Akira and Megumi Fushiguro both turned their heads away in silent agreement. This so-called teacher had probably taught less than twenty-four hours in total. Still, when Satoru Gojo talked about judgment, that part was hard to refute.
"Black Flash?" someone asked. "You mean that 'Black Flash'?" "How did you even do it?" The name alone drew everyone's attention.
"According to Satoru Gojo-sensei, if you have hands, you can do it. It is nothing special," Akira said. Being surrounded by masters of humble bragging had clearly rubbed off on him. Besides, whether it was impressive depended on who you compared it to.
He was immediately met with collective disdain, except from Satoru Gojo, who nodded enthusiastically. "Right, right. You even said I was showing off back then, but it was just the truth."
Akira immediately distanced himself with action. "I was joking. Having hands is only part of it. For your first 'Black Flash', using the motion you are most familiar with gives the highest success rate. That is just my personal feeling, though, and it is hard to put the experience into words."
"If it is hard to put into words, then just experience it directly with your body," Maki Zenin said, tossing aside the rabbit in her hands. Between being cute and getting stronger, the choice was obvious.
"Unfortunately, that is impossible," Akira said with a sigh, shaking his head. "'Black Flash' cannot be held back. I am afraid I would beat you to death." The words were harsh, but this was not something that could be glossed over.
Satoru Gojo also spoke up. "He is right. If 'Black Flash' hits a vital spot, even I could die. That is why I have never demonstrated it. Once it comes out, the fight is over."
With even the troublemaker saying so, Maki Zenin could not argue further. She looked at Akira with clear frustration. She had always treated him as her goal, and their close combat levels had long been comparable.
With Cursed Energy enhancement, Akira had greater raw power, while Maki Zenin, trained from childhood under experts and shaped by System-like discipline, held the edge in technique. Now that Akira had mastered "Black Flash", his strength jumped an entire tier, while she was still progressing step by step. For someone as competitive as her, that was hard to accept.
Akira could feel her emotional shift clearly. Maki Zenin was the type who wore everything on her face. After thinking for a moment, he spoke.
"I cannot demonstrate 'Black Flash' in sparring, but maybe there will be a chance when dealing with a Cursed Spirit later. Besides that, I learned quite a few other things this time. If you want to see them, I can show you."
"I want to," Maki Zenin said instantly, her face lighting up with a smile as bright as the sun. "Right now."
"Then I will," Akira admitted he was momentarily dazzled.
"Wait. Finish the serious business first," Satoru Gojo interrupted at the crucial moment.
"If there was serious business, you should have said so earlier," Maki Zenin complained.
"Sorry, I forgot," Satoru Gojo said righteously. "Because it is not a big deal. Ari's Jujutsu Sorcerer rank went up by one. He is now a Grade Three Jujutsu Sorcerer."
"This is not a big deal, right?"
Maki Zenin snapped back by habit, then immediately caught herself. She paused and tilted her head, as if reconsidering what she had just said. "It does seem like it is not a big deal."
"Why is it not a big deal? Getting promoted should be something to celebrate, right?" Yuta Okkotsu, the least experienced among them, asked in confusion.
"It is only Grade Three. You are a Special Grade, so act like one." Maki Zenin slapped Yuta Okkotsu hard on the back, nearly knocking him over.
"Actually, it is because…"
After Panda explained it, Yuta Okkotsu finally understood what was going on.
Akira's strength was obvious to everyone. Forget moving from Grade Four to Grade Three, even pushing him straight to Grade One would not be a problem, with only the Special Grade title needing debate. In the first-year group alone, there was already one Special Grade, one Grade Two, and a Grade Three, so aside from Akira who was stuck at Grade Three, no one would really care.
"That is strange."
As he spoke, Panda frowned, scooping up a wildly running Pancham with one hand while scratching his chin with the other. His expression turned thoughtful as he pieced things together.
"Even without knowing the details, confidential missions are never low level. Ari even landed a Black Flash, and with his past record added in, this should not stop at Grade Three. Even if Grade Two needs discussion, a provisional Grade Two should be guaranteed."
As the son of Principal Masamichi Yaga, Panda was born and raised in Tokyo Jujutsu High. He knew the internal rules clearly and had access to plenty of information.
"Gojo, did something go wrong?"
At that, Satoru Gojo's eyes cooled instantly, and a playful smile appeared on his face. "Because that bunch of dim old men dragged out rules that should have been thrown in the trash long ago. They said a Grade Four Jujutsu Sorcerer should not take part in confidential missions, so they did not count this mission toward Ari's record. Pretty disgusting, right?"
In other words, Akira's promotion relied entirely on his previous grind clearing areas and hunting Cursed Spirit. The biggest contribution this time was not counted at all.
"So it was your mistake." Maki Zenin looked at him with disdain. "You should have sorted things out before assigning the mission."
"No, it might not be a mistake." Akira shook his head. "The higher-ups could have done it on purpose, because I am Satoru Gojo's student and was sent by him."
When it came to scheming, even all the first-years combined could not match Akira. What Panda saw was only the second layer, while Akira had already stepped into the third.
"As expected of my most capable student." Satoru Gojo flashed a wide grin, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "The better this incident was handled, the more face certain people lose."
"It is a shame it was long-distance communication." He shrugged casually. "Otherwise I could have enjoyed watching them want to kill me but fail. Still, those old guys did not go too far. They did not dock a single bit of the mission reward, or I would have gone to have a nice talk with them."
"That is barely acceptable. No, wait, it is not acceptable at all." Akira suddenly realized something. "This is not restraint, it is a calculated retreat that achieves multiple goals."
"What do you mean?" Satoru Gojo was used to being invincible and did not really understand workplace tricks.
"Teacher, you reported all my past records together with this mission, right? And the reason was probably to scare the higher-ups a little."
"Why not stop being called Akira and change your name to Satoru Gojo Kong?" Satoru Gojo replied with a grin. "We can tell people you are my half-brother from another mother and debut as the 'Goku' duo."
That answer was a clear admission.
"Go convince my mom first." Akira sighed, then continued seriously. "Second, my participation itself broke the rules, so it would be reasonable not to pay me at all. Even if you say you will go talk to them, you still have to show up. If I were in their place, I would never give in. I would wait for you to make a scene, preferably hurt someone, and blow it up so I could take the moral high ground."