They might be playing dumb

In the teachers' reception room, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the dark tatami mats, while wisps of steam rose from several cups of tea.

Shirakawa took the seat of honor and gestured for Gakuganji to sit opposite him. The other teachers settled along either side, with Yaga seated diagonally across from Gakuganji.

"For this year's Goodwill Event," Shirakawa began without preamble, "we'll follow the usual format, with individual matches and the Team Competition. What do you think?"

Gakuganji nodded and took a sip of tea.

"Of course. The individual matches give the children a chance to show their abilities, while the Team Competition tests their cooperation. After all these years, the format is quite well established."

Shirakawa smiled.

"Well established it may be, but every year brings new surprises, doesn't it? Speaking of which, will the Team Competition still be scored by the number of cursed spirits exorcised?"

"Yes." Gakuganji set down his cup. "The grades and numbers of the cursed spirits released will be carefully tallied. Victory will be determined by exorcisms to ensure fairness."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the Tokyo Jujutsu High teachers.

"Of course, if your school has any other suggestions, we can discuss them."

Shirakawa waved a hand.

"No need. We've used these rules for years; they couldn't be fairer. Individual matches come down to ability, the Team Competition to cooperation. There's nothing to change. We've also prepared the grounds and cursed spirits. Would you like to send someone to inspect them, Gakuganji?"

Gakuganji shook his head. "I trust your character, Shirakawa, so there's no need for an inspection."

"However, there is one more matter to confirm-"

He paused, his gaze drifting almost imperceptibly toward Yaga.

"The treatment of injuries."

The atmosphere in the reception room tightened slightly.

Shirakawa's smile faded a little, though he remained mild. The other teachers' expressions shifted as well. Some looked down at their teacups, others turned toward the windows, and a few stole glances at Yaga.

Gakuganji spoke calmly, as though stating the most ordinary fact in the world.

"I hear your school has a student, Shoko Ieiri, who is a once-in-a-century Reverse Cursed Technique Sorcerer capable of using Reverse Cursed Technique on others. That is undoubtedly an enormous advantage in the Goodwill Event."

He left the rest unsaid, but everyone present understood his meaning.

If Shoko Ieiri competed, Tokyo Jujutsu High's students would effectively have unlimited staying power. Injured? No problem, instant healing. Cursed energy consumption? Did they think that white-haired boy's Six Eyes were just for show? His consumption was practically zero. Add those other powerhouses, and they might as well declare Tokyo the winners.

In the Team Competition, that advantage was practically decisive.

The young teacher beside Gakuganji couldn't help speaking up.

"Under the rules, the Team Competition is scored by the number of cursed spirits exorcised. With a Reverse Cursed Technique Sorcerer supporting them from the rear, competitors can keep fighting regardless of their injuries. That seems somewhat unfair to Kyoto Jujutsu High's students."

The moment he finished, Yaga raised his eyes toward him.

His gaze wasn't sharp, yet it made the young teacher instinctively fall silent.

Shirakawa was quiet for a few seconds before smiling.

"Well, about that-"

He drew out the words and turned toward Yaga.

"Yaga, what do you think?"

Yaga lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"Shoko Ieiri does possess Reverse Cursed Technique," he said in a low voice. "But she is a person first and a sorcerer second. Her wishes should be respected."

Gakuganji raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You mean..."

Yaga looked up and met his eyes.

"I mean she isn't a tool. Whether she competes or heals anyone should be her own decision."

The reception room fell silent for a few seconds.

Gakuganji watched Yaga, a complicated look flickering through his eyes. Rather than becoming angry, he nodded lightly.

"Well said," he replied. "A Reverse Cursed Technique Sorcerer is indeed precious, but she is a person first. On that point, I agree."

Shirakawa smiled and smoothed things over.

"All right, all right, no need to be so serious. Let this old man ask the girl what she thinks first. If she insists on competing, we can establish some additional restrictions. How does that sound?"

Gakuganji smiled.

"If that's what you propose, Shirakawa, we have no objections."

Shirakawa settled the matter.

"Then it's decided."

He picked up his cup, took a sip, and changed the subject.

"By the way, I hear there are some promising youngsters among the students you brought this time?"

A hint of pride appeared on Gakuganji's face.

"There are indeed some fine children," he said. "Our second-year, Matsumoto Futa, has become quite accomplished with the sword. Kogi Rin, also a second-year, is growing increasingly adept with her cursed technique. Then there's our first-year, Shinya Zenin-"

He paused deliberately at that name and looked at Yaga.

