy to further refine and reshape their bodies, and if one isn't enough for my ideal servant, I can use more." More crows threw away their lives, crashing into the floating body of flesh. "More!" It was a ball of bones, meat and feathers. "And more till he is born!"

The balls of crow flesh split open, blood, mucus and viscera falling out as a figure, a being fell from the flesh egg landing on the floor.

It was a humanoid being. It walked on its hind legs. Its hand holding two short scythes made of bones, and it's face was a avian skull.

"CCCRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE!" Birdman screeched it's arrival to the world.

"Save me, Birdman." Mei Mei said lovingly.

The crow man being disappeared.

Arati found itself slammed away. Further cracks and gashes appearing in its body.

Then Utahime landed on Arati's back.

"Huh, using the Cursed Energy of the land around it." She muttered to herself. "Anyways!" She began to summoned a barrier cover herself in it. Then slammed her fist through Arati's spine. The Hopelessness Curse screamed. "Domain Amplification."

And immediately all the darkness of the world was gone.

Mei Mei viciously smirked, raising her arm in the air.

"Hundred Bird Strikes."

Without a Cursed Technique, and without the fear and ambient malice that fueled it, Arati was left defenseless to be pierced through over and over again, without any way to heal.

The Utahime swung her rope, still filled with her Positive Energy, thus her Curse Reversal around Arati's neck and decapitated it. Then Birdman smashed the skull into bits.

Thus the Hopelessness Cursed died without any hope of retaliation or feasting on others. From there, the crows and Birdman made short work of the left over Curses in the forest.

High above in the sky Gojo Satoru floated-No, stood on the very air, as he pulled himself up there with his own power, just to watch these events unfold.

"So that's 'Miss Fiancée' everyone's buzzing about." He chuckled with a smirk, his eyes on Utahime. "Well, at least there's a reason why people believed it."

Satoru saw as the Zenin Bastard return to the group as the three girls finished up their mission

"Haha, god dammit, I really need to work on my teleportation. I came too late and missed a lot of the fun stuff." He chuckled, but then he saw the group of people who died due to that assassin's actions, and clicked his tongue in distaste.

He looked back at the Kyoto girls, to see them make short work of the remaining Curses, with Utahime commanding them, while healing when needed, or shouting at the Zenin girl to move and use her Inherited Technique because she was uselessly putting herself in danger.

Satoru smiled again to himself. He saw Utahime put back on her shimenawa around her shoulders.

"Pfft-She has a bow! Ooooh, the Goodwill Event this year is gonna be fun. You're gonna be very entertaining. U~ta~hi~me~." Satoru said to himself, then chuckled out loud when he saw his 'fiancée' shiver and start looking around in worry. "I should find the ones that put that bounty up and have a word with them though. The heck they think they're doing in my backyard." He frowned as he looked at where the dead assassin was.

Gojo phone rang.

"Yo, Geto!" Satoru answered with a grin. "Oh me? I was checking my 'betrothed~'. Did you know she comes gift-wrapped?"

"IT WAS OBVIOUSLY THREE, NOT FOUR! SOLO FOBIDDEN AREA!" Lady Iori shouted as she thurst her palm into the air in front of her, her eyes not really looking at anything. Mainly her outstretched hand and the around without focusing on them.

Her Technique activated but no one was affected by it, thus nothing happened. At least that was Mana's assessment.

Lady Mei Mei was standing back, sitting on one of the benches relatively near Mana looking and smiling at her checkbook. Currently the three Jujutsu Sorcerers were in one of the training yards of Kyoto Jujutsu High.

"Um..." Mana tried to say something. She felt speaking to her target, the future Lady Zenin-to-Be about the Zenin Heir was probably a bad idea right now, far more so now than when she's usually annoyed by the topic. "Lady Mei Mei, should... should we do something? She's been going at it like that for twenty minutes now."

"Hmm..." Lady Mei Mei looked up from her checkbook and she put it away, gave Mana's words some thought. "Utahime, is there something bothering you?"

