"Today, I'm going to explain one of Jujutsu High's theory subjects, naly [Innate Technique]."
After casually establishing his authority, Naoya Zenin finally began today's lesson.
An Innate Technique was the most important trump card a sorcerer had, and also the first thing most people thought of when jujutsu was ntioned.
Even now that jujutsu had entered a more modern system, the first thing people still thought of when talking about it was the inborn Innate Technique, and they had even classified it to a certain degree.
Concept-type [Technique].
Manipulation-type [Art].
Word-spirit-type [Spell].
And the four great elents that made up the world, naly the elental types [Earth], [Wind], [Water], and [Fire].
Ancient jujutsu categorized Innate Techniques into four major classes, and elevated the concept-type [Technique] above the rest, such as [Limitless Technique], which could interfere at the atomic level, or [Construction Technique], which created sothing from nothing.
A sorcerer's attribute often determined the direction of their growth for life.
For example, because Naoya Zenin possessed [Projection Sorcery], he had an innate advantage in practicing séance techniques and word-spirit techniques, and his life afterward was naturally destined to specialize in those fields.
This was basic knowledge under the ancient jujutsu system.
It was also the most elentary knowledge that most freshn, or even students who had not yet entered Jujutsu High, had already learned.
So when they heard that Naoya Zenin's second class was going to cover such old, stale theory, the students who had squeezed in just to audit could not help showing disappointed looks.
But just as the students were sinking into frustration, Naoya Zenin continued, "But I know what all of you are. A pack of greedy, starving wolves. A theory lesson alone can never satisfy your passion and desire to learn jujutsu."
"So today, I'll use a completely new thod to explain what [Innate Technique] really is."
"A completely new thod?"
"There's another theory?"
The students were all baffled.
After all, [Innate Technique] was foundational theory, the bedrock logic sorcerers used to explain how the world was structured.
It was like the foundation beneath a towering building. Foundations did not waver.
If the foundation itself ever started to shake, the entire tower of jujutsu would collapse with it.
Whether it was the old schools of ancient jujutsu or the erging branches of modern jujutsu, none of them would ever question the very foundation that the world of jujutsu was built on.
"It seems not only do you not believe , you also have a lot of doubts."
Naoya Zenin shook his head in disappointnt.
"In that case, before I begin, I'll allow questions in advance. But I will only answer three."
"Naoya-sensei!"
Kasumi Miwa, seated in the front row, was the first to shoot her hand up.
"Kasumi Miwa. Ask."
"Then what is a sorcerer like supposed to do if I don't have an Innate Technique?!"
"Simple. Go die."
"Can you really say it that bluntly?!"
Kasumi Miwa completely broke down.
Did sword users seriously have no future at all these days?!
"My turn!"
Before Kasumi Miwa could finish, Momo Nishimiya had already stood up and jumped in.
"Hey, hey, hey! Nishimiya-senpai! I'm not done asking yet!"
Naoya Zenin ignored Kasumi Miwa's protest and gestured for the little witch to speak.
"Naoya Zenin... sensei."
Momo Nishimiya had originally intended to call him by na, but the mont she saw his eyes turn cold, the arrogance she had been wearing collapsed instantly. After faltering for a second, she finally asked in a much weaker voice, "I know that in this world, besides those attributes, there are plenty of techniques that can't really be defined. Like Aoi Todo's [Boogie Woogie]. You're not about to tell us that technique attributes are diverse, are you?"
This was not really a question from Momo Nishimiya.
It was a way of cutting off Naoya Zenin's retreat.
Because if Naoya Zenin went on to say, Ah, very clever, that was exactly what I was going to explain next.
Then the anticipation in the room would instantly collapse, and the students would imdiately decide Naoya Zenin was full of it.
"The claim that technique attributes are diverse is a lie ancient jujutsu told itself. I'm not so bored that I'd waste ti reteaching you ancient jujutsu."
The four attributes of Innate Technique were the earliest theory in ancient jujutsu.
But the birth of [Ryon Sukuna], and the overwhelmingly tyrannical [Malevolent Shrine], completely destroyed that theory.
So argued that [Malevolent Shrine] ought to be a concept-type [Technique], an attack capable of dismantling matter.
Others argued that [Malevolent Shrine] should be a manipulation-type [Art], because it was obviously so kind of controlled energy.
Others still said [Malevolent Shrine] was a word-spirit-type [Spell]. Hadn't they heard that every ti it was used, soone shouted "Open"?
And there were even those who said [Malevolent Shrine] belonged to the elental type [Wind]. After all, it was called [Malevolent Shrine]. Without wind, how would you start the fire?
Back in the Heian era, debates among sorcerers over [Ryon Sukuna] would drag on forever, to the point of people nearly tearing each other's hair out. On top of that, the jujutsu world had always been arguing about whether there was a fifth attribute at all, so that theory naturally collapsed soon enough.
So things were simple now.
If an Innate Technique could not be clearly defined, it was all thrown into the special-type category of [Jujutsu].
Take Aoi Todo's [Boogie Woogie]. A bizarre jujutsu that let him swap the positions of two things with Cursed Energy just by clapping. There was not even a respectable ancestor you could trace it back to, so of course it got tossed into the special category.
Naturally, sorcerers whose techniques could not be defined by the ancient jujutsu world ca to support modern jujutsu instead, waiting for a more scientific classification system that might one day define them.
"But..."
Momo Nishimiya still wanted to push further, but Naoya Zenin only gave her a cold look and motioned for her to sit down.
