On the Tokyo Jujutsu High track in May, three vibrant young men sprinted at speeds that pushed the limits of human ability.
Even more astonishing, there were numerous obstacles scattered across the track.
Yet despite that, Yu Haibara, Kento Nanami, and Ieiri Kiyotaka still ran at unimaginable speeds.
Was it because the three of them were exceptionally gifted?
No.
The reason was that a colorful, ferocious Tiger Funeral was right behind them, its jaws wide open, aiming for their rears.
"Keep it up. You still have two more laps left for today's training."
At the edge of the track, Toji, Eichi, and Shoko sat on the steps near the entrance.
"Why, huff huff, do we have to do this, huff, Senpai?"
Ieiri Kiyotaka, the one with the weakest stamina among the three, was already gasping for breath and could barely speak coherently.
But he was still pushing forward.
Because the Tiger Funeral chasing him was really trying to bite.
In its most recent lunge, Kiyotaka could even feel its breath on his back.
"Speed and agility are crucial in combat. Oh, don't worry, even if your rear gets bitten off, Shoko will patch you up. Guaranteed to be soft and smooth."
Eichi cupped his hands like a megaphone and shouted.
"Ugh, gross. I'm definitely not healing a boy's butt."
Shoko waved her hand as if swatting away a fly.
However, her voice wasn't loud enough for the three running on the track to hear her.
'Young Miss Shoko placing her hands on my...'
A vivid image flashed through Kiyotaka's mind.
Shoko, dressed in a nurse's uniform, stood by the bed, gently applying Reverse Cursed Technique to heal the bite marks on his rear.
"Does it still hurt, Kiyotaka-kun?"
"Not at all."
...As he imagined the scene, Kiyotaka let out an inexplicable chuckle, and then his fantasy crumbled.
"Wah-ooh."
Thud.
As mentioned earlier, various obstacles had been placed on the track. Lost in his daydream, Kiyotaka tripped over one due to his lack of focus.
"Ah, Ieiri-kun!"
Haibara immediately turned around, trying to help.
"Don't look back!"
Nanami grabbed Haibara's hand.
"Ieiri-kun will be fine."
Nanami's voice carried a strange sense of conviction. In that moment, Haibara felt like he wasn't looking at a classmate, but a calm, reliable adult.
"Compared to him, we're in greater danger. If we stop, Senpai will definitely knock us out."
Nanami didn't know why Eichi had suddenly arranged this special training.
But he had a hunch that the main targets were himself and Haibara. Kiyotaka was just collateral.
"One person out."
Eichi pulled out a sign from who knows where.
A big "OUT" was written on it.
The shadow beneath Kiyotaka started to flow, carrying the panting and immobile boy to Shoko's side.
"You already used a technique. Why not just use Round Deer from the start?"
Shoko complained, but her hands were already moving.
Her clean hands pressed against Kiyotaka's sweat-soaked clothes, and the Reverse Cursed Technique began healing his injuries.
'Ah, it's Young Miss Shoko. How blissful.'
Instantly, Kiyotaka felt all his effort had been worth it.
Eichi looked at Kiyotaka's face, now filled with bliss, and nodded.
His goal was to put his juniors through hellish training to build them up, not to torment them, so the necessary care and rewards had to be in place.
And for Kiyotaka, who secretly admired Shoko, receiving her attention after suffering through intense training was the best reward.
"Huff, huff, done. Done."
Haibara and Nanami collapsed on the ground in a spread-eagle position after finishing the last two laps.
Eichi immediately summoned Round Deer to heal the two of them.
"Toji, I'll leave Round Deer here. Make sure to train them well in martial arts."
Nanami: ...
Haibara: !!!
Kiyotaka: ???
Right now, they all wanted to scream, "Murder!" or "Help!"
They truly wanted to quit, but Toji had plenty of ways to make them take it seriously.
"Why the sudden special training?"
Shoko sat on the steps, wiping her hands with a tissue.
"Kiyotaka's just a bonus. The main ones are Nanami and Haibara. I want them to reach a level where they can deal with Grade 1 Cursed Spirits as soon as possible."
Upon hearing that, Shoko's movements stopped.
"That's impossible. Making them capable of handling a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit in such a short time?"
Shoko looked at Eichi with some surprise.
"True. But I don't intend for them to exorcise a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit alone like Grade 2 sorcerers. I just want them to have the strength to protect themselves when facing one."
Eichi replied with a smile.
"I've also prepared a few trump cards for them."
"What, cursed tools?"
Shoko was a little curious.
"Yeah, I had the lab order some equipment for them. If they land a hit, even a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit won't get off easy."
"I see."
Shoko seemed to understand something.
Eichi had Satoru and Suguru keep the future knowledge secret from the Jujutsu world.
But Shoko wasn't part of that secrecy.
So she caught on.
'Will those two encounter a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit this year...'
Shoko, who had initially thought Eichi's training was a bit over the top, no longer objected.
Compared to their lives, what did a little suffering matter?
Eichi noticed the change in her expression.
He also understood that Shoko had picked up on what he was trying to convey.
Because he didn't know exactly when it would happen, Eichi couldn't always be by their side as a bodyguard.
So, he chose to directly give them the ability to fight against a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
For that, he made preparations in three areas.
First, weapons capable of harming Cursed Spirits.
Eichi had the lab create a whole box of tools that could injure even Grade 1 Cursed Spirits, regardless of cost.
As Jujutsu sorcerers, Nanami and Haibara could react during combat, but the gap in power was too wide. Reaction alone wasn't enough.
But if they had weapons that could actually harm Cursed Spirits, it would change everything. It would give them a chance to escape or even win.
Second, combat enhancement.
Life-and-death situations cause rapid growth.
Toji's killing intent and punches that you'd never want to take twice would make their bodies remember the feeling of real battle and naturally take the most optimal actions.
Lastly, escape.
That's right, escape. If it was too dangerous, running away was fine. Life was more important.
Eichi recalled a story from his past life. He didn't know if it was real, but it gave him inspiration.
In a cycling race in Canada, a young man took first place with an exceptional performance.
But since his previous results were poor, the organizers suspected foul play.
They did all kinds of tests, thinking he used drugs.
Eventually, the young man, unable to bear it, told them to check the race footage.
It turned out he was chased by a bear for half the course.
That fear pushed him to break through his limits, while the second-place cyclist slowed down, afraid of provoking the bear.
The young man, driven by survival, not only took first place but broke several records.
Even if the story wasn't true, Eichi took it as inspiration.
So his escape training involved having Tiger Funeral chase them relentlessly.
If they could escape from Tiger Funeral, then running from a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit wouldn't be a problem.
(To be continued.)
***
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