"Huh?" Utahime blinked as if remembering that her two teammates were there. "No, I'm fine." She said then went back to her training. Although Mana wasn't sure if this was training or stress relief. "IT'S SUPPOSE TO GO FROM ONE TO THREE! NOT FOUR! SOLO FOBIDDEN AREA!" Once more Lady Iori activated her Technique at nothing.

This continued on for another while.

"L-Lady Mei Mei, maybe..." Mana tried to say, but a sharp look from Lady Mei Mei that sent shivers down Mana's spine shut her up.

After a moment Mei Mei spoke up. "Utahime, are you sure? Your shouts seem... personally motivated."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just using self motivation to hype myself up to generate more Cursed Energy." Utahime said as she took her stance again.

"Ah, okay. Continue." Lady Mei Mei picked up her phone and started making investment calls. "See, she's alright." Lady Mei Mei said to Mana with a smile.

Clearly she's not alright! Mana wanted to shout but held her tongue.

"WHO THE HELL WOULD ADD THE ONE AND THREE TOGETHER!? A GREEDY BASTARD! THAT'S WHO! SOLO FOBIDDEN AREA!" Utahime shouted as she continued her 'practice'.

Mana looked back at Lady Mei Mei to see her reaction. She found her smiling and humming as she stared at her phone.

Mana still wasn't sure what kind of relationship existed between Lady Zenin-to-Be and the Lady Renegade Gojo. They couldn't be friends. Lady Mei Mei is clearly exploiting Lady Iori's capabilities to make money. And Lady Iori knows that as she uses Lady Mei Mei's connections to generate that income originally, and then takes a cut from it. It was clearly a business relationship and nothing else.

Yet the way they acted toward one another showed some form of closeness.

Whether that meant Lady Iori had the Gojo Clan as allies or not, after the fallout with Gojo Sorcerer, their former teammate before Mana.

Looking at all the effort Lady Iori expended, only to result in nothing seemed like the perfect image of who Lady Iori was to Mana. Regardless of talent, regardless of perseverance or hard work, once someone of higher status had you in their sight, you destiny was set in stone.

Mana saw all of Lady Iori efforts as doing nothing but making her more enticing for the Zenin Clan, for when they inevitably come to collect her.

It's why she was sent to Kyoto Jujutsu High and placed on this team, to observe Lady Iori and report on her development to the Zenin Head and Heir. As far as Mana was able to discover, Lady Iori didn't have any romantic relationships, thus she wouldn't be severing any bonds when she inevitably succumbs to the Clan's pressure.

At least there won't be any love lost that way. Mana even asked about the rumors of her being in the process of being betrothed to pride and Head of the Gojo Clan and Lady Iori laughed her off, saying they were just rumors.

Well, Mana mentally shrugged. If she needs 'self-motivation' might as well add to it.

"Iori-senpai! Did you hear about Naoya-sama's latest mission where he-" Mana began with a wide cheerful grin.

"RAAAAAAAA! SOLO FOBIDDEN AREA!" Lady Iori continued shouting.

Mana blinked at she felt the Cursed Energy in the surroundings in a ten meter radius around Lady Iori increase. Not much, just enough to be noted.

Is that what she was doing?

"Hohoho, it's good to see the youth focused and motivated on improving themselves." An elderly voice said as they entered the yard.

"Principal." Lady Mei Mei acknowledged with a small head bow.

"Principal Gakuganji." Lady Iori stopped her training to greet the school principal. Noticeably as soon as she stopped focusing on her technique the ambient Cursed Energy started to slowly disperse.

Although it felt like it dispersed due to not being focused in the area around Utahime anymore.

"Lord Gakuganji Yoshinobu-sama." Mana of course stood up and bow to the waist at the elder.

"Oh relax, relax." He waved them off as he chuckled, before focusing on Lady Iori. "You seem as diligent as ever, Utahime-kun. I see you're reviewing your fundamentals. Preparing for the Goodwill Event?"

"Isn't that..." Lady Iori took a moment to think. "Still six month-Half a year away?"

"True," Lord Gakuganji nodded while stroking his breaded chin, looking in a good mood. "But you need to prepare if you want to beat that arrogant little shit head." All the younger Sorcerers present blinked at that. "I meant mean defeat the 'rising star' of Tokyo High." He tried to cover his true feelings with a cough.

