The others were also stunned by that brilliant lotus.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed extremely clearly; it was unknown who.
Kugisaki Nobara looked at the crater, then at Kama, then back at the crater, before suddenly pinching her own thigh hard.
"Hiss—!" The pain made her gasp.
It wasn't a dream.
As the only person present who had briefly exchanged blows with Kama, Gojo Satoru's reaction was somewhat subtle.
He had his hands in his uniform pockets, standing in a relaxed posture. The Black Blindfold covered the upper half of his face, making it impossible to see the look in his eyes.
He had indeed estimated Kama's strength to some extent. After all, she could quietly take out a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit and possessed a non-cursed energy power system that could ignore his Limitless.
But...
That strike just now.
The energy level it contained and the destructive power it released upon erupting far exceeded expectations. Gojo could even feel that at the moment the arrow was fired, unstable fluctuations appeared in the surrounding space. It was as if something at a more fundamental level had been touched.
Moreover, he knew very well.
Kama held back.
Otherwise, forget a mere crater; it would be a miracle if this training ground remained intact.
In the center, Kama swung the bow in her hand.
"Hey, hey."
The Glazed Bow reflected a dazzling halo under the sunlight. She tilted her head and looked at Maki.
"Want to continue?"
Zen'in Maki's lips moved.
She wasn't someone who couldn't afford to lose. Since she had already recognized the gap between them, she naturally wouldn't continue to act tough.
Clang.
The tachi was returned to its sheath. She looked at Kama, her eyes holding no resentment, only recognition of the strong.
"I admit defeat."
"You are really strong."
Having said that, she stopped staying and turned to walk toward the others watching the battle.
Kama raised an eyebrow as she watched her back.
It wasn't until Maki walked back into the crowd that Panda woke up as if from a dream and hurriedly stepped forward to support her, only to be waved off by Zen'in Maki. She walked over to a bench on the side and sat down, her head lowered and her expression obscured, though her chest was still heaving slightly.
Just as Kama was about to put away the bow, she saw that fellow Gojo had slipped to her side at some point, bending over with his face pressed very close.
"What?"
She tilted her head, the corners of her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.
"Does Gojo-sensei... also want to spar with me?"
Her voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a bewitching sweetness.
"No problem."
She took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
"I will treat you gently."
The group of first-year and second-year students all took a step back in unison.
What a terrible line that was!
Panda covered his eyes with his paws but couldn't help peeking through the gaps in his fingers.
Gojo, however, seemed completely unaware of the implication in those words—or rather, he sensed it but didn't care at all. He waved his hand.
"No, no, no, I just wanted to say Kama-chan can rest now~"
He pointed to the giant crater in the distance, his tone carrying a hint of exaggerated worry.
"If we continue..."
"Principal Yaga might cry from heartbreak."
"After all, fixing the training ground is very expensive, ehe."
Kama didn't mind either. She let go, and the bow in her hand turned into stardust and dissipated into the air. Then without missing a beat, she walked to a shaded spot and made herself comfortable.
Gojo watched her back, rubbed his chin, smiled, and didn't disturb her further. He turned to the others and clapped his hands.
A lot has already happened, but his enthusiasm barely tanked.
"Alright, alright! The warm-up is over!"
"Next, free combinations for one-on-one practical combat practice! No restricted rules, stop at the point of contact, and pay attention to safety!"
"Of course, if anyone else wants to open a hole in the ground for fun, remember to report in advance~ Teacher will help you apply for a special budget!"
Everyone: "..."
No, we don't.
Panda leaned over to Inumaki Toge and poked his companion, who was still staring blankly in Kama's direction.
"Toge, snap out of it!"
Inumaki Toge's body jerked as he came back to his senses and looked at Panda. "Bonito flakes?"
Panda leaned in and whispered, "You saw it too, right? That new classmate is strong as a monster."
Inumaki Toge nodded. "Salmon Roe."
"Right, right!" Panda scratched his head with his paw.
"But speaking of which, she's really pretty... strong and pretty, she's practically a manga heroine!"
