"Mr. Ryuji!"
As she looked at Ryuji, there was a noticeable sparkle in Kaguya Shinomiya's eyes. She wasn't sure if she simply hadn't noticed it before or if he had become even more impressive. But now, Ryuji seemed more handsome, more commanding.
People admired strength. Kaguya once believed her father was the most powerful person she knew, but the Ryuji in front of her , even her father had to treat him with caution. How could Kaguya not have a few other thoughts stirring in her heart?
"Just call me by my name," Ryuji said with a nod and a slight smile.
This was the famous "Ice Queen" of the Shinomiya family, Kaguya Shinomiya. He was curious how she would act if she dropped that icy demeanor.
"Then... Ryuji-san!"
Hearing his words, Kaguya's face lit up. Calling someone by their first name felt intimate, even special.
Ryuji noticed Gan'an, Kaguya's father, watching their exchange with an increasingly pleased expression. This was exactly the outcome he had hoped for. But not everyone in the family was pleased.
From a distance, Oko watched the scene with frustration. If Kaguya really ended up with Ryuji, his own hopes of inheriting the Shinomiya estate would be all but gone.
No, he couldn't let that happen. Clenching his fists, he muttered, "Damn it!" Where was Hayasaka Ai? Had she ignored his orders? He had told her explicitly to seduce Ryuji. Did she think he wouldn't take action against the Hayasaka family if she failed?
Despite his rage, Oko had no choice but to swallow his anger for now. He planned to confront Ai later, once this event was over.
On Ryuji's end, with his heightened senses, he could hear every murmur in the hall, including Shinomiya Oko's curses. Narrowing his eyes, he looked in Oko's direction, realizing that this was the man who had been threatening Ai.
Yet Ryuji didn't feel the need to act himself. This was Ai's enemy. He'd rather let her handle it. Sometimes, to grow, one had to confront their own demons. Ai, like Mimiko and Nanako, was capable of much more. This was the perfect opportunity to give her some real-world experience.
Ryuji imagined Oko's reaction when Ai inevitably defied him, and the thought brought a smile to his face.
Misinterpreting his smile, Kaguya thought Ryuji was smiling at her, and she flushed, lowering her head to hide her embarrassment. But then she mentally scolded herself — she was the daughter of the Shinomiya family! She couldn't afford to be timid.
With her nerves steeled, Kaguya looked back at Ryuji, her face composed once more.
"Ah! Are you the famous sorcerer?" A voice interrupted them. Chika Fujiwara, with her distinctive pink hair, was looking at Ryuji with wide, curious eyes.
So this was Chika Fujiwara, the so-called "Earth's Problem Child" and Kaguya's friend. Her bubbly personality and notable family background meant her presence here wasn't surprising.
Ryuji simply nodded. "Yes, that's me. And you are?"
"I'm Kaguya's friend, Fujiwara Chika!" Unfazed, Chika reached out her hand for a handshake.
"Chika! That's—" Kaguya began, about to scold her friend for being too forward. But to her shock, Ryuji reached out and shook Chika's hand, something Kaguya herself hadn't done yet. She felt a pang of jealousy.
"Just call me Ryuji, like Kaguya does."
"Alright, Ryuji-kun!" Chika replied cheerfully.
Kaguya's eye twitched at how casually Chika addressed him. She had called him "Ryuji-san," yet here was Chika skipping formalities entirely. How had she ever thought bringing this woman along was a good idea?
Meanwhile, Gan'an looked at the interaction with satisfaction. He knew Chika and Kaguya were close friends, and if it helped strengthen Ryuji's interest in Kaguya, then he had no complaints.
Over to the side, Sonoko Suzuki, who was watching all of this, whispered to Mei Mei, "Aren't you going to do something about this Sister Mei?"
"Why should I?" Mei Mei didn't mind Sonoko calling her "sister," given Sonoko's straightforward nature and the decency of the Suzuki family. It was why she had accepted their job offer in the first place. She liked money, yes, but she wasn't desperate enough to work for just anyone.
