Chapter 75: Urgent Report from Jujutsu High
On the training grounds of Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College, the sound of hurried footsteps shattered the afternoon silence.
Maki Zenin, gripping her Cursed Tool, was the first to rush before Satoru Gojo, with Toge Inumaki following close behind, and even Panda, usually slow-paced, hurried over with his round body.
Yuta Okkotsu, at the very back, also caught up quickly, with beads of sweat clinging to his forehead from the run.
The four students stood before Satoru Gojo, their chests heaving as they panted, their faces filled with uncontrollable anxiety; even the usually calm Maki had her brows furrowed into a knot.
Satoru Gojo was leaning against the shade of a tree, nonchalantly twirling his phone. Seeing them like this, a hint of a smile flickered in his eyes behind his sunglasses, and he spoke in a flippant, casual tone:
"What's going on? You all look as frantic as if you're being chased by Cursed Spirits. Did something happen?"
His nonchalance only made the already anxious students even more desperate.
Maki Zenin spoke first, her voice tinged with urgency:
"Teacher Gojo! Come with us, quickly. Principal Yaga has urgent business with you and says it can't wait!"
At the mention of "Principal Yaga" and "urgent business," the smile instantly vanished from Satoru Gojo's face, and the phone at his fingertips stopped spinning.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his mind racing:
"That old man is usually steady. For him to specifically send people to rush me... has Suguru Geto made a move? Or has some troublesome fellow shown up?"
The thought flashed by, and he looked up at the students before him, his tone a bit more serious than before:
"Alright, I've got it. Don't panic." No sooner had he spoken than his Cursed Energy shifted slightly, and his figure vanished from the spot without a trace, leaving only a faint lingering trail of Cursed Energy.
Only when Satoru Gojo's presence had completely faded did the students finally breathe a sigh of relief, their tense shoulders slumping.
Yuta Okkotsu approached then, his face full of confusion, and asked in a low voice:
"What exactly happened? Did some emergency occur for the Principal to look for Teacher Gojo?"
"We don't know the specifics either,"
Panda scratched his head, recalling Principal Yaga's words, his tone somewhat solemn:
"But the Principal said it seems an exceptionally strong Special Grade Cursed Spirit has appeared—so powerful that Teacher Gojo himself must step in to handle it."
"Huh?!" Yuta Okkotsu's eyes widened suddenly, and he let out a cry of surprise.
He knew Satoru Gojo's strength all too well. For a Cursed Spirit to require the personal intervention of "the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer," its level of terror was simply unimaginable... Before the faint glow of Cursed Energy had even dissipated, Satoru Gojo's figure landed steadily in front of Masamichi Yaga's office door.
Before the door could even rattle from his sudden appearance, he had already pushed it open, just as Yaga was rising from behind his desk. The man was clutching a rolled-up document, clearly having just finished dealing with an urgent matter and preparing to head out.
"You got here fast."
Yaga didn't waste time on pleasantries. As soon as he spoke, he turned and walked out, his pace a few notches faster than usual, his breathing even sounding a bit hurried.
Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow and followed with long strides. His gaze behind the sunglasses swept over Yaga's fingers gripping the document, his tone carrying its usual nonchalance:
"Old man, what's the rush? It can't be that dinner at the cafeteria is starting early and you're afraid I'll snatch the last piece of tempura, right?"
Facing his teasing, Yaga didn't retort as usual. Instead, he quickened his pace without looking back, his demeanor filled with an urgency that brooked no delay:
"We'll talk on the way. We're going to the Tomb Chamber now."
"The Tomb Chamber?" Satoru Gojo's steps faltered for half a second before returning to normal, though the laziness in his voice diminished slightly:
"Master Tengen is looking for me? Is there a problem with the barrier, or has some troublesome Cursed Spirit broken in?"
Yaga didn't answer immediately. The two had already crossed the hallway of the school building and were heading toward the underground entrance.
The hallway lights reflected their hurried figures, and the air seemed permeated with a faint tension. For Yaga to be in such a hurry and to head straight for the Tomb Chamber to see Tengen, it was clearly no small matter... The two walked quickly toward the underground passage leading to the Tomb Chamber, their footsteps echoing clearly in the empty corridor.
