An Overwhelming Clash

"It looks like your cursed energy control can't keep up."

Their swarms of cursed tools clashed fiercely in midair. Once Yuta Okkotsu could no longer keep pace with Dai Li's projections, what followed would be a one-sided rout.

The two torrents of projected cursed tools continued to collide, but the balance had quietly begun to shift.

At first, they had projected almost exactly the same number of cursed tools. Red and pink cursed energy intertwined as blades, spears, heavy hammers, and chains collided in midair, the bursts of cursed energy almost obscuring their vision.

But as the battle went on, Okkotsu's projection speed gradually began to fall behind Dai Li's.

Whenever a long blade wreathed in pink cursed energy had just taken shape, a cursed tool trailing red light would already be streaking in from afar, striking its blade with pinpoint accuracy. Before Yuta Okkotsu's newly projected tool could even serve its purpose, it shattered with a crash, turning into cursed residue that dispersed into the air.

The second and third blades met the same fate immediately afterward.

Okkotsu raised his hand and projected a row of short blades. Dai Li's swarm immediately shot in from different directions, crossing paths and shattering the blades the moment they left Okkotsu's hand.

Yuta Okkotsu then changed his projection sequence, manifesting an enormous war hammer beside him. But before he could swing it, three long blades slashed across it from the front. Several cracks instantly burst across its surface, then a fourth weapon-a heavy hammer-smashed into it head-on, making the entire cursed tool disintegrate in midair.

A dense barrage of impacts rang out overhead. The two once evenly matched swarms gradually gave way to one-sided suppression. Red projections kept intercepting the pink ones, and more and more cursed tools failed to remain intact for even a second.

Okkotsu did not stop. He extended his hand again, rapidly gathering pink cursed energy as several long blades abruptly appeared above Dai Li.

But Dai Li seemed to have already anticipated where he would project them. The swarm behind him suddenly changed direction, sending more than a dozen cursed tools shooting out from different angles at once.

"When both sides are using the Projection Cursed Technique, it comes down to cursed energy efficiency and control."

Dai Li jumped down from his elevated position. The longsword in his hand reappeared before he landed, red cursed energy flowing slowly along its edge.

"And clearly, you still haven't trained enough."

"That's true, but I can also tell that your Projection Cursed Technique is even more efficient than mine, Dai Li. How do you do that?"

"My Innate Cursed Technique can even improve the efficiency of my cursed techniques."

The battle had driven home a lesson for Yuta Okkotsu: the Projection Cursed Technique looked simple, but controlling it was extremely difficult.

Controlling a swarm of cursed tools demanded considerable concentration. And when projecting identical tools, he definitely expended far more cursed energy than Dai Li did.

"You really are impressive, Dai Li. Unless I focus completely, controlling the cursed tools I project is very difficult."

"But you can project huge numbers of cursed tools to attack while fighting me up close. Gojo-sensei said he was the one who taught you cursed energy control..."

Before Yuta Okkotsu could finish, Dai Li cut in.

"Satoru Gojo's teaching style... how should I put it? It's like Naruto teaching Konohamaru to use the Rasengan."

"Surely Gojo-sensei's teaching isn't quite that bad..."

"No, I mean I feel like Konohamaru."

Besides the Cursed Corpse Training Method Satoru Gojo had given him, Dai Li had also used "Life and Binding: Tempering" to greatly improve the precision of his cursed energy control.

There was also the combat practice he had been doing every day with Maki, Panda, and the others.

Now, projecting a thousand cursed tools at once placed no strain on him whatsoever.

"Well, I think the spectators are getting a little impatient."

"Miss Mei Mei's crows are cawing."

"Then let's keep going."

As Okkotsu finished speaking, Rika charged forward again from behind him...

Inside a room at Kyoto Jujutsu High, several monitors were simultaneously showing the Goodwill Event's final match.

To give everyone a clearer view of the battle, Mei Mei kept adjusting her crows' camera angles. From distant wide shots to the details of their close-range exchanges, she missed almost nothing.

The room was quiet. Everyone seated there understood the significance of this battle.

The other students saw only two Special Grade-level students repeatedly clashing. These adults, however, saw two young people fighting who could someday reshape Jujutsu Society.

"This really is absurd."

Mei Mei leaned back in her chair, lightly tapping her fingers against the table as she kept her eyes on the screen.

Watching the swarms of cursed tools constantly appear and disappear, she smiled with interest.

"If you look at the technique alone, the Projection Cursed Technique isn't particularly suited to direct combat."

"Yet he's forced it into a form of suppression almost like a Domain Expansion."

"He controls so many cursed tools at once, and not one of them is merely a piece of junk he's churned out."

Mei Mei paused, then continued:

"Cursed energy reserves and control at this level can no longer be explained by talent alone."

Seated on the other side, Masamichi Yaga watched the screen in silence.

As the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High, he understood Dai Li's recent changes better than anyone.

In the beginning, despite his unusual cursed technique, Dai Li had seemed more like a student with tremendous potential.

But now...

The boy on the screen had begun to display the oppressive presence of a Special Grade Sorcerer.

"How long has he been hiding this?"

Masamichi Yaga spoke quietly.

"He wasn't hiding his strength."

Satoru Gojo leaned against the wall, holding a teacup that had appeared at some point, his tone as relaxed as ever.

"He just didn't want to show it before."

"Dai Li might usually look lazy, but he actually knows what he needs better than anyone."

"He knows what he's lacking, so he's been making up for it bit by bit."

Masamichi Yaga glanced at Satoru Gojo.

"You knew all along?"

"Of course."

Satoru Gojo answered without hesitation.

"Though even I didn't expect him to grow this much."

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the screen.

On-screen, Yuta Okkotsu and Dai Li had already resumed their fight.

Rika's enormous fist smashed toward the ground while Dai Li used his projected cursed tools to move at high speed. Red and pink cursed energy collided again and again.

"Yuta is the same."

Satoru Gojo's tone grew slightly more serious.

"Yuta used to believe his power would hurt other people."

"So he had power, but never dared to truly use it."

"But things are different now."

On the screen, Okkotsu tightened his grip on his sword again and charged toward Dai Li alongside Rika.

The corners of Satoru Gojo's mouth lifted slightly.

"Now he's finally starting to accept himself."