The next day.
In the dorm room, Eiji dons his school uniform in front of the mirror.
Adjusting his messy hair, he decides to conceal his Six Eyes with sunglasses.
"This should be fine."
From his observations yesterday, he noticed that Toge, Panda, and Maki tended to avoid eye contact.
For non-Jujutsu Sorcerers, the Six Eyes are just beautiful eyes and nothing more. However, Jujutsu Sorcerers feel something different. The Six Eyes exude intimidation even though Eiji hasn't done anything.
So, he chooses to wear sunglasses as a means to hide the Six Eyes.
"Huft... The mountain temperature in the morning is so cold."
Opening the door, Eiji is greeted by the cold mountain air.
Taking a moment to enjoy the fresh air, he heads to the cafeteria.
In the cafeteria, he sees empty tables and chairs with no students, only two aunties who are kitchen staff.
Grabbing a plate, Eiji serves himself food from the buffet.
Considering that Jujutsu Sorcerers risk their lives to exorcise Cursed Spirits, luxurious food is a reasonable accommodation.
Eiji fills his plate with wagyu beef, vegetables, bananas, and pudding. After that, he sits in a chair and starts eating his breakfast.
When he's halfway through his meal, Toge sits across from him with his breakfast.
"Kelp."
"Morning."
Although not understanding the other's words, Eiji assumes it's a kind of greeting.
Toge's eyes gleam as he responds to Eiji's greeting. Then, he starts eating too.
Due to communication barriers, they don't talk.
Next, Maki and Panda join for breakfast.
"Good morning, Kamiki, Toge. You both woke up early."
Carrying a tray, Panda sits next to Eiji, while Maki sits next to Toge.
"Salmon." Says Toge.
"I always wake up early." Eiji replies briefly.
"So, you wear glasses, huh." Comments Maki.
Without lifting his head, Eiji nonchalantly says, "That's because you can't stand the gaze of the Six Eyes."
"You..."
Hearing that, Maki wants to retort but can't.
Even though Eiji's indifferent attitude is annoying, she doesn't hate him.
The Gojo family and the Zenin family might be enemies, but that has nothing to do with her.
"Oh, there are quite a few new students this year."
Eiji and the others turn to see who's speaking.
At the entrance, a tall young man with tan skin and a muscular body, wearing the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High uniform, gazes their way.
"He's Hakari Kinji, a second-year student. By the way, he's a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer. However, he only needs support from Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers to be promoted."
Panda recognizes the guy and takes the initiative to inform his classmates.
"Thanks for the introduction, Panda. You saved me from a boring introduction session."
Putting his hand in his pocket, Hakari walks towards the table, then observes the new students.
(He's strong!) Maki thinks as she senses the other's aura.
Her intuition tells her she doesn't stand a chance against him.
"Kelp." Toge greets.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Toge is from the Inumaki Family."
"So that's it. He restricts his vocabulary..."
Hearing Panda's explanation, Hakari is interested in Toge's snake sign and fang on his cheek. Then, he shifts his gaze to the white-haired young man with black sunglasses, casually eating without caring about anything.
"You really look like Gojo-sensei, Kamiki Eiji."
"Do you know me?"
As soon as his name is mentioned, Eiji looks up and stares at Hakari.
"Of course. Who doesn't know the most brilliant Jujutsu Sorcerer of this century? No Jujutsu Sorcerer is unaware of your name."
"Oh."
Eiji doesn't feel anything.
Indeed, he's considered a genius by many. Not only is he the carrier of the unprecedented Six Eyes, but he's also the youngest Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer.
His reputation is solid in the Jujutsu world.
However, there are only four Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers. At least, until Okkotsu Yuta appears.
"Hey, do you like gambling?" Hakari asks while taking out a deck of cards.
"Not interested."
"Too bad. You're a boring person."
Eiji's response disappoints Hakari a bit, then he gives advice to his juniors.
