"No... there was no point in fighting then, and Principal Yaga would've scolded us afterward."
Fushiguro Megumi said, "But that's not what I meant. You seem to have relaxed a little."
"Huh?"
"Did you find any leads on the orphanage incident?"
The boy did not continue that topic, instead bringing up something else.
"Yeah, it really was a Cursed Spirit... After carefully identifying the Cursed Remnant, the Window told Shier where it was."
Amber nodded, her tone somewhat wistful. "Yesterday, Shier exorcised it... It was a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit."
Normally, Cursed Spirits wouldn't move around that frequently. Most of them remained active around the places where they were born...
Fushiguro Megumi did not say that aloud. It was common knowledge, after all. The first Special Grade Cursed Spirit the girl had exorcised had also inexplicably moved there.
Though he felt that some unusual phenomenon was at work, he could not make sense of it.
Besides, that was not what he wanted to talk about.
"If I made you sad, I'm sorry."
Fushiguro noticed that something was off about the girl's expression. "Actually, my situation is somewhat similar to yours... So I understand what it feels like to live under someone else's roof, and... what it feels like for an important family member to suddenly disappear."
"Because I had to grow up early, I was wondering if everyone's enthusiasm toward you might actually make you uncomfortable, and if you were forcing yourself to accept it... something like that."
The boy, whose expression was usually calm, finally voiced what he meant. "So when I said you did well, I didn't mean stopping a pointless fight. I meant that you were willing to put expressing what you wanted first."
"Huh..."
Amber had not expected Fushiguro Megumi, who usually spoke so little and seemed the most distant from her, to say something like that.
"Thank you. But the other me deserves credit too... If it weren't for her, Shier probably would have waited until the very end..."
She thanked him, while also taking the opportunity to hopefully change his impression of Black Amber.
"I see. But I think that if the person herself does not want to change, if she does not have the courage to take another step forward, then no amount of persuasion from others will help."
Though it was praise, Amber somehow heard an unspoken meaning beneath it: This was your own achievement. Don't trust the curse because of it.
First impressions really were not so easy to change...
"Hey! Shier, stop accommodating that guy! Just let him follow behind on his own!"
The two ahead seemed to have finished arguing and had gotten far ahead of them, so Nobara called out to Amber, who was walking beside Fushiguro Megumi.
"Fushiguro, hurry up too! Didn't we say we were going to eat cake? If you keep dawdling, we won't make it in time!"
Seeing Nobara call Amber, Itadori Yuji also reminded Fushiguro.
"Do we really need to be in such a hurry...?"
Fushiguro Megumi sighed. But realizing that if he did not hurry, he would only receive more harassment, he picked up his pace. "Anyway, things are good as they are now. That's all I wanted to say."
"Shier understands."
Seeing the two ahead in such a rush, Amber nodded to Fushiguro, then jogged after them.
Relaxed yet carrying a faint sense of tension, surrounded by friends—this kind of life was both unfamiliar and joyful to Amber. Compared to her previous world, this one undoubtedly gave her a much stronger sense of belonging.
And so, two days passed.
"So these are the helpers you said could be useful?"
In the gloomy forest, Jogo looked at the two Curse Users before him, who looked weak at a glance, and felt as though he had been deceived. "What use could these weaklings possibly be?"
"Don't judge them by appearances. They are actually talented helpers."
Liao Chi smiled slightly and held out Three-Finger. "As I said before, achieving your goal requires three things."
"First, seal Gojo Satoru. That will make it easier for us to act."
"Second, have Sukuna within the vessel, Itadori Yuji, fully incarnate and return to this world."
"Third, guide Shier Fulei and the Heavenly Curse Spirit into becoming enemies."
As Three-Finger folded back one finger after another, Liao Chi's confident smile finally gave Jogo a little more faith.
"So this time, Hanami and I will draw Jujutsu High's attention, forcing Gojo Satoru and Shier Fulei to focus on Jujutsu High. Then you will gather all the fingers in the Director's Office."
