"MT, hold the line! You have to hold the line!"
"Physical DPS, attack in the order I've marked."
"Mages, apply your buffs and listen to my command—prepare for a concentrated fire!"
"Report! MT's health is in the red zone!"
"Switch Maki out! Backup tank Panda, step in! Pancham, stop messing around and help your brother tank! If you don't hold it, Bamboo Slash will hit for half!"
"Doomed~ Doomed~"
"Healer! Where's the healer? Heal quickly!"
"Coming, coming."
Shoko Ieiri, wearing a white coat with her hands in her pockets, looked exasperated.
She gently touched Maki's wounds, and with the soft glow of cursed energy, Maki's injuries began to heal at a visible rate.
While healing, she didn't forget to complain to Satoru Gojo.
"Why am I called the healer? Can't you come up with a better name?"
"Because everyone calls it that, and it does sound better than 'medic.' Plus, it suits you."
Satoru Gojo said this while deliberately glancing at his old classmate's chest.
In terms of peaks, Shoko Ieiri was ranked first at Tokyo Jujutsu High, and among all the jujutsu sorcerers, she was probably only second to Mei Mei, who was a year older.
Shoko Ieiri wasn't some shy girl—she didn't blush or get embarrassed. She simply stomped on Satoru Gojo's foot with her high heel: "What madness possessed me to agree to help you here? I feel so stupid."
Since they were in Rika's domain, Satoru Gojo hadn't activated "Infinity," so he took the hit squarely but didn't cry out in pain. Instead, he cheekily grinned and said, "Isn't this nice? Running a dungeon should be like this. You spend all your time either in the lab or in the infirmary—don't you find it boring? Tell me, how long has it been since you last exercised properly?"
"None of your business. If I go to the gym, will you do my work for me?"
Satoru Gojo rolled his eyes at that: "If I replace you, who will replace me?"
In terms of workload and importance, these two consistently held the top two spots.
Just think about it—if Shoko could use Reversed Cursed Technique but still had such obvious dark circles, you could imagine the intensity of her work.
"Isn't there Akira?"
"He's just a student. At least wait until he graduates from Jujutsu High. Youth shouldn't be wasted."
"You really spoil your students, huh?"
"And you don't? Who always eagerly does psychological counseling after every mission?"
"…"
"…"
They were silent, each understanding the other's sentiments.
It was their shared ideals that brought them together in the first place.
"Mages! Stop slacking! Control, output, concentrate your fire, and take down the boss quickly—the next wave is coming!"
Akira shouted commands with all his might, completely intolerant of any team member slacking off.
"On it, on it! Watch my triple combo!"
Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow, instantly switching to pro-gamer mode. He used Blue to control the enemies with strong gravity, then followed up with Hollow Technique: Purple—albeit a weakened version at just one percent power.
A team battle wasn't Satoru Gojo's solo show—outputting too little was no good, but overdoing it could cause aggro shifts.
Don't forget the main tank, Maki, the toughest fighter, hadn't returned to the frontlines yet.
However, the Hollow Technique was ultimately more of a single-target or line-target move, with high piercing damage but lacking in area damage. That's where the others came in.
Gardevoir's "Calm Mind + Psychic" combo landed first, followed by Yuta Okkotsu and Darkrai's "Double Wave" attack.
Yuta Okkotsu, with his immense cursed energy, could directly unleash a cursed energy blast.
Darkrai used "Quick Attack" to swiftly maneuver through the shadows.
"Done!" Satoru Gojo struck a thumbs-up pose with the hand he used to cast Hollow Technique.
"Akira-senpai, the third wave is coming!"
Megumi Fushiguro, who was playing the support and scout role, reported, with his shikigami, Jade Hound and Escape Rabbit, spreading out for maximum mobility.
"Formation C, control flow. Main control, use a big skill!"
"Salmon."
Inumaki, who had been holding back, was waiting for this moment. He took a megaphone and shouted with all his might.
"Fall down!"
"Is the main tank's health recovered?"
"Recovered, recovered." Shoko Ieiri complained, but her hands moved swiftly.
"Aren't you having fun?" Satoru Gojo joked as he returned from the frontlines.
"Who knows," Shoko Ieiri brushed a strand of hair back. "Why don't you ask your precious son?"
"Megumi-chan~~~" Satoru Gojo actually went over. "Are you having fun?"
"Get lost!" Megumi's serious expression immediately soured. "We're in the middle of a battle."
"So after the battle, does that mean—"
Akira ignored Satoru Gojo's antics and shouted:
"Switch! MT, join me!"
"On it!"
Maki, who had been relaxing, tensed up instantly. Transitioning from extreme stillness to extreme motion, she used her greatest advantage—her tough physique—to hold the line alongside Akira.
