"You have no sense of impending danger," Jogo smirked as he taunted.
"My danger sense is working fine; I can't say the same for you," Hiroshi fired back.
Just as Jogo was about to unleash his ember insects, Hiroshi closed the gap within a split second, hitting Jogo with a powerful lariat that sent him hurtling backward and crashing into the ground.
As Jogo struggled to stand up, a voice above him called out, "Watch out! Watch out!" Jogo looked up to see Hiroshi's devious smile just before the full weight of the God of Sorcerers came crashing down.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!" Hiroshi declared as he struck, burying Jogo even deeper into the ground.
Hiroshi stood at the edge of the crater, looking down condescendingly. Jogo, now enraged, emerged from the crater, summoning numerous ember insects that exploded as they neared Hiroshi. Dodging backward, Hiroshi was intercepted by Jogo, who struck him from behind, causing an explosion of flames. Jogo followed up with a blow to Hiroshi's head, which also burst into flames.
Breathing heavily, having poured nearly everything into those two attacks, Jogo arrogantly asked, "Is that all? To put it bluntly, you're overly acclaimed by the weak. Humans nowadays are really fake. They live in falsehood; the ugliness of it makes me sick! Let your death prove the real strength and truth."
From within the smoke, Hiroshi's voice emerged, "Has anybody told you that you're hitting way above your weight class?" As the wind blew away the smoke, Hiroshi stood, his appearance with slight burn marks from his clothes. Jogo was shocked.
"What is the meaning of this?" Jogo demanded.
"Simply put, Domain Amplification," Hiroshi explained.
Jogo looked confused.
"I guess Yuta has yet to teach it to you," Hiroshi said, then disappeared from Jogo's sight.
Startled, Jogo looked around frantically but was greeted by a flurry of attacks: a left hook, a knee, then a roundhouse kick—a quick combination that broke multiple bones. In the millisecond Jogo was airborne, Hiroshi grabbed him and threw him forward, continuing to rain hell on the cursed spirit with relentless combos. As Jogo fell, he was greeted by a jab, a cross, a low kick, and then an uppercut, sending him flying upward. An axe kick to the ground followed, and Hiroshi ended with a stomp, planting Jogo in the ground in a massive crater, barely conscious.
"Fatality!" Hiroshi narrated, chuckling to himself.
Hiroshi stood there contemplating, "If I exorcise him now, there would be changes..." Then Hiroshi had an idea, "I'll give you as a gift to Suguru," he thought, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
As Hiroshi mused to himself, Kenjaku's warning floated in Jogo's mind: "Fine, I can give the Prison Realm to you, but you will die, Jogo."
Jogo began to chuckle, "He wasn't kidding, huh? Hehehehe."
He gazed at Hiroshi, who was still lost in thought, with a devious smile. "I can't beat him unless I drag him into my territory."
Hiroshi noticed Jogo beginning to move again. "Go on, move. I'll give you one last chance to redeem yourself," Hiroshi said, the arrogant smirk never leaving his face.
Jogo, boiling with anger, shouted, "You're going to regret those words!" as he put his hands together.
"Domain Expansion: Iron Coffin Mountain!"
In an instant, Hiroshi was caught in Jogo's domain, the interior of a volcano. Jogo looked around and saw Hiroshi looking at his domain like a tourist.
"What? Why?" Jogo thought. "It doesn't matter. He's trapped in my domain." He began to regain his confidence.
"I came here partly to play. I thought if I couldn't kill him, it would be fine, but he thrust the difference before me, so I'm going to crush him," Jogo thought.
"My pride as a Cursed Spirit... as a new-found human, I cannot accept this!" Jogo raged internally. "BURN TO A CRISP, SENJU HIROSHI!"
Jogo's domain flooded with molten lava and intense heat. The environment was lethal, designed to incinerate any intruder within seconds. The volcanic landscape was alive with the fury of Jogo's cursed energy, erupting from every crevice.
Hiroshi stood firm, contemplating his next move. "Well then...let's end this farce," he said, putting his hands together as a multitude of hands appeared around him. "Domain Expansion: Divine Tree Emergence," he declared.
The moment Hiroshi's domain manifested, Jogo's domain shattered under the sheer force. "Impossible!" Jogo thought, watching in horror as his domain crumbled. He was subject to the sure-hit effect of Hiroshi's domain, unable to escape the divine wrath.
A few seconds later, Hiroshi canceled his domain. What remained of Jogo was a broken upper torso, his limbs missing. From a distance, Yujaku and Hanami observed the battle intently.
