"This is the head of the Night Owl headquarters, the founder, Le Zhengwen, a first-grade jujutsu sorcerer," Zhang Yiyi introduced the man in front of Hayashi.
"Hello, my name is Hayashi," Hayashi responded, shaking hands when Le Zhengwen extended his.
"Please, have a seat," Le Zhengwen gestured for them to sit.
Once Hayashi and Zhang Yiyi were seated, Le Zhengwen got straight to the point without pleasantries: "I've reviewed the information submitted by Yamashima about you, Hayashi. You're here for an evaluation, correct?"
"Yes, we've been stationed at the Tokyo second-grade division for a while now, and we'd like to apply for a first-grade division status. Hayashi agreed to come along for the evaluation," Zhang Yiyi explained, though in reality, without Hayashi, their second-grade division would never have a chance of upgrading to first-grade.
"Hayashi, do you have an official jujutsu sorcerer rank?" Le Zhengwen asked, looking at him.
Satoru Gojo had registered Hayashi as a third-grade jujutsu sorcerer, the same rank as Nobara Kugisaki, while Megumi Fushiguro was ranked as a second-grade sorcerer.
Upon hearing that Hayashi was a third-grade jujutsu sorcerer, a flash of disappointment crossed Le Zhengwen's face. However, based on the previous reports from Yamashima and Zhang Yiyi, Hayashi was said to possess the strength of a first-grade sorcerer.
Le Zhengwen dismissed these claims as exaggerations. A boy of Hayashi's age being a third-grade sorcerer was already impressive. The idea of him having first-grade strength was simply absurd.
"How about this? You both should stay here for a couple of days, relax, and explore the city," Le Zhengwen suddenly shifted into a more hospitable tone, sounding overly friendly.
However, to Hayashi and Zhang Yiyi, his warmth came across as a polite dismissal, suggesting he wasn't taking them seriously.
Zhang Yiyi immediately stood up, looking at Le Zhengwen. "Sir, we didn't come here to sightsee. Please, let's proceed with the evaluation."
"Yiyi..." Le Zhengwen sighed, standing up with a look of exasperation. "You're not that young anymore. You shouldn't risk everything just to upgrade your division. Hayashi, at his age, unless he has an extraordinary bloodline, can't possibly have the level of a first-grade sorcerer. That much is obvious."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yiyi finally realized why Le Zhengwen was so dismissive—he didn't believe that Hayashi was as powerful as she claimed. He thought she was exaggerating to secure the division upgrade.
"Sir, you don't need to worry about that. Hayashi's strength will speak for itself in a simple test," Zhang Yiyi wasn't one to beat around the bush. She believed in proving strength through direct action.
"Is that really necessary?" Le Zhengwen no longer had any interest in testing Hayashi. Night Owl had few divisions, and upgrading one to first-grade wasn't something that could happen lightly.
So far, only two divisions had achieved first-grade status. The rest were second-grade or even third-grade.
Many divisions, eager to reduce their commission payments, sought to upgrade their status. But most simply lacked the necessary qualifications.
Besides, if all divisions upgraded, Night Owl headquarters would lose a significant chunk of income and influence.
The reports about Hayashi defeating a special-grade curse and saving Zhang Yiyi and Kong Yue? Le Zhengwen found them laughable. How could someone as young as Hayashi, when even a first-grade sorcerer like Zhang Yiyi had nearly been killed, defeat a special-grade curse?
It was absurd.
Zhang Yiyi felt frustrated. After coming all the way from Tokyo, they were being dismissed with a simple "not necessary"?
Before she could say anything else, Hayashi stood up, his tone casual: "If it's unnecessary, then so be it. I didn't care much for this place anyway. Let's go, Sister Yiyi. This place isn't worth our time."
"What did you say?" Le Zhengwen's forced smile vanished in an instant. A mere third-grade sorcerer had the audacity to speak to him like that?
Zhang Yiyi hadn't expected Hayashi to be so blunt, though she admired his boldness. But now wasn't the time to be so confrontational.
