JJK: Red Priest Pathway

Narration on behalf of Maki, fucking Ithachi Uchiha, Zenin.

The wayward child, born into the "great" Zenin sorcerer clan, is an anomaly. Not only does it almost entirely lack Sorcery Energy, but it also cannot perceive curses. And, amid the conservative governance of the Zenin and the overall structure of sorcerer society, it's deemed a mistake. Such is, was, and will be my fate. Strangely, these words no longer sting, perhaps because I've long grown accustomed to them. However, becoming accustomed and accepting are two entirely different states.

"That which is darker than dark... Expel the impurity," Teacher Gojo spoke, crossing his fingers in a seal.

Peering through my glasses at the curtain of ink-black descending from the heavens, my gaze shifted to Satoru Gojo. This sorcerer was an unusual phenomenon—the heir to one of the three great sorcerer clans, an unmatched genius born once every thousand years, and, most importantly, the most powerful being in the world. In general, my complete opposite.

With such power and influence, someone born to rule shouldn't have deviated far from the elders sitting in the sorcerer society's governance.

But here he was—an anarchist in the flesh, wearing his disobedience like a mantle. He seemed to laugh at traditions and biased expectations, challenging the old system. Satoru Gojo, despite his undeniable strength, preferred freedom and cunning ways different from outdated norms. His spirit of anarchy permeated everything around him, creating a whirlwind of

change and unpredictability. In a world where submission was expected, he was a spiritual rebel, smashing the shackles set for centuries.

Perhaps that's why he gave me this chance, and for the same reason, I accepted his offer without hesitation. It wasn't because he was an exceptionally good teacher. No, even Satoru Gojo couldn't be a mentor in the usual sense of the word for such a wayward student like me. It was because if I truly aspired to gain power and prove my family wrong, I had to not only train my body like no one else in this world but also become a better version of a sorcerer than I am now. And who, if not this selfishly ambitious man, could teach me that?

"Who came up with the idea to set up a help center in the cursed area?" I muttered dissatisfied.

We stood in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. From here, the modern hospital, built of white stone, was visible. However, after recent shocks, the building was covered with ash and sand. The air was filled with the smell of burning. And a couple dozen meters from us were tents serving as temporary shelters for the survivors.

"Civilians," Gojo's tone was surprisingly calm, almost emotionless.

"What a foolish decision; they only made it worse that way," I could see the shadows of numerous curses moving inside the building.

"I would pay more attention to the sluggishness of the sorcerers. If the civilians managed to organize a first aid center here, it means a considerable amount of time passed before the sorcerers arrived at the scene," with a slight yawn, the strongest spoke.

On this, I only responded with a dissatisfied silence.

"Do you not think that the distribution of pairs was a coincidence?" Gojo abruptly changed the conversation topic.

"I see neither regularity nor balance in it," I answered directly.

"You know, each of you has completely different motives for entering the college," the teacher said, clearly pondering something. "Panda is here because Director Yaga can't stand him, Toge enrolled because it's a kind of tradition for any sorcerer clan to undergo training in an official institution. But your situation with Sukehiro has nothing to do with this."

"And that's why you paired me with the special class?" High-raised eyebrows and a skeptical look on my face clearly expressed my doubts. "That would be too naive, wouldn't it?"

"Does the reason have to be complex?" Gojo, tilting his head, asked.

"Probably?" My voice was imbued with uncertainty. Frankly, it was uncomfortable to be under the scrutiny of a person like Satoru Gojo.

"Before the mission, Sukehiro noticed that your motivation is not only a desire for revenge but also the flame of ambitions burning inside you," the teacher abruptly changed the conversation topic again. "Honestly, I didn't perceive you that way... But, as they say, a birds of a feather flock together."

Yami Sukehiro... Even I, the failure of the Zenin clan, have heard of him. A young sorcerer with astonishing potential, the grandson of the "Demon Hunter from the West." They say his Cursed Energy is as hot as flame, and his physical strength is absolutely anomalous. Among the new generation, his name is probably mentioned most frequently after the heir to the Shadow Ten Techniquess.