"He's still as strong as ever, the God of Sorcerers," Kenjaku, in Yuta's form, remarked, watching Hiroshi effortlessly incapacitate Jogo. This only reinforced Kenjaku's determination that Senju Hiroshi must be removed from the picture for his plans to succeed.
"I can't be seen by people related to Jujutsu High, so I'm going to head back now," Kenjaku said. "If you want to save him, go ahead. Although, I doubt you possess such emotions."
"We do. We are the true humans, after all," Hanami responded, then moved towards the battlefield to retrieve Jogo.
"How dare you. You're just a mere cursed spirit," Kenjaku murmured with a devious smile as he left.
Hiroshi stood over Jogo, who was incapacitated. "If I'm not mistaken, Hanami should be rescuing him soon," he thought.
Suddenly, a plant grew in front of Hiroshi, releasing a genjutsu. Startled, Hiroshi muttered, "How come? These plants are refusing my control?"
Hanami appeared, taking advantage of the distraction to swiftly retrieve Jogo. She moved quickly, knowing time was of the essence.
"The trees aren't picking up anything...no, only a small part near that cursed spirit...Hanami, huh?" Hiroshi thought. "As I recall, Hanami is the cursed spirit born from humans' fear of land and earth-based natural disasters. That explains her ability to control parts of the trees and vegetation...interesting," Hiroshi smirked, watching as the cursed spirits disappeared.
He allowed them to leave, curiosity piqued. "Perhaps I'll have to deal with her another time" Hiroshi glanced at his watch, "Oof, I'm running late"
At Kyoto Jujutsu High, Principal Gakuganji and Utahime were waiting for Hiroshi to discuss the upcoming Kyoto-Sister School Exchange Event. Gakuganji sipped his tea, looking slightly annoyed. "He's running late, quite unlike him," he remarked.
Utahime, also sipping tea, suggested, "Perhaps something happened on the way?"
Just then, Hiroshi slid open the door. "My apologies," he said. "I encountered a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Now, shall we start the meeting?"
---
Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous apartment, Kenjaku opened a door and found himself facing a serene beach scene. "It sure is a calm territory," he remarked.
Mahito approached him. "Yuta, what happened to Jougo?"
Kenjaku replied calmly, "He was close to dying. Hanami went in to save him, so he's probably fine."
Mahito, skeptical, responded, "You sure are irresponsible. You instigated it, didn't you?"
"Far from it. I tried to stop him," Kenjaku said, feigning innocence.
As they conversed, the door opened and Hanami entered, carrying Jogo's upper torso. "Jougo, Hanami, I'm glad that you're safe," Mahito greeted.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Jogo snapped angrily.
Kenjaku, maintaining a nonchalant demeanor, said, "Well, that's how it ended. Anyway, he's right," avoiding Jogo's furious glare by looking away comically.
Kenjaku continued, "I think now you understand that attacking Senju Hiroshi requires a certain time and place. After establishing our advantages, we'll seal him. We'll do it on the 31st of October in Shibuya. Is that right, Mahito?"
"No objections here," Mahito replied. "We'll move ahead, sly as curses, cunning as humans."
---------------
Kyoto Airport.
"Alright everyone, hop on," Hiroshi said to his students, gesturing towards his private jet ready to take them to Tokyo.
Miwa looked around, impressed. "Sure is cool to have a rich mentor."
Momo Nishimiya nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it," she replied as they boarded the jet.
Aoi Todo approached Hiroshi with an eager expression. "Sensei, do you happen to have tickets for Takada-chan's meet and greet event?"
Hiroshi smirked, handing Aoi two tickets. "I got you covered."
"Thank you, Sensei!" Aoi exclaimed, taking the tickets with enthusiasm.
"Try to decrease your delusions, Todo," Hiroshi said with a helpless sigh, watching Aoi board the jet, oblivious to his advice.
As Mai Zenin approached, Hiroshi greeted her. "Ready to prove that you're the better twin, Mai?"
"Sensei, you seem to have a misconception," Mai responded coolly.
"Oh? And what is that?" Hiroshi asked, intrigued.
"I AM the better twin, and I shall prove it. I shall prove her wrong," Mai proclaimed with determination.
"Kinda edgy, but sure," Hiroshi thought, watching Mai ascend the jet stairs.
A robotic voice interrupted Hiroshi's thoughts. "Sensei," Mechamaru called.
"Yes?" Hiroshi turned to listen.
"Yuta Okkotsu... Kenjaku has recently made a binding vow with me. The information about your whereabouts from yesterday's attack came from me," Mechamaru confessed.
