"This sword will cost you three hundred thousand yen in damages."
Mei Mei's voice echoed through the hall of the abandoned mansion, laced with a subtle hint of playfulness.
Yoru looked at the standard-issue katana in his hand—or what was left of it. Only the hilt remained; the blade had been reduced to literal dust. His lip twitched.
Three hundred thousand yen?
To an off-the-books instructor who hadn't even received his first paycheck, that sounded like a bolt from the blue.
Although his system-generated identity files were flawless, the system hadn't provided any startup capital.
'Principal Yaga is seriously going to chew you out!'
Satoru Gojo gloated from the side, completely forgetting how Yoru had just stolen his kill.
"And destroying public property is a pretty serious offense, Instructor Yoru," Suguru Geto added, fanning the flames with a fox-like smile.
Just as Yoru was considering whether to use these two problem children as punching bags to vent his frustration...
A slightly stuttering, shy voice spoke up nearby.
"Um... excuse me..."
Blushing, Utahime Iori adjusted her slightly disheveled miko outfit and took a deep breath before bowing deeply to Yoru.
"Mr. Yoru, thank you so much for saving my life!"
If it hadn't been for Yoru's strike, she probably would have been skewered like a kebab by that disgusting Grade 1 cursed spirit.
Compared to the two jerks next to her who only knew how to watch the show and mock others, Yoru was practically an angel!
"It was nothing. You don't need to be so formal, Utahime-senpai," Yoru said, putting away the broken hilt with a gentle tone.
That 'senpai' instantly boosted Utahime's opinion of him to the max.
"To show my gratitude... if you don't mind, let me treat you to something to eat once we're back at Jujutsu High!"
Utahime's eyes darted around, not daring to look directly into Yoru's deep red eyes.
"Oh? A treat? I want in too!"
Satoru Gojo poked his head in, looking for trouble like a cat smelling fish.
"Get lost! There's nothing for you!"
Utahime's expression flipped instantly. Like a protective tigress guarding her food, she roared at Gojo.
Yoru shook his head helplessly at the chaotic scene.
The day after the mansion incident.
Jujutsu High, the break area at the edge of the training grounds.
A detailed mission report had already been placed on the desks of the General Headquarters and the Big Three Families.
The report didn't just mention Gojo's devastating Blue; it highlighted a completely unfamiliar name.
Yoru.
Zero cursed energy. Suspected Heavenly Restriction.
Using only a standard-issue katana, he had one-shotted a Grade 1 cursed spirit that was bordering on Special Grade!
This information was like a depth charge, sending massive shockwaves through the conservative Big Three Families.
Especially the Zenin family, who valued bloodline and cursed energy above all else.
At that moment, Yoru was sitting on a bench, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
Beside him sat an exquisite food box.
This was the handmade treat Utahime Iori had specially prepared to thank him.
"Mr. Yoru, please try some. I stayed up late last night making these red bean daifuku."
Utahime sat beside him, her eyes full of expectation, a far cry from the temper she showed Gojo.
Yoru had just picked up a piece of daifuku and hadn't even taken a bite yet.
"Yo! If it isn't the monkey with zero cursed energy?"
A piercing voice, full of arrogance and disdain, shattered the warm atmosphere.
Several men wearing traditional kimonos with the Zenin family crest embroidered on their chests marched over grandly.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with a thin mustache and sinister eyes. He was an envoy sent by the Zenin family specifically to test Yoru's background.
Utahime's face darkened instantly. She stood up abruptly, shielding Yoru.
"Who are you people? This is Tokyo Jujutsu High, not a place where the Zenin family can just barge in!"
The middle-aged man gave Utahime a contemptuous glance, completely disregarding the weak Grade 2 sorcerer.
"Stand down, Utahime Iori. This is no place for you to speak."
He turned to Yoru, his gaze filled with blatant greed and scrutiny.
"You're Yoru, right?"