"I mean, don't you like Ryuji-san? Aren't you worried he'll be charmed by other women?"
Sonoko's idea of romance was simple and traditional. Although she respected Ryuji, she was much more interested in her boyfriend, Makoto Kyogoku, precisely because she believed he cared for her alone.
"Why would I be worried?" Mei Mei shrugged, unconcerned. "Men like to play. But in the end, a sorcerer's true partner will only be another sorcerer."
Mei Mei didn't know about Ryuji's ability to grant others sorcerer powers. She was confident that while other women might be around, only she would have a place at his side as a true equal.
Sonoko, slightly stunned, stammered, "You're… not like any heiress I know…"
Mei Mei just laughed. Sonoko's honest and naive nature was truly rare among the elite. If only more people were like her.
"Alright, enough." Tomoko Suzuki, Sonoko's mother, finally intervened, pulling her daughter away. She hadn't expected that a woman as sharp as herself would end up with such a guileless daughter.
"I apologize if we caused any offense, Mei Mei-san."
"It's fine," Mei Mei replied with a wave, clearly unfazed. Sonoko, though, still looked displeased.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong!" she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms.
Tomoko sighed. While she understood her daughter's feelings, she knew that relationships among the elite were rarely simple. The truth of the world, as she saw it, was that stability mattered more than fidelity. Even though Tomoko and her husband loved each other, she knew he had mistresses on the side. So long as her family remained intact, she didn't mind.
Meanwhile, hidden in the trees outside the Shinomiya manor, a figure watched the proceedings with a calm gaze. It was Jogo, the cursed spirit with a volcanic head, and Kenjaku now occupying Kaori Itadori's body after failing to secure Suguru Geto's.
Behind Jogo were Hanami and Mahito. Hanami watched quietly, while Mahito lounged on a branch, looking uninterested.
"I still don't get why you sent that cursed spirit to confront Ryuji," Jogo grumbled, glaring at Kenjaku. "You know he doesn't stand a chance against that human. You're just sending him to die."
Kaori, now inhabited by the scheming curse spirit Kenjaku, only smiled serenely, ignoring Jogo's irritation.
Mahito chuckled from his perch. "Hey, don't look at me. I've had enough of trying to fight that guy without the right power-ups."
Indeed, Mahito had no plans to face Ryuji again until he'd grown strong enough to wield domain expansion.
Recently, new types of special-grade cursed spirits had begun appearing, like a cursed spirit born from humanity's collective fear of firearms. This "Gun Curse" had destructive power on par with Jogo.
Just moments ago, Kenjaku had manipulated this firearm-based cursed spirit into going after Ryuji, claiming Ryuji was the most powerful human enemy to face. Jogo knew full well the Gun Curse wouldn't last against Ryuji's strength.
But Kenjaku's schemes were far from over.
"Listen," Jogo hissed. "We're here to take down the humans, not to let you throw curses at Ryuji just to get slaughtered."
Kenjaku's smile didn't falter. "And yet, you didn't stop him. Isn't that right?"
Jogo bristled, fists clenched. He had indeed stood by and done nothing, too focused on his own grievances with humanity to care about the fate of his fellow cursed spirits.
"Why, you—!"
"Don't worry!"
When Kenjaku said this, he wasn't simply trying to provoke Jogo.
"I just want to confirm something."
"Confirm what?" asked Hanami. Up until now, Hanami had remained silent, watching the situation unfold as if he were just an observer. But that didn't mean he would stand by and let himself be used without understanding why.
"There's something unusual about Ryuji's powers and techniques. Abilities that shouldn't belong to him," Kenjaku said, recalling the recent broadcast.
That "Malevolent Shrine" ability, for example—that domain was something he knew should belong to the King of Curses, Sukuna. Kenjaku had seen it before and was familiar with its nuances.
