At the sudden sternness in Jiahao's voice, Mahito shuddered.
He hurriedly tore out the notebook page bearing the name Spirit Rocket Team and stuffed it into Jogo's scorching brain to destroy it.
"How about Jiahao Garden?"
"No good. People will say we copied Shadow Garden."
"What about the Thirteen Jiahao Guards?"
"No. We obviously don't have enough people."
"The Spirit Investigation Group?"
"Curse Assault?"
"Cursed Spirit's Tail?"
"The Curse Extermination Squad?"
After more than ten straight minutes, Kenjaku fell silent.
"Lord Hao Plant, why don't you give us your thoughts?"
Jiahao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, gave a soft hum.
Picking up the ice-cold cola on the table, Jiahao looked at the others. "Since you've asked, I'll say a few words."
"First, the matter of our organization's name. This is a crucial matter-a very crucial matter!"
"To sum up the conclusion, and to conclude the summary, hmm... I'll make a long story short, but this is a long story."
Jiahao lowered his head and sipped his cold cola. "The current situation is what it is. As for the specifics, you can all see them."
"Well, those who understand, understand. For those who don't, I won't explain any further. As long as everyone knows, that's enough."
Jiahao took another sip of cola. "You might not quite understand what you're hearing, but the meaning is what it means..."
"Excellent! Well said!!"
"Listening to your words truly beats listening to your words!"
Kenjaku applauded, his face full of excitement. "Brother Hao, you really are something! Even the senior officials holding meetings at the presidential palace don't explain things as thoroughly as you!"
Mahito looked utterly bewildered, his notebook completely blank.
What did he even say?
Afraid that Lord Hao Plant's art of saying nothing would go on forever, Kenjaku had no choice but to deploy his ultimate move.
"To protect world peace, to prevent humanity from destroying the world!"
"Let's call it... the Disaster Cross Society!"
Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!
Mahito applauded nonstop, terrified that Jiahao would start on a second crucial matter.
Watching the surreal scene before him, Jogo finally couldn't hold it in...
He threw up.
Early the next morning, in the Jujutsu High Dormitory.
Itadori opened his bleary eyes. Catching sight of Todo smiling beside his bed out of the corner of his eye, he reached for the water bottle by the bed and took a few gulps.
Huh... did I just overlook something really weird?
"-Pffft!!!"
Instantly wide awake, Itadori sprayed a mouthful of Salt Soda all over Todo's broad face.
Without a word, he jumped out of bed, flung open the window, and took off running barefoot.
Right behind him, Todo shouted, "Where are you going, Brad!"
"Give me a break, Todo!!"
Itadori scrambled onto a roof beam like a gecko, shouting as he ran, "I really didn't go to your middle school, and I don't know any Takada-chan!"
One fled, the other chased-there was no escape!
Their hundred-kilometer sprint first thing in the morning woke everyone with its shouting.
Roused by the noise, Kugisaki watched the two barefoot boys racing over walls and rooftops outside her window with an indescribably disgusted expression.
After breakfast, everyone gathered in the meeting room as instructed.
Wearing his blindfold, Satoru Gojo said, "Although we ran into a tiny little problem along the way, and both principals want to suspend the event, I think it's better to let you decide for yourselves."
"So, what'll it be? Do we continue the Goodwill Event?"
"Of course!"
Pressed right beside Itadori, Todo's expression turned solemn. "We watched our best friend leave, powerless to stop him."
"To bring back our best friend, who was led astray by cursed spirits, we need to grow stronger!"
"The strength we gain comes from steadily accumulating results..."
"By tasting defeat and savoring victory, we'll keep growing!"
Todo looked at Itadori and vowed, "Don't worry, brother. Whether it's a mountain of blades, a sea of fire, or a nest of curses, I'll always be by your side!"
Itadori stared blankly. "Really, no need."
Kugisaki's gaze turned suspicious. "Has this big guy been possessed by a curse too? He sounds surprisingly dependable."
Maki nodded. "A fairly dependable lunatic."
The Kyoto sorcerers also voiced their agreement.
"The results of the first day's team competition are void. The final outcome will be decided by today's individual matches."
Satoru Gojo produced a drawing box and looked at Itadori. "Pick one at random. That'll be today's event."
In previous individual competitions, both sides had sent out jujutsu sorcerers to face off in arena matches, deciding the winner through curses.
But Satoru Gojo hated convention and had capriciously changed the event selection to a random draw.
Seeing that nobody objected, Itadori stepped forward and reached into the box.
He had imagined curse duels, close-combat matches, cursed tool events, and even contests of barrier techniques, but the one thing he hadn't expected was...
"Tennis?!"
Yaga's and Gakuganji's heads popped out from behind Itadori, both looking astonished.
They knew Satoru Gojo was unreliable, but they hadn't expected him to be this unreliable.
What the hell good was tennis to jujutsu sorcerers?
Half an hour later.
The sorcerers from both schools changed into Summer Sportswear and gathered at the outdoor tennis court.
Tokyo wore pure white, while Kyoto wore pure black.
Wearing sunglasses, a white top, and black bottoms, Satoru Gojo sat in the umpire's chair. "Each side has six players. There'll be four matches!"
"Two singles matches and two doubles matches. The first team to score three points wins."
Once the simple rules had been announced, both teams took the court in their predetermined order.
Itadori swung his racket a few times and looked toward the changing room. "Where's Panda?"
"They didn't prepare sportswear in his size. He's probably still in there working a sewing machine to make himself something."
Maki, their first singles player, loosened up her arms and legs as she spoke.
