The morning sun streamed through the cluster of attics, casting dappled shadows of trees across the wide plaza.
A cool morning breeze swept by, bringing with it a faint chill that made one shiver involuntarily.
Roy had risen early.
After washing up and finishing breakfast, he headed to Jujutsu High's sports field, intending to find an open space to train. Unexpectedly, someone had already claimed the spot before him.
A girl who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen was wielding a naginata that stood taller than her own frame.
The blade sliced through the air with a fierce whistling sound, her footwork shifting seamlessly with the weapon's center of gravity. The high ponytail tied at the back of her head swayed conspicuously with each movement. Her strikes were bold and unrestrained, flowing like water, executed with a fierce and powerful precision. It was clear that this girl had spent years honing her mastery of the naginata.
"Who's there?"
Noticing she was being watched, the girl halted her movements, her sharp, cold gaze turning toward Roy.
Only then did her full appearance come into clear view.
She had a perfectly oval face, undeniably beautiful, with jet-black hair tied into a high ponytail. Dressed in simple athletic wear, her well-proportioned figure bore the healthy beauty of someone long accustomed to rigorous training. The glasses she wore lent her a somewhat refined air, but the ruthless, seasoned ferocity of her naginata techniques created a striking contrast.
The moment Roy took in her appearance, he recognized her identity.
"I don't think I've seen you around Jujutsu High before?"
While Roy observed her, the girl was also sizing him up.
Her eyes swept over him once, a trace of doubt flickering in her gaze.
An outside sorcerer, perhaps?
Jujutsu High also provided mission support for sorcerers, so it wasn't uncommon for some to come seeking assistance.
But this guy looked about the same age as her.
Was he already an established sorcerer?
"I'm a new teacher here at Jujutsu High. My name is Roy."
Roy looked at the girl before him, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"You must be... Maki Zenin, right?"
"So it's you...?!"
The moment she heard the name "Roy," Maki felt her breath catch in her throat.
Her expression shifted instantly.
The previous cold sharpness in her eyes gave way to a solemnity tinged with respect.
But at the same time, Roy didn't miss the brief, inexplicable flicker of disgust that flashed across her face.
"You know me? Word travels that fast?"
The news of his promotion to Special Grade had only been announced the day before.
"Yes."
Maki nodded, her expression now slightly calmer than before.
"Information about Special Grades is usually disseminated to every sorcerer in the country via electronic communication within a day. By now, your name, Roy-sensei, is probably known to every sorcerer nationwide."
Because the same thing had happened last year.
And just last month, it had happened again.
That was why she knew so well.
"I see."
Roy nodded in understanding, then his gaze fell on the naginata in Maki's hand.
"Morning training?"
"Yeah."
Maki nodded briefly before falling silent again.
She clearly had no intention of engaging in further conversation or building rapport with Roy.
"Want to spar?"
Roy wasn't bothered by her reticence. Instead, he seemed genuinely interested as he made the suggestion.
"I actually came to this training ground for morning practice too, but solo training gets boring. How about a sparring match?"
"Sparring's fine... but I don't use cursed techniques, just hand-to-hand combat."
Maki sighed subtly, meeting his gaze with complete openness.
She made no attempt to hide her inability to use cursed techniques.
In the eyes of jujutsu sorcerers who obsess over the strength of cursed techniques, this was practically equivalent to being a third-rate waste—someone who'd face mockery and disdain wherever they went.
Just like the trash-tier spiritual roots in xianxia novels.
Even sorcerers weaker than her could salvage their pride by mocking her lack of techniques.
"No problem, I'm pretty good at hand-to-hand too."
Roy waved it off with complete indifference.
He glanced around the training ground, spotting the weapon rack at the edge. It held an assortment of weapons—swords, spears, daggers, naginatas, even shuriken.
Tokyo Jujutsu High had few students to begin with; all four grades combined totaled fewer than ten.
Since jujutsu sorcerers were essentially combat specialists, the school naturally provided various weapons in training areas—though only ordinary ones, not cursed tools. Even the prestigious Jujutsu High wasn't extravagant enough to supply cursed tools for training. The upside of regular weapons was that students wouldn't be charged for damages no matter how many got broken.
"Really?"
Maki gave Roy a skeptical look.
Outwardly, he appeared about her age.
To become a special grade, she assumed he must either have overwhelming cursed energy like Itadori Yuji or possess an incredibly powerful autonomous shikigami.
There was a world of difference between hand-to-hand combat enhanced by cursed energy and martial arts honed through pure skill.
Mastering exceptional techniques required years of relentless effort and sweat—training until those skills were etched into one's very body.
At his age in this era, he hardly seemed the type to excel in martial arts.
"Really."
Roy stopped before the weapon rack, considered for a moment, then selected a naginata.
"Sensei... with a naginata?"
Maki's expression turned peculiar.
Was this choice intentional?
Special grade or not, this felt like blatant underestimation.
"I've some experience with naginatajutsu."
Roy gripped the naginata, giving it an effortless one-handed swing.
So light.
It barely registered any weight.
"You go first. Come at me."
Roy took position opposite Maki.
"I'll hold back."
He held the weapon single-handedly, his stance far from textbook.
Maki silently closed her eyes—then snapped them open, her gaze instantly sharpening to blade-like intensity.
"...Fine. Here I come!"
To be honest, she felt somewhat underestimated.
