They—or rather, Kyoto Jujutsu High—had received orders from the higher-ups. There was only one objective: kill Itadori Yuji.
Although causing serious injury or death was prohibited during the Jujutsu World's Jujutsu High Exchange Meeting, in the higher-ups' view, the "vessel" was not a Jujutsu Sorcerer, but a curse. Therefore, even killing Itadori Yuji would not count as breaking any rules.
As for why they were not killing the likewise Incarnated Shier Fulei... she was a special grade. Could a group of Grade 2s, along with one disobedient Grade 1, possibly kill her?
Besides, that Shier was not a Jujutsu High student, merely an exchange student. In theory, the higher-ups and Jujutsu High had no authority over her, and because she was an exchange student, she could not participate in this Exchange Meeting. (To clarify, Amber accepted missions as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, not as a Jujutsu High student.)
Though whether there was a way around that was up to the higher-ups anyway.
Maki Zenin did not dare defy the principal's orders. She was deeply resistant to killing people, but she had already become a key target of the higher-ups' surveillance...
Ahhh, this is so annoying. I only became a Jujutsu Sorcerer because my family was poor, and I needed a lot of money to support them... How did things end up like this...?
The others all came from major Jujutsu Sorcerer families, so they were quite used to such things.
Only Todo Aoi immediately frowned. With a cold snort, he turned and opened the door. "Boring! If you want to do it, do it yourselves. Don't even think about dragging me into it."
Without sparing the others a glance, he slammed the door and left.
Principal Gakuganji could do nothing about it. Todo was not only a powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer, but also the disciple of special grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Tsukumo Yuki, and he had a good relationship with Gojo Satoru. Under such circumstances, Jujutsu High could not easily touch him.
After all, he was merely willful at the moment and could still be dispatched to some extent. If they truly fell out and he, like Tsukumo Yuki, began ignoring the Director's Office, that would be a real loss.
With Todo Aoi's departure, the atmosphere became somewhat stifled. However, Gakuganji quickly reiterated the importance of the mission, paying particular attention to instructing Maki Zenin.
He was indeed a stubborn old man, but that did not mean he did not care for his school's students. Yuji and Shier, who had shaken the Jujutsu World, were thorns in the eyes of both him and the higher-ups. Thus, he hoped Maki Zenin would quickly free herself from the higher-ups' "surveillance" by using her performance this time to prove her "stability."
Maki Zenin understood what the principal meant. She wanted to ask whether she could do nothing at all, but merely parted her lips.
Always doing things I don't want to do... Maybe I really should ask Shier for help? But then I really would become a rebel in the higher-ups' eyes... If I defy them without having the strength to back it up, can I really survive in the Jujutsu World?
Amid the girl's unease, the Exchange Meeting finally reached its last stage before beginning.
Inside the monitoring room, the teachers from both schools had taken their seats one by one. Amber was an exchange student from Sugikawa High School, so Gojo Satoru had brought her here with him.
Before them was a projection manifested through the technique of Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer Meimei. Her technique allowed her to share the crows' vision, letting her observe any place she wished from an angle similar to surveillance cameras.
Besides the projection, more than a dozen talismans were pasted onto the wall nearby. These talismans were connected to the cursed spirits placed within the trial grounds. Whenever a cursed spirit was exorcised, the change in their color would determine who received the points.
Gojo Satoru picked up the microphone. "All right, the Exchange Meeting is about to officially begin. Before that, your friendly teacher Gojo will explain the rules."
He briefly explained the talismans and the points system. Although Yaga had already mentioned it once before, that had only been a general explanation and not part of the formal procedures. Gojo Satoru was explaining it again now to prevent anyone from raising objections and refusing to acknowledge the results later.
Though hardly anyone would do that.
"Next, little Shier will offer some encouragement to the students~"
Gojo Satoru handed the microphone to Amber beside him.
Huh? I had to say something too?
Amber had not expected an exchange student like her to need to make a speech.
"...Everyone, do your best. If you get hurt, Shier will come help treat you... Ah, but try not to get hurt!"
The embarrassment and nervousness of speaking as though at a freshman assembly made it difficult for her to say much.
"Did you hear that? Don't make such a cute underclassman worry about you~"
Gojo Satoru happily took back the microphone, then handed it to Iori Utahime. "Utahime, say something too."
(Nobara: This is being broadcast, right? Damn it, those Kyoto guys better not get the wrong idea! Little Shier is worried about us!)
(Fushiguro: ...They can't hear you talking over here.)
