I'm fine, really

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains, tracing golden streaks across the lounge floor.

For once, Satoru Gojo hadn't slept in and had arrived early. He sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and a lollipop of unknown origin in his mouth, looking certain of victory.

"Morning, Satoru." Suguru Geto pushed the door open, a cup of coffee in hand. He looked slightly surprised to find Satoru Gojo already there. "You're up early today."

"Of course." Satoru Gojo took the lollipop out of his mouth and drew a circle in the air with it. "Today's my chance to show off. How could I be late?"

Suguru Geto smiled without answering and sat on the sofa beside him.

Wana arrived third. She pushed open the door and yawned, her hair still messy, clearly having made little effort to tidy it.

She rubbed her eyes, spotted Satoru Gojo already sitting on the sofa, and muttered, "Well, hell must have frozen over," before heading straight to the snack shelf and stuffing a piece of cake into her mouth.

"You're eating that first thing in the morning?" Suguru Geto asked, watching her.

"What's wrong with that?" Wana said indistinctly. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Of course I should eat something good."

Suguru Geto looked at the cake covered in cream and decided not to ask any more questions.

Shoko came in behind Wana. She was neatly dressed, though her eyes were still half closed and she looked barely awake. She sat on the sofa, slipped her hands into her pockets, leaned back, and closed her eyes to catch a little more sleep.

Zhiyan and Xian Di arrived last.

When the two pushed the door open, they were already wearing their Tokyo Jujutsu High uniforms. They stood tall and straight, looking no different from usual. Zhiyan scanned the lounge, checking the head count.

"Hmm," he said. "We're still missing someone."

"Who?" Satoru Gojo asked.

The door opened again the moment he finished speaking.

A girl with two braids walked in. She wore a shrine maiden's outfit with a Cursed Tool tucked at her waist, and her brisk steps gave her an air of competence.

Utahime Iori.

A second-year at Tokyo Jujutsu High and the sixth member of its team for this Goodwill Event.

The instant Satoru Gojo saw her, the lollipop nearly fell out of his mouth.

He looked Utahime up and down, then-

"Hey." He pointed at Utahime, his confusion entirely undisguised. "Utahime seems pretty weak. Why's she competing?"

Utahime stopped in her tracks.

A vein visibly bulged on her forehead.

"What was her name again..." Satoru Gojo tilted his head in thought, then clapped his hands. "Oh, Mei Mei! Isn't she stronger? Why didn't we get her to come?"

The temperature in the lounge seemed to plummet.

Utahime wore a smile-if her twitching mouth and jumping eyelid could qualify as one.

"Satoru... Gojo..."

Her voice was quiet, but every word sounded as though she had forced it through clenched teeth.

Suguru Geto reacted instantly, stepping over and clamping a hand over Satoru Gojo's mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Utahime!" Keeping Satoru Gojo's mouth covered, he gave her an apologetic look. "He's an idiot who never thinks before he speaks. Please forgive him."

"Mmph, mmph-" Satoru Gojo struggled beneath Suguru Geto's palm, trying to say something, but his mouth was firmly covered.

Utahime took a deep breath, then another, trying to calm herself.

That obnoxious white-haired bastard actually called me weak-

Just as she was about to lose her temper, something soft was held out in front of her.

Wana stood before her with a piece of chocolate in her hand, her little face tilted upward and her expression as sweet as a girl straight out of a painting.

"Don't be mad, Utahime." Wana blinked, her voice soft and sweet. "Here, have some chocolate. It'll make you feel better."

Looking at Wana's innocent face, Utahime inexplicably felt half her anger melt away.

She took the chocolate, peeled off the wrapper, and bit down hard.

The instant she bit into it, one thought ran through her mind: This is Satoru Gojo's head. This is Satoru Gojo's head. This is Satoru Gojo's head.

After chewing a few times, she did feel a little better.

She freed her other hand and ruffled Wana's hair.

"At least Wana's a good girl," she said, her tone full of affection.

As Utahime ruffled her hair, Wana narrowed her eyes and smiled like a kitten.

