Chapter 184: Straight for the Special-Grade Curses
"Proceed according to plan."
The moment they entered the forest, Zen'in Kaon and her team had already completed their division of roles.
They exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
In the next instant, Zen'in Kaon, Gojo Kamui, Okkotsu Kaguya, and Ria turned and headed straight toward the depths of the forest.
There were two Special-Grade cursed spirits in this match.
Exorcising even one would immediately grant fifty points.
In other words, whichever team eliminated both Special Grades would all but guarantee victory.
Because of that, Kaon's team had decided to split up:
one group would hunt the Special-Grade curses, while the other focused on clearing ordinary cursed spirits.
"We'll move as well," Kamo Oka said as he watched their figures vanish into the forest.
"We'll exorcise curses along the way and regroup with them."
Clap.
Todo Joi slapped his hands together and strode forward, a grin spreading across his face.
"I wonder what kind of women these aliens like."
Walking behind the two of them, Kusakabe Zetsu kept his hands in his pockets.
His expression showed little enthusiasm, but one thing did please him—
He hadn't been assigned to deal with Special-Grade curses.
As long as the first-years managed to beat the aliens to the two Special Grades, he could coast his way to victory while conserving energy.
A perfect outcome.
You first-years better pull through, he thought silently.
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At the same time, the Simuria Starfolk team had come to the exact same conclusion—
Eliminate the Special-Grade curses first.
Among them, Boses stepped forward and stared toward the forest's depths.
The third eye on his forehead opened wide, pulsing as he sensed something unseen.
He then turned back toward the six warriors behind him.
"Move out."
In the next moment, all seven warriors surged toward the forest's central region.
As for the lower-grade cursed spirits?
They weren't even worth their attention.
Truthfully, Boses would have preferred to compete in the adult division the following day.
He still wanted to settle the score with the man called Fushiguro Megumi.
But the Grand Priest had warned him—
Earth's youth division was unusually strong.
Relying on two newly promoted top-tier warriors might not be enough to secure victory.
And so, as a veteran top-tier warrior who had just turned twenty, Boses was assigned to the youth division instead.
Among the three top-tier fighters on the Simurian team,
he was the strongest.
With three top-tier warriors and four teammates on the verge of becoming top-tier, this lineup should have been more than enough to secure an easy victory in the youth division.
At this moment, Zen'in Kaon and her team had no idea that all seven Simuria Starfolk fighters were converging on the same target.
Those in the observation room, however, could clearly see everything happening on the battlefield.
When the jujutsu sorcerers realized that all seven Simuria warriors were heading straight for the Special-Grade curses, a sense of unease immediately spread.
"Do they have some kind of detection-type ability?"
"If so, those kids are going to be in real trouble."
Sitting beside Gojo, an elderly man with graying hair watched the screen with a faint smile.
"Principal Yaga, you're already at that age—why are you still getting involved in this stuff?"
From the row behind him, Amanai Riko teased, "Did Gojo drag you here as free labor again?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Riko," Gojo said with a helpless shrug.
"Principal Yaga came on his own, just in case something unexpected happens."
He would never deliberately trouble someone who was already past sixty—nearing seventy, even.
"I'm just here to observe," Yaga said seriously.
"If anything goes wrong, I can lend a hand."
Sitting at home doing nothing was boring anyway. He was curious to see what these aliens were really capable of.
The number of sorcerers on Earth was far smaller than that of the Simuria Starfolk.
If something truly went wrong, his presence could help make up for the lack of combat power.
After the Shinjuku Incident eighteen years ago, the jujutsu higher-ups had been completely reshuffled, and he had become one of them. To prevent another catastrophe like Sukuna, he had secretly stockpiled a large number of cursed corpses.
In truth, Yaga could have been promoted to Special Grade—but he had declined due to his age.
"Alright, alright, I was just joking," Riko waved her hand with a grin.
"Even Gojo wouldn't dare force you to come."
"Gojo," Yaga suddenly asked, "has Shinsuke returned yet?"
"Yeah," Riko chimed in, "didn't that old man say he'd be back? The exchange has already started and we still haven't seen him."
"It's been years since I tasted his cooking," she added wistfully. "I kind of miss it."
Gojo kept his eyes on the screen and replied calmly,
"They'll probably arrive tomorrow. You know what he's like."
"I remember old man's daughter is called Zen'in Kaon," Riko said, staring at the image on the screen.
"Is that the girl competing right now?"
She hadn't noticed before, but now that she looked closely, Kaon seemed oddly familiar.
Only after thinking for a moment did she remember—wasn't old man's daughter named exactly that?
More than ten years had passed, but the memory was still vivid. After all, she had given a huge red envelope back then—almost equal to a year's salary.
"Yes," Gojo confirmed.
Speaking of Kaon, even Gojo couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"That girl is something else. She possesses two techniques—the Zen'in Clan's Ten Shadows Technique, and Star Rage, inherited from Yuki Tsukumo."
If Megumi hadn't told him recently, he wouldn't have known either.
If that mission hadn't gone wrong earlier, the kid probably still wouldn't have revealed it—exactly like her father.
Always keeping a trump card hidden.
Never showing it unless absolutely necessary.
"Wouldn't that make her basically unbeatable?"
Both Riko and Yaga looked stunned.
"She's still young," Gojo said with a small smile.
"In a couple of years, I might have to hand over the title of 'Strongest of the Modern Era.'"
"This generation really is full of monsters."
"Which is why… another Special-Grade-level incident has appeared," Yaga muttered.
"Gojo," Riko asked eagerly, "have you decided who's fighting tomorrow?"
Gojo glanced at her, clearly seeing through her thoughts.
"I'm keeping it flexible. Anyone who wants to fight the Simuria Starfolk can step onto the field."
Then he added bluntly,
"But not you. I seriously advise you not to join in tomorrow."
"Yuji just told me—out of the ten adult matches tomorrow, the opponents might all be at Special-Grade level."
"If you go up there, you'll probably get beaten into a pulp."
Riko bristled at that, half shocked and half annoyed.
"Hey, I'm not that weak, you know!"
Sure, her abilities were better suited for long-range combat and support, and one-on-one fights weren't her specialty—but that didn't mean she'd get utterly crushed.
…Though, if every opponent really was Special Grade, then yeah—she'd probably just get beaten senseless.
Unless, of course, the opponent stood still and let her charge up for an hour.
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