"Kamiki, where are you going? The meeting isn't over yet!"
"My business is finished. Excuse me, Principal."
With that, Eiji closed the door and left, under the gaze of the people in the room.
"Gojo, look at your cousin's behavior. He lacks manners unlike you."
Principal Yaga blamed Satoru for Eiji's rude behavior.
"Eh~, this has nothing to do with me, right? Besides, as Eiji said, he answered all the questions asked. Plus, the meeting was really boring anyway."
"Gojo!"
Satoru's words worsened Principal Yaga's already bad mood.
"Stop joking in this situation, Gojo-kun." Mei Mei said with a smile.
"Come on, I just want to lighten the tense atmosphere. Isn't that right, Ijichi?"
"Eh?"
Ijichi, serving as the mediator of the meeting, didn't expect the others to get involved in their argument.
＊＊＊
On the other side, Eiji walked along the deserted corridor.
Passing by a vending machine, he stopped and bought an orange soda.
While drinking, he walked to the first-year classroom.
"I wonder what kind of plan they have to prevent me from participating on December 24th."
Eiji was very aware that he was an anomaly in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
According to the normal plot, Hyakki Yakou was just a distraction. Suguru's real plan was Yuta, or more precisely, Rikka.
Considering Yuta was still a novice in Jujutsu and was an unstable factor, he stayed at school while his classmates participated in Hyakki Yakou.
Taking advantage of Satoru, Principal Yaga, and other Jujutsu Sorcerers exterminating Cursed Spirits in Tokyo, Shinjuku, and Kyoto, Suguru attempted to capture Yuta.
Although Satoru eventually realized Suguru's true intentions, he couldn't leave the battlefield. So, he teleported Maki, Panda, and Toge to check the situation and help Yuta.
Unfortunately, when the three of them arrived, the battle was over, and Yuta emerged as the winner.
"Suguru-san is a good friend of Satoru Nii-san. He's very familiar with the Limitless Technique, and he knows I can easily disrupt his plans. Therefore, he had to prevent me from coming to school that day."
Approaching the classroom, Eiji stopped thinking about it.
Whatever plans the others had to delay his arrival, he had no intention of interfering from the beginning.
He already knew the outcome, Yuta and Rikka's love defeated Suguru's dark ambition. So why should Eiji bother himself?
"Finally! You're here."
As he opened the door, he was greeted with Maki's complaint.
"Eiji, we've been waiting for you for so long. Come sit and talk."
Panda eagerly pushed Eiji to his seat.
"What are you all doing here? Isn't there no class today?"
Eiji was surrounded by Maki, Panda, Toge, and Yuta.
"There's no rule against going to the classroom just because it's a holiday, right?" Panda said with a smile.
"Salmon." Toge nodded in agreement.
"Alright, what do you want to ask?"
"It's nice to talk to smart people. Let's get straight to the point, who was the monk-dressed man earlier? He was so arrogant declaring war in front of Tokyo Jujutsu High School. Either he's foolish or very confident in his power. Moreover, that damn monk called me a monkey. That bastard, I really want to punch his smug face."
Not only was he called a failure, he was also mocked as a monkey. Maki was in a bad mood right now.
"Geto Suguru, one of the five Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers. His innate Technique is Cursed Spirit Manipulation. He was Gojo-sensei's classmate, for some reason, he was branded a criminal for massacring a village and defecting since then."
"So he's a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer... No wonder my instincts felt he was very dangerous."
After receiving information from Eiji, Panda felt everything made sense.
"Kelp." Toge's words still couldn't be understood as usual.
"Tsk, what's so great about being Special Grade? We have two here." Maki clicked her tongue, unimpressed.
"Maki's right, with Yuta and Eiji here, we don't need to fear Geto Suguru!"
"Eh, don't put too much hope on me, Eiji-kun is more reliable than me."
Yuta didn't want to disappoint Panda's trust in him.
