Curse Returns: Eight Extraordinary Skills? I lack nothing.

“Brother,” she suddenly said.

"Ok?"

"Next time... take me with you." Qiong's voice was soft but earnest. "I'm very strong now. The 'threads' of the Void Fate Technique can help you sense things, interfere with enemies, and even teleport you."

Yuuto paused slightly as he cut the tamagoyaki. He turned around and looked at his younger sister, who was sitting on a high stool with a serious expression.

The sixteen-year-old girl only reached his chest, so slender she seemed like a gust of wind could blow her over, but the light in her red eyes was unwavering. He knew that Qiong was telling the truth.

In the past six months at the vocational college, her aerial acrobatics have improved rapidly, even making Maki feel troubled in actual combat drills.

Gojo Satoru privately commented: "Kyo's techniques have a very high growth potential. If developed properly, they will be no worse than Megumi's ten shadow techniques in the future."

but.....

“No.” Yuuto turned around and continued plating the tamagoyaki, his voice calm but undeniable, “Your battlefield is not here.”

"Why?" Qiong frowned slightly, placing the milk glass on her lap. "I can help. I don't want to always be protected and just wait at home."

“When you grow a little older, when you fully master the technique, when you…” Yuuto stopped talking, placed the fried tamagoyaki, miso soup, and rice balls on the small table in front of her, then sat down opposite her, looking her in the eye. “Sora, I fight so that you, and many others, can not have to fight, and can wait at home in peace. This is your brother’s responsibility, and it is also your brother’s choice.”

Kyō pursed her lips, remaining silent, only poking at the tamagoyaki on her plate with her fork. Yūto knew she hadn't been convinced, but he also knew she wouldn't continue arguing—it was an unspoken understanding between them. When she showed this expression, it meant she was temporarily reserving her opinion, but would strive to become stronger in her own way, until her brother couldn't refuse her.

He reached out and ruffled her hair: "Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Qiong then picked up her fork and began to eat in small bites. Yuuto also served himself a portion, and the two sat facing each other, quietly enjoying their belated breakfast in the morning light. The maple leaves outside the window rustled in the wind, and koi carp stirred up delicate ripples in the water bowl. The smoke of battle, the clash of domains, and the roars of cursed spirits seemed to be kept out of this warm morning.

This is the daily routine he desperately wants to protect.

Afternoon visitors and the noise of the training ground

After breakfast, Kyō was sent back to her room by Yūto to catch up on sleep.

She clearly didn't sleep well last night. Yuuto herself took a quick shower, changed into some loose loungewear, and tackled the pile of tasks in her study.

First was the mission report. Although Gojo Satoru had said he could finish it later, Yuuto was used to completing it as quickly as possible. He opened his laptop, accessed the Director's Department's encrypted system, and began writing a detailed report on the Aomori mission.

The description focuses on the abnormal evolution of Hua Yu's abilities, speculating that it may be related to the transformation of the flower's body into a magical creature. This transformation is attributed to the unusual evolution of the flower's magical body, which is described as a transformation of the flower's magical body into a magical creature. The description further suggests that the flower's magical body may be related to the transformation of the flower's magical body into a magical creature, which is described as a transformation of the flower's magical body into a magical creature. The description also ...

After submitting the report, he checked the points panel. The total points from the Aomori battle, combined with those from the previous Yamanbagiri battle, had exceeded a certain threshold.

He pulled up the exchange list for the "Eight Extraordinary Skills," his gaze lingering on several options. The potential of the Divine Refinement Technique hadn't been fully explored, the high-level rune arrays of the Heavenly Talisman required time to study, and the "Spirit Subjugation" technique of Spirit Binding could be refined to a higher level… But his next major goal already had a vague direction in mind. He just needed more points, and… a suitable opportunity.

There was a gentle knock on the study door.

"Enter."

The door opened, and Miwa Kasumi walked in carrying a tray. She had changed out of her assistant supervisor uniform and was wearing a light blue knitted cardigan and beige trousers. Her sky-blue hair was loosely tied in a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks. She looked less capable than usual and more gentle and domestic.

"It's springtime, so I've made some tea and some wagashi (Japanese sweets)." She placed the tray on the corner of the desk, her voice soft. On the tray were delicate white porcelain teaware and a small dish of cherry blossom-shaped sweets.

"Thank you." Yuuto closed his laptop, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his temples. The continuous high-intensity battles and report writing had indeed taken their toll on his mental well-being.

