The dormitory of the Tokyo Jujutsu High stood quietly in the night.
Moonlight filtered through the lattice windows, casting a cool glow on the neat tatami mats. The air was filled with the dry scent of wood and tatami straw, along with a faint aftertaste of incense used to dehumidify the room.
Eriri sat on the bed by the window, dressed in the dark blue striped pajamas provided by the Technical College—a little too loose for her. Her long golden hair wasn't tied in twin tails like during the day, but fell loosely over her shoulders, glowing softly in the moonlight. She was hugging a fluffy pillow, her chin resting on it, her blue eyes looking at the quiet night outside the window, but her brows were slightly furrowed—not with the stubbornness or nervousness she showed during training and with classmates during the day, but with the genuine worry of a sixteen-year-old girl.
The daytime sparring had been stopped by Principal Yaga, citing the cost of repairing the training ground and various items that couldn't be included in the financial report.
"Hey, Zen'in Genji." Eriri didn't turn around, her voice especially clear in the quiet dormitory, carrying a slight tension.
"Hmm?" The response came from the other end of the room, accompanied by a fast, rhythmic beeping of electronic sounds.
Eriri turned her head.
Genji was floating cross-legged in the open space in the corner of the room—half a foot off the floor being his standard state. Today, he had changed into more comfortable dark blue homewear, the fabric soft, the style simple.
But in his hands, he held a modern game console with red and blue colors that didn't match this outfit—a Nintendo Switch.
The screen's light illuminated his well-defined profile, his deep indigo eyes intently watching the image, his fingers moving nimbly over the Joy-Cons. On the screen, a plumber in a red hat was jumping, breaking bricks, and eating mushrooms on brightly colored levels. The background music was lively and nostalgic.
Genji seemed to have cleared a level and let out a satisfied "mm," then looked up at Eriri. "What's wrong? Can't sleep? Not used to the bed?"
"That's not it!" Eriri retorted instinctively, hugged the pillow tighter, and lowered her voice. "It's Friday... that assessment. What should I do?"
She looked up at Genji, clear anxiety in her eyes. "Those 'higher-ups'... what are they going to do? Are they going to embarrass me? Will they be like... like politicians or big shots, polite on the surface, but behind my back using all kinds of rules, righteousness, or exchanges of interest to calculate, pressure, and even... force me to do things I don't want to do?"
There was no naive fear in her tone, but a calm vigilance based on her background and knowledge. The daughter of a diplomat, born into a prestigious family, she had grown up accustomed to the hypocrisy and games of various social events, and had heard too many of the subtexts of international politics that her father talked about.
She knew all too well how many "civilized" methods those in high positions and with power could use to achieve their goals without getting their hands dirty.
Genji's movements didn't stop. Mario deftly jumped over a chasm under his control. He looked at the screen, his voice relaxed, as if discussing what to have for breakfast:
"It's simple. Do whatever you want."
"Huh?"
"Literally," Genji made Mario eat a star, entering an invincible state and going on a rampage. "If they ask politely, show a little face and go have a look. If the conditions are too many, if what they say is unpleasant, or if the request makes you uncomfortable..."
He paused. Mario stomped a Goomba.
"If you don't want to go, ignore them."
Eriri was stunned for a moment. "Just... ignore them? But... aren't they the 'higher-ups'? The managers of the jujutsu world? Won't there be consequences? Like not letting me continue studying at the Technical College? Or using... my parents..."
"If they dare to try," Genji interrupted, his voice still calm, with a hint of concentration because the game had entered a boss battle, but his words sent a chill down Eriri's back. "Just kill them."
Click.
The pillow in Eriri's hands fell onto the tatami.
She stared wide-eyed at Genji, as if she hadn't heard clearly. "K-kill?! Kill who?! The higher-ups?!"
"Why not?" Genji finally looked away from the game for a moment, glanced at her, his eyes clear and calm, as if he were saying, "Step on an ant." "If you come here to 'cause trouble,' you're an enemy. The simplest and most thorough way to deal with an enemy is to eliminate them. Once and for all."
"Wait, wait!" Eriri hastily waved her hand, nearly falling off the edge of the bed. "Killing or something... that's too much! You don't have to! And... wouldn't the jujutsu world be thrown into chaos?!"
Her mind raced, trying to process this terrifying logic. "Those higher-ups, even if there are some annoying ones among them, they still keep the jujutsu world running, right? If a bunch of higher-ups suddenly died, there would be a power vacuum, various clans would fight for power, and there would be internal strife..."
"Then who would manage the sorcerers? Who would coordinate missions? Who would maintain the barrier? Would there be a surge in cursed spirit attacks? What about those ordinary people who rely on the jujutsu world for protection?!"
Eriri grew more and more agitated, her face red with excitement. "I can't let the entire jujutsu world fall into chaos because of my affairs, and let more innocent people get hurt by cursed spirits! Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?!"
This was her real concern. She hated the calculations and feared trouble, but even more, she didn't want to sow greater chaos and disaster because of herself. This was the upbringing she had received since childhood, and also the kind and responsible side of her personality.
Genji looked at Eriri, flushed with anxiety. The game in his hand was paused. The light from the Switch screen reflected his smiling face. He gently tossed it, and the console was held by an invisible force of cursed energy, then floated smoothly back to the bedside table.
He floated in front of Eriri, still sitting cross-legged, at eye level with her.
"Worried about that?" He asked, his voice becoming softer.
"Of course I'm worried!" Eriri said angrily, picking up the pillow and hugging it again. "You say it so easily..."
Genji smiled, a certain indifference and confidence accumulated over a thousand years in his expression.
"Eriri, don't worry," he said slowly, each word clear and firm. "I promise you."
"Promise what?"
"Promise that even if the jujutsu world is temporarily chaotic due to the absence of a few foolish higher-ups," Genji's deep indigo eyes looked especially profound in the moonlight, "I will not let a cursed spirit rebellion affect the innocent, nor will I let ordinary people get hurt because of it."
"The force I have accumulated over the years is enough to calm everything."
"So," Genji floated back to the corner, picked up the Switch, unpaused it, and Mario's cheerful music sounded again, "you don't need to worry about 'possible chaos' at all. You just need to consider your own feelings and desires."
He made Mario jump onto a high platform and said casually:
"If you want to go, just go see what tricks they play and broaden your horizons. If you don't want to go, or if you feel uncomfortable, come back right away. Leave the rest to me."
"As for those higher-ups..."
Genji didn't take his eyes off the screen, his tone as relaxed as commenting on a villain in a game.
"If they're smart, they should know what they can and cannot do."
"If they don't know..."
He controlled Mario and, with a precise stomp, sent the on-screen boss, Bowser, crashing into the lava, teeth and claws flying.
"It won't just be a 'Game Over' on the screen."