"Yuta won't participate in Hyakki Yako. That was the decision from the meeting earlier." Eiji said lightly.
"Why? Yuta's strength is unquestionable. Why wasn't he allowed to join?" Maki asked, puzzled.
She had witnessed how strong Rikka was.
"Orimoto Rikka is dangerous. There's a possibility she'll go berserk and disrupt the battlefield. Principal didn't want to risk it. Besides, both I and Gojo-sensei are Special Grades. According to him, whether Yuta is there or not, it doesn't significantly affect the battlefield. Victory is certain; on the contrary, Yuta on the battlefield could endanger other Jujutsu Sorcerers."
Feeling his throat dry, Eiji sipped the drink in his hand.
"What the Principal thinks makes sense. Yuta is still novice; he doesn't need to join in such a large-scale battle."
Of course, Panda didn't feel anything wrong with his father's decision.
"Tuna mayo."
Toge patted Yuta's shoulder to encourage him.
"It's okay, Inumaki-kun, I'm fine. Rather than being a burden to others, it's better for me to stay here."
Yuta didn't mind Principal Yaga's decision, then quietly glanced at Maki.
Women are very sensitive to men's gazes, Maki immediately noticed Yuta's gaze.
"Just ask."
"Eh?"
"You're curious, right? About why I was called a failure."
"Well, yeah... That's true."
After hesitating for a moment, Yuta answered honestly.
"Sigh..."
Toge and Panda already knew her past, and Maki was sure Eiji also knew her background. Honestly, it was a bit unfair for only Yuta not to know anything about herself. So, she decided to tell him.
"My family is the Zenin Family, an elite Jujutsu Sorcerer family known as one of the three Great Families. By the way, Eiji also comes from one of the three Great Families, the Gojo Family, although he has a different last name."
"Wow, I didn't know Eiji-kun came from such a prestigious background." Yuta looked at Eiji and exclaimed in admiration.
Eiji just remained silent without commenting.
Yuta shifted his attention and focused on listening to Maki's story.
"Do you know the minimum requirement to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
"Hm?"
Faced with that sudden question, Yuta thought seriously. However, before he could give his answer, Maki had already provided it.
"Being able to see Cursed Spirits."
"Ah, that's true."
"Sometimes ordinary people can also see Cursed Spirits, and in special circumstances, like on the brink of death."
Pausing for a moment, Maki took off her glasses and continued, "But I can't see Cursed Spirits without these ugly glasses."
"The Cursed Tool I use also contains Cursed Energy, and it's not from me."
Dispelling the melancholic atmosphere, she put on her glasses, and there was no sadness in her voice, only determination.
"That's why I left home. The food was awful, the room was cramped, and there was a strange old man wandering around. It was really annoying!"
After hearing all that, Yuta began to recall the time he spent with Maki and started to understand her.
"Why are you still a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
"It's because I'm seeking revenge... I will return as a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer who can't see Cursed Spirits and make your family cry!"
"Then, I'll destroy the Zenin Family from the inside!"
Maki's smile as she talked about her goals left Yuta speechless.
"Stop being affectionate in public, Rikka is about to show up."
Eiji's voice disrupted the mood.
"Eh, Rikka-chan, calm down!"
Returning to his senses, Yuta quickly reassured Rikka, who was jealous of his close interaction with Maki.
"Hey, Eiji! Who's being affectionate?" Maki yelled angrily.
"What do you think, Panda, Toge?"
"Well, from a third-party perspective, Maki and Yuta's atmosphere is indeed very good."
Panda answered Eiji's question honestly.
"Salmon."
Toge even formed a heart symbol with his hands.
"You guys...! Tsk!"
Frustrated by their teasing, Maki grabbed her bag and left the classroom without looking back.
"Have we gone too far? Maki seems angry." Panda said concernedly.
"Kelpt."
Toge scratched his head.
"In that case, I'll go back to the dorm."
Eiji stood up and also left.
Since the class was suspended, he planned to spend his time in his room sleeping.