Miwa Kasumi sat down opposite him and poured him tea. Her movements were elegant and fluid, clearly showing she had received a good upbringing—despite her humble origins, certain manners were ingrained in her as a successor of the Shinkage-ryu school. The tea was clear and bright, with a delicate, wafting aroma.

"How's the aftermath in Aomori going?" Kasumi Miwa asked softly, her eyes filled with concern. Although she hadn't directly participated in the battle, as Yuuto's temporary recorder, she had a clear understanding of the mission's dangers.

"The cleanup team is handling it, so it's not a big problem." Youren took the teacup, took a sip, and the warm tea soothed his throat. "But you, you've had a hard time this time, running around with me."

“It’s what I should do.” Miwa Kasumi lowered her head slightly, her ears turning a little red. She was always like this, unable to accept too much gratitude. “Besides, it’s my honor to be able to learn from Mr. Kasuga.”

Yuuto smiled and said nothing more. He knew Miwa Kasumi's character: earnest, responsible, and a little too naive, but that was precisely what made her so precious.

He recalled the first time he met her; she was so nervous she couldn't speak coherently, praising him for being much more handsome than in the photos. Time flies.

The two drank tea quietly for a while and chatted about trivial matters. Miwa Kasumi talked about the recent situation of her two younger brothers. The older one had begun to take an interest in magic, while the younger one was still in elementary school, mischievous but sensible.

Yuuto briefly mentioned Qiong's situation at school: her academic performance remained top-notch, and her practical skills showed significant improvement, but physical education remained a major challenge.

“Kyū relies on you a lot,” Miwa Kasumi suddenly said.

“Yes, it’s been like this since she was little.” Yuuto looked at the tea leaves floating in the cup. “I promised to protect her.”

“You did a great job,” Miwa Kasumi said sincerely. “Many people envy Miss Sora for having a brother like you.”

Yuuto glanced at her but didn't reply.

Some topics are best left unmentioned.

In the afternoon, Yuto set off for Kyoto College. He had some matters to discuss in person with Principal Rakuganji, mainly concerning the follow-up training arrangements for the FART Special Task Force in the Hida Mountains, as well as the response manual for "highly concealed/rule-based cursed spirits" summarized from the Aomori incident, which needed to be distributed to offices in various regions.

The architectural style of Kyoto College is more ancient and solemn than that of the Tokyo campus.

Yuuto walked through the long corridor and arrived at the principal's office. Yoshinobu Rakuganji—the old man with the stern face and electric guitar—was already waiting inside.

The two had a brief exchange on official business. Rakuganji expressed his approval of the training plan and response manual proposed by Yuto and promised to promote its implementation as soon as possible.

"In addition," Rakuganji put down the documents in his hand and looked at Yuuto, "Gojo Satoru sent a message telling you to 'go to the Tokyo campus when you have time,' saying that 'those younger ones need to be given a talking-to.'"

Yuuto raised an eyebrow. That sounded like something Gojo Satoru would say. He could roughly guess who it was—those first-year students at the Tokyo school.

Itadori, Fushiguro, Kugizaki, and Junpei may have hit a plateau in their training recently, or gotten into some trouble and need some "external stimulation".

"Okay, I'll go check it out in a couple of days," Yuuto replied.

After leaving the principal's office, he did not go back immediately, but instead took a detour to the training ground.

On the training ground of the Kyoto school, several groups of students were practicing. Yuuto leaned against a pillar in the corridor, watching quietly.

The most eye-catching group was led by Noriyuki Kamo. The young patriarch of the Kamo family was instructing several second-year students in the basic training of "Crimson Blood Technique".

His movements were meticulous, and his explanations were clear, but there was always an unshakeable sense of pressure between his brows. After the Kamo family purge, Kenki was forced to shoulder the burden of the family ahead of schedule, and this precociousness reminded Yuuto of a certain urchin-haired boy who was also forced to grow up.

"Pay attention to controlling blood flow. Too fast and the procedure will go out of control; too slow and it won't be powerful enough." Xianji's voice was steady, but fine beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

"Kamo." Yuuto said.

Kenji turned his head, saw Yuuto, and bowed slightly: "Lord Kasuga".

Chapter 168 Training

"Come to my office after training," Yu Ren said. "I need to talk to you about something."

Xianji nodded in agreement, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Yuuto continued his walk around the training ground. He saw Machine Maru—or now, Yuuki—sitting in a wheelchair, instructing several students on how to adjust a simple barrier artifact. Yuuki's complexion was rosier than before, and although he still couldn't move freely, his eyes had a new light in them. Seeing Yuuto approach, he tried to turn his wheelchair to bow, but Yuuto waved him off.

How are you feeling?