"He's a cousin of your students, Naoya Zenin and Wana Zenin?"

Yaga nodded.

"That's right. He's the son of Wana and Zhiyan's uncle."

Gakuganji looked thoughtful.

"Bloodlines certainly matter. The Ten Shadows Technique and Projection Sorcery are both among the Zenin Clan's finest cursed techniques. This generation has given the clan three promising talents."

Shirakawa smiled and chimed in.

"Why stop at the Zenin Clan? The Gojo Clan's Six Eyes, the Kamo Clan's Blood Manipulation, and that Suguru Geto with Cursed Spirit Manipulation-which of them isn't a once-in-a-century genius?"

He paused and sighed.

"These children really are fortunate to have been born in an era that lets them grow to their full potential."

Gakuganji remained silent for a few seconds.

"Let's hope so."

His voice was soft, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

Shirakawa glanced at him and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, outside the student banquet.

The six of them stood at the door, listening to the noisy voices inside.

"Ready?" Zhiyan asked.

Satoru Gojo yawned.

"We're just having dinner. What's there to get ready for?"

Wana agreed beside him.

"Exactly! I'm starving."

She rubbed her stomach as she spoke, looking thoroughly aggrieved.

"I didn't even get enough lunch. Mr. Yaga kept going on about all those grand principles, so I never got a chance to eat my snacks."

Suguru Geto sounded puzzled.

"When did you eat snacks? How come I didn't see you?"

Wana blinked.

"In secret, obviously. Was I supposed to eat them right in front of you?"

Geto said, "..."

Fine, then.

Zhiyan shook his head helplessly and pushed the door open.

The instant it opened, the noise inside abruptly died.

Every gaze swung toward the doorway.

Kyoto Jujutsu High's students had already heard endless reports about these six-the Six Eyes, the Ten Shadows Technique, Blood Manipulation, Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Projection Sorcery, Reverse Cursed Technique...

The more they learned, the better they understood how terrifying these six were.

Setting aside Shoko Ieiri, who had an innate gift for Reverse Cursed Technique and probably wouldn't compete in the interests of fairness, the three leading the group alone would be tough opponents-

Naoya Zenin, wielder of the Ten Shadows Technique, had reportedly already tamed his seventh shikigami.

Kamo Xian Di, wielder of Blood Manipulation, had mastered all sorts of moves.

And then there was-

Huh?

What was he doing?

Kyoto Jujutsu High's students were dumbfounded.

The moment Satoru Gojo and Wana entered, their eyes had been drawn to the long table in the corner of the banquet hall.

That table was covered with desserts of every kind-cream cakes, fruit tarts, macarons, puddings, mousse...

Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up instantly.

So did Wana's.

They exchanged a glance, then-

They shot toward the dessert table like lightning.

"Wait-"

Before Suguru Geto could finish, the two of them had already reached the table.

Satoru Gojo grabbed a macaron with one hand and stuffed it into his mouth while his other hand reached for a cream cake. Wana was even worse, holding a pudding in her left hand and a fruit tart in her right, eating both at once.

"Mmm-delicious!" Satoru Gojo said indistinctly.

"This one's good too!" Wana nodded frantically, her mouth stuffed full.

Kyoto Jujutsu High's students exchanged looks.

This...

This was the legendary Six Eyes sorcerer?

This was the Zenin Clan's daughter of the main line?

Their initially wary expressions grew increasingly strange.

Someone muttered quietly.

"Are they... really the people in those reports?"

Another person answered in a low voice.

"Could they be fakes? Or... stand-ins?"

"Stand-ins? That's impossible. Who would dare use stand-ins on an occasion like this?"

"Then why do they... why do they seem a little..."

After struggling for ages, the student finally managed one word.

"Stupid."

For a moment, the atmosphere was painfully awkward.

Zhiyan's expression stiffened.

Shoko Ieiri stood beside him, her previously half-lidded eyes now wide open. Watching the two figures feasting at the dessert table, she felt the corners of her mouth twitch.

"They're... really making themselves at home," she said.

Suguru Geto nodded with a rueful smile.

"We already knew what they were like."

"Even I'm feeling a little embarrassed today."

"Today..." Suguru Geto paused. "They're probably hungry."

Shoko said, "...That hungry?"

Xian Di took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then opened them again.

He looked at Zhiyan.

Zhiyan looked back.

The instant their eyes met, each understood the other-

They had to get those two embarrassing idiots out of there.

