"Alright. Is everyone here?"
Masamichi Yaga, a man who looked like a high-ranking yakuza but possessed a heart of gold, surveyed the crowd. These kids were the future pillars of the jujutsu world. His gaze landed on Satoru Gojo, who was currently preoccupied with picking his nose.
Ugh... this one definitely needs more discipline.
"Where's Gumo? And Haibara?" Yaga asked, noticing two of his students were missing.
...
Wait, is he asking me? No, he probably isn't... should I answer? Utahime Iori, pure and kind-hearted as she was, began to agonize over the silence. She glanced nervously at Mei Mei and Shoko.
"They're up there," Shoko said, pointing toward the ceiling.
Seeing Gojo and Geto suddenly turn away and start whistling innocently, Yaga felt a sudden, sharp prickle of dread.
CRASH!
The roof of the assembly hall was instantly pierced. The Rainbow Dragon roared overhead, followed by Hasegumo and Yu Haibara, who came tumbling through the hole.
"What's going on?" Hasegumo asked, scratching his head as he saw the crowd gathered below. "Suguru, did your dragon go rogue? Why did it suddenly attack us?"
THWACK! x2
"Ow!" "Ow!"
"What the hell are you two playing at now?!" Yaga, who had just been fondly imagining the future of his students, was now seeing red.
"Sensei! I'd like to report a crime! It was Suguru's idea!" Gojo raised his hand, instantly selling out his teammate. "He used the dragon to bait them here so he could be lazy."
"Don't try to play me. Suguru wouldn't do that on his own. This was your idea, wasn't it, Satoru?" Yaga delivered another "Fist of Education" to Gojo's skull. "The repairs for the roof are coming out of your pocket. Understood?"
"Hai..." Gojo adjusted his sunglasses, glaring at Suguru with his Six Eyes. He didn't feel a shred of remorse. Dammit, Suguru has been doing too much brown-nosing in front of Yaga. I'm always the one who ends up taking the hit in these situations.
Suguru Geto continued to whistle, turning away with an air of complete nonchalance. "Yaga-sensei, why did you call us all here? We ran into the Kyoto students and brought them along. I assume that's fine?"
"It's no problem."
The voice came from a dark, unlit corner. It was only then that the students noticed someone else was in the room. "Greetings. I am the second-year homeroom teacher for Kyoto High, Yoshinobu Gakuganji."
"Representing Kyoto in this year's Goodwill Event will be their second-years: Mei Mei and Utahime Iori," Yaga explained.
"Huh? Only those two?" Gojo pointed a finger at Utahime. "I was hoping there'd be a lot more weaklings like her for me to bully."
"You bastard!" Utahime glared at Gojo, but he didn't even spare her a glance. His eyes were fixed on the old man, Gakuganji.
Gakuganji seemed to take Gojo's question in stride. "The third-years were wiped out during a mission last year. The first-years have only just enrolled; they still have much to learn."
"Speaking of which," the bald, white-bearded old man continued, his long eyebrows twitching, "allow me to explain the necessary precautions and minor techniques required for sorcerers on a mission..."
Gakuganji had officially activated his Skill: Lecture.
It was a long, tedious speech. He constantly emphasized the importance of hierarchy and respect for one's elders, clearly taking subtle jabs at the teaching style of Tokyo High and the behavior of the students standing before him.
Yaga felt a twinge of annoyance, but since the man was technically "educating," he couldn't very well interrupt a fellow teacher.
"Do you have to put up with this all the time?" Shoko whispered, nudging Utahime's arm.
"Yeah," Utahime replied in a faint, exhausted whisper. "Gakuganji-sensei loves his long-winded speeches. No one can stop him—he is the teacher, after all."
Just as everyone's minds began to drift toward the astral plane, a hero stepped forward.
"Excuse me, Gakuganji-sensei!"
Everyone snapped to attention. It was none other than one half of the "Strongest Duo," Satoru Gojo. Regardless of what they usually thought of him, at this moment, he was a superhero on par with Kamen Rider.
"Is there something you need, Gojo-kun?" Gakuganji asked, somewhat surprised. In his long career at Kyoto, he had never been interrupted during a lecture.
"Can you just stop? I feel like everything you're teaching is completely useless."
"Please do not belittle yourself or your peers, Gojo-kun. While you are indeed quite pathetic, in the eyes of a teacher, you are still worth saving."
Gakuganji, proving he hadn't lived for decades for nothing, took only half a second to fire back a retort that left even Gojo speechless.
"Does everyone else feel the same way?" Gakuganji scanned the room. Everyone he looked at immediately lowered their heads. No one spoke, but the silence was an answer in itself.
To their surprise, Gakuganji didn't get angry. He simply sat down slowly. "Since you have no desire to hear an old man speak... Yaga, you take over. Explain the rules of this year's event."
