In the afternoon, Sōjun Minamoto finished his boxing practice at home.
These days, he rarely went to the training hall—only when learning a new martial art. The rest of the time, he trained alone at home.
A teacher can open the door, but it's up to you to walk the path
Now that he'd entered that door, he could correct his own form. With the support of his Innate Technique, his progress was both stable and fast.
At the moment—
He had just wrapped up his daily training and was sprawled over his desk, scribbling notes, recording insights from his practice.
He occasionally clenched his fists or tapped at his calves, carefully sensing and internalizing the experience.
Thanks to his Innate Technique, his learning and training were twice as effective with half the effort. He had already filled dozens of pages in his notebook.
Knock-knock... knock-knock!
Suddenly, a sharp knock rang out at the door.
"Auntie?" Sōjun called.
No response.
Then he remembered the nanny wasn't around. She lived nearby and usually only came by during mealtimes.
Knock-knock... knock-knock!
The knocking continued.
Sōjun got up and went to the door.
He pulled it open to the length allowed by the security chain—and immediately found his view completely blocked by the towering figure of a burly man.
The man was massive, with bulging, twitching muscles on his exposed arms.
He had a buzz cut, a fierce-looking face, and the intimidating vibe of a yakuza boss.
He looked vaguely familiar, and Sōjun frowned, trying to recall where he'd seen him before.
But despite his appearance, the man's demeanor was surprisingly gentle. He didn't press or rush—he simply waited for Sōjun to look up and meet his gaze before speaking kindly.
"Hey there, kiddo. Are you Sōjun Minamoto?"
Sōjun nodded.
The man smiled even more gently, lowered his stance, and continued, "I'm your mom's younger brother—your uncle. Mind letting me in?"
Sōjun raised an eyebrow. Using such a terrifying face to speak in such a gentle tone?
What was next—"I'm a friend of your parents. Hurry and open the door"? Classic.
By now, Sōjun had remembered who the man was. He didn't appreciate being called "kiddo," though. So he beckoned him closer, gesturing for him to lean in.
The man complied without question, leaning forward.
Sōjun leaned in as well and whispered, "What's more twisted than a curse?"
"...?"
The man blinked. "Uh... people?"
"Wrong answer."
Smiling sweetly, Sōjun started to close the door.
The man quickly realized he'd messed up and dropped the whole "talking to a child" attitude.
He pulled out his phone, made a quick call, then held it out to Sōjun.
A familiar voice came from the other end.
"Kiddo, that's your uncle. Don't be scared—if anything happens, you can go to him."
Beep—
The call ended abruptly. Neither of them seemed fazed.
One quietly unchained the door. The other calmly put his phone away.
"Ahem!" The man cleared his throat. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Masamichi Yaga—Yuri's younger brother. You can call me Uncle, or just Masamichi."
"Nice to meet you, Uncle," Sōjun replied politely.
"Hah, figured as much. Yuri didn't say a word to you beforehand, did she?" Masamichi Yaga chuckled.
"..."
Sōjun was still processing it all. He had no idea there was this kind of family connection, let alone why his uncle had suddenly shown up.
Expecting a heads-up from his parents?
What a joke.
"Yuri reached out to me," Masamichi explained. "Said you awakened your Innate Technique, and asked me to guide and support you a bit."
Sōjun waited for him to sit down, then casually pulled a pen from his pocket, held the cap between his fingers, and handed it over.
Masamichi took it, confused but compliant.
Sōjun leaned in, pulled a lighter out of nowhere with his right hand, formed a wind-blocking gesture with his left, and was just about to light the pen when—
He snapped back to himself.
Quickly straightening up, he placed both hands on his thighs and said sweetly, "Thank you, Uncle."
Though his previous gestures were dripping with the habits of a seasoned schemer, his still-young face made Masamichi dismiss it all. He just assumed some unreliable adult had been a bad influence.
Masamichi looked at him. "You're ten now, right?"
Sōjun nodded.
"Looks like your appearance has finally caught up with your age. That probably means your technique has stabilized."
"In your family, the inherited techniques usually involve either control over the body or the soul. Though... I suppose there's also the possibility you inherited the Yaga family's puppet manipulation technique."
Masamichi examined him closely.
"But it's pretty clear—you're a body-type, right?"
He went on, "You've been developing faster than your peers since you were little. Even if your technique slowed that down later, the traces are still obvious. From your muscle mass, shape, distribution, even your movement habits—everything shows you've got serious physical strength. You must've been training in martial arts. Speed, strength, explosive power... To reach this level in just three or four years? That's only possible with a technique that enhances the body."
Sōjun nodded again. "You've analyzed it well."
He raised a hand. "Quick question—what about controlling both body and soul at the same time?"
"Impossible," Masamichi replied without hesitation. "The jujutsu world is built on balance. The body and soul may seem separate, but they're deeply linked. Strong influence, strong dependence. Everyone has a weakness. There's always a technique that counters and is countered. Jujutsu techniques come in all forms, but they ultimately either target the soul or the body—and affect one through the other."
"To control both at once... that would be perfection. And perfection doesn't exist."
That gave Sōjun pause.
Because not only could he control both his body and soul—he could also control his Cursed Energy.
He agreed with Masamichi's reasoning. He'd felt the same balance at work: a strict, overwhelming, and nearly unshakable force.
But he was different.
Masamichi couldn't have imagined the truth—
Sōjun was a traveler from a parallel world. From the very start, he had existed outside this balance. That's how his technique had awakened—and why he had achieved full mastery.
Now that he'd begun leaving a deeper imprint in this world, the balance was trying to include him. His slowed growth rate was proof of that—clear signs of the mechanism at work.
But instead of being anxious, Sōjun was excited.
Sure, he should've been worried—but there was no need. His plan was solid: fast, yet steady. He had found his own balance within the balance.
He chuckled to himself. Using balance to counterbalance—he was on the right path all along.
And then, there was Cursed Energy.
Which side did it belong to?
Was it on his side, or the world's? He wasn't sure yet. But one thing was clear—his Cursed Energy was fully his own. His control was real.
If the world's balance mechanism eventually swallowed him whole, then the breakthrough would probably lie in the Cursed Energy.
It all made sense. Born from curses, returned to curses...
"Alright!" Masamichi suddenly straightened his back, his expression turning serious. His gaze locked onto Sōjun.
"Before we begin formal training, I have one question for you:
Jujutsu Sorcerers walk hand-in-hand with death—not just their own. You'll see victims mangled by curses. You'll face moments when you have to tear apart a cursed body with your own hands.
This isn't an easy path. It takes a certain level of madness, and a reason to endure it.
So...
What's your reason for becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"