Chapter 38 —Thirty-Eight Punch
In the end, the first day's team event of the Goodwill Exchange—"Labyrinth Race"—was forced to halt midway, with no winner declared.
Aside from Genos, who was transported by drone to Dr. Kuseno for repairs, all other injured parties were sent to the infirmary. Shoko Ieiri had no choice but to immediately get busy. Yoshino Junpei, who had been unable to participate in the Exchange Event, was dragged over to assist her. Meanwhile, the curse user captured by Principal Gakuganji in connection with the invasion was promptly imprisoned.
Only at this point did Satoru Gojo—who had refused to enter the labyrinth after the incident began and then suddenly disappeared—finally reappear before everyone.
"How is it? What's the situation?" he suddenly asked from the doorway of the infirmary, startling Utahime Iori, who had her back to the door.
"Gojo, you idiot—!"
The moment Utahime turned and saw him, she flared up. "Where the hell did you run off to? Why are you only coming back now? So many students are injured!"
"Sorry…"
For once, Gojo didn't wear his usual flippant expression. Instead, he strode quickly to the beds and examined the injured students.
Shoko Ieiri, busy as she was, remained calmer than Utahime. Perhaps because she and Gojo had been classmates in the past, she was long accustomed to his lack of seriousness.
When Gojo leaned in to look, Shoko pointed toward the beds. "The main ones recovering here are these few."
"Maki's shoulder was pierced by the invading Special Grade curse. Inumaki tore up his throat from overusing Cursed Speech." Her finger moved across the sleeping patients one by one. "And according to Maki, Fushiguro had a seed planted in his abdomen by the Special Grade—one that absorbs cursed energy to grow… The three of them will need two or three days for a full recovery. I'm afraid none of them can participate in the rest of the Exchange Event."
"This really is serious…" Gojo murmured softly, then turned his head toward the last bed. "What about him?"
"As for Todo…"
Shoko glanced at Aoi Todo, still unconscious with a massive lump on his face, her expression complicated. "He's actually fine. Judging from the injury, he was simply knocked out with a single punch."
"..."
Gojo rubbed his chin thoughtfully and fell silent. Instead, Utahime, who had reached the end of her patience, stepped forward and grabbed him. "So what were you doing all that time you were gone?!"
"…The curses' strategy wasn't to attack the students. Attacking the students was just a diversion. Their real objective was to steal the Special Grade cursed objects in the storage vault."
Pulled back a step by Utahime, Gojo suddenly lowered his voice.
"What?"
Both Utahime and Shoko froze at his words.
"The vault inside Jujutsu High was breached. I don't know how they did it, but the enemy found the door that randomly changes location every day and leads to the vault." Gojo's tone grew grave. "By the time I realized something was wrong and arrived, they had already broken in."
"What about the enemy?" Utahime asked quickly. "Did you catch them?"
"…Unfortunately, no."
Gojo lowered his hands. "The moment they sensed my presence, they fled. But since I arrived relatively early, the damage should have been minimized. Otherwise, they would've carried out a massacre."
"The vault was completely ransacked. They're still inventorying the cursed objects inside. But what we can confirm is—"
Gojo's gaze flickered. "The five fingers of Ryomen Sukuna kept at the school have been stolen. In addition, three of the Special Grade cursed objects known as the Death Painting Wombs."
Silence lingered.
Utahime, who had been yelling at him moments ago, now found herself offering comfort. "Well… no one could have predicted something like this."
"…Yeah." Gojo responded quietly, his expression unreadable beneath his blindfold.
...
After leaving the infirmary, Gojo walked alone through the dim corridor with his hands in his pockets. He still wore his blindfold. The lower half of his face—from the bridge of his nose to his jaw—was slightly tense, betraying nothing.
Halfway down the hall, he suddenly stopped.
"Principal Yaga." Gojo smiled faintly into the darkness ahead. "Is everything on Master Tengen's side resolved?"
A figure gradually emerged from the shadowed corridor. Masamichi Yaga stepped forward.
