Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.
Hidden deep within the mountains on the outskirts of Tokyo, this institution outwardly appeared to be a secluded religious school.
In reality, it was one of only two facilities in Japan dedicated to training jujutsu sorcerers.
Ancient wooden buildings sat quietly beneath tall trees, and the tranquil atmosphere made it seem like a place meant for meditation—
If one ignored the occasional explosion caused by training exercises.
After their long Shinkansen trip, the three finally arrived at the massive front gate.
"This is the school?! It's huge!"
Yuji Itadori stood there with his oversized backpack, staring around with wide eyes.
"And it's in the mountains too! The air is so fresh!"
Satoru Gojo walked ahead casually, still holding a half-eaten bag of Kikufuku.
"Of course."
"We deal with curses here. Places like this make it easier to set up barrier techniques and conduct training."
He grinned.
"Besides, this campus is protected by powerful barrier techniques. Ordinary people can't even find it."
At the back of the group, Yagami Sora walked with his hands in his pockets.
His gaze quietly swept across the surrounding space.
Invisible layers of cursed energy formed a complex barrier network across the entire mountain.
[System Notification: High-level barrier detected. Analyzing...]
[Analysis complete. Source: Barrier techniques maintained by Master Tengen.]
[Barrier strength: Extremely High.]
"So the system can analyze Tengen's barrier this quickly…"
Sora thought to himself.
His understanding of the system's computational capabilities deepened further.
"We're here."
The group stopped in front of a large traditional hall.
Thick shimenawa ropes hung above the entrance, giving the place an imposing, solemn atmosphere.
Gojo pointed toward the door.
"Inside is the principal, Masamichi Yaga."
"Your admission interviews will happen here."
His smile turned mischievous.
"If you fail… you'll be denied enrollment."
"Huh?!"
Yuji froze.
"Denied?! Then I'll be executed?!"
"Exactly."
Gojo shrugged.
"If that happens, even I can't save you."
Yuji immediately clenched his fists.
"I'll do my best!"
Meanwhile, Yagami Sora simply yawned.
Gojo pushed open the door.
"Good luck."
The interior of the hall was dim.
Only a few candles flickered in the darkness.
A heavy pressure filled the room.
Sitting in the center was a burly middle-aged man wearing sunglasses.
His appearance resembled that of a yakuza boss.
Yet in his hands—
He held a needle and thread, carefully sewing together a small, oddly shaped doll.
The contrast was so absurd that Yuji nearly laughed out loud before quickly stopping himself.
This was the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Masamichi Yaga.
A master of Cursed Corpse techniques.
"You are Yuji Itadori?"
Yaga raised his head.
Behind the sunglasses, his gaze was sharp and intimidating.
"And you must be Yagami Sora."
"Yes!" Yuji replied immediately, standing up straight.
Sora simply nodded.
"Good morning, Principal."
Gojo remained outside, leaning against the doorway while watching with amusement.
"Yuji Itadori."
Yaga set down his sewing and picked up a small green cursed corpse doll shaped like a kappa.
"Why do you want to become a jujutsu sorcerer?"
"To collect Sukuna's fingers… and save people," Yuji answered honestly.
"My grandfather told me to help others before he died."
"Last words?"
Yaga's voice instantly became colder.
"If that's your only reason…"
"You can go home."
Yuji froze.
"What?"
Suddenly—
The kappa cursed corpse sprang to life.
It launched toward Yuji like a cannonball.
"Whoa!"
Yuji barely managed to block it, but the force pushed him backward.
"A jujutsu sorcerer faces death constantly!" Yaga shouted.
"Not only your own death—but also the reality of killing curses and sometimes even humans!"
"If you're only following someone else's dying wish…"
"When you face despair, will you curse your grandfather?"
"Will you regret your choice?"
Yuji struggled to dodge the attacking cursed corpse.
His mind spun with confusion.
Would he really risk his life for someone else's words?
This wasn't just an interview.
It was a test of resolve.
Yagami Sora stood quietly to the side.
He knew this was a necessary step in Yuji's growth.
At that moment—
Yaga's gaze shifted toward him.
"And you, Yagami Sora?"
"I heard you possess strength comparable to a Special Grade."
"And that you even suppressed Sukuna."
"What is your reason for coming here?"
At the same time—
Yaga's fingers moved subtly.
Another cursed corpse—larger and colored red—suddenly sprang into motion.
Its target was Sora.
The attack was extremely fast.
Its fist rushed toward Sora's face.
This was both a test and a surprise attack.
But Sora didn't move.
His hands remained in his pockets.
His eyes were calm.
Just before the fist connected—
"Stop."
Sora spoke softly.
No incantation.
No cursed technique activation.
Just calculation.
In a single instant, he analyzed every vector acting on the cursed corpse.
Velocity.
Mass.
Momentum.
Air resistance.
Then—
He set them all to zero.
The charging cursed corpse suddenly froze in mid-air.
As if it had slammed into an invisible wall.
All of its kinetic energy vanished.
Absolute stillness.
Then gravity took over.
Thud.
The cursed corpse dropped to the ground like an ordinary stuffed toy.
Yaga's sewing needle stopped.
He could still feel the cursed energy flowing through the puppet.
The core was functioning normally.
But the body itself had completely lost control.
It felt as if its physical laws had been rewritten.
"This isn't cursed technique nullification," Yaga said slowly.
His expression became serious.
"…What exactly did you do?"
Sora stepped forward and picked up the fallen cursed corpse.
"This is my answer."
He dusted it off and met Yaga's gaze directly.
"I have power."
"Immense power."
"In a world filled with monsters, having power but doing nothing with it is pointless."
His voice echoed quietly through the hall.
"I want to see where the limits of this world are."
"I want to crush anything that stands in my way."
"That's my reason."
"Is that pure enough?"
Sora tossed the puppet back toward Yaga.
The principal caught it silently.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Arrogant.
That was his first impression.
But in Sora's eyes he saw something familiar.
Absolute confidence.
And a faint sense of superiority.
He had only seen that look once before.
From Satoru Gojo, who was currently leaning against the door grinning.
"…An interesting answer."
Yaga picked up his needle and thread again.
"A little dangerous."
"But jujutsu sorcerers need a bit of madness to survive."
"Yagami Sora."
"You pass."
At that moment Yuji suddenly shouted.
"I figured it out!"
While grabbing the kappa cursed corpse by the neck, he yelled:
"I want to live!"
"And when I die, I want to be surrounded by people!"
"So I won't regret this!"
"I'll eat every single one of Sukuna's fingers!"
Yaga nodded.
"Passed."
He gestured for the cursed corpse to stop moving.
"Satoru. Take them to the dorms."
"Got it!"
Gojo walked inside, patting both of them on the shoulders.
"I told you everything would work out."
The interview was over.
All the first-year students had passed.