Xian Di moved first, with Zhiyan close behind. They crossed the banquet hall under everyone's complicated gazes and reached the dessert table.

Satoru Gojo was doing battle with a piece of tiramisu, completely oblivious to their approach. Wana had already moved on to her third dessert, cream smeared around her mouth.

Xian Di reached out and seized Satoru Gojo by the back of his collar.

Zhiyan grabbed Wana by hers.

Both pulled at once-

"Hey, hey, hey-?!"

Before Satoru Gojo could react, he had been lifted off the ground. Still clutching his tiramisu, he kicked wildly in midair.

"Who?! Who dares ambush me-oh, Xian Di?"

Xian Di's face was black as thunder.

"Behave yourself."

Wana wasn't faring any better. Dangling from her collar in Zhiyan's grip like a captured kitten, she struggled with all four limbs.

"Brother! What are you doing?! I'm not done eating!"

Zhiyan remained expressionless.

"You've had enough."

"No, I haven't! I've only had three!"

"Three isn't enough?"

"Of course not! There are still macarons and mousse over there-"

Wana cut herself off. Zhiyan's glare was simply too frightening.

She hunched her shoulders, obediently shut her mouth, and let her brother carry her back.

Satoru Gojo was still struggling.

"Xian Di, let go of me! My tiramisu! My cake! I wasn't finished!"

Xian Di finally ran out of patience. He raised his other hand and punched Satoru Gojo straight in the head.

Thonk!

Satoru Gojo instantly froze.

He clutched his head, tears nearly springing to his eyes.

"What did you hit me for?!"

Xian Di gritted his teeth.

"Can you show a little dignity? You might not mind humiliating yourself, but the rest of us do."

Satoru Gojo pouted miserably, but finally behaved himself.

The two were hauled all the way back to their original spot. Zhiyan released Wana, and Xian Di released Satoru Gojo. The two troublemakers stood off to the side, one having the cream wiped from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief Shoko had taken out, the other clutching his head and hissing in pain. Both looked utterly aggrieved.

The banquet hall was frighteningly quiet.

The students from Kyoto Jujutsu High watched the scene, their expressions a sight to behold.

Some had their mouths hanging open, some stared wide-eyed, some had twitching lips, and some were red in the face from holding back their laughter.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke in a low voice.

The speaker was a girl with a ponytail who looked like a first-year. Her gaze swept over Satoru Gojo and Wana before turning to Zhiyan and the others.

"Is that white-haired guy really the Six Eyes sorcerer?"

The boy beside her lowered his voice to answer.

"I... guess so?"

"Then why is he... why..."

The girl struggled for a while before finally finding the right word.

"Why is he such a dumbass?"

The boy fell silent.

He had no idea how to answer that question.

Behind them, a tall boy spoke up. He wore the Kyoto Jujutsu High uniform, with a stern face and a sharp gaze. He appeared to be the leader of the Kyoto Jujutsu High student contingent.

"Don't let your guard down," he said, his voice low and serious. "They might be playing dumb to catch us off guard."

The girl and boy both turned to him.

"Playing dumb?" the girl asked uncertainly. "Are you sure anyone could make it that convincing, captain?"

The captain's lips twitched slightly.

"I'm... not entirely sure. But we can't rule it out. The Six Eyes sorcerer, the Ten Shadows Technique, Blood Manipulation, Cursed Spirit Manipulation, and Reverse Cursed Technique on top of all that-how could people like them really be so... so..."

He couldn't finish.

Because Satoru Gojo was over there rubbing his head and muttering under his breath. They could just make out words like "tiramisu," "cake," and "wasn't finished."

Meanwhile, Wana was sneaking glances toward the dessert table, seemingly looking for another chance to strike.

The captain took a deep breath.

"Anyway," he said, "stay alert. Whether they're actually dumbasses or just playing dumb, we can't let our guard down."

The team members beside him nodded. As expected of their captain-even this hadn't made him lower his guard.

But their eyes still couldn't help straying in that direction.

Meanwhile, Satoru Gojo finally finished rubbing his head. He looked up and met the complicated gazes of the Kyoto Jujutsu High students.

He blinked, then-

Broke into a dazzling smile.

"What are you staring at?" he said, his tone outrageously cocky. "Never seen a handsome guy before?"

The Kyoto Jujutsu High students: "..."

The captain's lips twitched.

Suddenly, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Were these people... actually formidable, or were they genuinely dumbasses?