Ch.76 Broken Mai

"You... What are you trying to do?"

Mai Zen'in panicked.

Her seductive allure was all an act. Deep down, she had no experience in such things. After all, she had the status of a sorcerer and a father who was a Special Grade Sorcerer, making it difficult for the scumbags in the Zen'in family to overstep their bounds, even if they wanted to.

But the Zen'in family environment was what it was, and Mai had witnessed many vile acts.

Akira's expression now was identical to those lecherous brothers and nephews.

"T-This is Kyoto Jujutsu High. You... You better not do anything reckless..."

"Oh? And so what?"

Akira licked his lips, his tongue grazing the corner of his mouth, as he slowly approached Mai.

Instinctively, Mai backed away.

Akira, abandoning his usual easygoing demeanor, closed in on her step by step.

In just a few seconds, he had cornered her against the wall.

With a loud thud, Akira's hand landed heavily on the wall beside her head, reverberating in the silence and causing Mai's heart to skip a beat.

He leaned close to her other ear, speaking in a low voice.

"Do you know why Maki listens to me? Because I'm stronger than anyone she's ever met. Stronger than Zen'in Naobito, Zen'in Ogi, Zen'in Jinichi, and Zen'in Naoya—those Special Grade sorcerers. If I wanted to do something to you, who do you think would stand up for you? The Zen'in family? Or maybe Principal Gakuganji and your classmates?"

Mai's body trembled.

The names Akira mentioned represented the pinnacle of the Zen'in family, the elite few who upheld the clan's reputation as part of the Big Three Sorcerer Families.

The so-called "Special Grade" title wasn't officially bestowed but came from those with Grade 1 strength who never sought the Jujutsu Society's recognition. Their authority was upheld by their family's legacy and immense influence.

In some ways, convincing them to act came at a higher cost than employing other Grade 1 sorcerers due to their family ties and power.

Stronger than them???

Mai didn't want to believe it, but she had to.

Her sister, Maki, never bowed her head before those men, never admitted defeat, yet she displayed a kind of "obedience" when faced with Akira.

Although Akira's performance in the team battle wasn't particularly flashy, his consistent composure and the way Tokyo Jujutsu High treated him spoke volumes. He was the true leader, someone even above Special Grade Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu, comparable to Gojo Satoru.

Gojo had said before: "I have three more potential Special Grade students in my hands."

One of them was likely him.

Mai knew her own limitations—barely reaching Grade 2 was uncertain. Compared to Akira, she was like a firefly next to the moon.

If someone as powerful as him were willing to pay a price, he wouldn't even need to do anything directly. The family might just hand her over themselves without much resistance.

This world ultimately respects power.

The family might even blame her for not seizing the opportunity, accuse her of being short-sighted, and for bringing trouble upon them.

They might even demand she personally apologize. How humiliating.

Realizing this, Mai slowly closed her eyes, adopting a posture of submission, even puffing out her ample chest unconsciously.

Yet, after a long while, she still didn't feel a touch. Even the warmth of his breath by her ear had vanished.

She opened her eyes in confusion, only to find that the terrifying man had stepped back, the sinister look on his face replaced by his usual sunny demeanor as he casually dusted off his hands.

"You... You're not going to do anything?"

Akira laughed at her reaction. "Do you want me to do something? Wow, I didn't think my charm was this strong. I can attract high school girls just by looking good."

Mai's face flushed with embarrassment, the color rushing to her cheeks until she wished she could dig a hole and hide in it.

What the heck did I just say...?

But soon, she realized something else.

"You... You were messing with me?"

"I admit, I was teasing you, but it was also a test. Don't you want to surpass your sister?"

Akira's eyes turned serious, meeting Mai's gaze directly, making her heart skip a beat.

"I want to beat her. But what does that have to do with you... teasing me?"

"A person's strength comes not only from talent but also from their mindset. To accomplish great things, one must not only have extraordinary abilities but also unwavering determination. If you can't even muster the courage to say no to me, how do you plan to win? If it were your sister, she wouldn't be so weak."

Mai fell silent, unable to respond.

As identical twins who grew up together, she knew just how resilient her sister was.

Maki had broken the bones of more than one Zen'in family member. Even when facing stronger opponents, she never backed down.

Even when covered in wounds, drenched in blood, she'd always find a way to inflict damage on her enemy.

Those perverted family members, upon seeing Maki's ferocity, quickly lost interest—or perhaps became too afraid to act.

If you wanted to possess Maki, you'd either end up with a pile of broken flesh or risk getting stabbed in the back when you least expected it.

That was Maki Zen'in.

A woman who had always been fighting.

She wasn't born with thorns; she had to grow them to survive in a hostile environment, using those thorns to protect herself.

"Being submissive, going with the flow, Mai Zen'in—that's the biggest difference between you and your sister. If you don't change fundamentally, you'll never beat her."

"I... I..."

Mai tried to argue, to tell Akira that he was wrong.

But deep down, she knew this was who she was. No matter what she said, it would be a lie.

This man hadn't just seen through her exterior; he had seen straight into her heart, her very essence.

It was something even her peers like Miwa Kasumi and Mechamaru couldn't discern, a secret only Nishimiya Momo had glimpsed through intuition—the turmoil, the inner conflict.

Caught in her own thoughts, she met Akira's clear gaze again.

Mai felt something snap in her mind, like a thread breaking, and all the defenses she had painstakingly maintained crumbled.

Pent-up emotions surged like a wave.

"Is being compliant really so wrong? Is everything Maki does always right?"

"What's so bad about going with the flow? Do you know how many people live worse lives than we do?"

As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears, large drops falling onto her chest and wetting the ground.

"Why did she have to run away from home? Why did she have to oppose the family, making things so difficult?"

"Why work so hard? What's wrong with being at the family's beck and call? Doing some odd jobs and just scraping by?"

"I'm sick of struggling, of the pain, of being afraid!!!"

"Even if she succeeds, what will she gain?"

"Has she ever thought about what it would mean if she failed—how she'd be left with nothing? Why can't she just be miserable with me..."

It was as if she had finally given up holding back. The girl who always cared so much about appearances slumped to the floor, sitting in the corner, hugging her knees and burying her head in her arms like an ostrich hiding in the sand.

"A person like you, with so much power... you'd never understand what it's like for someone without talent to try to survive..."