[ 10:00 PM, Tokyo Jujutsu High Dorms ]
I returned to the dorms after finishing my first training session, feeling a lingering sense of unpleasantness and suspicion.
As I trudged down the hallway, I spotted a familiar shock of white hair about to duck into the room next to mine. It was Satoru Gojo.
"Yo, Zenin. Where've you been? You vanished without a sound after class."
Gojo leaned against his doorframe, asking with a look of bored curiosity.
"Just went to a dojo the clan elders recommended. I'm sure you've heard of it—the New Shadow Style."
"Ah, I've heard of it. Is it any good? Should I check it out too?"
As Gojo showed interest, I wagged my finger, signaling a hard pass.
"No, no. Absolutely not. Those shady bastards were buttering me up like crazy because I'm a 'guest from the Zenin Clan,' but they didn't teach me a single important technique. I spent the whole day just clashing wooden swords."
"Heh~ Is that so?"
"Maybe I'm just being sensitive, or maybe they're just wary because it's my first day as a guest. But you know that feeling, right? That suffocating, elitist atmosphere you get when you're stuck in a room with the clan geezers."
At my analogy, Gojo adjusted his sunglasses and clapped his hands in realization.
"I think I get it. That annoying vibe where every conversation hits a wall, and they're clearly full of shit but keep acting all formal and polite?"
"Exactly! See, this is why I can talk to you. We both come from the same shitty Big Three Families."
I nodded vigorously and let out a deep sigh.
"Anyway, it's not a place worth visiting."
"...Wait a minute!"
Suddenly, Gojo pointed a finger at me, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Are you just badmouthing it so you can get stronger all by yourself? That's veeeery suspicious~"
"Good grief, give me a break. Fine, if you don't believe me, come see for yourself. I'm going to stick it out for another week just out of respect for the clan's recommendation, but if they keep running things like a bunch of boomers and don't pass down any techniques? I'm quitting on the spot."
Gojo finally chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"If you're going that far, I believe you. Well, once you learn something, give me and Suguru a heads-up. Good things should be shared, right? New Shadow Style: Simple Domain—it's pretty famous, after all."
"They're trying their hardest not to teach me that damn Simple Domain, you idiot."
I turned my doorknob and smirked.
"If they really refuse to teach me, I'll just teach you a bootleg 'Hachiro-style Simple Domain,' so just sit tight and wait."
**
[ 5 Days Later ]
Following my initial plan to quit if there was no progress after a week, I visited the New Shadow Style dojo today with a mix of resignation and stubbornness.
"Hup! Ryaaah!"
But as expected, there wasn't a single word about Simple Domain or advanced Cursed Energy applications. It was just the same repetitive routine of sweating and clacking wooden swords.
Fortunately, Kusakabe-san was actively acting as my sparring partner, so I was gaining some experience in interpersonal combat. However, sparring with the other disciples was completely devoid of tension. Their movements were predictable, lacking any competitive spirit—just following a pre-set choreography.
"Everyone, attention!"
"Yes!"
"Yes, Head Instructor!"
The sound of clashing swords stopped as the Head Instructor commanded the room's focus. Standing beside him was a strange old man leaning on a cane.
"Ho ho, it is good to see you all."
I watched the scene from a distance and whispered to Kusakabe.
"Who's that guy standing next to the Head Instructor? He doesn't look like a martial artist coming here to train. Honestly, he looks like he's easily over a hundred. I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped dead tomorrow."
"That is Mr. Ryuzo Ogata. He runs a small business nearby. He has a deep personal connection with the Head Instructor... so he visits the dojo from time to time."
"Ah, I see."
'What? A small business owner? Are you kidding me? Why are they bringing a non-sorcerer into a dojo strictly for jujutsu sorcerers?'
"Now, resume training!"
Clack! Snap!
I began clashing wooden swords with Kusakabe again.
"Assistant Instructor Atsuya, don't you think this is weird?"
Clack!
Kusakabe deflected my Iai strike with his wooden sword and responded calmly.
"What do you mean?"
"Every single disciple of the New Shadow Style here is a sorcerer. Does it make sense to bring a random non-sorcerer into this secret training ground?"
"How could I know the Head Instructor's intentions? It's not that strange, is it?"
It's definitely strange, you moron! Even with a bit of self-importance mixed in, they're being this secretive with me—someone from a prestigious family—yet they let a non-sorcerer shopkeeper hang out in this secret training hall? And all these disciples are just accepting it without a single complaint?
Logically, this didn't add up.
"Lord Hachiro, over here for a moment."
Just as my suspicions were spiraling, the Head Instructor standing in the distance beckoned me.
I lowered my wooden sword and approached him.
"I've heard from the disciples that you have quite a deep interest in our New Shadow Style's secret technique, the Simple Domain."