"Good work. The moment they uphold their end of the bargain, contact me immediately," Hiroshi instructed.
"Yes, Sensei. I have already hidden vegetation in the structures nearby," Mechamaru reported.
"Go on. You'll get a complete body soon," Hiroshi reassured him as Mechamaru ascended the jet's stairs.
The next day at Tokyo Jujutsu High, Megumi and Nobara were standing beside a vending machine.
"Can't they up the number of vending machines here?" Nobara asked, frustrated.
"If you wanted a drink, the cafeteria has a wide array," Megumi replied.
"It's too far..." Nobara complained.
As they conversed, Aoi Todo and Mai Zenin appeared in front of them.
"Why are you here, Zenin-senpai?" Megumi asked.
Nobara looked between Mai and Megumi, noticing a similarity. "Ah! So she is after all... their auras are similar... sisters?"
Mai gave Megumi a disdainful look. "How unpleasant, Fushiguro-kun. You can't even tell me apart, and you're the heir apparent to our clan. Call me Mai."
Todo stared intensely at Megumi. "So you're the substitutes for the third years. But Senju-sensei likes to brag about you, Megumi," he said.
Mai added, "He told us that you are the closest sorcerer to the Big Three. So, in order for us, his proud students—"
Todo tore off his shirt, revealing his muscular build, and interrupted Mai. "So, Fushiguro, tell me, what type of woman do you like? I like a tall woman with a nice ass," he declared, squaring up.
Megumi's thoughts strayed to his step-sister, Tsumiki Fushiguro. "Strange question, something Hiroshi-sensei would like to ask..." He realized he was in a dilemma: "If they are trained by Hiroshi-sensei, then chances are if I answer right, I'm going to get attacked. If I get it wrong, I'll still get attacked... so these questions are tricks," Megumi thought.
Deciding to respond cautiously, Megumi answered, "I like a woman with a good personality."
"Wrong answer," Todo declared, hitting Megumi hard enough to send him flying across the forest.
As Todo gave chase, Nobara and Mai were left behind. Mai held Nobara at gunpoint, smirking.
As Nobara reached for her hammer and nails, her hand was shot by Mai. "Wanna bet if you can reach for those nails fast enough before you get pelted by bullets? ...although it's rubber, it's going to hurt like hell," Mai confidently taunted.
"I thought you looked alike, but I was wrong. Maki-san is a hundred times more beautiful," Nobara said, trying to distract Mai.
Mai's expression darkened, and she emptied a clip, sending rubber bullets flying at Nobara. Despite using cursed energy reinforcement, Nobara felt the sting of each hit as she dashed for cover. "It still hurts," she cursed under her breath.
"Has nobody told you not to piss off a person holding you at gunpoint?" Mai said, her voice dripping with menace.
Nobara, now crouched behind a tree, winced as she assessed her situation. Her hand throbbed from the initial shot, and she knew she needed to change her strategy. "Great, just great. Rubber bullets might not be lethal, but they sure pack a punch," she thought.
Mai's footsteps crunched on the leaves as she approached. "What's wrong? Running out of smart remarks?" she called out.
Back to Todo and Megumi, the clash was escalating rapidly. Megumi, launched across the forest, landed acrobatically on a branch. He quickly assessed his options, knowing that lethal techniques were off the table when fighting fellow sorcerers.
"Qirin is too lethal... Chimera? No, he's lethal too," Megumi thought, strategizing on the fly. "Nue: Totality Merged Beast Raiju!" He summoned a multitude of rabbit-shaped shikigami, each charged with lightning, and sent them hurtling towards Todo.
Todo, adept at dodging, moved nimbly between the lightning strikes, but the sheer number of attacks forced him to stay on the defensive. Megumi, seeing an opportunity, summoned another shikigami.
"Toad Totality: Merged Beast - Toad King!" A massive toad appeared beside Megumi, its presence formidable.
Despite the onslaught, Todo remained composed. With a swift clap, he activated his Boogie Woogie technique, swapping places with a small pebble near Megumi's foot. Todo appeared beside Megumi, poised to strike.
"What?" Megumi thought, reacting just in time to dodge the blow. This forced him into close combat, where Todo excelled.
Todo threw a punch, which Megumi parried, countering with his own strike aimed at Todo's ribs.
Clap Another clap from Todo, and he was behind Megumi again. Megumi barely had time to think, "What an annoying cursed technique," before being hit hard from behind.