That wasn't a power Ryuji should have control over.
So why could Ryuji use it? Was it just some kind of mimicry technique?
Over the years, Kenjaku had encountered many sorcerers and techniques. Among them were copy techniques, but Ryuji's power didn't align with any of the mimicry techniques Noritoshi had seen before.
What was it?
He was deeply curious.
In truth, Kenjaku's purpose was straightforward: he wanted to explore the limits of human potential. The reason he sought to revive Sukuna and bring about chaos was, at its core, for this purpose to see how far humanity could evolve.
That was why he had experimented with the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings.
In a way, Kenjaku was a madman willing to create chaos and destruction in pursuit of his dream. But his commitment couldn't be denied. Spending over a thousand years pursuing a single goal required a rare kind of persistence.
Originally, Kenjaku had focused all his ambitions on Sukuna, hoping that the revived Curse King would push humanity to its limits. But now, he had a new candidate—Ryuji.
Perhaps Ryuji could become something even greater, even more powerful, than Sukuna.
But first, he needed to test Ryuji.
"You're so long-winded. I can't even understand half of what you're saying!" Jogo muttered. Compared to Kenjaku, his thoughts were much simpler. He didn't care about lofty goals; all he knew was that Noritoshi had just sent a fellow curse spirit to its death.
"Fine, think of it this way: I want to find out exactly how strong Ryuji is," Kenjaku said, deciding to provide a simple explanation to appease his companions.
"Ah, I get it now." Jogo seemed to understand, though he was still disgruntled. Even if it was just a test, he felt it was disrespectful to throw away a curse spirit's life so casually.
"Relax," Kenjaku said smoothly. "When the time comes, Sukuna's power will be enough to defeat Ryuji." He said this as if to reassure the other curses, though he had already started formulating another plan.
"Besides," Kenjaku added, "this firearm curse spirit is a product of the new era, completely different from you all, right?"
"..."
Jogo didn't have a counterargument. It was true—he and the other older curses didn't see these new curses as true companions. That was why he hadn't intervened earlier. His only real allies were Hanami, Mahito, and Dagon. They were the ones who understood him, the ones who had shared laughter and battles together.
At the thought of Dagon, a shadow crossed Jogo's face.
"Jogo." Hanami placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, sensing his sadness.
"Next time, before we act, we need to fully understand this human's abilities. We can't afford another impulsive mistake."
Their last act of recklessness had cost them Dagon. They couldn't let that happen again.
"I know," Jogo muttered, slowly regaining his composure, though his single eye still glinted with anger.
Kenjaku, observing the exchange, only smiled faintly. It was impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
---
"Wow, that's amazing!" Chika exclaimed, wide-eyed after hearing Ryuji's stories of exorcising curses. She looked at him with admiration.
"Ryuji-san! Ryuji-san! Next time you go curse-hunting, can I come along?"
Before he could respond, she had already latched onto his arm. Her obvious enthusiasm and her somewhat exaggerated chest didn't go unnoticed.
"Chika!" Kaguya gave her friend a strained smile. "Ryuji-san must be exhausted from all his work. Don't pester him."
This "Earth's Problem Child" was pushing her limits. She needed to be stopped, preferably with a swift penalty. Or maybe even execution! Kaguya felt a pang of jealousy.
"It's fine," Ryuji replied with a smile, shrugging casually.
Kaguya interpreted this as favoritism toward Chika, and her mood dropped a bit. But then, Ryuji placed a gentle hand on her head.
"Kaguya, you're welcome to join me, too, if you want."
"Really?" she asked, her previous gloom immediately lifting.
"Of course," he replied with a nod.
Kaguya's heart soared. So, Ryuji still liked her best after all. The inner villain in her mind was practically cackling with triumph.
---
"Shouldn't we be going over to greet him?" Erina asked, puzzled, as she looked at her grandfather. She understood why they were at the banquet—to build a connection with Ryuji. So why were they waiting?
