Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

Xia Youjie stood calmly to the side, his hair perfectly styled.

"Haibara!" Nanami Kento caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye, his heart tightened, and his movements faltered slightly.

"Distracted in battle?" Gojo Satoru's voice rang in his ears like a ghost, followed by a light kick to his buttocks. He fell forward, rolled twice on the ground, and his short sword flew out of his hand.

"Enlightenment!" Moth Master finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted in a deep voice, "I've asked you to guide me, not to play around! Watch how Xia You does it!"

Chapter 59 A Respectable Senior

"Enlightenment!" Moth Master finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted in a deep voice, "I've asked you to give guidance, not to play around! Look at how Jay does it!"

Gojo Satoru pursed his lips and dusted off imaginary dust from his hands: "I'm just giving him some pointers~ Let him experience firsthand what a difference in skill really means. Battles are unpredictable, what a great practical lesson!"

Haibara Yu struggled to sit up, and seeing that Nanami Kento had also collapsed, he quickly called out, "Nanami! Are you alright?! Hang in there!"

Nanami Kento propped himself up, wiped a little blood from the corner of his mouth, and shook his head at Haibara Yu to indicate that he was alright.

He looked at Gojo Satoru, his eyes still calm, but something seemed to be churning deep inside.

He silently picked up the dagger, stood up straight again, even though his body was trembling slightly.

"Want to continue?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow.

“Continue.” Nanami Kento’s voice was a little hoarse, but very firm.

"Alright, Satoru, that's enough." Masamichi Yamo stopped Gojo Satoru, who still wanted to "play," and looked at Duanmu Yan. "Duanmu, you go. Try a different approach and take a good look at the foundation of these two freshmen, especially Nanami. He has good observation and adaptability, but he needs to strengthen his basic tactics and his mentality in dealing with overwhelming situations."

"Yes." Duanmu Yan nodded and walked to the center of the field.

Compared to Gojo Satoru's playful antics and Natsumi Yuki's gentle guidance, Duanmu Yan neither summoned his armor nor struck any special pose; he simply looked calmly at Haibara Yu and Nanami Kento.

"Both of you, come at me together," he said. "Attack me using any method you can think of—spells, artifacts, coordinated attacks, anything goes. I won't fight back; I'll only dodge and defend."

"Your goal is to touch any part of my body or force me to move more than three steps. If you can do that, you win."

Haibara Yu and Nanami Taketo exchanged a glance. Go together? And the opponent won't fight back? This sounds like... a better chance than the previous one-on-one fight?

"Senior, please forgive me!" Haibara Yu took a deep breath, struggled to stand up, and regrouped his magical power. Nanami Kento also gripped his short sword tightly, his eyes becoming even more focused.

“Begin,” Duanmu Yan said.

Haibara Yu let out a low growl and charged forward again, still using straightforward punches and kicks, but having learned from his mistakes, he paid attention to the rhythm of his attacks. Nanami Kento did not immediately follow up; he roamed the flanks, carefully observing Duanmu Yan's reaction to Haibara Yu's attacks.

Duanmu Yan's movements were very small. No matter what angle or method Haibara attacked from, Duanmu Yan could always neutralize it with the smallest and most effortless movements. His feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, firmly standing in the original position without moving an inch.

"Power is dispersed."

"His breathing is disordered."

"The next strike will be a right hook, it's too obvious."

Duanmu Yan occasionally spoke up, pointing out the problems with Haibara Yu's attack.

Haibara Yu fought with increasing frantic pace, sweat pouring down his face, but he couldn't even touch the hem of Duanmu Yan's clothes.

Just then, Nanami Kento, who had been pacing around, made his move! With a flick of his wrist, the short sword flew out of his hand, transforming into a streak of cold light that shot towards Duanmu Yan's face! At the same time, he himself darted in from the side and rear like a cheetah, aiming at the direction from which Duanmu Yan might dodge the short sword!

A very clever teamwork, a feint followed by a real killing move, and they even anticipated the evasion route!

However, Duanmu Yan merely tilted his head slightly, and the flying dagger grazed his temple. He didn't even turn around when Qi Haijian rushed towards him. Instead, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, his right leg shot out like a whip, accurately striking Qi Haijian's path and lightly touching his chest.