Utahime, who had originally been looking at Amber sympathetically, naturally leaned closer to the microphone.
She knew Gojo Satoru's habits far too well. If he could make someone around him uncomfortable, he would never hold back. Thus, the moment Amber had been ambushed like that, she knew she would not escape either and had prepared herself long ago.
"Although injuries may be unavoidable, I hope everyone can try their best to follow—"
Before she could finish, Gojo Satoru pulled back the microphone he had handed her. "All right, it officially begins now!"
"Gojo Satoru!!"
Now it was Amber's turn to look at her sympathetically.
Inside the monitoring room, Utahime gritted her teeth. "You bastard, show some respect to your seniors!"
"Hm? Didn't I already let Utahime speak?"
Gojo Satoru propped up his chin with a deliberately puzzled expression, as though he had no idea why she was angry.
That attitude only made Utahime even more furious, and she immediately began arguing with Gojo Satoru like an elementary schooler.
No one found their lifelong bickering strange. Or rather, if Gojo Satoru ever started behaving himself, everyone would instead worry that he was plotting something huge. Still, Amber felt that arguing was not very good. Gojo Satoru might have been enjoying himself, but Utahime's expression clearly showed her blood pressure was soaring.
"Um... are Teacher Gojo and Teacher Iori friends?"
Amber changed the subject.
"Ah, are we?"
Gojo Satoru himself wore a puzzled expression.
"Absolutely not!"
Utahime had originally wanted to say something pleasant in front of the child, such as that they were old acquaintances. But Gojo Satoru's comment instantly made her abandon that thought. "There is absolutely no chance of me getting along with such a terrible person!"
"See? Utahime is always maliciously slandering me."
"Hah!?"
Utahime wanted to fire back, but when she caught sight of Amber's conflicted expression from the corner of her eye, she forcibly calmed down.
How could she act so disgracefully in front of a child?
She took a deep breath and regained her composed, steady expression before speaking. "We used to be classmates at Tokyo Jujutsu High School."
Curtain.
Utahime could tell that the girl did not want them to keep arguing. She had gotten carried away too. She clearly knew how much Gojo Satoru could raise her blood pressure, yet she had still bothered responding to him.
Having thought that through, Utahime simply stopped looking at Gojo Satoru and prepared to properly watch the Exchange Meeting. However, remembering that the girl had just helped salvage her dignity, she looked toward the girl behind Gojo Satoru. "You're Shier, right? I heard you just became a special grade Jujutsu Sorcerer. Congratulations."
"Thanks to Shier too, the proportion of scum among special grade Jujutsu Sorcerers has gone down."
As she said that, she shot Gojo Satoru a glare.
The three stood in a straight horizontal line. Gojo Satoru simply said, "Scary. To think you'd glare at a student with such a vicious look."
"I'm looking at you!"
Utahime bitterly corrected him, then turned back to Amber. "Anyway, Shier, walk your own path. Whatever you do, do not grow up to become scum like this."
During this period, Gojo Satoru had actually taken good care of her. Aside from occasionally teasing her like he had just done, he was quite worthy of being called a teacher.
However, Utahime and Gojo Satoru had been classmates for years. They appeared to be at each other's throats, but that was precisely because they had a good relationship. They could joke around freely and insult each other as they pleased. That much would not affect their genuinely decent relationship.
Therefore, Amber neither went along with Utahime's words nor denied them. She only said, "Teacher Gojo is still quite dependable most of the time."
"After all, his strength is the only thing he has worth mentioning."
Utahime snorted.
She still appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, she felt a little bitter.
Last year, Tokyo had just gained a special grade Jujutsu Sorcerer student, and this year they had gained another special grade...
Though jealous, she also understood that this was only possible because Gojo Satoru had protected them. Gojo Satoru could fight for such things, but she could not. She did not possess the strength to resist even the higher-ups' pressure.
Ahhh, but I'm still so jealous! I want a student who's this cute and gentle, yet ridiculously strong too! And she can even use a healing-type technique. It practically defies common sense!
As everyone knew, techniques had three forms.
The first was the neutral form of a technique, referring to the state of simply applying it without infusing it with Cursed Energy. However, this type was exceedingly rare.
The second was the most common forward form, where Cursed Energy was infused to make the technique operate normally.
Techniques used negative energy, which should theoretically only cause destruction. That was why negative energy had to be multiplied by negative energy to become positive energy: the Reverse Cursed Technique.
