Leaving the three stunned behind,
Sōjun Minamoto returned to his residence.
The Reverse Cursed Technique and Black Flash are just like that—if you can learn them, you get it at a glance. If not, no matter how hard you try, it just won't happen.
He was the former.
...
Ever since mastering the Reverse Cursed Technique, Sōjun Minamoto had accelerated his research into Tengen's soul.
If his previous work on his own soul was like the calm, practiced hands of a veteran surgeon, then his work on Tengen was more like a nervous intern making his first cut straight out of school.
This was his first operation. Coincidentally, it was also Tengen's first.
Two rookies standing in front of the Divine Tree, holding a friendly discussion—no doctor-patient tension, just a strangely peaceful scene.
Sōjun Minamoto held a soul scalpel—also called a spiritual scalpel. It was invisible to ordinary people, Tengen included.
Very few people are born with a talent for working with souls.
He gave a quick heads-up, telling Tengen to prepare. The starlight in his eyes brightened and flickered rapidly.
He was identifying the components of Tengen's soul.
Which part represented memory? Consciousness? Thought? It felt like each part represented all of them—nothing was clearly divided.
He quickly sliced off a soul-finger. Tengen remained expressionless—not out of endurance, but because Sōjun Minamoto's precision made the process almost imperceptible.
To Sōjun Minamoto, the finger was a burst of color—red, yellow, blue, green all jumbled together. It was like having color blindness, unable to distinguish red from green.
He split the finger in two, tossed half away, and another Sōjun Minamoto emerged from his body. That one caught the fragment, immediately sat down, and began analysis—soul fragments can't survive long outside the body.
Every second counted.
He wrapped the remaining half in Cursed Energy, marking it with a technique that allowed Tengen to see it.
The two worked together to design a barrier that could safely sustain a soul outside the body.
Whenever inspiration struck, they would immediately inscribe the barrier and insert the soul fragment to test it.
The flow of Cursed Energy provided a clear reading of the soul's condition.
They watched it dissipate...
Another failure.
But unlike Tengen, Sōjun Minamoto could sense the structural shifts—the soul was becoming looser, giving him more room to work.
He sliced off another finger and repeated the process.
After ten fingers had been used, Tengen was barely holding on. Sōjun Minamoto began applying the Reverse Cursed Technique to heal him. Then came another ten... and another...
That was how time passed. Two Sōjun Minamotos stayed at the Tombs of the Star, camped out under the Divine Tree, researching without sleep or rest.
...
Outside the Tombs of the Star—
In the attic of the dorms, another Sōjun Minamoto remained.
He kept training, steadily pushing his limits.
He had plenty to do—Tengen's case had sparked countless ideas.
The Reverse Cursed Technique had given him major inspiration.
Before, his technique could only convert his own body, soul, and Cursed Energy. But now, with the Reverse Cursed Technique, he could use Cursed Energy to heal others' bodies and souls—
The first step in affecting the outside world.
...
Another morning.
Sōjun Minamoto finished refining his Cursed Energy.
A second version of him emerged and headed straight for Field No. 5 for Taijutsu practice. One stayed behind to continue working on Reverse Cursed Technique development and Fly Head research.
Another one rested, rotating shifts with the rest.
Five Sōjun Minamotos, each assigned a task, operating on a tight schedule.
But plans never go perfectly...
"I want to be a jujutsu sorcerer!" Riko Amanai was shouting first thing in the morning.
"Then go learn," Sōjun Minamoto replied without even looking up, fully absorbed in his work.
A streak of red spread from the back of Fly Head's scalp.
Its size had become optimal, but the wings—symbols of its true nature—had grown oversized and clunky. Its power boost was starting to show physically.
Sōjun Minamoto pinched a soul blade between his fingers, slicing across Fly Head's back while injecting Cursed Energy into it.
Red and blue surged across its body.
Soon, a second pair of gray-white wings sprouted.
