The outcome was decided

Suguru Geto glanced at the [Blue] closing in around him and Satoru Gojo in front of him, ready to unleash [Red] at any moment. All he could do was raise both hands and wave them at Gojo.

"You win, Satoru." Geto felt no resentment. He had no means of winning left. The instant the [Smallpox Hag]'s domain had been destroyed, his chance of victory had vanished.

At the edge of the field, Yoshinobu Gakuganji sat beside Masamichi Yaga.

"Without question, Satoru Gojo is now the strongest of this era. Suguru Geto has also reached special grade level. Only Sakurada Niji remains uncertain. His fight was far too easy, and he showed none of the destructive power expected of a special grade." Gakuganji assessed their abilities.

He had come to Tokyo Jujutsu High as an evaluator for this special grade selection. That was also why he had stayed after his side lost every match in the Goodwill Event.

"Niji has special grade strength. You'll understand once his fight with Satoru is over," Yaga said calmly. He had every confidence in these students' abilities. Ever since Sakurada Niji had finished telling his "story," everyone had been working hard to improve, especially Niji himself.

Off the field, Geto rode the Rainbow Dragon to the edge of the training grounds and returned to his original seat.

"Geto! You were incredible! You actually forced Gojo to use a new move!" Yu Haibara looked at Geto with open admiration.

"Haha, I wasn't that impressive." Geto answered with a smile, but a trace of resentment had crept into his heart.

I didn't feel this way when I conceded just now... Oh, right. We aren't the 'strongest' duo anymore. Satoru alone is the strongest now. Many thoughts ran through Geto's mind. The thought that he and Gojo could no longer be called the "strongest" duo filled him with anxiety and resentment. Perhaps he had always believed that his strength was what earned Gojo's recognition.

"Geto?" Sakurada Niji called.

"Geto?!" After calling once and getting no response, Niji found Geto still sitting there in a daze, lost in thought, so he shouted again.

"Ah...? Niji, did you need something?" Geto snapped out of it and answered Niji with a smile.

Looking at Geto, who was plainly weighed down by worries, Niji realized what was wrong.

"Geto, why do you think Satoru accepts us and became our friend? Do you really think it's just because he acknowledges our strength?" Niji asked him.

"Do you think Satoru is the kind of person who chooses his friends based on how strong they are? He acts like he doesn't care about anything, but he still wants to look after others. What is he supposed to do if you act like this? Regret getting stronger?" Niji earnestly tried to reason with Geto.

"I understand all that, Niji. I know. I just can't help feeling a little frustrated right now," Geto replied.

"But I've already worked it out. All I want now is to improve my own abilities, not resent a companion who's stronger than me because I'm too weak," Geto explained seriously.

"Boys are so hard to understand," Shoko remarked from beside them.

"Right? Especially those two... They're so awkward..." Utahime whispered into Shoko's ear.

"All right, I'm heading out there, Geto!" Niji waved at Geto, then walked straight onto the training grounds.

In the training grounds, Gojo surveyed the field with a calm expression. The [Blue] from earlier had already faded from the air.

"Niji, I'm not letting you expand your domain this time," Gojo said as Niji arrived on the field.

"I know. But could you come down first?" Niji stared up at Gojo in exasperation. From his angle, all he could see was Gojo's crotch.

"Almost forgot! You can't fly, Niji!" Gojo tapped his own head, pretending the realization had just struck him. His terrible acting made Niji unable to resist "flying" straight up to him.

"I can't fly through the sky. I can only walk up here." Niji created the smallest possible barriers beneath his feet, just enough to support himself. He needed to conserve his energy as much as possible. During Gojo and Geto's fight, his cursed energy had recovered to roughly seventy percent.

"Oh, Niji! You can fight in the air, but it must be pretty inconvenient, right? Don't accidentally fall! I won't be able to resist catching you!" Gojo's words were half advice and half provocation.

"No need to worry about me!" The moment Niji finished speaking, he laid Space-Severing Lines around Gojo, temporarily sealing off his teleportation.

"Are you mad?" Gojo tilted his head and teased him.

"Not at all," Niji answered distractedly. He was using cursed energy to trace Gojo's outline a short distance away, trying to directly control the air around him.

Limitless's base distance is about twenty centimeters. I'll use that as my reference and trace his outline with cursed energy! Niji settled on his basic strategy.

"Wow, impatient, aren't you? Your cursed energy stands out to me like blue paint on a white canvas," Gojo commented casually.

"Then try this!" Niji poured cursed energy into his fingers, briefly charged it, then fired it straight out. The cursed energy scattered through the air, forming a chaotic spray of Space-Severing Lines.

"This again, Niji? Do you think I'll still let you build your 'framework'?" Gojo was certain he would never fall into the same situation as last time.

