Culling Game

"Next up is Kyoto News. Tokyo is on full alert for epidemic prevention and control. We ask all residents..."

Click.

Yue Liusi took the soda. The liquid slid down his throat, bringing a hint of coolness, and he looked away from the television toward the person beside him.

Shoko Ieiri wore an off-white long-sleeved top and dark blue jeans, leaning against the sofa with her usual languid expression.

"Nothing related to it will appear on television. The government is doing everything it can to cover it up, though it honestly won't be easy to hide."

"With things as they are, the amount of negative emotion is staggering. Cursed spirits keep appearing. It's already become a vicious cycle."

After the Shibuya Incident ended, all of Tokyo descended into chaos. A political system that had all but ground to a halt, the lives and deaths of millions...

There were well over ten million cursed spirits...

Even assigning one cursed spirit to each person wouldn't account for them all.

The number was simply staggering. Who knew how Kenjaku had managed it, but that was the reality.

All of Tokyo had truly become a realm of monsters.

"It looks like Jujutsu Society's higher-ups intend to abandon Tokyo. How absurd. With Satoru Gojo gone, there's nothing but useless trash as far as the eye can see."

Yue Liusi chuckled, his words utterly blunt.

"It's always been like this."

"Even the few exceptions amount to nothing in the face of such a massive system."

Shoko Ieiri sighed softly. She knew more about Jujutsu Society's situation than Yue Liusi did. Was this anything new?

It had always been this way.

As Satoru Gojo put it, they were a bunch of rotten oranges on clearance.

"Mr. Yue! We're back!"

The door opened, and Nobara Kugisaki entered looking relaxed, with an expressionless Megumi Fushiguro following behind her.

"Did you see her?"

Yue Liusi smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Mr. Yue! Hehe, without you, we wouldn't even have known where she was. We've already escorted Saori safely out of the disaster zone."

Nobara Kugisaki planted her hands on her hips. Clearly, the reunion had made her very happy.

Beside her, Megumi Fushiguro briefly described how things had gone.

"There were a hundred and thirty-seven people this time, but survivors are still gathering at the shelter. We'll probably need to escort another group this afternoon."

Strictly speaking, they should have headed to Kyoto.

After all, that was Kyoto Jujutsu High's home base, and things were much better there than in Tokyo.

After the Shibuya Incident, however, the three youngsters had more or less begun following Yue Liusi's lead. Itadori went without saying, and Nobara Kugisaki owed him her life. As for Megumi Fushiguro, he was naturally fine either way.

Besides, Yue Liusi was powerful, and there were indeed many people in Tokyo who needed rescuing.

So, ever since the Shibuya Incident, the three had stayed in Tokyo with Yue Liusi.

As for Shoko Ieiri, she already lived here, and the trio had grown up at Tokyo Jujutsu High as well.

Given her position, she was supposed to evacuate, but she had refused. With Jujutsu Society in such chaos and a Special Grade combatant like Yue Liusi beside her, they hadn't insisted.

Yue Liusi's reason for staying in Tokyo was, naturally, the Reverse Cursed Technique.

He had rented the apartments next door and across the hall on the very night the Shibuya Incident ended. They had been vacant anyway, and now no one knew where the landlord had gone.

After several days of instruction using Choso, he had mastered most of it and could make basic use of the Reverse Cursed Technique.

Whether he could combine the Reverse Cursed Technique with Medical Ninjutsu would take a little more time.

"Where's Itadori?"

"Itadori is still out clearing cursed spirits. Choso just went out to find him. They should be back soon."

Yue Liusi offered an explanation, then continued.

"Get some rest first. Once Itadori gets back, I have some news for you."

Before long, Itadori and Choso returned.

Yue Liusi wasted no time and spoke directly.

"Word has come from the higher-ups. Suguru Geto has been sentenced to death. In addition, Satoru Gojo has been deemed Suguru Geto's accomplice and permanently expelled from Jujutsu Society. Any attempt to undo his seal will be considered the same crime."

That was rather interesting. They were supposedly accomplices, yet one was sentenced to death and the other expelled. In the end, a man's reputation cast a long shadow.

"What?!"

Yue Liusi raised a hand to indicate that he wasn't finished.

"Yuji Itadori's death sentence has been reinstated. The executioner should be Yuta Okkotsu, but don't worry. He's on Satoru Gojo's side."

"They're actually treating Gojo-sensei as an accomplice? That guy wasn't even Suguru Geto! This is outrageous!"

"And everyone knows Gojo-sensei would never do something like that!"

Nobara Kugisaki shouted indignantly. The other two were just as upset. To the three of them, Gojo-sensei was like family.

"You think they don't know that?"

Shoko Ieiri looked at the three protesting students with a touch of helplessness.

These students Satoru had taught were still too naive.

"I'll protect Itadori."

Choso had no other thoughts. Even if Itadori was to die, they would have to step over his corpse first.

Looking at the four of them, each wearing a different expression, Yue Liusi smiled gently.

"Don't worry. It's not up to you youngsters to concern yourselves with this sort of thing yet."

"Yue, we may call you mister, but you look about our age, don't you? Why do you always act like some stodgy elder...?"

Standing behind the sofa with one arm draped over Yue Liusi's shoulder, Nobara Kugisaki muttered in puzzlement.

After spending some time together, the three youngsters had become much more familiar with Yue Liusi and were more casual around him.

To be precise, even their use of "Mr. Yue" now carried a teasing note.

Yue Liusi didn't answer. He merely raised a hand and flicked Nobara Kugisaki on the forehead.

"It's time to eat."

"Oww-got it, got it! Honestly, six people here and not a single cook among us..."

Nobara Kugisaki grumbled unhappily. Before leaving, she grabbed Megumi Fushiguro by the ear and dragged him away to help.

Only after Choso and Itadori left did Shoko Ieiri speak.

"The Gojo Faction's forces are being purged too. The Gojo Clan has chosen to compromise. I imagine they intend to wait for Satoru's return. I've done my best to notify everyone I could."

"Nanami is under house arrest. They'll probably demand some proof of allegiance from him..."

Shoko Ieiri's voice was low, her expression somewhat downcast.

Her standing did not mean she had a say.

She had already done everything she could to get this far.

"That's not hard to understand."

Yue Liusi looked as though he had known all along. After all, to those higher-ups in Jujutsu Society, Satoru Gojo had always been an uncontrollable threat.

Now that they had an opportunity, they would naturally do whatever benefited them most.

It wasn't that they thought Satoru Gojo could no longer return.

They simply believed that even if Satoru Gojo did return, it wouldn't matter. Hadn't it always been that way?

Satoru Gojo wouldn't overturn the table or challenge the entire system.

Unfortunately, they were hidebound, and so was their thinking.

Satoru Gojo disliked using violence to solve problems, but that didn't mean he wouldn't.

"Right, there's one more thing..."