Welcoming Kyoto Jujutsu High

The morning sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting patches of bright light across the desks.

The classroom was quiet, broken only by the occasional rustle of turning pages.

Today was the day the students and teachers from Kyoto Jujutsu High would visit.

All six had arrived in the classroom early to wait for Masamichi Yaga.

For once, Gojo hadn't complained about getting up early. He lay sprawled over his desk, idly twirling a pen.

Wana sat beside him, flipping through a magazine and occasionally glancing his way.

Geto and Xian Di had found a chess set somewhere and were playing a match. They traded moves, pieces falling one after another as the battle reached a stalemate.

Zhiyan sat nearby, watching their match. Shoko leaned against his shoulder with her eyes half closed, looking as though she hadn't fully woken up.

The classroom door swung open.

Yaga strode inside. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses today. Perhaps it was because of the Goodwill Event, but there had been a heavy air about him these past few days.

He walked up to the lectern and stopped.

His gaze swept over the six students in the classroom.

Then he spoke.

"The Goodwill Event is about to begin."

His voice was low.

"Do you know what you should do?"

The moment he finished, a hand shot into the air.

Satoru Gojo sat ramrod straight, his arm stretched high, smiling as though he had everything figured out.

Looking at him, Yaga felt a bead of cold sweat forming. Nothing sensible usually came out of this brat's mouth.

But then he reconsidered. What if?

What if his brain actually worked for a moment today?

Yaga took a deep breath.

"All right. Let's hear from you first, Satoru Gojo."

Satoru Gojo stood up, his expression instantly turning inscrutable.

He folded his arms and raised his chin slightly, gazing into the distance like a philosopher delivering an important speech.

"An occasion this momentous..." he drawled, "must never be treated lightly."

Yaga's eyes widened slightly for a moment.

Zhiyan and the others all turned to look at him.

Could it be?

Had this brat really come to his senses today?

But Satoru Gojo's next words extinguished every bit of hope they had for him.

"So..." Satoru Gojo's voice suddenly rose, brimming with fighting spirit. "We're going to give Kyoto Jujutsu High a good beating! Show them who's boss!"

Once he finished, he folded his arms, closed his eyes, and curled his lips into a smile, waiting for Masamichi Yaga's praise.

His posture and expression seemed to say-

Well? Wasn't that a fantastic answer?

The classroom fell silent for one second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The praise he expected never came.

A blackboard eraser came flying instead.

Whoosh-smack!

It struck Satoru Gojo square in the forehead.

"Owww!"

Satoru Gojo yelped, immediately clutching his head and doubling over. White chalk dust clung to his forehead as the eraser bounced off his head, landed on the floor, and rolled twice.

He looked up at Yaga, aggrieved.

"Sir! Why'd you hit me? Wasn't I right?"

Yaga lowered his hand and looked at him in exasperation.

"This is a Goodwill Event, a chance for both sides to exchange ideas and learn, not for you to start a brawl! Look at yourself. You act like a thug, not a student. Keep this up, and you'll completely disgrace Tokyo Jujutsu High."

"Whether you're sparring or exchanging ideas, show some restraint. Stop short of hurting each other and learn from one another. That's the point of the Goodwill Event."

Rubbing his forehead, Satoru Gojo muttered, "How's that any different from what I said? We beat them up, and then they learn..."

"Satoru Gojo, that goes especially for you! Did you hear me?"

Yaga pointed at the white-haired cat who was secretly grumbling.

Hearing the anger in Yaga's voice, Satoru Gojo quickly straightened up and raised his right hand in a salute. "I've fully understood your words, Mr. Yaga. I promise I won't cause any trouble."

His obedient demeanor made him look like an entirely different person from the one who had just suggested giving them "a good beating."

Muffled laughter came from beside him.

Yaga sighed.

He walked over to the window, turning his back to them as he gazed at the sky outside.

Sunlight fell over his broad back, casting a long shadow.

After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly spoke.

"You should all understand..."

An indescribable emotion colored his voice.

"You're all extraordinarily gifted. In fact, you're among the very best of this era."

The classroom quieted down.

The six watched him, waiting for him to continue.

Yaga didn't turn around.

"Objectively speaking, your abilities already rival those of some veteran Jujutsu Sorcerers."

He paused.

"Some of you are even stronger than they are."

Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up. Mr. Yaga had a pretty good eye after all. Who called him an old stick-in-the-mud? (Gojo had.)

Yaga continued.

"But..."

He turned around to look at them.

