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

……

2007 October.

The familiar Tokyo Magic Academy appeared before Duanmu Yan once again. The afternoon sun filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled light, and the air was filled with the scent of sun-baked grass and earth, exactly as he remembered.

Months of solitary missions, filled with dust and toil, left their mark on him. His eyes were more calm and reserved, and the aura of a top-tier expert around him was even more profound.

His reason for returning was simple, yet heavy.

To prevent Haibara Yu's death.

To prevent Xia Youjie from turning to the dark side.

These two goals were like branding marks, etched into his heart.

Therefore, he needs to return to the center of this vortex and back to his companions.

As I walked along the familiar tree-lined path toward the main teaching building, I occasionally encountered a few assistant supervisors hurrying by. They would instinctively stop when they saw me, casting glances of either awe or curiosity before bowing respectfully or keeping their distance.

Duanmu Yan remained calm, merely nodding slightly to all gazes and actions, his steps unwavering.

The title of "Special Grade Spellcaster Duanmu Yan" has already spread throughout the spellcasting world after he has taken on and efficiently completed a large number of high-difficulty tasks in the past few months, almost frantically.

His return naturally attracted attention.

He went straight to the principal's office door, raised his hand, and knocked.

"Come in," came the deep voice of Moth Lord.

Duanmu Yan pushed open the door and entered.

The principal's office was brightly lit, and the furnishings remained simple.

Masamichi Noi was sitting behind his large desk, looking down at a document, when he heard footsteps and looked up.

When he saw that it was Duanmu Yan, a look of mixed relief and emotion appeared on his serious face.

"You're back?" Masamichi Noi put down the documents and pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit down."

"Yes, Teacher Night Moth." Duanmu Yan sat down as instructed, placing the coat draped over his shoulder on the back of the chair.

Moth Masakazu carefully observed him, his gaze lingering for a moment on his face, which seemed unchanged yet subtly different, before he spoke slowly, his tone gentle, even tinged with a hint of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing regret, admiration, and a touch of melancholy):

"You've worked hard these past few months. I've read all the reports. You single-handedly exorcised seventeen level-one cursed spirits, three near-special-level ones, and cleared nearly a hundred level-two and lower curses... Your efficiency is astonishing. According to the statistics from the window, in the past two quarters, the incidence of cursed spirit activity events, especially mid-to-high-level events, in the Kanto region and even nationwide has decreased significantly by nearly 30%. Your contribution to this is indispensable."

Night Moth paused, looking at Duanmu Yan's calm and composed face, and continued, "The higher-ups, especially the directors, ministers, and elders, are also... very satisfied with this. They believe that this proves that the decisions of 'standardized and elite training' and 'giving outstanding individuals full trust and autonomy' are 'correct'."

At this point, he couldn't help but laugh, and Duanmu Yan couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Ahem, to recognize your achievements, and also... well, to further incentivize you, the Elders' Council has decided to allocate an additional 50 million yen as a special reward for you. The money has already been transferred to your account."

Fifty million is a huge sum of money, but for Duanmu Yan, this number is far less alarming than the words "the elders will be satisfied" spoken by the Night Moth Path.

The rewards given to those old fogies often imply more calculation and expectations.

But he didn't show it on his face, he just nodded and said, "Thank you, I was just doing my duty."

Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Masamichi Nobi's eyes showed even greater admiration, as well as the satisfaction that comes with being a teacher.

"Honestly, Duanmu, I'm very happy to see you like this now. It seems that being away from that brat Wu for a few months has had a significant effect on your normalization."

"At least, they won't get into fights with people all the time, or say things like 'judgment the rules, kill them all' anymore."

Chapter 115 Our Progress

Duanmu Yan was slightly taken aback by Ye Mo Zhengdao's teasing, then a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, but he still shook his head and said, "Teacher Ye Mo is joking. I'm just fulfilling my duty as a top-level sorcerer. As for Wu... he actually..."

Before he could finish speaking, a voice filled with exaggerated grievance and dissatisfaction burst in abruptly as the office door was pushed open.

"Hey! Teacher! Talking behind people's backs isn't a good teacher's virtue!"