Satoru Gojo had his hands in his pockets. Recalling the anxious looks of the students earlier, he spoke with a hint of dismissiveness:
"I thought it was something major, but it's just a new Special Grade Cursed Spirit appearing?" He gave a soft scoff, his eyes behind the sunglasses full of confidence.
"For a fellow of that level, just give me the address. If all goes well, I'll have it settled in ten minutes and still make it for a hot dinner before the cafeteria closes."
Listening to his nonchalant words, the expression on Yaga's face grew even more serious.
He knew Satoru Gojo's strength all too well—if the man said ten minutes, it wouldn't take eleven.
Yet he still stopped in his tracks, turned around to look Satoru Gojo in the eye, and said solemnly:
"That Cursed Spirit... has already been dealt with."
"Oh?" This piqued Satoru Gojo's interest instantly. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and leaned forward slightly, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"So fast? Who did it? Someone from Jujutsu High?"
"Neither." Yaga shook his head and resumed walking.
"Ten minutes ago, I received intel that a fierce battle broke out in a mountainous area in the suburbs. The concentration of lingering Cursed Energy residue at the scene was extremely high, confirming it was an unrecorded Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
But by the time the investigators arrived, the Cursed Spirit had already been slain, leaving only a mess behind. The identity of the one who did it remains unknown."
He paused and added:
"More importantly, not long after I received the intel, Master Tengen suddenly sent a message, telling me to bring you to see him immediately.
I suspect that what Master Tengen wants to discuss with us is likely related to this mysterious person who slew the Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
"There aren't more than four Jujutsu Sorcerers in the entire Jujutsu World who could pull that off, right?"
Satoru Gojo rubbed his chin, his fingertips lightly tapping his jaw as he quickly filtered through potential candidates in his mind.
"If it's not someone from Jujutsu High... could it be Suguru Geto? Though he's a defector, in terms of strength, he certainly has the ability to take down a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
"Absolutely not him," Yaga denied immediately, his tone very certain.
"The reports from the scene didn't detect any of Suguru Geto's Cursed Energy residue; instead, there were clear traces of a Domain Expansion.
As you know, Suguru Geto's Cursed Technique is Cursed Spirit Manipulation. He can't expand a Domain himself, and he doesn't have any Cursed Spirits capable of opening one."
"Domain Expansion?" Satoru Gojo's eyes suddenly lit up. The figure of a young boy flashed through his mind—black-red Cursed Energy, a fierce fighting style, and that "Sukuna's Finger theft" incident that had alarmed Jujutsu High a few days ago.
A playful smile curled on his lips, and he spoke with a hint of certainty:
"Could it be that little fellow, Rin? If it really was him, this is getting interesting."
"You mean the boy Suguru Geto took away?" Yaga stopped abruptly, his brows furrowed in disbelief.
"The same kid who defeated Mei Mei and Aoi Todo a while back and snatched Sukuna's Finger?
He's only been in contact with Jujutsu for a few months. How could he already be able to expand a Domain and slay a Special Grade Cursed Spirit? That's already at the level of a Special Grade Sorcerer!"
He spoke with a hint of regret, "We really shouldn't have let Suguru Geto take him. If he had stayed at Jujutsu High..."
"Don't be like that." Satoru Gojo patted his shoulder, his tone still light, even carrying a touch of amusement.
"At least Suguru Geto taught him well, didn't he? If he had stayed at Jujutsu High following the rules, how could his potential have exploded so quickly? This is more interesting anyway. After all, someone ought to try and see if they can shake 'the strongest' from his seat."
"You're still as thick-skinned as ever!" Yaga sighed helplessly, both exasperated and amused.
"A Sorcerer with Special Grade strength suddenly appearing, with unknown identity and unknown allegiance—this is enough to affect the balance of the Jujutsu World, and you're still laughing!"
Satoru Gojo dismissed it with a wave of his hand:
"Don't worry. If it really is Rin, that kid's allegiance... won't go as far as siding with the Cursed Spirits."
Saying this, he took the lead and quickened his pace toward the depths of the passage. "Let's see Master Tengen first and find out what that personage knows."