Jogo, who had never fought Gojo Satoru, did not think this would be difficult.
In his mind, as a new human, he was stronger than any Jujutsu Sorcerer.
But...
"Though we already have a lead on the first and second points, how will we accomplish the third? And is it really necessary to make them fight?"
Jogo frowned. "At the end of the day, if those two humans are an eyesore to you, I can just kill them."
"Haha, then you would die, Jogo."
Liao Chi could not help but laugh. "As for how to guide the third point, I have already made some arrangements. Don't worry. When Shier Fulei and the Heavenly Curse Spirit fight each other to a draw, our new world will be on the verge of completion."
Then, he would absorb the Heavenly Curse Spirit and the unknown curse within Shier Fulei, becoming the ruler of the new world.
An evil smile that did not suit his handsome face appeared on Liao Chi's lips as he lowered his voice. "All right. Jujutsu High's Exchange Meeting has already begun. It's time for us to act as well."
Before the Battle.
"What!? The Kyoto Exchange Meeting isn't an exchange meeting held in Kyoto, but one held with Kyoto Campus?"
At the school gate, the Tokyo Jujutsu High students who had gathered to welcome Kyoto's students officially crushed Nobara's fantasy when they saw the suitcase in her hand.
The previously enthusiastic Nobara felt her limbs turn cold. "Then... my Fresh Yatsuhashi and Kuzukiri, Kyoto's specialty foods..."
"No wonder it felt like you were way too excited."
Maki was speechless as well. "So we were never even on the same wavelength?"
"It's fine. It's just a small misunderstanding. You don't need to take it so hard."
Yuji patted Nobara on the shoulder.
"Weren't you excited too...?"
Seeing Yuji's travel bag and the devastated look on his face, Panda sighed, unable to bear watching. "The Exchange Meeting is held every year at the campus of the side that won the previous year. Since we won last time, it's being held in Tokyo this year."
"Urgh..." x2.
"How could you just go and win!?"
Nobara grabbed Panda by the collar and shook him.
"Not us! We didn't participate last year!"
Panda's voice came out distorted from being grabbed, but the usually steady and honest him still quietly explained, "Yuta participated last year. I heard it was an overwhelming victory, but we weren't there, so we don't know the exact details."
"How... how could this be..."
Nobara and Yuji dropped to their knees in despair.
"Let's buy some together next time we have a mission in Kyoto..."
Though she knew these two comedians were probably not as sad as they looked, Amber could not help squatting down to pat their backs and softly comfort them.
"That probably won't happen, just as Kyoto students do not appear in Tokyo for missions."
Fushiguro said flatly, "Though Jujutsu Sorcerers are short on manpower year-round, there are still designated areas."
"Urgh...!" x2.
"Senior Fushiguro..."
Seeing their expressions draw even closer to death, Amber could not help looking at Fushiguro.
Fushiguro sighed. "You just don't need to go there for a mission. If you want to go, just pick a day when you have time."
"What's this? You're all gathered here. Did you come specifically to welcome us?"
At that moment, a familiar voice made Nobara's temple twitch. Accompanied by footsteps, Zenin Mai and the Kyoto Jujutsu High students appeared before them.
"Okkotsu still isn't here."
Todo scratched the back of his head, feeling somewhat regretful. But thinking of Yuji, his enthusiasm was at least somewhat rekindled.
Nobara was annoyed the moment she saw Mai. Since Maki had said their relationship was poor, she became even more unrestrained, her expression mocking and fierce. "Enjoy laughing while you can. Once we go in, we'll make sure you can't laugh anymore."
"What's with that first-year... She seems kind of scary..."
On Kyoto's side, Nishimiya Mom, holding a broom and wearing strange upward twin-tails, muttered awkwardly. She had never witnessed Nobara's exaggerated expressions before and only found her difficult to approach.
