"You little brat—itching for a beating, huh?"
Jinsuke glared at the girl making faces at him. He dropped the massive stone from his shoulder and started toward Mai with the look of a demon ready to pounce.
"If I don't tan your hide today, you'll never understand why roses are red."
The kid had gotten way too bold lately—still baring her teeth at him like that?
"Ah! Sis, help me!"
"Oof!"
Mai tried to bolt, only to crash into someone. She stumbled and landed on the ground with a thud.
Rubbing her head, she looked up—and froze. Standing right in front of her was Naoya Zenin, the one who'd made her and Maki's lives miserable more times than she could count. Her face drained of color. Panicking, she scrambled up and ran straight for Jinsuke, clutching his leg for dear life.
Compared to Naoya, who actually bullied them, Jinsuke just liked to scare her.
Naoya glanced at the twins, a flicker of jealousy flashing in his eyes.
Why did those useless sisters get to hang around Cousin Jinsuke like that?
The next second, his gaze landed on Jinsuke himself.
Jinsuke looked him up and down, trying to place the face.
"G-Good afternoon, Brother Jinsuke! I'm Naoya Zenin. The clan head sent me to deliver a message—Jujutsu High's arranged a mission for you. He said you can decide whether or not to accept it."
Hands trembling, Naoya held out the paper. His eyes gleamed with manic reverence.
That look—yeah, that was the one. Terrified and in awe. Just the way it should be before Jinsuke.
"A mission?" Jinsuke raised an eyebrow.
Already? He'd only been drawing a salary for a year—couldn't they let him slack a little longer?
Ignoring Naoya's weird expression, he took the document and gave it a quick scan.
"Heh."
"Interesting."
"Got it. You can head back now."
Jinsuke waved him off, finally remembering who the kid was—Naobito's son.
Right, this one was Toji's little fanboy, wasn't he? If he remembered correctly.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Naoya spun around and hurried off, walking stiffly like a puppet. His heart was pounding—he'd actually spoken with Brother Jinsuke!
That alone was enough to make him dizzy with excitement.
Once Naoya was gone, Mai let out a sigh of relief—only to be lifted clean off the ground by one big hand.
"Ahhh—Cousin, I was wrong!"
Her legs kicked helplessly in the air as she pressed her fingers together, face full of remorse.
Smack!
"Next time you try to act cute with me, it won't end this easily."
Jinsuke flicked her forehead, then set her down.
Mai clutched her forehead, eyes welling up—not from hurt feelings, but from how much it actually hurt.
After scolding her, Jinsuke finally turned his attention to the mission from Jujutsu High.
Apparently, he was supposed to take two students on an exorcism assignment.
Was this a joke?
Still, he didn't turn it down.
For one, he'd been mooching off Jujutsu High's salary for a year. A bit of actual work might keep things balanced. And the job was simple enough, with decent pay to boot.
He'd just have to supervise while the students handled everything. If things went sideways, he'd step in to keep them alive—easy money.
Besides, someone's birthday was coming up. He could use the cash for a gift—and to visit his niece and nephew.
The next morning, he threw on a simple black shirt and white pants, three rods strapped to his waist, and headed out for Jujutsu High.
At the school gates, two figures had already been waiting for some time.
"What's taking him so long? Don't tell me he ditched us?"
Riko Amanai crouched by the roadside, fiddling with a stalk of foxtail grass, bored out of her mind.
"He'll come."
Beside her stood Kento Nanami, posture perfect, eyes half-lidded. Even as a student, he carried himself like an exhausted office worker.
"Looks like it's you two."
Jinsuke's voice came out of nowhere, and when they turned, he was already standing beside them.
Nanami's lazy gaze sharpened instantly.
When did he get here?!
He hadn't sensed a thing—and he was practically a Grade 1 Sorcerer already. After this mission, he was expected to be promoted for real. Yet this man had slipped right past his senses.
"Ah! It's you!" Riko shot up to her feet, eyes wide. "Y-you're our instructor for this mission?"
Jinsuke tilted his head, looking her over. "You again, huh? The blossoming schoolgirl."
"You became a sorcerer?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. Star Plasma Vessels weren't supposed to awaken Cursed Techniques, right? Well—there were always exceptions. Like that weirdo, Yuki Tsukumo.
"Hmph! Of course I did! A Special Grade Sorcerer helped me awaken my Cursed Technique—pretty amazing, right?" Riko puffed up proudly.
She'd originally planned to live a normal life with Kuroi, but Gojo and Geto had insisted on bringing her back to Jujutsu High. They didn't trust that the Star Religious Group had truly given up.
Later, through a strange twist of fate, Yuki Tsukumo helped her awaken her technique—and from then on, Riko took her first steps as a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
"Oh."
That was all Jinsuke said before glancing at Nanami.
"I'm Kento Nanami, sir, and you are…?"
Nanami didn't recognize him. He'd met most of Jujutsu High's instructors, but he'd never seen this man before.
"Jinsuke Zenin."
"I knew it!" Riko jumped in again. "You're the brother of that guy who tried to assassinate me, right? Gojo and Geto told me all about it!"
"You did your homework." Jinsuke's tone was dry. "Anyway, let's move. And just so we're clear—I'm only here to lead the team. No matter what happens, don't factor my strength into your plans. I'll only step in one second before you die."
"Yeah, yeah, we got it! You make it sound like we can't handle ourselves!" Riko huffed, then trailed off, her expression dimming.
If it weren't for Haibara and Geto's deaths, they wouldn't even need a supervisor.
Jinsuke noticed but said nothing, simply turning toward their destination. He could guess what she was thinking.
Haibara's death had made Jujutsu High extra cautious. Even a routine exorcism of a Grade 2 Curse could go wrong—sometimes catastrophically.
Their target was a remote village where, according to reports, eerie noises echoed every night—like beasts tearing something apart. By morning, several villagers would be missing.
The initial assessment: a Curse, no higher than Grade 1.
It wasn't long before the trio reached the sparsely populated village. With daylight left to spare, Riko and Nanami decided to question the locals.
"Excuse me, ma'am! Could you tell us about the strange things happening around here lately?" Riko called to an old woman lounging under a tree.
"Huh?" The old woman blinked at her, confused.
"Strange things! Granny, have you noticed anything weird going on lately?" Riko raised her voice.
"Oh, I already ate, dear. Thank you though."
"…Huh?"
"I said strange things! Like monsters or weird noises!"
"Oh, I see." The old woman's face softened with pity. "You poor thing… lost your parents so young. But it's okay—life goes on. Look at me, all alone at my age and still doing fine."
Her gentle smile radiated grandmotherly compassion.
"…Pfft."
Leaning against the doorway, Jinsuke couldn't hold back a laugh.
Nanami quickly turned his back to hide his own.
"Ugh, forget it!" Riko stomped her foot, cheeks puffed. "We'll just wait until night and deal with it then!"
So much for being proactive. She'd just been completely outplayed—by a sweet, slightly deaf old lady.
Damn that Curse. She was going to tear it to pieces for this humiliation.