Nanami Kento's forward momentum suddenly halted, as if he had crashed into an invisible wall of air. He felt a tightness in his chest, a breath stuck in his throat, and his movements instantly stiffened.

Duanmu Yan had already withdrawn his foot, as if nothing had happened.

Seizing the opportunity created by Nanami, Haibara Yu pounced on him from the front, attempting to take him down. Duanmu Yan simply raised his left hand, placed his palm on Haibara Yu's forehead, and gently pressed down.

Haibara felt an irresistible, gentle yet immense force, and his forward lunge turned into a tumble as he landed face down on the ground with a thud, seeing stars.

Only then did Nanami Kento, who had been frozen in shock, catch his breath, stagger back two steps, his face pale, and look at Duanmu Yan with eyes full of shock.

That kick just now... the timing, angle, and force were absolutely perfect! And the opponent didn't even turn around! What terrifying perception and body control!

"The idea of ​​coordination is good, but the feint attack is too obvious, and the openings are too big." Duanmu Yan said to Nanami Kento, then looked at Haibara Yu, who was struggling to get up, "You are completely led by your companion's actions, without your own judgment and response."

The two of them were panting heavily, and looking at Duanmu Yan who hadn't even broken a sweat, their sense of powerlessness was even greater than before.

This senior... is so strong it's almost inhuman! Without relying on armor, just his physical skills and combat instincts left them helpless!

The next few minutes became a one-sided demonstration and instruction by Duanmu Yan. He constantly guided the two to attack, pointing out the disconnect in their coordination, the waste in the use of techniques, and the errors in their tactical choices.

Nanami Kento listened intently, his eyes sparkling.

He discovered that many of his self-proclaimed skills were full of flaws in front of Duanmu Yan.

But at the same time, he also learned a lot from Duanmu Yan's handling of the situation...

Ten minutes later.

"That's enough." Duanmu Yan stopped, glanced at the two people slumped on the ground, soaked in sweat, their chests heaving violently, and said, "That's enough for today."

Haibara Yu was too weak to even speak and could only gasp for breath. Nanami Kento also leaned against the wall, sweat dripping from his chin. His hand holding the short sword was still trembling slightly, but his eyes were brighter and sharper than before, as if he was digesting everything he had just learned.

Night Moth Zhengdao walked over, looked at the two of them, and nodded to Duanmu Yan: "Well done. It seems you already know their weaknesses."

“Mm,” Duanmu Yan replied.

Haibara Yu needs systematic training in physical skills, control of magical energy, and tactical awareness.

Nanami Kento needs to push his basic physical limits, expand his tactical repertoire, and... perhaps try to develop more ways to utilize his keen observation skills.

"Alright, go wash up and get some rest. Formal training starts tomorrow." Masamichi Yamo said to the two new students, then looked at Gojo Satoru, Natsumi Yujie, and Duanmu Yan, "You three, come up with a training plan as soon as possible."

"Yes~" Gojo Satoru replied lazily, grinning as he looked at the two junior students sprawled on the ground. "How was it, junior students? Was the practical course at the vocational college exciting?"

Haibara Yu barely managed to raise his hand, giving a thumbs-up, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Exciting... Thank you for your guidance, seniors..."

Nanami Kento didn't speak, but nodded silently, his gaze sweeping over the three seniors before finally lingering on Duanmu Yan for a moment.

Chapter 60 Leading the Team

The next day, in the second-grade classroom.

Haibara Yu and Nanami Kento arrived early. The two sat in their respective seats and, unlike the others who were their seniors, did not whisper to each other. Instead, they quietly looked at the books or notes laid out in front of them.

Five minutes later.

boom!

The classroom door was kicked open without any politeness, and a head with a signature white hair and an annoying smile on his face poked in.

"Hey~ Good morning, you two diligent junior students~"

Haibara Yu immediately put down his book, straightened his back, and flashed a bright smile, responding loudly, "Gojo-senpai! Good morning!"

Nanami Kento also looked up from his book, adjusted his glasses, nodded to Gojo Satoru, and said in a calm and even tone, "Good morning, Gojo-senpai."

Then he lowered his head again, his gaze returning to the pages of the book, clearly not intending to continue the pleasantries.

