Goodwill Event

The inside of Unlimited Void was a boundless expanse of pure white emptiness.

There was no up or down, left or right, no distinction between front and back, no matter, no sound, no temperature, no gravity-only "emptiness."

Absolute, pure, all-devouring "emptiness."

An opponent struck by this domain would be fixed in that void, unable to move.

At the same time, their brain would be continuously flooded with an endless overload of meaningless information.

Light and shadow, noise, touch, concepts, fragments of memory... fragments of every sense and perception poured into their consciousness like a torrent.

It completely paralyzed their thoughts, leaving them unable to think or act, able only to endure infinite cognitive overload within infinite emptiness.

It was a punishment more terrifying than death.

But now, Unlimited Void had not struck anyone.

Because another domain-Heavenly Imperial Pillars-was opposing it.

The pure white world and the pure white void pressed against each other, collided, eroded each other, and repelled each other in turn.

The domain rules of the stone pillars clashed fiercely with the domain rules of "emptiness" on an unseen level, producing shrieks that only the domain casters could perceive.

Madara stood atop a stone pillar, watching Satoru Gojo in the void opposite him.

The two were evenly matched.

Moreover, neither intended to attack the other.

This was merely a teaching demonstration, a display of power, not a fight to the death.

So although their domains clashed, both exercised restraint, neither applying the "sure-hit" effect to the other.

There was no deciding a winner.

Nor was there any need to.

Madara could sense Itadori below, looking up at the clash between their domains.

He controlled his domain, ensuring that its fluctuations would not affect Itadori, while also...

Still having to hold back.

Madara's Rinnegan had not fully activated, and he had deliberately suppressed the true killing moves of Heavenly Imperial Pillars.

He did not want to reveal too much information to Sukuna inside Itadori.

Sukuna was certainly watching.

Though that King of Curses was sealed inside Itadori, he was undoubtedly observing everything outside.

Especially in a high-level confrontation of this caliber, Madara could not let Sukuna see his trump cards.

A few seconds later, Satoru Gojo withdrew his domain first.

Unlimited Void dissipated like an ebbing tide, the pure white void receding to reveal the normal mountain forest outside.

Almost simultaneously, Madara also dispelled Heavenly Imperial Pillars.

The stone pillars sank into the ground one after another, the white light faded, and the world returned to normal.

The two stood in the forest clearing again, as though that stunning clash of domains had never happened.

"Mm, that's about it." Satoru Gojo put his blindfold back on, his tone as casual as if he had just finished an ordinary lesson.

"Itadori, you still have a lot to learn. Cursed energy control, cursed technique development, combat skills, and all sorts of ways to counter domains... you have a long road ahead."

Itadori stood nearby, his face still somewhat pale. Clearly, even merely watching the domain clash had dealt him a considerable mental shock.

"Ah..." He swallowed, his voice a little dry. "Can I really do it? That kind of... domain expansion?"

"Of course you can." Satoru Gojo walked up to him and patted his shoulder.

"It took Madara less than a year after enrolling to learn domain expansion. Your constitution is even more unusual than his. There's no reason you can't do it."

Itadori looked at Madara, his eyes full of a plea for confirmation.

Madara nodded, his tone calm. "It's true."

"That's amazing..." Itadori murmured, but then clenched his fists, determination returning to his eyes.

"I understand! I'll work hard!"

"You can do it too, Itadori," Satoru Gojo said with a smile, then raised his index finger.

"Now that we've set your goal, for the next month, you'll not only keep watching movies to control your cursed energy, but also do combat training with me."

"With you, sensei?!" Itadori's eyes widened. "After a month... I don't know if I'll still be alive..."

"You could fight Madara instead." Satoru Gojo turned to Madara and winked.

"It should be about the same. What do you think, Madara?"

Madara did not hesitate. "Mm, I have no objections."

Itadori looked at Madara, then at Satoru Gojo, and finally sighed. "Ah... wouldn't that make no difference? I'll get beaten up either way. Sorry for the trouble, Gojo-sensei."

