Gojo Satoru whistled, the sound clear, but everyone else besides him was stunned. They never thought a legendary giant dragon would descend here. The great barrier didn't issue a warning, which meant this person was recorded in the barrier's program and was not an enemy. The dragon's Cursed Energy weighed down overwhelmingly; everyone felt as if a massive boulder had crashed into their hearts, and feelings of dread spread uncontrollably.
The giant dragon lowered its head, its majestic horns winding. Right between the horns, a person sat cross-legged. While the dragon was still in mid-air, that person jumped directly from its head.
Yuki Tsukumo instinctively raised her hand; she felt a lethal threat, as if what was falling was not a human but a meteorite from the heavens. This was merely an illusion, as a human's weight could not rival a meteorite, but it wasn't entirely an illusion either, because as that person fell, a massive pressure truly descended from the sky. This was because the overwhelming Cursed Energy had formed a wind wrapped around that person, crashing down like a hundred-ton mass.
Gojo Satoru suddenly grabbed Yuki Tsukumo's hand. "Don't be nervous."
Thump!
The man falling from the sky finally landed. In an instant, everyone felt the ground vibrate. The barrier finally issued an alarm at this moment as the vibrations spread in all directions, shaking the torii gate. The barrier automatically identified the disturbance as an earthquake and thus generated a false alarm. Accompanying the tremor was a massive cloud of dust, sweeping through the area like a sandstorm.
The dust gradually settled, and from within it, a person walked out.
"Long time no see, Gojo-sensei." Kinji Hakari's voice was loud. "It's good to see you're still so energetic; it reminds me of my student days. The one next to you must be Special Grade Sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo, right? Don't be nervous… I don't intend to destroy the school's barrier for the time being."
Yuki Tsukumo smiled. "That's quite a way to put it… as if you could easily tear through the school's barrier whenever you liked."
"Oh? Did I not make myself clear?"
Kinji Hakari raised his hand, and a small dragon the size of a kitten suddenly descended from the sky. It landed lightly in his hand, tilting its head to look at Yuki Tsukumo, its mouth curving into the same smile as Kinji Hakari.
"That is exactly what I meant," Kinji Hakari said.
As one of the few talent cultivation centers in the jujutsu world, the barriers of Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High were both personally set by Tengen, and their sturdiness was unquestionable. In the entire jujutsu world, those who could guarantee breaking them with brute force numbered no more than ten.
In other words, being able to break this barrier with brute force meant that Kinji Hakari was already firmly seated among the top ten. Yuki Tsukumo thought to herself: How arrogant, and yet how outstanding!
But it was such an outstanding young man who had been pushed into the Cursed Spirit camp by those old men.
Gojo Satoru spread his arms and gave a big smile. "Long time no see, Hakari! I can see you've been doing very well lately."
The small dragon in Kinji Hakari's palm flew onto his shoulder of its own accord. Its head was held high, and its eyes held a human-like joy, exactly the same as the expression in Kinji Hakari's eyes.
Kinji Hakari looked around and remarked, "I remember when I left, only the first-year Fushiguro Megumi was here. Now there are suddenly three more people. I recall this is Gojo-sensei's foundation for his determination to reform the jujutsu world? In other words, are these all people approved by Gojo-sensei?"
These words struck a chord in Gojo Satoru's heart, and he immediately raised his chin proudly. "Ha, you understand me well, Hakari! That's right, these are all outstanding students I've approved. In the future, they will definitely become the force for my reform of the jujutsu world."
"Come, come, let's get acquainted. This is Itadori Yuji, this is Kugisaki Nobara, and this is Miyuki."
Gojo Satoru said each name while patting a student's head. The students, who were still dazed and reflecting on the giant dragon, were now completely wide awake. Gojo Satoru continued meaningfully, "And you, Hakari, you are also my student."
Kinji Hakari sighed; as expected, Gojo-sensei really was here to sway him.
"Cool," someone suddenly whispered.
Everyone immediately looked at the speaker. Itadori Yuji froze for a moment, then awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"I just wanted to say, that giant dragon Senior Hakari was riding just now… that was your Shikigami, right? It was really too cool," Itadori Yuji said happily.
Kinji Hakari thought for a moment and recognized who the person before him was. "Gojo-sensei just introduced you—Itadori Yuji… so you're Ryomen Sukuna's vessel?"
Itadori Yuji pointed at himself. "Wait, am I really that famous?"
Kinji Hakari laughed loudly. "You're more than just famous! The storm surrounding you has only just begun to swirl. After all—if even Mahito cannot deal with Gojo-sensei, then the Ryomen Sukuna inside your body will be the next blade pointed at Gojo-sensei's throat."
These words left everyone stunned, including Gojo Satoru.
"You're certainly candid, Hakari," Gojo Satoru said flatly.
"Because I don't want to see you get hurt, Gojo-sensei." Kinji Hakari looked at him and sighed. "You were the one who personally brought me into the jujutsu world, and you were the one who spared no effort in training me, opening the path to the highest levels of power in the jujutsu world for me. You even supported me in developing a new type of Domain Expansion, even if it meant offending the higher-ups."
"During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, you were the only one who spoke up for me… Gojo-sensei, my respect for you comes from the heart; there isn't a shred of falsehood in it."
Gojo Satoru's expression softened for a brief moment, but in the next instant, he got goosebumps all over. He rubbed his arms vigorously and laughed awkwardly.
"Hakari… I can't believe even you've learned how to say such sappy things."
"This isn't mere flattery." Kinji Hakari took a deep breath and suddenly turned his gaze toward Yuki Tsukumo. "I already know why the higher-ups lifted my wanted notice… Tsukumo-senpai, do you want to fight?"
Gojo Satoru frowned. "I brought my students here to welcome you. I think you should take some time—"
"Let's fight," Yuki Tsukumo interrupted.
She flashed a smile, but it was different from her usual bold and hearty one; instead, it exuded a fanatical thirst for battle.
"I'm ready whenever… how about you?"
Kinji Hakari wore the same smile. "Me too."
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSim
Next Bonus Chapter at 300 Powerstones.