"Yawnnn.."
A long yawn escaped him as he walked down the hallway.
"Man, I'm still tired."
Morning light filtered through the classroom windows as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was that two familiar figures were already there.
Satoru was leaning back lazily in his chair, balancing it on two legs, looking completely relaxed.
Beside him, Suguru sat calmly reading a book.
Emiya walked over and dropped into his seat.
"Morning," he said casually.
Satoru lazily raised a hand in response.
"Yo."
Suguru closed his book and gave a polite nod.
"Good morning."
Then Suguru glanced toward the classroom door.
"It's almost time for class," he said calmly. "Where is Shoko?"
At that moment, the classroom door slid open again.
Shoko Ieiri walked inside.
Her gaze immediately locked onto Emiya.
Her eyebrow twitched.
"…Hmph."
With a small pout on her face, she deliberately looked away from him and walked past his desk as if he didn't exist.
She pulled out her chair and sat down, crossing her arms and facing forward—still pouting slightly, completely ignoring him.
Emiya smiled awkwardly.
How is it my fault?
And it's not that big of a deal either.
For a moment, the classroom was quiet.
Then the classroom door slid open.
Masamichi Yaga walked inside.
His calm but sharp gaze swept across the classroom.
"Well," he said as he stepped toward the front of the room, "during yesterday's mission, all of you encountered some difficulties."
"But nevertheless, congratulations on successfully completing your first mission at Tokyo Jujutsu High."
He paused for a moment, letting the words settle.
"Now," he continued, folding his arms, "we will address some of the flaws in your performance during that mission."
Masamichi Yaga looked down at the notes in his hand before speaking again.
"First team— Shoko and Emiya"
"About your performance, I already gave you a review yesterday," Masamichi Yaga said, folding his arms.
"Although you completed the mission successfully, it nearly got you both killed."
His gaze shifted toward the two of them.
"Both of you need to work on your cursed energy reinforcement—especially you, Emiya."
He continued.
"You have only known about cursed energy for two months, and you don't have any close-combat fighting method yet."
Then he added,
"And next time, send your troops ahead to survey the situation first."
Emiya raised his hand slightly.
"Sensei, I can only keep them summoned within a 100-meter radius."
Yaga nodded.
"That's more than enough for an indoor operation."
Emiya straightened slightly.
"Yes, Sensei. I will keep it in mind."
Then his attention shifted to Shoko Ieiri.
"And Shoko—since you don't have an offensive technique, you should focus on strengthening your Reverse Cursed Technique."
He paused before adding,
"Some experts in Reverse Cursed Technique can even heal missing limbs in less than a second."
Shoko nodded her head.
His eyes moved toward the remaining two students sitting together.
"Team —Satoru and Suguru."
Yaga continued.
"The curse was exorcised quickly… but your teamwork was terrible."
"Or you could say there was no teamwork at all."
He paused for a moment, trying to maintain his composure and rein in his anger.
"Instead of working together," Masamichi Yaga said, a twitching vein visible on his forehead, "the two of you were competing to figure out who was stronger between you."
Finally, to hell with composure and reining in his anger—
"And that nearly allowed the curse to harm the hostages!" Masamichi Yaga shouted.
Across the room, Emiya and Shoko watched the scene unfold.
The two of them looked far less tense than the ones being scolded.
In fact, they seemed to be quietly enjoying the spectacle.
Both of them were thinking roughly the same thing.
...Those two are so reckless.
…Looks like we did a better job than those two.ᕙ( ͡◉ ͜ ʖ ͡◉)ᕗ
(Author note: whatever makes them feel better😮💨)
Trying to give them one last chance before teaching them a lesson, he took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down again.
"Now," Masamichi Yaga said firmly, his gaze moving between Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto.
"Explain what led to that situation."
Gojo and Geto spoke at the exact same time.
Both of them immediately pointed at each other.
"It's his fault."
Flashback —
Unlike the mission of Emiya and Shoko Ieiri, whose target had been an abandoned hospital, the mission assigned to Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto took place at a school.
The building had already been evacuated—but not completely.
Inside the school, five students were still trapped.
Hostages.
At the center of it all was the curse.
Or curses.
They were monkey-like curses: agile, quick, and mischievous. But there was one that stood apart from the rest.
A massive Grade 1 gorilla-shaped curse, sitting imposingly in the principal's office. Its fur was dark, matted, and bristling with cursed energy.
