Todo Aoi and Hakari Kinji, two muscle-bound powerhouses, were locked in a fierce battle, their movements brimming with intensity. In the observation room, Gojo Satoru was watching with even more enthusiasm, making "Ah-da!" noises, clearly showing his appreciation as a fan of Bruce Lee.
While Gojo enjoyed himself, the others were less thrilled.
Especially Kyoto Jujutsu High. They had already started on the wrong foot, and Gojo's antics only worsened their mood.
Utahime Iori had glared at Gojo more than once, and even Zen'in Mai and Fushiguro Megumi showed expressions of distaste, except for Miwa Kasumi, who remained Gojo's loyal fan.
However, with the two principals and Grade 1 sorcerer Mei Mei staying silent, no one else could speak out.
Their silent misery was interrupted by an unexpected video request.
"Akira? What's he doing? Does he have too much free time?"
Gojo glanced at the central monitor, showing the black-haired boy, strolling as if on a casual outing, with no phone in hand.
Curious, Gojo approved the video request.
In the next moment, a cold glint flashed in Gojo's eyes beneath his blindfold, and his voice grew serious:
"Mei-san, we haven't seen any footage from Yuta's area for a while."
"That's because animals are quite unpredictable. Even I can't control crows with pinpoint precision from this far," Mei Mei responded without a change in expression.
"I see. In that case, I'll just use my phone. The quality may be grainy, but I can still see."
With a quick gesture, Gojo Satoru made his phone float up to a height where everyone could see the screen.
And then, everyone saw it.
Dressed in a white jacket, holding a katana, was Okkotsu Yuta, standing back-to-back with the white cursed spirit, Rika.
Surrounding him from four directions were four Kyoto team members.
Facing Yuta head-on was the young head of the Kamo family, Kamo Noritoshi.
"One against four—do they really need to go that far?" Gojo muttered mischievously.
"That's how team battles work," Zenin Yoshinobu, the Kyoto principal, responded flatly. "Just as you can knock our students out, we can do the same."
"Fair enough, you really are a tactical genius, Principal Yoshinobu," Gojo applauded sarcastically, making an intentionally loud and irritating sound. "But there's one thing I don't understand—if all your people are busy confronting Yuta, who's recording the video?"
Yoshinobu shifted uncomfortably in his seat, which now seemed to be lined with needles.
"Old man, don't think I don't know what you're planning. Whatever schemes you have won't work. All it will do is make Yuta's performance even more spectacular."
Everyone in the room was fixated on the video, but Gojo was glancing at the surveillance monitors showing Akira.
As if sensing Gojo's gaze, Akira paused, turned around, and gave a thumbs-up.
Gojo was completely reassured.
Before the match, Gojo had spoken with Akira, suggesting a plan for "Okkotsu Yuta to dominate Kyoto High."
But Akira had turned it down, saying, "Your plan is too rough. Give me some time, and I'll come up with something better."
Not only would Yuta get his chance to shine, but the others would also have opportunities to show their abilities.
Gojo had full confidence in Akira's capabilities. However, when Principal Yoshinobu tried to corner Yuta, Gojo still felt a bit concerned. After all, Kyoto had some powerful players, including Todo Aoi, whom even Gojo acknowledged.
But to his surprise, Akira had calculated Kyoto's every move down to the smallest detail.
Inumaki, Panda, Hakari—they had all made their appearances. And now, Yuta was standing on the perfect stage.
Akira himself, along with Zen'in Maki, was probably just as well-positioned.
Ah, it was a stroke of luck to have brought this treasure into Tokyo Jujutsu High. If Kyoto's old-timers had gotten their hands on him, I'd probably have a head full of white hair by now.
"Let me be clear—Yuta doesn't need to rely on Rika's power to deserve his title as a special-grade sorcerer."
The moment Gojo finished speaking, Kamo Noritoshi launched the first attack.
His weapon of choice was a bow, and an arrow flew straight toward Yuta's face.
With practiced ease, Yuta swung his sword, deflecting the arrow and splitting it cleanly in two.
To everyone's surprise, the broken arrow didn't fall to the ground. Instead, the front half of the arrow curved in midair, aiming directly at the back of Yuta's neck.
Luckily, Rika intervened just in time, catching the arrow and crushing it into powder, neutralizing the attack.
Yuta glanced at the red specks mixed in with the fragments, recalling the information Akira had given him about the Kamo family's signature technique—Blood Manipulation.
Blood Manipulation is exactly as it sounds: a cursed technique that allows the user to control blood.
Kamo could coat objects with his blood and manipulate them to defy the laws of physics, or even manipulate his own blood to enhance his body's functions or attack directly.
It was a technique that required careful attention in both close and long-range combat.
"Rika, anything that guy shoots, destroy it!"
"A wise decision," Kamo Noritoshi said, smiling slightly, not surprised by Yuta's response.
The biggest advantage of inherited techniques was that the experience of past users could be passed down, avoiding unnecessary mistakes.
But there was also a downside—information about the technique was inevitably leaked, giving enemies a chance to prepare.
"But I'm not your only opponent. Seniors, let's go!"
From three other directions, three other Kyoto students attacked simultaneously.
They were third-year students with more experience and seniority. In theory, the exchange event should have been led by them.
But with two monsters in the second year—one absurdly strong, and the other with a prestigious background—the remaining senior, who was barely taller than a Spinda, had been relegated to the background.
That didn't mean they were weak. On the contrary, their outstanding performance last year had allowed Kyoto to outperform Tokyo High.
Unfortunately for them, they were now up against someone who defied all logic.
Despite his youthful appearance…
Despite his unpolished moves that any veteran could easily predict…
Despite his unsteady stance that left much to be desired…
This seemingly inexperienced boy wielded his sword without finesse, yet effortlessly drove them back.
One slash.
The senior who prided himself on close combat was sent flying, crashing into two trees before coming to a stop.
One more slash.
All ranged attacks were deflected.
Another slash.
Yuta went on the offensive, slamming another senior into the ground as if they had been steamrolled.
Why such exaggerated results? The answer boiled down to two words—cursed energy.
The foundation of every jujutsu sorcerer's power.
It could be used to cast cursed techniques or to enhance physical abilities—boosting speed, strength, and defense.
Skilled sorcerers could adjust their cursed energy flow mid-battle to optimize its use, predicting their opponent's moves through the flow of energy. Todo Aoi and Akira were masters of this.
But Yuta Okkotsu didn't need to do any of that, because he simply had too much cursed energy.
So much that he could simultaneously reinforce all of his physical attributes with plenty to spare. Even his hair stood on end under the influence of the cursed energy.
Ordinarily, Yuta's poor performance was due to his not using cursed energy during basic training. In this state, he was akin to a weaker version of a Super Saiyan.
The Kyoto team, led by Kamo Noritoshi, initially thought Yuta was just burning through his cursed energy in a burst of desperation and wouldn't last long. But to their shock, Yuta's reckless use of cursed energy actually outlasted them.
"Did you know?"
Both Akira in the forest and Gojo Satoru in the observation room grinned, once again perfectly synchronized.
"In terms of sheer cursed energy, Yuta has more than even Gojo-sensei/I do."