When others mocked her for having no cursed technique and being useless, she could pretend not to hear it.
She wasn't particularly competitive.
Since childhood, she had long grown accustomed to being looked down upon.
But martial arts were her strongest domain. Being underestimated in the one area she excelled in—even someone like her couldn't help but feel the urge to prove herself!
"If you're a Special Grade, I don't need to remind you to be careful, right? I'm going all out!"
With that thought in mind, Maki gripped the long handle of her blade with both hands, raising it to a high stance at her side.
Immediately after, she advanced with quick, short steps and swung her blade straight down at Roy's head.
The gleaming steel sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The sheer force behind the strike alone made it clear that Maki's strength was no joke.
An ordinary person hit by such a direct slash might find their skull split clean in two.
Facing the downward strike, Roy raised his naginata overhead with one hand.
Clang!
Maki's blade came down without holding back.
The crisp sound of impact rang out as the shaft of Roy's naginata was struck with enough force to send it spinning upward, nearly tearing it from his grip.
But in the next instant, Roy twisted his wrist, whipping the naginata like a snake seizing its prey. Not only did he not lose his weapon, but he also used the momentum of her downward slash to accelerate the rotation of the blade—hilt up, edge down—before sweeping it toward Maki's legs.
Seeing this, her expression abruptly shifted.
In just this single exchange, she had already confirmed it.
"He really knows naginatajutsu!"
Due to certain historical circumstances in ancient Japan, the naginata had long been a weapon primarily wielded by women. Even now, when those historical reasons no longer applied, few men practiced it. In contrast, the more accessible and portable katana was far more popular, especially among sorcerers.
That Roy was skilled in martial arts was already a given at this point. But the fact that he was also proficient in naginatajutsu surprised Maki even more.
This fight might turn out to be far more interesting than she'd imagined!
Facing the slash aimed at her legs, Maki reacted swiftly. With a twist of her wrist, she retracted the blade and extended the hilt, blocking the strike with minimal movement.
Then, she immediately shifted from defense to offense, using the hilt to deflect the edge before stepping forward and swinging her naginata at Roy's neck.
This girl's killing intent is intense—every strike aimed for a vital spot.
Did I do something to make her angry?
Roy mused idly even as he sidestepped and parried with his blade.
Maki pressed forward relentlessly, each slash targeting Roy's vitals—she didn't even spare his lower body. When she aimed there, even Roy couldn't help but darken his expression.
Sure, he could always remake it if it got cut off, but what man could stay calm when that area was under attack?
Roy kicked out, striking the hilt of her naginata and accelerating its spin. The whirling blade shot toward her face, the force of the rotation wrenching the weapon from Maki's grip.
Looking at the naginata blade resting against her neck, Maki silently raised her hands in surrender.
"I concede."
Roy sheathed his blade, his expression softening slightly.
"You've got quite the temper. Bad mood?"
Maki paused briefly as she bent to pick up her naginata.
"Seeing me practice with a naginata, you casually chose to spar with the same weapon. Isn't that clearly looking down on me?"
"I see."
Roy nodded.
"It's natural you'd feel annoyed, but I won't apologize because I genuinely know naginatajutsu."
"I've already realized that."
Maki sighed lightly, checking the condition of her naginata. This was still her trusted cursed tool, yet she'd lost to an ordinary naginata. At least it wasn't damaged.
Otherwise, she'd definitely chase Roy down to make him pay for it.
Cursed tools were absurdly expensive. Even with her earnings as a jujutsu sorcerer, it would take ages to save up for one.
At the same time, she understood.
Roy hadn't chosen the naginata to belittle her—his skills were genuinely superior to hers.
And not just slightly. Losing within twenty moves meant his naginatajutsu far surpassed her own.
It was incredible for someone his age to possess such skill, but then again, he was a Special Grade. Perhaps normal standards didn't apply.
"Is that all?"
"...What do you mean?"
"You're sure you don't have a problem with me?"
"...Hah."
Roy looked at her with an expression that seemed to see right through her thoughts. Maki scratched her head in exasperation.
"If I gave you the wrong impression, then I apologize. I don't have any issue with you. I was just thinking about something disgusting—family matters."
Family matters? Disgusting?
Roy rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
"They told me to get close to you."
Maki didn't let him ponder for long before explaining.
"Something about bearing your child as soon as possible... Just thinking about it makes me sick."
Her face twisted in revulsion, as if she might vomit.
Roy smacked his palm, suddenly understanding.
So that was it.
That explained why she'd looked so strange when she saw him earlier, that faint disgust in her expression.
It wasn't directed at him—it was the Zenin family's orders she recalled upon learning his identity, her loathing for that rotten clan.
He remembered, during that tedious meeting with the higher-ups a few days ago, some old fart from the Zenin family—or maybe a branch family—had suggested having their twins bear his child or something.
He'd wondered then if those twins might be Zenin Maki and Mai.
Turns out he was right.
"Just a few days, and those old bastards are already so eager."
Roy smirked, his face full of scorn.
No matter how you looked at it, there was no way he'd let those geezers have their way.
Whether Roy wanted children was entirely up to him. Even if he slept with someone, pregnancy wouldn't happen unless he willed it. More importantly, his plans didn't require the existence of these so-called jujutsu families.
Rotten things should be swept into the dustbin of history, not left out to disgust people.
"Don't pay any attention to what those old fossils say. Just let their words go in one ear and out the other."