Satoru Gojo finally escaped Suguru Geto's hand and gulped down air.

"Geto, what was that for? You nearly suffocated me!"

Suguru Geto lowered his hand and said expressionlessly, "I was saving you."

"Saving me?"

"Yes, saving you. So Utahime wouldn't beat you to death."

Satoru Gojo scoffed and looked at Utahime.

"Her? Beat me?"

The anger Utahime had just suppressed flared right back up.

"Satoru Gojo-!"

"Enough." Zhiyan's voice wasn't loud, but its steady, unquestionable authority cut off the conflict before it could erupt.

He glanced at Satoru Gojo.

Satoru Gojo instinctively ducked his head-the memory of yesterday's beating was still vivid-and obediently shut his mouth.

Seeing this, Utahime snorted and sat as far from Satoru Gojo as possible.

Zhiyan and Xian Di sat on the sofa as well. Zhiyan glanced around at everyone and began:

"Xian Di and I just attended the briefing on the individual matches."

Everyone turned their attention to him.

Zhiyan spoke at an even pace, laying everything out clearly.

"The rules for the individual matches are simple. Each side sends six people to fight in turn, with no restrictions on how you fight. But you mustn't seriously injure anyone-that's the hard limit. The fighting area has boundaries, and knocking your opponent outside them counts as a win. Of course, you can also surrender."

"That's it?" Satoru Gojo asked.

"That's it." Zhiyan nodded.

Satoru Gojo grinned and rubbed his hands together, springing off the sofa as he said eagerly:

"Zhiyan, I want to go first!"

Instead of answering immediately, Zhiyan looked at the others.

"What does everyone think?"

Suguru Geto glanced at Satoru Gojo. The white-haired boy was staring at him with wide eyes that practically screamed, Please, please, please.

Suguru Geto couldn't help smiling.

"No objections here."

Wana shrugged.

"I'll let you have this one."

As she spoke, she fished another piece of chocolate from her pocket, unwrapped it, and ate it, her cheeks puffing out.

Utahime glanced at Satoru Gojo. Although she still very much wanted to hit him, she didn't deliberately make things difficult for him over this.

"No objections."

Naturally, Xian Di had no objections either.

Zhiyan nodded.

"Unanimous. Satoru Gojo, first match."

"Yes!" Satoru Gojo bounced on the spot like an excited child, then planted his hands on his hips, tilted his head back, and laughed. "I'll show you all what I'm made of!"

Watching him, Xian Di shook his head helplessly.

Zhiyan continued, "Does anyone else have a request? If not, I'll arrange the rest."

Everyone shook their heads.

After a moment's thought, he settled on the order.

"Wana, second."

Wana nodded and kept eating her chocolate.

"Utahime, third."

Utahime murmured her agreement, her expression growing a little more serious.

"Geto, fourth."

Geto gave a slight nod.

"Xian Di, fifth."

Xian Di lifted his teacup and took a sip. "All right," he said calmly.

"I'll go last."

Having finished, Zhiyan looked around at everyone.

"Any objections?"

They all shook their heads.

"Good." Zhiyan stood. "It's almost time. Let's go."

The fighting arena was set up in an open area in the hills behind Tokyo Jujutsu High.

It was a natural basin surrounded by gently rising slopes, which made ideal spectator stands once seats had been installed.

A square roughly fifty meters on each side had been leveled out at the bottom of the basin, with white boundary lines marked on the ground. Several tall flagpoles stood around it, flying the flags of Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High, which fluttered gently in the morning breeze.

The spectator stands were already full.

The teachers from Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High sat in the front row. Shirakawa and Gakuganji sat side by side, with no hint of hostility between them; they looked more like two old friends chatting. Yaga sat one row behind Shirakawa, his expression as stern as ever, though a barely perceptible trace of anticipation lingered in his eyes.

The students from the two schools sat in their respective sections. On Kyoto Jujutsu High's side, a few first-years whispered among themselves, looking both nervous and excited. The second-years were comparatively composed, though their eyes still betrayed their eagerness.

On Tokyo Jujutsu High's side, Zhiyan led the team to their assigned seats. Satoru Gojo sat at the end, his legs bouncing nonstop as though he couldn't wait another second to rush into the arena.

