The moment Yuta slumped in total defeat, mumbling for Gojo to take him back, golden sparks tore open right beside him.
He didn't even flinch this time.
"…I knew it."
The Ancient One stepped through the gate with her usual calm expression, though a small approving nod was clearly visible.
"Impressive effort, young man"
she said. "But power without a proper foundation is just as dangerous as the enemy. Come. Your first true lesson in the mystic arts begins now."
Yuta didn't move.
"…I just got beat up."
"You are not injured."
"That's not the point."
She simply waited.
Silence stretched for a few seconds before Yuta let out a long, tired sigh and pushed himself to his feet.
Gojo still standing over Yuta's exhausted form, waved lazily as he picked Megumi up by the collar. "Have fun with the textbooks, kid. I'll be waiting when you're ready for actual training."
Yuta gave him a flat look
"…I hope you trip."
Gojo grinned. "I don't do that stuff, I am too good for that."
.
Yuta turned and walked into the portal.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
They arrived in a quiet chamber deep within Kamar-Taj. The room held only a low wooden table covered in thick scrolls and stacks of heavy books.
"…Where's the training?"
The Ancient One gestured for him to sit beside her. "Your first lesson will not involve any spells or magic as you might have hoped."
That was the moment his soul started to leave his body yet he sat anyway, probably because he had no say in the matter.
She picked up a thick book and presented it to the boy. "Mathematics and physics are the foundation of everything including magic.
While Earth may lag behind the rest of the universe in some areas, sorcerers throughout history have acquired advanced knowledge, whether from lost civilizations or even visitors from other worlds… like Superman and Omni-Man."
Yuta nodded absentmindedly at first, trying to keep up until the last part hit him like a truck. His eyes widened in complete shock.
"
"…I'm sorry—what?"
Seeing his reaction, the Ancient One shook her head, as if she had expected it. "Your surprise is understandable. Your knowledge of this world is still quite limited."
Yuta slapped his forehead, took a deep breath, and asked the question that had been haunting him since they first met.
"How much do you know about me…?"
The Ancient One smiled gently. She raised her hand, and a glowing purple-pinkish orb materialized between them.
"You possess a very powerful soul, clearly from a higher existence. As someone tasked with protecting this world, I made sure you were not a threat to it."
The orb shifted, showing hazy images of an older version of him around seventeen or eighteen .
standing with a group of people his age. For some reason, their faces remained blurred and indistinct.
"You used the Time Stone…"Yuta whispered as gears started spinning in his mind
The ancient one nodded. "Correct. Using the Time Stone, I saw fragments of your future. You become a kind man who loves protecting others to the point where you are counted among Earth's mightiest heroes."
Yuta looked at her as if she had said something absurd. "Why would I become a hero? I don't have what it takes to throw my life away for others."
"Trying to blame yourself for things outside your control will not change your true nature."she replied softly. "You will always have the heart of a hero."
Her words cut deep. He still carried the heavy guilt of both his families' suffering believing it was entirely his fault.
Anger rose in his chest. Cursed energy flooded his veins. This woman didn't know anything. She had no right to tell him what was right or wrong.
He wanted to scream, to shout, to let the rage out. But he couldn't. Maybe because deep down he knew it wouldn't change anything … or because some part of him recognized the truth in her words.
.
Yuta slumped back down, the anger slowly draining away. His thoughts shifted to the one thing that truly mattered right now.
Rika.
Taking deep breaths, he forced his muscles to relax and reached for the first book that caught his attention. At least he had been good at math and physics before. It shouldn't be that hard to understand this stuff… right?
The next several hours blurred into a grueling marathon of study. The Ancient One explained concepts with calm precision, occasionally demonstrating small mystic constructs to illustrate her points.
Yuta took notes furiously, his brain struggling to keep up with the advanced theory. The boredom made it worse, he kept catching his mind wandering back to his battle with gojo.
Yet, as the lesson wore on, patterns began to emerge. The flow of dimensional energy reminded him of cursed energy circulation. The mathematical models for stability echoed the logic of a non-linear System.
The Ancient One leaned forward, her voice taking on a deeper, more solemn tone as she moved into the core of the lesson.
"Now we come to soul theory the most delicate and dangerous branch of the mystic arts. In the simplest terms, the soul is not merely the 'self' or consciousness. It is the fundamental blueprint of existence. In jujutsu terms, it is the wellspring from which cursed energy flows. In the mystic arts, it is the anchor that binds spirit to matter across dimensions."
She traced a glowing sigil in the air. It shimmered, then split into three overlapping layers.
"Body. Mind. Soul. These three are intertwined but distinct. Damage to the body can be healed with reverse cursed technique or mystic restoration. Damage to the mind can be shielded or repaired through mental disciplines. But the soul…
once fractured, it resists repair . In the mystic arts, we approach it differently through resonance with powerful creatures, purification, and careful reconstruction we gain the ability to interact with our souls."
Yuta's pen stopped moving as he leaned in, fully attentive now.
The Ancient One continued. "Cursed spirits like Rika are souls twisted by overwhelming negative emotion. They are not 'dead' in the conventional sense.
they are trapped in a perpetual cycle of grief and rage. The soul rejects its own humanity because the pain has become its defining shape. Restoring humanity requires not forcing change, but gently reintroducing balance replacing corrupted cursed energy with purer forms, such as mana, while reinforcing the original soul's core memories and identity."
Yuta's mind raced with ideas as inspiration hit him.
"So… if I could create microscopic swords blades smaller than cells, small enough to exist inside a cursed spirit's form with attributes that passively generate reverse cursed energy when damaged… or that filter out negative emotions… could I use them as anchors? Stash them inside Rika, or even inside myself as a bridge, to slowly stabilize her?"
The Ancient One regarded him for a long moment, her eyes reflecting both caution and respect.
"Your instinct is sound. The soul is malleable, especially when bound so tightly to another, as Rika is to you. Microscopic constructs could act as internal stabilizers introducing restorative energy at the cellular and spiritual level. Swords infused with pure mana could gradually dilute the corrosive curse that defines her."
She raised a warning hand. "But hear this clearly, Yuta. Soul work is perilous. One misaligned blade could shatter her further, turning her into something far worse than a vengeful spirit.
You would need mastery of soul resonance, precise scale control, and an unbreakable understanding of her original self the girl she was before the curse took root."
Yuta's grip tightened on the scroll, determination hardening his features. "She's not just a curse to me. She's… family. The only one I haven't completely failed yet. I have to try everything I can."
The Ancient One's expression softened, just for a fraction of a second.
"Then you will need a stronger foundation than most. We will continue the lessons. And when you are ready, we will explore this idea together carefully."
Yuta exhaled slowly, a spark of purpose cutting through the earlier exhaustion and boredom. The theory still felt like torture, but now it had direction.
"Again."he said, pushing the scroll back toward her. "Let's go over the convergence equation one more time… and then soul resonance."
The Ancient One allowed herself the faintest smile.
"Very well."