"The scenery really is nice."
Guided by the overly enthusiastic first-year student, Kenmei finally arrived at the true location of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"The barrier around Tokyo Jujutsu High was personally erected by Master Tengen. It's incredibly safe inside; no one can invade this place."
Haibara introduced the campus security with pride.
"Is that so? Very reliable."
Kenmei looked up. He could sense something like a barrier dome protecting the area from above. Tengen, huh? Kenmei quietly noted the name.
Without that barrier, given the size of this mountain range, Cursed Spirits would naturally spawn and invade.
Tokyo Jujutsu High was situated in a basin formed by several mountains at the base of Mt. Mushiro. The campus was vast, surrounded by mountains and lush greenery on all sides.
The vibe here was completely different from the foot of the mountain. While the bottom was desolate, the top was magnificent.
The buildings Kenmei saw along the way were primarily wooden structures, radiating a strong religious atmosphere.
Everywhere he looked, there were pagodas and shrines. White walls with black tiles, cyan walls with wooden railings, single eaves and double eaves—all connected by wooden corridors. Walking through it felt like visiting a massive shrine complex.
The backer of Jujutsu High was the Sorcerer Association, and true to form, they were loaded. Building a school deep in the mountains that looked like a palace? Typical "rich kid" behavior.
In the distance stood the main teaching building, about eight stories high. The top floor looked like a shrine, and the campus included retro-style dorms, a cafeteria, training grounds, libraries, and all the facilities a normal school should have.
If I had accepted Yaga-sensei's invitation back then, I might be studying here as a student right now, Kenmei thought silently.
"Senpai Isayama, do you want me to show you around our school?"
Haibara noticed Kenmei seemed interested in the campus and offered a tour.
"No thanks, Haibara-kun."
Kenmei shook his head. He wasn't here as a tourist.
"I'm just looking."
"Ah, okay. No problem."
Haibara looked a bit disappointed that he couldn't show off his beloved alma mater, but he quickly bounced back.
"In that case, Senpai Isayama, I'll take you straight to where Geto-senpai and Gojo-senpai are."
"Sorry for the trouble, Haibara-kun."
Since this aligned with his goal, Kenmei didn't refuse. They resumed their formation: Haibara leading, Kenmei following.
As they walked further, the sound of intense explosions and shattering rock echoed from a distance, deepening Kenmei's confusion.
"Haibara-kun, do you guys have classes on weekends too?"
Kenmei had found it strange earlier. It was clearly the weekend, but Geto said he was busy at school.
Kenmei assumed Geto was swamped with missions from teachers and planned to reschedule.
After all, Cursed Spirits didn't care about weekends. Those things caused chaos whenever they felt like it.
But on the phone, Geto explained that he was on campus and told Kenmei to just come find him if it was urgent.
Geto knew Kenmei had almost been his classmate. His identity wasn't sensitive—he was practically "one of us"—so letting this "civilian" sneak onto campus wasn't a big deal.
"Huh? No, that's not it."
Haibara paused for a second before realizing what Kenmei meant.
"Senpai Isayama, today is the monthly assessment for us first-years."
"Assessment?"
After Haibara explained, Kenmei realized it was basically like monthly exams in normal schools.
"The third-year seniors are busy getting graded for higher ranks, so the second-year seniors had to take time out to supervise our exam."
Kenmei understood. Since they were Sorcerers, they obviously wouldn't be tested on math, physics, or chemistry. The exam inevitably involved dangerous combat scenarios.
Being a Sorcerer wasn't like other jobs; the casualty rate was always high. If the basics weren't solid at Jujutsu High, people would die.
"Then Haibara-kun, you..."
Kenmei remembered Haibara was also a first-year. Why wasn't he taking the exam?
"It's okay, Senpai Isayama."
"Hehe, I actually finished mine already."
Haibara rubbed his nose, looking proud.
"Don't let my looks fool you, I'm pretty tough! I can handle ordinary Grade 3 Cursed Spirits no problem, and I can even put up a fight against Grade 2s."
Kenmei looked at the brilliant smile on Haibara's face. So, having the strength to exorcise a Grade 3 Cursed Spirit alone is enough to be this happy?
No, maybe this is the norm.
Watching him, Kenmei realized he had developed severe "power anxiety."
Honestly, he had been "poor" in terms of strength for so long that now he seized every chance to get insanely strong.
A Grade 2 Cursed Spirit? With the Prospero Blade, Kenmei could dispatch one in a few swings.
A strong Grade 1? If he summoned Blue Uncle (Space Marine), he could probably exorcise it.
As for Special Grades, he hadn't encountered one yet, so he had no reference.
"With my current level, I should be considered an expert in this world, right?"
Kenmei thought to himself.
"Haibara-kun, you can exorcise Grade 3 spirits in your first year? That's amazing."
Showing high emotional intelligence, Kenmei played along and praised him.
"By the time you graduate, you'll be a Grade 1 Sorcerer for sure."
"No way, I'm far behind the seniors."
Haibara scratched his head shyly, admiration shining in his eyes.
"Especially Geto-senpai and Gojo-senpai. They're known as the Strongest Duo in the jujutsu world right now."
"The Strongest, huh..."
As they chatted, they arrived at their destination.
This was the back mountain of Jujutsu High. The endless forest was divided into a maze-like training ground where the first-years were taking their exam.
"Senpai Isayama, since the exam is in progress, we can't go in. Let's wait here."
They arrived at a viewing platform where screens displayed a live feed of the action.
Kenmei noticed the exam content was quite varied, and candidates needed a significant amount of time to complete it.
"Nanami's gotten stronger again," Haibara said with a hint of envy.
"He reached the final stage a full thirty minutes faster than me."
Kenmei also noticed the slender, blonde young man who looked a bit like a foreigner. His final exam location was very close to where they were standing.
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