"Let's hold back a little longer," Senzaemon Nakiri replied in a low voice.
Erina's confusion deepened, but her cousin, Alice, took the opportunity to speak up.
"Oh, Erina, you really don't know anything, do you?" Alice said, a hint of smugness in her tone.
Though Alice often teased Erina, deep down, she didn't truly dislike her cousin. She just had a competitive streak, always wanting to prove herself against Erina, especially in cooking. She had yet to win a single match between them, and that stung her pride.
"Not long ago, a minor consortium tried to recruit Ryuji by threatening his loved ones," Alice explained openly.
"How despicable!" Erina said, frowning. Such tactics were truly underhanded.
"So, what happened to that consortium?" she asked.
"Oh, they're gone," Alice replied, as if it were obvious. "What do you think would happen to anyone dumb enough to mess with a top sorcerer?"
"Gone?" Erina echoed, a bit lost.
"Yes, gone. As in, wiped out. Not a single one of them left alive."
Alice remembered her own surprise when she first heard the news, though it made sense the more she thought about it. But she realized her cousin was still a bit sheltered.
"That's… that's ruthless," Erina muttered. She couldn't believe Ryuji would go that far. When she first met him, he'd seemed so friendly and kind. Now, she was seeing a different side of him.
"Times have changed, cousin," Alice said, suddenly finding Erina's naivety boring. "Now we're in the sorcerers' era. If you're reckless enough to threaten them, what do you expect?"
Erina opened her mouth to protest, about to say that she wouldn't have gone to such extremes, even if threatened.
"Erina," Senzaemon interrupted her, his tone serious. "Be careful what you say."
Some things were better left unspoken. He could see that his granddaughter had been shielded from the harshness of the real world. She could think what she liked in private, but here, she had to be cautious.
Erina fell silent, though the conflicted expression on her face remained.
---
Ryuji, on the other side of the room, had overheard everything. With his heightened senses, it was easy to catch their conversation. The white-haired girl with red eyes—Alice Nakiri—had caught his attention. Her appearance was distinct, and he found her perspective interesting.
When Alice noticed Ryuji glancing her way, she was startled. Had he heard everything?
Ryuji simply raised his glass to her with a slight smirk, then looked away.
Alice returned the toast, a faint blush on her cheeks. For some reason, she felt oddly validated, and her earlier awkwardness dissipated.
Both Erina and Senzaemon noticed her actions. Senzaemon felt a bit of relief—this was a good start. Erina, however, remained silent, feeling a strange sense of inadequacy. She had always been the center of attention, yet Ryuji hadn't even looked her way.
---
"Let's go over now," Senzaemon finally said, gesturing for both his granddaughters to join him.
"Alright!" Alice agreed instantly. She was eager to make her introduction.
Erina hesitated, but Alice teased her with a smirk. "If you're too scared, Erina, you can just wait here."
"Who said I'm scared?" Erina shot back immediately.
"I'm not the type to give up so easily."
Hearing that, Erina couldn't help but refute Alice's comment.
"Let's go!"
After calming her breathing, she finally followed in Nakiri Senzaemon's footsteps.
"Heh!" Alice just smiled, choosing not to say anything more. She found it increasingly pointless to keep competing with her cousin. In this kind of setting, Senzaemon could only shake his head with a sigh. They were his granddaughters, after all what could he say?
"Mr. Ryuji!"
When they approached, Ryuji was still chatting with Kaguya and Chika. Senzaemon cleared his throat first, then greeted Ryuji sincerely.
"My name is Senzaemon Nakiri. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ryuji!"
"I know you—Head of Totsuki Academy, right?" Ryuji replied with a friendly smile as Senzaemon approached.