Wana sat beside him, irritated by all his fidgeting.

"Keep bouncing, and I'll chop your legs off."

"I'm excited," Satoru Gojo said, utterly unapologetic.

"I don't care."

"You're unreasonable," Satoru Gojo muttered.

Wana rolled her eyes. So what if I'm unreasonable? You'll just have to put up with it.

Shoko sat beside Zhiyan, watching the referee and staff make their final preparations in the arena.

"It's starting," she said.

Everyone turned their attention to the arena.

The referee was a middle-aged man in a Jujutsu High uniform, his face stern. He walked to the center of the arena and cleared his throat, his voice carrying throughout the basin with the aid of cursed energy.

"The individual matches of the interschool Goodwill Event will now begin."

The stands fell silent.

"First match-" The referee looked up from the list in his hand, his voice ringing out. "Kyoto Jujutsu High, second-year, Takuma Tanaka."

Applause and cheers rose from Kyoto Jujutsu High's section.

A solidly built boy stood up from Kyoto Jujutsu High's seats. He wore their school uniform and had short hair and regular features. His expression looked fairly composed, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his nerves.

Takuma Tanaka.

A second-year whose Cursed Technique was "Hardening"-it allowed him to concentrate cursed energy on the surface of his body, greatly increasing his defense and attack power. Among Kyoto Jujutsu High's second-years, his strength ranked in the upper middle.

He took a deep breath, descended from the stands, and stepped into the fighting arena.

The moment he stood there, he looked around at the spectators and judges, his heart involuntarily beating faster.

Stay calm, stay calm, he told himself. You've trained so long for this day. Whoever your opponent is, you just need to fight to the best of your abilities.

His teacher had told him before the match, "Your Hardening Cursed Technique may not be flashy, but it's solid. As long as you fight steadily, you still have a chance of winning."

You still have a chance of winning.

Takuma Tanaka repeated those words silently, bolstering his courage.

Then he heard the referee announce his opponent's name.

"Facing him,"

"Tokyo Jujutsu High, first-year-"

Takuma Tanaka's ears pricked up. A first-year? That's good. A first-year shouldn't have as much experience as me-

"Satoru Gojo."

The entire arena fell silent for a second.

Tanaka's mind went blank for a second, too.

Satoru Gojo.

Satoru Gojo?!

The Gojo Clan's Six Eyes sorcerer?!

Takuma Tanaka's face turned deathly pale.

He slowly turned toward Tokyo Jujutsu High's stands.

A white-haired figure rose from his seat.

Satoru Gojo stretched, loosened his neck, then-

Strolled into the fighting arena with a swagger that acknowledged no one.

With both hands in his pockets and his shoulders swaying, he made every step outrageously cocky. His chin was slightly raised, his lips wore that infuriating grin, and his whole bearing declared, I'm the strongest in the world.

Once in the arena, he tilted his head toward Takuma Tanaka and looked him up and down.

"You're my opponent?"

Tanaka's throat went dry. Unable to speak, he could only nod stiffly.

Satoru Gojo smiled.

It was a radiant smile, but to Tanaka, it looked no different from the smile of the Grim Reaper.

"Let's have a good match."

Takuma Tanaka felt his legs going weak.

He was fighting Satoru Gojo?

Seriously?

Could he win?

He was going to die.

He instinctively looked toward Kyoto Jujutsu High's stands, searching for support. His classmates were all watching him. Some raised their fists to cheer him on, some clenched their fists nervously, and others covered their faces, unable to watch.

Their team leader sat in the front row, his lips moving as he silently mouthed a few words-

"Just do your best."

Just do your best.

Takuma Tanaka took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Right, just do my best. My opponent is Satoru Gojo, the Six Eyes sorcerer. There's no shame in losing. As long as I last a few exchanges and show what I can do, that counts as a success.

With that thought, he straightened up again and took a fighting stance.

"Both sides, ready-" The referee raised his hand.

Satoru Gojo still had both hands in his pockets, making no move to prepare.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" Tanaka couldn't help asking.