Gojo Satoru didn't care about their reactions. He walked straight to the back of the podium, plopped down in the large chair of Yogami Masamichi without any politeness, and even put his feet up on the podium and leaned back.

He rested his chin on his hand, his blue eyes behind sunglasses watching the two junior students below with great interest, a seductive smile playing on his lips:

"Hey, Haibara, Nanami. Staying in the classroom studying is so boring~ How about a spontaneous trip with your upperclassman? There's a super awesome all-you-can-eat dessert place that just opened in Tokyo! And the latest arcade! I guarantee it'll be a hundred times more fun than sitting here with those old textbooks! What do you say? Want to come?"

Before he could finish speaking, an incredibly oppressive killing intent suddenly surged in from the classroom doorway!

The tall figure of Moth Masakazu had appeared at the doorway at some point, his face ashen, veins throbbing on his forehead, and muscles bulging on his arm holding Curse Corpse.

Gojo Satoru's smile froze instantly, and he stiffly turned his neck to meet Yomo Masamichi's deathly stare, which seemed to be spitting fire.

The air froze for two seconds.

"Ah! I suddenly remembered I still have soup simmering on the stove! See you later!"

Gojo Satoru's figure vanished from the chair in a flash, as if erased by an eraser.

slip away.

Moth's forehead veins throbbed twice more.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to drag Gojo Satoru back and beat him up. He walked heavily to the back of the podium, glanced at the chair that Gojo Satoru had sat in, and seemed to frown in disgust, but finally sat down.

He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the two freshmen sitting upright below. His voice was as serious as ever, but a hint of helplessness could be discerned upon closer listening.

"From now on, ignore Wu's nonsense."

"Yes!" Haibara Yu responded loudly. Nanami Kento also nodded silently.

Night Moth paused for a moment, then raised his voice slightly towards the classroom door: "Duanmu, come in."

Footsteps sounded, and Duanmu Yan walked in from outside the door, his expression calm, already used to the farce that had just happened.

"Senior Duanmu! Good morning!" Haibara Yu greeted him warmly again immediately.

"Good morning, Senior Duanmu." Nanami Kento also looked up, his tone noticeably warmer and...respectful than when he spoke to Gojo Satoru earlier.

Yes, it's respect.

After yesterday's guidance battle, Nanami Kento quickly categorized his seniors in his mind: Gojo Satoru – terrifyingly strong but with a terrible personality and completely unreliable, requiring caution against his pranks; Natsumi Yujie – powerful, gentle, and patient in his teaching, a reliable guide; and Duanmu Yan – unfathomably strong, with extremely high combat skills, his guidance is incisive and practical, making him the most reliable and worthy senior to learn from at present.

Duanmu Yan nodded to the two of them in response.

He walked to the podium, handed the document in his hand to Masamichi Yagami, and then looked at Yu Haibara and Kento Nanami.

“There’s a mission.” He said succinctly, “The level isn’t high, estimated to be level two, but the target may have some ability to hide and escape, so we need to search carefully. The location is in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, an abandoned sanatorium. Window monitoring has detected abnormal accumulation of magical energy and reports of missing persons there recently.”

He paused, then continued, "I will lead this mission, and the two of you will participate. This will be your first official mission outside the school. The purpose is to conduct a live-fire exercise, familiarize yourselves with the mission procedures, and verify and reinforce yesterday's training content. We may need to stay overnight, so please bring necessary personal items and a change of clothes. Meet at the school gate in one hour."

"Yes! Senior Duanmu!" Haibara Yu's eyes lit up, eager to try.

My first official mission! And I'm with the reliable senior Duanmu!

Nanami Kento nodded seriously, already thinking about what items he needed to bring and what situations he might encounter.

"Go ahead and pack your things. We'll meet in an hour, don't be late." Duanmu Yan waved his hand.

"Yes!" The two immediately stood up, quickly left the classroom, and went to their dormitory to prepare.

Only Ye'e Zhengdao and Duanmu Yan remained in the classroom.

Almost as soon as the two left, the air in the classroom rippled slightly.

Gojo Satoru's white head suddenly peeked in through the doorway again. He looked around to make sure the danger was over before sauntering in, his face showing obvious dissatisfaction and grievance.