Something seemed to churn like waves in his eyes.

"You must also remember that what is too rigid breaks easily."

His gaze passed over each of their faces.

"Sometimes, it's better to keep more of your abilities hidden. Don't draw too much attention to yourselves."

He paused.

"Understand?"

The classroom remained silent for a few seconds.

Watching Yaga, Wana suddenly felt that he seemed different from usual.

He wasn't a stern teacher, but... a father worried about his children.

As Yaga looked at them, a complicated mix of emotions rose within him.

These students certainly gave him plenty to worry about-Satoru Gojo could be infuriating at times, and he and Wana argued every day like children who refused to grow up. Geto, Xian Di, Zhiyan, and Shoko were less troublesome, but they weren't pushovers either. They all had minds of their own.

But no matter what, they were his students.

He knew all too well how dark the higher-ups could be.

Those people in positions of power appeared righteous on the surface, but who knew what schemes they cooked up behind closed doors? They wanted obedient dogs, not wolves that could bite. These children could withstand every attack from the front, yet they were often vulnerable to arrows fired from the shadows.

When he was young, he too had been full of vigor, swearing he would accomplish something great and change all of this.

He had wanted to make Jujutsu Society cleaner and purer.

But as the years accumulated, reality gradually wore down that passion and those ideals.

Power had bent the back of that once hot-blooded young man.

Now, he only wanted to protect his students.

To make their journey toward adulthood a little safer.

To help them avoid the pitfalls he had once stumbled into.

To keep them-from being harmed by those rotten higher-ups.

But Yaga seemed to have forgotten one thing.

The six people standing before him.

Satoru Gojo, wielder of the Six Eyes and Limitless, the future head of the Gojo Clan.

Naoya Zenin, wielder of the Ten Shadows Technique, the future head of the Zenin Clan.

Kamo Xian Di, wielder of Blood Manipulation, the future head of the Kamo Clan.

Shoko Ieiri, a Reverse Cursed Technique Sorcerer rarely seen even once in a century, one of the few capable of using Reverse Cursed Technique on others.

Suguru Geto, a wielder of Cursed Spirit Manipulation who appeared only once in a millennium. Although he belonged to none of Jujutsu Society's clans, his future potential was immeasurable.

Wana Zenin might not have shone as brightly as her older brother, but she had inherited the Cursed Technique of Naobito Zenin, the Zenin Clan's current head and the strongest Grade 1 Sorcerer. Her achievements would far surpass those of an ordinary sorcerer.

They were not merely his students.

They were also the rising stars of today's Jujutsu Society.

People destined to stand at the forefront of their era.

More and more eyes would turn toward them.

Whether openly or from the shadows.

Whether with goodwill or malice.

They couldn't escape it.

Yaga remained silent for a long time.

Then he sighed.

"Forget it," he said. "Use your own judgment."

He turned and headed for the door.

Upon reaching it, he stopped again.

He looked back at them.

"We're picking up the people from Kyoto Jujutsu High this afternoon," he said. "All of you are coming."

With that, he opened the door and left.

The classroom remained silent for a few seconds.

Satoru Gojo was the first to speak.

"What's with him today?" He rubbed his forehead. "He's acting weird."

Suguru Geto looked thoughtful.

"Maybe... he's worried about us."

Satoru Gojo scratched his head, then spoke as realization dawned.

"Worried? About those shriveled old fossils at the top? If they've lived long enough, they're welcome to try. I've been sick of them for ages. All they do is throw their weight around and order people around with their ridiculous rules."

"Don't make it sound so easy. Do you think the higher-ups are all useless freeloaders?" Xian Di pressed a hand to his forehead, exasperated by Gojo's nonchalance.

"Aren't they?" Gojo leaned back in his chair, tilting his head up to watch the ceiling fan slowly turn.

"If those higher-ups disappear, how will Jujutsu Society function? Who will handle negotiations with the government and the country? How will disputes and defections among Jujutsu Sorcerers be dealt with? Have you thought about any of that?" This time, Zhiyan spoke. He understood that, however rotten the higher-ups were, they still needed to exist for now. Besides, nobody could guarantee that their successors wouldn't become just as corrupt after they were removed.

"This is so annoying. We can't kill them, but keeping them around makes me sick. That's why I say schemers like you and Xian Di have dirty minds. Geto too." Gojo irritably ruffled his hair.

Caught in the crossfire for no reason, Geto gave a wry smile. Talk about them if you want, but why drag me into it?

