In a high-end apartment building in Tokyo's Minato district, a young man slammed the door as he stormed out:
"Useless! Cowards! How can people as irresponsible as you be called assistant supervisors, or even Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerers?"
"You call yourselves worthy of Gojo-sensei's trust? The third-year upperclassmen are still lying in hospital beds!"
"How could I have been so foolish to pin my hopes on you people?"
"Enough! Instead of relying on you, I'll do it myself. I've exorcised a Grade 1 cursed spirit before; it's not like it's beyond me!"
"I didn't come to Tokyo to hide like a turtle. I came here to deal with the cursed users!"
Cursing and walking away without a second thought, the young man ignored Ijichi's attempts to stop him. As he stepped into the elevator, he threw a disdainful glance over his shoulder.
"The jujutsu world is filled with people like you who lack ambition, which is why it's so lifeless. Pathetic! Trash!"
Left behind in the hallway, Ijichi Kiyotaka stood in the cool spring breeze, feeling defeated. The breeze wasn't as cold as the worker's heart.
His heart was icy cold.
"I've messed up... How will I explain this to Gojo-sensei? I'm definitely getting scolded."
Nanami Kento, with a stern expression, walked out and addressed Ijichi:
"It's not your fault. He's reckless and refuses to follow orders. I'll handle this and explain it to Gojo-sensei. I won't let you be blamed."
"But... but if Akira rushes out like this, won't it...?" Ijichi, ever kind-hearted, expressed concern.
"Forget him. A self-centered child like that needs to suffer a little to understand pain. You've had a hard day. Come on, I'll buy you a drink."
"Is that alright? Gojo-sensei is still waiting for me to return."
"It's after work hours now; he has no authority over you. You're an assistant supervisor, not Gojo-sensei's personal secretary."
As Nanami spoke, he casually locked the door, and the two walked side by side into the elevator.
The metal doors slowly closed, concealing Nanami's iconic sunglasses and his meaningful gaze.
Not five minutes after they left, a security camera recording was sent out.
A long-haired man, upon receiving it, smirked and passed his phone to a man wearing a mask: "Hmph, another arrogant student of Gojo Satoru, just like him."
"At that age, it's normal. But we should be cautious. It could be a trap meant to lure us," the masked man said, clearly more cautious.
"Don't worry. Suguru Geto has completely severed ties with Jujutsu High, and we've got someone keeping an eye on Gojo. If they aren't a Special Grade, they're not a threat. The methods for dealing with jujutsu sorcerers are far more numerous than those for cursed spirits."
Behind the long-haired man was a stockpile of weapons, enough firepower to equip a small squad.
"Yes, ten years ago, we were unprepared. If we'd been ready, a Special Grade jujutsu sorcerer wouldn't have had the chance to grow from one to three."
With a wave of his hand, the masked man caused several pairs of hollow eyes to open in the darkness, utterly silent, like lifeless beings.
"First, we deal with that arrogant student. Then, we kill Nanami Kento."
"If anyone dares come to their aid, we'll kill them too! Should we blow them to pieces, or just leave behind their skin?"
"No, I want to tie their corpses into strange shapes and throw them at the gates of Jujutsu High. Gojo's reaction would be priceless."
Their eyes glimmered with deep-seated hatred.
Ten years ago, they not only failed their mission and tasted defeat, but they also suffered humiliation beyond belief.
One had begged for mercy, but was ignored while Gojo released a cursed spirit infamous for its grotesque kisses to assault his face. The spirit was hideous, leaving him with lasting psychological trauma—ever since, he wore a mask, covering himself even more than Gojo, never allowing his skin to be exposed.
The other had been mocked by Gojo before the battle even began and, once the fight started, was posed in an unspeakably humiliating position, with Gojo even taking pictures for posterity.
Such shame demanded revenge.
Even if they were being used as scapegoats now, it didn't matter. The higher-ups used them, and they used the higher-ups.
Gojo Satoru was an enemy to both cursed spirits and cursed users alike.
Besides, as cursed users, their existence hinged on cursing others.
Tonight, under the dark, moonless sky, the conditions were perfect for cursing—and for killing.
Coincidentally, Akira thought the same.
This whole situation, which appeared to be a case of old enemies seeking revenge from ten years ago, was actually far more complicated.
It was a warning and a show of force by the conservative upper echelons who couldn't stand Gojo Satoru.
Gojo was pushing for a revolution within the jujutsu world, which threatened the interests of those in power.
If they could, the old guard would love to eliminate Gojo once and for all, but unfortunately for them, they couldn't. On the contrary, Gojo had the power to eliminate them if he so wished.
However, doing so would lead to the complete collapse of order. No matter how powerful Gojo was, he couldn't single-handedly rebuild the jujutsu system.
So, he chose to play along with the upper echelons, maintaining a delicate balance of checks and compromises while secretly training his own people.
The higher-ups weren't fools either. They could see through Gojo's ambitions. Unable to face him head-on, they resorted to underhanded tactics. Just because Gojo was invincible didn't mean the people on his side were.
If they could eliminate his allies, what would Gojo have left? No matter how strong he was, a lone wolf could only destroy, not rebuild.
As long as the tension between the two sides remained, and Gojo maintained his bottom line of avoiding mutual destruction, such incidents would keep happening.
This time it was the third-years. Next, it might be the second-years, or even the first-years. Gojo couldn't be everywhere at once to protect his students.
To stop the conservatives from pushing further and to ensure future safety, Akira knew that this mission had to be not only successful but flawless. The old guard needed to understand that it wasn't just Gojo who was untouchable—his entire faction was too.
The revived "Organization Q" would be the perfect target.
Although Akira didn't know which layer Gojo was playing on, now that he was here, there was no way he'd allow these unworthy individuals to cause trouble.
The intel showed that aside from the first hideout, which had already been destroyed, Q had two more strongholds in Tokyo.
Normally, after being alerted, the snake would quickly slither away to safety.
But after today's performance of "splitting up," there was a chance the snake would do the opposite—lying in wait, jaws open, expecting prey to walk right in.
At that moment, Akira stood outside the nearest Q stronghold to Nanami's apartment.
This base was larger than the first one, and according to Gardevoir's senses, there were more people inside.
But none of that mattered. What did matter was the clear presence of cursed energy within.
Not even trying to hide, huh? Well then, I won't either—
A grin spread across Akira's face.
He raised his leg, kicked the door open, and charged in, all in one fluid motion!
"Open up, here to check your water meter!"