When Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji rushed back to Suginami High, Megumi instantly frowned, sensing the density of the Cursed Energy (CE) covering the entire school. They were still outside the school gate, but he could already see many low-grade Cursed Spirits phasing through the walls. The strength of the Curses gathering at the school buildings could only be imagined.
"Divine Dogs!"
As they entered the school grounds, Megumi immediately summoned his two canine Shikigami, one black and one white. He had one Divine Dog accompany Yuji, partly to split up the search and partly to protect Yuji. Outside the school, when Megumi sensed that the Cursed Energy had reached Grade 1 level and suspected a Grade 1 Curse might be present, he had tried to stop Yuji from following. But Yuji was determined, feeling responsible for his senpais' danger and remembering his grandfather's final words, so he adamantly followed. Seeing Yuji's determination and his superior physical ability, Megumi reluctantly compromised, ordering him to follow his commands.
After all, though Megumi was a Grade 2 Sorcerer, the concentration of Cursed Energy at Suginami High was definitely at the Grade 1 level. The grades for Cursed Spirits and Sorcerers are divided into five ranks: Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and Special Grade. Sorcerers also have "Semi-Grade" ranks. The general strength breakdown is:
Grade 4 Sorcerer: Can handle weaker Curses, typically using simple Cursed Techniques and tools.
Grade 3 Sorcerer: Can handle stronger Curses, possessing moderate combat skills and strategy.
Grade 2 Sorcerer: Quite strong, capable of independently handling complex missions, usually undergoing training at Jujutsu High.
Grade 1 Sorcerer: High-level Sorcerer, capable of handling high-level threats, often holding important positions at Jujutsu High.
Special Grade Sorcerer: The pinnacle of Sorcerers, capable of perfectly handling the most dangerous missions. They are the strongest fighters in the Jujutsu world, currently limited to only four individuals.
A Sorcerer of an equivalent rank is generally stronger than a Curse. As a Grade 2 Sorcerer, Megumi wasn't completely without a chance against a Grade 1 Curse if he fought at full strength. However, Megumi could sense that the Cursed Energy concentration at Suginami High meant more than just one Grade 1 Curse was attracted.
Just as Megumi and Yuji were following the Divine Dogs toward the school building, a huge figure suddenly flew out of it. As Megumi recognized it as a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit and prepared to summon a Shikigami to attack, a pillar of high-temperature fire immediately followed, reducing the body of the Grade 2 Curse to ashes.
The sudden turn of events stunned both Megumi and Yuji. As they watched the figure slowly emerging from the school building, they realized the one who had just destroyed the Curse was a magnificent tiger with a tail burning with fire. Yuji, with his keen eyesight, noticed that two people were riding on the tiger's back: Sasaki-senpai and Iguchi-senpai from the Occult Research Club.
Believing his senpais were being held captive, Yuji instinctively clenched his fist and prepared to charge, but Megumi stopped him. "That tiger is a Shikigami, not a Curse. It looks like another Sorcerer got here before us and saved your senpais." As a user of the Zenin clan's inherited technique, one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, Megumi could instantly tell the difference between a Curse and a Shikigami. Although he didn't know which Cursed Technique the Shikigami belonged to, its power—being able to instantly kill a Grade 2 Curse—showed that the Sorcerer who arrived first was quite powerful, at least on the level of a Grade 1 Sorcerer.
"Sasaki-senpai, Iguchi-senpai, are you two okay? What happened? And wasn't Seiya with you?"
Seeing Yuji and Megumi, Sasaki and Iguchi finally felt their hearts settle. With the danger passed, Sasaki-senpai immediately reverted to her excited self. "Yuji, you won't believe it! Supernatural beings really exist! And Seiya-kun is much more mysterious than we thought. He can summon something called a 'Shikigami,' that big tiger we were just riding..."
Hearing Sasaki-senpai's words, both Yuji and Megumi were stunned. Yuji was surprised that his childhood friend had such hidden power. Megumi was shocked that Yuji's supposed "strong" friend was actually a Sorcerer!
"Sasaki-senpai, where is Seiya now? And the thing I gave you, where is it?" Yuji didn't care why his friend had supernatural power; he only cared that Seiya was still in danger.
BOOM!
Just as Sasaki-senpai was about to speak, a huge Cursed Spirit suddenly fell from the sky, crashing into the ground before them and creating a massive crater. When Megumi saw the dead spirit, he was shocked. The pitifully destroyed Curse was even stronger than the one the Tail-fire Tiger had defeated; it was a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit!
The reason for the Grade 1 Curse's sudden descent was the fierce battle taking place on the school rooftop. A horde of Curses of various grades completely surrounded the rooftop. Standing in the center of the siege was a black-haired boy in an ancient martial arts stance.
"Stone Break!"
After cleanly punching through a Grade 2 Curse, a dog-like Grade 1 Cursed Spirit lunged at Seiya's side. As it opened its maw, preparing to swallow Seiya along with the Sukuna finger he carried, Seiya braced his hands against the Curse's upper and lower jaws.
ZZZzzzzzz—!
Foul-smelling saliva dripped to the ground, its corrosive power instantly leaving holes in the asphalt and emitting white smoke. As the canine Curse used its massive size to completely pin Seiya down, Seiya rolled with the force, counter-attacking with a kick to its abdomen that sent the massive creature flying off the roof!