Wana tugged at Gojo's sleeve and said earnestly, "What do you mean, dirty minds? It's called weighing your options. My brother and the others are future clan heads. They have to learn this stuff. And you-aren't you the future head of the Gojo Clan too? If you keep acting without considering the consequences, you'll probably run the Gojo Clan into the ground. Then Jujutsu Society will only have two great clans left."

Wana's words only made Gojo feel worse. Hey, was he really that bad?

The afternoon sunlight was fiercer than it had been in the morning.

Quite a few people had already gathered at Tokyo Jujutsu High's gates.

Principal Shirakawa stood at the front, with several teachers behind him. Yaga was among them, wearing his usual stern expression.

The six stood to one side, watching the mountain road in the distance.

"Why aren't they here yet?" Satoru Gojo kept looking around. "I've been waiting forever."

Wana chimed in beside him.

"What's the rush? It's not like they can fly."

Gojo's eyes shifted mischievously. Leaning close to Wana's ear, he said, "Then I'll send them flying during the Goodwill Event."

As Gojo spoke, his warm breath brushed Wana's ear, making her face flush slightly. She reached out and pushed the white-haired fluffball away.

"When are you going to fix that attitude of yours? And if you want to talk, just talk. Why get so close?"

Seeing Wana's flushed cheeks, Gojo felt the urge to tease her. He caught her small hand and brought his face close again.

"Can't fix it. I was born this way! Why's your face red? Are you feeling shy?"

As Wana looked at his face so close to hers, her blush deepened. Her head felt light, and she stumbled over her words.

"Who's shy? I'm just, just... ugh, let go! I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Wana struggled slightly, and Gojo obligingly released her hand. She turned away and ignored him, but Gojo was delighted. He had discovered something interesting.

At last, a convoy of black cars slowly appeared on the distant mountain road.

A black sedan led the way, followed by several cars of the same model. The convoy moved in orderly formation, reflecting a subdued gleam in the afternoon sunlight.

"They're here, they're here!"

A stir ran through the crowd.

The car stopped at the school gates.

The door opened, and a group of people stepped out one after another.

At their head was a man over sixty.

He wore a dark kimono and stood tall, his hair graying and a kindly smile on his face. But his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, sweeping over everyone present the instant he stepped onto the ground.

Gakuganji.

The principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High.

Shirakawa went forward to greet them with a smile.

"Thank you for making the trip, Gakuganji, and all the teachers and students from Kyoto Jujutsu High."

Gakuganji bowed, his manner respectful and humble.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Shirakawa. I feel terrible about putting you to the trouble of coming to welcome us."

Shirakawa waved it off and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"You brat, you still love all these formalities." His tone was casual, as though he were chatting with an old friend. "All right, let's head inside first. You must be tired after the trip."

Gakuganji raised his head, a faint smile appearing on his stern face.

"You haven't changed a bit, Mr. Shirakawa."

Shirakawa laughed.

"Come on, come on. Let's not stand around outside."

He turned and led Gakuganji inside.

The teachers followed behind them toward the reception room.

The students, meanwhile, were led in another direction by someone else.

Satoru Gojo scanned the students from Kyoto Jujutsu High.

"Let's see who's here..."

His gaze passed over one unfamiliar face after another before finally settling on a figure.

It was a boy about his age.

He had yellow-green hair, an arrogant gaze, and an air that practically screamed, "Don't mess with me."

Their eyes met.

Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow.

The boy quickly turned his head away, almost as if he were fleeing.

"Interesting." Satoru Gojo grinned.

Watching beside him, Wana couldn't help asking.

"What are you smiling about?"

Gojo shook his head.

"Nothing. I just get the feeling this Goodwill Event won't be boring."

Wana followed his gaze and spotted the boy too.

"Shinya?"

Geto spoke up beside them.

"Shinya Zenin," he said calmly. "A first-year at Kyoto Jujutsu High. I hear he's really strong..."

Halfway through, Geto suddenly realized something and turned to Wana. "Wana, his surname is Zenin too. Is he related to you and Zhiyan?"

Wana nodded, disgust crossing her face. "He's my uncle's son. He's always used his talent as an excuse to bully people at home. He's a complete scumbag, though he wouldn't dare show his face around my brother."

"I see. So not everyone in the Zenin Clan is like Wana and Zhiyan." Geto nodded in agreement.

"All right, you'll have a chance to fight later. Let's head over for now. We shouldn't forget our manners," Zhiyan interjected at just the right moment, leading the others to the welcome banquet for the students.