In its massive hands, it held a golden ruler, tapping it against the desk as if keeping the smaller curses in line.
The gorilla cursed acted as the leader, commanding the smaller Grade 2 monkey curses that scattered through the hallways, perched on walls and ceilings, and guarded the hostages.
Meanwhile, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto moved through the hallway.
Dispatching any monkey curses they encountered along the way while checking each classroom for the hostages.
Gojo slid open another classroom door.
The room was empty.
No hostages.
Only five more monkey curses.
The creatures screeched and leaped toward them from desks and shelves.
Gojo sighed.
"Again?"
The fight ended almost as quickly as it began.
Gojo knocked one curse aside with a casual strike, sending it crashing into the wall.
Another tried to pounce from above, only for him to catch it midair and slam it into the floor.
Beside him, Geto moved just as smoothly.
With a small motion of his hand,the remaining monkey curses were pulled toward him, their bodies compressing into swirling spheres of cursed energy before being swallowed by his technique.
Within seconds, the classroom fell silent again.
Geto glanced around the empty room.
"No hostages here either."
Gojo rolled his eyes.
"Of course we should just exorcise the gorilla curse in the principal's office first," he said casually. "The assistant sorcerer already told us about it. Once the leader is gone, the remaining monkey curses will flee on their own."
Geto frowned slightly.
"Or they could kill the hostages," he replied calmly.
Gojo shrugged.
"And how do we know they haven't already been killed?" he countered. "Or that they won't be killed while we keep delaying?"
Geto crossed his arms, his voice firm.
"No. We rescue the hostages first."
Gojo scoffed.
"NO NO . Is that's the only thing which you can say."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Why am I even listening to you? I'm clearly the stronger one here."
Gojo pointed a thumb at himself.
"You should be listening to me."
Geto kept walking down the hallway, rolling his small eyes slightly.
"You believe you're the stronger one," he replied calmly.
Gojo raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say?"
Geto didn't even slow his steps.
"I said you just believe you're the stronger one."
Gojo tilted his head slightly, a grin slowly forming on his face.
"Ohh… so you believe you're stronger than me, huh?"
Ahead of him, Geto let out a small sigh.
"We can discuss this after we save the hostages."
His calm, dismissive attitude clearly irritated Gojo.
Gojo's eye twitched slightly.
"I'm done listening to you, squinty-eyes."
Squinty eyes?
The words finally madeGeto stop walking.
He slowly turned back toward Gojo.
A small smile spread across his face—even his eyes are smiling now.
"Squinty eyes?" he repeated softly.
Then his smile widened even more.
"What did you say, white-haired idiot?"
Geto tilted his head a little.
"Do you really believe you're the stronger one between us?"
"Of course," Gojo replied without hesitation.
"Ohh...then why don't we make a bet?"
Gojo raised an eyebrow.
"A bet?"
"Whoever kills the gorilla curse first wins."
For a moment, both of them stared at each other.
The hostages were completely forgotten.
Gojo grinned.
"Sure."
The next second—
Both of them dashed down the hallway at the same time, racing toward the principal's office while casually dispatching any monkey curses that jumped into their path.
Soon, more of the monkey curses began pouring out of nearby classrooms and corridors, surrounding them from all sides.
Geto clicked his tongue.
"Ugh… too many."
The curses screeched and lunged toward them.
Gojo glanced sideways at Suguru Geto and grinned.
"Have fun dealing with the cannon fodder."
Before Geto could respond—
Gojo activated Blue, compressing space for an instant.
His figure vanished from the middle of the hallway, reappearing farther ahead toward the direction of the principal's office.
Leaving Geto behind.
Surrounded by the swarm of monkey curses.
For a brief second, Geto simply stood there, staring at the space where Gojo had disappeared.
His eyebrow twitched.
"…That bastard."
As Gojo appears at the door of principal office.
He kicked it open.
Inside sat the massive Grade 1 gorilla curse, holding its golden ruler like a teacher waiting for late students.
The moment it saw Gojo—
The ruler tapped against the desk.
Gojo smirked.
"Found you."
He immediately activated Blue, compressing space to close the distance instantly.
But—
The distance didn't close.
Gojo's brows furrowed.
"…Huh?"
Before he could analyze further, the monkey curses hiding around the office suddenly leaped toward him from every direction.
They attacked in perfect coordination, as if following commands.
The gorilla curse calmly pointed its ruler.
