"You... don't turn yourself into an executioner."
Following a moment of silence, Gakuganji could not help but let out a sigh.
That was simply how the world worked now.
The higher-ups of the jujutsu world could never truly get along with any special grade sorcerer.
It was a conflict between scholars and warriors.
Because of weakness, the former always believed things had to be handled in certain ways. They were used to viewing problems with calmness so cold it bordered on cruelty.
Meanwhile, because of strength, the latter always believed they could do whatever they wanted without consequences. Absolute power became the foundation supporting everything.
Only when both sides worked together could stability exist.
But the power of the warriors had already completely overwhelmed the scholars in terms of presence and influence. That was what led to the current situation.
Even so, Gakuganji still hoped this younger colleague of his could put down the sword.
Endless killing would not solve problems. More often than not, it only numbed the killer and gradually stripped away their humanity.
What he truly worried about... was Mukuro himself.
"Someone has to do it eventually~ Or are we just supposed to let the jujutsu world keep developing in this twisted way?" Mukuro shook his head with a helpless smile.
He did not want his juniors to one day get stabbed in the back by the higher-ups during missions simply because of conflicts between himself and those people.
"I kept telling you before to hurry up and retire so the younger generation could take over. But now I've changed my mind."
At last, he revealed the real reason he came here.
Once this conversation ended and he returned to Tokyo, Mukuro planned to slaughter every conservative higher-up who voiced support during the previous meeting.
But the other factions had not participated, and they still played important roles in maintaining order within the jujutsu world. Mukuro had no intention of targeting them.
However, to prevent situations like this from happening again and to allow Higuruma to smoothly push forward institutional reforms, the higher-ups needed trustworthy people in place.
After all, neither Mukuro nor Satoru, both long accustomed to solving problems through force, had any desire to personally deal with endless administrative nonsense in the jujutsu world.
Which meant the best candidate was sitting right in front of him.
One of the leaders of the conservative faction, Gakuganji.
If he fully took control of the conservatives and worked together with Noritoshi's Kamo clan and Masamichi, then there would no longer be anything in the jujutsu world worth worrying over.
Mukuro knew that deep down, Gakuganji also hoped for change. He simply lacked the courage to take the first step.
Now, Mukuro had already cleared away every obstacle ahead.
"Oh~ I really did seriously consider what you and the others said before. I was planning to step down after all. I'm just an old fossil stuck in the past~"
Gakuganji leisurely stroked the small tuft of white beard on his chin like he had finally found a rare chance to tease Mukuro back. The smile tugging at his lips was almost impossible to suppress, and even his eyebrows twitched with amusement.
"Quit acting smug after getting what you want. Otherwise I'll let Mei take over and sell off the entire conservative faction for money."
"Seriously... Young people these days can't even take a joke~"
With that casual exchange, the future direction of the jujutsu world was quietly decided.
* * *
Outside Tokyo No. 1 Colony.
"Hah? That heterochromatic bastard seriously went off to handle personal business at a time like this?"
Satoru had returned.
But neither Hakari nor Kirara came with him. They had already been sent to handle nearby cursed spirit incidents so the students could have a brief chance to breathe.
After learning where Mukuro, Yuta, and Yuji had gone, Satoru only complained about Mukuro.
After all, he could never bring himself to scold his adorable students.
"Uh... Uncle Mukuro didn't say where he was going. But the Culling Game now has rules that are very beneficial for new players. Are you going inside to handle things, Gojo-sensei?"
As someone who had spent part of his childhood around Mukuro, Megumi was already used to the way Satoru and his uncle constantly mocked each other.
He simply explained the current situation objectively through the Kogane attached to Nitta.
"Sendai, huh? If I go, it'd definitely be the fastest option..."
Satoru pinched his chin thoughtfully. Beneath the blindfold, his gaze seemed to stretch far into the distance.
Although he was curious about where Mukuro had gone, the more important thing right now was dealing with the troublemakers inside the Culling Game first.
According to their previous estimates, every barrier likely contained one or two difficult opponents.
Out of the three most dangerous barriers currently known, only the farthest one remained. And Satoru just happened to possess long-distance movement abilities.
Naturally, the Sendai Colony was best left to him.
"There's no need for everyone to stay here anymore. Go get some other sorcerers to assist. Megumi, the rest of you should head back and rest. As long as we can still contact each other, that's enough."
Thinking for a moment, Satoru gave his instructions.
"I'll head to the second barrier later too. I'm a little worried about Itadori..."
After staying silent briefly, Megumi shook his head and rejected Satoru's suggestion.
He understood Yuji very well.
That guy was genuinely a good person. His obsession with saving others was somewhat different from Megumi's own.
Yuji was the kind of person who would truly sacrifice himself without hesitation in order to save others.
Especially now, when there was still a ticking bomb inside his body that had only exploded yesterday.
Even though Yuta was there, Megumi still planned to head over himself since he was no longer useful here anyway. At the same time, he could also help deal with weaker enemies.
"Kugisaki, don't come with me. We don't know when my uncle will return, and you're still waiting for him to help save your friend. Don't miss the best opportunity."
Seeing his friend about to speak, Megumi interrupted her first.
"Be careful."
Nobara swallowed the words she originally wanted to say and only left behind those two simple words.
"Then it's settled. I'll make a trip to Sendai first and come back quickly."
Satoru had no objections to Megumi's decision.
If anything, having him there actually made him feel more at ease. After all, Megumi still had Mahoraga inside him, along with that bastard who occasionally liked peeking around.
As he spoke, Satoru already began forming hand signs in order to reach the destination faster.
Boom!
The next instant, he vanished from the spot.
* * *
More than ten minutes later.
Outside the Culling Game barrier located in Sendai Prefecture.
"Gojo-san?!"
The assistant managers and members of the Window who had been stationed there awaiting instructions from the jujutsu world immediately recognized the man descending from above.
"I'll handle things here."
Satoru simply nodded toward them before casually walking toward the barrier with his hands in his pockets.
"I am Kogane. Do you confirm your entry into the Culling Game and your participation as a player?"
Right before he stepped inside, a lively white bug suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bounced around beside him.
"Yeah."
Rule accepted!
Another special grade sorcerer had officially entered the battlefield!
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