The Head Instructor brought up the main topic with a benevolent smile.
"Why don't you move beyond being a clan guest and formally enroll as a disciple of our dojo?"
It was a sudden proposal. But it was also one I didn't welcome at all.
"This is too sudden. I'll have to discuss enrollment with my main family before making a decision. And..."
I gestured with my chin toward the old man, Ryuzo Ogata, and continued.
"There's an outsider here who has nothing to do with the dojo. Isn't it a bit early to discuss secret techniques?"
The Head Instructor's smile stiffened slightly.
"That is not for you to worry about. Besides, I believe right now is the most appropriate time for you to enroll."
The one who broke the sharp tension in the dojo was, unexpectedly, Ryuzo Ogata.
"Ho ho, did this old man unintentionally interrupt the conversation? Everyone, don't get your blood up. Calm down. Here, I brought some wagashi from my shop. Everyone, please, have one."
The old man held out a worn-out box filled with yokan and mochi with his wrinkled hands.
"...Wagashi?"
I picked up a piece of mochi and chewed it casually. The moment the sweetness spread through my mouth—
'Pfft!'
I barely managed to suppress a scoff that almost burst out.
This old geezer just dug his own grave. I was struggling to place his face, but the moment the clue 'wagashi shop' was thrown in, his forgotten identity clicked into place like a puzzle piece.
With a much softer expression, I bowed toward the Head Instructor.
"I think I was being too rude. Before I formally enroll, may I have the honor of witnessing your swordsmanship firsthand? Of course, so that Elder Ryuzo here can watch as well."
"Ho. That shouldn't be a problem."
"Ah! And if possible, I'd like to use real swords instead of wooden ones. I want to clearly show the disciples my prized blade, the Cursed Blade Muramasa."
The Head Instructor's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Very well! I shall also bring out my own prized weapon for the first time in a while."
**
I stood facing the Head Instructor with some distance between us. Despite his old and small stature, his posture while holding the sword felt as solid and massive as a mountain. I guess a martial artist is still a martial artist, even if they've rotted inside.
The New Shadow Style disciples surrounded us, watching with bated breath.
Unusually, Ryuzo Ogata was chosen to give the starting signal. He claimed it had been his lifelong dream to shout the start of a match in a dojo.
"Hajime (Begin)!"
As soon as Ryuzo's signal dropped, the Head Instructor and I both stepped back to widen the distance, as if by agreement.
The difference was that I had already drawn my sword, while the Head Instructor took a low, focused Iai stance.
My gaze fixed on the subtle tremors in the Head Instructor's shoulders and lower body muscles.
'I learned this through my body by getting beaten to a pulp by Kusakabe-san. The unique combat style and distance of the New Shadow Style.'
Holding my sword with one hand, I took a large step forward and lunged.
'This is the range of the New Shadow Style Iai. The moment you cross this line, a New Shadow swordsman reflexively unleashes a draw-and-slash!'
My prediction was spot on. The Head Instructor's eyes snapped open as he drew his real sword like a bolt of lightning.
Shring—!
The moment the blade rushed toward my throat—
I coated my empty left hand with the Positive Energy of the Reverse Cursed Technique, reached into the air, and gripped the flying blade barehanded!
"...?!"
The Head Instructor's eyes shook with horror. Despite grabbing a sharpened steel blade with my bare hand, my left hand didn't shed a single drop of blood.
Just as he desperately tried to pull his sword back, I slashed my own blade down vertically.
Shlick—!!
"Aaaaaaaagh!! What—what have you done!!"
The Head Instructor's right wrist flew through the air and thumped onto the floor. Along with his scream, blood sprayed across the dojo floor like a fountain.
"W-What is this…!"
"Lord Hachiro!! What are you doing!"
"Head Instructor!! Are you alright?!"
"Stop the bleeding, quickly! Get bandages!!"
The disciples, who had been watching in silence, all leapt to their feet at once.
In the middle of the chaotic sparring ground, I reached down and picked up the Head Instructor's sword, which was still gripped by his severed hand on the floor.
Schwing.
Muramasa in my right hand, the Head Instructor's sword in my left.
Spreading my arms wide with both blades like a praying mantis, I growled.
"Don't move. If any of you bastards take even a single step, I'll split you in half right here."
At my warning, which dripped with bloodlust, the instructors and disciples froze, unable to rush forward.
However, they still had their hands on their weapons as if ready to pour out an attack at any moment, and a few had already prepared to deploy their Simple Domains despite their panic.
Taking advantage of that chaos, I saw the hunched back of the old man, Ryuzo Ogata, scurrying toward the door in the corner of my vision.
"Freeze!! I told you not to twitch a single finger."
Clang! Clatter—!
I dropped both swords onto the floor without hesitation.
Then, I raised both hands and locked them together into a single hand sign.
"Domain Expansion (領域展開)."