Calamity descended, Idle Transfiguration stood still

On a late-autumn morning, a thick, eerie white mist shrouded the forest behind Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Ancient cedars dozens of meters tall loomed through the fog like silent giants, coldly surveying the old land that would soon become a battlefield. Beneath the damp smell of earth and the fresh scent of vegetation, a dull, oppressive pulse of cursed energy lingered in the air.

Riiip...

A shrill whistle pierced the sky, officially raising the curtain on the Inter-School Student Exchange Event.

"Come on, don't fall behind, Mai."

Maki Zenin carried a battle blade radiating holy golden light in one hand as she darted nimbly through the dense woods. Thoroughly cleansed by Pure Yang Divine Power, the Heavenly Restriction bloodline within her had long since transformed and rebuilt itself. Every stride unleashed fierce wind pressure that tore through the air.

Behind her, Mai Zenin bit her red lip, struggling to channel the magical power within her as she followed. The resentment and jealousy had vanished from her eyes. As she watched her sister's flawless, upright figure ahead, her beautiful eyes held only obedience and reliance.

"Wait for me, Maki..."

Mai called softly, a little bashful.

Elsewhere in the forest, the short, orange-haired Nobara and the long, blue-haired Kasumi Miwa were walking side by side through the mist.

The students from both schools entered the barrier's defensive perimeter. Following their respective plans, they began scouring the forest, which stretched for hundreds of miles behind the school, for Grade 1 and Grade 2 Cursed Spirits, preparing for an all-out hunt.

Yet none of them knew that every pulse of the forest was already under one man's control.

Meanwhile, in the office on the top floor of the old school building.

Sunlight streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling across the spotless floor.

Tobirama