Mr. Liu sat inside the tall building of Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High, overlooking the training grounds. Below, protagonist Yuta Okkotsu and a group of other students prepared to head out for practical training.
His brows furrowed in deep thought.
By now, he should have been waiting for the plot to unfold naturally while other Red Spirit Group members completed their missions to gain prestige. Once Suguru Geto was defeated, Liu had planned to seize the opportunity to find and eliminate him before Gojo Satoru could intervene, securing valuable loot in the process.
He had already experienced this scenario twice before. This third attempt was the organization's final chance. If he failed to acquire the Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique by killing Geto, his prospects for future growth would be lost.
However, this critical mission had encountered an unexpected twist. Communication with the cult headquarters of the Star Religious Group was severed just yesterday, and Red Spirit Group operative Cao Qi had gone silent.
Liu couldn't shake a bad feeling, recalling how tactfully the mysterious "Exploiter" figure had previously rejected Gojo's offer.
Today was supposed to be the day Suguru Geto publicly declared war, but Liu was restless, fearing that Geto might not appear. If the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons event failed to trigger, hunting down Geto would become much harder.
Suddenly, Liu noticed the students reacting to a figure outside the gates. Alarmed, he rose and hurried to investigate.
---
Maki Zenin gripped her spear tightly, surprised to see the figure at the entrance of Jujutsu High—a tall, muscular man with a black katana at his waist and slightly shaggy black hair.
It was the same martial artist they had encountered during their training exercises with Yuta Okkotsu.
Yuta's face lit up upon seeing the man who had once saved him from a collapsing building. He still felt grateful, even a bit disappointed when the man declined Gojo's invitation to join Jujutsu High.
Though Panda and Toge Inumaki didn't know the man, they relaxed upon seeing Maki and Yuta's reactions. Their attention was drawn to the enormous bird-shaped cursed spirit looming behind the visitor.
The man—Tong Gu—nodded politely to Maki and pulled a student ID from his pocket. Handing it to Yuta, he said, "I believe you dropped this. I found it at that school and thought I'd return it."
Yuta looked down, surprised to see his own student ID. Scratching his head sheepishly, he laughed, "Thank you so much! Did you come all the way here just for this? What should I call you?"
Tong Gu chuckled lightly. "Just call me Mr. Wanderer."
"As for why I'm here…"
"Never mind that," Gojo Satoru's voice cut in as he appeared behind Tong Gu, hands casually in his pockets. "Let's skip to the important part—what's your connection to Suguru Geto?"
Tong Gu inhaled deeply, steadying himself as his heart raced. His instincts heightened, grounding his body against the tension as he turned to face Gojo. Forcing a smile, he replied, "Geto and I? Let's just call it a business partnership."
Though they were of similar height, Gojo's presence loomed larger—his boundless technique negating any need for raw physical strength.
"So," Gojo pressed, "what's your real purpose for being here? Don't tell me you just dropped by to return a student ID."
Even with his eyes concealed by a white blindfold, the sharpness of Gojo's gaze was palpable. He wasn't joking—Gojo had already picked up on Tong Gu's and Geto's machinations.
Yuta and Maki stood stunned by the conversation, while Panda instinctively stepped protectively in front of Yuta.
Tong Gu offered Yuta a polite smile, dispelling any tension. He had no intention of spouting Geto's radical ideals here—it wasn't aligned with his interests anyway.
"I simply wanted to meet the pinnacle of the jujutsu world, Gojo Satoru." He smiled. "And perhaps hear your thoughts about the world's future."
Gojo had assumed Tong Hu was fully aligned with Geto's ideology. Yet this simple desire to meet Gojo seemed to suggest otherwise.
Or did it?
Just as Gojo reconsidered his assumptions, Tohko shattered them.
"If lives must be lost, Mr. Gojo, whose deaths would make this world better?"
"Yuta Okkotsu and Maki Zenin, the next generation of sorcerers?"
Yuta and Maki gasped, shocked that their savior would speak of their deaths so lightly.
"Or perhaps the ignorant, ordinary civilians?"
Tong Gu's smile turned wild. "Or maybe… those decaying and corrupt jujutsu elders?"
"Why not include scum like you and Suguru Geto!" a furious voice roared. It was Principal Masamichi Yaga, stepping into view.
Yaga had once seen both Gojo and Geto as his proudest pupils. Despite their flaws, their talents had filled him with hope for the jujutsu world's future. But Geto's massacre of over a hundred civilians had shattered that dream. Even more infuriating was Gojo's hesitation to act decisively in response.
Tong Gu brushed off Yaga's words and turned back to Gojo. The silence between them revealed volumes, and Tong Gu's grin widened as his tension faded.
"Ha... So that's how it is," Tong Gu laughed darkly.
Yuta found the sudden change in demeanor unsettling.
From the group's rear, Liu watched warily, stunned to see the infamous "Exploiter" laughing so openly.
Before leaving, Tong Gu raised his voice one last time.
"Oh, by the way, Suguru Geto asked me to relay a message to you all—"
"On December 24th, in both Shinjuku and Kyoto, over two thousand cursed spirits will be unleashed."
"Thus begins the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons!"
[Main Quest: Night Parade of a Hundred Demons Triggered]
Liu froze. Despite Tong Gu's erratic behavior, it seemed he had still set the event into motion. Could this mysterious figure have found a way to defeat Gojo Satoru?
As if reading his thoughts, Tong Gu directed a final remark to Gojo:
"As the pinnacle of the jujutsu world, shouldn't you be pondering the purpose of your Six Eyes instead of worrying about small-time players like me and Suguru?"
With a sweep of its four wings, the massive bird spirit carried Tong Gu skyward.
Yaga moved to intercept, but a swarm of cursed spirits erupted from the trees, forcing him to fall back and defend the students.
Gojo, however, stood still, watching the bird ascend. His gaze remained fixed on the horizon, lost in thought.
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