At the Los Angeles County Registrar's office, the air was stagnant, smelling of old paper and industrial cleaner. The clerk behind the counter, a woman named Sarah who had spent the last six hours processing soul-crushing paperwork, felt a jolt of electricity run through her.
Leo Vance reached up and pulled down his mask, sliding his sunglasses onto the collar of his T-shirt.
Sarah's eyes sparkled with a sudden, intense vigor. While she maintained a professional, calm exterior, her internal monologue was a chaotic mess of screaming. Oh my god. Oh my god. Gojo Satoru is standing at my window. He's real. He's right here. My group chat is going to lose their minds!
"Mr. Vance... I mean, Leo," she said, her voice dropping into a softer, almost melodic tone. Her hands, usually steady and robotic, trembled slightly as she handed over the official documents. "Here is your business license and the corporate seal for Celestial Peak Entertainment. Please... keep them very safe."
"Thanks, Sarah. Appreciate the help," Leo said, offering a casual, effortless smile that made the clerk feel like she'd just been hit by a specialized technique.
"Hey! Can we speed it up? I've been in line for forty minutes!" An older man behind Leo barked, checking his watch with a scowl.
Sarah turned her gaze toward the man. She offered a polite, practiced smile, but her eyes held a chilling, murderous glint that would have made a Cursed Spirit flinch. "Excuse me, sir. I am ensuring the accuracy of these high-priority filings. I will be with you as soon as I am finished."
To avoid causing a full-blown riot in the lobby, Leo quickly gathered his documents and slipped his mask back on. He walked out into the California sun, feeling the weight of the new company in his hands.
His next move was the structure. He decided to prioritize three key pillars: the Actor Department, the Director Department, and the Influencer Department. He didn't want a bloated corporate structure. He wanted a lean, mean, creative machine. As for Marketing, Finance, and HR, he could fill those roles with reliable professionals later.
With his system, Leo's prestige value had already crossed the one-million-point mark. He could essentially "scan" potential hires for loyalty and talent before they even signed a contract.
He looked at the name on the license: Celestial Peak Entertainment.
In his mind, he wasn't just building a studio. He was building a Universe. Something that would make Marvel look like a small-town theater troupe. He wanted a multi-platform, cross-media empire that would dominate the next century of entertainment.
6:00 PM. That Evening.
One hour before the seventh episode of Jujutsu Kaisen was scheduled to drop, Leo officially registered his account on TikTok and Instagram.
The platform's servers practically groaned. In less than ten minutes, the news had hit the "For You" pages of millions.
#GojoSatoruJoinsTikTok
#TheKingOfHollywoodIsLive
#LeoVanceHits1MillionInRecordTime
Leo watched the backend data on his phone. It wasn't just growing; it was exploding. He hadn't even posted a single video yet. Just a profile picture of himself in the Gojo blindfold and a bio that read: "Everything for Art."
10 Minutes: 1 million followers.
20 Minutes: 3.5 million followers.
45 Minutes: 7.2 million followers.
By 6:58 PM, two minutes before the episode premiere, his follower count surpassed the ten-million mark.
It was the fastest growth in the history of the platform. In the United States, a celebrity with ten million followers was common, but to gain them in under an hour without a single post? That was a testament to the cultural fever Leo had ignited.
Leo took the opportunity to post his first official announcement across all platforms:
[Celestial Peak Entertainment is officially open. We are looking for the Outcasts, the Visionaries, and the Rebels. Auditions for our next major project begin in three days. If you've ever been told you're 'too much' for this industry... come home.]
The comment section was a battlefield of excitement. Thousands of office workers, aspiring actors, and even tired corporate suits were moved. The idea of working for the man who brought Gojo to life was the ultimate career dream.
7:00 PM. Episode 7 Premiere.
The screen opened on the dark, damp tunnels of the New York sewer system. It was the climax of the investigation. Mahito, the soul-twisting curse, was being jointly battered by Nanami and Itadori. The choreography was visceral, Nanami's methodical strikes and Itadori's raw, explosive power were finally putting Mahito on the ropes.
But at the last moment, Mahito's eyes rolled back. He laughed, a manic, enlightened sound. "I have to thank you... for pushing me to the very edge!"
"Domain Expansion: Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
Countless giant, black, stitched hands erupted from the shadows, forming a terrifying spherical cage that completely cut Nanami off from the world.
Trapped inside the dark domain, facing certain death, Nanami Kento didn't panic. He stood still, his gaze becoming profound and distant. The audience was treated to his "Life Flashback", the revolving lantern of his memories.
The viewers saw Nanami as he used to be: a weary office worker in a gray cubicle. He worked 90-hour weeks, selling his soul to trick elderly customers into buying volatile stocks. He was oppressed by the weight of a society that only valued profit. He felt his life had lost all meaning.
Then, the scene shifted to a small, warm bakery. He saw a tired female clerk with a Cursed Spirit clinging to her shoulder, draining her energy.
Nanami, with a sigh of weary duty, eliminated the spirit.
"Thank you! Please come again!" the clerk called out, her face lighting up with a genuine, bright smile as the weight left her body.
Looking at that smile, Nanami realized he could finally do something that mattered. He walked out of the shop and dialed Gojo Satoru's number.
The resonance with the audience was absolute.
[Nanami is literally me. I work at a desk all day for a boss who doesn't know my name.]
[That bakery scene made me cry. He just wanted to help someone smile.]
[I'm calling my manager tomorrow. 'Labor is crap' isn't just a line; it's a lifestyle!]
One viewer in Chicago even posted a video of himself calling his boss on speakerphone: "Listen, you vampire! I'm done! You've been exploiting me for years! Why am I so brave? Because Nanami Kento told me I deserve better! Also, I won fifty bucks on a scratcher! I quit!"
Fortunately, the tragedy was averted. Itadori used his brute strength to break into the domain from the outside, shattering Mahito's concentration. Mahito, severely weakened, managed to escape through the sewers, leaving the battle in a stalemate.
The plot then transitioned into the next major arc.
The students from the Chicago Branch of the Academy arrived in New York for the Goodwill Exchange Event. The "dead" Yuji Itadori finally reappeared before his stunned classmates, popping out of a box in a hilariously failed surprise.
On the other side of the academy, the "Higher-Ups" were already plotting. Principal Gakuganji, the conservative leader, was instructing his students to find a way to kill Itadori during the competition.
But one student, a massive, muscular wall of a man named Aoi Todo didn't even look at the Principal. He was busy looking at a poster of a pop idol, his eyes full of a strange, terrifying intensity.
The stage was set for the tournament. The world was watching. And Leo Vance was just getting started.