"Yeah. This situation is truly a mess." He stopped in front of Gojo, sighed, and removed his sunglasses to rub the bridge of his nose. "Master Tengen's barrier technique has been thoroughly inspected. There are no signs of forced entry—which means the enemy truly knew which door corresponded to the vault. They came straight to it and opened it."
"I don't know what they want with Sukuna's fingers." Recalling the wrecked vault, Yaga sighed again. "Gojo, since they deliberately targeted Sukuna's fingers, there's a high chance they'll go after Itadori. You'll need to keep a close eye on that."
"I understand." Gojo nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you. I have other matters to attend to."
Yaga gave Gojo a brief nod and walked past him, heading down the corridor.
Gojo turned to watch Yaga's retreating figure. Inside his pocket, his fingers shifted slightly.
Within it, he felt something dry yet hard.
All five of Ryomen Sukuna's fingers were quietly resting in his pocket.
The enemy who came to steal the Special Grade cursed objects had indeed escaped. That curse's body had suddenly deformed, slithering into the ventilation ducts like a snake. If Gojo had continued his attack, it might have destroyed the entire school building, including the sorcerers and auxiliary managers inside, so he had no choice but to stop.
However, the five Sukuna fingers the enemy intended to steal had been snatched back by Gojo in time. Using precise manipulation of his technique "Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue," he destroyed the arm that had been holding them.
What was truly stolen were only the three Death Painting Wombs he had failed to retrieve.
"..."
Only after Yaga's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor did Gojo turn forward again and resume walking.
If the cursed spirits had a way to break into the vault at Jujutsu High, then there was likely a mole among the internal staff communicating with them. And the higher-ups in the jujutsu world who controlled access to the vault couldn't be trusted either. However, managing to stop the cursed spirits from stealing Sukuna's fingers this time was truly a heaven-sent opportunity. The residual cursed energy left behind in the vault by that cursed spirit would be perfect for shifting the blame…
At that thought, Satoru Gojo curled his lips into a faint smile—but the smile quickly faded.
In any case, it would be best to keep Sukuna's fingers by his side for now and observe the situation.
---
Early the next morning.
Under Shoko Ieiri's Reverse Cursed Technique treatment, Megumi Fushiguro, Toge Inumaki, and Maki Zenin had all regained consciousness and were in good spirits. However, it would take at least another two or three days before their bodies fully recovered to a level suitable for combat.
The bed beside them was already empty. Aoi Todo had woken up before dawn and left the infirmary.
Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, and Panda had come early in the morning to visit. At the moment, Yuji was sitting on a small round stool in the infirmary ward, while Panda—being too large to sit on one—was sitting cross-legged on the floor.
After comparing the small stool to Panda's fluffy belly, Nobara Kugisaki decisively nestled into Panda's arms instead.
"In any case, it's great that you're all awake," Yuji said, patting his chest in relief. "I never expected a Special Grade cursed spirit to suddenly invade the Exchange Event."
"…Actually, it was thanks to Saitama arriving in time," Megumi said, glancing at Yuji. "Did anything happen on your end yesterday?"
"Nothing much on my side. I was just running around searching for cursed spirits to exorcise…" Yuji rubbed the back of his nose. "I kind of feel bad—like I was the only one enjoying the team battle from start to finish… Even Nobara fought a curse user together with Utahime Iori-sensei and Maki-senpai's younger sister…"
At that moment, there was a knock on the ward door. Yoshino Junpei pushed it open and peeked inside.
"Oh, Junpei!" Yuji immediately waved toward the doorway.
"Everyone's here, huh?" Junpei stepped into the room, revealing the blank-faced bald man behind him.
"Saitama!"
Under everyone's gaze, Saitama walked in carrying a plastic bag. "I was looking for you guys, but Gojo told me you were all here in the infirmary ward. So I came over with Junpei."
He took out a bunch of bananas from the bag. "There happened to be bananas at the supermarket on the way here. I bought some. Here—have some bananas."
"Oh, thanks," Maki said.
With a crisp snap, Saitama broke off a banana and placed it on Toge Inumaki's blanket.
Then he snapped off another and put it on Maki Zenin's blanket.
After breaking off a third banana, he placed it on Megumi Fushiguro's blanket.
