Just like that, Todo Aoi walked in the front, with Mai Zenin and Miwa Kasumi following behind. Hayashi was slung over Todo's shoulder, one of Todo's arms wrapped around Hayashi's legs to prevent him from falling.
Mai and Miwa didn't even know what to say. These two had been fighting so fiercely moments ago, almost to the point of causing serious harm, and now they seemed to have developed a deep bond?
"I hadn't heard much about Hayashi before, but I didn't expect him to be this strong," Miwa Kasumi said while absentmindedly playing with her light blue hair, her eyes fixed on Hayashi, who was hanging over Todo's shoulder.
"Who knows..." Mai Zen'in couldn't make sense of it either. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "The one everyone underestimated turns out to be the strongest. Winning this tournament just got a lot harder."
Mai had initially thought dealing with Tokyo School wouldn't be an issue. After all, third-year Hakari Kinji was suspended due to his mistakes, and Sukuna's vessel, Yuji Itadori, had died. Even though Hayashi was present, back then, everyone treated him as if he didn't exist.
But now, everything was different. Hayashi alone had completely exceeded their expectations. A first-year with this level of power could only be described as monstrous.
His incredible Reversal Technique, which could restore a completely shattered and irreversible arm, made it seem as if time itself had reversed. However, Mai knew that Hayashi couldn't possibly have the power to turn back time. That was utterly impossible unless he had access to the fabled, long-lost Reversal Technique, "Time Trace" from centuries ago.
But no one had ever seen the Time Trace technique in action—it had vanished into the annals of history. There were only ancient records about it, and those were for observation only, not learning.
The Reversal Technique Hayashi displayed was so strange that Mai and Miwa couldn't understand its principles. That's what shocked them.
From this, they could deduce that Hayashi's innate talent and bloodline were incredibly powerful. But strangely enough, no one seemed to know anything about his background, and before now, he wasn't even deemed worthy of investigation.
"If others find out about this, I wonder how they'll react~," Miwa Kasumi mused with a slight smile. She had thought she could surpass Hayashi, but now she realized she was still the "useless Miwa."
"For now, let's not mention this to anyone," Mai said thoughtfully. "But we should warn the others about Hayashi. Kyoto's honor is on the line. Hayashi may be strong, but even the strongest can be overwhelmed by numbers."
Mai was particularly concerned about Todo Aoi's attitude toward Hayashi. The weight of a first-grade jujutsu sorcerer's opinion carried a lot of significance.
It had been a long time—so long since she had seen Todo behave like this.
Miwa nodded obediently. For her, during any future battle, she knew she would only be able to play a supporting role.
That's why she needed to get stronger.
...
Tokyo School.
In the hallway beside the main entrance.
Fushiguro Megumi and Kugisaki Nobara, exhausted from training, had come to get some cold drinks to refresh themselves and cool off.
Kugisaki inserted some coins into the vending machine, and two carbonated drinks fell out. She handed one to Fushiguro.
"Thanks," Fushiguro said, opening the can. The sound of the soda fizzing made him instantly relax.
They both took several big gulps, and Kugisaki let out a satisfied sigh. "Ah, nothing beats a fizzy drink in the summer!"
Suddenly, Fushiguro's gaze shifted to the other side of the hallway, and he paused mid-sip.
Three figures appeared in the distance. Leading them was Todo Aoi, radiating confidence and strength. Behind him stood the sly Mai Zen'in and the cute Miwa Kasumi.
Fushiguro's eyes narrowed as he noticed the person slung over Todo's shoulder. Though he couldn't see the face, the body size and shape looked exactly like Hayashi.
"First-year, take my best friend back to rest," Todo said, his tone surprisingly polite as he addressed Fushiguro.
Todo knew that Hayashi's wrist was broken, but that was a minor issue. What Hayashi needed most now was rest and time to restore his cursed energy. It was clear that Hayashi was more exhausted than injured.
"Why are Zen'in-senpai and the others here?" Fushiguro asked, recognizing the upperclassmen from Kyoto.
"Fushiguro, stop standing there and take your classmate back. He's completely worn out," Mai said. Initially, she had come with the intention of teasing these underclassmen, but after running into Hayashi, she had lost all desire for that.
Fushiguro, still curious, walked toward Todo. Todo gently handed Hayashi over to him. "Be careful. Take him back to rest."
"He's so heavy!!" Fushiguro's expression changed. Why was Hayashi so heavy? It felt like he was carrying a massive iron block. And why had Hayashi been on Todo's shoulder? What was this "best friend" business about?
A series of questions swirled in Fushiguro's mind, leaving him feeling completely confused. He couldn't shake the feeling that something strange had happened earlier.
Todo had noticed Hayashi's weight when carrying him earlier. Even though Hayashi looked like a normal person on the outside, he was much heavier than expected. Even with a muscular build, he shouldn't have weighed this much.
Todo made a mental note to ask Hayashi about it when he woke up.
"Why was Hayashi—"
"He fought Todo. Talking about it won't do any good now. Just take him back to rest. And by the way, you both seem to be in good shape, huh?" Mai interrupted. She didn't bother explaining how Hayashi had ended up unconscious. She didn't want to bring up the fact that Todo had lost—it wasn't exactly a proud moment.
Mai was still perplexed. Todo was strong not just because of his brute strength, but because of his well-rounded abilities. Yet he had chosen to fight Hayashi purely with force. If he had taken the battle seriously, it wouldn't have ended that way.
But Mai would never understand the romance between men—the thrill of trading blows and fighting with pure strength. That was true camaraderie.
Fushiguro's face darkened. He didn't understand why Hayashi had fought Todo, but it was clear that Hayashi had lost, and it seemed he had lost badly.
Todo, meanwhile, appeared completely unscathed. The disparity was too obvious.
"Hayashi is one of us from Tokyo School. Was it necessary to beat him like this? Ganging up on him just because you had more people?" Kugisaki Nobara fumed. She hated the thought of second-years bullying a first-year. What had Hayashi done to deserve this?
Fushiguro, on the other hand, had a good sense of these people. Todo and Mai were both known for causing trouble, and neither had the best temperament.
However, Fushiguro noticed that Hayashi didn't seem to have any external injuries. If he had really fought Todo, it was impossible for him not to have any.
Feeling awkward, Miwa took a few steps back, raising a hand to wave goodbye to Fushiguro and Kugisaki. "I have some business with the principal, so I'll leave you to it. See you later."
With that, Miwa hurriedly left, not wanting to stick around for more awkward conversations. She hadn't said much, but just standing there had felt uncomfortable.
"Todo lost, and it's so awkward," Miwa muttered to herself, walking away with her head down like a flustered rabbit.