"Well, except for Kamiki, I hope you all survive."
After saying that, he goes to get his breakfast and eats at another table.
Maki clenches her fists. She feels those words were directed at her. After all, she's the weakest among the four of them.
"Don't mind, Maki. Hakari might seem rough, but he means no harm."
"I know, Panda. No need to comfort me."
Taking a deep breath, Maki manages to regain her composure.
She will become stronger and prove to the Zenin Family and those who underestimate her that they were wrong.
(Hakari Kinji... His Domain Expansion makes him difficult to defeat.)
Although Hakari is a significant individual in the Culling Game arc, Eiji won't initiate contact with him.
It's best to do nothing and let nature take its course.
The changes he makes may not necessarily bring better results.
...
Due to the small number of students each year, there is only one classroom for first-year, second-year, and third-year students at Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High.
In the first-year classroom, there are only four desks lined up near the front podium.
Eiji and the others wait for their homeroom teacher.
After a long wait, Maki becomes impatient and complains, "Tsk, it's past the class start time. Where's the teacher?"
"Fish Flakes."
As usual, Toge speaks using rice ball ingredients.
Eiji closes his eyes in silence.
15 minutes later, the door opens, and a tall man with white hair and a blindfold walks towards the podium.
The person is Gojo Satoru.
"Sorry, sorry, the queue was quite long. Thankfully, I got the last mochi."
Without a hint of guilt, he explains the reason for his lateness.
"💢"
Veins bulge on Maki's forehead; the reason is too ridiculous for her. Moreover, the other's nonchalant attitude doesn't resemble that of a teacher.
Fortunately, she has good emotional control and doesn't create a scene on the first day of school.
"Maybe you already know, my name is Gojo Satoru. I will be your homeroom teacher starting today. By the way, Kamiki, call me Gojo-sensei at school."
"Yes, Gojo-sensei." Eiji nods slightly.
"Alright, let's start the class."
Taking the chalk, Satoru writes on the blackboard. Turning to face the students, he taps the blackboard and says, "Let's start with the basics. Why does Japan dominate Jujutsu Sorcery and Cursed Spirits compared to other countries?"
"Salmon Roe." Toge raises his hand.
"Hmmm... Sensei is pleased with your enthusiasm, Inumaki. But other students don't understand what you're saying. Kamiki, you answer."
With a playful smile on his face, Satoru points to Eiji.
"It's all because of Master Tengen." Eiji says calmly.
"Hm?" Maki is surprised to hear that answer.
She doesn't understand why a prominent figure like Master Tengen is mentioned.
"Continue." Satoru says with a smile.
"Basically, Master Tengen's Barrier enhances weaker Jujutsu Techniques like Simple Domain, Curtain, etc., but it also attracts and restricts Cursed Energy, Cursed Spirits, and Jujutsu Sorcerers appearing abroad. Handling all three would be more practical if they are in one location. Master Tengen's Barrier optimizes Cursed Energy, and there are far fewer Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers appearing worldwide compared to Japan."
"Of course, it doesn't mean that other countries don't have Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers; it's just that the quantity and scale of their power cannot be compared to those in Japan."
"Your answer is correct."
Satoru applauds, indicating that he doesn't need to provide further explanation.
"So that's it..."
Maki feels her understanding has expanded. Moreover, the Zenin Family didn't give her any education about the Jujutsu world, so there are many things she doesn't know.
Next, Satoru explained the basics of Jujutsu. He deliberately chose this material for Maki, who had no foundation at all.
Unlike the Zenin Family, which neglected Maki, Satoru is actually very optimistic about her potential. Moreover, he knows how powerful the owner of the Heavenly Restriction is with superhuman physical blessings. In the past, he almost died at the hands of Toji, and he often sparred with Eiji.
If relying solely on physical strength, Satoru doesn't have confidence in defeating Eiji. So, he wants Maki to reach her full potential in the future.