After mastering the Reverse Cursed Technique, one could inject the inverted positive energy into the technique within one's body, creating the third form of a technique: technique Inversion. This form was even rarer. At present, Gojo Satoru was the only known person capable of using technique Inversion.
However, according to Gojo Satoru, Shier's technique, Creation Withering, was not an Inversion and forward form, but a neutral technique and forward technique. After all, Shier herself could not use the Reverse Cursed Technique, so she naturally could not use technique Inversion.
Using negative Cursed Energy to repair the human body was as absurd as passing a scalpel over a wound and having it heal. It completely defied common sense.
While the three were talking, they suddenly noticed that one section of the screens before them had gone black. Gojo Satoru focused on the screens, and through the Six Eyes, he instantly obtained all the information.
Not long after Itadori Yuji and Todo Aoi had started fighting, they had disappeared from view. And now, for some reason, the numerous screens only showed Tokyo Jujutsu High students. Every Kyoto Jujutsu High student had vanished.
Though the blacked-out screens prevented him from seeing what was happening inside, was this not far too easy to guess?
"Yuji is still alive. You must be very disappointed, right?"
Gojo Satoru smiled at Gakuganji.
"What do you mean by suddenly saying such things, you ill-mannered brat?"
The higher-ups' targeting of Yuji was no secret. Trying too hard to cover it up would only give others something to seize upon. Gakuganji did not deny the malice; he merely pretended not to understand Gojo Satoru's words, as though he had no idea what Gojo Satoru was talking about.
"Miss Meimei, do you know what happened?"
Gojo Satoru was not surprised by his response. Instead, he looked at Meimei. "It seems there's a problem with the footage."
"Animals are rather unpredictable, after all. Sharing their vision can tire them out too."
Meimei did not take the bait either.
However, Gojo Satoru did not have that much patience. Though he still wore a smile, there was a hint of coldness within it. "Really? To put it plainly, whose side are you on, Miss Meimei?"
As someone who loved money, naturally, she stood on whichever side paid more.
Though that was what she thought, Meimei understood the principle that money was useless if one was dead. Even knowing Gojo Satoru would not attack her, she still smiled and gave a vague hint. "Whose side? You know very well. I stand on money's side."
Not continuing to play dumb was already an answer in itself.
Gojo Satoru looked at Gakuganji, his tone light. "I wonder how much money you've saved up?"
That was practically an interrogation. Just as Gakuganji was preparing to continue playing dumb, every image before them suddenly vanished.
At the same time, the talismans on the wall ignited all at once.
Gojo Satoru's brows immediately furrowed. Something had gone wrong.
Amber was not particularly anxious, since she knew exactly who had come this time. With only Hanami, Yuji and Todo Aoi, who were stronger than in the original story, could handle her. Still, Amber did not intend to let Hanami escape just like that. She stood up decisively. "Shier will go check the situation!"
"Outsiders may not interfere with the Exchange Meeting."
Gakuganji spoke coldly.
"Principal...!?"
Utahime could not help looking at Gakuganji. Their earlier conversation had already made her realize that there were hidden matters concerning the Exchange Meeting that the principal and students had discussed without her. But now was not the time for such little schemes. "The talismans just turned red, but they do not only turn red when Tokyo Jujutsu High's Cursed Energy exorcises cursed spirits. It could also mean..."
"It could be unregistered Cursed Energy."
Gojo Satoru knew the strength of everyone at Jujutsu High very well. It was impossible for them to exorcise every cursed spirit simultaneously in an instant.
"If it's an outsider, Jujutsu High's Barrier should have blocked them, or at least issued a warning."
Meimei raised her eyes as well.
"Gojo, Shier, Utahime, and Principal Gakuganji, go to the forest. I'll check on Master Tengen's side. Meimei, find a way to restore everyone's view of the battlefield."
In the end, Yaga, the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High, stood and spoke.
Since the host of this event had said so, even Gakuganji, who held an equal position, could not say much.
As for whether there was an intruder, they would know once they went outside and took a look.
However, the moment they stepped out the door, a pitch-black canopy descended from above the forest. Seeing this, Utahime immediately shouted, "Gojo! Get inside before the Curtain falls!"
"That's impossible."
Gojo Satoru shrugged. "It looks like it's falling, but in reality, the Curtain has already been set."
Behind his black blindfold, his eyes were filled with danger. "Those unknown Curse Users really dare cause trouble here."
Black Amber's Killing Intent.
The group quickly arrived before the Curtain, which had already enveloped the entire forest and made the situation inside impossible to see.
"Although it's already been lowered, we just need to destroy it. Completely..."
Before you continue