"Three minutes until the start~ Three minutes until the start~"
The pre-set radio echoed with Gojo Satoru's countdown voice.
"Finally, the exciting team battle is about to begin. Before the opening, let's welcome Kyoto Jujutsu High's honorable alumnus, special guest of the exchange event, designated photographer, and Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, Mei Mei, to say a few words."
"Hehehe, you're as humorous as ever."
Beside Gojo Satoru, a woman around his age laughed softly.
From just her deep and seductive voice, one could already tell that she raised the average attractiveness of Kyoto's students.
And indeed, she was a woman who rivaled Utahime Iori and Shoko Ieiri in beauty but had a completely different style.
To put it simply, she was exactly Todo Aoi's ideal type.
All the right places were big, all the right places were round. In terms of height, she was tall by Japanese standards, though not as tall as Todo Aoi's idol, Takada-chan, who stood at 180cm. She exuded a mature, dominant aura.
Aside from that, two other points were worth mentioning.
First, this lady, Mei Mei, was one of the rare fit women. Her arm, thigh, and abdominal muscles could be seen even through her black clothing.
Second, she followed the rule among strong jujutsu sorcerers: the stronger you are, the less you "need" your eyes.
Though she didn't wear sunglasses or a blindfold, she used a special hairstyle to cover one of her eyes.
How special, you ask?
Twin tails with braids—one tied at the back, the other hanging in front, covering half her face.
The first time Akira saw her, he had an inexplicable urge to cut her hair.
"My jujutsu technique is 'Crow Manipulation.' Just like it sounds, I can control crows. I will observe your performance through the crows, so show me what you've got. If you do well, you'll get my recommendation and earn more money!"
"Still the same old money-grubber, huh?" Gojo Satoru laughed as well.
On the other side, Utahime Iori couldn't help but feel speechless.
Mei Mei had been her classmate during high school, and just like Gojo, she was an eccentric. Why couldn't Utahime have a single normal person around her?
Unfortunately, in the jujutsu world, that was an impossible wish. The money-loving woman declared, "In this cold, harsh world, only money can warm the heart."
The crazy man responded, "Oh, it's about time. Let's have Gojo Satoru do the countdown—"
"Go—"
"Jo—"
"Satoru—"
"Time's up. The team battle begins."
(Gojo Satoru's name has exactly five syllables in Japanese, perfect for a five-second countdown.)
What should have been an intense battle felt unexpectedly awkward.
At that moment, they all wanted to turn into some "internationally famous actress" and shout:
"How are you even counting down?! I'm so mad right now!!!"
Seeing that no one was moving, Gojo Satoru shouted through the speaker again, "The match has already started, are you testing your endurance or something?"
"Whose fault do you think that is, you idiot teacher?!" Hakari Kinji finally snapped, "As we discussed, I'll move first, right?"
"Yes." Akira nodded and tapped his earpiece. "Keep in touch. If you need support, contact me immediately."
"By the time I call you, I'll probably have already knocked all the enemies down."
Hakari Kinji grinned confidently. His cursed technique had a low floor but an incredibly high ceiling. If his luck hit, he could clear the field by himself, unless there was a special-grade enemy.
With that, he slipped forward swiftly, moving as fast as Maki or Inumaki, who were known for their physical prowess.
In the observation room, where the teacher, special guests, and non-participating students were watching, everything was synced to the crow's-eye view and surveillance system.
Fushiguro Megumi, a special-case first-year, muttered, "Is Hakari-senpai going to be okay by himself?"
"How good could it be to be treated as bait or a sacrificial pawn?"
Zen'in Mai jumped into the conversation, flashing a flirtatious smile.
"You're Fushiguro-kun, right? I've heard about you for a while now. Got some time after this? A lot of people want to meet you."
"Apologies, Zen'in-senpai, I'm not interested in such things right now," Fushiguro replied politely but firmly.
Just as Mai was about to say something else, she noticed Gojo Satoru turning to "look" at her. She swallowed her words and said, "Aw, don't be so cold, Fushiguro-kun. You can call me Mai. It'll help avoid confusing me with Maki."
But in this kind of environment, flirtation was about as useful as winking at a blind person.
Fushiguro didn't respond, simply looking at Gojo Satoru, who gave him a confident smile: "Don't worry, Todo is acting solo on the other side too. Watch this."
Just as Gojo said, as soon as Hakari moved alone, Todo Aoi also charged ahead by himself. The Kyoto team, led by Kamo Noritoshi, didn't even try to stop him, clearly accustomed to his lone-wolf behavior.
"And besides," Gojo continued, "you of all people should know how strong your senpai are and just how clever your team leader is."
Because of Zenin Yoshinobu's presence, Gojo deliberately left out the latter half of the sentence.
When you graduate and officially enter the jujutsu world, you'll be even harder to deal with than me—no, maybe you won't even need to wait until graduation.
For Fushiguro Megumi, the first half of Gojo's statement was enough: "Yeah, I know. He's one of the only two people I respect."
"The other one must be me."
"It's not!"
"Don't be shy." Gojo shamelessly teased.
Fushiguro stomped his foot and changed his position.
Mai Zen'in remained where she was, raising her head and focusing her gaze on the black-haired boy standing at the center of Tokyo's starting point.
That boy, Akira, had a strange air about him. His eyes narrowed, but the confidence on his face had never wavered.
He called out: "Panda, can you feel it?"
Panda scratched his ear with a paw: "I can't pinpoint it exactly, but there's someone from Kyoto who's split off from the group. The rest are moving together."
"Just as expected. Todo and Hakari are both lone-wolf players. In that case, we'll stick to the plan.
"Inumaki, Panda, take Pancham with you as a group. Follow the flanking route and try to take out as many weaker enemies as possible while also forcing their scouts to retreat. If you encounter any Grade 2 curses, contain them first; don't rush to kill.
"Remember, our goal isn't just to win but to give everyone a chance to showcase their abilities."
"Salmon."
"Understood."
"Panda sounds!"
Panda's team set out immediately.
Soon after.
"Yuta, you're a group of one. You have the heaviest burden. Will you be alright?"
"Yes." Okkotsu Yuta nodded seriously. "I'll do my best. I'll show the results of my training and the help everyone has given me. I will win!"
"That's the spirit." Maki praised him. "You've improved so much since you first came here. Keep it up, and Rika too."
"I will protect Yuta," Rika's voice echoed out of nowhere, though she didn't manifest, giving no opportunity for the enemy to trace her cursed energy.
"We're heading out."
Okkotsu Yuta, off to the most dangerous part—the shortest distance and most likely encounter with the enemy.
"Then we—" Akira motioned to Maki and led the way.
Maki nodded, following while saying, "I still don't get one thing. I understand why Panda and Hakari are in those groups, but why do you think Kyoto will focus all their efforts on Yuta?"
"Because in Kyoto—more specifically, to the conservatives like Zenin Yoshinobu—Rika is the only thing that matters. If I'm right, they haven't given up on executing Yuta. The so-called restrictions and all the righteous reasons are just excuses to create an opportunity to take Yuta's life."