"That old bastard really took me away after all these years... What kind of departure is that supposed to be?"
With a frustrated click of her tongue, Kugisaki Nobara strolled through the lively, bustling streets. In the distance, she spotted two boys in Jujutsu High uniforms.
A look of disdain appeared on her face as she scoffed again.
"Hah?"
Itadori Yuji, standing far away, noticed her reaction and instinctively let out a confused "huh?"
From the sharp glare in her eyes, he instantly felt that this girl probably had a difficult personality. He glanced toward Fushiguro Megumi, hoping to communicate with a look—but Megumi, as always, ignored everything.
And just like that, the trio was reunited.
The chariot of fate began rolling again. In this new era—where many things had changed and many things remained the same—a new firework was about to ignite.
---
"James, do you want to teach him a lesson?"
Gojo Satoru and James stood atop the roof of Jujutsu High. Down in the small courtyard below, Itadori was being pummelled by a Cursed Corpse during training.
James shook his head slightly.
"No, let him build a basic foundation first. Besides... whether or not to teach depends on his ability to understand."
Although Itadori had immense potential, it wasn't something that could be forced. It was better to train him thoroughly once he had matured a little.
"What do you think about Sukuna?"
Gojo pulled off his blindfold and peered down at Itadori's struggling form with those piercing pale blue eyes.
"Watch and wait," James replied, smiling indifferently.
He didn't have much opinion about Sukuna. If Sukuna dared to show up now, James would gladly beat him into the ground and send him back to his mother. This was a battle meant for Gojo anyway.
"Yeah. Honestly, I don't think he'd be tougher than the Heavenly Evil Tree," Gojo muttered.
He had considered eliminating Itadori early on to avoid potential catastrophe, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was worth the risk. If you were constantly hesitant about everything, how could you expect real companionship?
And Sukuna? He wasn't qualified to dictate anything.
"Then if Sukuna shows up, you're the one handling it," James said dryly, clearly amused.
He could tell that Gojo didn't truly see Sukuna as a real threat. That thought amused him—especially since James knew how things played out in the original version of events.
"Of course. I'll win," Gojo replied, calm and confident.
"…Satoru, say that again. Just like that."
"…?"
Unbeknownst to the pair on the rooftop, Sukuna—residing inside Itadori's body—had overheard every word. Of course, even if he did hear it, he wouldn't be bothered.
With all four of his bloodshot eyes open, Sukuna breathed heavily, his expression twisted in rage.
One day… I will tear all of you to pieces.
---
Time flew by.
The grand Jujutsu High School Exchange Conference had entered a new phase. After the winners from each region were determined, all the finalists would gather in Tokyo for the final round.
Tokyo Jujutsu High was finally coming alive.
---
"Finally, after all these years, this crumbling old school—where the only excitement came from the occasional brawl—is finally getting popular."
Ieiri Shōko lounged lazily in her chair, her demeanor calm and elegant as always. Beside her, Yaga Masamichi was visibly exhausted from handling all the logistics. When he saw Shōko doing nothing, he had the urge to assign her some tasks—but in the end, he held back.
After all, she was practically a life-saving relic.
Shōko was born with the natural ability to perform Reversed Cursed Techniques. Now that she had completely mastered it, she could use it not only on herself but also on others—and her healing was even more potent than most.
As long as she was around, getting cut in half wasn't a fatal injury.
Unfortunately, her combat skills were limited. She couldn't charge into the battlefield, so she stayed in the rear—more of a healer than a frontline fighter.
---
One by one, new students began moving into Tokyo Jujutsu High. It was a rare sight for the empty dorms to be so lively.
"Did you see that just now?"
"See what?"
"That was Kamo Noritoshi!"
"No way! So lucky!"
"I heard Inumaki Toge is also here!"
"I'm going to look for him!"
As a direct descendant of the prestigious Kamo family, Kamo Noritoshi was the top candidate to inherit leadership. His status was undoubtedly high.
The Kamo family had a stellar reputation in the Jujutsu world—mainly thanks to the overwhelming power of Kamo Katsuhiko. His infamous Red Blood Technique had been honed to the extreme. His Blood Piercing technique could punch clean through even the tough hide of the Tenshakugi!
Compared to him, even formidable fighters like Zhang Xiang seemed like children.
Katsuhiko was one of the few who had elevated the Red Blood Technique to its peak form. Just like Gojo's Six Eyes or Zenin's Hollow Ra, his technique was on a similar level.
Unfortunately, there was no worthy successor—Kamo Noritoshi fell far short of his ancestor's legacy.
Then there was Inumaki Toge, young leader of the Bankei Sect, son of Inumaki Sashi, and adopted son of Geto Suguru. His lineage and background were unmatched, making him a true Jujutsu prince.
He inherited a Cursed Speech Technique, one of the rarest and most powerful types. His words could manipulate reality, suppress any spirit, and in its fully developed form, could even suppress transcendent enemies like Amanesha.
Among all the current Kyoto and Tokyo students, these two were believed to be the strongest—at least by outside observers.
Of course, those who judged strength by lineage alone were in for a rude awakening.
There was also the rapidly advancing Okkotsu Yūta, the already-famous Tōdō Aoi, and the dark horse Itadori Yuji, who had yet to fully reveal himself...
---
Over at the Kyoto dormitory, the group had already arrived.
A traditional pre-battle strategy meeting was underway—just like always.
Kamo Noritoshi, Tōdō Aoi, Zenin Mai, Nishimiya Momo, Miwa Kasumi, and the mechanical sorcerer Ultimate Mechamaru were all gathered. The one presiding was none other than the conservative and commanding Principal Gakuganji Yoshinobu.
The old man, his expression unreadable, slowly pulled out a handwritten note from the Jujutsu higher-ups.
One by one, the students read it—and their expressions darkened.
> "Kill Itadori Yuji at all costs."
Gakuganji's face remained calm, but tension filled the room.
Kill? Who do you think you are to give an order like that…?
Truth be told, orders from the so-called "higher-ups" of the Jujutsu world were now barely worth anything. Whether one followed them or not was entirely up to personal choice.
Even so, no one openly objected yet—likely due to their respect for Gakuganji as their teacher.
"I refuse, Gakuganji-sensei."
The first to speak up was Kamo Noritoshi.
As a future pillar of the Jujutsu world, he would never sabotage his own future by following such senseless orders. Anyone with foresight could see who would be leading the Jujutsu world in the future.
Why would I jump on a sinking ship?
Why would he surrender his rightful throne just to follow some foolish, outdated orders?
"I don't really care about your opinions," Gakuganji said, "but killing Itadori is my personal request. It's the only way to stop the resurrection of the King of Curses."
He was a man of strict ideology—wanting to eliminate all risks before they could blossom.
The students glanced at each other, clearly unsettled.
They had always respected Gakuganji. He had fought in the Century War, stood beside other first-grade sorcerers, and personally battled against two special-grade Cursed Spirits, bearing several scars to prove it.
But this… this felt wrong.
Then Tōdō Aoi, leaning casually on the terrace, stood up and walked into the room.
"Does James know about this?"
Everyone froze.
Did he just call him by name?! Where's your respect?
Even Gakuganji was momentarily caught off guard.
But after a brief pause, he calmly closed his eyes and said:
"No."
"Will he be attending the match?"
"He will."
And with that, the room fell into total silence.
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