"Ugh...!"
Naoya covered his mouth with his palm, his face turning red, as he let out a thin moan.
Staring intently at Zoro on the TV screen with sparkling eyes, Toji wondered if he had hit that guy's head too hard earlier.
Tsumiki asked worriedly,
"Um, does it hurt?"
"Tsumiki, don't talk to that guy."
Reluctantly, Toji moved Megumi and Tsumiki away from Naoya, and sat between Naoya and the kids himself. For Naoya, being closer to Toji was actually better.
"As expected from Toji's son," Naoya muttered, but Toji decided to neatly ignore him. I didn't hear anything from that guy.
...
Afterward, the team battle ended uneventfully with a victory for Tokyo Jujutsu High. While Nanami and Haibara were holding out and Gojo was being scolded by his peers, Geto went and wiped out the remaining members of Kyoto Jujutsu High.
After the team battle ended... Gojo was scolded by Yaga.
"You don't even know how important a shikigami is to a shikigami sorcerer—!"
Gojo knelt with his hands up in front of Yaga.
Once a shikigami sorcerer's shikigami is destroyed, it cannot be summoned again. Therefore, the destruction of a shikigami is very critical for a shikigami sorcerer.
However, there was a very rare sorcery where the power of a destroyed shikigami could be inherited by another shikigami. Such sorcery was considered very rare and valuable.
Ryota Tsuda's bullet ant shikigami was the type that couldn't be summoned again once destroyed, but in return, the sorcerer's total power increased. Specifically, some of his power was always used for the bullet ant shikigami, even when not summoned, and its permanent destruction resulted in the recovery of Tsuda's total power.
Gojo timidly objected to Yaga.
"I did check there was no one around..."
"Is that what you call checking, you fool!!"
Sparks flew from Yaga's eyes, then he grabbed Gojo's cheeks with both hands and pinched them.
"You think you can just use your techniques anywhere if there's no one around, huh?!"
"Ouch, sorry!"
The reason Gojo ended up like this was:
'Huh?'
'...Satoru, are we trapped?'
Right at the start of the team battle, the most skilled barrier sorcerer of the third-year students from Kyoto Jujutsu High cast a barrier to detain Geto and Gojo. Kyoto Jujutsu High had initially focused solely on confining Gojo and Geto because they thought they couldn't beat them.
But a high school barrier sorcerer, not Tengen, had cast the barrier. The barrier couldn't hold Gojo and Geto for long. About 15 minutes later, when the nature of the barrier weakened, Gojo was able to break the barrier and escape.
'Finally! I'm going to blow away this annoying barrier!'
'Satoru, calm down a bit—'
'Reversal...'
'Hey, hey!'
'Arghhhhhhh!'
Frustrated from breaking the barrier, Gojo unleashed Red, and its aftermath blew away Tsuda Ryota's bullet ant shikigami through the barrier.
"God damn! My hair has turned white twice as much because of you... Ugh...!"
Yaga started to speak but then suddenly grasped the back of his neck. Shoko hesitated for a moment before use a reverse technique on Yaga. Suddenly relieved of fatigue, Yaga turned to look at Shoko.
"...? Shoko, why..."
"I thought you might really collapse."
His face had really turned red for a moment.
Yaga took a deep breath to calm himself and said,
"Apologize properly to Tsuda-kun."
Gojo looked at Ryota Tsuda, who was still sobbing in a corner. Tsuda glared at Gojo with resentful eyes.
Gojo apologized to Ryota.
"Sorry. I'll give you three limited-edition Pokémon cards."
"...Really?"
"But honestly, it would have been better if that shikigami didn't exist. Compared to the power and effort it took, the outcome was just too pathetic. Just consider what's needed for the summoning ritual—amulets written with the sorcerer's own blood, artisans, injections... I was just quietly watching you summon it because it was Zoro, but if it had been me or in actual combat, no chance—"
"Satoruuuuuuuuu!!!"
Yaga roared like a dragon spewing fire and charged at Satoru again. A terrified Geto and Nanami grabbed Yaga, who was swinging his fists.
Meanwhile, Naoya stealthily tried to approach Zoro but was caught by the scruff of his neck by Toji, who was dangling him in the air. Despite trying to ignore it, Toji gritted his teeth.