Gojo Satoru's signature white head peeked in. He walked to the empty chair next to Duanmu Yan, plopped down unceremoniously, tilted the chair back, and wobbled on his hind legs.

"And, teacher~~ please don't blame everything on me, okay? What do you mean 'become normal without me'? I'm hurt! I've been working very hard to exorcise the cursed spirit and maintain world peace, haven't I, Duanmu?"

He nudged Duanmu Yan next to him with his elbow and winked.

Duanmu Yan: "..."

He chose to remain silent.

The veins on Nocturnal Elephant's forehead began to throb again. He snorted coldly and mercilessly exposed her: "Very serious? Very hardworking? I heard from the assistant supervisor's report that before every mission, even in an emergency, you always have to detour to a dessert shop and carry several large bags of desserts from different brands. You call that not wasting time?"

"Heh heh~ You saw right through me!" Gojo Satoru, far from being ashamed, laughed smugly and even snapped his fingers. "But what does it matter! At my speed, the time it takes to buy desserts won't affect the mission's efficiency at all! Besides..."

"...With my good looks, when I go to buy pastries, everyone automatically makes way for me, and the shop assistants even give me extra toppings! So it won't take up much time at all! On the contrary, it will replenish my sugar levels, allowing me to complete the mission better and faster! This is called making good use of one's own advantages and fighting efficiently!"

These shameless yet logically consistent remarks left Moth Masakado with a lump in his throat.

Just then, a gentle voice with a helpless smile rang out from the office doorway: "Wu, your level of confidence can no longer be called confidence, it should be called terminal narcissism. Besides, you were late last time because you bought desserts, which caused me to deal with three extra level 21 cursed spirits. I haven't settled that score with you yet."

Xia Youjie appeared at the door. He was dressed in a neat uniform, his hands in his pockets, his signature bangs perfectly styled, and a gentle smile on his face that made Gojo Satoru instantly grimac. He walked in slowly.

"Jay! You're undermining me!" Gojo Satoru protested.

“I’m just stating the facts.” Xia Youjie walked to Duanmu Yan’s other side, smiled and nodded at him, “Welcome back, Duanmu. You look good.”

"Yes, you're back. Jie, you look alright." Duanmu Yan smiled at him. Seeing Xia Youjie's familiar expression and state, he felt somewhat relieved.

At least, at this moment, Xia Youjie has not yet revealed the unsettling shadow from his memory.

Seeing these three problem children reunited before him, Masamichi Noi felt his temples throbbing again.

He waved wearily, as if trying to slap these guys away along with the headaches they brought: "Alright, alright, get out! I'm annoyed just looking at you! Duanmu just got back, let him rest. Wu, Jie, go train when you need to, go on missions when you need to, don't just stand around here! Get out!"

"Yes~ Goodbye, Moth-sensei!" Gojou Satoru replied with a grin, jumping up first and grabbing Duanmu Yan's shoulder to drag him outside. "Come on, come on! Duanmu! It's been so long, I have so many new discoveries to tell you! That newly opened crepe shop is amazing!!"

Xia Youjie gave Ye'e Zhengdao a polite bow and followed him out, closing the door behind him.

Leaving the principal's office and walking down the familiar corridor, Gojo Satoru still had his arm around Duanmu Yan's shoulder, while Xia Youjie walked on the other side.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the three of them in its warmth; a peaceful and serene moment.

"Seriously, Duanmu, where have you been these past few months? You've been so secretive, and your mission locations have been all over the place." Gojo Satoru asked curiously, his six eyes scrutinizing Duanmu Yan as if trying to see what was different about him.

"Taking care of some backlogged issues, and while I'm at it...looking around." Duanmu Yan said vaguely, then changed the subject, "What about you guys? I heard Haibara and Nanami have made great progress?"

“Those two lads,” Xia Youjie continued, his tone filled with the satisfaction of a senior, “Aihara is full of energy, and his control over his curse power and physical skills have become much more solid. It’s just that sometimes he’s still a bit like Nanami… well, even more like Nanami. He’s very methodical, but his foundation is very solid, and his tactical awareness is excellent. Last time, the two of them worked together to take down a level one curse spirit without getting hurt.”

