"Why?" Principal Masamichi Yaga asked calmly, though his expressionless face made him appear very serious. "Incidents, accidents, diseases—every day, people die without your knowledge. It's inevitable. If they die because of curses, do you believe you must intervene?"
Yuji Itadori replied immediately, "That's what I heard in my grandfather's last words. The details don't matter. I just want to save people."
"Last words?" Yaga responded indifferently. "So, you're saying you're following someone else's instructions to fight curses? Not acceptable."
As he spoke, Yaga stood up, raising one hand. The stuffed doll sitting nearby suddenly stood as well, its expression turning fierce.
"Uh... isn't that just a doll?" Yuji asked, curiously eyeing the green doll next to Yaga.
"This is a 'cursed corpse.' It's a doll, but I've imbued it with a curse," Yaga explained, and with a wave of his hand, the round cursed corpse charged at Yuji.
Seeing this, Hayashi immediately stepped back to avoid getting caught in the fray. Although the cursed corpse wasn't a strong enemy for him, Hayashi was still recovering from injuries.
Yuji wasn't as lucky. The cursed corpse moved incredibly fast and was in front of Yuji in an instant, delivering a powerful punch. Even though Yuji blocked with his backpack, the force sent him flying, crashing into the closed doors.
"Is this really a doll?" Yuji gritted his teeth as he got up, surprised at how lifelike the cursed corpse seemed, with its human-like expressions and movements.
After landing, the cursed corpse started to dance, flailing its limbs as if mocking Yuji, showing off its strength.
"In moments of desperation, a person's true nature is revealed. Since I haven't heard the answer I want, the attacks won't stop," Yaga stated, waiting for Yuji to say what he wanted to hear.
"It's not someone else! It's my family's last words!" Yuji suddenly charged at the cursed corpse, landing a punch that sent it flying, bouncing off the wooden pillars like a pinball.
However, instead of falling, the cursed corpse began to bounce between the pillars even faster, becoming nothing but a blur, extinguishing all the nearby candles in the process.
The hall quickly dimmed, while the cursed corpse continued to move rapidly around.
"Damn it, where is it?" Yuji spun around, trying to locate it, but he couldn't keep up.
Suddenly, the cursed corpse appeared behind Yuji, delivering a powerful kick that sent him crashing into the wall again.
"Family is 'someone else' too," Yaga said flatly, watching Yuji struggle on the ground.
Meanwhile, the cursed corpse mockingly patted its backside, taunting Yuji with a gesture of humiliation.
Ignoring Yaga's comment, Yuji suddenly realized something. "Yeah, it's just a doll. It doesn't feel pain or fear."
"Cursed sorcerers are always dealing with death—not just their own. You'll see people killed by curses, and you'll have to slay curses yourself. It's a grim job, requiring a bit of madness and a strong sense of purpose. Can you really do it, just because of someone else's words?"
Yaga lit the extinguished candles as he spoke, addressing not only Yuji but also Hayashi.
Then, his tone shifted, and he shouted, "Ridiculous! I'd rather believe you want to delay your execution than that excuse!"
"What a joke! I—" Yuji began, but Yaga cut him off.
"Let me ask you this. When a curse kills you, are you going to blame your parents for it?" Yaga pointed down at Yuji, towering over him.
Yuji froze for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat confused. "You're really bad at this teaching thing, huh?"
"Opening the eyes of students is part of education," Yaga responded, stroking his short beard.
Yuji lowered his head and muttered, "I won't—"
Before he could finish, the cursed corpse appeared in front of him again, delivering an uppercut that flipped Yuji over completely, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
"Imagining your mental state at the moment of death is difficult, but one thing is clear. With your current mindset, you'll end up cursing your grandfather when you die. Now, let me ask again: Why are you here at Jujutsu High?"
Yaga's words echoed in Yuji's mind as the cursed corpse closed in again, raising its fists to strike.
Suddenly, Yuji dodged forward, tackling the cursed corpse, causing it to fall to the ground. Yuji locked his legs around its stomach and pinned its arms, restraining it.
Looking up at Yaga, Yuji said with determination, "No one but me can 'consume Sukuna.' Even if I could avoid the death penalty, if I shirk this responsibility, every time I sit down to eat, bathe, or read a manga, I'd remember that someone else is dying because of Sukuna. I'd have to lie to myself, saying it's not my problem or fault."
Yuji's voice was firm as he declared, "I don't want to live like that. I don't know how I'll feel when I die, but I don't want to regret how I lived."
Yaga remained silent for a moment after hearing Yuji's words, then turned his gaze to Hayashi. "And you?"
"Me?" Hayashi stood there, stunned that the conversation had suddenly turned to him. But since he was here, he had to provide an answer if he wanted to join Jujutsu High.
Gojo glanced at Yaga, knowing Yuji had likely passed. As for Hayashi, Gojo was curious to see how he would respond.
"I don't have a long story to tell. My experience is different from Yuji's, but I'm very willing to exorcise curses. In the process, I can also strengthen myself, which I find enjoyable. Although I'm not that strong right now, I believe that in the near future, I can become one of the top fighters—perhaps even surpassing Gojo-sensei."
Hayashi's confidence wasn't arrogance but stemmed from his determination after his recent encounter. He didn't want to lose again.
After Hayashi finished speaking, the room fell silent.
After a while, Gojo chuckled, looking at Hayashi with interest. "Interesting."
Someone was actually boasting in front of him, claiming they could surpass the strongest sorcerer.
"You're quite bold with your claims. What kind of strength or qualifications do you have to back them up? If you think anyone can just waltz into Jujutsu High with empty boasts, then this school would have ceased to exist long ago!" Yaga said sternly, finding Hayashi too brash compared to the more pragmatic Yuji.
As Yaga was about to dismiss Hayashi, a sudden surge of cursed energy erupted from Hayashi's body.
"Oh?" Gojo looked at Hayashi curiously. He was eager to see what kind of power Hayashi possessed, especially since Hayashi had dared to mess with a special-grade curse before.