Classmates

After getting out of the car, Eiji felt that the air outside was much fresher than inside.

Tokyo Jujutsu High was built in the mountains.

Rather than calling it a school, it's better described as a traditional temple in the woods.

There were moss-covered ruins in the attic. Only if someone approached, they would find traces of human life in front of the ancient-style courtyard unrelated to this city.

No cherry blossom trees like in typical school environments. Instead, the leaves here were withered and yellowing, adding a touch of life to the ancient temple.

Eiji, accustomed to breathing polluted air in the city, was somewhat unfamiliar with the sudden fresh air.

Taking a moment to acclimate, he climbed the stairs. Then, he saw an old sign that read Tokyo Jujutsu Prefectural High, full of erosion marks by time, hanging in front of the door.

After passing through the door, he could see layered traditional Japanese pavilions.

"This place is as quiet as usual."

No one would think this place is a school.

Eiji followed the instructions given by his cousin earlier and headed to the gymnasium.

Considering the layout of the buildings, he arrived at the gymnasium without getting lost.

Pushing the door open, he saw three people already sitting in the chairs. No, one of them wasn't human but a giant panda.

Eiji's arrival caught their attention.

Eiji was unaffected by the gazes directed at him. He walked to the chair next to the panda and sat down.

Today is the welcoming ceremony for new students

"You must be the youngest Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer from the Gojo Family. I'm Panda, a new student just like you, nice to meet you."

Panda turned to the side, and with a very human-like smile, he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Kamiki Eiji. Nice to meet you."

Seeing him being friendly, Eiji shook hands with him. After all, Panda and the others would be his classmates starting today.

"Kelp!"

The youth next to the panda greeted in an unusual manner.

"Ah, he's Inumaki Toge. Due to his Cursed Technique, Cursed Speech, Toge chooses not to speak conventionally and uses rice ball ingredients as a substitute."

Panda acted as a mediator for Toge's introduction.

"Salmon." Toge nodded, confirming Panda's explanation.

"I see. Nice to meet you."

Although he already knew about this, Eiji pretended as if he had just learned.

As a member of the Gojo Family, he was certainly aware of Cursed Speech, a Legacy Technique of the Inumaki Family.

Cursed Speech is activated when the user loudly utters words or commands strengthened with Cursed Energy. This action forces the listener to act or follow up as if it were a command. For example, a Cursed Speech user can command their opponent to stop moving or to explode.

The coercive power depends on the user's skill level, as stronger commands require higher skill and can result in stronger backlash to the user if they are less skilled.

The stronger the listener, the less effective Cursed Speech becomes.

For instance, Toge's Cursed Speech could only influence Eiji and Satoru for a short period. Moreover, both of them could forcibly break Cursed Speech.

"Hmph. So, you're the most brilliant Jujutsu Sorcerer in the modern era? You don't look strong."

While Eiji was contemplating the Inumaki Family's Legacy Technique, a rude woman's words resonated clearly in the gymnasium, which only consisted of three people plus a panda.

He looked at the only woman in this place.

The woman had golden eyes and dark green hair, tied into a short ponytail, and wore sunglasses.

Eiji recognized the identity of the young woman.

Zenin Maki, the outcast of the Zenin Family, and also the owner of the Heavenly Restriction, just like himself.

"What are you looking at? Not satisfied yet?"

Glared at by Six Eyes, Maki felt uncomfortable and glared back.

"You are..."

"Zenin Maki." Maki shifted her gaze and stated her name.

"Um." Eiji wasn't angry at the other party's rude attitude.

Seeing their interaction, Panda didn't know how to mediate between them.

Fortunately, the door opened again, and a tall, muscular man with tan skin walked in and stood at the podium.

His eyes behind sunglasses stared at the new students, especially Kamiki Eiji.

"That man is Yaga Masamichi, the Principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High." Panda whispered.

Eiji nodded slightly without saying anything.

"Tuna." Toge said, giving a thumbs up.

Maki stayed silent and stared at the podium. She had respect for Principal Yaga. If it weren't for others accepting her at Tokyo Jujutsu High, she couldn't do anything.

Moreover, no one wanted to be her mentor and teach her about the Jujutsu world because of the pressure from the Zenin Family.

Only Principal Yaga, who allowed her to become a student at Tokyo Jujutsu High even though she couldn't see Cursed Spirits.

On the podium, Principal Yaga began his speech.

"Good morning, new students. Welcome to Tokyo Jujutsu High."

"In this school, you will learn about Cursed Spirits and how to exorcise them."

Generally, new students don't have experience purifying Cursed Spirits. Except for some descendants from prominent families like the Gojo and Inumaki Families.

At least for now, Toge has dealt with Grade 3 Cursed Spirits. Meanwhile, Maki has no experience whatsoever. However, not all descendants from prominent families will be abnormal like Kamiki Eiji and Gojo Satoru during High School.

"Jujutsu Sorcerers are always connected to death. Not just their own, but also the deaths caused by Cursed Spirits. Jujutsu Sorcerers must mercilessly tear apart Cursed Spirits."

"It's an unpleasant job; having motivation and a little guidance is crucial."

"I believe that you can become great Jujutsu Sorcerers."

Principal Yaga concluded his speech with enthusiastic applause from Panda and Toge.

"On the first day, you are free to get to know and explore the environment of Tokyo Jujutsu High."

After saying that, he left the gymnasium.

"Wanna go explore? I can be your guide. I know this place very well." Panda patted his chest, offering to be the guide.

"Salmon." Toge replied with a meaning not understood.

"Sure." Eiji said briefly, treating each of his words as more precious than gold.

"Since everyone's going, I'm in too. Panda, I leave it to you." Maki also agreed.

"Let's go with me."

Seeing everyone agree, Panda stood up and introduced various facilities in Tokyo Jujutsu High.

As the son of Principal Yaga, Panda lives in the dormitory of Tokyo Jujutsu High. So, it's not wrong when he says he knows this place well.

Along the way, Panda was the one who spoke the most.

Toge used rice ball ingredients as his vocabulary.

Eiji is not the type to talk much from the beginning.

As for Maki, she's not too familiar with them yet. So, she had no intention of starting a conversation.

As a result, it was only Panda who spoke while explaining the available facilities.

They didn't find second and third-year students; perhaps they were outside the school. Moreover, the number of students in each batch is always small. So, it's not surprising that juniors and seniors rarely cross paths at school.