Chapter 73 — The Invasion
"Zen'in-sensei, what's with those two sisters?"
Utahime frowned as she stared at the screen showing Maki and Mai locked in a fierce standoff.
"Yeah, seriously, old man," Riko added, tilting her head. "Weren't they super close when they were kids? How'd they go from inseparable to mortal enemies?"
She remembered them well — two girls always together, always laughing, practically glued at the hip. And now, they looked like they'd kill each other without a second thought.
Shinsuke shrugged casually. "Eh, that's just… teenage rebellion."
Utahime visibly shivered. "Ugh, hearing that come from you gives me chills, old man."
She couldn't tell which was scarier — his deadpan delivery or the fact that he sounded like a dad who'd given up on parenting.
"So, Sensei," she asked, "which of them do you think will win?"
Her eyes were fixed on the monitor — she knew Mai well enough to understand how far the younger Zen'in had come.
Given the kind of toxic household she'd grown up in, her persistence alone was something to respect.
"Obviously, my disciple," Shinsuke replied flatly.
He knew Mai's ability inside and out — Construction, a cursed technique that allowed her to manifest physical objects from cursed energy itself.
A godlike power… but one that demanded an impossible amount of energy to maintain.
The old Mai could only construct a single bullet per day before her cursed energy bottomed out.
Even now, after training and refining her control, she'd be lucky to manage a few more before her reserves ran dry.
Unless her physical combat skills had somehow caught up to Maki's level — she didn't stand a chance.
Utahime frowned. "Don't underestimate her, Sensei. Mai's been working really hard this past year."
CRACK!
Before Shinsuke could reply, the screen flared with movement — Maki had closed the gap in an instant, slicing through Mai's bullet mid-flight with a single, precise stroke.
"Little sister," Maki said, eyes cold but steady, "that's your seventh round, isn't it? You've hit your limit. Surrender."
Her tone was confident — after all, she still thought Mai's maximum output was a single cursed bullet.
Six from the gun's magazine, one from her technique — seven total. The math checked out.
No energy, no chance.
But Mai only smiled, raising her weapon again.
"Arrogant as ever, sis… but the one who's losing here—"
BANG!
"—is you."
A glowing blue bullet shot out of the barrel like a streak of light.
"What—?" Maki's eyes widened. The shot was already at her face before she could even think.
Of course. She should've known. A full year of training — Mai wasn't the same girl she used to be.
Maki tilted her head slightly and exhaled. "Another bullet, huh… that's your new limit then?"
Her hand snapped up.
PAK!
She caught the bullet between her fingers — cursed energy exploded across her palm with a flash.
"—Tch!" Maki winced, shaking out her smoking hand. "Yeah, still hurts like hell. Note to self: don't catch bullets barehanded."
"Not bad, Sensei's student," Riko laughed from the observation room. "She's got your style — reckless and overdramatic."
Utahime nodded. "Yeah, didn't you also grab a bullet with your bare hand once, old man?"
Shinsuke waved it off modestly. "Please. It's just a bullet, not a nuke."
Back on the field—
"You've lost," Maki said, closing the distance again. She flipped her blade, ready to deliver a non-lethal blow to prove her point: Big sister will always be big sister.
BANG!
She froze mid-step.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Mai's smirk widened. "Still acting superior, huh, dear sister?"
She fired again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Four cursed bullets in rapid succession — each one tracing a different path, sealing off every escape route.
Let's see her catch four at once.
"You've improved," Maki admitted quietly, her voice tinged with pride. "You've really been working hard."
Her stance shifted. "But—"
A deep breath. Her eyes sharpened like blades.
"—you're not the only one with a teacher."
White steam began to rise from her body as her blood boiled and her aura surged.
Veins pulsed across her forehead, every fiber of her being igniting at once.
Her speed, her strength, her senses — all spiked to another level.
To her, the world slowed.
The bullets crawled toward her like drifting petals.