One tanked the physical damage, the other, with the "Super Rookie" template, tanked the magical damage. Though they looked battered, the actual damage was minimal.
"Good, keep up this pace! The aggro is stable—DPS, keep up! Once we clear this wave, we're done for the day, and we can go eat a big meal."
"Ohhh~~~~~~~~"
Of course, "done for the day" didn't mean clearing the dungeon. It just meant achieving the planned strategic objectives.
The mysteries in Rika's Nightmare Dungeon were too many, and the difficulty was as high as the Cursed Queen herself. Even Satoru Gojo found it troublesome—how could they clear it so easily?
If it weren't like this, would Akira have dragged Shoko Ieiri, the ultimate healer, along?
Of course, this was with Yuta Okkotsu's agreement.
As for Megumi Fushiguro, he was simply a perfect fit for the situation—getting him used to fighting curses and team battles.
Akira was a pragmatic leader, not aiming too high. He took it step by step, steadily honing the team and himself, gathering information on the dungeon. Once the time was right, they'd attempt a full clear.
After all, it was an exclusive dungeon—no one was rushing to get the first clear. Did it really matter if they took their time?
"Alright, mission accomplished. Those who want to retreat can do so. If anyone still has energy left, you can stay and test out the fourth wave of monsters."
"Let me go first. It's rare to have a place where I can really cut loose, so I'm going to fight to my heart's content."
Satoru Gojo, who had been holding back his output, stretched lazily.
Since the Nightmare Dungeon appeared, he had been visiting the school more often, both to protect and to train himself.
Maybe it was something Akira said that got to him, giving him a sense of urgency. Satoru Gojo had begun deliberately setting limits for himself, preparing for possible conspiracies and weakening.
When there's no "Infinity Shield."
When he can't use his techniques.
When he can't use his domain.
When he can't use the "Six Eyes."
He had fought from the back as a sniper and engaged in close combat up front, showcasing his taijutsu, often overshadowed by his jujutsu.
It turned out that his taijutsu only seemed lacking compared to his jujutsu, but among jujutsu sorcerers, it wasn't weak at all. Don't forget, he had also experienced "Black Flash," and with the "Six Eyes," his control over cursed energy far surpassed others, making it easier for him to achieve Black Flash.
Blue cursed energy glowed with black light, twisting space and erasing everything it touched.
"Yes!" Satoru Gojo, having unleashed this strike, raised his fist high in triumph, brimming with pride. "Did you see that? I hit a 'Black Flash!'"
Akira didn't respond, instead saying, "Those who still have strength, follow Gojo-sensei! Seize this opportunity!"
"Yes!"
The students had all learned from Akira's teachings, knowing that after a "Black Flash," the "ZONE" state might follow. They also knew that while "ZONE" couldn't directly pull others into the Black Flash realm, it still gave everyone a better chance.
"Charge, charge, charge!"
"Learning 'Black Flash' before mastering 'Simple Domain' isn't bad either."
"Learn 'Black Flash,' and we'll crush Kyoto!"
How should I put it? With Satoru Gojo as the not-so-upright leader and Akira, though steady, being equally bold and daring, everyone's style had been led astray.
They didn't seem like students
at all—more like a group of wild bandits and practitioners of the unorthodox.
What kind of normal students would go around casually discussing the highest-level and second-highest-level secret techniques as if they were everyday topics?
"Ten Shadows Technique isn't a big deal."
"Cursed Speech is a pain to learn, it's restrictive, and it's not easy to use at all."
"Three cores aren't as amazing as you think."
"Controlling a lot of cursed energy is really annoying too."
"Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to manage both command and combat? I'm still too weak."
Listen to them—what kind of talk is this? Even Shoko Ieiri couldn't stand it anymore.
"Can't you all act more like students?"
But the students, busy trying to capture the fleeting moment of Black Flash enlightenment, had no time to listen to her. Only Satoru Gojo responded:
"Shoko, don't just stand there. Join us! Didn't you want to try combining 'Reversed Cursed Technique' with 'Black Flash'? Come on!"
This one sentence was enough to make the students, even in their crazed states, pause.
So you're the craziest one of all—combining 'Black Flash' with 'Reversed Cursed Technique'? How do you even think of that!
"It's just an experiment. People should have ambitions. Even if it fails, it can still be used next time."
Shoko Ieiri still had that "I'm exhausted both mentally and physically" look, but her eyes, hidden behind her smoky makeup, shone with the same brilliance as Satoru Gojo's when he was going all out.
I may not be Special Grade, but I once shared a class with two Special Grades.
In terms of quality, no other class can surpass ours.
Kids, you're still far from reaching our level!
PS: Shoko's Reversed Black Flash is a creation by the author. If it somehow aligns with Gege Akutami's ideas, it would be an honor.