Satoru Gojo tilted his head, looking puzzled.

"Ready for what?"

The corner of Tanaka's mouth twitched.

"Begin!"

The referee's hand dropped.

Takuma Tanaka didn't hesitate. He activated his cursed technique immediately.

Cursed energy surged through his body, gathering across the surface of his skin. A faint sheen spread over him, as though he had been coated in transparent armor.

Hardening was complete.

This was his strongest defensive state. In this state, ordinary cursed tools couldn't so much as scratch him, and he could even withstand a few attacks from a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.

He was ready-to take Satoru Gojo's attack and withstand it with Hardening. Even if he only lasted a few minutes, he would have done his best-

Then he saw Satoru Gojo raise his hand.

Blue energy coiled around that hand.

Blue.

Takuma Tanaka's pupils abruptly constricted.

Of course he knew that technique. Blue, a move of Limitless-it generated a powerful attraction, pulling everything nearby toward its center, and then-

Then he remembered nothing more.

Because Satoru Gojo had already moved.

A slap infused with Blue came straight at him.

It wasn't a complicated move, nor did it involve any sophisticated technique.

It was simply a slap.

But that slap carried the power of Blue.

Takuma Tanaka felt as though an out-of-control truck had hit him-no, it was worse than that. His Hardening Cursed Technique gave a piercing crack, like a sheet of thin ice shattering beneath a sledgehammer. His entire body lifted off the ground, and the world in his vision blurred into patches of color.

Wind roared past his ears.

He flew across the entire fighting platform, past the boundary line-

Thud!

He slammed onto the grass more than ten meters beyond the platform, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

The entire venue fell silent.

Deathly silent.

The referee's raised hand froze in midair. His mouth hung slightly open, his eyes as wide as saucers.

He had seen plenty of matches and all sorts of victories, but this-sending someone flying more than ten meters with a single slap-was a first.

He stood stunned for several seconds before finally coming to his senses and raising his flag.

"T-Tokyo Jujutsu High, Satoru Gojo wins!"

Barely a dozen seconds had passed from start to finish.

A tremendous uproar erupted from the stands.

Kyoto Jujutsu High's teachers sat in the front row, their faces livid.

They had known their chances of winning were slim. When the matchup was announced, they had already braced themselves to lose the first match. After all, their opponent was Satoru Gojo, the Six Eyes sorcerer, a once-in-a-century genius of Jujutsu Society.

Losing was to be expected.

But losing like this-

One slap.

Just one slap.

He had barely even used his cursed technique. He had simply sent Tanaka flying with a slap infused with Blue.

This was no longer a question of winning or losing. It was a matter of pride.

A second-year upperclassman had been slapped more than ten meters away by a first-year newcomer. This was probably a first in the history of the Goodwill Event.

Principal Gakuganji's expression remained fairly calm, though his grip on his teacup tightened slightly. The young teacher beside him pressed his lips together, swallowing whatever he had been about to say.

Principal Shirakawa watched Satoru Gojo on the platform, the corner of his mouth twitching. Then he turned toward Yaga behind him.

"Yaga, this student of yours..."

Yaga didn't look pleased either.

He took a deep breath, then another, trying to keep his expression stern, but a vein at his temple still twitched uncontrollably.

How many times had I told this brat not to act so arrogant, not to show off so much?

And what did he do?

Sent someone flying with a slap.

Yaga closed his eyes and silently beat Satoru Gojo up a hundred times in his mind.

Out on the field, Takuma Tanaka lay flat on his back on the grass, staring at the blue sky and white clouds overhead, his mind completely blank.

What happened?

What... did I just do?

He remembered activating his cursed technique, and then-

Then he had gone flying.

It was that simple.

He forced himself to sit up. Every inch of his body hurt. His Hardening Cursed Technique had absorbed most of the impact, but that slap had been far too powerful-so powerful that even his technique hadn't been able to dissipate it completely.

His classmates ran over to help him.

"Takuma! Are you okay?"

"Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"Can you stand?"

