Megumi TV

The test was still going.

The cursed corpse rained down punch after punch, chasing Yuji Itadori all over the room. He could only break away to strike back every now and then.

But he still got beaten into scrambling around the room, especially since, for some reason, this cursed corpse kept aiming below the belt.

Absolutely shameless.

Masamichi Yaga remained seated, his expression unchanged.

"Keep answering..."

"You're saving people now because someone gave you a push."

"What about later?"

"When no one pushes you, no one praises you, and even the people you save go on to do terrible things."

"When it comes to that, will you still follow this path?"

Yuji Itadori had just dodged a punch when the cursed corpse rammed straight into his arm.

Bam!

Itadori slammed into a pillar. He didn't cough up blood, but his head was still ringing.

Standing nearby, Long Xi watched with something approaching genuine respect for the cursed corpse.

To beat the Tiger of West Junior High this badly, it had to be at least on the level of a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit. Otherwise, why would Megumi Fushiguro look so terrified over there?

Megumi TV was still on the air... Before Long Xi could keep showing Megumi some love...

The cursed corpse lunged again. Itadori suddenly reached out, grabbed its arm, twisted at the waist, and slammed it hard into the floor.

The tatami shook.

Its cotton stuffing nearly flew out.

"I don't know what'll happen in the future!"

Itadori gritted his teeth, sweat covering his temples.

"And I'm not the kind of person who can figure everything out!"

"But if someone dies in front of me, and I could've done something but didn't-"

His voice suddenly rose.

"Then I'll regret it until the day I die!"

The cursed corpse bounced back up.

Itadori met it with a punch.

That blow made even Long Xi raise an eyebrow.

That feeling was back.

He couldn't even spare any attention for loving Megumi anymore.

For one instant, strength, cursed energy, and physical movement.

All three seemed to lock onto the exact same point.

It was brief.

Too brief to grasp.

But it had a hint of Black Flash to it.

Holy shit, Long Xi thought. Had Yuji Itadori just reached the embryonic stage of Black Flash?

And I... seem to... have learned it too?

[Skill: Black Flash (LV.0)]

[Effect: Makes landing a Black Flash easier]

And... maybe mine's even more outrageous than Yuji Itadori's?

Without help from the system, just through my own talent?

I'm actually this talented?

It was getting a little scary, man... Other people enrolled to study jujutsu; he was already getting his foot in the door on the spot.

Standing to one side, Megumi Fushiguro's expression was starting to go numb.

"This guy... really only just encountered jujutsu?"

Satoru Gojo leaned against the doorframe, turning the lollipop in his mouth halfway around.

"Talent just doesn't play fair."

Long Xi's brief burst of happiness was instantly choked off. How could this guy say something like that?

"You're the last person qualified to say that."

"Hey! ...I'm still your teacher, you know! If you're going to roast me, shouldn't you keep it in your head? Why say it out loud?"

"...This guy isn't much better either, is he?"

Such incredible talent left Megumi Fushiguro with a visceral twinge of fear. Damn it, this is so much pressure...

He had gained some new insight under these circumstances. If he had another half month to develop...

If I want to help him or beat him, I'll probably have to use that thing, won't I?

Looks like I need to work harder too...

Completely unaware of what was going through the Modern Strongest's head, Long Xi kept his gaze on Yuji Itadori.

Yuji Itadori had thoroughly shattered the cursed corpse's offensive rhythm.

Masamichi Yaga stared at him and finally asked his last question.

"Kid."

"What kind of death are you hoping for by becoming a jujutsu sorcerer?"

Yuji Itadori paused. What kind of death?

He didn't think he had ever considered that...

The room fell silent for two seconds.

Long Xi's usual expression of someone enjoying the show softened a little. After all, since arriving in this world, one of the characters from this anime he respected and liked most was right here.

Yuji Itadori... Long Xi had complete confidence in him!

Just as Long Xi expected, Yuji Itadori had never considered any of that. Everything he did was simply so he could live with a clear conscience.

To help others...

Yuji Itadori clenched his fists and looked up, panting.

"My grandpa told me to help other people."

"I don't want to die without knowing what I'm doing."

"And I definitely don't want to watch other people die in front of me."

"I want to give as many people as possible a proper death."

"If I have to die in the end too, then at least I don't want to die like someone who never did anything."

As his final word fell.

The cursed corpse stopped.

Masamichi Yaga watched him for a while, then reached out and picked the doll back up.

"All right."

"You passed."

Yuji Itadori flopped down onto the floor.

"I'm free! ...Couldn't you have gone a little easier? That really hurt!"

