So fast it left an afterimage in the air.
Although Maki Zenin possessed no cursed energy, her physical prowess was several times that of an ordinary human. This strike was delivered in a burst of fury, carrying the momentum of someone who had burned their bridges.
The surrounding air seemed to tear apart, letting out a sharp, whistling shriek.
"So fast!"
Panda couldn't help but cry out in surprise from the sidelines.
"Tuna mayo!"
Toge Inumaki's eyes widened as well.
Even for them, facing this all-out strike from Maki was not something they could easily deflect.
*Can that freshman dodge it?* Everyone's eyes were fixed intently on Yoru.
Yet, facing this heavy and powerful thrust, Yoru didn't make a single move to dodge.
He just stood there quietly, his eyes as calm as still water. Just as the spear tip was about to touch his brow...
He moved.
Yoru's wrist gave a gentle flick.
The wooden sword in his hand didn't swing with force; instead, like a nimble fish, it slid along the shaft of the spear.
There were no flashy moves, nor even the sensation of a forceful collision.
Yet Maki felt as if her full-strength strike had hit a ball of cotton.
No, it wasn't just cotton.
It was more like a strange suction, guiding her spear away from its original trajectory.
"This is..."
Maki's pupils constricted sharply.
She tried to pull back her strength, but her body's inertia kept her lunging forward.
*An opening! A massive opening!*
In that split second when her old momentum was spent and new strength had yet to form, the wooden sword in Yoru's hand gave a light flick.
*Clack.*
With a crisp sound, the wooden sword accurately struck the inside of Maki's wrist.
A wave of numbness instantly surged through her entire arm. Maki's fingers loosened, and the spear flew from her grasp.
But it wasn't over. Yoru closed in like a ghost.
*Clack.*
*Clack.*
Two more light taps landed on Maki's elbow and shoulder respectively.
These three strikes were so fast they were a blur, yet they were terrifyingly precise.
Each hit landed on a critical point of Maki's kinetic chain, completely dismantling her defense.
*Thud.*
Maki stumbled and fell to one knee.
The spear spun in the air several times before landing with a clang, sticking into the dirt beside her.
A deathly silence fell.
On the training ground, the rustle of wind through the leaves was clearly audible.
Panda's mouth hung open so wide his jaw almost hit the floor. Toge Inumaki forgot to cover the cursed seals at the corners of his mouth as he stared blankly at the scene.
An instant defeat. A total, absolute victory.
No cursed energy was used. No innate technique was activated.
Using only the most basic martial arts—and a harmless wooden sword at that—he had instantly crushed Maki, the one known as a "martial arts expert."
And from start to finish, Yoru hadn't moved his feet even an inch!
"Phew..."
Yoru exhaled softly, gave the wooden sword a casual flourish, and then stood at ease.
He looked at Maki kneeling on the ground. His eyes held no victor's arrogance, only his usual gentle expression.
"Your breathing is ragged."
This soft whisper sounded exceptionally clear in the silent training ground.
Maki snapped her head up and glared at the youth before her.
Her chest heaved violently, her face was drenched in sweat, and her eyes were filled with shock, humiliation, and a trace of disbelief.
*Ragged? My breathing is ragged?*
She had fought her way through that hellish place called the Zenin estate since she was a child. To become strong, she had put in hundreds, thousands of times more effort than ordinary people.
She believed that in terms of martial arts, no one her age could surpass her.
Yet today, in front of this seemingly frail freshman...
She had lost so completely, so miserably.
It felt like a toddler swinging fists at a battle-hardened grandmaster.
It wasn't a contest on the same level at all!
"You..."
Maki bit her lip and tried to stand up, only to find that half her body was numb from those few taps earlier.
That wasn't simple brute force; it was an incredibly sophisticated technique.
Using the minimum amount of force to strike the weakest points, achieving the effect of redirecting a thousand pounds with four ounces.
*Just who is this guy?*
"Your strength is great, and your speed is fast."
Yoru reached out, gripped the spear embedded in the ground, and pulled it out effortlessly.
