Chapter 12: Return
"…What?"
Mai was genuinely stunned for a moment.
"What are you even talking about?"
Then she covered her mouth and let out a light laugh.
"Innate techniques are called innate for a reason—they're something you're born with. You can't acquire them later."
"That's an ironclad rule established over thousands of years of jujutsu history."
"To think you could reproduce an innate technique purely through cursed energy manipulation…"
She shook her head.
"That's nothing short of wishful thinking."
"I'll admit it—you're strong," she continued, her chestnut-colored eyes glinting faintly.
"Extraordinarily so."
"But your most urgent task right now isn't daydreaming about learning innate techniques. It's studying the basics."
She patted Ren on the shoulder, her tone suddenly earnest.
"You're asking these questions because your foundation is too weak."
"'The Master said: thinking without learning leads to confusion.' Don't worry—once you shore up your fundamentals, you won't have ideas this ridiculous anymore."
…
Mai's words made Ren hesitate.
She had a point.
If innate techniques had been called innate throughout thousands of years of jujutsu history, then there had to be a reason for it. If they could truly be acquired later in life, someone would have figured it out long ago.
…Right?
Yet standing to the side, watching Mai speak so decisively and Ren fall into doubt, Miwa wasn't nearly as certain.
The school she belonged to—New Shadow Style—was a lineage devoted entirely to the study of cursed energy manipulation.
In other words—
Compared to the innate techniques one was born with, New Shadow Style represented the upper limit of what a jujutsu sorcerer could achieve through effort alone.
And that very fact made Ren's question…
Not entirely impossible.
Mai was not a disciple of New Shadow Style. Nor did she usually devote herself to the finer details of cursed energy manipulation. Because of that, she had no real understanding of just how terrifying Ren's talent in cursed energy control truly was.
Techniques that countless New Shadow Style predecessors had refined over centuries—high-level arts like cursed energy blades—had taken him less than a single morning to grasp.
Someone like that could no longer be measured by ordinary standards.
Not even by the standards of history.
It was easy to foresee that in the realm of cursed energy manipulation, he would eventually surpass every predecessor of New Shadow Style—perhaps even usher in an entirely new era of cursed energy control.
As for the idea of "reproducing innate techniques through cursed energy manipulation"—to anyone else, it was the ravings of a madman.
But for him?
It might not be impossible at all.
Of course, this was only Miwa's private speculation.
In the end, she was a sorcerer without an innate technique—a so-called "incomplete" sorcerer. She didn't really have the standing to make judgments on matters like these.
Thinking of that, Miwa couldn't help lowering her head in quiet dejection.
...
Before long, the three of them reached the edge of the abandoned factory.
Outside the gate, Utahime Iori stood beside a black sedan, dressed in her red-and-white shrine maiden robes, her posture gentle and composed as she waited for their return.
Seeing all three of them emerge together, she let out a small sigh of relief.
But almost immediately, their appearances—especially Mai and Miwa's disheveled hair, sweat-soaked clothes, and bodies coated in dust—made her blink in surprise.
It was only supposed to be a Grade 3 cursed spirit…
How did it turn into this?
The moment Mai spotted Utahime, she launched into an impassioned tirade. Only then did Utahime finally understand what had happened.
She apologized repeatedly, then immediately called the Window responsible for providing intelligence, sharply reprimanding them for their error. After promising to treat everyone to a lavish meal, she finally managed to soothe the group—mainly Mai's temper.
Once they were in the car, Utahime finally relaxed. Watching the calm, unruffled boy in the rearview mirror, she felt a thrill of excitement rise in her chest.
Yes.
Her judgment had been right.
Ren really was terrifyingly strong—and immensely worth cultivating.
According to Mai's report, that Grade 1 cursed spirit had been exorcised almost entirely by Ren alone—and with minimal effort.
And this was before he had fully entered the jujutsu world, before he had even grasped much of its knowledge or properly refined his combat skills.
In the future, his strength would only grow—far beyond what it was now.
More importantly, this battle had completely dispelled the fear left behind by his encounter with the blue-haired, stitched-face cursed spirit. His potential would now be able to unfold without restraint.
Utahime couldn't help admiring her own decisiveness in recruiting him so quickly.
At the same time, a trace of cold fear crept into her heart.
If she hadn't made that decision back then…
What might have been lost today wouldn't have been one student—but three.
Given Mai and Miwa's abilities, they had almost no chance of successfully exorcising that cursed spirit on their own.
In other words—without Ren, they might all have died there.
This was the brutal, blood-soaked truth of the jujutsu world.
Exorcising cursed spirits was not a game of leveling up monsters. It was real combat. Sorcerers died every day—because they weren't strong enough, or because of unforeseen accidents.
Those who managed to live out a natural lifespan were the minority. Most perished in battle, or broke under the pressure and chose to quit.
Yet this endless war against cursed spirits could never stop.
Because once sorcerers withdrew, cursed spirits would turn their claws directly toward ordinary people—those utterly incapable of resisting them—plunging the world into even greater disaster.
That was why Utahime was so eager to bring Ren into Jujutsu High.
It wasn't just about competing with Tokyo Jujutsu High.
She wanted him to grow into a pillar of the future jujutsu world—to exorcise more cursed spirits and reduce humanity's suffering.
"So," Mai muttered, scrolling through her phone,
"what should we eat later? Barbecue? Hot pot? Seafood?"
She glanced up casually.
"Hey, Utahime-sensei. Any spending limit?"
Watching Mai already completely immersed in thoughts of food, Utahime couldn't help laughing.
Was it that Mai had nerves of steel—or simply that Ren's performance had been so overwhelming she'd never felt the threat of death?
This had been an unanticipated crisis, after all.
"Of course—there's no limit," Utahime said with a smile.
"You all did great today. Eat whatever you want. The teacher's treating."
Cheers and exaggerated praise erupted from the back seat, making Utahime feel a little light-headed herself.
"Oh, right," Mai said casually while scrolling,
"Ren, anything you want to eat? Any dietary restrictions?"
"Anything's fine."
"Miwa?"
"Anything's fine…"
"What do you mean 'anything's fine'?" Mai snapped.
"You two—have some opinions already! You're jujutsu sorcerers, sorcerers! What, are you going to tell cursed spirits 'anything's fine' too?"
"…I mean," Ren replied after a moment's thought,
"that might work too."