"Honestly... I haven't thought about him yet." Lady Iori chuckled. "I feel I need a few more things before I'm on the level where I can face Gojo Satoru."

The other Sorcerers present blinked at that. Was that suppose to mean she could envision herself possibly beating Gojo Satoru?

That was the sentiment in the minds of the other present. Lady Mei Mei looked intrigued and calculating. Lord Gakuganji grew quiet, yet giving Lady Iori a piercing look. Mana just blinked at Lady Iori's words. That was usually how Lady Iori was. She would casually say something absurd in passing before somehow preforming it later on.

But surely one can't keep grasping at the heavens and be rewarded each time, would they?

"Hohoho, truly? Is that what you were working on?" Lord Gakuganji asked. "I originally came here because I felt Cursed Energy start congregating unusually fast here. I thought a Cursed Spirit's birth was about to start. Which usually would be an impossibility within the school's barrier."

"Ah, that..." Lady Iori moved some hair from her eyes. "I was working on a Maximum Technique."

Another way of shock passed through those present, before forcing to push it aside.

"Not Maximum Output, a Maximum Technique?" Lord Gakuganji looked amused. "Haven't you heard of 'learn to walk before running'? Shouldn't you be working on your Domain Expansion, Utahime-kun?"

"I'm in my learning phase, so I should give everything a try. I feel I might have something here." Lady Iori said nonchalantly, and Mana felt like pulled at her own hair.

The Lord Gakuganji is giving you advise point blank, and you're disregarding it? Are you an idiot!? How deep is your arrogance! Mana shouted in her mind.

Lord Gakuganji started chuckling out loud. "I suppose geniuses are meant to grow unpredictably, that's what makes who they are."

"Really, I'm not a genius, I just work a lot with what I have." Lady Iori said, looking aside and as usual uncomfortable with her label as a 'genius'. Lady Iori's eyes then widened. "Actually Principal Gakuganji, could I ask for your aid if you have some free time?"

Lord Gakuganji smiled, as if he was waiting for that. "Well of course, I would love to help the pride of our Kyoto High. I suppose I can lend my experience in developing your Juju-"

"Awesome! When can we spar?" Lady Iori said, grinning like a maniac.

"-Tsu. What?" Lord Gakuganji blinked at that.

"What?" Lady Iori blinked in confusion.

Mana's jaw dropped.

Is Lady Iori insane? That's the Lord Gakuganji, a veteran elder who had seen generations of Sorcerers. That's not someone you can hope to match!

"...Young lady, I might be old but I'm still an experienced Jujutsu Sorcerer. A match with me isn't something you can hope to win." He commented, while looking slightly annoyed, yet slightly intrigued.

Aaaah, she blew it. Any chance she had of gaining favor are now gone. Mana thought.

"Yeah, exactly." Iori said, making Mana and Lord Gakuganji blink at her words. Lady Mei Mei chuckled in the background while relaxing, like this was something expected. "Principal Gakuganji, you're an opponent I can't hope to win against, that's why a spar with you is something I can learn a lot from. So if you would and have some free time, please give me you guidance from now on." Iori bowed at the waist to the Principal.

Lord Gakuganji stayed quiet for a while, stroking his bread before laughing in good nature.

Iori looked up curiosity.

"Alright, alright, stop with the formality." Lord Gakuganji waved Iori off. Iori stood back up with a happy grin. "Very well then youngling, let me show you how high the ceiling is."

It was Iori's loss.

Of course she lost, there was no question of that.

"While your idea of disrupting my flow of Cursed Energy by debuffing it in different parts of my body, but not the whole thing was good. It doesn't help against an opponent that can move faster than you can target, nor one physical strong enough to keep moving and hitting you with other reinforced body parts." Lord Gakuganji explained to the downed Iori looking up at the sky, covered in sweat and bruises.

"Go... got it." Iori said after catching her breath. "Didn't think you can just take your Cursed Technique once it's been debuffed, throw it all at me, to just remake it from scratch and launch it again at a hundred percent."

"It's easy when your opponent can fight at mid to long range, since your weakening aura decreases its effectiveness the further away someone is from you." Lord Gakuganji nodded.

