An Armed Child VS a Martial Master

She raised her hand slowly, and an even more intense cursed energy filled the air around them. Suddenly, a strange creature appeared, coiling around her arm like an extension of her body. The bone-white serpent, as pale as snow, slithered gracefully along her arm.

"I didn't introduce you properly last time," Yuki murmured. "Meet Garuda, my familiar, but also an integral part of my spell."

Ryosuke narrowed his eyes. This was technically the second time he'd seen the creature, but he already knew it well.

"She's about to use her spell."

Yuki continued, "You see, spells... they're what bring everything together. They're what make the difference." She paused for a moment, then went on. "Spells are like firearms. Even a ten-year-old, with no training, could defeat a martial arts master with a gun. Provided, of course, they know how to use it."

Yuki looked down at Garuda, her gaze intensifying. "It's the same with jujutsu. Even a novice sorcerer, with a powerful enough spell, can take down the most experienced fighter. No matter how much cursed energy there is, if the spell is strong enough, it can destroy everything."

She gave Ryosuke a hard look. Before he could react, she suddenly extended her arm forward. Garuda, still coiled in a ball, shot into the air at incredible speed. The creature flew like an arrow, its skeletal form twisting with a sinister grace, heading straight for Ryosuke.

"Dodge!" she shouted, her sharp voice slicing through the silence of the clearing.

But Ryosuke chose not to dodge. He decided to face the attack head-on.

What she didn't know was that he understood her spell well enough.

"She's given her familiar virtual mass."

In an instant, he unleashed as much cursed energy as he could in one go. The air around him began to ripple under the pressure.

"Let's see if my shield or you, dear Garuda, is tougher."

Then came the impact.

The collision was brutal.

As soon as Garuda struck him, it was as if an explosion had gone off. The force sent him flying backward with devastating power, hurtling him through several trees. The massive trunks splintered under the impact, and Ryosuke was thrown to the ground, rolling several meters before finally coming to a halt, lying flat on his back.

For a few seconds, everything around him was blurry. The sky above seemed to spin, and his breath was ragged, his lungs feeling like they refused to work properly. Pain throbbed through his entire body, but his mind, despite the violence of the impact, remained surprisingly clear.

"How much mass did she give it?"

Meanwhile, Garuda swiftly returned to Yuki, coiling back around her arm. Yuki looked toward the spot where Ryosuke had crashed, a shadow of worry crossing her face.

"I told you to dodge…" she murmured to herself.

She sighed, shaking her head, but a smile soon crept back. Even though she'd only been sparring with him for an hour, she knew her nephew wouldn't be defeated that easily.

The truth was, she'd added nearly 10,000 tons of mass to Garuda. It might sound insane, but given Ryosuke's insane layer of cursed energy, it was understandable. From her experience, she'd gauged his energy output and estimated that 10,000 tons would exceed his defense. And just in case she'd overestimated, Garuda had been ordered to stop the attack.

"Garuda completed the attack to the end. That means…"

Ryosuke had held up!

And, just as she'd predicted, he was already getting back on his feet.

From behind the trees, Ryosuke emerged painfully. He rubbed his sore forehead, his shirt torn from the impact and his arms covered in dirt. But even so, an amused smile played on his lips.

"Alright, I get what you meant, Auntie."

Yuki nodded with satisfaction.

"My spell, which I call Star Rage, is what's known as an innate spell. It's been a part of me since my awakening, like an extension of myself. I don't even need complex incantations or equations to activate it. Star Rage allows me to add virtual mass not only to myself but also to my shikigami."

She gently stroked the bone serpent coiled around her arm.

"Isn't it a bit risky to reveal so much about your spell to me, Auntie?"

Yuki laughed. "You're my nephew, Ryosuke! I can't be that paranoid. And besides, there's a special rule in the world of Jujutsu, one that few sorcerers know. It's called the Binding Vow rule." She looked him straight in the eyes. "When we choose to reveal our spell to our opponent, we willingly create a disadvantage. But in return, our spell becomes much stronger against them."

A silence fell between them.

Ryosuke nodded, a smile spreading across his lips. "In that case... I'll reveal my spell to you too, Auntie."

Yuki's eyes widened, mouth slightly open.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Next Chapter: Glitch