"I announce—the winner of today's match is the Kyoto school!"
The match was over. The Tokyo school was cleanly defeated 2-0. After the first round ended, the five-man team was already completely routed.
For some reason, Kasumi Miwa—who came from a poor family and hadn't touched video games before—was unusually fierce today.
Even though she played without any strategy or professionalism every time, her bullets seemed to have magic. Always accurately hitting the heads of Yuji and his team.
And Yuji—the strongest among the ten—had the second-to-last K/D ratio. With Megumi at the very bottom.
On the contrary, Junpei and Kasumi both delivered MVP performances.
This made Yuji feel very helpless.
Maybe he really had no gaming talent.
After all, if he didn't control his strength well, he could crush the mouse directly.
"Ahem—Next is the award ceremony!"
Satoru Gojo held a tray he had snagged from the bar counter, on which several round objects wrapped in gold foil were neatly arranged.
"...Gojo-sensei, aren't these chocolates?"
"Yeah. Gold medal chocolates, specially customized. Very expensive."
Satoru Gojo said righteously.
"Alright, alright—next up are the students from the Tokyo school!"
Satoru Gojo pulled out several round objects wrapped in silver foil from under the tray.
"You guys get silver medals too!"
"We don't want them! Damn it!"
Nobara protested.
In the women's restroom, the faucet was running.
Maki bent over, water droplets sliding down her cheeks. She looked up at the mirror, which reflected Mai standing at the door.
"You're not that great either, Maki."
A familiar voice came from behind her.
Maki didn't turn around. Just closed her eyes briefly.
"Yeah. Not that great."
"But—you finally got to experience the fun of the outside world, right?"
"...What did you say?" Mai was slightly stunned.
"Life isn't just about being humble and obedient. Staying in a garbage dump like the Zenin Clan, we can't do anything."
Maki turned around and looked at her sister.
"So forgive me, Mai."
"..."
"By the way—how is that young master who was beaten to a pulp by Itadori doing now?"
Maki suddenly smiled.
"I heard he's recovering at home and is too ashamed to see anyone. When Naobito Zenin went to see him, he wouldn't even open his door. He's probably locked himself away in depression."
After all, his opponent was Yuji. It's already good enough that he didn't end up like Mahito.
"Is that so?"
The corners of Maki's mouth curled up slightly.
"That's perfect."
She pushed open the door and walked out.
In the men's restroom, the faucet was also running.
"Although I didn't participate, today was quite interesting."
Noritoshi Kamo stood beside Megumi, arms crossed, leaning against the opposite wall.
"The Kyoto school members didn't have a great relationship originally and basically didn't talk much normally. But after this, everyone's relationship has improved."
"This harmonious scene surprised me a bit."
Megumi glanced at him and remained silent for a moment.
"Trying new things occasionally is also good."
"How do you know if you don't try?"
"..."
Noritoshi Kamo didn't speak. Quietly listening to Megumi.
"Like a bird in a cage, locked up since it was little—it will think the world is only as big as the cage."
"But one day, when the cage door opens and the bird gains freedom, it will realize that the sky is incredibly vast."
"..."
Noritoshi Kamo sweatdropped. He understood Megumi was hinting at his situation of being in a feudal clan.
Are you calling me out?
"Are you talking about me?"
"I'm talking about everyone."
Megumi looked up at Noritoshi Kamo.
"Including myself. Including Itadori. Including you."
"Although Itadori is Sukuna's vessel, he is getting better and better. He is willing to try, to believe, to build connections with the people around him."
"He doesn't lock himself in a cage just because the King of Curses lives inside him."
"At the Tokyo school, it seems like everyone revolves around Itadori. This is why he's so popular."
"I think this spirit is truly commendable."
"..."
Noritoshi Kamo was silent for a while.
You know, at the very beginning, he came to the exchange event with the intention of killing Yuji.
"You're right."
Noritoshi Kamo shook his head and smiled slightly.
"Yuji Itadori saved a lot of people. If it weren't for him, many students from the Kyoto school would have suffered. That Special Grade curse's strength was too terrifying."
"No matter what—I have to admit defeat."
"That guy even uses Blood Manipulation better than me, the next clan head. He's absurdly strong. Truly someone to look up to."
Megumi glanced at him. The two nodded in tacit understanding.
"Let's go. My treat."
Satoru Gojo stood at the entrance of the internet cafe and shouted inside: "Yuji, hurry up—they left first. I'll have Ijichi wait at the entrance."
"Okay, Gojo-sensei! I'll be right there!"
Yuji replied but didn't move.
The team battle was over. Only he and Mechamaru were left in the empty internet cafe, tidying up.
Yuji had deliberately stayed behind. He had gone to great lengths to create an opportunity to be alone with Mechamaru—that is, Kokichi Muta.
