At noon, in the mountains behind Jujutsu High, the team competition of the sister-school Goodwill Event was about to begin.
"One minute until the competition begins." Satoru Gojo's cheerful voice came through the loudspeakers.
In the main control room, Satoru Gojo, Utahime Iori, and the leadership of Jujutsu High sat together, including Yaga and Principal Gakuganji.
Before them were countless enormous screens, their feeds covering almost every corner of the mountains behind Jujutsu High from different angles, relaying the contestants' every move to everyone seated in the control room.
Satoru Gojo sat cross-legged in front of the screens, holding a microphone in one hand and waving constantly at the screens with the other.
"The surveillance system for this Goodwill Event was kindly sponsored by-Miss Mei Mei, the crow handler."
"Before the competition starts, let's invite Ms. Utahime Iori to say a few words and cheer everyone on." As he spoke, Satoru Gojo held the microphone up to Utahime Iori's mouth.
"Huh?" Utahime Iori clearly hadn't caught up.
"Uh... well... um, injuries are unavoidable during the Goodwill Event... well... helping your fellow students is also very important..." Utahime Iori stammered, racking her brain for the right words.
"Sorry, time's up." Satoru Gojo snatched the microphone back, completely disregarding the fact that Utahime hadn't finished.
"Hey, Satoru Gojo, you really are..." Utahime Iori's voice suddenly rose, her angry words coming through the loudspeakers.
"And now, the sister-school Goodwill Event officially begins-"
"*****Satoru Gojo, address me as your senior!**" Accompanied by Utahime Iori's furious shout, the team competition on the first day of the sister-school Goodwill Event began.
As the competition began, both teams that had been standing by shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, racing toward the designated area.
"Go, Yuta!!!" Akutagawa Shang slapped Yuta Okkotsu on the back as though throwing a Pokémon Poké Ball.
"Yes!!!" Yuta Okkotsu answered, charging into the distance at full speed.
"Oh, they actually chose to split up? Interesting." Satoru Gojo rubbed his chin as he watched everyone's movements on the screens.
On Tokyo Jujutsu High's side, the group scattered as soon as the competition began.
Aside from Yuta Okkotsu, who acted alone, everyone else formed pairs: Akutagawa Shang with Maki Zenin, Toge Inumaki with Panda, and Kirara Hoshi with Kinji Hakari.
"Oh-ho, they deliberately left Yuta on his own? Could this be part of their plan too?" Satoru Gojo sipped his tea, silently pondering.
Beside him, Principal Gakuganji's clouded eyes were fixed intently on the screen. A closer look would reveal that his gaze was focused through the screen on Yuta Okkotsu as he continued forward.
Satoru Gojo keenly noticed this.
"Wow, Principal Gakuganji, you're watching awfully closely. Are your eyes failing in your old age, or are you planning some sneaky little stunt now that my student's alone?" Satoru Gojo asked Gakuganji with a chuckle.
"You're overthinking it." Gakuganji fell silent for a moment before forcing those words out of his throat.
"Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter. Even if you really did pull some little trick, it wouldn't matter. I trust my students to handle all of it." A smile curled Satoru Gojo's lips. Having delivered his warning to Gakuganji, he turned his gaze back to the screens before him as though nothing had happened.
Gakuganji's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, his hands gripping his cane tightly, but he said nothing.
Silence returned to the surveillance room.
Back on the competition grounds, Yuta Okkotsu was still sprinting onward.
Suddenly, a reptile-shaped cursed spirit entered Yuta Okkotsu's field of vision ahead.
He drew a deep breath and unsheathed the long sword in his hand, pouring cursed energy into its blade, intending to exorcise the cursed spirit on the spot with a single slash.
But before his blade could strike the cursed spirit, an arrow fired from somewhere pierced straight through it.
Even after killing the cursed spirit, the arrow lost none of its momentum and flew straight toward Yuta Okkotsu.
"Not good." The arrow shot straight at Yuta Okkotsu's face. He leaned backward, barely avoiding it as it skimmed past the tip of his nose.
Just as he thought he had avoided the attack and breathed a sigh of relief, the arrow he had dodged abruptly turned along a trajectory that defied physics and shot toward him again.
He drew a deep breath, coating his long sword in cursed energy once more, and delivered a precise slash ahead.
Clang-
With a sharp ring, Yuta Okkotsu cut the incoming arrow in two.
Yuta Okkotsu stopped, because he knew the special operation targeting him had finally begun.
With a rush of air, another arrow attack came, only this time there were three arrows instead of one.
Yet Yuta Okkotsu remained unhurried, raising and lowering his sword as he slashed repeatedly in front of him.
The three incoming arrows were also cut to pieces by Yuta Okkotsu.
No, wait a little longer. There aren't enough people yet, Yuta Okkotsu thought to himself.
Just as the three arrows shattered, the next attack followed.
This time, however, it wasn't an arrow, but a highly concentrated beam of cursed energy.
Yuta Okkotsu didn't swing his sword this time. He raised his arm, concentrated his cursed energy defenses to their utmost, and took the blow head-on with his arm.
After neutralizing the attack, Yuta Okkotsu stood where he was, slowly lifting his head to survey his surroundings.
Seeing that they seemed to have been discovered, the enemies hiding in the shadows simply stopped concealing themselves.
Several figures slowly emerged from different places.
Noritoshi Kamo stood on a branch high up in the enormous tree before him, while Momo Nishimiya flew directly above him. Mechamaru stood at his side, wisps of heat still rising from the cannon opening in his palm. Kasumi Miwa stood behind him in a sword-drawing stance, completely blocking his retreat. As for Mai Zenin, she was presumably hiding in some dark corner, waiting for an opportunity to take a cheap shot.
The five had surrounded Yuta Okkotsu from different directions.
"I'm surrounded."
Yuta Okkotsu stood where he was, looking at the Kyoto Jujutsu High students surrounding him on all sides. Yet there wasn't the slightest fear on his face. Instead, he could barely keep the corners of his mouth from rising high.
"Noritoshi Kamo, Momo Nishimiya, Mai Zenin, Mechamaru, and Kasumi Miwa... Everyone except Aoi Todo is here. Wonderful." Yuta Okkotsu quietly recited the names of every Kyoto Jujutsu High student as though listing dishes on a menu, his voice filled with irrepressible elation.
Yuta Okkotsu suddenly raised his head and shouted at the Kyoto Jujutsu High students before him, "Are you here to kill me?"
Not one of them spoke, but their movements had already given a very clear answer.
"Whew. In that case, come on." The cursed energy around Yuta Okkotsu suddenly surged. He pushed off with both legs, leaping high and bursting toward the outside of the encirclement.
"Akutagawa, you and the others can rack up points without worrying! As for things here... leave them to me!!!"
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