"Mm-hmm~"

Satoru Gojo nodded in satisfaction. "And during that time, I'll arrange a few highly difficult missions for you. Develop your combat abilities, use your cursed energy effectively, adapt to changing situations-and then shine at the Goodwill Event!"

Itadori froze for a moment, then raised his hand.

"I have a question!"

"Go ahead, Itadori!"

Itadori looked puzzled.

"What's... the Goodwill Event?"

Satoru Gojo blinked.

"Didn't I tell you?"

Elsewhere.

Kiyotaka Ijichi sat on the tatami in trepidation, his hands on his knees, his back perfectly straight, and his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Opposite him, Masamichi Yaga sat behind a large desk with his arms crossed. His stern face betrayed no emotion, but the oppressive atmosphere was terrifying.

"He's so slow!" Yaga began slowly, his voice low.

The sunlight was lovely and the campus was quiet, but beneath that calm, undercurrents stirred.

Yoshinobu Gakuganji, the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High, was one of the leading figures among Jujutsu Society's conservatives.

On the surface, this Goodwill Event was a friendly competition between the students of the two schools. In reality, it was a contest of strength between Tokyo Jujutsu High and the Kyoto faction.

Especially after Yuji Itadori's "death" had cost Satoru Gojo's faction an important pawn, the conservatives would certainly seize the opportunity to apply pressure.

"What a headache..." Yaga muttered to himself.

At the same time, at the Jujutsu High Training Ground.

Madara's Wood Clone sat on a bench at the edge of the grounds, holding a book and idly turning its pages.

Sunlight fell across the pages, making the text somewhat dazzling.

He had just finished sparring with Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki.

The two had now gone to shower and change, leaving the Training Ground quiet for the moment.

Panda, Inumaki, and Maki sat resting in the shade of a nearby tree.

Panda was munching on an apple, Inumaki was drinking water, and Maki was inspecting the blade of her naginata.

"Speaking of which," Panda said indistinctly after swallowing a mouthful of apple.

"Where did the first-years go? I saw Fushiguro and Kugisaki training just now, but now they're both gone."

Maki did not look up. "They went to run an errand."

"An errand..." Panda scratched his head. "Will they be all right?"

"They're not elementary school kids." Maki glanced at him. "Could they really get lost running an errand?"

"Ah, that's not what I meant." Panda lowered his apple and dropped his voice.

"I mean, Kyoto's principal is coming today for a meeting about the Goodwill Event."

"They sent first-years to that special grade cursed spirit incident earlier. That was clearly an 'abnormal situation' deliberately engineered because the people at the top can't stand Satoru, right?"

Maki paused in wiping her blade but did not argue.

Inumaki pulled down his collar and said softly, "Bonito flakes."

"Their target, Yuji Itadori, is already dead anyway." Maki resumed wiping her blade, her tone icy.

"No matter what underhanded tricks they pull now, they can't shake the foundations. Besides, that old man Gakuganji might be rigid, but he wouldn't cause trouble openly-he still cares about saving face."

"But the students are another matter," Panda said.

"Salmon."

Maki fell silent for a few seconds, then slid her naginata back into its sheath.

"Is she here? Mai."

She was referring to her twin sister, Mai Zenin, a second-year at Kyoto Jujutsu High.

"Who knows?" Panda shrugged. "The teachers coming for a meeting doesn't have much to do with the students, after all. Mai probably wouldn't come along-unless she wanted to see you."

Maki gave a "hmph" and said nothing more.

Panda looked toward Madara on the bench again, but he was already gone.

"Speaking of which, where's Madara? He was here just now, but now he's gone too."

Maki followed his gaze. The bench was already empty, with only the book left open, its pages turning gently in the breeze.

"He left a little while ago," Maki said. "He's probably already gone to check on things. That guy cares quite a bit about his juniors."

Panda smiled, a trace of gratification in his smile.

"He's as quick to act as ever."