"Getting in close was a mistake. I didn't realize those old bones packed that much of a punch." Iori groaned.

"Hohohoho!" The elder laughed goodheartedly.

"Pri... Principal Gakuganji, sir." Iori pushed herself to sit on her knees in seiza as she faced the elder. "Can I asked something a bit personal?"

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow, but gestured for her to go on. "I'm in a good mood, so I'll entertain your question, child."

"What would you consider a loss?" She asked, making Lord Gakuganji look surprised and interested. "Like you personally, what type of Jujutsu battle that if you lost in, in a straight forward manner, without any cheats or disadvantages. A type of battle that if you lose you'd think 'yes I definitely lost that one'."

"...Why are you asking, Utahime-kun?" He blinked.

Does... does she not hear what that sounds like? Mana wondered in bewilderment. She's literally asking how to humiliate him and break his spirit as a Jujutsu Sorcerer!

"Because it's impossible for me to win against you, Principal Gakuganji!" Iori grinned with excitement. "Which means that if I make a Binding Vow where I start the 'battle' at near zero percent Cursed Energy control, and improve at the rate I'm close to defeating you, with actually victory, being when you acknowledge the loss, I will be able to gain 100% complete control of my Cursed Energy without any loss. You being that tough of an opponent is what would make this Binding Vow possible, I can feel it."

Lord Gakuganji raised an eyebrow while staying quiet after Iori's insane explanation.

"And how do you know you succeeded? What if you won and I say you didn't?" He asked with some amusement.

"It's intent based." Iori answered back. "The Binding Vow wouldn't be about what we say, just what's in our hearts."

"..." Lord Gakuganji held his chin as he looked up at the sky.

Is... is he seriously considering it? Mana couldn't help but look at Iori in bewilderment. Then that feeling changed with a clawing emotion at her heart. Envy. At seeing how easy it was for those heaven smiled upon to be granted to many boons and chances.

"A Cursed Music Battle." Lord Gakuganji finally said. "Genre would be 'rock' and its variations."

"Can we add 'metal' and it's variations to the list?" Iori asked.

"No death metal or black metal." He said with a frown.

"Done, aaaaand can I pick the songs?" Iori hesitantly asked.

"As long as I agree to them, I don't see why not." Lord Gakuganji grinned. "After all, how else am I suppose to crush your spirit if I don't give you that much of an handicap."

"A... hahahaha-Oh shit, you're actually serious." Iori finally lost her cheerful attitude, at realizing what she got herself into.

"Of course, how else can I be your 'impossible' opponent?" Lord Gakuganji grinned.

"...Looking forward to it." Iori grinned back.

"There's gonna be so much money to be made from betting on this." Mana decided to discreetly ignore what Lady Mei Mei said besides her.

"Drums." Lord Gakuganji said. "Start learning that. I need a drummer for when I head out for any competition later in the year." He began to walk away. "When you feel you're good enough to play the beats consistently, come find me and I'll answer your challenge, Utahime-kun."

"Yes, sir!" Iori forced herself to stand up, and shouted enthusiastically.

Lord Gakuganji walked for a while then suddenly paused.

"Say, Utahime-kun?" He looked back.

"Yes, Principal?"

"There are Binding Vow breaking tools. They are expensive to made and are a one-time use, but! ...What if to save face, before your Binding Vow can take effect, after I acknowledge the loss, I use one of those tools to break the Binding Vow between us?" He asked with a malicious grin.

Now it was Iori's turn to think for a while. Her answer to Lord Gakuganji threw Mana off.

"Smooth Jazz." She finally said.

"Huh?" Mana couldn't help but say in a low tone.

Lord Gakuganji raised an alarmed eyebrow.

"When I become a Special Grade Sorcerer, and you old guys inevitably start sucking up to me, my first and most important request is to have smooth jazz playing on the school speakers 24/7. I know how you feel about it. Good luck getting any work done when you're fighting the urge to sleep all the time." Iori said with a 'playful' smile, holding back a vicious streak.

"..." Lord Gakuganji had an intense look, before he snorted and laughed. "Pfft, very well then, Utahime-kun. Very well then."

The Kyoto Jujutsu High Principal kept chuckling as he left.