Nanami Kento still carried his usual demeanor of "I just want a peaceful life," flexing his right hand slightly.
"The second time was a success. Seems like today's a lucky day. But your luck isn't so good, curse user of Q."
After all, Q was a curse user organization. In a big city like Tokyo, having a hideout with more than ten people, it was highly unlikely there wasn't a curse user overseeing things.
From the very start, Nanami Kento and Akira had been cautious, and as time passed, their vigilance grew.
Unlike cursed spirits, it's difficult to identify a curse user unless they actively use their cursed energy. The more they hide in the shadows while their comrades fall, the more cunning they are.
As expected, the curse user was indeed devious. Even his own comrades didn't know his identity, assuming he was just like them, lying low in Tokyo, waiting for orders from higher-ups.
Though Akira and Nanami's sudden breach caught him off guard, he quickly composed himself and formulated a strategy.
First, use the ordinary members as cannon fodder.
These people lacked the training of a true jujutsu sorcerer, easily recruited with money, religion, or brainwashing—perfect for gauging the enemy's strength.
Once the enemy grew complacent, he would strike with his jujutsu, delivering a fatal blow.
It was a sound strategy, and Akira and Nanami played right into it. Seeing the two fight without using jujutsu and relying solely on physical combat, he thought this was a divine opportunity.
His cursed technique, "Reflection," allowed him to rebound a certain amount of incoming attacks, particularly effective against physical strikes. Someone like Nanami, who favored hand-to-hand combat, seemed like easy prey.
Although the ongoing Black Flash lesson concerned him—since there was a limit to how much damage could be reflected—he knew that the activation of Black Flash heavily relied on luck. Some sorcerers could go their entire lives only ever using it once.
After Nanami's first failure, the curse user thought his chance had arrived. Little did he expect Nanami to succeed on his second try, shattering his reflection technique and gravely wounding him.
The overwhelming defeat left him frozen in shock, staring at the man before him, unable to process the pain.
"No, no way... How can Black Flash be used so easily? Who—who are you?"
"Grade 1 sorcerer, Nanami Kento. I've always had decent luck with Black Flash."
The curse user's face turned ashen, finally accepting the reality.
Nanami casually lifted him up and turned to Akira. "Akira, why don't you give it a try?"
"Alright."
Akira nodded, focusing as Nanami had instructed. He spread cursed energy around his fist, not making the energy follow his body but instead making his body follow the energy.
Inhale.
Sink into stance.
Punch!
Cursed energy rippled through the air, knocking down another enemy with sheer impact.
However, the scattered energy that failed to condense was precisely why Black Flash didn't succeed.
"It's not just about spreading it. You have to ensure it can be retracted at will. Focus more. Keep your body and mind in sync, fully integrating the cursed energy into your breath."
Following Nanami's guidance, Akira concentrated harder.
Focus.
Another punch. Still not enough, the cursed energy and fist were out of sync.
Again!
Focus even harder!
Mind and body as one.
The third punch!
Still not right—more refinement needed.
Akira completely immersed himself in his own world, throwing punch after punch—fourth, fifth—each one improving in control.
By the time he felt his cursed energy lagging, unable to keep up with the strain, the hideout was already in ruins. Everyone except Nanami had been laid out, and the luxurious place, which resembled a high-end bar, was now reduced to rubble.
Akira looked down at his hands in frustration, then sighed, letting them fall to his sides. "I failed."
Nanami, now fully buttoned up in his suit and tie, said calmly, "That's the normal result. If Black Flash were that easy to learn, it wouldn't be the dividing line for jujutsu sorcerers. Gojo wouldn't have sent you to me."
"What am I still lacking?" Akira humbly asked.
"Two things. First, what I taught you is based on my experience—it might not suit you. You need to develop your own understanding of cursed energy. Second, training. Constant practice deepens your perception and coordination with cursed energy. As long as you're improving, you're on the right track. Keep pushing until you hit the limit.
Even then, don't stop. Let your fists and cursed energy become second nature. Once you achieve that, one day you'll break through and land your first Black Flash. After that, it becomes easier to use it again."
"I understand."
Coming from Nanami, the advice was especially convincing. He held the world record for the most consecutive uses of Black Flash—four times in a single day.
The principles Nanami imparted resonated deeply with Akira. They aligned perfectly with his own approach—continuous training until it was ingrained in his bones, becoming instinctive. Like a professional athlete's relentless practice, it was all about waiting for that moment of breakthrough.
As long as one doesn't give up, there will always be moments of brilliance. Many athletes achieve stunning feats without even knowing how they did it, simply moving naturally as their body took over.
Black Flash was one of those rare, "divinely inspired" states.
"Let's go. Time to report back to Gojo. After that, I'll help you find a more concrete feeling for Black Flash."
Nanami's casual "mission complete" attitude left Akira a bit surprised.
"That's it? What about them—" he gestured to the downed enemies.
"They're already dead."
"Huh?" Akira blinked, puzzled. He didn't remember anyone delivering a killing blow. Had he accidentally gone too far during his Black Flash practice?
"Don't bother looking. It's a curse. They were hit with some kind of jujutsu beforehand. The moment they got involved with any organizational secrets, they died. This situation might be more complicated than we thought."
As soon as they had captured the curse user, Nanami had tried to extract information. But before the curse user could say a word, his heart had split open. Soon after, the hearts of the others had also ruptured.
"It's not your fault. While I did tell you to prepare to kill, that doesn't mean you should take responsibility for every death. Gathering intelligence and investigating hideouts isn't our job. For now, 'close enough' is good enough. That's the wisdom of adulthood."
Akira nodded, but didn't say anything.
It wasn't that he didn't understand Nanami's point. Akira was well-versed in the work-life balance of a jobber and knew all about taking things easy. What surprised him was how calm he felt in this moment.
No anger, no fear, no guilt, no regret.
All he felt was calm, as if the deaths around him had nothing to do with him. He didn't even feel a sense of sympathy.
Have I already grown used to the brutality of the jujutsu world?
Or... am I just a cold-blooded person by nature?
Akira didn't know the answer.
But—
"Gardevoir~" Akira quietly called.
A gentle wave of psychic energy brushed against him, like the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
Gradually, faces began to emerge in his mind.
Hayami.
Pancham.
Maki Zenin.
Panda.
Toge Inumaki.
And, of course, Gojo Satoru.
Unconsciously, the coldness in his heart began to melt.
Yes, this is good. This is very good.
Akira, now at peace, didn't notice that the dark egg he had been carrying with him for four days suddenly gave a slight tremor—like a heartbeat.