Curse Returns: Eight Extraordinary Skills? I lack nothing.

Not far away, Fushiguro Megumi stood alone on the sidelines, holding a wooden training sword in his hand, practicing the most basic slashing movements in the air over and over again.

His expression was calm, but something suppressed lurked deep in his eyes. The inheritance of ten shadow magic techniques, the death of Yu Hu, the coma of his sister Tsumiki... this boy carried too much on his shoulders.

Kugizaki Nobara sat on a bench by the court, wrapping a bandage around her hand. There was a fresh abrasion on her right arm; although it had been treated, the seeping blood still stained a small patch of the bandage. She was wrapping it tightly, her brow furrowed, her short orange hair damp with sweat and clinging to her cheeks.

Yoshino Junpei stood a little further away, notebook in hand, seemingly taking notes. He would occasionally glance up at his training buddies, his eyes filled with a complex mix of envy and unease. This boy, who had survived school bullying, was still struggling to adapt to the life of a sorcerer.

"You saw everything?"

A voice came from behind. Yuuto didn't turn around; he knew who it was.

Atsuya Kusakabe walked over to him and looked towards the training field as well. The second-year homeroom teacher from the Tokyo school was wearing his signature light brown trench coat, with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth and a blank expression on his face.

“Itaryu has only been sleeping an average of four hours a day these past few days,” Kusakabe said. “Aside from classes and meals, he spends all his time training. I’ve tried to persuade him, but it’s no use. He says, ‘I don’t want to hold the team back.’”

“Fukuro is more troublesome. He doesn’t talk, he just practices. He’s becoming more and more proficient in controlling the shikigami of the ten shadow spells, but he’s also becoming more and more silent. Last week he tried to summon the Demon Void Demon and almost got backlashed, but luckily I interrupted him in time.”

"Kugizaki is progressing very quickly, but she is too impatient. Her techniques require precise control, but she always tries to break through with brute force, which results in frequent injuries."

“Junpei…” Kusakabe paused, “He’s too cautious. He clearly has potential, but he’s afraid to take the plunge. He’s afraid of failure, afraid of dragging others down.”

Yuuto listened quietly. He could more or less guess what was going on. In such an environment, young sorcerers either pushed themselves to the limit or fell into self-doubt.

"Where's Gojo-sensei?" Yuuto asked.

"That guy?" Kusakabe scoffed. "He said, 'The kids need to find the answers themselves,' and then he went on a business trip. He left me with this mess."

Yuuto remained silent. This was indeed Gojo Satoru's style—seemingly irresponsible, but in reality, it gave students maximum room to grow. However, sometimes, this kind of "laissez-faire" approach needs someone to control the degree of its influence.

“Leave it to me,” Yuuto said.

He stepped down from the observation platform and walked towards the training field.

Afternoon at the training ground

Tiger Rod was knocked back by the panda's fist once again, staggering a few steps before regaining his footing. He was panting heavily and wanted to attack again, but was stopped by a voice.

"enough."

Yuuto walked to the sidelines, his gaze sweeping over Itajō. "If you keep playing like this, your muscles will tear."

Itadori turned his head, saw Yuuto, and his eyes lit up: "Mr. Kasuga! You've come! I'm fine, I can still..."

“I said, that’s enough.” Yuuto’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Itadori opened his mouth, but ultimately lowered his head: "...Yes."

The panda scratched its head, nodded to Youren, and turned to retreat to the sidelines to rest.

Yuuto walked up to Itachi and placed his hand on his shoulder. The red light of the Double-Handed Sword flashed slightly, quickly probing the condition within Itachi's body.

"Muscle fatigue at 70%, severe lactic acid buildup, and mild joint inflammation." Yuuto withdrew his hand, his eyes stern. "Itadori, do you want to ruin yourself through training?"

Itadori bit his lip: "I just... don't want to be so powerless anymore. Back in Aomori, there was nothing I could do, I could only watch you and Gojo-sensei fight. I..."

"So you punish yourself like this?" Yuuto interrupted him. "Listen, getting stronger isn't about overworking your body. Proper training, sufficient rest, and the right direction are all essential. Starting today, I'll be revising your training plan. Now, go rest."

Itadori wanted to say something more, but seeing Yuuto's gaze, he finally nodded: "...Yes."

Yuuto then looked at the other three.

“Fu Hei,” he called out.

Fushiguro Megumi stopped swinging her sword, turned around, and said expressionlessly, "Mr. Kasuga."

