Utahime Iori felt as though she was going mad. If she didn't speak up soon, these two might actually turn the entrance to Jujutsu High into a Pokémon arena.
Being a homeroom teacher really was a job that burned through your life. Making her keep doing it felt even more terrifying than making her spend the rest of her life with Satoru Gojo. Not one of them ever gave her a moment's peace. Utahime Iori was gritting her teeth with agitation, and one glance at Satoru Gojo standing nearby, clapping and enjoying the show, made her anger flare even higher.
"Enough, enough! Both of you, stop fighting-and stop talking!" She clapped her hands hard twice in front of her, the sharp, ringing sound forcing its way into the charged atmosphere between Maki and Mai.
"If you want to fight, do it in the arena. Fighting here like this isn't going to kill anyone. Mai, stop talking back, too. Be good and put the gun down," Utahime Iori said to Maki.
"Oh, fine, fine. Since you've said so, Utahime-sensei, I'll let you off for now." Mai spread her hands and lowered her gun, seemingly still wanting more.
"And you-Satoru Gojo!!!" Utahime Iori turned and glared viciously at Satoru Gojo, who stood beside her looking innocent.
Satoru Gojo had a lollipop in his mouth. Seeing her look over, he immediately adopted the picture-perfect pose of a well-behaved child.
"Utahime-sensei, I haven't done anything."
"Shut up, you white-haired idiot! Can you take this seriously and hurry up and control your students?" Utahime Iori roared at Satoru Gojo.
"Okay, okay. Seriously, seriously." Satoru Gojo raised his hands in surrender, then promptly stood at attention, straightening his posture.
"All right, Maki, let your little sister and Akutagawa-kun off for now. I think he's about to pass out."
"Tch. Just you wait. You'll get what's coming to you at the Goodwill Event." Maki put away her blade, but still shot a fierce glare at Mai a short distance away.
A series of knocks from a cane striking the ground drew everyone's attention back.
Up on the platform, Masamichi Yaga and Principal Gakuganji exchanged a glance, nodded, and both stepped forward to take charge of the proceedings.
"Quiet, everyone."
The noisy grounds finally fell silent.
Principal Yaga cleared his throat and spoke slowly.
"The annual Goodwill Event between the sister schools of Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High officially begins today."
"The purpose of this event is to hone your skills through sparring, compete with one another, and refine your cursed techniques. Private fights, deliberate serious injury, and indiscriminate killing through uncontrolled cursed energy are prohibited. All matches are subject to the judges' decisions." Clearly, everyone tacitly ignored that clause.
Principal Gakuganji took over:
"I will now explain the rules of this sister-school Goodwill Event."
"The Goodwill Event will last two days. The first day will be a team competition, taking the form of a cursed spirit exorcism contest. Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High will each form a team. Many Grade 2 cursed spirits have been released within the designated area, and the first team to exorcise all the Grade 2 cursed spirits will win. Many Grade 3 cursed spirits have also been released in the area. If no winner has been decided by sunset, scores will be calculated based on the final number and grades of the spirits exorcised, and the team with the higher score will win. Apart from that, there are no restrictions."
"Interfering with one another is nominally permitted, but you are all comrades who fight curses together. The purpose of the Goodwill Event is for you to interact during the competition and understand both yourselves and each other, so please do not cripple or kill your opponents."
"The second day will consist of individual matches. Both sides will select representatives based on their performance in the first day's team competition to compete one-on-one. The specific schedule will be announced after the first day's competition ends."
At this point, however, his gaze suddenly shifted, his cloudy eyes settling on Yuta Okkotsu. Yuta Okkotsu felt somewhat awkward under his stare and unconsciously followed Satoru Gojo's example by standing at military attention.
"In addition, to protect the safety of students and teachers, following joint discussions between the Jujutsu Higher-Ups and the administrations of both schools, Special Grade Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu is hereby prohibited from fully manifesting the Special Grade vengeful cursed spirit Rika Orimoto. All use of her power must remain within the bounds of Yuta Okkotsu's own body. Any violation will result in Yuta Okkotsu's immediate disqualification on the spot." In his aged, dry voice, Gakuganji slowly delivered this additional rule.