Fly Head's entire form transformed...
Sōjun Minamoto released his control, and the damn thing bolted. Ignoring its creepy behavior, it almost looked like a polished weapon on the outside.
As he watched it zip around in the sky, Sōjun Minamoto recorded the effects of the transformation on its body and soul.
Among the assimilated cursed spirits, the Fly Head was unique—it was the only one that retained its own will. You could say it was "favored."
Sōjun Minamoto flicked his finger slightly. The soul blade spun once and vanished.
"Teach me!" Riko Amanai suddenly shouted, rushing over the moment he finished.
His hand twitched.
"...Keep your voice down."
"..."
"Go ask Suguru or Satoru." He was tired of being stared at, so he deflected.
"They said the same thing! And then sent me to you!" Riko Amanai slapped the table hard. "Are you guys passing me around like a ball?!"
"Of course not..."
She lit up.
"Balls bring people joy," Sōjun Minamoto shot her a glance. "You're just annoying."
Riko Amanai threw herself to the ground and started rolling around shamelessly.
As she rolled, she kept shouting:
"Teach me! You—teach—me—come on—teach—me—teach—me!"
So annoying!
Sōjun Minamoto had no choice but to split off another version of himself to deal with her.
The Star Plasma Vessel incident was mostly over, but until the Tengen situation was resolved, Riko Amanai couldn't openly show her face to the higher-ups.
Everyone knew she existed. Everyone was waiting for the outcome with Tengen.
Sōjun Minamoto grabbed her, and their forms warped and merged into a burst of black light.
This was the Black Flash fused with a spatial technique—perfect for long-range, stable travel. Carrying someone with low energy output was a breeze.
Riko Amanai fell squarely into that "low energy" category.
After teaming up with Tengen, Sōjun Minamoto's authority within the Jujutsu High barrier system had risen significantly.
He could now freely use additional techniques.
...
Sōjun Minamoto arrived at Masamichi Yaga's residence with Riko Amanai in tow—about four or five kilometers away.
"Deal with this brat." This time, he didn't bother with pleasantries.
Masamichi Yaga stared at the sudden arrivals, stress lines already forming on his forehead before he could say anything.
"Who are you calling a brat?! You're only a year older than me!" Riko Amanai leaned unsteadily on Sōjun Minamoto but still managed to snap back.
She was clearly dizzy from the transport. Sōjun Minamoto made a mental note of that reaction.
He shook himself deliberately, trying to make her let go.
In a panic, she grabbed his arm with both hands.
"So, what's going on?" Yaga quickly stepped in when he saw her getting worked up.
"She wants to learn jujutsu," Sōjun Minamoto said.
"If she made that decision rationally, there's no issue."
"But she wants me to teach her."
"Isn't that a good thing? Once she has some power, she can protect herself. You won't have to look after her all the time."
"Please don't act like that's so obvious. If I recall, you're the one who assigned this mission. Shouldn't you take some responsibility too?" Sōjun Minamoto had always seen himself as a partner in this task—now it felt like the whole burden had landed on him.
"I'm the teacher, and Satoru and Suguru are students. We've all got classes to attend. Just bear with it for now."
"I think I'm even younger than them?" Sōjun Minamoto said, unsure.
Yaga rubbed his chin, voice a bit awkward. "Yeah... I think you are?"
He quickly added, "Look, the matter isn't resolved yet, so we still have to keep up appearances. You're the only one who's graduated and isn't a formal staff member, which gives you flexibility... this kind of thing, it has to be you!"
"How about this—take her for now. Once everything's settled, if she still wants it, she can join the next freshman batch."
Yaga looked at them seriously. He wasn't just shirking responsibility—he had his reasons.
Sōjun Minamoto might not have been the most knowledgeable when it came to jujutsu theory, but his insights and applications always felt fresh.
The jujutsu world needed more of that kind of new energy—something to shake up its stagnant state.