The training ground was a spacious, open area surrounded by a high stone wall that kept it hidden from prying eyes. The ground beneath was dense, leveled asphalt, though cracks could be seen in places due to time and frequent training. A faint moisture lingered in the air, as if the area was regularly watered to enhance the setting for combat practice. In one corner stood heavy training equipment resembling old-fashioned sports gear, while in another were wooden targets meant for throwing objects to practice accuracy and strength.
In the center of the grounds were circles outlined in white paint, where most of the training took place. One of them was somewhat damaged from numerous strikes and traces of cursed energy. A few large stones, neatly stacked in one corner, were used for practicing techniques involving strength and object manipulation. The atmosphere was tense and focused, yet ominous, as if the place itself was imbued with the energy of countless battles.
Megumi paced back and forth, slightly nervous, occasionally stopping to assess his surroundings. His footsteps echoed firmly, though with a hint of uncertainty. He could feel the weight of the place pressing on his thoughts, forcing him to reassess his readiness. A light breeze tousled his hair, but no external distraction could pull him away from his preparatory thoughts. He took a deep breath, trying to center himself before the start of training, yet the internal tension still gripped him.
Megumi was nervous. Today was the day of his training with Yuta, and they had agreed in advance to spar using their techniques. Previously, they had only sparred in hand-to-hand combat, making this their first sparring session involving their cursed techniques.
Yuta was dressed in light attire: an oversized white T-shirt with wide sleeves that reached below his elbows to allow free movement. On the bottom, he wore similarly loose black pants.
He approached Megumi and asked,
"Are you nervous?"
"A little," Megumi replied without hesitation.
"That's normal. Don't worry, I'll be careful with you," Yuta reassured him. He decided against employing Gojo-sensei's methods, thinking Megumi should adjust to this gradually.
Curiously, Yuta asked,
"Have you and Satoru-san ever had sparring matches like this?"
They walked together to the sparring area. Megumi slowed his pace slightly, delving into his memories.
"No, we never sparred. And our training only happened at the beginning when I couldn't properly control my cursed energy. After that, he only supervised me during the rituals to subjugate my shikigami. Besides, it's not like I asked for such training or sparring."
They stopped in the open space and stood facing each other.
"I think if you had asked Gojo-sensei for it, he would have gladly agreed," Yuta noted.
Megumi's expression darkened slightly, recalling Yuta's story about sparring with Gojo. Yuta, noticing this, chose not to pursue the topic further and asked,
"Well, ready?"
Megumi exhaled deeply and nodded resolutely. Yuta decided to let Megumi take the first move. He stepped back a bit, waiting for the attack.
Without delay, Megumi formed the necessary seals and summoned two shikigami. The shadows around him thickened and moved as if alive, forming two canine figures resembling wolves. One was pure white, the other black, but both shared a common mark: a red triangle formed by three thinly connected points on their foreheads.
Megumi commanded the hounds to distract Yuta. They immediately charged at him from opposite sides. Yuta, anticipating this, dodged their attacks effortlessly, until his legs suddenly sank into the shadows. Sensing danger, he flipped backward—a mistake. While Yuta was distracted by the two hounds, Megumi managed to summon two more shikigami: Nue and Orochi.
Nue, seizing the opportunity, attacked Yuta with electric charges as he flipped backward to evade Orochi's swift attack. Unable to dodge mid-air, Yuta took the attack. It didn't cause significant harm, but according to the sparring rules, Yuta had to keep his cursed energy usage on par with Megumi's. Strengthening himself to withstand Nue's attack violated the rules, earning Megumi two points: one for a successful attack and another for Yuta's rule violation. The sparring session would end when one side scored three points.
Yuta charged at Megumi, using the "DA" technique to double his strength. Megumi was caught off guard by Yuta's sudden increase in speed, but his shikigami diligently carried out their task of protecting their master. Orochi, using its speed, was the first to intercept Yuta with a direct attack. Yuta sidestepped to the left, dodging Orochi, only to be attacked by the hounds. Evading their strikes, he scanned the area for Megumi, but he was no longer in his previous spot.