Fushiguro, their second singles player, looked at Itadori with a stiff expression. "Aren't sports your strong suit? If you took the second singles slot, we could've secured both points, right?"
Cautiously glancing at Todo's gleaming grin across the court, Itadori whispered, "No... I think Todo would probably be waiting for me in a singles slot."
"Are you that scared?"
Warming up, Kugisaki unleashed her usual sharp tongue. "Did you lovebirds have a fight?"
Itadori said, "...I'm straight."
Kugisaki said, "For now. Who knows about later?"
Soon, three matches were over. With the score at one to two, Tokyo was trailing by a point.
Coming off the court after partnering with Inumaki, Kugisaki looked in surprise at the sweat-drenched Itadori on the sidelines. "Why do you look more tired than me?"
Her gaze swept over Todo, who had started warming up across the court, and she immediately understood.
Kugisaki patted Itadori's shoulder and said earnestly, "Don't be so rigid about gender. Rather than finding a girl you love, why not find a boy who only has eyes for you?"
"When it comes to destiny, heaven gets the final say."
Itadori shuddered and slapped her little hand away in disgust. "Stop wiping your sweat on my clothes!"
Damn it!
Todo saw right through my little scheme. Is he actually a genius?
Looking at Todo and Mechamaru across the court, Itadori stepped onto the court only to realize that his own doubles partner still hadn't arrived.
He was about to ask Umpire Gojo for a timeout when Todo leaped high into the air and served first.
"Brad, I knew you'd choose to play last!"
"Just as an apple falls to the earth once it leaves its branch, we're drawn to each other."
Stop talking, Todo!
Fighting the urge to vomit, Itadori barely managed to return the ball.
"Don't worry. This is a private rendezvous between us brothers. Nobody will be tactless enough to interrupt!"
Just as Todo said, the metal puppet controlled by Mechamaru stood alone in a corner, making no attempt to hit the ball.
Incredibly, Itadori could actually make out a clear expression of disgust on the metal puppet's face.
Maybe I should just forfeit...
His stomach seemed to feel a little better, and his steps were growing heavier.
Facing another passionate, powerful shot from Todo, Itadori deliberately slowed down, pretending he couldn't keep up.
Bang!!
The tennis ball seemed to strike a speaker and bounced high into the air.
"That familiar tune?!"
It hadn't just seemed that way. Everyone on the court heard the forceful guitar notes.
"That little bastard!"
In the stands, Yaga shot to his feet and barked an order. "Get every Grade 1 Sorcerer here and surround the Broadcast Room!"
Just then, a shadow leaping high into the air blocked the sunlight above Itadori's head.
Boom!!
The tennis ball, which hadn't yet gone out of bounds, was returned by the airborne figure.
The instant the racket sliced through the air, it tore the atmosphere into a white, blade-shaped shock wave.
The returned ball hurtled just above the ground at a terrifying speed, like a roaring bolt of black lightning.
Still accelerating, the tennis ball gradually collapsed into a speeding miniature black hole. A dangerous dark red glow rimmed its edges as it swept up sand and gravel, spraying them outward in a ring!
A tennis ball faster than sound...
Its trajectory never wavered, tracing an exquisitely straight line.
Left alone, this ball would fly well out of bounds, but that hardly mattered!
Aoi Todo, swing forward, now!
Or... you'll die!
Gripping his racket with both hands, Todo watched the rapidly approaching black lightning, his brain working at its limit.
If I drop my racket and activate my cursed technique now, I might still be able to dodge it.
But... Aoi Todo, are you really going to run away?!
Your best friend Itadori is growing stronger at an incredible rate, while you're still standing still!
If I'm satisfied with my current strength, how can I have the nerve to call myself his brother?!
My best friend's best friend has lost his way and joined the curses!
Are you going to let Itadori fight alone, Aoi Todo?
Even if this tennis ball kills me, so what?!
Master... Takada-chan... Itadori.
Images of the three most important people in his life replayed in his mind, one after another.
Within one hundredth of a second, Todo raised his racket with a throat-rending roar.
Pouring all his cursed energy into the strike, Todo struggled to hold back the still-accelerating black-hole tennis ball with his racket!
Boom!!
Violent winds erupted across the entire court. The black hole shredded Todo's shirt in an instant, and his black hair whipped wildly, but he still held on!
Heavy-this tennis ball is so heavy!!
I can't return it. Every muscle in my body is screaming just from holding on!
Todo even heard the sharp crack of breaking bones. Before his eyes, he dimly saw Takada-chan and Itadori watching him with concern...
It's not an illusion. My best friend is cheering me on!
Hold on, Aoi Todo!
Return it! Hit the ball back!!
Compared to the bond my best friend and I have built up all this time... this weight is nothing!
Aoi Todo, you have to live!
You can't die to a tennis ball!
You still have to exorcise curses with your best friend, and take Takada-chan to the Neutral Country's seaside to spend your days in peace.
Ah, just thinking about those things is exciting, so...
Forward! Hit the ball forward!
Under the boundless pressure he put on himself, dazzling black-and-red lightning erupted with a thunderous crash from Todo's racket!
"Black Flash!!"
Boom!!!
Todo's racket, Todo's front teeth, and the wall behind Todo all shattered within the black hole!
Whoosh!
The figure beside Itadori swung his racket, sweeping away the swirling dust.
A white baseball cap, a black tennis racket.
Those piercing red eyes, along with that familiar music.
Jiahao pointed his racket at Todo, who lay on the ground opposite him, and smiled faintly. "You've still got a ways to go!"
The newcomer was Echizen Ryugo.
Before you continue