Tokyo Jujutsu High School was an academy for jujutsu sorcerers funded by the Big Three Families, established under the guidance of Tengen.
In keeping with its principle of fairness, the school recruited not only members of the Big Three but also talented sorcerers from outside those clans.
At this moment, Masamichi Yaga held the new student files with a complicated expression.
Six Eyes twins, innate Reverse Cursed Technique, Cursed Spirit Manipulation…
What in the world was this?
This batch of students was undoubtedly the most extraordinary Yaga had encountered in his entire teaching career, and that realization made him uneasy.
Then, a gust of wind swept past, and two figures appeared before him.
White hair, flawless lashes, and striking blue eyes, clear and splendid like the edge of the sky — their features were unmistakable.
Shion Gojo grinned and called out, "Teacher, you must be Masamichi Yaga, right?"
Yaga Masamichi nodded stiffly, "Yes. I am Masamichi Yaga."
Seeing this, both Shion and Gojo Satoru introduced themselves.
Before they could finish, a sedan pulled up at the shrine entrance.
The car door opened, and a short‑haired brunette girl stepped out, cigarette dangling from her mouth.
She looked relaxed and casual, her features cute despite her apathetic demeanor, the tear‑shaped beauty mark beneath her eye adding to her appeal.
"Satoru! Satoru!"
Ieiri Shoko waved enthusiastically at the two white‑haired boys.
Since meeting at the banquet eight years ago, she had kept in contact with them frequently, and their bond was close.
Gojo Satoru glanced at Shoko with a teasing grin, "Hey, starting to smoke like a delinquent girl at only fourteen?"
Shoko rolled her eyes and pulled a small metal hip flask from her pocket, taking a swig.
Yaga Masamichi's eyelid twitched in disbelief.
Despite her youthful appearance, she secretly indulged in cigarettes and alcohol.
The sight was… unsettling.
Shoko wiped wine from her mouth and noticed Yaga sitting behind the Gojo brothers.
She gave him a casual greeting.
"Hello, teacher. I'm Ieiri Shoko."
"I am Masamichi Yaga. I will be your instructor from now on," Yaga replied, nodding solemnly.
Shoko seemed to appreciate the introduction, until a sudden cry split the air.
Everyone looked up to see a massive avian Cursed Spirit, at least six or seven meters tall, descending from above.
It had webbed feet and a huge pouch in its mouth.
Shion recognized it immediately.
This was a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit known for its aerial speed and mobility, often seen transporting powerful sorcerers and spirits alike — commonly called a Pelican by jujutsu sorcerers.
But Satoru didn't hesitate.
"A mere Cursed Spirit dares to cause trouble on campus?"
Cursed energy wrapped around his fist as he lunged into the sky, firing a punch toward the Pelican.
Only then did he realize there was a person standing atop the Cursed Spirit.
Suguru Geto was slightly bewildered.
He had come to register as a first‑year student, and before he even touched down, someone came barreling at him with a flying punch.
Perhaps this was the school's unique welcome ceremony?
"Are you serious?!" Geto leaped off the Pelican, his own fist wrapped in cursed energy descending toward Shion.
Boom!
He hadn't activated Limitless, but the sheer force sent both crashing to the ground.
Geto glared at Satoru, face dark with shock, "Are you out of your mind?"
Satoru blinked at him, slightly annoyed but more focused on the battle energy than anger.
"Huh? Hey, Bangs Boy, don't think you can get cocky just because you blocked one of my punches! Releasing Cursed Spirits freely on campus is against the rules. Believe it or not, I'll beat you up!" he yelled with reckless enthusiasm.
Geto reached out with a flick of his curse technique and summoned several cursed spirits with a sly smile, "Then try this, White Spirit!"
Shion, energized by combat, laughed wildly and pulled a startled megaphone out of nowhere, shouting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
While Shion continued his antics of encouragement, Satoru and Geto were already locked in a serious exchange of blows.
In their brief clash, both recognized the other as a true powerhouse — someone equal in strength and skill.
The tension thickened, time itself feeling as though it slowed before snapping back to reality.
Satoru and Geto moved at the same instant.
Blue energy spiraled from Satoru's hand like a charged orb, its force and gravitational pull tearing through the air like a weapon.
"Earth Burial Devour!" Geto commanded, causing the ground to crack open as a massive worm‑like cursed spirit erupted, swallowing the projected Blue attack before dragging it underground.
Boom.
A huge gap tore open where the earth collapsed.
"This creature actually absorbed Blue to displace it!"
Satoru looked on with genuine interest, surprised it was the first time an instance of Blue had failed against an enemy.
Suddenly Geto's voice sounded behind him.
"Rainbow Dragon!"
A serpentine, dragon‑shaped cursed spirit roared forward, but its attack stalled a short distance from Satoru.
Satoru instinctively activated Limitless, creating a protective field that halted the cursed spirit.
Geto observed, nodding with respect.
"As expected of one of the legendary inherited techniques," he commented seriously.
Shion, watching the battle, turned into something like an excited commentator, marveling at Geto's skill in physical technique.
Despite not relying on formal taijutsu training, Geto's agility and combat intuition were impressive.
In official jujutsu rankings, he had already demonstrated mastery beyond basic physical standards.
Yaga Masamichi suddenly yelled, "Enough! Stop fighting! Look at what you've done to the campus!"
When the dust settled, the track and field area looked torn apart, like it had been plowed by heavy machinery.
Shion, Geto, and Satoru stopped in their tracks, forcing awkward smiles.
"Shion! Geto!" Yaga called, glaring.
"Present!" the three replied together.
"Run five hundred laps around the track before dinner, and no using cursed energy!" Yaga declared.
Shion and Geto exchanged looks filled with equal parts dread and disbelief.
On the sidelines, Satoru and Shoko snickered.
"You two go too!" Yaga pointed at them next.
"Huh?" Satoru and Shoko looked stunned.
Shoko raised her hand in protest, "Teacher, I'm a non‑combat sorcerer!"
"Two hundred laps then!" Yaga shot back without hesitation.
…
And so, the four of them began running laps around the track under the soft glow of dusk, their long shadows stretching out behind them.
Years later, whenever they remembered that day, the four of them would all sigh with the same sentiment:
"That run under the setting sun was our lost youth."