Chapter 21: A Tough Decision

Hisagi learned that the boy being interviewed was named Manabu. He seemed eager to attend this school because one of the most promising sorcerers, Gojo Satoru, was here, which wasn't unusual at all.

He had heard that many wanted to join the school because they sought to be around Gojo, who was a celebrity in the world of sorcery.

Such things didn't really matter to him, but they did broaden his perspective.

"Why?" Principal Yaga Masamichi asked sternly, his expressionless face making those who looked at him nervous. "Crimes, accidents, illnesses... It's normal to hear about people dying every day—people you don't even know. So, if it's related to a curse, do you feel the need to step in and play the hero?"

After hearing these words, Manabu replied, "My family is a great one of sorcerers who have fought against cursed spirits for over a hundred years. Who cares about the details? I just want to save people!"

"Inheriting a family will?" Principal Yaga Masamichi asked weakly, "So, are you willing to fight cursed spirits just because your family does? You've failed!"

Yaga Masamichi stood up and raised his right hand. At that moment, a doll sitting below him stood up, and its face became fierce.

"Is that... not just a doll?" Manabu looked curiously at the green doll next to Principal Yaga Masamichi.

"It's a cursed corpse; they are dolls... but they're bound to my curse." Principal Yaga Masamichi waved his hand, and the chubby doll attacked Manabu.

Hisagi immediately stepped back a bit when he saw the intent behind this test. He didn't want to get involved. Although this kind of curse wasn't a problem for him, he was still injured and had nothing to prove.

Manabu, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The doll was so fast that within seconds it was in front of him and landed a simple punch on Manabu.

Manabu was a bit nervous from the sudden attack. Although he used his backpack to block the blow from the once-cute doll, the force was so strong that it sent him flying into a wooden post.

"Is this really a doll?" Manabu smiled as he stood up. The doll in front of him felt human, with expressions and movements that were entirely lifelike.

After the curse hit the ground, it started to dance, waving its hands as if mocking Manabu, showing how strong it was.

"Human nature comes out during desperate situations. I'll keep attacking until I hear the answers I want to hear," Principal Yaga Masamichi said, waiting for Manabu to say what he was looking for.

"First of all, being a sorcerer is the noblest profession one can pursue in life... The spirit of my family is inherited from member to member!" Manabu suddenly stood up and charged at the doll, punching it in the face and crashing it straight into the wall. But it started to bounce off the wooden posts, getting faster with each bounce.

As seconds passed, the curse controlling the doll kept bouncing from side to side but never touched the ground. In the end, it turned directly into a shadow, and all the candles around it went out.

The light in the hallway dimmed in an instant, while the curse continued to stalk Manabu.

"Damn it, where is it?" Manabu couldn't see where the curse was, looking around in desperation.

At that moment, the doll kicked him from behind, sending him crashing into the wooden post again.

"Even family members are considered'someone else' in this situation."

"A Jujutsu sorcerer is always dealing with death. That, by the way, doesn't just include your own death but also the deaths of others at the hands of cursed spirits. There are times when you have to tear the flesh of a cursed spirit while the dead barely escape your line of sight. This kind of work requires a bit of madness and high motivation... And you do it just because your family has done it for generations?"

Principal Yaga Masamichi lit the extinguished candle as he spoke, not only to Manabu but also to Hisagi, who was listening.

Suddenly, he changed the subject and said loudly, "Family pressure is a disgrace we always leave to others. You are not ready to be a sorcerer."

"Are you messing with me? I…"

"Let me ask you this: if a cursed spirit kills you, are you going to blame your damned family?" Principal Yaga Masamichi pointed at Manabu condescendingly!

Manabu was stunned for a moment, and his expression became somewhat inexplicable: "You, what you're saying is really unpleasant."

"Education is about waking students up and hitting them where it hurts." Yaga Masamichi stroked his short beard, unaffected in the slightest.

Hisagi stood to the side, enjoying the moment. He could only remember general things about this world, but what he was witnessing now was truly intriguing.

Manabu lowered his head and directly said, "I won't..."

Boom!

Before he could finish his sentence, the doll appeared directly in front of him. An uppercut flipped Manabu 365 degrees and sent him crashing to the ground.

"It's hard to imagine your state of mind when you're dying, but I'm sure of this: if you continue like this, you'll end up cursing your beloved family that you swore to protect... No Jujutsu sorcerer can die without regrets. Let me ask you again, Why do you want to enter Jujutsu High?"

Yaga Masamichi's words lingered in Manabu's heart, but the curse was approaching again, raising its fist and preparing to strike his face once more.

Manabu suddenly dove and rushed towards the doll. The doll couldn't change direction in mid-air, but Manabu tackled it.

After the doll hit the ground, Manabu's legs wrapped around its stomach, and his hands controlled the doll's neck, so it was now under his control.

At that moment, Manabu looked at Yaga Masamichi and said, "I just want to be strong enough to protect myself and make my family's sacrifices worthwhile. If the world goes to hell and I'm still alive, the regret I'd feel for not dying fighting a cursed spirit would be far worse. Is a human being not supposed to fear death?"

Principal Yaga Masamichi was silent for a moment after hearing Manabu, then he looked at Hisagi and said, "What about you?"

"Me?" Hisagi stepped aside astonished. Why did the words between them end up affecting him? But since he was here, he naturally had to give some answers. Otherwise, how could he join the sorcery school?

Gojo Satoru looked at Principal Yaga Masamichi. He knew that Manabu had likely passed the test. As for Hisagi, he was sure that someone like him would be accepted because, even on the verge of death, he fought head-on against a powerful threat.

"I've been close to death several times at the hands of a cursed spirit, but I've never regretted the path I've chosen in life. When I saw cursed spirits, all I wanted was the power to protect myself from them. Now, my path has become greater, and I won't rest until I've exterminated as many cursed spirits as I can find."

Hisagi truly had a strong will that had been inherited, and all those feelings were strengthened after witnessing his grandfather's death.

"I myself killed my grandfather, who was possessed by a cursed spirit, his flesh devoured and his soul destroyed. I'm happy I did it because I was able to give that loved one the rest he deserved in this life. And I'm sure that now I have the strength not to die so easily."

After Hisagi finished speaking, the room fell silent.

After a while, Gojo Satoru looked at Hisagi meaningfully and said, "Interesting."

Someone who truly wanted to become stronger had caught his attention.

"Are you kidding me just now? Do you really have the strength to fight any cursed spirit? If you think any kind of person can enter this school just by being strong, then you need to prove your worth." Hisagi's strength was too arrogant, somehow disregarding the strong sorcerers who had died at the hands of cursed spirits.

Just as Principal Yaga Masamichi was about to dismiss Hisagi, the staff he held broke free from its sealed state.

"Oh?" Gojo Satoru looked at Hisagi with curiosity. He also wanted to know more about Hisagi's strength and fighting style since he had personally defeated a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. His power must be strong enough to do so.