Satisfied, Masamichi Yaga let go and gave Akira a thumbs up, which Akira returned. Pancham looked at Yaga, then at Akira, and copied the thumbs up as well.
The only injured one was Satoru Gojo, who bared his teeth and said, "If you have time for gestures, you should watch a few more episodes of Kuuga."
Seeing him still acting up, Pancham tried to intimidate him with a glare, but it had little effect. Then Masamichi Yaga and Akira both used a glare together, and this time it worked perfectly. Satoru Gojo shrank back and hid behind Akemi Aki, keeping his distance.
With the mood breaker gone, Masamichi Yaga finally returned to the point. "Answer my question, Akira."
Akira thought for a moment. "Do you want the official version, or the Satoru version?"
"I want both," Yaga said, clenching his hand in the air.
"Then I will start with the official one," Akira said, clearing his throat. He crossed his arms, lifted his chin, and spoke with full dramatic flair. "To prevent the world from being destroyed, to protect the peace of the world, to uphold love and truth…"
"Stop, stop, stop."
Masamichi Yaga did not give Akira a chance to finish. The small goodwill gained from teaming up to beat Satoru Gojo dropped right away. He had thought this was a rare serious person, but it turned out he was not much different from Satoru Gojo, judging by how Satoru Gojo was already laughing and giving a thumbs-up.
"You should talk about the Gojo version, um…"
No, that was another trap. He had been careless and failed to dodge, giving Akira a second chance to perform.
"The Gojo version is this. Being in Tokyo Jujutsu High feels way better than outside. The people here are all talented, and they speak so nicely. I really like it here."
"Hahahaha." Satoru Gojo was laughing so hard he held his stomach. "That is exactly what I would say. My ideal Jujutsu World should be like this."
Unexpectedly, the very Gojo-like speech did not make Masamichi Yaga angry. Instead, he asked Akira seriously, "Do you really think that?"
"Half and half," Akira replied. "I really do not like the current Jujutsu World. As for the other half, it is a realistic choice. My personal strength is not enough, so I need the power of a group and an organization. Tokyo Jujutsu High is the place I trust the most and feel safest in. In return, I will contribute to the organization."
"Words alone cannot show resolve."
Masamichi Yaga raised one hand, and Cursed Energy flowed around his body.
"Pancham, hide behind Teacher Gojo."
Akira first gave an order to the still-weak Pokémon, then raised his own hand as well. "Please instruct me, Principal."
With a wave of Masamichi Yaga's large hand, the various dolls placed around him began to move. Wolves, tigers, birds, beasts, insects, fish, humanoid shapes, and animal shapes were all present, yet the style was oddly unified. At first glance they were ugly, but on closer look they were strangely cute, which did not match the principal's rough appearance at all.
However, whether it was Jujutsu or a Jujutsu Sorcerer, appearances had never been reliable. "As you can see, I am a Cursed Corpse Master. I can give inorganic objects curses and make them act on their own."
This was a standard case of Revealing One's Hand. By revealing information, he gained a further boost to the Cursed Corpse's Cursed Energy and movement. As soon as he finished speaking, two short, green, carrot-like dolls suddenly accelerated and charged at Akira.
Akira did not dare to be careless. The man in front of him was the top puppet technique user in Japan, famous for group combat, and far beyond any wild Cursed Spirit. The two dolls looked unremarkable, and their Cursed Energy was not obvious, but their speed and strength were no joke.
He threw punches with both hands, using his height and reach to knock the dolls away first. Yet there was no joy on Akira's face. The bodies of these Cursed Corpse were specially made dolls, with soft and elastic padding that greatly reduced the force of blows and Cursed Energy.
Combined with an overwhelming numbers advantage, Akira knew that fighting alone was far too thin. Masamichi Yaga's group tactics were on a completely different level from the tide of female ghosts at Yoshiwara Shrine. Fortunately, he was not fighting alone.
After repelling the first wave, during the brief gap before the second, a figure in white drifted in. The Psychic Queen Gardevoir made a swift entrance. Psychic Power surged like a crashing wave, slamming the approaching Cursed Corpse into the walls and leaving a large pit in the center of the reception room.
The Cursed Corpse once again showed their excellent durability. They shook themselves and continued attacking, their movements simple but backed by sheer numbers and toughness. Gardevoir tried several times and quickly realized the effect was limited, so she changed tactics and twisted the nearest snake doll into a tight spiral.
This method worked wonders against Cursed Spirit, but the effect here was still poor. These were dolls, with soft bodies, gaining strength only through curses and Cursed Energy. A perfect example of hardness and softness combined, Akira judged silently.
"Sha?"
After failing twice, Gardevoir instinctively looked at her master. Akira rotated a finger lightly at his temple and said softly, "Keep going. You can do it."
"Sha."
Even without a direct order, her master's trust lifted her spirits. She changed strategy again, giving up the fast crushing style of Psychic Power and instead condensing it into a protective barrier. Dozens of Cursed Corpse struck it again and again with loud thuds, yet she remained unmoved.
This was not giving up or taking hits without fighting back. She was observing and searching for the weakness of the Cursed Corpse. Watching closely, she did notice something.
Inside each of these Cursed Corpse was a spot that made her deeply uncomfortable, like lumps of filthy garbage stuck together. She recalled what her master had taught her. Jujutsu Sorcerer, Cursed Spirit, cursed tools, all of them were built on curses, which were collections of negative emotions and the things she hated most. Without that, none of them could exist.
She decided to try. The red pendant on Gardevoir's chest shone as her psychic power further condensed and focused. With a raised hand, it pierced the spot she hated most like an invisible nail.
In the next instant, the Cursed Corpse pounding on the barrier stiffened and collapsed limply, unable to move. "Well done," Akira praised.
Artificial Cursed Corpse had a core like a human heart that served as the source of Cursed Energy. Once the heart was destroyed, they became ordinary dolls. For Gardevoir to find this weakness through observation without direct command meant her understanding of combat had risen another level.
If this were not a fight, Akira would have used his ultimate move of hugging and lifting her up. Encouraged by her master's praise, Gardevoir grew even more spirited.
"Sha, sha."
With each raised hand came a kill, each strike a nail through the core. In just a few minutes, all the surrounding Cursed Corpse fell. Seeing this, Masamichi Yaga waved his hand again, and the dolls on the outer ring also stopped moving.
"Let us stop here."
"Thank you for holding back, Principal. You did not use your full strength," Akira said. He knew the dolls in the room were made casually, and the true masterpieces had not been brought out.