The common room at Tokyo Jujutsu High had somehow become even messier.
Maps covered the table.
Notes were scattered everywhere.
Several strategy diagrams had been drawn across a whiteboard.
At the center of it all stood Maki Zenin holding a marker like a military commander preparing for war.
"...And that's why positioning matters."
She pointed toward a rough map of the exchange event grounds.
"Kyoto likes coordinated pressure tactics."
Her marker tapped the board sharply.
"Especially Noritoshi Kamo."
Panda leaned back in his chair.
"Smart guy."
Maki nodded.
"He'll probably take leadership."
She drew several circles across the map.
"Todo is the biggest threat in direct combat."
She pointed toward another area.
"Momo provides aerial support."
"Mai specializes in long-range harassment."
"Inumaki can disrupt enemy coordination."
Toge Inumaki gave a small thumbs-up.
"Salmon."
Maki continued.
"The best strategy is controlled separation."
She turned toward Yuta Okkotsu.
"Yuta handles high-pressure engagements."
Then toward Oden.
"Oden intercepts Todo."
She crossed her arms.
"Everyone else supports from range while controlling battlefield flow."
Silence followed briefly.
Honestly
It was a good strategy.
Well thought out.
Balanced.
Practical.
Then Oden raised his hand lazily.
Maki narrowed her eyes immediately.
"...What?"
Oden tilted his head.
"What's the point of all this?"
Maki stared.
Oden continued calmly.
"If Yuta can beat all the Kyoto students himself..."
He pointed toward himself.
"And I fight Todo..."
He looked genuinely confused.
"...then why do we need strategy?"
The room fell silent.
Panda immediately covered his face.
Yuta looked horrified.
Inumaki slowly lowered his head.
Maki stood completely motionless.
Then
A vein bulged visibly on her forehead.
"You know what?"
Her smile became terrifying.
"You're right."
Oden blinked.
Maki threw the marker onto the table dramatically.
"What's even the point of the rest of us being there?"
She gestured wildly.
"Why don't you and Yuta just solve every problem in existence yourselves?!"
Panda quietly scooted his chair away.
Maki continued ranting.
"Need strategy? Nope."
"Need teamwork? Nope."
"Need support? Nope."
"Apparently we should all just go home because the two special grades have everything handled!"
Oden looked toward Yuta.
"...Why is she angry?"
Yuta sighed softly.
"Because you accidentally insulted everyone."
"Oh."
Maki pointed at him aggressively.
"THAT'S NOT AN 'OH' SITUATION!"
Yuta quickly stepped in before violence occurred.
"Maki-san."
His voice was calm and gentle.
"Not everyone can do everything alone."
Maki crossed her arms.
Yuta smiled slightly.
"Not even us."
He glanced toward Oden briefly.
"Everyone has a role to play."
The room quieted slightly.
Even Maki's irritation softened a little.
Panda nodded thoughtfully.
"That's actually pretty mature."
Oden looked genuinely surprised.
"...You can say things like that?"
Yuta blinked.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you sound wise."
"...Thank you?"
Maki groaned loudly.
"I'm surrounded by idiots."
Oden suddenly clapped his hands together.
"Anyway."
Everyone looked toward him.
Oden stood up casually.
"You all need to calm down."
He stretched lazily.
"Why don't we go out somewhere?"
Panda immediately perked up.
"Ooooh?"
Oden nodded.
"I was planning to go bowling with a friend today."
Panda slapped the table.
"That's a great idea!"
Inumaki nodded enthusiastically.
"Salmon!"
Maki sighed.
"...How did we go from battle strategy to bowling?"
Oden had already pulled out his phone.
The line rang briefly.
Then someone picked up.
"Hello?"
Oden immediately smiled slightly.
"Yuji."
On the other side of the call, Yuji Itadori laughed warmly.
"Oden! What's up?"
Oden leaned against the wall casually.
"I'm bringing four more people to bowling."
Yuji answered instantly.
"That's fine."
His tone brightened.
"The more the merrier."
Then his voice sharpened suspiciously.
"But you're paying half the bill this time."
Oden immediately lifted the phone away from his ear slightly.
"...Hello?"
Yuji paused.
"...Don't do that."
Oden frowned dramatically.
"...The signal is breaking."
"We both live in Tokyo."
"...I can barely hear you."
"The cell towers here are literally—"
Oden hung up.
Silence filled the room briefly.
Then Panda burst into laughter.
"He totally caught you."
Oden calmly put his phone away.
"I don't know what you mean."
Maki pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You're unbelievably cheap."
"I prefer financially gifted."
Yuta laughed softly.
The tension from earlier gradually faded from the room.
For now
They were not preparing for war.
They were simply students.
Oden stretched again before pointing toward the door.
"Alright."
"We're going bowling today."
And surprisingly
Nobody objected.
---
Rain lightly tapped against the windows of the black luxury vehicle moving through Tokyo's evening streets.
Inside the backseat, Satoru Gojo sat lazily with one arm resting against the window.
His blindfold remained loosely tied in place.
