Given the difference between geniuses and ordinary people, plus their unreliable teacher's personality, the students completely ignored Gojo Satoru's presence.
Maki Zenin spoke up first, "Alright, let's begin class, Assistant Instructor Akira."
Panda followed, "We're counting on you, Assistant Instructor Akira."
"Kombu," added Toge in his rice ball language, meaning "okay."
"Let's get right to it. The first lesson—tactical thinking, the battle of the weak."
Akira didn't hesitate and quickly got into teaching mode.
Though being hired as an assistant instructor wasn't part of his original plan, Akira was far from a poor teacher.
Being a Pokémon Trainer inherently involved teaching. And the reality of not inheriting jujutsu had forced him to think deeply about this issue many times.
Using a steamroller to block a cursed spirit might seem outlandish, but it was actually a carefully considered strategy, the optimal solution to break the situation.
"Weak? Are you talking about me?" Maki Zenin's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. Among the students, she was the most competitive.
"No, you, me, Toge, Panda, even my Gar-chan—we're all weak here. Everyone in this field, except for Gojo-sensei, has clear weaknesses and shortcomings. But words alone won't convince you, so let's fight while we talk."
"I'll go first."
Maki, naturally, took the initiative.
A gust of wind accompanied her strike as she swung her long staff. Just from this move alone, it was clear she had been immersed in martial arts for at least ten years, her foundation solid.
Akira had been prepared and stepped back to dodge.
Maki pressed her advantage, relentlessly closing in. She fully utilized the great strength and momentum of her long weapon, the sound of it cutting through the air growing louder with each swing.
Her physical abilities were clearly above average. Combined with her exceptional martial skills, her attacks came faster and faster, soon forcing Akira into a corner where he had no room to evade.
"Got you!"
With that triumphant declaration, Maki swung her weapon down—
—only for it to snap in two at the middle, right where she was holding it.
Just before impact, Akira dodged the blade and punched the wooden shaft, disrupting Maki's balance and nearly causing her to fall.
Though she managed to adjust her stance with a backflip to create distance, she couldn't outrun Akira, who was in perfect condition. He struck her in the abdomen with his elbow, sending her flying.
Akira didn't hold back just because Maki was a woman. He was ready to finish the fight with one decisive move.
At the last second, a voice filled with binding force rang out:
"Stop moving!"
Inumaki Toge had spoken, lowering the collar that covered his mouth to reveal the sigils of circles and waves—markings of the Toge family's cursed speech, symbolizing the Snake Eyes and Fangs.
Under the influence of Toge's words, Akira was forced into a brief paralysis. In that moment, Panda used his surprisingly quick speed for his size to step in front of Maki and swat Akira back several steps.
Thanks to his cursed energy defense, Akira wasn't injured. He stretched his shoulder, shaking off the effects of the cursed speech.
"Good teamwork. You've already grasped one method of a weak fighter's strategy. But your thinking is still too rigid. Panda, why did you attack from the front? A human's back is much harder to defend."
"I had to protect Maki. If I couldn't push you back, I would have taken her and kept retreating," Panda explained, living up to his role as the group's strategist.
"Good, but not enough. If I were in command, I'd have had you attack from behind. After all, you're a cursed corpse, not a normal living being. You don't need to breathe—that's your big advantage." Akira raised one finger, then two. "The second strategy for a weak fighter is to leverage your strengths, pulling the enemy into your favored terrain and using your experience to defeat them."
"And what about Maki?" Panda asked.
"She'd be left to Toge."
"Huh?" Panda, Toge, and even Maki were taken aback.
Gojo was the quickest to catch on. "Ah, I see. Because cursed energy makes up for the difference in physical ability, size doesn't matter. Toge doesn't lack cursed energy."
"Exactly," Akira nodded. "'Cursed Speech' is very powerful, but it has obvious weaknesses. My assessment is that it's a curse technique that forces a direct confrontation. Against weaker opponents, it's convenient—you can take them out with a single shout. But against stronger enemies, you'll suffer more severe backlash. Isn't that right?"
"Salmon," Toge confirmed, meaning yes.
Afterward, he mimicked a running motion.
Panda elaborated, "Toge is really fast. It's for avoiding unfavorable situations and repositioning."
"That's great, but still not enough."
Akira repeated his earlier assessment. This was the biggest issue for the first-year students.
"To me, that's a huge waste. With such a convenient technique, there's no need to run. Take the earlier situation with Maki, for instance. If you had been closer, you could've dealt me a finishing blow during the moment I was paralyzed."
Toge's eyes shifted.
Maki and Panda's expressions grew serious.
"Do you see? Toge could easily be a close-quarters combat killer."
In intense, high-frequency close combat, any unnecessary pause could be fatal.
Maki thought it over and said, "But Toge's technique is difficult. The dispersion of cursed energy, targeting precision, and control of the technique all require a lot of training. It's impossible to focus on close combat like we do."
"Then specialize in just one or use tools. Jujutsu sorcerers are still human; there's no reason not to take advantage of human strengths. For fighting against people, firearms and grenades are the best options. One moment of hesitation, and you could shoot them in the head."
"You're quite ruthless. I like it," Gojo grinned.
Akira smiled back. "A dead enemy is a good enemy."
Maki and Panda instinctively stepped back. The atmosphere around this teacher-assistant duo was too dark and intimidating. Will they sell us out one day?
After giving them a glimpse of an adult's mindset, Akira returned to normal. "But considering the special nature of cursed spirits, it's better to use materials that can conduct and store cursed energy—or just go with cursed tools."
Cursed tools, like cursed corpses, were imbued with curses. Though they couldn't move on their own, they carried cursed energy and could harm cursed spirits.
Gojo decisively chimed in, "That's easy enough. Maki, take Toge to pick out some cursed tools this afternoon. Go for something easy to use and carry—prioritize ranged options."
Like cursed corpses, cursed tools were rare, but as one of Japan's only two jujutsu sorcerer training institutions, Jujutsu High had a decent stock.
"The same theory applies to Panda. Even if you don't need a weapon, you could carry smoke grenades, flashbangs, or stun grenades. Some might argue that relying on external tools isn't true strength. But training is one thing—fighting is another. I said it at the start: we are weak. We're doing everything we can just to survive. Things like dignity and honor can wait until we're strong."
"I understand," Panda said, standing at attention and bowing respectfully.
"Lastly—"
"—is it me?" Maki asked, fully aware of her situation.
"You have the most issues, both in hardware and software. Your strength far surpasses ordinary people. Even basic cursed energy enhancement can't match your physical abilities. But your weakness—if I'm not mistaken—is that you have almost no cursed energy, right?"
"That's right." Maki readily admitted, adjusting her glasses. "Without these, I can't even see cursed spirits."
She, Maki Zenin, wasn't a jujutsu sorcerer at all.