"I've heard a lot about the cuisine at Totsuki. Food is the foundation of life, after all. Once you reach a certain level of strength, you start seeking other pleasures… like good food." After all, this world wasn't just about the culinary battles of Totsuki; it encompassed all kinds of realms. While Totsuki had a prominent place in the food scene, it was still, in the end, just a culinary school.
"Is that so?" Senzaemon, who'd initially worried that approaching Ryuji might risk offending him, felt a rush of relief at his warm reception. Smiling widely, he replied, "If you ever have the time, Mr. Ryuji, you're always welcome at Totsuki. We would be honored to host you."
This was a rare opportunity to form a connection with Ryuji, and Nakiri Senzaemon was not about to let it slip.
"Hahaha! I'll make sure to visit when I can," Ryuji said with a nod. It would be interesting to see the quality of Totsuki's cooking and whether it lived up to the hype.
"This is my granddaughter," Senzaemon continued, encouraged by Ryuji's friendliness. "Erina Nakiri. When it comes to cooking, I assure you, she won't disappoint."
Ryuji nodded slightly, glancing at Erina Nakiri, who stood as the queenly and proud protagonist of the culinary world. Just as he'd imagined, her demeanor exuded arrogance and a sense of superiority. However, after overhearing her previous conversation, Ryuji also thought she seemed rather naive.
In his early days after arriving in this world, he might have been fascinated by meeting a "heroine" from anime, even trying to strike up a conversation. But now? After everything he'd been through, the term "heroine" had lost its luster. Ryuji no longer felt the need to go out of his way to impress anyone, let alone someone with such a limited worldview.
Erina, who was already conflicted, had wanted to introduce herself politely. But remembering what she'd heard about Ryuji's actions, she found herself hesitant. She couldn't shake her disapproval of his ruthlessness; even if someone had threatened his family, killing everyone involved seemed unnecessarily brutal. But given Ryuji's strength and status, Erina certainly couldn't voice her thoughts openly. She wasn't just representing herself here; the Nakiri family was on the line, and she didn't want to bring trouble to them.
Yet, just as Erina gathered the resolve to speak, Ryuji turned away from her, looking instead at her cousin, Alice.
"And who might this be?" he asked, feigning curiosity as he glanced at Alice.
In terms of looks, Alice Nakiri was certainly on par with her cousin.
"Hello, Mr. Ryuji! I'm Alice Nakiri," she said with a bright smile, not waiting for her grandfather to introduce her. She recognized the opportunity and seized it.
"If you'd like, you can just call me Alice!" she added warmly.
"Alice? I like it—nice name, very fitting," Ryuji responded. His comment felt like a clear confirmation of what Alice had been telling Erina earlier: times were changing. Those unable to adapt to the new world would be left behind, regardless of their titles or backgrounds.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Ryuji!" Alice replied with a smile, while Erina's expression soured. She wasn't oblivious; she could tell this was a veiled criticism of her.
She was about to retort, but Nakiri Senzaemon intervened, seeing the tension. He smiled diplomatically and said, "Yes, Erina can be a bit naive. I'm sure she'll broaden her perspective soon enough."
Ryuji wasn't one to press an issue unnecessarily. Since Senzaemon had smoothed things over, he simply waved his hand dismissively, signaling he was done with the topic. Understanding this, Senzaemon quickly guided his granddaughters away.
As they left, Alice grinned. "If it weren't for Erina, maybe I could've chatted with Mr. Ryuji a bit longer!"
Erina, on the other hand, looked visibly annoyed. She'd always been revered at Totsuki, winning respect from all who knew her. Today's encounter was a bitter first.
"But…" she began, clearly upset.
"Enough," Alice interrupted, not interested in prolonging the argument. "Maybe you should rewatch the live broadcast from a few days ago, Erina. It might help you understand the true power of those cursed spirits and why Mr. Ryuji's strength is in a league of its own."
It was clear to Alice that her cousin didn't fully grasp the threat level of cursed spirits or the unique abilities required to deal with them. Erina's limited perspective kept her from understanding why people felt both awe and fear toward Ryuji.
