“Because you are Utahime,” Satoru Gojo said as if it were obvious. “Old man, since you are free anyway, you can do the accompaniment. That is about your only strength.”

  Yoshinobu Gakuganji glared, clearly annoyed at being dragged in.

  “Don’t look so scary,” Satoru Gojo said, deliberately shrinking his neck and acting frightened. “If the students perform badly, it is not our fault for being too strong. Want me to call my students and make sure you do not lose too badly?”

  While they were talking, Yuta Okkotsu had already used Cursed Speech to firmly control the four from Kyoto Jujutsu High. Working together with Rika Orimoto, he launched a fierce assault that left the opponents in misery.

  If Yuta were more skilled with Cursed Speech, and if Cursed Speech itself were stronger, Kyoto Jujutsu High would already be lying on the ground. After all, imitation could only copy the Cursed Technique, not the experience behind it.

  At the same time, the talismans pasted on the viewing room wall burned away one by one as time passed. Of the eight low-level Cursed Spirit used for scoring, seven had already been exorcised.

  All the flames were red. From the surveillance screens, it was clear that five were the work of Panda’s group, while the other two were picked off by Akira and Maki Zenin along the way.

  No matter the rank or strength, each was killed in a single blow.

  “No need,” Yoshinobu Gakuganji said firmly.

  Satoru Gojo was striking at the heart. If Makoto agreed, how could Kyoto Jujutsu High ever hold their heads high again? Losing a fight was acceptable, but losing face was not.

  “What about Utahime?” Satoru Gojo pressed.

  “The competition is the competition,” Utahime Iori said, her eyes shifting. “But a welcome party is still possible.”

  One look at her expression told Satoru Gojo that the admiration card had worked. “Then it is up to you. I should hurry and call my students to share the good news.”

  “Wait,” she quickly grabbed him. “Unless there is an emergency, contacting the field from outside is forbidden. Are you going to break the rules?”

  Satoru Gojo clicked his tongue. “But it is boring just waiting here.”

  “You still have not explained Yuta’s situation clearly.”

  “Oh, that,” Satoru Gojo said. “Yuta’s Jujutsu is basically imitation. In theory, he can learn any Cursed Technique. Combined with cursed energy reserves even greater than mine, what do you think that means?”

  The people from Kyoto Jujutsu High were nearly stunned senseless.

  “That’s cheating. That’s way too unfair,” Utahime Iori exclaimed.

  “That is why he is a Special Grade,” Satoru Gojo replied. “Is there any Special Grade that is not unfair?”

  No one could argue with that.

  At present, there were four major Special Grade. The first was Yuki Tsukumo, who stopped taking missions and ignored Jujutsu Society after becoming Special Grade, yet Jujutsu Society could do nothing but symbolically withhold her pay. The second was Satoru Gojo, who had opposed nearly all the higher-ups for eight years and was still doing just fine.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The third was Suguru Geto, who became a Curse User eight years ago and was still active. The last was Yuta Okkotsu, who was currently beating down all of Kyoto Jujutsu High by himself.

  Any one of their abilities, placed into another story, would be the final boss’s trump card or the protagonist’s ultimate ace.

  “Let me add one more piece of good news,” Satoru Gojo continued. “I have two more seedlings of Special Grade. Add Hakari, and that makes three. Old man, tell the people behind you that a time of violent upheaval is coming. It will not be something that can be neatly divided by Special Grade. Your rotten traditions and class pressure cannot hold it down anymore.”

  “Out of respect for your friendship with Principal Yaga, I will give you a warning. Right now, it is still not too late. Otherwise, when Mount Fuji erupts, the ones sitting at the crater edge…” He paused, then smiled. “Well, stopping so easily would not be like you. Whether in the Jujutsu World or the mundane world, it is much the same. The difference is that Jujutsu Sorcerers have more power.”

  As he finished, Satoru Gojo smiled and raised his right hand, forming a gun gesture aimed at the center of the monitor. “Wrap it up.”

  On the screen, Akira also extended a hand and smashed the final low-level Cursed Spirit that had emerged from behind. At the same time, Maki Zenin walked out of the dense forest, her blade lifting a monster with only half its body left.

  In size, presence, and Cursed Energy, it was far beyond something meant to pad numbers with low-level Cursed Spirit. It was the most critical point of the team battle, a decisive Grade Two Cursed Spirit meant to be finished in one strike.

  Even across the entire Jujutsu World, it could not be called weak. Yet under Maki Zenin’s hands, it did not last three moves before being cut apart, leaving only its cursed core, which she tossed to Akira like trash.

  “That’s all of them.”

  “Perfect timing,” Akira said. “Let’s go meet up with Yuta. When it comes to slapping faces, it only feels right to hit every single one.”

  The girl carried her weapon, the Boy dragged the trash, and together they headed toward the final stage.

  Inside the Observation Room, teachers and students from Kyoto Jujutsu High were flooded with a hard-to-name anger. All the points had been taken by clearing low-level Cursed Spirit. For the decider, the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit was badly injured but not killed, and even dragged away afterward.

  Anyone with sense knew what Tokyo Jujutsu High was trying to do. They were not only going to win the team match, but win with a perfect score. Not just a perfect score for themselves, but zero points for the other side, or even negative points if possible.

  It was ruthless. There was no courtesy left at all. Utahime Iori even felt a trace of regret that Yoshinobu Gakuganji had not accepted Satoru Gojo’s terms.

  Whether stubbornly keeping the last shred of dignity was better, or being stripped completely bare like this, even Makoto could not say. After all, the most important purpose of the Goodwill Event was to let students show their strength and gain chances for promotion. Even if Kyoto Jujutsu High was considered private ground for the Conservative Faction, they could not act too openly without consequences.

  If you block promotions for Tokyo but allow Kyoto to advance, do you think those Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer are blind? There are indeed many Jujutsu Sorcerer without eyes, but that does not mean they are willing to accept whatever Jujutsu Society says. Still, Utahime’s thoughts could not change either side’s stance.

  The higher-ups would not listen to her, and Tokyo Jujutsu High would not either. Under Akira’s overall coordination, everyone except Kinji Hakari, who was still locked in an intense brawl with Aoi Todo, began moving toward Yuta Okkotsu’s location. And Yuta Okkotsu, the focus of the whole field, still looked calm and unhurried.

  He hit hard but did not go for the kill. If the enemy advanced, he blocked. If they pulled back, he let them go. This was also Akira’s instruction.

  If you knock everyone down by yourself, what are the rest of us supposed to do? You are the youngest, after all, the same age as Megumi Fushiguro, and the one with the least pressure to level up. Everyone else needs this chance to show themselves.

  So Yuta Okkotsu looked fierce, but he was actually fighting with restraint. He only countered when attacked, and if someone stayed far away, he did not chase them. At first, the Kyoto side thought this was his limit, since copying Jujutsu while outputting high-level Cursed Energy should exhaust anyone.

  As the fight went on, they realized something was wrong. Was this kid playing with them? A work ox might collapse under that load, but this one was a nuclear-powered System. A sense of insulted anger rose, and more than one person wanted to gamble everything against this cursed “demon.”