"First time I saw you, I thought, 'Ahh, this guy's boring,'" Todo taunted as he wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. "But we can't judge a book by its cover, right? That's why I asked you about your type of woman, but you further disappointed me," he continued, his voice dripping with mock sorrow.
"A man trained by Senju-sensei is boring... oh, that disappointment," Todo exclaimed theatrically, almost as if he were performing for an audience.
"Does he have brain problems?" Megumi wondered, irritated by Todo's antics. He quickly recalculated his strategy, knowing he had to deal with both Todo's physical prowess and his unpredictable technique.
As Todo conversed, a long tongue lashed out from the Toad King. Todo dodged it, but the tongue followed his every move like a snake. Megumi took this opportunity to distance himself from Todo, but Todo clapped to reappear near Megumi and attack again.
This cycle repeated multiple times, despite Megumi's shikigami hindering Todo. Their fight eventually led them to a nearby building, attracting the attention of Panda and Inumaki.
"Don't move!" Inumaki commanded, using his cursed speech on Todo, causing him to freeze briefly. Panda seized the moment and struck Todo.
"What are you doing?" Panda exclaimed, frustrated.
"It's been a while, Panda," Todo replied nonchalantly.
"Why can't you just be patient?" Panda asked, exasperated.
"We were just about to head back. Senju-sensei must be looking for us anyway," Todo said, searching for his jacket.
"You didn't pass by out of boredom?" Panda asked skeptically.
"That too... I'll see you later, Fushiguro," Todo said, signaling the end of their encounter.
--------------------
Meanwhile, with Mai and Nobara, Nobara was entangled in Mai's traps, hanging around with an annoyed look on her face. Mai used Nobara as target practice until she sensed someone behind her.
"What a coincidence, Maki," Mai said seriously, turning to face her sister.
"What are you doing to my errand girl, Mai?" Maki asked, equally serious.
Mai aimed her gun at Maki. "Don't worry, she's just hanging around... you, on the other hand, I'm not so sure," she said, ready to attack.
Her phone rang, interrupting the tension. "Sensei," Mai said as she answered.
"That's enough. You can settle your differences with Maki later. Come back with Todo; the noise you guys just made can be heard across the campus," Hiroshi's voice commanded from the phone.
"Yes, Sensei, we'll be right there," Mai replied, ending the call.
Mai turned to find Aoi Todo already approaching. "Sensei called. We should head back," Mai informed Todo.
Todo nodded but then hesitated. "I can't. I have a meet-up event with Takada-chan in Tokyo."
*Silence*
"It won't end like this at the exchange, Maki," Mai said, leaving a final taunt as she and Todo hurried away.
"Dammit, quit being selfish!" Mai scolded Todo, who was walking hurriedly, leaving her behind.
-------------
Kanagawa Prefecture, Kawasaki City
*SBI LINES PLEASE DO NOT CROSS*
Supernatural Bureau of Investigation
Kinema Cinema
After the showing,
Three high school boys' disfigured corpses were discovered by staff. Cause of death: increased cranial pressure and respiratory paralysis due to cranial deformity. A Jujutsu Sorcerer wrote up the report as they surveyed the scene.
The People of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation Took over the cases of the police with all cases of Supernatural. A branch of Jujutsu High comprised of Windows authorized personnel to exorcise cursed spirits, The SBI immediately gained attention as evidence were shown to the public through Specialized Lenses created by Kokichi Muta, commonly known as Mechamaru. With the assistance of the Senju clan, they managed to mass produce the lenses that are able to see and to take photos of Curses, popularly known as ghosts.
It is because of this that a controlled release of evidence that Curses exist, and the common populace of Japan realized that the Supernatural does exist and that their government had been fighting them behind the scenes.
The most common searched words are Curses and Sorcerers, however, the only information released by the Japanese Government were Curses exist and the Sorcerers come to exorcise them. Information of where they come from and the existence of Cursed energy were hidden by the Order of Senju Hiroshi, The God of Sorcerers and Patriarch of the Senju clan.
Lest the entire world immediately become curious on the potential uses of renewable energy that is cursed energy, good enough to explain the existence of the SBI and enough for the common populace to know the existence of Sorcerers...the Grades 4 and 3 Sorcerers only.
Nanami and Haibara were standing in front of the theatre, with Yuji.
"Itadori-kun, are you prepared?" Nanami asked.
"Yes!" Yuji replied.
"Itadori-kun, focus and watch closely. You will see cursed energy particles, that is how we confirm if we are dealing with curses. It is second nature to us," Haibara Yu explained as he pointed at the specific part of the theatre they are investigating.