Ch.24 Calm Your Mind A Little

Jujutsu sorcery generally follows the principle of equivalent exchange.

The stronger the technique, the greater the consumption of energy.

The Divine Dogs and Toad didn't drain too much of Fushiguro Megumi's cursed energy, but Nue and the Great Serpent, due to their size, had significantly sapped his reserves.

Though Maki was also burning through her stamina, her stamina bar had consumed a part of what would have been her cursed energy pool, meaning it was much larger than that of a typical sorcerer.

Megumi, on the other hand, needed to balance both stamina and cursed energy separately.

Once Megumi's cursed energy was depleted, no matter how much stamina he had left, he wouldn't be able to contend with Maki in a hand-to-hand fight.

This is the benefit of specializing in a single domain.

Maximize your strengths, draw the enemy into your preferred battleground, and use your experience to defeat them.

The concepts of mercy and elegance can be considered when you've become strong. For now, as weaklings, every ounce of energy is spent just trying to win.

Everything Akira had taught her, Maki had engraved in her heart.

She didn't care if she got injured or ridiculed. Even now, her words were an attempt to add psychological pressure on Megumi.

As long as she could win, it would all be worth it.

"Divine Dogs, Toad, Nue, and Great Serpent—your Ten Shadows Technique has only used four so far. There are six more left. Your only chance is to defeat me with those remaining shikigami, otherwise, you're finished. You have no chance in a direct fight."

Megumi subconsciously bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood, his frustration leaking through his gritted teeth.

"What? Not summoning a new shikigami? Then it's my turn to attack."

Blood stained the corner of Maki's mouth, yet she seemed more arrogant than the unscathed Megumi.

"Wait."

Akira raised his hand, stopping Maki.

Megumi's eye twitched in response—Akira had been leaning against the rooftop door just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of Maki. His speed was on par with hers.

Moreover, Megumi could clearly sense that Akira had cursed energy.

"Maybe he's not choosing not to summon a new shikigami. Maybe he can't summon one. The Ten Shadows Technique isn't something you can master all at once, right?"

"I just remembered. According to the records, aside from the initial two Divine Dogs, all the others need to be tamed before they can be freely controlled. He was acting all tough, so I thought he had mastered them all. Defeating a sorcerer with only four shikigami feels pretty lame."

Maki casually tossed her weapon to Akira and pulled a hair tie from her pocket to start tying her hair back.

"You two are like peas in a pod," Akira teased. "Definitely part of the same family, no doubt."

"You're...?" Megumi finally looked at her properly.

"Zen'in Maki. I guess I'm technically your… something. Doesn't matter. I've run away from home, so just call me by my name."

"..."

Megumi didn't know what to say.

He, too, had led a rough life.

No mother growing up, and his father was utterly irresponsible. He spent his days indulging in gambling, women, and alcohol—or wasn't around at all. By the time Megumi started elementary school, his father had disappeared entirely.

Then, some suspicious white-haired man showed up, telling him he had been sold to the Zen'in Clan.

The white-haired man assured him that he would deal with the Zen'in Clan's issues and make sure Megumi was taken care of until he reached adulthood. But given how unreliable his father had been, Megumi had mentally prepared himself for the day the Zen'in Clan would come after him.

Yet, after nearly ten years, when he finally encountered someone from the Zen'in Clan, it turned out to be a runaway.

What a situation.

Considering that neither Zen'in member seemed capable of normal conversation, Akira had to step in as the middleman and explainer.

He explained the Zen'in Clan's jujutsu supremacy philosophy, the significance of the Ten Shadows Technique, Maki's goal, and the purpose of this trip.

"Megumi, you need to become stronger. Master all of the Ten Shadows Technique. Only then will defeating you hold any meaning for me."

Megumi's expression turned more complicated.

He never even wanted this cursed technique in the first place.

Fortunately, he was used to being screwed over by both his unreliable father and his irresponsible guardian, so his social skills weren't too bad. He didn't say anything to offend Maki outright, but internally, he couldn't help but sigh at the absurdity.

Akira tried to reason with him.

"You might think Maki's being self-centered, but getting stronger isn't a bad thing for you. Whether it's for revenge or to protect someone, strength is necessary. And training on your own will never compare to learning at a proper jujutsu school. Don't you agree, Megumi?"

Megumi remained silent.

"It's understandable that you're angry. Having an important family member cursed would put anyone in a bad headspace, and you might think it's all your fault. But you can't let anger and guilt consume you. It'll only destroy you."

Akira snapped his fingers, and Gardevoir, who had been standing by, raised a single finger.

"Garde~"

"—Calm your mind a little."

Using psychic energy, Gardevoir whipped up a powerful gust of wind, blowing through Megumi's meticulously gelled spiky hair, transforming it into a messy, white-haired style, identical to Gojo Satoru's.

The psychic wind then spread across the rooftop, lifting the three-meter-high iron fence around the edge and tossing it into the distance.

A thin sheen of sweat formed on Megumi's forehead.

He had thought one Zen'in Maki was already difficult enough, but now there was an even stronger monster in front of him. That display of power had even reminded him of Gojo Satoru, the man known as invincible.

"Are you calm now?" Akira asked with a smile.

Megumi quickly nodded, realizing that if he didn't, he might not get another chance to calm down.

"So, what's your answer?"

Megumi finally spoke:

"I'll get stronger, but not for Zen'in-san and not just for my idiot sister. I'll do it for myself, according to my own will."

"Don't call me by my last name!" Maki protested.

Megumi ignored her, and Akira simply smiled.

"So, what's your next step?"

"I'll go to Jujutsu High and get stronger as fast as I can. I'll leave Tsumiki in that guy's hands for now. As much as I don't like it, I don't have the ability to solve the problem yet. I'd only make things worse."

"And he says—"

Before Akira could finish, he nodded toward the staircase, where a white-haired figure stood, arms crossed, smiling broadly.

"Leave it to me."

Megumi, realizing Gojo had been eavesdropping the whole time, felt a little embarrassed. He forced himself to stay composed despite his discomfort and, after a moment of hesitation, managed to lower his head slightly and mutter,

"Thank you for everything. Sorry for the trouble I've caused."

"It's fine. Cleaning up after your messes is what guardians are for," Gojo replied with a warm smile, though it only lasted for two seconds before warping into a grin.

"Oh, little Megumi finally realizes how great I am. Come on, give me a big hug!"

"I refuse."

Veins bulging on his forehead, Megumi's expression twisted in frustration. What was I thinking, getting sentimental about this guy?

"Don't be so cold! I'm your guardian, basically your father," Gojo said, spreading his arms wide and trying to grab him.

"My dad's dead. Stay away from me—!"

Megumi's real father was far worse than Gojo, but still, he bolted away. Unfortunately for him, his short legs couldn't outrun Gojo's long strides, and he was quickly caught, flailing uselessly.

Akira pulled out his phone just in time to capture the precious moment.

"Peaceful times, huh?"

PS: Just emphasizing that Megumi is currently in his middle school years, firmly in chuuni mode.

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