Behind him, Satoru Gojo immediately started clapping.

Long Xi followed suit, looking at Yuji Itadori with a kind, gentle expression, recreating the classic scene from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

For some reason, though, just as he was about to speak, Megumi Fushiguro elbowed him.

It was as though he knew exactly what Long Xi was about to do...

In the end, the "Congratulations" never left his mouth.

But Long Xi reacted perfectly normally, elbowing him right back without a word.

The teacher at the front remained all smiles, completely ignoring the people behind him.

"Yay, you passed the interview."

"And by the way, that last line was really cool, Yuji."

Before Yuji Itadori could celebrate, Masamichi Yaga's gaze had already shifted to Long Xi.

The moment that gaze landed on him, Long Xi abandoned his plan to attack below the belt and force Megumi to use Bunyu Bunyu Ryo Yura.

He turned to Principal Yaga with a solemn expression.

Here it comes.

My turn.

He had already prepared himself.

Another cursed corpse would be fine.

Talking about his ideals would be fine too.

He could even accept being made to write an essay on "Why I Want to Become a Jujutsu Sorcerer" right there.

Instead, Masamichi Yaga's very first sentence smashed his predictions clean out of the park.

"You don't need to fight a cursed corpse."

Long Xi froze.

"Huh?"

Masamichi Yaga looked at him, his tone grave.

"Itadori's issue was his resolve."

"That isn't your issue."

"You know exactly what you want, and you're willing to fight for it."

"But your circumstances are too unusual."

At those words, almost everyone looked curiously at Long Xi, the one being called unusual. Even Megumi Fushiguro turned to look.

Long Xi rubbed his chin, already having a pretty good idea.

First, his extraordinary strength and the exceptional talent they might have been told about, or discovered themselves, had caught the higher-ups' attention.

Second, the higher-ups might have learned about his other cursed technique related to the modern era, which had annoyed them a little.

Third, the higher-ups of Jujutsu Society were fucking idiots.

So there was no need to think any further...

He could just wait for Masamichi Yaga to continue.

"You're developing too quickly."

"Too quickly for a normal jujutsu sorcerer."

"That speed could be talent, or it could be a warning sign that you're losing control... At least, that's what they say."

"So your assessment won't take place here."

"You need to prove your stability..."

A beaming smile instantly spread across Long Xi's face.

Meanwhile, the assortment of curses he was directing at the higher-ups in his head could probably only be understood by someone from China.

Sure enough, the higher-ups in Jujutsu Kaisen are a bunch of dumbasses.

I'd sooner believe Kingdom of Loong could bring back its old development team than trust them.

His situation probably wouldn't warrant a secret execution or anything like that, but... things likely wouldn't be too comfortable before he fought Sukuna.

Then a single sentence from Masamichi Yaga left Long Xi utterly bewildered again.

"Tomorrow, you'll exorcise a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit."

Long Xi said, "...I'm fighting a Grade 2? Seriously?"

Masamichi Yaga frowned.

"Too easy?"

"Shouldn't I be complaining that it's too hard?! I only just started!" Long Xi immediately put on a miserable expression.

"I don't want to become the second guy in history to get exorcised by a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit!"

"Come on, you can't do this! Are you sending me out as a suicide bomber?"

Satoru Gojo laughed happily beside him. After all, in the three days they had known each other, this was the first time he had seen this guy look so miserable.

Things had suddenly gotten much more entertaining.

"What kind of misconceptions do you have about Jujutsu High?"

Long Xi gave him a look.

"With a teacher like you standing here, misunderstandings are pretty much inevitable... You're my teacher, for crying out loud. Shouldn't you be helping me out?"

Yuji Itadori had just sat up. Hearing the words "Grade 2 Cursed Spirit," his expression tightened again.

"Wait, Grade 2?"

"Long Xi only just got here, didn't he?"

Megumi Fushiguro frowned too. Although those elbows earlier had made it painfully clear that their physical abilities were in entirely different leagues.

Even with his stomach hurting, he ought to say a few words.

"Sending him alone would carry a considerable risk."

"And it would be dangerous..."

Long Xi hadn't expected the actual suicide bomber to speak up for him. Apparently, he wasn't heartless after all.

For the next three days, he wouldn't show Megumi any more love.

I'm touched...

Masamichi Yaga watched their reactions without saying anything, then looked at Satoru Gojo with an expression that said he should hurry up and explain the other half.

Satoru Gojo spread his hands, his tone as irritating as ever.

He spelled out the other meaning behind Yaga's words.

"Who said you couldn't go together?"

"You're classmates, you know."

"Isn't it perfectly normal to go on missions together?"