Panda shouted with all his might: "E—vade—!"
Boom!
Panda held Toge Inumaki and Kugisaki Nobara, Maki Zen'in grabbed Itadori Yuji, and Fushiguro Megumi reacted quickly to grab Miyuki; they cleared the area instantly. In the next moment, an explosion occurred, and a massive shockwave hit them like a storm.
"I thought I was in a war zone!" Kugisaki Nobara roared while being held by Panda.
"Katsuobushi!" Inumaki Toge said.
Panda didn't forget to explain while fleeing: "Inumaki means it's not quite a war zone yet, since the shells haven't hit our heads."
Just as he finished, a massive impact hit Panda's back, sending him flying like a ragdoll in a storm. The two in his arms flailed and screamed unconsciously mid-air.
"We just got hit by a shell, you idiot!" Kugisaki Nobara roared.
"Salmon!" Inumaki Toge yelled as well.
Panda spun in circles in the air but still translated firmly: "Inumaki means we're in more danger now than in a war zone!"
"You don't need to translate that!" Nobara Kugisaki screamed in despair.
Fushiguro Megumi glanced at the three in the air and immediately threw Miyuki. "Maki-senpai!"
Maki Zen'in understandingly tossed Itadori Yuji aside. Itadori let out a strange cry, but his physical prowess kicked in; he balanced himself and landed smoothly after two flips.
"H-help!" Miyuki cried, tears at the corners of her eyes, unable to speak clearly.
Maki Zen'in leaped up with open arms, and Miyuki crashed into her embrace. There was a visible ripple at Maki's chest as Miyuki's face sank into her breasts. Maki caught Miyuki steadily and landed lightly, holding her in a princess carry.
Miyuki was stunned. "Z-Zen'in-senpai."
Maki Zen'in's glasses were blurred by the direct sunlight, appearing to glow. She looked down at Miyuki and said calmly, "Call me Maki. I don't like being called Zen'in."
Miyuki's face turned beet red.
Fushiguro Megumi formed a hand sign and shouted, "Nue!"
Technique Release: Ten Shadows Technique!
The shadow at Fushiguro's feet surged like waves, and a large creature emerged—a medium-sized shikigami resembling a human-faced owl. It gave a cold cry and flew into the air.
In mid-air, Inumaki Toge pulled down the collar covering half his face. Cursed sigils were visible on both sides of his mouth. He opened his mouth and spoke: "Stop!"
Technique Release: Cursed Speech!
Visible Cursed Energy fluctuations extended from Inumaki's mouth, instantly covering the three in mid-air. They froze as if trapped in transparent amber.
Nue took the opportunity to catch one in its beak and one in each claw, slowly flying down.
Kugisaki Nobara didn't dare move. She muttered, "Where's Gojo-sensei? Isn't he going to do something? I suspect if we hadn't moved fast enough, the aftershocks alone would've sent us to the ICU… no, probably buried us directly!"
All the students ran until they reached the forest and caught their breath. Even there, they could feel the ground shaking occasionally, like aftershocks of an earthquake. It was hard to believe this was power generated between humans; they'd believe it if someone said it was a bombardment.
Maki Zen'in put down the blushing Miyuki and took off her glasses. She looked back at the giant creature in the sky—the dragon. Maki's spatial calculation was strong; she could estimate its size just by looking.
Maki Zen'in's eyes couldn't actually see Cursed Spirits; the glasses she usually wore were a cursed tool that allowed her to see them.
When she first saw Kinji Hakari's dragon, she thought it was a shikigami, but she noticed something was off during his fight with Yuki Tsukumo. Now, having taken off her glasses, she could still see the dragon with her naked eye, meaning it wasn't a simple shikigami.
What was it?
She murmured, "A behemoth fifty meters long is flying… Heh, so that's a 'Special Grade.'"
Panda sighed. "To think we don't even have the right to watch."
"Salmon," Inumaki Toge sighed.
