You strolled across the countryside, hands buried in the pockets of your sorcerer's uniform. Another mission, another cursed spirit to exorcise—one you knew almost nothing about, thanks to the incompetence of the Jujutsu Society's higher-ups. All you had to go on was the residual aura left behind after its last rampage. That alone was enough to confirm its strength; it had defeated Acro Silky, a grade-one cursed spirit known to haunt the local school. Whatever you were up against, it was powerful.

Your eyes narrowed as you spotted a nerdy-looking boy leaving the Ayase estate. The cursed aura clinging to him was unmistakable—it matched the one you'd been tracking. Without hesitation, you channeled your cursed energy into your technique. Shoot first, ask questions later, you thought as the energy surged through you.

“WAIT! OKARUN, WATCH OUT!”

The shout snapped you out of your focus. Before you could release your technique, a pair of giant, semi-transparent hands materialized, yanking the boy behind a young girl who now stood between you and your target. Her hands were raised, her stance protective, her eyes burning with determination.

Her gaze locked onto you, her expression tight with wariness. She'd never sensed aura like yours before—so refined, so efficient.

"Who are you, and why—" the girl began, but her words were cut short by an older woman stepping forward.

The woman looked far too young to be a grandmother, yet there she was—cigarette in hand, a bat resting casually on her shoulder, and a beckoning cat perched on her other arm. Something about that cat felt... alive.

"Calm down, Momo," the woman said, exhaling a puff of smoke. Her tone was calm, matter-of-fact. "They're a sorcerer."

The girl—Momo, you guessed—glanced at the woman, then back at you. Her protective stance didn’t waver, but now her expression demanded an explanation. Or maybe an apology.