Eight years later, the Gojo Family's taijutsu instructor beamed proudly at the boy standing before him, formally awarding him the title of Mokuroku disciple.
Then he looked at the other boy — and that smile disappeared instantly.
Gojo Satoru froze and pointed emphatically at his nose.
"Hey, Jiroubou-sensei, what kind of expression is that? I made Mokuroku at least!"
That only made Jiroubou-sensei angrier. If not for considering Satoru's status as one of the Six Eyes, he might have already knocked him clear across the room.
At that moment, the Great Elder spoke up to both young men.
"Both young masters are now old enough to enter Jujutsu High. It is time for your ranking assessment."
He paused for emphasis.
"To reflect your strength, the family has decided you will undertake the Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer examination. Your assessment will require exorcising ten Grade 1 Cursed Spirits."
At this announcement, both Shion and Satoru's eyes lit up.
Although they had faced many Cursed Spirits before, encounters with Grade 1 spirits were rare — and now they were to exorcise ten of them.
It was clear the Gojo Family treasured them, but they were not sheltering them like fragile flowers.
For context, in the jujutsu world, both sorcerers and Cursed Spirits are ranked by grades. A Grade n Sorcerer is generally stronger than a Grade n Cursed Spirit of the same number; Special Grade exists above both and is unique.
This meant facing ten Grade 1 Cursed Spirits at once was no small challenge. Yet for power users like Shion and Satoru, it was an early test of real strength.
"The family has prepared information on twenty Grade 1 Cursed Spirits for you," the Great Elder said, handing each boy a dossier detailing their abilities and locations.
Shion turned to Satoru with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, how about a bet?"
"What?"
"Let's see who exorcises ten Grade 1 Cursed Spirits first and returns here!"
Satoru's eyes sparkled with competitive fire.
"Sure!"
Time had passed since their early training, and Satoru had learned to use Blue for long-distance teleportation, making his speed rival Shion's.
Shion tilted his head and asked, "So… what's the stake?"
.....
Satoru shrugged, then began to laugh wildly.
"Bring it on! Die, all of you!" he shouted, and with that, he activated Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, blasting forward with enough force to shred every cursed spirit in his way.
"Where are the Grade 1 Cursed Spirits? Where are the Grade 1 Cursed Spirits?" Satoru's voice echoed through the gloomy sewer.
In a dark corner, a frightened Grade 1 Cursed Spirit trembled.
What was wrong with this guy? He had stormed in like a tornado, exploding through the place like it owed him money.
Suddenly, Satoru's head popped around the corner with a wicked grin.
"Found you!"
"Ahhhhh…" the Cursed Spirit screamed, scurrying away like its life depended on it.
"It does!" Satoru said with a laugh, teleporting after it using Blue.
The spirit fled desperately, but when it glanced back, it saw a white-haired blur charging toward it. There was no escape.
Finally, with one more teleport strike, he finished the tenth spirit.
"Ten Grade 1 Cursed Spirits down," Satoru announced proudly. "I must be faster than my brother this time!"
He pushed Blue to its maximum, disappearing in speed. In moments, he was back at the Gojo Family dojo.
Satoru let out an excited yell.
"Woohoo! My brother isn't back yet! I win this time! Ahahaha!"
His grin widened as he thought of the stake.
"Hehehehehe…"
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out.
"Don't make that villainous laugh, Satoru."
Satoru turned and saw Shion calmly holding a cup of tea, eyes twinkling with amusement.
The Great Elder cleared his throat.
"Young Master Satoru, you lost. Young Master Shion returned half an hour ago."
Satoru's victory smile froze mid-grin. A crushing sense of despair hit him instantly.
Akihabara.
A huge cosplay convention was in full swing at an anime exhibition hall, and somewhere inside it, a crowd was buzzing with excitement.
"Ooooh! What a cute cat girl!"
"That face! That figure! That makeup!"
"Miss, are you interested in becoming an idol at our company?"
Poor Satoru looked around, forced to smile with obvious discomfort.
"H-hello, everyone!"
The crowd let out a cheer.
"M-m-m… A guy! That's not necessarily bad!"
"Hiss~ Isn't this my delicate, elegant wife?"
"You've gone full femboy, you can't even hang with your bros anymore!"
The crowd's reactions only grew more intense when they learned he was a male.
He stepped back in horror, regretting ever agreeing to the bet.
Because the price of losing was exactly this — dressed up in cat girl cosplay.
Thanks to his tall stature, fair complexion, and naturally white hair, his outfit looked like it had stepped out of an anime. Both men and women were drawn to him.
A shy cosplayer dressed like Android 18 approached him, smile bright.
"Hello, can I take a photo with you?"
Seeing she was attractive, Satoru's expression turned sweet, almost flirtatious.
"Of course!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"Alright, everyone, line up one at a time!"
Satoru, clad in his cat girl outfit, began posing coyly, playing up the cuteness and provocation with ease, much to the delight of the crowd.
Nearby, Shion watched from beneath a Decade suit, a sly grin spreading under his mask.
Satoru had no idea that his cheap older brother had secretly followed him into the convention.
Shion pulled out a magenta camera with a slow, excited smile.
"This is perfect," he murmured, barely containing his laughter.
"My little brother. This blackmail material will last me a lifetime."