"I feel much better, thank you for what you did back then..." Kokichi's voice was low, filled with gratitude.

Yuuto didn't let him finish: "Living well is the best way to thank me."

He patted Kokichi on the shoulder and continued walking.

In a corner of the training field, he saw a familiar figure.

Momo Nishimiya was hovering in mid-air on a broomstick, instructing several first-year students on aerial maneuvering training. She was wearing a vocational high school uniform, and her long orange hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, swaying gently with her movements.

“Nishinomiya,” Yuuto called out.

Momo looked down and saw him, her eyes lighting up as she deftly landed on her broom. "Yuto! When did you get back?"

"Good morning." Yuuto looked at her. "I've completed my mission, so I came to check on things."

Xigong Tao jumped off the broom and walked up to him. She had grown a little taller than she had six months ago, and the childishness on her face had faded considerably, replaced by a more capable demeanor.

"Is things going well in Aomori?" Momo asked, her tone filled with concern.

"It's alright, it's resolved." Yuuto brushed it off casually. "How about you? How have you been lately?"

"Same as always, classes, training, and missions." Nishimiya Momo shrugged. "It's just that Principal Rakuenji has been keeping a particularly close eye on things lately, saying that 'training needs to be intensified during this special period,' which has put a lot of pressure on everyone."

"Just do your own thing," Yu Ren said. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up."

“You’re one of those ‘tall ones’ now,” Nishimiya Tao said with a smile, but there was something complicated in her smile. “Sometimes it’s really unbelievable. Half a year ago you were a newcomer, and now you’re the fourth seat of the Sword-Wielding Academy.”

"Just lucky." Yuuto looked at the students sweating profusely on the training field. "You continue training, I'm going to take a walk somewhere else."

"Wait a minute." Xigong Tao called out to him, then hesitated for a moment, "Um... it's my birthday next week, if you're free... would you like to have dinner together?"

Yu Ren looked at her slightly reddened ear tips and nodded: "Okay, send me the time and place."

Xi Gongtao's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

The sunlight in the archives room had shifted, slowly creeping from one corner of the desk to the center.

Yuuto closed the last file on spatial curse spirits and rubbed his throbbing temples.

While the cases in these ancient records are not exactly the same as those of Yamanbagiri and Hanago, they do offer some reference.

In particular, the analysis of the behavioral patterns and weaknesses of "rule-based cursed spirits".

He stood up and put the files back on the shelf according to their numbers. Just then, his phone vibrated.

It was Gojo Satoru. This time it wasn't a brief message, but a direct call.

“Moshi moshi~ Yuuto-kun~” Gojo Satoru’s voice came lazily from the receiver, “Have you had enough fun in Kyoto? It’s time to come to Tokyo and see the kids.”

“We’ll go tomorrow,” Yuuto said. “What happened to them?”

"Ah, well..." Gojo Satoru drawled, "Itadori has been training too hard lately and has collapsed twice. Fushiguro is keeping quiet all day, Kugizaki's temper is getting worse and worse, and Junpei is alright, but being too quiet isn't a good thing either. In short, we need you, as their 'senior,' to teach them a lesson."

Yuuto remained silent for a moment. He could actually understand how those children felt. Young sorcerers of this era faced far more pressure than ever before.

Natural disasters and curses frequently occur, causing widespread suffering and hardship.

"I understand," he said. "I'll go take a look."

After hanging up the phone, Yuuto walked out of the archives. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of his own footsteps echoing. He remembered the slightly red tips of Nishimiya Momo's ears when she invited him to dinner, the worry that Miwa Kasumi had when she mentioned her younger brother's awakening technique, and the students sweating profusely on the training field.

This is the daily life of the sorcery world.

Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Higher Specialized School

The following afternoon, Yuuto stepped into the campus of Tokyo Vocational High School. Unlike the elegant and solemn atmosphere of the Kyoto campus, the Tokyo campus had more modern buildings and a larger training ground. As soon as he entered the school gate, he heard familiar shouts coming from the direction of the training ground.

"Again! I can still fight!"

It was Hisahito Itadori's voice, full of energy, but a closer listen revealed a hint of fatigue.

Yuuto didn't go directly there; instead, he first went around to the observation deck next to the training field. From there, he could overlook the entire training field.

In the arena, Huzhang is sparring with Panda. Panda isn't using his full strength, but every punch is solid and heavy. Huzhang is barely managing to block them, his forehead is covered in sweat, and his breathing is out of rhythm.

His movements were noticeably slower than usual, and his reactions were also somewhat sluggish. This was due to physical exhaustion caused by overtraining.