"Stay away from my son."
"I'm not going to hurt him! Just wanted to talk. It's my cousin's child, my cousin!"
"Sounds like nonsense, aren't you going to leave?!"
Toji then threw Naoya away. Gakuganji watched the chaos with an unreadable expression.
Yaga finally calmed down and bowed deeply in front of Gakuganji.
"I'm sorry, Dean Gakuganji."
"...Yaga, you'd better think about how to handle Gojo."
"Hmph. No one can handle me."
A deep wrinkle formed on Gakuganji's forehead. After glaring at Gojo for a moment, he finally continued.
"...As soon as the students from Kyoto Jujutsu High recover, we'll draw lots and start the next match."
"The next match... It's going to be a singles match, right?"
"Yes. It'll be a one-on-one tournament style, without distinction between Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High."
Tournament. A match format where the luck of the draw is very important. In crude terms, if Gojo and Geto, or Zoro, were to face each other in the first match, even though both might be stronger than the rest, one of them would have to lose.
"Until then, everyone should take a rest."
With not a scratch on them, Shoko and Zoro, and Geto looked at each other and said,
"Shall we go out?"
Tsumiki jumped off the sofa.
"Brother, let's go together!"
"Sure."
Having just been freed from Yaga's chokehold, Gojo desperately cried out.
"What about me? Can I come too?"
"If Teacher Yaga allows it."
"Teacher! Me too—"
"Not a chance."
"Ah, why!"
This way, maybe that guy will reflect a little. Yaga firmly decided to ignore Gojo who was whining about wanting to join the outing.
"Is father going too?"
"Of course."
He couldn't feel at ease just sending the kids. Toji was about to say he would go too when he swiftly pushed Naoya away and started packing.
That day, Shoko, Geto, Zoro, Megumi, and Tsumiki roamed around Kyoto, eating, chatting about trivial things, visiting cafes, and taking photos together.
"Oh, that suits you."
"You look good, Zoro."
"..."
Zoro fiddled with the tiger ear headband that Megumi had put on him with a grumpy expression. Tsumiki, wearing a Rudolph headband, took Zoro's phone from Toji and started snapping away.
"This is for Papa."
"No way."
Although Megumi's attempt to put a wolf ear headband on Toji was futile, it was a pleasant day nonetheless.
...
The next day, students from the two jujutsu high schools, cured by Shoko's reverse technique, gathered for the drawing of lots.
Gakuganji held out a bag containing numbered balls. Nanami and Haibara drew the first and second balls, respectively.
"Ah, Nanami. You...?"
"Such unlucky fate."
Nanami muttered, looking at the red ball in his hand, which was exactly the same color as the one Haibara held.
'It's half the students from Kyoto Jujutsu High, and it had to be Haibara.'
Well, it's better than meeting the seniors. Nanami decided to think positively. After all, he wasn't going to win anyway.
But Tokyo Jujutsu High's bad luck didn't end there.
"Ah."
"Eek, Shoko?"
As soon as Shoko realized that the blue ball she drew was the same as the one Gojo had drawn, she raised her hand.
"Teacher, I forfeit."
"There's no such thing!"
"It's a bigger loss if I get hurt. Who will treat the injuries if someone gets hurt?"
Neither Yaga nor Gakuganji expected Shoko to fight, so her forfeiture was easily accepted.
Gojo, who had been planning to thoroughly trample anyone he met in the singles tournament after running around in the barrier during the team match, pouted at the easy victory by default.
"Heyyy, I want to draw!"
"Really?"
Zoro lifted Megumi up and walked towards the bag. Megumi stretched his short arm into the bag and seriously fished around before pulling out a ball.
The drawn ball was a bright green. Excited, Megumi showed the ball to Zoro.
"It's your color, big bro!"
"...Yeah."
Zoro smiled and stroked Megumi's spiky hair, causing Geto to also smile bitterly. Geto held a green ball in his hand.
Nanami and Haibara. Gojo and Shoko. Geto and Zoro.
The first round of the singles tournament was a hellish civil war with participants from the same school facing each other.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my pátreon.com/fumiaki