"I object."
"Huh? What are you saying, you old bastard? Rika is part of Yuta's cursed technique. What gives you the right to stop him from using her? Picking a fight? I'll give you two seconds to change that rule, or else..." Satoru Gojo couldn't take it anymore. He sprang up on the spot and thrust his face in front of Gakuganji's, staring at him with open displeasure.
"This is a joint decision by the higher-ups and Jujutsu High, not my personal wish. There is nothing I can do." Gakuganji trotted out his prepared excuse to fend Satoru Gojo off.
"What bullshit joint decision? I'm a teacher at Jujutsu High, too. How come I didn't know? Who proposed it, and who approved it? I'll go camp out on their doorstep right now."
"I wouldn't know about that. Perhaps you were off somewhere when the discussions took place and simply happened to be absent." Gakuganji's tone was utterly flat, without the slightest ripple.
"Say that again! Believe me, I'll turn that wrinkled old asshole of yours into an actual chrysanthemum right now!"
Faced with the Jujutsu Higher-Ups' blatant targeting, Satoru Gojo was about as displeased as he could get, and was ready to teach this old bastard a lesson on the spot.
"Are you threatening a principal of Jujutsu High in broad daylight, Satoru Gojo? Have you no respect for the rules?" Gakuganji's expression darkened as he rebuked him sharply.
"Enough, Satoru!!!" Masamichi Yaga's stern voice rang out.
"But, Principal, this is obviously those old oranges deliberately targeting him."
"I said enough, Satoru. This is an agreement reached by the higher-ups and Jujutsu High. It can no longer be changed." Yaga frowned. As principal, he naturally knew this was a scheme by the higher-ups, but there was nothing he could do. He was the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High, and under pressure, he had no choice but to compromise.
"Gojo-sensei, I agree. I'll try not to let Rika out." Just then, Yuta Okkotsu spoke up timidly, expressing his willingness to accept Jujutsu High's restriction.
"Have you really thought this through, Yuta? This is clearly a scheme of theirs," Satoru Gojo said seriously, looking at Yuta Okkotsu.
"I have. If I rely on Rika for everything, then my wish to lift her curse will just be empty talk." Yuta Okkotsu nodded earnestly.
"All right, Yuta," Satoru Gojo said, his voice calm, the corners of his mouth curving upward again. "Since you want to fight, I'll let you. But promise me one thing."
"What?"
"If you're really in danger, forget those stupid rules and call Rika out. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens."
"What does winning or losing matter? It's just a stupid Goodwill Event. At worst, we won't participate. There's always next year anyway. If you really want to win, I'll take you straight to Kyoto Jujutsu High and beat up all the school administrators there. Wouldn't that feel a lot better than winning the Goodwill Event?"
"Mm-hmm." Yuta Okkotsu nodded obediently.
"Satoru Gojo, are you openly favoring the students of Tokyo Jujutsu High?" Gakuganji suddenly challenged him.
"Huh? Yeah, I favor my students. Got a problem with that?"
"Phew... For Yaga and Yuta's sake, I'll let you off today. We can follow the rules, but you'd better follow them, too. Especially when it comes to my students' safety. If I find out you're pulling any more tricks behind the scenes... you know what will happen." His voice dropped, every word distinctly enunciated, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Gakuganji.
Gakuganji did not respond, merely knocking his cane against the ground twice. In truth, his back was already soaked with cold sweat.
He knew that if Satoru Gojo lost it, he really could do something like slaughter his way through Jujutsu Society. He also knew Satoru Gojo truly had that ability, but there was nothing he could do. His actions were no longer his own to decide.
In fact, he had once been a hot-blooded young man himself. The gold rings on his face were symbols of his former rebelliousness. But ever since becoming the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High, he had been bound tightly to the entire rotten establishment of the Jujutsu Higher-Ups.
"Since there are no objections, you're dismissed. Go back and prepare." Masamichi Yaga gave no one else a chance to interrupt, hurriedly waving a hand to dismiss everyone. "The competition will officially begin in one hour."
Before you continue