"You're not ready for the Demon Void with ten types of shadow magic," Yuuto said bluntly. "Forcibly summoning it will only backfire. Don't try it until you've fully mastered the synergy with the other shikigami."

Fu Hei's pupils contracted slightly. He hadn't expected Yuuto to know even this.

"I……"

“I’m sorry about what happened to your sister,” Yuuto continued, “but wallowing in self-blame won’t solve anything. What Tsumiki needs is a younger brother who has woken up, not a sorcerer who has driven himself mad.”

Fu Hei remained silent. His hand holding the knife trembled slightly, and after a long while, he whispered, "...I understand."

“Kugizaki.” Yuuto turned to the orange-haired girl.

Wild Rose immediately stood up straight: "Here!"

“Your spell, ‘Spiritual Spell,’ is essentially ‘resonance,’” Yuuto said. “It uses nails as a medium to transfer damage to the target. But this requires extreme precision and control; it’s not about using more force.”

He walked to the sidelines, picked up a training nail, and tossed it aside.

The nail flew out and landed precisely in the center of the target fifty meters away, penetrating deep into the wood without damaging the target's overall structure.

"See that?" Yu Ren said, "Control the force, control the angle, control the timing. From today onwards, your training focus is not on how hard you hit, but on how accurately you hit."

Wild Rose's eyes lit up as she looked at the nail: "...Yes!"

Finally, Yuuto looked at Junpei.

Junpei gripped his notebook tightly, a little nervously: "Mr. Kasuga..."

“Shunping.” Yu Ren’s tone softened a bit. “Your technique ‘Yozuki’ is a water-based transformation, with great potential. But you’re too afraid of failure.”

He walked up to Shunping and took out a small talisman seed specially made by Shenji Bailian from his pocket—it was a leftover scrap material from when he made the "Senluo Talisman Seed".

"Here you go." Yuuto handed the talisman to Shunpei. "It contains a simple 'Kan Character - Water Blade' spell. Try using 'Dianyue' to control it and feel the flow and changes of water-attribute spell power."

Shunping carefully took the talisman seed, feeling the gentle magical power flowing within it: "This... is too precious..."

“Props are meant to be used,” Yuuto said. “It’s okay if you fail; if you break one, I’ll make another. The important thing is to try.”

Shunping nodded vigorously: "...Thank you."

After arranging the four students, Yuuto walked back to the center of the field. He took off his jacket, revealing a black training uniform underneath, and waved to the four of them.

"Now, let's have a real combat confrontation," he said. "The four of you come at me together. No restrictions on methods or techniques, just one requirement—use the method you think is most effective."

Itadori, Fushiguro, Kugizaki, and Junpei exchanged a glance, then quickly dispersed and assumed fighting stances.

Guidance War

The battle erupted instantly.

Itajō was the first to charge forward; his physical skills were the strongest among the four, and his fist, imbued with magical power, aimed straight for Yūto's face. At the same time, Fushiguro formed hand seals behind him, and Tamaguki darted out from the shadows, attacking from the flank. Kugizaki threw out three iron nails, blocking Yūto's retreat. Junpei summoned "Yodogetsu," a jellyfish shikigami hovering in mid-air, ready to provide support at any moment.

Faced with the attack of the four, Yuuto simply smiled slightly.

He didn't use the Feng Hou Qi Men technique, the thunder technique, or even the Golden Light Mantra. He simply used the most basic physical techniques and footwork to move through the gaps in the four men's attacks.

Itadori's fist grazed his cheek, Fushiguro's Jade Dog missed its target, and Kugizaki's iron nails were driven into the ground. Yuuto's movements seemed slow, but every move was perfectly timed, as if he could predict everyone's attack trajectory.

“Too slow,” Yuuto said, while gently pressing on Itsuji’s elbow joint.

Tiger Staff's entire arm went numb, and his punching momentum immediately dissipated.

"Not cooperating enough." Yu Ren dodged the Jade Dog's bite by side and kicked the Jade Dog in the side, sending it flying.

“The timing is wrong.” He raised his hand and caught another wave of nails that Kugizaki had thrown, then swung them back at her. The nails grazed Kugizaki’s hair and landed on the wooden stake behind her.

“He hesitated.” Yuuto looked at Shunpei. Shunpei’s “Yozuki” had already condensed a water blade, but it hadn’t been launched yet.

The battle lasted for ten minutes. The four of them became increasingly coordinated and their attacks increasingly fierce, but they still couldn't touch even a hem of Yuuto's clothes. Yuuto was like a phantom, weaving among them, each move precisely targeting their weaknesses.