"Okkotsu isn't here, and they only have two first-years. There's no need to care."
Beside her, the Mech, whose entire body was obviously inhuman, suddenly spoke. "The only one worth being wary of is that vessel."
He fixed his gaze on Yuji. Though his eyes were utterly inorganic, they gave Yuji a strong feeling of discomfort.
"Senior Miwa, how have you been lately? You don't look very energetic."
Amber and Miwa had finally gathered again after a long time.
"I've been all right..."
Miwa scratched the back of her head. Her forced composure was obvious at a glance. Sure enough, she soon said, "It's just that I've been frequently called in for talks lately..."
"Ah..."
Amber did not need it explained to know why.
Since Miwa had been the first person to come into contact with her, after the higher-ups found themselves unable to do anything about Amber, they could only learn about her through Miwa.
It was not that they did not want to question Todo Aoi, but everyone knew his thought process was different from normal people's. On top of that, his teacher was Tsukumo Yuki, and aside from missions, the higher-ups practically left him alone.
Besides, Todo Aoi had never personally seen Black Amber, so interrogating him would not have meant much.
That left the only two people who had seen Black Amber: Gojo Satoru, whom they could not touch, and Miwa, whom they could easily push around. It was easy to imagine how much the higher-ups had targeted this cheerful blue-haired girl.
Thinking of that, Amber felt guilty and heartbroken. "Senior Miwa... I'm sorry. It's because of Shier that..."
"No, no, that's not it!"
Miwa hurriedly waved her hands. "This isn't Shier's fault!"
Though the higher-ups kept looking for her because of the girl, Miwa was not someone who could not tell right from wrong. The girl was her savior, while the higher-ups were the real culprits who kept troubling her.
"But no matter what, they're making things difficult for Senior Miwa because of Shier."
A faint crimson glow flickered in Amber's eyes. "So Shier will take responsibility too."
Seeing the girl's emotions rise and fall for her sake, Miwa felt warmth in her heart. Though she knew she could not blame the girl for any of this, being questioned like this all the time inevitably made her feel resentment. She was no saint, after all.
But because the other girl was willing to do something for her, that resentment quickly faded away.
"It's okay. Shier has only just become a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, so it's better to remain stable for now, right? You only just earned recognition..."
While the two chatted happily here, the others on both sides were not quite so friendly with one another.
But the standoff between the two sides did not last long. A woman named Iori Utahime walked over, followed by Gojo Satoru and the principals of both schools. Since Tokyo's third-years were away on assignment and the first-years had been forced to fill in their numbers, the rules needed to be explained.
Simply put, this Exchange Meeting was a two-day event between the two schools. The first day would be a team battle. Whichever side exorcised the strongest and greatest number of Cursed Spirits would win. The result would be determined by a combined score based on the grades and numbers of the Cursed Spirits exorcised.
Of course, they could interfere with their opponents during this time, so clashes between the two sides were common.
However, the rules did not permit causing excessively severe injuries. Jujutsu Sorcerers were scarce to begin with. Dying while exorcising curses was one thing, but dying at the hands of comrades would be far too pointless.
After the rules were explained, both sides entered the school together to prepare for the upcoming Exchange Meeting.
The Tokyo side was not particularly nervous. After all, everyone had witnessed each other's progress over this period. Besides, not long ago, their Itadori Yuji had fought Kyoto's ace, Todo Aoi, to a standstill.
Though Todo Aoi had not used his cursed technique and likely had not gone all out, it was still enough to demonstrate Yuji's current growth.
At the very least, he could hold Todo off for a while.
And as long as Todo Aoi could be dealt with temporarily, the others were not especially dangerous to their side. Only Mech, about whom they had little information, might bring some unexpected trouble.
"Anyway, don't worry. We just need to perform normally."
In the end, Maki made the final decision.
Transition.
Meanwhile, the discussion at Kyoto Campus was completely different.
Before you continue