In the driver's seat, Kiyotaka Ijichi adjusted his glasses nervously while keeping both hands firmly on the wheel.
The atmosphere inside the car was strangely tense.
Ijichi finally broke the silence.
"...This was unexpected."
Gojo hummed absentmindedly.
"Mm?"
Ijichi glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"To think Okkotsu-kun would suddenly be assigned a mission right before the Sister School Exchange Event."
Gojo's expression remained casual.
But his voice lost some of its playfulness.
"Yeah."
He leaned his head against the glass slightly.
"It smells fishy."
The city lights reflected softly across the window.
"Those higher ups are definitely planning something."
Ijichi's grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
Gojo sighed.
"And then there's this old man."
The car slowly began turning into a long private road.
Massive gates stood ahead.
Traditional architecture stretched far beyond them.
The estate looked less like a residence and more like the property of royalty.
The gates slowly opened.
Ijichi visibly began sweating.
"...Gojo-san."
"Hm?"
"Why exactly are we meeting with the richest family in Japan?"
Gojo chuckled quietly.
"They asked me to."
The car continued forward.
Security personnel stood stationed throughout the enormous property.
Guards.
Private surveillance teams.
Luxury vehicles.
Traditional gardens maintained with impossible perfection.
Even among Japan's elite, the Uzumaki Family existed on another level entirely.
Gojo smiled faintly.
"Honestly, I'm a little curious myself."
Ijichi blinked.
"About what?"
Gojo's grin widened.
"The former head of the Uzumaki Family."
His voice became slightly more thoughtful.
"Uzumaki Makoto."
The vehicle finally came to a stop.
Before Ijichi could say another word, Gojo casually stepped out into the cool evening air.
Immediately, the pressure shifted.
Even the armed guards stationed nearby unconsciously stiffened.
Some instinctively stepped back.
Not because Gojo had done anything threatening.
But because human instinct naturally recoiled before overwhelming power.
Gojo glanced around casually.
"...Nice place."
A man dressed in a formal black suit approached calmly.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Composed.
His eyes immediately assessed Gojo carefully.
Then he bowed politely.
"My name is Jiji."
Gojo tilted his head slightly.
The sorcerer bodyguard.
Interesting.
Jiji gestured respectfully toward the mansion.
"The former head is waiting for you."
Gojo smiled.
"Lead the way."
Meanwhile
Inside one of the mansion's reception rooms—
Uzumaki Makoto calmly stood near the window with his hands behind his back.
Beside him stood his son, Uzumaki Yusuke.
Unlike his father, Yusuke's expression carried visible disbelief.
"...I still don't understand what you're telling me."
Makoto remained silent.
Yusuke turned toward him.
"You're seriously saying this Satoru Gojo..."
He struggled slightly to even phrase the thought.
"...could kill everyone on Earth by himself?"
Makoto answered immediately.
"Yes."
Yusuke stared.
Makoto's voice remained calm.
"Without resistance."
Silence lingered heavily.
Yusuke laughed awkwardly in disbelief.
"That's ridiculous."
He began listing examples instinctively.
"What about ballistic missiles?"
"The F-22 Raptor?"
"The B-2 Spirit bomber?"
"The Tomahawk cruise missile?"
"The M1 Abrams?"
"The entire Japanese Self-Defense Force?"
Makoto chuckled quietly.
"None of that matters."
Yusuke frowned deeply.
Makoto finally turned toward him fully.
"Unless you can touch him."
Yusuke blinked.
"...Huh?"
Makoto sighed softly.
"The Limitless."
His eyes darkened slightly with old memories.
"A technique beyond modern logic."
Yusuke slowly rubbed his forehead.
He still struggled to fully accept any of this.
The existence of curses.
Sorcerers.
Techniques.
A hidden world living beneath ordinary society.
Most unbelievable of all—
The fact that he had never known.
Yusuke looked toward his father sharply.
"With all the influence our family has..."
His voice lowered.
"...how did I never hear about any of this?"
Makoto's expression softened slightly.
"Because I made sure you didn't."
Yusuke froze.
Makoto looked away quietly.
"The world of jujutsu broke me."
The room fell silent.
For a brief moment, Yusuke saw genuine exhaustion in his father's eyes.
Old exhaustion.
The kind carried for decades.
Makoto continued quietly.
"It wasn't something I wanted you involved in."
Before Yusuke could answer—
The reception room doors slowly slid open.
Jiji stood there respectfully.
"Satoru Gojo is here."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Then—
Satoru Gojo casually walked into the room with his hands in his pockets.
His presence immediately dominated the space.
Not intentionally.
It simply happened naturally.
Makoto stepped forward politely.
"Gojo-san."
He extended a hand.
"A pleasure to finally—"
Gojo walked straight past him.
Completely ignoring the handshake.
Then casually dropped himself onto the expensive couch like he owned the house.
"...Nice cushions."
The room froze slightly.
Even Yusuke looked stunned by the sheer disrespect.
Gojo leaned back comfortably.
Then smiled beneath his blindfold.
"Makoto-san."
His tone remained light.
"What did you want to see me for?"
---
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