It's interesting that I learned about his belonging to the special class only today. It's strange, considering that such news usually spreads first among the great clans and then becomes public. So, my classmate somehow managed to prove his strength in a short time.

"Two young hearts, filled with desires and aspirations, isn't that romantic?" the teacher interrupted my musings with a Cheshire smile.

But before I could retort, a voice came from behind us:

"I apologize for interrupting your highly intellectual, humor-filled monologue," Sukehiro, as always with a cigarette in his mouth, passed through the curtain and headed toward us. "But if you're not going to help, please exit from under the curtain."

"You do know that I'm your teacher, right?" Satoru asked, slightly annoyed.

"Outsiders have no place under the curtain," the blond responded imperturbably, pointing in the direction of the curtain, clearly hinting at the exit on the other side.

"This is my curtain; how can you kick me out of it?" the teacher murmured with feigned sadness.

"I already said that outsiders have no place here," Sukehiro addressed me. "Seems like not," I replied with a slight smirk, playing along.

"To the exit," my classmate succinctly directed the white-haired sorcerer.

"You're heartless," perhaps realizing that arguing would be pointless, Satoru slowly stepped out from under the curtain.

"And so, where do we start?" Sukehiro, sweeping his gaze over the hospital, asked.

"We should figure out what happened in the hospital," I suggested, tapping the spear's handle against my shoulder. "There's not much information, but I'm sure we can find a couple of leads."

The blond nodded, not taking his eyes off the hospital.

"It's a shame we arrived too late," I speculated, surveying the tents and the camp near the hospital. "Certainly, someone among the survivors could tell us what happened before the chaos started here."

Sukehiro only let out a strange chuckle and headed toward the hospital entrance. Watching his retreating back, I couldn't help but ponder on how eccentric people with immense power could be. All my classmates have

their peculiarities, but this guy... How can one be serious, focused, and reserved while also constantly spilling out emotions in a blunt and excessively comical style?

So, we continued our movement along a narrow path, with dry grass on both sides, and the oppressive aura pressing around. And as soon as we crossed the hospital threshold, the surrounding atmosphere drastically changed. Silence enveloped us, the air seemed denser, the smell of burning gave way to a nasty, musty, and putrid stench.

"Why is it so empty here?" I looked around in amazement. "Outside, I saw numerous shadows, and now... no one."

"Sight is the last thing you should trust when inspecting the habitat of Curses," Sukehiro continued, lowering his hand to the hilt of his sword, hanging at his waist. "There's only one Curse here."

"Be quiet," irritation sounded in my voice. "These glasses are one of the few things that allow me to remain a sorcerer."

"I don't think so," my partner calmly replied, surveying me with his eyes.

I didn't know what to say, and for a couple of seconds, an awkward silence hung between us.

"The Curse we're dealing with is not ordinary... something between the second and first rank. However, the form in which it materialized... gives me a headache," Sukehiro spoke first, striding towards the stairs to the second floor.

"How did you find that out?" I asked with interest.

However, the answer remained unspoken because at that very moment, we ascended to the second floor and witnessed a truly astonishing sight. Along the corridor, numerous identical silhouettes were lined up. They resembled human figures, but their height was below average, about a meter and forty centimeters. All of them were dressed in tattered white medical gowns, their

hands smeared with a strange black liquid, and their faces were mutilated by numerous small holes.

"One Curse, you say?" I expressed my dissatisfaction.

"I told you, don't trust your eyes," Sukehiro calmly replied. "Anyway, I think we've been noticed."

At that very moment, all the figures lined up along the corridor turned in our direction.

"How about a bet?" Sukehiro's lip corners lifted slightly. "At a time like this?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"It makes it more interesting," Sukehiro continued, shrugging. "Whoever exorcises fewer Curses pays for lunch."

"That won't hurt!" the figures shouted in unison with a creaky voice and then rushed toward us.

"How about that?," Sukehiro cracked his neck. "To be fair, I won't use my sword."

Without waiting for my response, he dashed forward and, like a bull, collided with the crowd of Curses.

"Well, what about it?" I muttered through my teeth, parrying the attacks of the creatures with my spear. "I'm in!"

Almost unnoticed by myself, a predatory grin appeared on my face.