"Mission complete!"
After handing over to the police and the cleanup crew, there was nothing more for Shingen Hajime to do here.
Having spent most of his time training at school or out on missions, Shingen Hajime, who hadn't been out for a while, decided to take a walk before heading back, and to bring back some gifts for everyone.
When he returned, Maki, Panda, and the others had also finished their missions, though Maki had a minor injury in battle — nothing serious thankfully.
It was said that Yuta Okkotsu's girlfriend, Rika, had fully revealed herself and utterly crushed the cursed spirit from the mission.
According to Maki, Yuta Okkotsu's rank was surprisingly Special Grade! Currently, only three Special Grade sorcerers were known to exist: the strongest sorcerer Satoru Gojo, Yuki Tsukumo who was overseas most of the time, and Suguru Geto, who had been classified as a cursed user.
So, does that mean Yuta Okkotsu is the fourth Special Grade sorcerer? Considering the terrifying power of his girlfriend, that didn't seem so unbelievable after all.
"N-no, that's not true," Yuta Okkotsu stammered under the intense gaze surrounding him. Panda made amazed sounds beside him, and Toge Inumaki gave an approving reaction in his rice ball language.
Maki crossed her arms and looked on with a slight frown. There was no way this beanpole looked like a Special Grade. Apart from that curse, he was practically defenseless.
But… it was he who had saved himself and those two kids back then. Although still weak, having the will to get stronger was what mattered.
"Let's go. Time for training."
Maki led the way toward the training grounds. Panda patted Yuta on the back and said with determination, "Come on! Let's head down the path to becoming stronger together!"
Yuta nodded firmly and smiled. The group followed Maki down the corridor, warm sunlight streaming through the windows and lighting up their smiles.
...
"Huff… huff…"
Yuta Okkotsu was gasping for breath, leaning on his wooden training sword, limbs numb as if they were no longer his own. Opposite him, Maki stood, eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Come on! Get up and hold your sword. You've rested for five minutes already," Maki urged impatiently.
Not far away on the lawn, Panda sympathized, "Yuta's really strong. Maki and Hajime have been sparring with him in shifts—this is the seventh round already. It's amazing he's still holding up."
"Salmon."
After Yuta volunteered to get stronger quickly, a smirking Maki devised this training plan, taking turns with Hajime to put Yuta through high-intensity drills.
Though progress was obvious, it severely tested Yuta's will and stamina. The goal was to push his body beyond its limits. As for injuries, Ms. Nioi Ieiri of the Technical College was on hand, and with her mastery of Reversal Techniques, any damage was manageable.
When Yuta stood again and took his stance, Maki finally showed a satisfied smile. "Ready to face the storm?"
Just as Hajime, who had just finished his turn, was about to watch, Principal Yaga appeared, accompanied by a familiar figure. Revived, Hajime immediately stood and ran over.
Yaga walked up, and the figure happily bounded toward Hajime—it was the long-unseen White Wolf.
White Wolf, now somewhat larger in size, swiftly leapt up and knocked Hajime to the ground in a playful tackle, licking and pawing at him enthusiastically.
After hugging and petting the dog's head firmly, White Wolf settled down obediently, allowing Hajime a moment to take in the changes.
For starters, White Wolf had grown bigger—almost waist-high when sitting—and much stronger. Hajime had been toppled easily just now by the playful charge.
Its fur had darkened in places, and beyond physical changes, the cursed energy contained within White Wolf's body was far denser. To put it simply, White Wolf's power now roughly matched that of an average Grade 2 cursed spirit.
Of course, this was during combat mode. Although both were cursed corpses made by Principal Yaga, White Wolf was quite different from Panda, who was Yaga's crowning achievement—a sudden mutation cursed corpse.
Even if he tried to reproduce Panda again, such a miracle would be impossible. But White Wolf was still one of Principal Yaga's masterpieces.
White Wolf's regular activity consumed little cursed energy and was largely self-sustaining, but in battle, it needed Hajime to replenish energy as necessary.
Not long after Hajime enrolled at the Technical College, Principal Yaga took White Wolf for an upgrade, claiming Hajime's skills had improved a lot.
The focus was probably on combat enhancement. As Yaga approached, Hajime greeted him cheerfully and asked, "Principal Yaga, what upgrades did you give White Wolf?"
Yaga showed a faint proud smile. "First, its overall strength was improved. With enough cursed energy, it might even be able to exorcise some weaker Grade 2 cursed spirits on its own."