Erina fell silent, unsure how to respond. She truly hadn't seen the broadcast. To her, cursed spirits were dangerous, but they could be managed by trained people. She didn't realize how far beyond that Ryuji's power went.
Seeing his granddaughter's conflicted expression, Senzaemon shook his head. Some lessons could only be learned through experience; no amount of lecturing could make up for personal understanding.
---
Meanwhile, Ryuji continued chatting casually with Kaguya and Chika. Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze shifting toward the outskirts of the hall.
"What's wrong?" Kaguya asked, a bit startled by his sudden change in focus.
"Oh, it's nothing," Ryuji replied, his expression turning into a playful grin. "Just seems like something interesting is coming our way."
Kaguya and Chika exchanged confused glances, both unsure of what he meant.
At the same time, Mei Mei, who was sipping her drink nearby, picked up on Ryuji's change in demeanor. She, too, glanced in the same direction, her expression briefly sharpening.
"A special-grade curse spirit?" she murmured. The powerful aura she sensed was unmistakable, and the curse wasn't bothering to hide its presence at all.
Mei Mei's eyes shifted to Ryuji. She doubted he'd missed it either.
When Ryuji noticed her glance, he raised an eyebrow and gave her a reassuring smile. Seeing this, Mei Mei relaxed. With Ryuji here, one or even ten special-grade curses weren't anything to worry about.
Everyone else at the banquet remained blissfully unaware, still engrossed in trying to get close to Ryuji.
"Is something wrong?" Suzuki Tomoko asked, feeling a strange tension in the air. Though she was an ordinary person, her instincts told her something was off.
"It's nothing," Mei Mei replied, waving her hand. "Just stay close to me for a bit."
Mei Mei didn't mind Suzuki Tomoko or her daughter, Sonoko. She was willing to offer them a bit of protection as a courtesy.
"Huh?" Sonoko asked, utterly baffled, just as she was about to ask for more details. Her mother pulled her aside.
"Understood," Tomoko replied, choosing to follow Mei Mei's advice without further questions. Whatever was going on, she trusted that staying close to Mei Mei was the safest course.
---
Elsewhere in the hall, Sayuri Sawamura had also sensed something. "Mom, shouldn't we go say hi to Ryuji?" asked her daughter, Eriri, eager to approach him.
But Sayuri, who had accompanied her daughter to the banquet, shook her head. As a member of another powerful family, she knew the Sawamura family could visit Ryuji at any time.
"Let's wait. Today, he's the guest of honor. We can invite him over later, after things settle down," Sayuri advised.
Eriri understood and, though disappointed, agreed. After all, not everyone at the banquet had as close a relationship with Ryuji as she did. She could see him whenever she wanted. Smugly, she thought, Let's see these people try to compete with that!
Suddenly, Eriri's smile vanished, her gaze drawn to the direction where she felt a dark presence approaching. "Mom, stay close to me. Something's coming," she warned.
"…What do you mean?" Sayuri asked, alarmed. Just then, a hulking figure, nearly two meters tall, appeared outside the manor.
It was the special-grade curse spirit that Noritoshi had manipulated—the Gun Curse. The cursed spirit, standing at nearly two meters tall, had a distinctive, unsettling appearance. Its head was shaped like an automatic rifle, and both of its hands looked like pistols, embodying the very essence of firearms.
The Gun Curse had no eyes; beneath the automatic rifle on its head, its mouth split into a sinister grin, revealing sharp, jagged fangs. It was an unnerving sight, radiating an aura of violent intent.
"This is the place, huh?"
The Gun Curse spirit, born from humanity's fear of guns, thrived on violence and chaos. Fueled by Kenjaku's words, it hadn't hesitated to seek out the powerful sorcerer supposedly lurking within the manor. It wanted nothing more than to test its strength against someone formidable.