Inumaki Toge didn't speak; he just stole another glance toward Kama's direction before quickly looking away. The tips of his ears under the high collar seemed a bit red.
"Hey, you two."
Gojo had wandered over at some point, placing a hand on each of the furry heads of Panda and Inumaki Toge.
"Don't slack off~ Go practice! Panda, you're in a group with Yuji. Toge, you're with Megumi. Go, go!"
"Eh—Satoru is so strict—"
Despite the complaints, the two still obediently went to find their respective opponents.
Everything seemed to return to a "normal" practical combat class atmosphere. Gojo Satoru stood in the center of the training ground with his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the students working hard at their sparring and that giant crater.
He watched for a few seconds, then withdrew his gaze, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and started typing away, unknown to whom he was messaging. After finishing the message, he put his phone away and watched the students' practice for a while longer, occasionally giving pointers.
Until—
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
The phone in Gojo's pocket suddenly vibrated violently. He pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, and his brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Then, he walked to the side and answered the call.
"Moshi moshi~ This is the handsome Gojo-sensei... Hm? ...Oh? ...Location? Understood~"
It was a brief call, lasting less than a minute. Hanging up, Gojo Satoru walked back to the center of the training ground and clapped his hands.
"Alright, alright! Everyone stop for a moment!"
The people in the middle of sparring stopped their movements and looked at him.
"Teacher suddenly has some urgent business and needs to head out~"
Gojo Satoru pressed his hands together in an apologetic gesture.
"For the rest of the practice, continue on your own!"
"Well then, Teacher is heading out first~ See you later!"
With that, he waved his hand, his figure blurred, and he completely vanished from everyone's sight. He left the students staring at each other on the spot.
"...Ran off again." Kugisaki Nobara curled her lip.
"Hah, can't say I'm not used to it." Fushiguro Megumi deadpanned.
Panda let out a long breath. "Great, we can rest..." As he spoke, he trotted away. His target was clear: the tree where Kama was located.
Panda trotted to Kama's side and sat down cautiously. He stole a glance at Kama and, seeing she still had her eyes closed and seemed to have no intention of chasing him away, let out a sigh of relief.
He had just opened his mouth, preparing to say something—
"Gojo Satoru—!!!"
A full-throated shout rang out from the entrance of the training ground. The voice was extremely piercing, causing the leaves on the trees to rustle.
Everyone on the training ground stopped their movements and looked toward the source of the sound. It was Masamichi Yaga. He rushed over aggressively.
Yaga's gaze swept across the training ground, and not seeing that familiar white-haired figure, his brow furrowed even tighter.
"Where is Gojo Satoru?"
Itadori Yuji answered honestly, "Gojo-sensei took a call, said he had something to do, and then left."
"Hasn't come back yet," Fushiguro Megumi added.
Masamichi Yaga nodded, his expression not improving. He took a deep breath and looked at everyone, his tone serious.
"A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit has appeared at Aoki Second Psychiatric Hospital."
Masamichi Yaga continued, his voice carrying a hint of suppressed anger, "Because the personnel from 'Window' made an error in judgment, they misidentified it as a Grade 2. This resulted in the Grade 2 jujutsu sorcerer originally sent to handle it, Mr. Mama Xiaoyu, being severely injured."
"The higher-ups require us to go support immediately."
Zen'in Maki looked at Masamichi Yaga. "What about Gojo-sensei?"
"Don't mind him," Masamichi Yaga waved his hand. "You guys go first; I'll contact him."
Everyone nodded and left the training ground. Masamichi Yaga watched their retreating backs and sighed.
"Where did that fellow Satoru go off to wander again?"
He shook his head and turned around, only then noticing that in the distance, there seemed to be a... black hole? He frowned and walked a few steps closer.
Then, he fell into silence.
"..."
Masamichi Yaga stared at that giant crater ten meters in diameter for a full ten seconds. The corners of his mouth began to twitch. Veins popped on his forehead. His fists clenched, loosened, and clenched again.
Finally, he squeezed a sentence through his teeth:
"Who did this again?!!"
His voice echoed across the empty training ground. Unfortunately, there was no one to answer.