Gojo dodged the attacks easily, knocking the curses aside.
But his attention was already elsewhere.
Why didn't the distance close?
His eyes narrowed behind the glasses.
Suddenly—
The gorilla vanished.
In the next instant, it appeared directly in front of him, as if the distance between them had been erased entirely.
Its massive fist swung toward Gojo.
But the punch stopped instantly against Infinity.
Gojo didn't even move.
"Nice try."
He immediately tried to strike back—
But the moment he moved forward—
He suddenly found himself standing exactly where he had been a moment earlier.
Gojo blinked.
"…What?"
He stepped forward again.
And once again—
He was returned to the same spot.
No matter how he moved, the distance between him and the gorilla never decreased.
It wasn't the same as his Infinity.
It felt different.
Almost like every time he tried to approach—
The space between them reset, sending him back to his previous position again and again.
So that's it…
That gorilla must have some kind of spatial cursed technique.
Something that lets him maintain the distance between himself and his opponent.
Across the room, the gorilla suddenly reappeared back at its previous position, sitting behind the desk as if it had never moved. It tapped its golden ruler against the wood again—slowly, mockingly.
Gojo clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, yeah… I get it. Your technique is annoying."
Just then—
The gorilla's head tilted slightly, as if it had suddenly thought of something.
It let out a deep, guttural noise.
From the side doors of the office, several monkey curses rushed in, dragging five unconscious students with them.
The hostages.
Their hands were tied, and they were shoved roughly onto the floor.
The gorilla slowly stood from the desk.
Then it raised its golden ruler.
First—
It pointed the ruler at the hostages.
Then—
It slowly turned the ruler toward Gojo.
The message was perfectly clear.
Move… and the hostages die.
Gojo tilted his head slightly.
"Do you really think taking hostages will make me stop?"
Seeing his warning not working the gorilla curse grabbed one of the students by the arm.
The unconscious boy awakened and screamed as the curse began twisting the arm at a painful angle.
Gojo's expression hardened.
He moved to stop it—
But in the next instant—
He was back in the exact same spot.
The distance had reset again.
The gorilla continued twisting the arm slowly, its ruler tapping lightly against its shoulder as if enjoying the situation.
Gojo clicked his tongue and slowly raised his hands.
"…Tch."
For the moment—
They were at a stalemate.
Then—
The office door suddenly slid open behind him.
Suguru Geto stepped inside, brushing dust from his uniform.
He glanced at the scene once.
The hostages.
The gorilla.
Gojo standing with his hands raised.
Geto sighed.
"…You started without me?"
Gojo immediately lowered his hands the moment Geto appeared.
"Forget that," he said quickly.
"That gorilla has a spatial cursed technique."
Gojo jerked his thumb toward the curse.
"It can reset the distance between itself and a target. Every time I try to get close, I'm sent back to my previous position."
He glanced at the hostages being held by the monkey curses.
"And it's coordinating the monkeys to guard the hostages."
Gojo clicked his tongue.
"So unless we figure out a way around that technique…"
"…this turns into a very annoying problem."
Geto stepped forward and came to stand beside Gojo while analyzing the technique of gorilla.
His expression had turned completely serious now.
"I have a plan."
Gojo glanced at him.
Geto continued calmly.
"This curse was born in a school… and with him holding the ruler it probably sees itself as the teacher."
"From what you said about its technique sending you back to your original position, its cursed technique must be something like this—"
"Anyone who moves without permission gets sent back to their seat."
"I'll flood the area with my curses. That gorilla can't manipulate the distance of everything at once."
"You move the moment the room becomes chaotic and save the hostages."
Geto's eyes locked onto the gorilla curse.
"This should create enough openings, right?"
He glanced briefly at Gojo.
Gojo looked at him for a moment, clearly impressed.
Then a slow grin spread across his face.
"This is more than enough."
Geto hand slowly rose.
Dark cursed energy gathered around Geto.
Several cursed spirits began emerging behind him.
Different shapes. Different sizes.
Various grades of curses under his control.
Among them—
One stood out.
The Grade 1 dead samurai, clad in cracked and battered armor standing silently beside Geto like a loyal retainer.
"Attack. "
At Geto's command.
They swarmed the monkey curses and rushed the gorilla from every direction.
Amid the storm of cursed spirits—
The Grade 1 samurai curse remained standing beside Geto, its rusted katana lowered as if waiting for the perfect moment.
