"That's right!"

  Maki did not deny it.

  "So, what happeo you?"

  Maki's sudden surge in strength naturally made Gojo Satoru happy as her teacher. However, it had only been a few days sihey st saw each other, and in that short time, her power had grown signifitly, even awakening a alent: Heavenly Restri.

  Of course, fojo Satoru, what mattered the most was that this had absolutely nothing to do with him. He had no involvement and no sense of participation iransformation at all.

  And that irked him.

  The moment those words left Maki's mouth, everyourheir attention tojo wasn't the only one curious. Even Yaga Masamichi and Ieiri Shoko, who had just arrived, as well as Nobara and the other students nearby, all stared at her with expet looks.

  Clearly, everyone wao know how Maki had mao grow so powerful in such a short time.

  "…"

  After a brief hesitation, Maki slowly raised her head and answered, "It's because of Ryuji."

  "Ryuji?" Gojo raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  Except for Nobara, who had already guessed as much, everyone else was visibly shocked the moment they heard that name.

  Although Ryuji had never specifically instructed Maki to keep anything a secret, Maki had been in the sorcerer world long enough to uand its plexities. There were things that could be shared and things that should never be spoken of.

  The darkness of the sorcerer world was just as suffog as the corruption within the Zenin family.

  "Yes, Ryuji told me that Heavenly Restri was my natural talent, something I always had, I just hadn't developed it until now," Maki expined, her voice steady.

  She carefully avoided mentioning the cept of Idle Transfiguration.

  Even though Maki khat with Ryuji's strength, he didn't need her prote, she still wao do her part in keeping his abilities ahods under s.

  "Tsk!"

  Hearing this, Gojo clicked his tongue, momentarily at a loss for words.

  It stung his pride. Heavenly Restri was Maki's ialent, yet as her teacher, he hadn't been able to help her awaken it. Instead, it was Ryuji who had mao draw out her full potential, turning her into someone much stronger.

  Didn't that make him look inpetent as a teacher?

  Frustrating!

  Others might not have said anything, but Shoko, who had been Gojo's cssmate and was well-acquainted with him, couldn't resist teasing.

  "See? Some people just aren't cut out to be teachers!" she remarked with a smirk.

  "…"

  Gojo rolled his eyes at her in irritation and then shamelessly added, "Well, regardless, Maki is still my student. If she's stronger now, I had some part in it. I definitely tributed, at least a little!"

  "Right, right," Shoko replied with mock seriousness, nodding along perfunctorily, though her grirayed her amusement.

  Still, she was genuinely curious about ohing.

  "I've heard a lot about Ryuji, but I've never had the ce to see him in person," Shoko said thoughtfully.

  The first time she heard his name was whele of "Stro Sorcerer" was taken from Gojo Satoru, a shog event that had sent ripples throughout the sorcerer unity.

  As Jujutsu High's primary medical sorcerer, Shoko rarely left the school for missions. Even so, Ryuji's name had reached her ears. He was a figure surrounded by mystery and intrigue.

  "I always feel like if there's ever a ce, I'd like to meet him," Shoko admitted.

  After all, awakening Maki's talent was no small feat. She couldn't help but wonder, how exactly had he do?

  "Yo, yo, yo!" Gojo suddenly interjected with a mischievous grin. "Shoko, you've grown! Are you finally showing i in men?"

  "Heh!"

  Shoko rolled her eyes at his teasing, her expression ft. "Don't even start," she replied curtly, exhaling in exasperation.

  Meanwhile, Yaga Masamichi, who had been silently , suddenly frowned and fixed his gaze on Maki.

  "?"

  Maki noticed his stare and frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"

  Gojo, ever the instigator, noticed the ge in atmosphere and couldn't resist chiming in.

  "Could it be that you're worried about something, Teacher Yaga?" he teased, his tone lighthearted yet carrying a hint of sharpness.

  Although Yaga was now a teacher and principal of Jujutsu High, he had once been Gojo's instructojo's casual address of him as "teacher" wasirely unwarranted.

  But Gojo uood the sorcerer world all too well.

  Those in power at the higher levels of Jujutsu society were rarely pleased with the rise of a strong sorcerer. In their eyes, power without obedience was dangerous.

  Over the years, many talented sorcerers had emerged from Jujutsu High, only to be suppressed or ht eliminated by the higher-ups for being "difficult" or "untrolble."

  If they discovered that Maki had awakehe same Heavenly Restri ability as Fushiguro Toji, they wouldn't hesitate to bel her a threat—especially if she refused to to their rules.

  Gojo's gaze sharpened slightly as he tinued, "Don't tell me you're pnning to side with the higher-ups, Yaga. That wouldn't be like you."

  Yaga caught the look in Gojo's eyes and immediately retorted, "Who do you think I am?"

  Gojo chuckled. "Just making sure."

  He waved his hand dismissively and leaned back zily. "I'd hate to see you get ed up with a bunch of rotten es who'll be gone soon anyway. They're not worth the effort."

  ***

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