Her muscles tightened — and her blade flashed.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each round was sliced cleanly from the air, sparks bursting in slow motion as the sisters' duel reached its breaking point.
It transitions perfectly from the emotional sister duel into the large-scale battle setup.
Maki's long blade blurred through the air, leaving streaks of silver light.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
All four cursed bullets were deflected — each one sliced and sent spinning harmlessly into the trees.
Before Mai could even react, a shadow flashed before her eyes.
Maki appeared right in front of her, moving like a phantom.
With a heavy swing—
THUD!
The flat of her blade slammed down on Mai's back.
"Gah—!"
The younger sister was flung forward, crashing and rolling across the grass, dirt and leaves scattering everywhere.
When she finally came to a stop, a trickle of blood ran from her nose.
SHING—
Maki flipped her sword and pointed it toward her fallen sister, a small but confident smile tugging at her lips.
"Little sister," she said softly. "You lose."
Mai's body trembled as she glared up with teary eyes, muttering under her breath—
"…Liar."
Maki blinked. "...Huh?"
---
Observation Room
"What just happened?" Utahime leaned forward, frowning. "How did Maki's speed suddenly spike like that?"
She could hardly believe what she'd seen. Mai hadn't just lost — she'd been completely overwhelmed.
Gojo crossed his arms, eyes narrowing as he studied the monitor.
"That technique… you taught it to her, didn't you?"
There was a note of surprise in his voice. He knew Zen'in Shinsuke's power wasn't cursed energy. It was something else — raw, primal, and terrifyingly pure.
A force closer to the essence of life itself — not born of curses, but of sheer will.
"I have to ask," Gojo continued, curiosity getting the better of him, "is it something we could learn too?"
If jujutsu sorcerers could wield that kind of physical power, it could change everything — a revolution in the balance between curse and human.
Shinsuke chuckled. "I'm afraid not. That art was created for those without cursed energy."
He turned toward Gojo with a sly grin.
"Of course… if you want to try, you just have to stop generating cursed energy entirely."
Gojo smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, no thanks. I'll pass."
Even if it were possible, why would he ever throw away Limitless to learn some martial art?
That'd be absurd.
"Relax," Shinsuke said, waving a hand. "Just watch the match."
The group turned their attention back to the screens.
Time passed.
Of the many paper talismans stuck on the wall to track each match, only two had burned away — a sign that most of the participants still hadn't been eliminated.
Which, to the veterans, said only one thing: no one was really focused on winning.
As the exchange event wore on, the students scattered across the forest.
Miwa, still dazed after losing her sword, wandered aimlessly through the woods — until Inumaki's disembodied voice reached her.
"Sleep."
And she dropped instantly, collapsing face-first into the grass with a soft thud.
Utahime sighed, rising from her seat.
"I'll go fetch her. Can't leave the girl unconscious out there — even if the curses here only go up to Grade 2."
"Good idea," Yaga nodded. "Stay sharp."
Then—
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled through the observation hall.
Every paper talisman on the wall suddenly flared bright red, their flames roaring unnaturally high.
BZZZZT—
The monitors all went dark at once. Static. Then—blackout.
"…All red," Gojo said slowly. His grin widened. "So that means… we won, right? Guess we wrapped this up faster than I thought!"
"Or," Mei Mei replied calmly, "it means your students just got exorcised by something else."
Gojo's smile froze.
"Wait. Are you saying—"
Yaga's expression turned grim. "An incursion."
"What? Impossible! How would a curse breach Tengen-sama's barrier?!" Utahime gasped.
"No matter what's happening," Yaga said, standing up, his voice hard, "this is an emergency."
He turned to the gathered sorcerers.
"Gojo Satoru, Riko, Utahime, Zen'in-sensei, and Principal Gakuganji — you five head into the field. Ensure the students' safety."
His gaze shifted toward Mei Mei.
"Mei-san, you stay here and provide us with visual and positional data from your crows."
He adjusted his collar, already moving toward the exit.
"I'll contact Tengen-sama and find out what's going on."