The reckoning

Satoru Gojo followed the bluestone steps upward, slowly making his way toward the higher-ups' council chamber.

When he arrived, the guard at the entrance stopped him.

"Lord Gojo, please wait here a moment. I need to announce your arrival. You can only go in to meet them once they have given their permission."

Faced with the guard's obstruction, Satoru Gojo coldly uttered just one word.

"Scram!!!"

He extended his right hand, instantly unleashing Lapse Technique Blue and shredding the large tree beside him.

The guard said nothing. He simply stepped aside with good sense and made no further attempt to stop him, watching Satoru Gojo enter the council chamber.

He had barely entered the hall when several nauseating voices reached him.

"Satoru Gojo, we were already planning to summon you, but to think you came here yourself. A special grade vengeful cursed spirit fully manifested. We entrusted Yuta Okkotsu to you precisely to prevent something like this, but what have you done? What excuses do you intend to make now?"

Indistinct figures sat behind countless folding screens. The nauseating voices came from behind those screens.

"Actually... I wasn't planning to make excuses in the first place. Also, your voices are hurting my eyes a little," Satoru Gojo said indifferently, picking his ear.

"What nonsense are you talking about? If Rika loses control, an entire town will be wiped out."

"If it really comes to that, I'll do everything I can to stop her. And stop pretending you're so righteous. Worried about the town? You're probably worried Rika will crush you to death. After all, you old fools can't do anything except sit here making snide remarks. You're pathetically weak... Blegh~~" Satoru Gojo stuck out his tongue, looking thoroughly disgusted.

"What nonsense, Satoru Gojo! How dare you speak to us in that tone?" These old oranges, who had spent almost their entire lives at the top, seemed to have forgotten how normal people communicated. Even knowing Satoru Gojo could kill them all, they still tried to suppress him with their superior status and force him to back down. Their audacity truly knew no bounds.

"Huh? You're saying there's something wrong with my tone?" Unable to contain his anger any longer, Satoru Gojo fired a low-powered Red, blasting away the council chamber's ceiling along with a small hill behind it.

"Then let me ask you something. What were you trying to do, handing my students information that passed off a difficult mission as an ordinary Grade 2 mission? Did you think no one could see through your little tricks?"

"What are you talking about? We know nothing about that. And don't get arrogant, Satoru Gojo. Don't forget that Yuta Okkotsu's death sentence has only been suspended. We can reinstate his execution at any time," the higher-ups continued to argue stubbornly.

Satoru Gojo seemed amused.

"If you want to keep playing your little games, feel free. But don't forget one thing: I've always been on Yuta Okkotsu's side. The only reason I haven't bothered killing you is that I don't think it would accomplish anything right now. Don't push me."

With that, Satoru Gojo turned and walked out, completely ignoring the higher-ups' furious curses inside. After all, hurling abuse was all they could do.

"Oh, right. My student Akutagawa Shang is already as strong as a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer. Remember to promote him."

"What? Akutagawa Shang? Anyone who associates with Satoru Gojo can't be well-behaved either. And he wants us to promote him? Dream on."

"Well, that's not necessarily the way to look at it, is it?" At that moment, a higher-up with stitches on his head suddenly spoke from behind a curtain.

"No matter how unruly a Grade 4 Sorcerer is, he won't become a huge problem like Satoru Gojo. Besides, if we help him, we might even win him over from Satoru Gojo's side and break up his team."

Akutagawa Shang? There shouldn't be anyone by that name in the plan. But it doesn't matter. A mere Grade 4 Sorcerer shouldn't have much effect on it, Kenjaku thought to himself.

"Damn that Satoru Gojo, acting so insolently toward the higher-ups. He has absolutely no respect for the rules..." Before this seemingly dim-witted higher-up could finish, the other half of the ceiling came crashing down as well.

Before leaving, Satoru Gojo had left them a "gift." Under Blue's pull, the entire council chamber broke into pieces. Those old oranges who considered themselves so lofty were left completely exposed to the sunlight.

"Satoru Gojo!!!!" The old oranges' furious roars echoed through the mountains.

"Pfft~~"

Only after he had gone far away did Satoru Gojo finally burst into the laughter he had been holding back for so long. Looking at the distant meeting chamber, now razed to the ground, he was clearly very satisfied with the "gift" he had left the higher-ups.

By the time Satoru Gojo returned to Jujutsu High's athletic field, Akutagawa Shang and Yuta Okkotsu had already started training there.

"So they've already gone ahead and started training on their own. I really am a failure as a homeroom teacher."

As soon as they returned to Jujutsu High, Yuta Okkotsu was filled with urgency, his mind set on getting stronger. Without allowing any argument, he grabbed Akutagawa Shang and ran toward the training grounds.

"Hey, slow down! At least let me shower and change first." Akutagawa Shang was practically dragged the entire way.

As they approached the athletic field, Panda and the others were already training.

"Oh, it's Akutagawa and Yuta. You're back?" Sharp-eyed Panda spotted them and waved.

Hearing him, Maki turned to look their way, and the sight of Akutagawa Shang in tattered, bloodstained clothes met her eyes.

She rushed up to Akutagawa Shang in a few quick strides, reaching out and feeling him all over.

"What are you doing, Maki?" Akutagawa Shang was startled by her sudden approach.

"How did you end up like this? Are you okay?" Maki asked anxiously. It was clear she was worried.

"Oh, relax. They were just minor injuries. I've already healed them all. Look." Akutagawa Shang lifted his shirt, revealing his healed wounds.

"Good, as long as you're okay." She seemed to realize she was getting a little too carried away.

Maki took a step back, hastily withdrew her hands and folded her arms, then turned her head with a huff.

"I was only worried that if you got broken, I wouldn't have anyone to be my punching bag and sparring partner. It's not like I was worried about you. Yeah, that's right."

Watching Maki's clumsy performance, Akutagawa Shang gave Yuta Okkotsu a helpless smile.

"Aw, no twin tails? What a shame."

"What are you smiling at? If you're fine, get over here and train."

"I'm not the only one getting beaten up today."

Akutagawa Shang patted Yuta Okkotsu beside him.

Yuta Okkotsu tightly clenched his ring-bearing hand into a fist, his gaze utterly resolute. "Please help me, upperclassmen. I-I want to get stronger."

Maki seemed moved by his determined gaze as well.

"Fine. We'll skip the warm-up today. Both of you, come at me together. Your goal is to knock me down."

Akutagawa Shang and Yuta Okkotsu raised their shinai in unison, assumed their opening stances, and charged at Maki.

Maki also dropped her playful expression, gripping her staff as she continually parried their attacks.

Having already adapted to the intensity of the fighting, Akutagawa Shang served as the main attacker, confronting Maki head-on, while Yuta Okkotsu, whose combat skills were relatively weaker, supported him with attacks slipped in between.

Most of the time, Yuta Okkotsu's attacks were blocked outright and he was sent flying, but every time he fell, he immediately got back up and charged again.

Through repeated attacks and blocks, Yuta Okkotsu gradually found the rhythm of the fight. Although his attacks were still easily blocked, at least he was being sent flying much less often.

Both their bodies continued to transform through the rigors of training.