Yuta quickly realized what Megumi was planning. Using the "Evil Eye," Yuta briefly immobilized Orochi with fear for its master. But before he could retreat, Yuta saw Megumi descending from above with a massive hammer aimed at his head. Megumi had used his technique to conceal the weapon in the shadows, hesitant to attack Yuta himself, as the hammer's weight greatly restricted his movements.
Gathering cursed energy in his hand, Yuta used an acid technique to dissolve the hammer, which couldn't withstand the impact. At that moment, the two hounds latched onto Yuta's sleeves. Simultaneously, Nue attacked him from above with electric charges, while Orochi and Megumi closed in from opposite sides.
Yuta decided this was the end and effortlessly dodged all the attacks. For another rule violation, Yuta received a penalty point. Including the previous two points, Megumi won with a score of 3-0.
Dispersing his shikigami, a sweat-soaked Megumi approached Yuta. The use of three shikigami, holding an object in the shadows, and manipulating the shadows to hinder his opponent had drained him.
"Good job. You beat me fair and square," Yuta praised him.
Megumi fully understood that Yuta hadn't been able to fight at full strength. Okkotsu held back to avoid accidentally destroying or severely damaging the shikigami. Yuta knew how attached Megumi was to his creations and acted with utmost caution because of this.
Megumi appreciated the consideration, though it embarrassed him slightly. He felt that Yuta sometimes took these things too seriously, but he couldn't deny how important his shikigami were to him. They were more than just tools in battle; they were a part of his strength, a part of himself.
"Thank you for treating my shikigami with care," Megumi said quietly, noticing how Yuta seemed lost in thought, perhaps recalling moments from their sparring match.
Yuta turned and gave a gentle smile.
"I understand how much they mean to you. Besides, what would Gojo-sensei think if I accidentally broke one of your shikigami?"
Megumi offered a faint smile, hiding his embarrassment.
"Thanks, but if you hadn't given me the advantage at the beginning, the sparring results might have been different," Megumi remarked, his gaze falling on Yuta's torn sleeves. "And sorry about that," he added, pointing to the damage.
"It's fine. It's sparring," Yuta replied, walking toward the remains of the hammer. "You showed an impressive level of skill in controlling your cursed technique and were highly adaptive in battle. But you're right, if I hadn't given you time to summon your shikigami and had attacked immediately using 'DA' the outcome would've been different. The main issue remains your close combat skills. You don't use weapons because they hinder your seal formations, and I get that. So, I'd advise you to work on improving your shadow control. That trick where you made my legs sink into the shadows was excellent."
Megumi plopped down on the ground, exhausted, and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I'll work on that."
Yuta approached the metal remnants of the hammer, now resembling rebar. The acid had dissolved the hammerhead, leaving only the handle. He picked it up and tossed it into a large trash bin at the end of the training ground.
Walking back to Megumi, who was gathering their bags, Yuta casually asked,
"How's Tsumiki? How's school? Still beating up bullies?"
Megumi was slightly flustered by the last question but answered evenly, not showing it.
"Tsumiki's doing well. Next year she'll be in her third year of high school. As for school, I don't have any issues."
Yuta grinned.
"So, beating up those weaker than you isn't an issue?"
Annoyed, Megumi replied,
"They're the ones beating up those weaker than them. So, they're just bullies. And stop talking to Gojo so much; it's having a bad influence on you."
Yuta couldn't hold back his laughter.
"I see, so the fact that they're bullies cancels out the fact that they're weaker than you? And I don't talk to Gojo-sensei that much. It's because I spend a lot of time with you."
Megumi, giving up, said,
"Fine, I'll stop beating them up. I don't remember having that kind of influence on you."
Yuta patted his head.
"I didn't say you should stop. You could say it's preventive action against harmful habits. Ah, you've got so much to learn."
Megumi calmly brushed Yuta's hand away.
"Okkotsu-san, your jokes aren't funny."
Clutching his chest, Yuta said in a mock hoarse voice,
"That was cruel."
Megumi smiled faintly and muttered,
"Perhaps."