"So, Yuji Itadori of the Tokyo school. What do you want with me?"
Mechamaru's green camera eyes stared at Yuji, who was sitting in front of him, scribbling on a piece of paper.
The pink-haired boy then placed the piece of paper on the table and gently slid it toward Mechamaru with his finger.
Mechamaru picked up the piece of paper and looked at its contents—
"I know you are a mole in Jujutsu High. I want to kill Suguru Geto."
"Cooperate with me. Be my double agent. If you do that, I'll help you hide your identity as a mole."
"...?"
In a secret room beneath a large reservoir on the outskirts of Kyoto.
Kokichi Muta—covered in bandages and sitting in a bathtub full of nutrient fluid—widened his eyes.
Not a single footstep or sound was leaked. You know perfectly well if you're hacking or not.
He controlled Mechamaru to continue writing below the note—
"What do you want to do?"
Yuji replied—
"Because you placed micro-cameras around me, I've been suspecting you for a long time."
Mechamaru looked at the contents of the note and was silent for a while.
That was something even Satoru Gojo didn't discover. How could this boy find out?
Mechamaru wrote on the note—
"You're right. Suguru Geto placed surveillance cursed spirits in my room, so speaking rashly would expose our information."
"Yuji Itadori, you are very smart."
Mechamaru's writing hand paused.
His identity as a mole had been discovered. He was caught red-handed. So...
Should he trust this boy?
Through the micro-cameras, this guy usually had a gentle personality and got along with everyone. He didn't look like a bad person. But there's always a "what if"...
"What exactly do you want me to do? I made a Binding Vow with Suguru Geto that we cannot betray each other. I don't know to what extent it would violate the Binding Vow, so unfortunately, I can't help you much."
Mechamaru handed the note to Yuji, who pondered for a while.
If that's the case, then it's impossible to have Mechamaru directly reveal Kenjaku's secrets.
He then continued writing on it—
"Before every major operation by Suguru Geto, you can obtain all the intelligence. Try your best to notify me without violating the Binding Vow. I want to save people."
"If Suguru Geto makes a move, you only need to do one thing: before every operation, go to the cafeteria and get me a bowl of seafood ramen."
The definition of "betrayal" is very broad. But precisely because of its broadness, such an almost unrelated hint could slip through.
However, if done too many times, the effect of the Binding Vow might trigger.
Therefore, Yuji could only take the safest borderline approach.
"When Suguru Geto makes a move and wants to completely abandon you and kill you, contact me by phone in advance. I'll help you fight them off."
"My grandfather told me to save others—save as many as I can. Later, I realized that the feeling of saving people brings me happiness. So I just want to save more people. Even though you are a traitor to Jujutsu High, you still have a chance to turn over a new leaf."
"Trust me, Mechamaru."
Mechamaru looked at the contents of the note and was silent for a while.
"..."
He then picked up his pen.
"Tonight, a Special Grade curse will descend upon a high school. I can't reveal too many details."
"The ability of that cursed spirit is—Yin-Yang Reversal."
"Someone is targeting you."
Early morning of July 5, 2018.
Kanto, Ota City, Gunma Prefecture. A local high school.
Informed personnel reported that several students saw a giant "baby" in the sky. The baby was enveloped in a large embryo, its scale seeming to cover the entire sky above the campus.
Then a Sukuna finger was dropped into the campus.
The Way of Heaven from the Tokyo and Kyoto schools immediately rushed to the rescue. Nearby jujutsu sorcerers also headed to the campus to combat the curse.
Fortunately, the evacuation was timely, so there were few casualties. However, the three Grade 2 sorcerers who went to execute the mission were all hit by a special innate technique when found by the Way of Heaven—resulting in them falling into a coma.
The jujutsu higher-ups defined this incident as a disaster caused by a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit.
To deal with this emergency, Jujutsu High dispatched four jujutsu sorcerers to this high school.
They included—
Grade 1 sorcerer, Yuji Itadori.
Grade 1 sorcerer, Kento Nanami.
Grade 2 sorcerer, Megumi Fushiguro.
Grade 3 sorcerer, Junpei Yoshino.
"..."
Based on Mechamaru's hint, Yuji guessed that this was an action deliberately taken by Kenjaku to target him.
But the initiative was always in the opponent's hands. Casualties had occurred at the school, so he had to come to save people and prevent the scale of the curse from expanding. He had to follow the opponent's rhythm.
Because Sukuna's finger would attract curses to devour it, by the time the four arrived, the campus had already been completely taken over by curses.
Moreover, Yuji sensed his eldest brother—who possessed the same innate technique—in this school.
Death Painting Womb. Choso's aura.
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