Takuma Tanaka shook his head and stood with his classmates' support. One of his legs wouldn't quite bear his weight, leaving him limping as he walked.

It's fine, he told himself.

The team leader said to just do my best.

It's okay.

With that thought, he limped off the field.

Then he reached up and wiped his face.

His hand was wet.

Huh?

He looked down at his wet palm, bewildered.

When did I start crying?

I didn't even want to cry.

But the tears kept falling, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the grass.

He blinked hard, trying to hold them back, but the harder he tried, the more they flowed.

Seeing him like this, his classmates didn't know what to say. They could only silently support him as they walked toward the rest area.

"I'm fine," Takuma Tanaka said through his tears, his voice hoarse. "I'm fine. I really am..."

He kept saying he was fine, but his tears only flowed harder.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo Jujutsu High's stands.

Satoru Gojo had already returned from the platform, his hands still in his pockets and that punchable grin on his face.

He walked up to Wana, lifted his chin, and said smugly:

"Well? I sent him flying, didn't I?"

He wasn't quiet. Everyone in the surrounding rows heard him clearly.

Wana's eyelid twitched.

She instinctively turned to look toward Kyoto Jujutsu High.

Good grief.

The looks those people were giving Satoru Gojo were downright murderous.

Some clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white; some gritted their teeth, their jaws bulging; others even had red eyes, though it was hard to tell whether it was from anger or shock at what they had just witnessed.

Kyoto Jujutsu High's team leader sat in the front row with his arms crossed over his chest, looking as grim as if he had swallowed a stone. The team members behind him, however, had none of his composure. Every one of them glared at Satoru Gojo, their eyes practically screaming, Just you wait.

And Satoru Gojo, oblivious as ever, was still talking.

"I'm telling you, I held back on that slap. Otherwise, that guy wouldn't have just gone flying. He probably would've landed on the other side of the mountain-"

Wana took a deep breath.

She stood and stepped right in front of Satoru Gojo.

Before he could react, an arm had already locked around his neck.

"Wha-?!"

Her other hand clamped over his mouth.

"Just shut up already," Wana hissed through her teeth, tightening her arm and trapping Satoru Gojo's head under her armpit.

"Mmph, mmph-!" Satoru Gojo struggled, but Wana held him so tightly that he couldn't break free right away.

"Didn't you see how those people from Kyoto Jujutsu High were looking at you?" Wana lowered her voice, speaking through gritted teeth. "Keep talking, and they won't just want to beat you up. They'll want to kill you."

"Mmph, mmph!" Satoru Gojo nodded frantically to show that he understood.

Only then did Wana let go.

Satoru Gojo gasped for breath, looking at her pitifully.

"Go easy... you nearly snapped my neck..."

"Good. Then you wouldn't be able to go around embarrassing us," Wana snapped.

Satoru Gojo rubbed his neck and muttered something under his breath, but faced with Wana's fierce glare, he finally had the sense to shut his mouth.

Beside them, Suguru Geto couldn't help laughing at the sight.

Utahime sat nearby, watching Wana put Satoru Gojo firmly in his place, and finally felt some of her irritation ease.

"Serves you right," she murmured.

Shoko looked as languid as ever, but the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.

Zhiyan looked at Wana and Satoru Gojo, shook his head helplessly, then turned his attention back to the fighting platform.

The referee was clearing the field in preparation for the second match, though there didn't really seem to be anything to clear.

"Next match," Zhiyan said.

Wana released Satoru Gojo and brushed the dust off her skirt.

"My turn."

She loosened her wrists and headed down toward the platform.

Satoru Gojo called after her, "Wana! Don't lose! If you lose, don't bother coming back!"

Wana waved without looking back.

"Don't worry. I'm not you."

Satoru Gojo froze for a moment, then caught on.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I won!"

Wana stepped onto the fighting platform, took her position, and looked toward Kyoto Jujutsu High's stands.

The referee raised his hand.

"Second match-Kyoto Jujutsu High, first-year, Shinya Zenin."

"Versus,"

"Tokyo Jujutsu High, first-year, Wana Zenin."

A boy stood up in Kyoto Jujutsu High's stands.

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