He's actually reasonable? the students thought collectively.
"Finally, the main event! I've been looking forward to the duels." For some reason, Gojo seemed to have a particular obsession with pestering Utahime. "Don't cry when you lose, Utahime."
"I refuse to lose to a jerk like you!" Utahime barked back.
Clap, clap. Yaga clapped his hands twice to regain their attention. "For this event, because the numbers between the two schools are so uneven, we will be using Mixed Grouping. You will complete missions together to foster mutual understanding and teamwork."
"Huh? It's not a competition?" Gojo asked, sounding deeply disappointed that he wouldn't get to stomp Utahime.
"The purpose of the Goodwill Event is to build relationships. Who told you it was about beating your classmates?" Yaga explained.
"Hah?" Satoru Gojo treated everyone with equal disrespect, so he had no qualms about calling out his own teacher. "Are you finally going senile? I remember last month, after class before the freshmen arrived, someone gathered us all together and said very seriously—"
THUD!
Before Gojo could finish, Yaga had appeared behind him to deliver another "Fist of Education."
"My apologies," Yaga said, nodding toward Gakuganji. "While the groups are mixed, you will be graded on your performance and the value of the intel you gather. The side with the higher overall score wins."
"The losing side pays for the celebration dinner at the end."
"Is the school broke? I feel like they're just offloading educational costs onto the students," Gojo whispered to Geto.
"Tell me about it," Geto whispered back.
"Additionally," Yaga continued, "the winning team's reward is a special prize from Kikusui-an: fifty vouchers for their signature Kikufuku, with unlimited purchases and skip-the-line privileges."
"!!!" Gojo froze. "Those are incredible! They're my absolute favorite! But because they're so popular, you can usually only buy ten at a time!"
He was hooked. "Alright! I'm winning this. No matter what!"
"Groups are as follows: Mei Mei, Nanami, Haibara, and Gumo are Group A. Satoru, Suguru, Shoko, and Utahime are Group B. Your missions will be assigned tomorrow morning. You are dismissed. Feel free to show our guests around."
Seeing a fired-up Gojo and the rest of the students looking energized, Yaga dismissed them.
Ugh! Why am I stuck with these two assholes? Utahime thought, feeling dejected. At least Shoko is there.
Tch! Why do we have to carry this Weak-hime? At least Suguru is on my side. We're the strongest. Gojo, focused entirely on the sweets, high-fived Geto as if they'd already won. "Let's go back to the cafeteria; I didn't finish my lunch. Hey, Weak-hime! Mei Mei! You guys coming?"
"Who would want to go anywhere with you?" Utahime said, grabbing Shoko's arm. "We're going together."
"I'll join you," Mei Mei said, following Gojo. She figured she could save some money on a meal. "I am quite hungry. I assume you're treating your new friends to lunch?"
How does one find the 7:3 ratio on a sphere? Does it require calculus? Kento Nanami remained rooted to the spot, still lost in thought.
"Let's go, Haibara. Today's training has only just begun." Hasegumo patted Haibara on the shoulder. As they turned to leave, he thought: I should bring Hachi next time we run. He's getting old; staying stationary isn't good for him.
April. The spring blossoms were in full swing, and though there were no peach blossoms on this mountain, the cherry blossoms were blooming brilliantly.
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than black. Purify that which is impure."
The new Assistant Director lowered the Curtain. "I wish you all success in battle," she said, before turning and leaving without another word.
"Why is it so dark all of a sudden?" Haibara asked. He had already taken off his jacket, standing in just a thin t-shirt.
"That's the effect of the Curtain," Hasegumo explained patiently. Since Haibara had just started, he was still learning the ropes. "Besides cutting off the senses of civilians and blocking cell signals, it dampens the light. It gets dark inside, though I have to admit, I've never seen one this dark before. Is it because a different person set it?"
"Those dessert vouchers seem quite popular. I could probably turn a decent profit by reselling them," Mei Mei mused, her mind on the prize. She snapped out of it at their conversation. "This level of darkness isn't just the Curtain. This is the manifestation of an Innate Domain. In other words... there is at least one Special Grade in here."
"Since we're working together, let's share our information. I'll start: my technique is Black Bird Manipulation. I can control crows and share their vision."
"Ratio Technique. I deal increased damage by striking the 7:3 ratio point on an object or living thing," Nanami explained honestly, adding a caveat. "If I cannot logically perceive the 7:3 point, the technique won't trigger even if I hit it."
Clearly, Suguru's "Anti-Nanami" curse had exposed a major weakness.
"Cursed Energy Liberation. It gives me perfect control over my energy and allows my body to withstand massive outputs," Hasegumo said. Then, he paused. "Wait. Haibara, what's your technique?"