"Your question is over."
That left only one final chance to ask sothing.
None of the students present were fools like Kasumi Miwa. No one wanted to waste this last opportunity.
Even now, they still had not figured out what price Naoya Zenin paid for using [Binding Vow]. Faced with such a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity, they had to think very carefully.
Should they ask about the last class, or about what was coming next in this one?
As the students fell into thoughtful silence, Mai Zenin finally could not hold back any longer and raised her hand.
"Naoya-sensei, I only have one question."
"Ask."
Naoya Zenin had never expected Mai to raise her hand.
After all, there was blood-deep hatred between them.
And the negative emotions this girl gave off on a daily basis were especially terrifying. The mont he so much as glanced away, this cousin of his would be staring daggers into his back. If looks could kill, she would have awakened laser eyes long ago and blasted him to death.
Just how much Cursed Energy did [Construction Technique] burn through?
A woman this haunted, like so vengeful spirit, and yet she only had enough Cursed Energy to make one bullet a day?
"My Innate Technique is the concept-type [Construction Technique]."
Mai looked up at Naoya Zenin, her voice tense.
But the Zenin young lady still did her utmost to ask in a calm, steady voice.
"What I want to know is... am I destined to use only [Construction Technique] for the rest of my life? Can I learn other techniques?"
"Everyone can only have one [Innate Technique]! It's sothing you're born with!"
The mont Momo Nishimiya heard Mai ask sothing that stupid, on the sa level as Kasumi Miwa, she nearly fainted on the spot.
"Huh? Mai, are you saying you want to co practice swordsmanship with ?"
Kasumi Miwa blinked several tis, not understanding at all what her good friend ant.
"How foolish."
Even Noritoshi Kamo, refined as he was, could not help speaking up in rebuke.
"You want to abandon an Innate Technique you were born compatible with, and then turn around and practice swordsmanship that doesn't suit you? Whether it's barrier techniques or shikigami techniques, since you already possess sothing as rare as [Construction Technique], then you should be working even harder to study your own technique. Trying to cultivate sothing else... isn't that putting the cart before the horse?!"
"...Of course I know that."
Mai knew full well that her question probably sounded stupid.
But it really was sothing she had been thinking since childhood.
Her sister had no Innate Technique at all, and had even been cursed by [Heavenly Restriction], becoming an ordinary person incapable of possessing Cursed Energy.
And yet as the younger sister, Mai had benefited from disaster. Not only had she avoided being cursed by [Heavenly Restriction], she had even awakened the extrely rare [Construction Technique].
Every ti she saw her sister pushing herself, trying to beco a powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer one day,
Mai, hiding in the background, would feel overwhelming sha.
If she could, she truly wanted to trade lives with her sister.
Mai wanted to hand over everything she had now to that hardworking idiot.
After all, there was always a saying in the jujutsu world that twins shared a single soul, that they were children cursed by heaven.
And since Mai and Maki shared the sa soul, after hearing that idea, Mai had always believed that her [Construction Technique] could be transplanted to her sister Maki.
So when she heard what Naoya Zenin had said today, when she heard that he was going to explain [Innate Technique] in a completely new way, this girl finally could not hold back her question anymore.
She wanted to sacrifice herself and give [Construction Technique] to her sister.
"I can't believe there's actually soone this stupid in our class..."
"Soone actually wants to throw away their [Innate Technique] and go train so other jujutsu instead?"
"That's insane... is she even human?"
Whispers like that quickly spread through the classroom.
After all, what Mai had just said was far too shocking.
[Innate Technique] was the underlying logic of jujutsu.
If soone wanted to overturn that underlying logic, it was basically the sa as declaring war on the entire jujutsu world.
A lot of the students thought that if they piled on and mocked Mai Zenin for saying sothing so stupid, they would please Naoya Zenin on the podium and earn praise from their teacher.
And yet not only did Naoya Zenin fail to smile, his expression instantly darkened.
"Looks like... there are far too many idiots in this classroom."
The mont Naoya Zenin spoke, everyone who had just been mocking Mai Zenin froze on the spot.
Then the young noble actually began clapping, and praised the stunned Mai.
"Not bad. That is a very bold idea. Because if you asked any other teacher a question like that, Mai, you'd be packing your bags and gone by tomorrow."
"S-So it really isn't possible...?"
Hearing the sharp mockery in Naoya Zenin's tone, Mai gave a dry laugh and was just about to shrink back into her seat.
But the next thing Naoya Zenin said made her freeze.
"Mai Zenin. Plus ten points."
"Plus ten points?!"
"What does that even an?!"
All the students were dumbfounded.
Why had Naoya Zenin given Mai points? Wasn't that an unbelievably stupid question?
Could it be just because she was his cousin?
Naoya Zenin slowly swept his gaze around the classroom at all the doubt on their faces and said,
"Do you know of anyone who can possess more than one [Innate Technique]?"
"?!"
"Do you know that aside from awakening [Innate Technique] at birth, it can also be awakened later in life by swallowing a Cursed Object?"
"?!!?!"
"Do you know that your own [Innate Technique] also has another form?"
"?!!?!?!!"
"What I'm about to teach next will overturn every rule in the jujutsu world and drag all sorcerers back to the sa starting line."
Naoya Zenin let his eyes sweep across the stunned expressions filling the classroom, then revealed a mysterious, elegant smile.
"This thod can let you awaken a second [Innate Technique]."
"Now... are you interested?"
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