Finally, Itadori was so exhausted that he knelt on one knee, Fushiguro's curse power was mostly depleted, Kugizaki was panting heavily, and Junpei's "Yodotsuki" had become transparent due to excessive consumption.

Yuuto stopped what he was doing, stood in the center of the arena, and his breathing was as steady as ever.

“Do you see?” he said. “It’s not that we lack strength, but that we’re using it the wrong way. It’s not that our techniques are weak, but that we’re using them at the wrong time. It’s not that we’re not cooperating well, but that we don’t trust each other enough.”

He walked up to Haddock and helped him up: "You are very strong, but you use all your strength in every punch, leaving no room for variation. Try using seven-tenths of your strength and leaving three-tenths for variation."

Then he looked at Fukuro: "The shikigami of the ten shadow magics each have their own strengths. Don't always think about making the Jade Dog the main force. You didn't use Nue's aerial advantage or Orochi's entanglement control."

He said to Kugizaki, "The core of the Chuling spell is 'marking.' You always think about attacking directly with nails, why don't you try marking the environment first and then transferring the damage?"

Finally, he said to Shunpei, "Yodozuki is not only an attack shikigami, but also a support shikigami. Its tentacles can transmit information, create water mist to obstruct vision, and heal wounds. Think more about how to use it to help your teammates."

The four listened attentively, their eyes gradually clearing.

"That concludes today's training," Yuuto said. "Go and rest, and digest what you've learned. Starting tomorrow, train according to the new plan I've given you."

"Yes!" the four replied in unison.

Chapter 169 Night

When Yuuto left Tokyo College, night had completely fallen.

He declined Kusakabe's offer to stay for dinner and returned to Kyoto alone under the cover of night.

As the car entered the familiar neighborhood, the warm lights emanating from my own little courtyard could be seen in the distance.

Pushing open the door, the pair of light pink plush slippers were still neatly arranged in the entryway. In the living room, Qiong was nestled on the sofa reading a book. Hearing the door open, she lifted her eyelids, her reddish-brown eyes sweeping over before returning to the pages.

"You're back?" Her voice was soft, revealing no emotion.

"Hmm." Yuuto changed his shoes and sat down next to her. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Qiong put down her book and naturally moved closer to him until their arms gently touched. "Waiting for you," she said matter-of-factly, just as she had said "I'm hungry" before.

Yu Ren chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair: "Have you eaten?"

"I ate some bread." Qiong paused, then added, "It wasn't very tasty."

It means he didn't eat properly. Yuuto sighed and got up to go to the kitchen. There weren't many ingredients in the refrigerator, but it was enough to make a simple dinner. He took out eggs, bacon, and vegetables, and soon the sizzling sound of frying eggs filled the kitchen.

Qiong got up from the sofa, walked barefoot to the kitchen doorway, and leaned against the door frame to watch him cook. Her long, milky-white hair was a little messy, and the strap of her nightgown had slipped down halfway, revealing her delicate collarbone.

"Is Aomori...very dangerous?" she suddenly asked.

Yuuto paused slightly as he chopped vegetables: "It's alright."

"You have injuries." Qiong's voice was calm, but Yuuto could detect a hint of suppressed worry. "Although they've healed, the marks are still there."

Yuuto turned to look at her. Qiong's red eyes were exceptionally clear under the kitchen light, reflecting his image. She was right; the Double-Handed Technique could heal injuries, but the "memories" left on the body by those intense battles did indeed need time to completely fade.

"It was just a minor injury, I'm fine now." Yuuto turned back to continue processing the ingredients. "But what about you? How's your training going? Has your Void Release technique improved?"

Qiong pursed her lips, seemingly reluctant to discuss this. But she still answered, "Maki-sensei said my teleportation isn't stable enough; sometimes it deviates from the target. When controlling the 'line,' it breaks if the distance exceeds fifty meters."

“That’s normal.” Yuuto plated the fried bacon. “The Void Technique is a rare technique, and there’s no readily available experience to refer to. Take your time, don’t rush.”

"But I want to become stronger quickly." Qiong's voice lowered. "I don't want to just wait at home every time."

Yu Ren put down the spatula, walked over to her, and squatted down, his gaze level with hers: "Qiong, becoming stronger isn't something that happens overnight. And..." He paused, his tone serious, "You don't need to force yourself to become a warrior. Your techniques are well-suited for support, reconnaissance, and assistance, and those are equally important."