"Oh? That's good." Duanmu Yan nodded.

Haibara's growth is a good thing.

The three walked to the courtyard and casually sat down on a bench under the shade of a tree.

Wu Tiao Wu pulled out three exquisitely packaged boxes from somewhere and handed one to Duanmu Yan and Xia Youjie: "Try them! New product! Limited edition strawberry cheese tart!"

Duanmu Yan opened the box, and a sweet, cloying aroma wafted out. He took a bite, and the taste was indeed very good. Xia Youjie also tried it and nodded.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and three teenagers sat on a bench, sharing desserts and chatting casually about trivial matters...

There were no missions, no enemies, and no heavy topics. Only the simple and genuine time spent together after a long separation.

As Duanmu Yan listened to Gojo Satoru's exaggerated narration and Xia Youjie's gentle complaints, and savored the taste of the dessert in his mouth, the string in his heart that had been taut because of the heavy goal seemed to relax a little.

This is the kind of daily life they should have.

But this tranquility was soon broken as two figures, one after the other, strode across the courtyard and headed straight in their direction.

Haibara Yu, walking in front, had an undisguised excitement and eagerness on his face, while Nanami Kento, following behind, still had a calm expression, but his eyes also carried a hint of seriousness.

The two stopped three meters in front of the bench and stood...

"Senior Duanmu!" Haibara Yu straightened his back, his voice booming, his eyes shining brightly, "Welcome back!"

"Senior Duanmu, good day." Qi Haijian adjusted his glasses, displaying impeccable manners.

Duanmu Yan put down the cheese tart he was eating halfway through, wiped his hands, and looked at the two of them: "Hmm. Haibara, Nanami, long time no see. You both seem to be in good spirits."

"Yes! Thanks to our seniors!" Haibara Yu nodded vigorously. Then, he took a deep breath, his excitement turning into an even more solemn fighting spirit. He glanced at Nanami Kento beside him, and after receiving a slight nod from the other, he said loudly:

"Senior Duanmu! We have a request!"

"Oh?" Duanmu Yan raised an eyebrow.

Gojo Satoru and Natsume Yuuki, standing nearby, wore knowing smiles, as if they were watching a good show.

Haibara Yu clenched his fists, his eyes burning as he looked at Duanmu Yan: "Please! Fight us again! Just like in the last practical lesson!"

Qi Haijian added, "We want to confirm, in your eyes, how much have we grown during this period?"

"Please, Senior Duanmu!" Haibara Yu bowed deeply.

Duanmu Yan looked at the energetic junior in front of him, smiled, and stood up to stretch.

"Okay, let's go to the training ground."

Chapter 116 Black Flash

Tokyo Vocational High School, Training Ground 3.

The afternoon sun was scorching, baking the sandy ground until it was burning hot, and the air was filled with the smell of sweat.

On the sidelines, Gojo Satoru somehow managed to get another box of ice cream. He sat cross-legged under the shade of a tree, scooping it out and eagerly waiting to watch the show. Natsumi Yuki leaned against the tree, arms crossed, a smile on his face.

In the center of the field, Duanmu Yan stood casually, having taken off his jacket and wearing only a simple black T-shirt and training pants.

He stretched his wrists and ankles, then looked at Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu, who were already in a fighting stance opposite him.

"The rules are simple: you attack, I defend. Use every method you can think of to attack with all your might. The goal is to make me move more than three steps, or touch any part of my body, just like last time. But this time is different..."

He paused, then said, "I will retaliate appropriately, so you'd better be careful."

"Yes! Senior Duanmu!" Haibara Yu responded loudly, and a pale golden light instantly shone around him, becoming even more stable than before.

His fists were clenched, his eyes were burning, and his fighting spirit was high.

Nanami Kento didn't speak, but silently placed the short sword in front of him. He pushed up his glasses and stared intently at Duanmu Yan.

"start."

As soon as Duanmu Yan finished speaking, Haibara Yu almost simultaneously let out a low roar, pushed off with his feet, and charged towards Duanmu Yan first!

He no longer went straight ahead as before; his sprint route was no longer a straight line. He finally learned to attack in an arc, trying to disrupt Duanmu Yan's prediction.