//------------------------------// // Substitute Teacher // Story: The Cursed Prodigy and The Three Special-Grades // by I Ate Appiness //------------------------------// The School of Friendship was filled with the sound of ringing bells that echoed through the corridors, announcing the start of a new day. As the students made their way into their classrooms, the air was filled with excited chatter about the usual topics that occupy the minds of teenagers: fashion, crushes, and the latest gossip about the exploits of the school's superheroes, The Ambassadors. Everyone was abuzz with news about how a dangerous sludge monster had bested the team. Slight uncertainty was now ever present in the class, even while the young six were sitting amongst the discussing crowd. It has only served to rub salt into the wound. "Dang, do you think The Ambassadors were that close to winning?" Whispered a voice. "No way! Look at their casts! I heard some alien saved them." "Do you think The Council might be overpowered one day?" "Are you crazy!? They are the protectors of Equestria, the ones who defeated Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow! They'd never lose to the likes of those monsters!" "You guys know we're still here, right?" Smolder stated aloud, annoyance clear in her voice. Causing the rest of the class to quiet down. Aside from the two that didn't participate in the confrontation, she and her other friends were covered in bandages or casts. Each had their head hung low from the news of their defeat, and tension soon filled the room. The tension in the room was palpable, as the insensitive comments had hit a nerve; their worries were not unfounded. What would be next if the rising surge of curses were slowly overpowering some of the greater powerhouses Equestria had to offer? The Pillars? The Council? The Princess? They soon had to place their concerns aside when the door handle shuffled and turned, and with a creak, the door opened, revealing a noticeable, non-equestrian creature dressed in white attire walking in on two feet. None had spoken nor had the cognitive thought to utter a word upon seeing this strange alien monkey walk into class. Yuta set his sword beside the teacher's desk, taking extra care not to cause any loud clattering noises. He then turned to face the class, his hand holding a couple of pages of paper that had been neatly stapled together. The pages contained detailed information on the rules and regulations governing a teacher's conduct, including their behaviour, dress code, and student responsibilities. Despite the seriousness of the topic, Yuta's face bore a gentle smile as he addressed the class, his eyes scanning the room to ensure that everyone was paying attention. "Good morning, class, my name is Okkotsu Yuta. You can just address me as Yuta. I will be acting as your substitute teacher for the next few days on behalf of the five professors as they prepare for the annual Friendship Sports Festival in the upcoming days. Nice to meet you all." He finished with a quick bow. In response, the class also returned the gesture, greeting him seated. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Yuta." "Oh my goodness! You're our substitute teacher that Professor Rarity was talking about!?" Silverstream said with laced excitement. "Silverstream, you know him?" Questioned a classmate. "He's the one that saved our skins," Gallus added. As soon as these words escaped their lips, the class erupted into a cacophony of voices, each member of the Young Six being bombarded with a flurry of similar questions yet different in their specifics. The air was thick with curiosity and excitement, as though a dam had burst and the floodgates of inquiry had been opened. "Wait, so he's the alien?! He's so tall!" "He does look like a monkey. You think he likes bananas?" "He looks so scrawny for something that defeated that monster unassisted." "I like turtles." "He looks so dead inside." 'Well, I guess the first order of business is to explain the dangers of cursed spirits, as said in the task fulfilment sheet.' Yuta thought, looking at the checklist listed on the sheets of paper Rarity gave him. "Uh-hem." Yuta coughed into his fist, catching the attention of everybody in the classroom, his face showing that he was faking, clearing his throat. "Now, I understand all of you are very curious about the monster I was facing and how I managed to slay it on my own." Grabbing the chalk on the holder, he wrote in tandem as he spoke. "Jot this down if you wish to. Simply put, what I killed, or rather, exorcised, was a cursed spirit." "A cursed... spirit?" Smolder asks with a tilt of her head. "As you may already know, all living beings experience negative emotions. However, most of them are unable to control or contain these negative emotions, which leads to the release of negative energy or cursed energy. When an excessive amount of cursed energy accumulates in one specific area, it can trigger the birth of a cursed spirit. That's why heavily populated places are more likely to have strong cursed spirits, like the one you and your friends faced in Manehatten. Cursed spirits can only be exorcised by using cursed energy. Any other method would be ineffective, except for one that is too complex to explain here. As a Sorcerer, my job is to exorcise these cursed spirits using Jujutsu, which encompasses all forms of sorcery and skills that sorcerers and cursed spirits can access by manipulating their own cursed energy. Think of cursed energy as a type of poison; the more potent it is, the more effective it will be. In my world, Sorcerers and cursed spirits are ranked from Grade 1 to Grade 4 based on their level of skill. Students joining the Sorcerer Society usually start at Grade 4, but this can vary depending on the case. Sorcerers are expected to take on missions that involve curses of the same level. For example, a Grade 2 sorcerer should be able to