Many Grade Three cursed spirits had been released into the competition grounds, along with a single, formidable Grade Two.
The rules were simple. The team that exorcised the Grade Two spirit first would win. If neither side managed to defeat it before nightfall, victory would go to the team that eliminated the greater number of Grade Three spirits.
During the event, interference with the opposing team was permitted by any means necessary, provided no one was seriously injured or killed.
At the sound of the whistle, the students from both schools surged into the forest.
Just like before, a handful of troublemakers ignored the cursed spirits entirely and turned their attention to the opposing team. Old grudges resurfaced instantly.
After swiftly defeating Kasumi Miwa, Maki Zenin confronted her twin sister, Mai Zenin. Their clash carried the tension of family history rather than pure hostility.
Nearby, Mai's devoted admirer, the petite Momo Nishimiya, traded sharp words and attacks with Nobara Kugisaki.
Mechamaru bristled at Panda's blunt remark that they were both cursed corpses, and the two immediately engaged in battle.
Noritoshi Kamo believed that Megumi Fushiguro should rightfully stand at the center of the Three Great Clans. As for himself, he was merely the son of a concubine, a branch member of the Kamo family. Yet Megumi had no interest in the Zenin clan at all.
Their philosophies clashed, and so did their inherited techniques, the Ten Shadows Technique against Blood Manipulation.
Not every confrontation stemmed from resentment.
Aoi Todo and Toge Inumaki found themselves locked in an intense close quarters struggle. With comparable physical strength and sharp instincts, their exchange was fierce and oddly respectful, a contest driven by mutual admiration.
Across the field, only Maki Zenin's canine ally and the others continued diligently exorcising cursed spirits without distraction.
Meanwhile, Shion calmly stored away the Nine Phases of the Cursed Womb paintings.
Satoru glanced at him with curiosity. "Bro, what are those for?"
Shion lifted a finger. "The Death Painting Wombs are more than relics. Whether we study them or turn them into allies, they are valuable assets."
The jujutsu world currently relied on a handful of top tier sorcerers. That level of power was impressive, but large scale incidents demanded numbers. Strength alone was not enough.
More importantly, Shion found the eldest of the Death Paintings particularly interesting.
"And I doubt Kenjaku created them without purpose," Shion continued. "Even failures reveal intent."
He had once considered that Kenjaku sought world domination. That felt too shallow. Turning humanity into cursed spirits did not fit either, especially given Kenjaku's dismissive view of curses.
Perhaps the goal had never been control. Perhaps it was creation for its own sake, an experiment meant to produce something unpredictable.
Their thoughts were interrupted.
Both Shion and Satoru looked up at the same time.
An immense surge of cursed energy rippled across the forest.
"That presence," Satoru muttered, surprised. "Hanami?"
Unlike him, Shion did not appear startled. He merely smiled.
"I was waiting for them to make a move. Saves us the trouble of hunting them down."
The twins exchanged a glance and vanished.
Inside the forest, Toge Inumaki halted mid step, his expression sharpening.
Before him stood Hanami, radiating suffocating cursed energy. In its hand was the severed head of a Grade One cursed spirit that had been planted in the area.
A special grade cursed spirit.
Inumaki retreated instantly. "Don't move."
The ground erupted.
Towering vines burst from the earth, tearing through trees and soil alike. The commotion was far beyond the scale of a school event.
The students quickly regrouped.
Outside the grounds, a curtain descended.
Yoshinobu Gakuganji and Utahime Iori encountered Shion and Satoru at the perimeter.
"It's an enemy invasion," Shion stated plainly.
Utahime frowned. "Why hasn't Tengen's barrier reacted?"
Shion clicked his tongue softly. Hanami's affinity with nature allowed it to suppress its presence, and Kenjaku's interference likely played a part. Still, the lapse was irritating.
"We evacuate the students first," Gakuganji said firmly.
As they passed through the curtain, Satoru was suddenly repelled.
He blinked, then reached out again. The barrier bounced him back with force.
"A curtain that rejects Satoru Gojo alone," Shion observed. "Impressive craftsmanship."
Satoru grinned despite it. "Then I'll leave the inside to you, Bro."
Shion nodded and stepped through without resistance.
Within the forest, Hanami's domain of roots had already spread across a vast radius.
"My speed is better suited for this," Shion said. "We split up."
He disappeared in a flash.
Gakuganji barely advanced before a masked man in an apron blocked his path.
"Where's Gojo Shion? Where's Satoru Gojo? I wanted to test myself against them," the man sneered.
Without a word, Gakuganji drew his electric guitar and unleashed cursed energy through sound.
Elsewhere, Utahime sensed danger and twisted aside just in time to avoid a blade strike.
Before her stood Haruta Shigemo, blond hair tied back, purple markings across his face. The sword in his hand bore a grotesque hilt shaped like a human hand.
He grinned. "Oh? A cute one."
A blur cut through the air.
A hand clamped around Haruta's throat.
Utahime stared. "Shion?"
Gojo Shion lifted Haruta effortlessly. The sword clattered to the ground.
"I heard your technique is called Miracle," Shion said coolly. "An ability that lets you survive fatal danger. Go on. Use it."
Haruta's face flushed as he struggled, unable to speak.
"Pathetic."
With a single tightening of his grip, bone and cartilage collapsed. A sharp crack echoed as Haruta's neck gave way, and his body fell lifelessly.
"Come out, Kenjaku," Shion said calmly. "You've been waiting."
From the shadows, a familiar figure emerged, wearing Suguru Geto's face.
"You truly miss nothing," Kenjaku replied.
"That curtain blocks Satoru. You must have prepared something else for me."
Kenjaku spread his hands with a faint smile. "I considered creating a barrier specifically for you."
"And?"
"I abandoned the idea. It would not have stopped you."
Shion's cursed energy surged, the pressure distorting the air itself.
Kenjaku's expression tightened, but he continued.
"You won't pass for ten minutes."
His voice rose with conviction.
"Behind me lies the future of this world. No matter the cost, I will hold you here."
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