Meeting time

"The team event is about to begin. Everyone from Tokyo Jujutsu High, we'll need to head back first."

Noritoshi Kamo checked the watch he carried and directed the Kyoto Jujutsu High students to return and prepare.

"You too, Todo. Today's the team event, remember?"

"Tch, don't go ordering me around!"

Aoi Todo was thoroughly self-centered and gave Noritoshi Kamo a sour look for interrupting his fun.

"Yuta Okkotsu, I'll get a good look at your strength later. That goes for Dai Li and Kinji Hakari, too."

"None of you seem like boring men. Let's fight to our hearts' content at this Goodwill Event."

With that, Aoi Todo ignored everyone else's reactions, turned around, and headed toward Kyoto Jujutsu High's side.

His tall figure faced away from them, his broad shoulders swaying gently with each step. He showed none of the nerves one might expect before a competition. Instead, he looked like a child who had discovered an interesting new toy, an excited smile never leaving his lips.

There was no hostility toward a rival in his eyes, nor any wariness of Yuta Okkotsu's Special Grade status.

Only pure anticipation.

To Aoi Todo, battles between jujutsu sorcerers had never been just about winning or losing.

The weak weren't worth his attention. Only opponents who could resonate with his soul deserved his full effort.

"Does this mean Todo has his sights set on me now?"

Yuta Okkotsu scratched his cheek with his index finger. He wanted others to acknowledge him, but this wasn't quite what he had imagined.

"Just use Rika's cursed energy to teach him a lesson."

Dai Li didn't give it any more thought. Yuta Okkotsu could definitely beat Aoi Todo, after all. Even if Rika only partially manifested, everyone at this Goodwill Event would be in for a rough time.

Before long, the Goodwill Event's opening ceremony officially began.

"The Kyoto-Tokyo Sister-School Goodwill Event will last two days. The first day is a team battle, with the following rules:

The first team to exorcise the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit within the designated area will win. There are also numerous cursed spirits of Grade 3 and below in the area. If neither team wins before sunset, the team with the higher exorcism count will be declared the winner."

Utahime Iori announced the rules. Masamichi Yaga, who had arrived late, was also there to watch. Before the Goodwill Event, he had been summoned by the Jujutsu Higher-Ups.

"The team event will officially begin at noon."

On Tokyo Jujutsu High's side, it was meeting time.

"Um, everyone, what's our plan?"

Yuta Okkotsu asked his companions, but none of them paid much attention to the meeting. After all, Tokyo Jujutsu High had no strategist taking charge.

"There isn't one. Just find the cursed spirits and exorcise them, or beat the other team flat."

Dai Li showed no pre-match nerves whatsoever. He had taken off his shoes and was lying on the tatami, reading manga and eating potato chips.

Kinji Hakari and Kirara Hoshi were playing dice with the remaining student.

"Nice, I rolled the highest again."

"Kin, you're way too lucky."

Meanwhile, over on Kyoto Jujutsu High's side.

"I don't think surrounding Yuta Okkotsu is a good idea. Right now, he's like a pressure-release mine. One person might be fine, but too many people rushing him at once would backfire. Once the cursed spirit behind him thinks his life is in danger, she'll manifest outright, and we'll all be wiped out."

The brown robot, Mechamaru, voiced his opinion. He didn't quite agree with Noritoshi Kamo's approach.

"So you're saying we should ignore Yuta Okkotsu?"

Noritoshi Kamo sat to one side, tapping his fingers lightly against the table, his expression calm.

"No."

Mechamaru shook his head.

"Yuta Okkotsu has to be dealt with first, but not right now."

"His weakness is obvious."

Mechamaru raised his head, his electronic eyes flickering faintly.

"Yuta Okkotsu's greatest asset right now is that Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, but he hasn't fully mastered her power."

"Based on the information we have, that cursed spirit probably won't appear unless Yuta Okkotsu is threatened."

"So we should distract him first, keeping him from paying attention to the other battles."

After hearing him out, Noritoshi Kamo nodded slightly.

That didn't differ much from his own thinking.

Yuta Okkotsu was too dangerous to provoke carelessly.

But he wasn't the only person at Tokyo Jujutsu High they really needed to watch out for.

"There's also Dai Li."

Noritoshi Kamo spoke up.

Mechamaru's body turned slightly.

"The guy who exorcised a special grade cursed spirit capable of Domain Expansion?"

"That's right."

Noritoshi Kamo's gaze grew grave.

"Although the report left many details of his battle vague, the information circulating within the Three Great Families can't be wrong."

"He has a special cursed technique that can reproduce various cursed tools."

"And in that battle, he used the Three Great Families' secret anti-domain technique, Falling Blossom Emotion."

"A first-year who can do that can't be treated as an ordinary Semi-Grade 1 Sorcerer."

Listening to their analysis from the side, Momo Nishimiya spoke quietly.

"So the biggest headaches this time are two first-years?"

"Okkotsu and Dai Li."

"Not just those two."

Noritoshi Kamo shook his head.

"There's also the second-year, Kinji Hakari."

"Tokyo Jujutsu High's lineup is much stronger this year than in previous years."

While the Kyoto Jujutsu High students were discussing their plans.

Over in Tokyo Jujutsu High's meeting room.

"So you really don't have a plan?"

Yuta Okkotsu watched the completely relaxed group before him, his expression growing increasingly stiff.

He had assumed that for an official competition like the Goodwill Event, they would at least come up with some tactics.

Instead...

Dai Li was resting.

Kinji Hakari was playing, while Kirara Hoshi watched the fun from beside him.

The only person who seemed remotely serious was Yuta himself.

"Yuta, you're too nervous."

Dai Li turned a page of his manga without looking up.

"The Kyoto Jujutsu High students do have some skill, but we don't need to prepare like we're going on a Special Grade mission."

"Besides, winning isn't the most important part of this Goodwill Event."

Yuta Okkotsu looked at him in confusion.

"It isn't?"

"Right."

Dai Li sat up and set his potato chips aside.

"At its core, the Goodwill Event is a chance for jujutsu sorcerers to show what they can do."

"You need to let everyone see that you're no longer the Yuta Okkotsu who can only rely on Rika to protect him, who makes her go berserk whenever he gets hurt."

"Doesn't Maki want to prove herself, too?"

Hearing Maki's name swept the gloom from Yuta Okkotsu's heart. I need the people in Jujutsu Society to acknowledge me. That'll make it easier to find a way to free Rika from her curse.

Dai Li looked out the window.

"I'd like to see just how good these Kyoto Jujutsu High students are."

He had barely finished speaking.

Utahime Iori's voice rang out in the distance.

"Both sides, get ready!"

"The Goodwill Event team battle officially begins!"

The next second.

Every participant from Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High moved at once.

Fluctuations of cursed energy erupted throughout the forest.

The moment Aoi Todo stepped into the competition area, an eager smile appeared on his face.

"It's finally started."

"Yuta Okkotsu."

"Dai Li."

"Let me see just how interesting you two really are."

Dai Li and the others had already sensed the cursed energy Aoi Todo was making no attempt to conceal as he charged straight toward the Tokyo Jujutsu High students.

"Well, I'll handle Aoi Todo."

"Will you be okay, Dai Li?"

"No worries. Satoru Gojo did put me in charge of looking after you and Rika, after all. I guess that makes me something of a senior to you."