"So it's one per person? …But you could at least put them on the table. Why put them on the blankets?" Maki complained. "By the way, where's Genos?"
"Genos went to Dr. Kuseno for repairs," Saitama replied. "Most of his body is mechanical. Even if it breaks, he just needs to replace some parts. He'll probably be back soon."
"Oh, right," Junpei suddenly remembered. "Miss Ieiri said that since everyone's awake now, there shouldn't be any major problems. You don't need to keep staying in the infirmary—you can go back to your dorms to rest. Also, Gojo-sensei said everyone should gather on the first floor of the school building later to discuss the arrangements for the rest of the Exchange Event."
...
"That's the situation. Not only were students injured due to the Special Grade cursed spirit's invasion, but the vault at Jujutsu High was also breached, and cursed objects were stolen."
On the first floor of the school building, the students and teachers from both the Tokyo and Kyoto schools participating in the Exchange Event had assembled, seated on the reception sofas. Gojo—rarely wearing sunglasses instead of his blindfold—sat upright and spoke to them slowly and clearly.
Perhaps because the topic was heavy, the surroundings were silent, aside from the faint munch munch sounds of Saitama eating a banana.
"Considering that some students are currently unfit for combat, after discussion between the principals of both schools, the second day's usual individual battle event will undergo changes."
As soon as Gojo finished speaking, almost everyone revealed looks of understanding.
It seemed that this year's individual battles would either be postponed—or canceled altogether.
At that moment, Gojo suddenly turned around and yanked away a white cloth covering something behind him.
"With unanimous agreement from the principals, the second event of this Exchange Event will be decided by spinning a prize wheel!" he loudly announced.
The white cloth flew through the air as he pulled it off, revealing what lay beneath—a person-tall, brightly colored prize wheel.
The wheel was divided into twelve sections, each labeled with bizarre options: karuta matches, baseball games, rock-paper-scissors head-tapping… but not a single combat-related activity.
"After all, our Tokyo school has more injured students at the moment, and more people who can't fight for now. So to give everyone a fair chance at victory, we arranged these options," Gojo said proudly, patting the wheel. "More than half of the ideas came from my brilliant mind."
"As for who will spin the wheel… it's you, Junpei!"
Gojo pointed dramatically at Yoshino Junpei, startling him. "Huh?"
"Since Junpei is a new first-year and doesn't know how to use a technique yet, everyone will feel more at ease if you're the one to spin it." Gojo lifted Junpei by the collar like a chick and placed him in front of the wheel. "Go on, go on—give it a spin."
"Then… excuse me."
Junpei gave everyone a polite bow before carefully setting the wheel in motion.
With a slight push of his hand along the rim, the wheel began spinning rapidly, its colors blending together in a dizzying blur.
Finally, the wheel gradually slowed. The pointer standing upright above it swept across the differently colored sections one by one—
And ultimately came to rest on the green section.
"The results are in!" Satoru Gojo clapped his hands and loudly announced, "The content of the individual battle is—an electronic fighting game tournament!"
...
While Gojo and Utahime Iori went to the storage room to retrieve the console and controllers, the participants from the two schools gathered separately to hold pre-match strategy meetings.
"The rules for the individual battle are that both schools will decide their own order of participation. It'll be 1v1 matches. Once a member loses, they're out. On the other hand, as long as you don't lose, you can stay on the field. Whichever team has the last remaining member wins."
"Also, since we have one more person than Kyoto, Kyoto will be granted one extra repeat entry."
After explaining this, Maki Zenin turned to Megumi Fushiguro and asked, "By the way, what's the name of the game being used for the individual battle?"
"It's Animal Spirits Brawl," Megumi replied expressionlessly, saying a name that sounded unexpectedly cute. "Gojo-sensei specifically requested this one."
"I've never heard of it. Has anyone played this game before?" Panda asked.
Everyone shook their heads. Toge Inumaki added a quiet, "Salmon." Only Nobara Kugisaki clenched her fists, grinning eagerly. "Who cares what game it is? Just watch me beat every opponent into the ground!"
"Nobara, are you good at video games?" Yuji Itadori asked blankly.