defeat a Grade 2 curse because their skill level is closer to the strength of a Grade 1 curse. The ranks are listed as Grade 4 Grade 3 Grade 2 Grade 1 Special-Grade To give a brief description of the ranks: Grade 4 is a rank meant for weak and inexperienced sorcerers. Grade 3 is an average rank for jujutsu sorcerers, especially students. Grade 2 is an above-average level for a sorcerer. Most great sorcerers are between Grades 1 and 2, so they are not by any means weak. It is exceptional for a student to be in Grade 2, a status that allows them to work on solo assignments. Grade 1 sorcerers are the ones who uphold the standards of what a sorcerer should strive to be and are the ones fit to lead society. It is the highest status a sorcerer can hope to achieve through the natural progression of ranks. The level of danger on missions, the amount of confidentiality entrusted to them, and the compensation are far more significant than any of the previously discussed ranks. Think of them as the super strong and reliable seniors in Socerery combat! Regarding cursed spirit rankings, they are evaluated on a similar scale but not exactly the same as each other. The upper ranks can be pretty particular when it comes to grading cursed spirits. They are similar to your version of "The Council of Friendship," except for some differences. The primary difference between a grade 2 cursed spirit and a semi-grade 1 cursed spirit is the ability to use cursed techniques. So the one you six were facing was probably a Grade 2 cursed spirit." Finishing with a chalk point at the six, Yuta looked back at them. An orchestra of 'Ooo' echoed in the classroom, engrossed by the info dump. Smolder smacked the table in disbelief. "Just a Grade 2!? That curse almost killed us!" "Calm down, Smolder." Sandbar tries to reason with his friend, but the reality of almost dying to a mediocre curse makes her livid. Still, she heeds his advice, sitting back down with a fuming head and crossed arms. "I won't go into the details of the cursed technique, as it is quite complex. However, I must mention that the cursed spirit we encountered is a Grade 2. If it had been a Grade 1, it would have been even more dangerous, and you all would have been killed. Those who are not proficient in controlling their cursed energy are expected to die when facing a Grade 2 or higher cursed spirit. So it's actually quite impressive that you all survived!" With a smile, the teacher's carefree attitude towards life and death made the class go silent. "In addition, since none of you have any knowledge of how to control your cursed energy, I strongly advise against engaging with cursed spirits." "Um... Professor Yuta. What about Special-Grade?" Yona inquired. Yuta tensed slightly, knowing where the flow of conversation would inevitably end up. The rank of "Special-Grade" in the Jujutsu community is a highly exclusive title reserved for only the most exceptional and powerful sorcerers. These individuals possess such immense strength that their destructive power is capable of overtaking an entire country. This makes them unique and rare cases, hence the title "special". Yuta answered the question with a slight cringe, feeling as though he was indirectly boasting about his own extraordinary abilities as a sorcerer. "They're essentially the best of the best?" Gallus asks. "Yeah, pretty much." The human replied. "Then, Professor Yuta. What's your rank?" asked Ocellus. He stood there, lost in thought, pondering over his options and the consequences of his actions. He contemplated whether it was worth it to keep his secret hidden or reveal it to the world. Twilight had already witnessed Maki reading his grade out loud in the school corridors several months back. Additionally, he was almost sure the princess had already informed her friends about what she had discovered when she replayed his memories. Therefore, he knew it would be futile to conceal his rank, as it would only raise more suspicion and draw unwanted attention towards him. "I'm a Special-Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer." Another round of 'Ooo's and 'Aaa's waved at the statement. On cue, the bell rang, commencing the start of the next period. "Right. To those who have not handed in the consent forms to Professor Fluttershy for attendance at the annual Friendship Sports Festival already. Please remember to hand them in on your way out. Thank you, class. You may leave." As the class emptied itself, some students placed a small stack of papers on the teachers' desks while they made their way out of the class. Yuta gently hits the side of the stack of to organise them quickly quickly organise them. He was just about to leave the classroom when he noticed six still-seated students who appeared unmoving in thought. "Mr. Yuta?" Sandbar piped. "We decided to stay out of the Friendship Festival this year," Gallus added. "It's because of your injuries, correct?" The six nodded, walking over; Yuta stepped forward, raising his hands over Gallus and Smolder. A gentle light surrounds them; a soft, warm glow envelops the two, emanating from Yuta's Reverse Curse Technique. The light was gentle yet powerful, quickly spreading across their bodies, mending their wounds and soothing their pain. To their surprise, their wounds were fully healed. He quickly moved on to the next two, Sandbar and Yona. Healing their injuries as well. As Yuta stepped back, his work complete, the four friends looked at each other in amazement. "W-what? Our injuries?" Sandbar starts, "They're gone!" finished Smolder. "Yona feels like new!" The cute Yak cheered. The six stood in awe. Just as they were about to thank the human, they turned around only to see that he was no longer there. Outside the classroom, Yuta made his way down the flight of stairs that led to the teacher's lounge. His face was adorned with a broad smile as he muttered under his breath, "Gojo-sensei would've done the same."