Across the room, the gorilla curse's expression twisted with anger.
Its warning had been ignored.
It raised its golden ruler sharply—
And thrust it toward the hostage it was holding, intending to kill the student immediately.
But in that exact moment—
Because its attention had shifted to the swarm of cursed spirits—
It failed to notice one thing.
The white–haired boy had disappeared.
In the next instant—
Gojo appeared directly in front of it using Blue.
"Too slow."
Gojo's fist slammed into the gorilla's face.
The impact sent the massive curse flying backward, crashing through the principal's desk and smashing into the far wall.
At the same moment—
Gojo moved again.
In a blur of speed, he grabbed the nearest hostage and pulled them away from the remaining monkey curses.
Behind him, several dog-like cursed spirits under Geto's control lunged forward and tore into the monkeys guarding the rest of the students.
Within seconds—
The remaining curses near the hostages were ripped apart.
The terrified and the remaining unconscious students were finally out of immediate danger.
Across the destroyed office—
The gorilla curse slowly rose.
Chunks of broken wood and shattered concrete slid from its massive body as it stood back up.
Its twisted gaze locked onto the two sorcerers.
Gojo dusted off his uniform slightly and tilted his head.
"Now you're the only one left."
He suddenly vanished.
In the next instant, Gojo attempted to close the distance again—
But just like before—
He appeared back in his original position.
The cursed technique had activated again.
But–
Instead of looking discouraged, Gojo's grin slowly widened.
"Still trying that trick, huh?"
At that exact moment—
A figure suddenly appeared beside the gorilla curse.
The Grade 1 samurai curse.
Its rusted katana flashed.
Slash—
The blade cut cleanly across the gorilla's arm that was holding the golden ruler.
The arm jerked violently from the strike.
In that brief moment—
Gojo disappeared again.
This time—
He didn't return to his original spot.
He appeared directly in front of the gorilla.
Before the curse could react—
Gojo's knee slammed into its jaw.
The impact was brutal.
The gorilla's mouth deformed from the force as its massive body was launched backward, crashing through the remains of the office and smashing into the far wall.
Dust exploded through the room.
Before the gorilla could recover—
A shadow appeared behind it.
Suguru Geto.
His hand pressed against the curse.
Dark cursed energy surged forward.
"Cursed Spirit Manipulation."
The gorilla curse struggled violently for a brief moment—
Then its body compressed into a swirling orb of cursed energy and was swallowed by Geto.
Geto grimaced in clear disgust while swallowing it.
Gojo watched him quietly.
For a moment, it looked like he was about to say something.
But in the end, he didn't.
As silence returned to the ruined office.
The battle was over.
_________________________________________
Outside the school—
The assistant sorcerer stood near the front gate, nervously waiting.
Moments later, the school doors opened.
Geto walked out calmly rubbing his throat.
The assistant sorcerer immediately straightened.
"Is it… over?"
Geto nodded.
"The curse has been exorcised and the hostages are safe inside."
The assistant sorcerer visibly relaxed.
"Thank goodness…then Gojo-san?"
Geto glanced around.
"Satoru went to buy a drink for himself." he said casually.
As if on cue, a tall white-haired figure appeared beside them instantly, a drink in each hand.
Gojo casually tossed one to him.
Barley tea.
Geto noticed it and smiled slightly.
Before either of them could say anything—
Geto's phone suddenly rang.
He pulled it out and answered.
On the other end was Masamichi Yaga.
"What is it?"
There was a short pause.
Geto blinked.
"…Emiya and Shoko?"
He glanced toward Gojo.
"Alright."
Geto ended the call.
Then he looked toward Gojo again.
"It looks like there has been some trouble on Emiya and Shoko's end."
Gojo raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Geto continued.
"Yaga-sensei is coming to pick us up and take us to their mission site."
Flashback End—
Back in the classroom.
Silence.
BAM!
Two fists dropped from above.
One on Gojo.
One on Geto.
Both of them slammed face-first into their desks.
Masamichi Yaga stood behind them with his fists still raised.
He sighed slightly.
"At least in the end," Yaga said sternly,
"you two idiots worked together and handled the situation."
_________________________________________
The bell rang.
Class was over.
Yaga turned and began walking toward the classroom door.
Before exiting, he stopped for a moment and spoke without turning back.
"By the way," he said calmly, "your seniors were away on a mission, but they'll be returning to school today."
Without explaining anything further, he left the classroom.