As Shoko Ieiri was about to take a break after finishing her work, she sighed upon seeing Utahime and Zoro entering through the swinging doors of the infirmary.
It had been over two months since Zoro had followed another sorcerer on a mission. During that time, Zoro had been frequenting the infirmary almost daily.
Without even glancing at Utahime, Shoko looked straight at Zoro.
"Where did you get hurt today, Zoro?"
"Why do you automatically assume I got hurt?"
"Experience."
There hadn't been a single instance where the sorcerer Zoro was accompanying got seriously injured during a mission.
"It's nothing serious—"
"Don't talk nonsense."
Ieiri cut him off sharply. It was just as frustrating dealing with people who came asking for reversal rituals for trivial wounds as it was with someone like Zoro who underestimated his own injuries.
Utahime pulled Zoro to a patient chair and explained.
"Here. He's bleeding from his ear."
"Let's see."
Shoko inspected Zoro's ear with an otoscope—a tool for examining the inside of the ears. She saw the eardrum covered in clotted blood. She calmly stated,
"Your eardrum has burst. How did this happen, Zoro?"
"A spirit made a noise."
"...? Today wasn't supposed to be an exorcism mission."
It was supposed to be a simple task at the middle school, checking the condition of the protective charms and replacing them if they were in poor shape. Shoko tilted her head in confusion.
If it had seemed like a dangerous mission, she wouldn't have sent Utahime and Zoro alone. Utahime wasn't the right kind of sorcerer to be paired with Zoro on a mission.
'Actually, it's the worst combination.'
Utahime's spell was Solo Forbidden Area. It amplifies the total power output of those within its range, including Utahime herself, for a certain period of time.
It was a decent spell. Even without direct offensive capabilities, it was good for supporting allied sorcerers.
That was, as long as it was used to support 'sorcerers.'
The problem was right there.
'Zoro isn't a sorcerer.'
What good does it do to chant spells, form hand seals, dance, and sing to activate the spell if Zoro isn't a sorcerer?
'The total power a non-sorcerer has compared to a sorcerer's is nothing more than a speck of dust.'
A speck of dust remains a speck of dust no matter how much you try to expand it. No matter how hard Utahime tried, boosting Zoro's power to the level of a sorcerer was impossible.
Similarly, even if Utahime cast her spell on Toji, who had zero power, Toji didn't gain any power.
Shoko, curious, had them try it out once, but the result was disappointing. While Zoro's power increased slightly, absolutely nothing happened to Toji.
Gojo burst out laughing at the sight, but after taking a hit from Toji, he stopped laughing and explained the reason.
"Utahime's spell doesn't grant power to those who have none; it only amplifies the existing power. But multiplying zero by anything still gives you zero."
In other words, all that had just been a pointless spectacle of Utahime's dance and song!
...Utahime, ticked off by the lively comment, chased after the fleeing Gojo but couldn't manage to hit him.
At that point, Shoko stopped thinking. So, really, why did Zoro get hurt on a simple mission that only required checking and replacing charms?
This time, Utahime explained instead of Zoro.
"While I was replacing the charm, he went to the high school next door, not the middle school where the mission was."
"...Wow. He really is a subject for study."
How could that even happen? Shouldn't he be registered as directionally impaired by now?
Despite such thoughts, Shoko didn't really think of Zoro as someone who should be classified as utterly devoid of directional sense. He did run well when focusing on the enemy... although sometimes he failed.
'Being directionally impaired isn't something that changes based on the situation or personal condition.'
It's an inescapable curse. Concentration or having a crucial enemy to defeat doesn't mean it can be overcome or ignored.
'It might make sense to consider him directionally impaired.'
Shoko put away the otoscope and, sitting in the chair, asked Zoro, who was blankly staring back at her.
"How's the pain?"
"Bearable."
"You always say everything is bearable."
Even when a curse that set Zoro's hand on fire was cast using a talisman by an enemy sorcerer last time, he had said it was bearable.
The expression on Teacher Toji's face at that time... Shoko shook her head in dismay.
'I understand why the teacher is overprotective.'
Because he's unusually detached about his own injuries, that kid.
"If you used Armament Haki, you wouldn't get hurt, but I don't know why you keep getting hurt on purpose."
"I need to practice using my sword, not just Haki. And this time, there was no other way. The spirit was essentially sound."
"Sound?"
"More precisely, it was like human speech."
The spirit Zoro encountered this time had 'sound' as its substance until the number of mouths increased enough to be physically cut down and destroyed.
Armament Haki isn't a technique like an impenetrable shield that prevents attacks from reaching at all. It enhances physical defense and allows one to grasp the substance of the opponent. Sounds like a voice can't be blocked with Armament Haki, nor can they be killed by cutting.
It was similar to Big Mom's living flame, Zeus. Though it's alive, its essence is still 'fire', so even if it's cut with a sword enveloped in Armament Haki, it won't die.
Shoko muttered while putting a cigarette in her mouth, "That was a tricky spirit. How did you get rid of it?"
"Waited until its substance could be physically cut and killed."
Utahime noted down what Zoro said in her notebook. Since she was originally in charge of the mission, it was also her responsibility to report the mission details to the assistant supervisor.
"What grade do you think it was?"