"Blue: Orbiting Stars." Gojo immediately used the move he had just used against Geto, but this time, it was slightly different. The [Blue] he created kept revolving around him, and he seemed able to control their distance from him.

The Space-Severing Lines Niji created were destroyed by the [Orbiting Stars] circling Gojo. Gojo chose not to engage Niji in close combat because, in a certain sense, Niji's [Flash Walk] was a strong counter to Limitless. Besides, he kept feeling that Niji might suddenly pull out the Inverted Spear of Heaven.

"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red." Red light flashed in Gojo's hand. In an instant, [Red] reached Niji, who made no attempt to withstand it head-on. Instead, he used Flash Step and left his original position.

Satoru hasn't touched me yet, so the Blue circling him won't track me on their own. I just need to find an opening to use Domain Expansion.

Expanding my domain directly will consume about fifty percent of my current cursed energy. Building a framework costs less, but Satoru will see through it. He still doesn't know I can expand my domain directly.

Niji kept moving through the air with Flash Step, searching for an opportunity, while Gojo fought conservatively, aiming to exhaust Niji's cursed energy.

Neither Niji nor Gojo wanted to fight the other at close range now. Gojo's reason was simply the Inverted Spear of Heaven, while Niji feared being marked by Gojo. Besides, he had not brought the Inverted Spear of Heaven to this fight at all, nor did he intend to use it here.

If Gakuganji saw the Inverted Spear of Heaven, he would definitely report it to the Jujutsu Association. Then those old fossils at the Association would never let go of a cursed tool capable of countering Gojo. They would obtain it at any cost.

Although Niji was not afraid of those old fossils, nobody wanted to invite trouble. Keeping it hidden would spare him all that hassle.

"Niji, why not go all out? You don't have much cursed energy left, do you?" Gojo said to him.

"Heh, you've destroyed my entire 'framework.' How am I supposed to go all out?" Niji deliberately tried to mislead Gojo.

"No way! If your domain hits me, I lose!" Gojo told Niji.

Suddenly, just as Niji was about to replace the Space-Severing Lines destroyed by [Orbiting Stars], Gojo fired every [Blue] within [Orbiting Stars] at his position. Niji abandoned the lines and immediately used Flash Step to leave the spot, dodging the successive [Blue] Gojo had fired.

Seeing Niji evade [Blue], Gojo fired another [Red] at him. Niji seized the opening and immediately used Domain Expansion.

After expanding my domain, I'll only have enough cursed energy to sustain it for three seconds. I have to use the technique inside the domain immediately to injure Satoru.

"Domain Expansion: Stillness of All Things."

As Niji's cursed energy surged forth, the domain began forming an enclosed space, instantly trapping both Gojo and Niji inside.

"Domain Expansion! Sakurada Niji certainly qualifies for special grade consideration..." Shocked by Niji's Domain Expansion, Gakuganji shot to his feet. Only after collecting himself did he slowly sit back down, acknowledging Niji's special grade combat strength.

Suddenly, a burst of purple light erupted across the field, and Niji's domain was instantly destroyed from the outside.

Gojo had actually marked himself earlier, turning himself into a source of "attraction." After he released the [Blue] that had been circling him, his own "attraction" drew them back toward him. On their way back to Gojo, the fired [Blue] absorbed the [Red] in their path. [Blue] and [Red] merged, forming [Purple] just as Niji's domain finished taking shape and destroying it from the outside.

Once the purple light faded, Gojo walked over to the spectator stands, carrying Niji, who had passed out from exhausting his cursed energy.

"This looks awfully familiar..." Geto remarked reflexively.

"Why are you carrying him?" Shoko asked Gojo curiously.

"Come take pictures, Shoko!" Gojo lifted Niji over his head and jogged all the way back to the dormitories.

"Utahime, come along! I've got something good to show you!" Shoko pulled Utahime away with her, without bothering to ask whether Utahime needed to return to Kyoto right then.

Watching the Tokyo Jujutsu High students turn into little chibi figures as they followed Gojo away, Gakuganji was so furious his nose nearly twisted out of shape. He had not even said goodbye to Yaga or formally concluded the Goodwill Event, yet these students had already left on their own.

"Principal Gakuganji, the evaluation is over, isn't it? Geto will take Shoko to Kyoto later." Yaga made it clear to Gakuganji that it was time to leave.

"Let's go." Gakuganji called to the Kyoto Jujutsu High students and started down the mountain.

"So strong people can be this relaxed around each other?" Naoya Zenin watched the departing Tokyo Jujutsu High students. Deep in thought, he suddenly found his clan's rules a little uncomfortable.

"But Sakurada Niji said he had something to tell me..." Naoya had finally waited until Niji was free, only for Niji to fall unconscious.

"Naoya, we're leaving," Gakuganji called to Naoya, who had stopped walking.

"Yeah," Naoya answered absentmindedly.