Hayashi glanced back at Le Zhengwen's darkened expression. "We came all this way, and you dismiss us with 'not necessary.' Is this how you treat guests? Whether we succeed or fail should be determined through a test."
After listening to Hayashi's words, Le Zhengwen's expression softened slightly. He chuckled and said, "I've heard you're a student at the Tokyo Jujutsu High. No wonder you're so confident. Very well, I can test you. Let's go."
"I don't think it's necessary anymore," Hayashi smiled faintly, directly refusing Le Zhengwen's offer.
Le Zhengwen's face froze again. "Are you playing games with me?"
Hayashi didn't respond. He walked to the door, paused for a moment, and then turned around. "Fine, I'll take the test. Lead the way, sir."
Le Zhengwen, now furious, wanted to hit Hayashi. This back-and-forth was infuriating. But since Hayashi had agreed to the test, refusing him would make Le Zhengwen appear petty.
With another forced smile, he said, "Alright, let's go."
Zhang Yiyi was nervous for Hayashi. He was playing this situation close to the edge. She hadn't realized how bold he could be.
The test was simple. A specialized testing facility would allow the evaluator to gauge the sorcerer's power through their jujutsu techniques.
Of course, the techniques were to be demonstrated to the evaluator, not used on them directly, as that would be dangerous.
Behind the main building was a facility specifically designed for training and evaluations.
Once they arrived, Le Zhengwen called for the evaluator and gave some instructions before the test began.
The testing room was about 100 square meters, surrounded by reinforced glass and brightly lit.
Le Zhengwen and Zhang Yiyi stood outside, observing through the glass.
"You may begin," the evaluator, a man in his thirties wearing glasses, said professionally.
Le Zhengwen crossed his arms, unconcerned as he watched Hayashi. No matter the result, he wouldn't allow Yamashima's division to upgrade to first-grade. That had already been decided.
Standing still, Hayashi suddenly released a powerful surge of cursed energy.
The intense wave of energy surprised both Le Zhengwen and the evaluator.
"Such pure cursed energy... the concentration is impressive," the evaluator murmured, adjusting his glasses, his expression serious.
At that moment, a blue glow enveloped Hayashi's body, quickly forming into a shimmering suit of azure armor that covered him completely.
"This... this is..." Le Zhengwen was stunned. In all his years running Night Owl, he had never seen such a technique. It was completely unheard of.
"A unique bloodline jujutsu. This kid is an absolute genius! A genius!" the evaluator shouted, though the soundproof glass made his voice barely audible to Hayashi.
Le Zhengwen's attitude shifted completely. He was determined to keep Hayashi in Night Owl. Sorcerers with such unique bloodline talents were rare worldwide. Securing one was like finding a treasure. He couldn't let Hayashi slip away.
Zhang Yiyi had been amazed the first time she saw Hayashi's cursed armor, but she kept her reaction subdued compared to Le Zhengwen and the evaluator, whose expressions were filled with awe.
Hayashi's armor was blue because he deliberately chose not to use the crimson version. The cursed armor could be adjusted in strength, so there was no need to display the "Crimson Armor" in front of Le Zhengwen.
But that wasn't the end of it. Hayashi reached behind him, gripping his black steel blade, and in one swift motion, he stepped forward, slashing the air in front of the reinforced glass.
A wave of black-and-blue cursed energy shot forward, crashing into the reinforced glass in front of Le Zhengwen and the others.
Crack!
Le Zhengwen staggered back in shock. The reinforced glass, designed to withstand attacks from a quasi-first-grade jujutsu sorcerer, had spiderweb cracks all across its surface.
Though the glass didn't shatter completely, it was as good as broken.
The evaluator's pen dropped from his hand, and he muttered, "This glass is supposed to withstand attacks from a quasi-first-grade sorcerer... and it cracked..."
Le Zhengwen's shock was beyond words. Forget where Hayashi got that weapon—the sheer power behind that slash had shaken him to his core.
"This person... we must keep him!"