"Second, I enhanced its tracking ability. Now it can detect cursed energy traces more accurately and over a wider area."
After hearing this, Hajime thanked Yaga again. Meanwhile, Panda and the others noticed the scene and came over to greet Yaga before being drawn in by White Wolf.
Well, who wouldn't love a silly, affectionate dog? It was easy to pet, and surprisingly, even Maki seemed quite fond of the dog. Although she initially looked dismissive, she couldn't help but start petting White Wolf after it approached her with playful "come and get me" antics.
Resting briefly, Yuta looked at White Wolf with affection. "What a good dog."
Hajime then had White Wolf demonstrate its combat form. Once its cursed energy was unleashed, White Wolf visibly grew in size, nearly one full circle larger than normal, its paw about as big as Hajime's face.
Its claws and fangs became more menacing, its fur thickened, and its body radiated raw power. Although more imposing, this silly dog couldn't maintain the form for even two seconds before reverting to begging for pets again.
But don't be fooled by its goofy demeanor—in battle, under Hajime's command, White Wolf could be quite formidable.
Its excellent tracking ability alone was very useful. If White Wolf had been around during the last pursuit, finding the culprit would have been much easier.
Not long after, Yuta was pulled back into training by Maki. Principal Yaga had already left, busy with his own duties.
The days ahead were the usual Technical College life. Aside from daily training, Yuta also studied various jujutsu-related knowledge—something he had little understanding of before.
Hajime and the others occasionally took on assignments, especially he and Toge Inumaki, who as Grade 2 sorcerers could handle missions solo.
Toge's cursed speech was highly effective against Grade 2 and lower cursed spirits, while Hajime took the opportunity to hone his coordination with White Wolf during missions.
Time passed, and Yuta improved rapidly despite the grueling challenges. His physical combat and weapon skills had reached a level where he could spar evenly one-on-one with Maki and Hajime.
One morning, after finishing strength training, Hajime heard Panda calling from a distance.
"Hajime, the exchange meeting with Kyoto Technical College is about to start."
Hajime paused, vaguely remembering something—yes, it was a competition against another school.
Seeing Hajime's thoughtful look, Panda assumed he didn't fully understand and explained, "It's a competition decided between our principal and the principal of Kyoto Prefectural Jujutsu Technical College."
"Usually, it's the second- and third-year students who participate, but most of them are away. Since Yuta is Special Grade and for training the first years, we were allowed to take part with Kyoto's first years."
Hajime followed Panda to a vending machine. The snacks and drinks he had brought were long gone. As they walked, he asked, "With Yuta on our side, aren't we guaranteed to win?"
Panda took out two cold drinks and handed one to Hajime. "Not 100%, since it's just an exchange meeting. Rika definitely won't be showing up. But Yuta's strong now, and since we can use cursed energy and techniques, our chances are good."
"What kind of event is the exchange meeting exactly?"
Although Hajime had a rough idea, he still asked. Panda scratched his head, "It's probably team and individual battles. We'll find out soon enough."
At the playground, Toge Inumaki was jogging in circles, with White Wolf running behind him. On the lawn, Maki and Yuta were sparring.
They seemed to have been fighting for a while. Shortly after Hajime and Panda arrived, the match ended, with Maki winning the duel in pure weapon and physical combat.
Maki sheathed her weapon and, seeing Panda and Hajime approaching, said, "You know the details, right? It's scheduled for next week. We need to step up training."
Toge and White Wolf, having finished training, came over to agree. Panda raised his hand enthusiastically. "Exactly! Let's all work hard together."
"Hey hey! My lovely students, seeing you so energetic makes me very pleased!"
Everyone turned to see Satoru Gojo casually dressed, wearing sunglasses nearby. After greeting the group, Maki frowned. "Why did this unreliable guy bring that eyepatch here?"
Gojo stretched his arms behind his head lazily. "I came to check on my adorable students. Seeing you all so lively makes me pumped up! I've decided—before the exchange meeting—you'll get some special training!"
Maki and Panda weren't worried, but Hajime's face darkened. When Gojo said "special training," it meant hellish training.
Gojo personally pushed them to their absolute limits—not what they thought was their max, but objective limits. Hajime had experienced this feeling once before: a blend of ecstasy and agony.
Drinking the last of his beverage calmly, Hajime muttered, "Hell is coming…"
Smiling Panda looked puzzled. "Hajime, what did you just say?"
(End of Chapter)
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