"Of course!" Nobara placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin proudly. "Back in my hometown, I was the queen of the arcade. No matter the game, I could pick it up in one try and dominate the entire town."
"Not bad." Maki fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, a hint of cunning in her expression. "The reason Gojo chose this game must be because it's obscure enough to eliminate the possibility of any veteran players steamrolling everyone. In that case, someone who learns games quickly like you, Nobara, has a huge advantage."
"Besides Nobara, we also have another powerhouse that Kyoto doesn't know about."
At this, everyone's gaze turned toward Saitama, who was sitting off to the side.
"True. If it's Saitama, he's probably the strongest among us," Megumi said thoughtfully.
"Then Saitama will go first. Give Kyoto a crushing opening blow and destroy their morale!"
Hearing this, Saitama—who had been wearing his usual vacant expression—scratched his head and replied slowly, "Sure. It's all battles that can be finished with one punch anyway."
He glanced at the swaying tree branches outside the window and thought that it would probably be just like facing the Special Grade cursed spirit yesterday—nothing special at all…
...
"K.O.!"
On the large screen temporarily set up on the first floor, the crocodile boxer controlled by Saitama was caught in an opening combo by the rabbit dancer controlled by Noritoshi Kamo. His health bar was instantly emptied, and with a loud boom, the crocodile boxer collapsed onto the ground.
On the screen, the crocodile boxer lay sprawled with spiral eyes, while the rabbit dancer launched into a flashy victory routine, blowing kisses triumphantly toward the screen.
The entire match lasted less than thirty seconds.
"Huh?"
Saitama held the controller, his face frozen in stunned disbelief, completely motionless.
"What a pity, Saitama-kun." Gojo, acting as the host of the individual match, shook his head helplessly. "You were instantly defeated by Kamo from Kyoto. You'll have to regretfully withdraw from the competition. Please hand the controller to the next Tokyo participant."
"Saitama, what was that?" Nobara exclaimed from behind him, utterly dumbfounded. "You didn't dodge or block, you didn't use any skills—you just kept throwing the weakest basic punches… Have you ever even played a fighting game before?"
Noritoshi Kamo, still holding the controller for the rabbit dancer, turned and smiled at the Tokyo team. There was a clear trace of provocation in his expression. Meanwhile, Aoi Todo held it in for a long moment before muttering in a deep voice, "Don't mind."
That only made Nobara even angrier. "And your opponent didn't even open his eyes! He beat you with his eyes closed!"
Noritoshi Kamo: "…Hah!?"
Still staring blankly ahead, Saitama muttered incomprehensible phrases under his breath. He passed the controller to Megumi Fushiguro, who stepped in next, then stiffly stood up and walked away with awkward, synchronized limbs.
Megumi had already selected a new character and begun battling Kamo. Members of both schools crowded around them, watching the match intently.
Saitama sat on a sofa by the window, slightly apart from the others, quietly gazing at the scenery outside.
For someone who had always defeated enemies with a single punch, he had just tasted defeat. Logically speaking, experiencing frustration like this should have eased the loneliness brought by being the strongest.
But Saitama felt that something was off.
"What's wrong? Isn't what I've been seeking a battle that pushes me to my limits?"
"But playing video games doesn't really count as a battle, does it?"
He murmured softly to himself, lifeless eyes fixed on the lush green trees outside.
"Come to think of it, why did I even come to Jujutsu High? And yet here I am, playing video games… Can this still be called being a hero? Damn it."
Saitama frowned. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone had approached.
He looked up and met the gaze of a slender girl with long blue hair, wearing a suit-style uniform.
The blue-haired girl looked at him nervously, as if she had something to say.
"Um, you're from Kyoto, right…" Saitama blinked, trying to recall her name. "Three Rings… Three Circles… Oh! I remember!"
He suddenly exclaimed as if struck by inspiration, "You're Giorno Giovan—"
"No. I'm Kasumi Miwa. Um…" Miwa hurriedly cut him off. She seemed a little flustered, her hands clasped behind her back and rubbing together repeatedly.
"You're Saitama, right? Could you come outside with me for a moment? I have something I'd like to talk to you about."
****
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