"Not sure. Maybe a 2nd grade? If we're generous, it might be considered a 1st grade spirit."
The spirit had the power of a 2nd grade, but exorcising it was as difficult as a 1st grade spirit because of the numerous mouths that had to be dealt with all at once.
Listening to Zoro's story, Shoko cheerfully said,
"Let's report it as a first-grade spirit, Senior Utahime. That way, at least we'll earn more money."
"...You sound like Senior Mei, Shoko."
Utahime responded with a mixed expression. She grimaced and pressed her pen against her forehead.
"It was a second-grade spirit. It was unusually strong for appearing at a school."
"Why a school?"
"Places like schools and hospitals, where many people gather and negative emotions accumulate, are equipped with powerful charms to prevent spirits from arising."
For instance, like the fingers of Ryomen Sukuna.
This mission was also meant for that purpose. Although Zoro had ended up at the high school next door and dealt with an unexpected spirit.
"It seems we need to check the charms at that school, Senior."
"I agree, Shoko."
Utahime looked down at her notebook with a troubled expression.
Shoko silently finished the treatment. As she reached out her hand to perform a reversal ritual, Zoro stopped her.
"You don't need to. It'll heal if I just sleep."
Ieiri looked down at Zoro, incredulously.
To some extent, he was right. Zoro had very high self-healing and resistance to curses. Whether it was because he was the son of Toji, who was famously resilient, or because he naturally had high recovery powers, was unclear.
Ordinary curses or injuries would heal quickly just by resting. Even the eardrum he had injured today was already healing.
With a swoosh, Shoko ignored Zoro's words and applied the Reverse Cursed Technique to his ear.
"I'm fine."
"You'll be going on another mission, right? If you get more injured then, I'll have to use more reversal rituals."
Using the ritual now was cheaper in the long run. Ieiri completed the reversal ritual and carefully checked if there were more injuries.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the infirmary door. The voice of the assistant supervisor was heard from outside.
"Ms. Iori, are you there?"
"Yes, come in!"
Iori hurriedly responded. The assistant supervisor entered the room, sliding the door open,
"I've been looking for you for a while—"
The assistant supervisor, who appeared tired and irritated, saw Zoro sitting in the chair and his eyes widened.
Fatigue, annoyance. Those emotions swept away from the assistant supervisor's face, leaving only one emotion in their place.
Fear.
A bead of sweat trickled down the young assistant supervisor's forehead. Utahime looked at him, picturing a question mark above her head.
The assistant supervisor bowed his head, unable to meet Zoro's gaze, and stuttered as he spoke.
"Why are you, here..."
"Because I got hurt?"
Unlike the assistant supervisor, who was sweating profusely, Zoro remained calm and tilted his head.
"Are you sick?"
"No, I'm not."
"You look pale."
And you seem to be shaking a bit.
"If you're sick, you should get treated before leaving."
"I'm, I'm fine."
"Really?"
Shoko quietly observed the assistant supervisor, who was shrinking, and Zoro, who was unfazed, then spoke evenly.
"Didn't you come here for something from Senior Utahime? Go ahead and speak."
"No! I, I can check it later."
Excusing himself, the assistant supervisor hurriedly fled the infirmary.
"?!"
Zoro watched the assistant supervisor's retreating figure and tilted his head in confusion.
Utahime scratched her head and turned to Zoro.
"Hey, Zoro? What did you do to that guy?"
"Nothing."
"But why did he..."
Fear you? Utahime swallowed her words. Shoko explained.
"He went on a mission with Zoro recently."
Just as Zoro said, he hadn't really done anything to the assistant supervisor.
'It was just the process of dealing with the spirit that was a bit... intense.'
It was supposed to be a simple mission to eliminate a third-grade spirit. Indeed, there was a third-grade spirit at the location. There was also a first-grade spirit, which was the problem.
Zoro had realized this as soon as they arrived at the mission location. Thus, he had the third-grade sorcerer and the assistant supervisor wait outside and entered the mission site alone.
When Zoro did not come out after a long time, the impatient assistant supervisor entered the building...
...and fainted as soon as he saw Zoro.
'Honestly, it was understandable.'
The state of Zoro when he returned was so shocking that even Shoko was at a loss for words.
He looked like he had been dipped into a giant ketchup bottle. Covered from head to toe in sticky, bright red blood, it was impossible to tell what color his clothes had been originally. Even his hair seemed coated in blood, obscuring its distinct green color.
The only thing not red, his gray eyes, still shone brightly, as if the heat of battle lingered. There was no malice, hostility, or evil intent, yet people couldn't bring themselves to approach him. Even seasoned shamans were taken aback by his rough appearance.
At that moment, Shoko, showing no sign of fear, approached Zoro while smoking a cigarette.
When Shoko stopped in front of him, Zoro looked up at her. His calm gray eyes were not much different from usual.
"You're a mess."
"No place to wash up."
Typical response. Shoko flicked her finger toward the infirmary.
"Let's go to the infirmary."
Thinking it was impressive he could still move despite all the blood he had lost, Shoko considered this.
Zoro calmly said,
"It's not my blood."
"...?"
"It's not mine."
Later, after Zoro had cleaned up, Shoko realized that he was right.
Not a single drop of the blood Zoro was covered in had come from him.
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