"But your heart is too restless."
"Combat isn't for venting emotions. You must remain calm at all times—feel your opponent's breathing, the rhythm of their muscles, and the flow of the wind."
With that, he held the spear out to Maki.
"While your Heavenly Restriction granted you a physical body far beyond the ordinary, it also cost you the finesse needed to perceive the world's subtleties."
"Try to slow down."
"Feel every cell in your body. Listen to the voice of all things."
Yoru's voice was soft and gentle.
Like a clear spring, it slowly flowed through Maki's restless heart.
Maki froze.
She looked at the slender, fair hand in front of her, then at Yoru's clear, translucent dark-red eyes.
In those eyes, she couldn't see a single trace of mockery or pity.
Only pure sincerity. *Is he actually... teaching me?*
Maki's face flushed crimson instantly—not out of anger this time, but out of shame.
She had charged in like a madwoman to challenge him, only to be toyed with and defeated effortlessly. And in the end, he didn't hold a grudge but even gave her pointers.
This massive contrast made the usually stubborn Maki want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"Hmph!"
She snatched the spear back, used it to push herself up, and turned her head away, not daring to look at Yoru.
"Stop... stop lecturing me!"
"I was just careless this time. Next time... I definitely won't lose to you!"
Although she said that, her tone had clearly softened, even carrying an imperceptible tremble.
"Sure. I'll be waiting."
Yoru smiled, choosing not to expose her tsundere behavior.
Just then, a set of footsteps approached from the distance.
"Excuse me, is this the first-year training ground for Jujutsu High?"
A slightly reserved voice called out.
Everyone turned to see a black-haired boy with spiky hair walking over with a pink-haired boy.
Megumi Fushiguro and the vessel who had just swallowed Sukuna's finger, Yuji Itadori.
"I'm Megumi Fushiguro. This is Yuji Itadori. We're here for the entrance exam."
Megumi glanced at the somewhat disheveled Maki, then at the composed Yoru. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
*Maki-senpai lost? And from the looks of it, it was a total defeat?*
He knew Maki's strength very well. In a pure contest of martial arts, even he wouldn't be her match without using his Shikigami.
*This ordinary-looking freshman was actually this strong?*
Meanwhile, Yuji Itadori, standing beside him, seemed a bit off.
Ever since approaching this training ground, he felt the mouth on his cheek starting to stir.
It was Ryomen Sukuna's mouth!
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, Yuji's body went rigid, and he let out a pained groan.
A spine-chilling cold erupted from within him without warning, instantly sweeping across the entire training ground.
"What happened? Yuji?"
Megumi's expression shifted, and he instinctively moved to check on him.
"Don't go near him!"
Yoru's voice suddenly rang out, carrying an unprecedented gravity.
Before anyone could react, Yuji snapped his head up. His once-clear eyes were now bloodshot.
The muscles on his cheeks twitched frantically, as if something were trying to tear its way out.
"It's so hot... my body's burning..."
Yuji gripped his chest tightly, his nails even sinking into his flesh.
It felt as though the finger he had swallowed had suddenly come to life and was frantically eroding his will.
Not far away, the wooden sword in Yoru's hand trembled slightly.
It was anger.
This was the bodily instinct of Yoriichi Tsugikuni—an absolute repulsion toward demons or any similar evil existence!
In that instant, he had clearly perceived a sickening aura.
"That pink-haired boy..."
Yoru's gaze cut through the crowd, locking onto the struggling Yuji.
"There's an incredible monster living inside him."
The air seemed to freeze, the relaxed atmosphere vanishing and being replaced by a heavy sense of dread.
Panda and Maki also sensed the danger and immediately took combat stances.
"This aura... is it a curse?"
"And it's a Special Grade!"
Suddenly, a slit ripped open on Yuji's distorted cheek.
"Aaaaah!"
Yuji roared toward the sky as his cursed energy began to spiral out of control.
Black markings began to crawl across his skin.
That was...
...the sign that Ryomen Sukuna was about to awaken!