A player in Jujutsu Kaisen

Sparring with Maki (27)

I walked out of the room, making sure not to touch anything. I had a nagging feeling that if my DNA was left at the crime scene, it would cause trouble with the higher-ups. Recalling that Maki, Panda, and Inumaki were training at the grounds earlier, I decided to pay them a visit and say hello.

With nothing else to do, I thought it would be a good idea to train with them until Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi returned from their mission. It seemed like a fun way to pass the time.

As those thoughts lingered in my mind, I made my way toward the training area. After a few minutes of walking, I found Maki diligently practicing with her weapon, just as I had expected.

Panda and Inumaki, however, were nowhere to be found. I expanded my senses and felt their presence near the vending machines.

But for now, I focused on Maki, who was skillfully using the bow staff given to her. She had definitely improved since the last time I saw her.

With her strength, she could probably hit me hard with that stuff, but as Gojo sensei always said, it's fun to annoy people.

I didn't think she could beat me, so I decided to surprise her. I jumped from my position and landed right in front of her.

She immediately attacked me, which was expected. Even after realizing it was me, she continued to attack relentlessly, becoming faster with each strike.

Around four minutes into the fight, she seemed to reach her limits.

Eventually, I caught her bow staff, using only a fraction of my strength, and kicked her in the chest, sending her stumbling backward.

As soon as she regained her composure and went back on the attack, my blade was already in front of her face.

"I win," I said, smiling. She sighed and lowered her weapon. I quickly put back my dagger into my inventory and looked at her, saying, "You've gotten better since last time."

"It's still not enough to beat you," she replied, clearly annoyed.

"The only person who can beat me is Gojo sensei," I said, smiling.

"I don't need your sympathies," she retorted.

I then got very close to her face, seemingly examining her body, before smiling and saying, "I'm just trying to help."

"Mini Gojo," she muttered to herself, looking at me with a deadpan expression.

"You adore me," I teased, smiling. I enjoyed teasing her.

"And what would give you that idea?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"The fact that you haven't attacked me yet," I said, still smiling. Just as I finished speaking, my senses alerted me, and I moved just in time to dodge an attack aimed at my face.

"So close," she muttered to herself, but I ignored it. I'd rather not think about her trying to punch me when my attention was elsewhere.

"If you're here, it means you finished that stupid dungeon, right?" she asked, changing the subject and attempting to punch me again.

"Yep," I replied nonchalantly.

"How hard was it?" she asked, genuinely interested.

"It was pretty difficult," I replied honestly.

"You said it was a quest to change class, right?" she inquired, looking at me.

"Yes, it is, and if you're wondering, my class is Shadow Monarch," I replied honestly, knowing where she was getting at.

"I never thought of you as a Monarch," she said with a blank expression.

"It has some great perks," I said nonchalantly.

"Like?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Not telling you," I said, sticking out my tongue. That seemed to annoy her greatly.

"You little..." she began, looking mad. But before she could reach me, I had already teleported 10 meters away.

Time skip

Maki was sweating heavily as Kenzo looked like he was having fun. In the background, Panda and a short boy were sitting next to him, drinking some kind of beverage as they watched Maki fight Kenzo. It seemed more like a game of trying to hit Kenzo rather than a fight, but it was still very interesting to see.

As they sparred, Kenzo couldn't resist throwing in a few teasing comments to provoke Maki. With a mischievous grin, he would make light-hearted jabs about her technique or mockingly exaggerate her efforts.

"Is that the best you've got, Maki? I expected a bit more from you!"

"Oh, come on! You're stronger than this. Don't hold back on me!"

"You're getting faster, Maki. Maybe one day you'll catch up to me... in your dreams!"

Maki, though annoyed by the teasing, would try to maintain her focus and not let it distracts her. She would respond with her own sarcastic comebacks, determined to prove herself despite his superiority.

"Watch closely, Kento. Maybe you'll learn something from me for a change!"

"Save your jokes for the comedy club, Kenzo. Your fighting skills aren't as impressive as your sense of humor."

Throughout their fight, Kenzo teasing would continue, reminding Maki that she still had room to grow. Yet, behind his playful remarks, there was a genuine sense of encouragement.

Panda, with his calm and upbeat demeanor, observed the sparring match between Kemzo and Maki with interest. He sat next to Inumaki, who quietly watched the fight, his expression unreadable.

"Inumaki, they seem to be enjoying themselves," Panda commented, a playful smile on his face.

Inumaki nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the intense exchange of blows. Despite his limited words, his understanding of the situation was evident.

As the banter between Kenzo and Maki continued, Panda couldn't help but chuckle. He found Kenzo's teasing amusing and appreciated the lightheartedness it brought to their training sessions.

"Inumaki, Kenzo sure knows how to get under Maki's skin," Panda said, still smiling.

Inumaki responded with a slight tilt of his head, his focus unwavering. Though he didn't speak in a conventional manner.

A/N. If the MC and Yuta fought, who do you think would win? Keep in mind that anything the MC kills can be added to his army. As of now, he has one special grade-level soldier and a bunch of grade 1 and semi-grade 1 creatures in his army. He himself is a special grade, and due to having mana instead of curse energy, it's pretty hard to sense him unless he intentionally releases all his energy at once. Even then, domains and barriers wouldn't perceive him as a living being but rather as something inanimate object. Unless the user of that domain can perceive his energy then it's gg.