"I heard you don't have a lick of cursed energy, yet you possess physical strength comparable to a Grade 1 sorcerer?"
"While such a rare Heavenly Restriction is seen as trash in our Zenin family, you might still make a decent tool."
The man looked down at Yoru as if granting a divine favor.
"The Head of the family has issued an order. We suspect you might be a stray bastard of the Zenin bloodline."
"Now, follow me back to the Zenin estate for a bloodline test. If your identity is confirmed, the family might make an exception and grant you the lowest seat in the 'Hei'."
"Well? Kneel and show your gratitude."
The moment those words left his mouth, the air turned ice-cold.
Bastard? Tool? Trash?
Utahime was trembling with rage, her knuckles turning white from clenching her fists.
She was about to snap when she felt a warm hand gently press down on her shoulder.
Yoru stood up and methodically placed the red bean daifuku back into the box.
His red eyes, usually gentle, had become deep and freezing, as if they could see through a person's soul.
"The Zenin family?"
Yoru's voice was calm, even carrying a hint of a smile, but it sent shivers down the spine.
"What a bunch of... disgusting, arrogant rotten oranges."
The man erupted in fury.
"Presumptuous! How dare you insult the Zenin family—"
He didn't get to finish.
*Thud!*
There was a dull, heavy impact.
The man was sent flying like a cannonball!
He sprayed a mouthful of blood and several shattered teeth into the air, slamming hard into a tree over ten meters away, cracking the trunk deep!
The sickening sound of breaking bones was clearly audible.
The remaining Zenin attendants were stunned; they hadn't even seen who had moved!
Yoru remained where he stood, not a single fold of his clothes disturbed.
But in front of him...
Satoru Gojo had appeared out of nowhere. He held a side-kick pose, a wildly arrogant and violent grin on his face.
He slowly withdrew his leg and adjusted the round sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.
A dangerous light flickered within his azure Six Eyes.
"Scram!"
Gojo's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable aura of dominance and pressure.
"He's my personal instructor, and he's under my protection!"
"Who the hell does the Zenin family think they are, coming to Jujutsu High to snatch people? And you called him a bastard?"
"Say one more word of nonsense, and I'll blast you trash into dust right now!"
Arrogant!
Purely, utterly arrogant!
This was the true meaning of 'Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one'.
The Zenin attendants were so terrified by Gojo's presence that their legs turned to jelly. They scrambled to pick up their unconscious leader and fled the field like beaten dogs.
They didn't even dare to leave a parting threat, knowing full well that Satoru Gojo wouldn't hesitate to kill them.
Watching the Zenin group flee in panic...
Utahime stared blankly at Gojo's tall back. For the first time, she thought...
Maybe... just maybe... this white-haired jerk who bullied her every day was actually a little bit cool?
However, that fleeting moment of gratitude shattered the very next second.
Gojo turned around and unceremoniously reached into the box, grabbing the largest red bean daifuku and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Mmm! Delicious! Your cooking isn't bad, Utahime!"
"This box of treats is mine now!"
Gojo snatched the box and ran off with practiced ease, showing zero hesitation.
Utahime's gratitude was instantly replaced by explosive rage.
"Satoru Gojo! You bastard! That was a gift for Mr. Yoru! Spit it out right now!"
Fuming, Utahime chased Gojo all over the training field.
Yoru stood there, watching the lively, chaotic scene, and couldn't help but chuckle.
"These guys..."
He glanced in the direction the Zenin envoys had fled, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"A bastard of the Heavenly Restriction?"
"It seems a visit to the Zenin estate is in order."
"Tell Naobito Zenin..."
Yoru's voice was soft, yet it carried an irresistible will.
"I will be paying him a personal visit."
Would this visit be a formal greeting, or a one-sided massacre?
Yoru clenched his fist, feeling his blood begin to boil.
Perhaps it was time for these decaying Big Three Families to see what true power looked like.