Panda translated quickly: "Inumaki means, 'Yeah.'"
Kugisaki Nobara retorted, "We can understand that without a translation."
Itadori Yuji suddenly said, "Ah, so that's our goal!"
Everyone's eyes fixed on Itadori Yuji. There wasn't a trace of defeat in his gaze; on the contrary, he was full of confidence and longing. He firmly believed he could reach that level without a doubt.
He slammed his fists together with a dull thud.
He laughed cheerfully. "It's an honor! To see a battle between Special Grades, and from such a close distance."
"Honestly, I was confused for a while after enrolling because everyone knows I'm only here because my execution was stayed for being the vessel of Ryomen Sukuna. But now, I'm truly interested in this jujutsu world! This is too interesting, isn't it?"
Kugisaki Nobara couldn't take it. "How is this interesting? Can you imagine being like them? Causing an earthquake with a stomp, or smashing a plaza with a casual punch?"
Itadori Yuji asked back, puzzled, "Why not?"
Kugisaki Nobara was stunned. "Are you serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Itadori frowned, seemingly unable to understand why she'd think that. "Since we have two examples right in front of us, why can't we be the third? I admit it might be hard. But as long as we work hard!"
Can hard work really get you to that level? Kugisaki Nobara was speechless.
Maki Zen'in suddenly said, "Itadori is right. No need for psychological pressure. We just saw a battle at the very peak of this world; there's no need to force ourselves to keep up with them right now."
"It might sound a bit cheesy, but… aren't we all certified by Gojo-sensei as people with infinite potential? As long as we follow the path step by step, we'll catch up to them sooner or later and achieve our own greatness."
It wasn't about believing in themselves, but believing in the frivolous man who brought them together—believing in Gojo Satoru. These words seemed to give everyone strength, clearing the heavy atmosphere.
Kugisaki Nobara also smiled. "Ah, you're right. Sorry everyone, I was just—"
Fushiguro Megumi said indifferently from the side, "Before even becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer, Itadori could run a 50-meter dash in 3 seconds. That was the result of him just running casually without breaking a single drop of sweat. His PE teacher chased him, saying that with his current performance, he could surpass the current world record holders."
"And after these days of Cursed Energy training, his physical fitness has further improved. Although it hasn't been officially tested, running a 100-meter dash in about 2 seconds shouldn't be difficult."
"…So, the muscle-head was already a muscle-head before even enrolling. No wonder he's so confident!" Kugisaki Nobara felt discouraged again.
This wasn't because she lacked spirit, but because anyone watching those two fight wouldn't feel like they could do the same. She even felt that if these two were dropped into a real war zone, they could beat both sides into submission with their bare hands without getting a speck of dirt on them.
Miyuki finally came to her senses. She peeked at Maki Zen'in out of the corner of her eye, and seeing the atmosphere warming up, she took the opportunity to ask, "Who do you think will win between Senior Hakari and Lady Tsukumo?"
Before Hakari arrived, Gojo Satoru had proudly introduced this senior, claiming that if he was in good condition, it was possible for him to defeat one or two Special Grades. Having returned from training abroad this time, he could only be stronger, perhaps having truly stepped into the Special Grade realm.
Well, Gojo Satoru said Kinji Hakari took a leave of absence to train outside; he didn't mention the part about him being wanted.
The students didn't know much about Yuki Tsukumo, but she was, after all, an established Special Grade Sorcerer, and her seniority even exceeded Gojo Satoru's. Both her experience and strength were beyond doubt. When the fight was arranged, Kinji Hakari was the one who issued the challenge, indicating that he also felt pressure when facing Yuki Tsukumo.
Taking everything into consideration, Panda voiced the answer most students had in their hearts: "It's probably Lady Tsukumo… Although Senior Hakari is very strong, age is a factor, and Lady Tsukumo should be stronger in terms of experience."
"No, Hakari won," someone suddenly said.
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