After the brief commotion, Yuta Okkotsu quickly blended in with the others.
Under Satoru's energetic lead, and Shion's lazy supervision, the new students entered Tokyo Jujutsu High to complete their registration.
The evaluations were announced one by one.
Kaya Nanako, Grade Two sorcerer. Innate Technique, Focus Shadow Capture. By using a mobile phone camera as a medium, she can forcibly freeze a target within the frame for one second. The technique carries a one minute cooldown.
Kaya Mimiko, Grade Two sorcerer. Innate Technique, Rope Bound Doll. She controls a doll capable of flight, binding or strangling targets through the rope connected to her hand.
For Mimiko's sake, Suguru Geto personally traveled abroad to acquire a special Cursed Tool, the Black Rope, enhancing her restraint capabilities.
Nigi Riku, Grade Two sorcerer. Innate Technique, Exploding Fireflies. He generates small firefly like constructs that detonate on command.
The three children raised by Geto were not monsters, but they were undeniably talented.
Toge Inumaki, Grade Two sorcerer, last descendant of the Cursed Speech clan. He channels cursed commands through speech. Because of the inherent risk, he limits his vocabulary to sushi ingredients to avoid harming allies.
Panda, Grade Two sorcerer, Cursed Corpse. Much of Panda's structural information remains classified by the higher ups. What is known is enough to make them uneasy.
Then came the final two evaluations.
Maki Zenin, Grade Four sorcerer. Cursed Tool specialist. She possesses almost no Cursed Energy, requires special glasses to see Cursed Spirits, and relies entirely on martial arts and weapon proficiency.
"Grade Four?" Suguru frowned.
Her posture, breathing rhythm, and stance suggested a martial arts level approaching Kaiden. At her age, that was exceptional.
Satoru clicked his tongue in irritation.
"The old fossils are as stubborn as ever."
Maki, however, showed no disappointment. She had expected nothing less from the Zenin clan's influence.
Rank meant little. The battlefield would prove everything.
Finally, the last name.
Satoru's smile wavered slightly as Yuta stepped forward.
Yuta scratched the back of his head, shy as ever, and handed over his student ID.
The moment the rank was read, several people stiffened.
Special Grade.
Silence followed.
They all looked at the soft spoken boy in front of them.
Megumi turned slowly toward Satoru, who now looked vaguely drained.
This was the opponent he was supposed to surpass in one year?
Across the courtyard, Shion watched the reactions with a faint smile behind his sunglasses. He did not say much, but the amusement in his expression was clear.
Satoru shot him a look.
"Bro, you really had to bring him today?"
Shion shrugged lightly. "You started it."
He glanced toward Maki briefly, his gaze lingering just a moment longer than necessary before shifting away, casual and unbothered.
Maki caught it. She looked away first.
The sunlight was bright, and the air felt charged with possibility.
Elsewhere.
Warm sunlight spilled across a quiet beach. The sea stretched endlessly beneath a clear sky.
A woman wearing sunglasses reclined on a lounge chair. Stitches ran across her forehead, faint yet unmistakable.
Beside her stood a one eyed Cursed Spirit with a volcano shaped head, a red octopus like spirit, and a tall man covered in stitches.
Space distorted.
Two figures emerged.
"Hanami, Uraume. You're back."
The stitched woman stood, smiling with practiced warmth.
Her current name was Itadori Kaori.
The one within, however, was Kenjaku, a Curse User who had persisted for a thousand years.
Jogo exhaled smoke from the crater atop his head.
"What happened under the Eighty Eight Bridge?"
Hanami's voice was low.
"The Cursed Spirit there was exorcised. The reincarnated vessel has vanished. Likely dead."
Kenjaku's smile thinned.
"Do you know who did it?"
"No traces remained. The opponent erased the battlefield thoroughly."
Jogo's volcanic crown began to smoke more aggressively.
"Not only did we lose an ally, we lost one of Sukuna's Fingers."
Uraume's expression remained cold.
"That unstable woman was never essential."
Long ago, she had openly declared her feelings to Sukuna and claimed she would replace Uraume at his side. The memory still lingered.
If Kenjaku had not insisted she could be useful, Uraume would have eliminated her personally.
Kenjaku closed her eyes briefly.
For a thousand years she had endured, planned, adjusted.
Then the Gojo family produced twin Six Eyes users.
She had assumed the twin curse would weaken one.
She was wrong.
Both were overwhelming.
Especially Gojo Shion.
Several attempts to observe him discreetly had nearly exposed her. More than once, she felt as if he had noticed.
As if he was allowing it.
Adding to the complication, a powerful Cursed Spirit Manipulation user had also emerged, Suguru Geto.
The difficulty of the game had increased drastically.
So she accelerated her backup plans, unsealing reincarnated Cursed Objects ahead of schedule.
Uraume and the other had been revived early due to their loyalty to Sukuna.
Now one was gone almost immediately.
Kenjaku pressed her fingers to her temple.
Something felt wrong.
An unseen gaze seemed to follow her steps. Every move she made felt anticipated.
The sensation intensified whenever she focused on Shion.
"Stop spacing out," Jogo snapped. "When do we move? What about this Sukuna vessel you mentioned?"
Kenjaku glanced at him, irritation flickering beneath her calm facade.
On the surface, she smiled.
"Very well. We begin."
She would not remain passive.
"My informant at Jujutsu High confirmed that one of Sukuna's Fingers will be temporarily stored during transport at…"
Her eyes gleamed.
The board was set again.
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