[16]: Team Battle I

Since it was just an introduction between the students, the teachers weren't present, leaving the atmosphere a bit tense.

Neither Maki nor Shin seemed to care at all, and even if Inumaki Toge wanted to say something, he couldn't. Panda simply stated, "I'm just a panda, I don't understand what you're saying..."

Honest Yuta didn't know what to do. Should he explain to the others that the upperclassmen couldn't attend because they were busy? That might sound like a flimsy excuse.

The Kyoto students remained silent as well. Perhaps they also agreed with what Aoi Todo had said. Finally, Kamo Noritoshi coughed and spoke up, "Todo, maybe they really do have something going on."

Aoi Todo leaned on the table with both hands, exuding an oppressive aura as he said, "It doesn't matter. As long as we get to fight to our heart's content, that's all that matters."

Maki raised an eyebrow, about to say something, but Shin stepped forward with a playful grin and said, "Hey, big guy, do you really think strength is determined by grade level? If I remember correctly, there are rankings for sorcerers, right? I'm a pretty kind person, so let me warn you in advance... you're going to lose."

Before the Kyoto students could react, Shin pulled Yuta over and said, "Because our Yuta here is a special-grade sorcerer!" Then, with feigned surprise, he added, "Oh? Do you guys have any special-grade sorcerers?"

Aoi Todo, who had been about to explode in anger, suddenly became serious. Special-grade—that was synonymous with power! After all, his mentor, Yuki Tsukumo, was a registered special-grade sorcerer. Was this guy really special-grade too?

"Huh?"

Caught off guard by Shin's words, Yuta suddenly became the center of attention for all the Kyoto students. Panda then chimed in, "That's right, Yuta is really strong!"

Maki, understanding the mischievous intent of the two troublemakers, smiled and added, "Hope you guys can keep up! Don't get scared before we even start."

"Salmon!"

Yuta, seeing even Inumaki Toge joining in, was almost petrified. What's happening? First, Maki-senpai, and now even Toge? Yuta didn't know how to explain—he was technically registered as special-grade, but that was mostly because of Rika!

"Hahaha!"

After a brief silence, Aoi Todo lifted his face, not with the expected seriousness or panic, but with a genuine smile. Staring intently at Yuta, he said, "I'm looking forward to it! I can't wait to fight you. It's going to be a thrilling battle!"

"Yuta Okkotsu, right? Let me ask you something..."

Aoi Todo asked with utter seriousness, "What kind of woman do you like?"

Yuta, confused by the bizarre question, didn't know how to respond. But Shin, of course, knew exactly what Todo was up to.

In fact, there was no deeper meaning to Todo's question—it was just his way of determining if someone had the qualifications to be his friend, likely an influence from his mentor, Yuki Tsukumo.

It reminded Shin where Todo had a similar "wavelength" with Yuji Itadori, ultimately declaring him his best friend. Incidentally, both Todo and Itadori shared a preference for tall women with big butts.

Shin patted Yuta on the shoulder and said, "Yuta already has a girlfriend, so I'd suggest you mind your own business, or things might not end well for you."

Of course, Yuta knew Shin was referring to Rika. 'Come to think of it, Rika should be about as tall as me by now, right?'

"Tomorrow! Let's see the power of a special-grade sorcerer for ourselves."

After saying that, Aoi Todo put his hands in his pockets and walked away. With the students having introduced themselves, most of the teachers had also arrived. Shin even noticed Shoko Ieiri and Mei Mei, who he hadn't seen in a while.

The two were sitting together with Iori Utahime, chatting about something. Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru had sidled up to Principal Gakuganji, saying something that made the latter's face look dark and ominous.

At this point, Masamichi Yaga stood up and announced the details of tomorrow's exchange event: a team battle. This was the usual setup. They would release Grade 2 and several Grade 3 curses into a designated area within the school, and the team that exorcised the Grade 2 curse first would win. If no winner was determined by nightfall, then the team that exorcised the most curses would be declared the victor. Other than that, there were no rules.

"So, obstructing the other team is allowed. However, remember that you are comrades in the fight against curses. The goal of this exchange event is for you to better understand your comrades and yourselves. Do not kill or cause irreparable harm to your opponents. The event will begin tomorrow at noon sharp."

Before heading back, Shin went over to greet Mei Mei and the others. Utahime had a favorable impression of this polite young man, unlike that bastard Gojo, who didn't respect her as his senior at all.

Shin didn't try to ask Shoko about his questions regarding reverse cursed technique. In a way, Shoko was even less knowledgeable about it than Gojo... and besides, he had already asked everything he needed to. For now, he was just saying hello.

Back at the dorm, there wasn't much training that night. The plan was to rest up and conserve energy in preparation for tomorrow's match.

The next day.

Both teams, fully prepared, arrived at their respective starting points after a brief speech from Masamichi Yaga. Shin and his group stood in a forested area.

Maki, carrying her long naginata, looked at the group and said, "You all remember the plan, right? Toge and I will take care of the low-level curses while finding the Kyoto students. Toge's cursed speech should be able to reduce their numbers right away when we first encounter them."

"Yuta and Panda will take White Wolf to find the Grade 2 curse in the central area. Shin will act alone, targeting the same curse and aiming to reduce the opponent's numbers. If we find the curse first, we've got the win secured. Or... we could just eliminate all of them!"

The reason White Wolf was allowed to be part of the battle was that their team only had five members, all first-years. Although Yuta was a special-grade sorcerer, a large portion of his power resided in Rika.

The higher-ups on both sides surely knew this, which is why White Wolf was permitted. White Wolf's main role was tracking and tracing, and at most, providing a bit of support.

After all, the key to the battle was how to locate and exorcise the curse, as well as dealing with opponents encountered along the way.

"Got it!"

The group then split up. Although the Grade 2 curse had been placed somewhere in the central area, it wasn't stationary, so its location had likely changed by now.

Shin didn't bring his bow this time. The battleground was a forest, and visibility wasn't great. He couldn't fly like Gojo-sensei, nor did he have the same Six Eyes' vision.

If he waited to draw his bow after encountering the enemy, it would be better to charge in for close combat, so he only brought a sword.

Meanwhile, Maki and Inumaki Toge moved through the forest, encountering a Grade 3 curse that looked like a cross between a toad and a lizard.

To finish it quickly, Toge pulled down his collar and spoke a simple word: "Stop!"

Technique: Cursed Speech activated! Toge's words became an iron law. The two light syllables exerted a crushing restraint, forcing the curse to halt in its tracks. Maki, already prepared, charged in and swiftly sliced it down.

At the observation point, the principals and teachers watched a wall of screens displaying various locations within the battlefield.

These screens showed live footage thanks to Mei Mei's "Black Bird Manipulation" technique, where her crows shared their vision, which Mei Mei projected onto the walls for real-time monitoring.

Of course, hiring Mei Mei required payment since she was now a freelance sorcerer, though she worked closely with Jujutsu High and the supervisory department.

With Gojo Satoru, head of the Gojo clan and the school's main benefactor, footing the bill, he never missed a payment and had a close relationship with Mei Mei, being former classmates.

Gojo was casually chatting away when a talisman affixed to the wall suddenly ignited with red flames.

The talismans were used to record which team exorcised the curses. Each curse had been marked before being released, and both teams' cursed energy was registered.

If a curse was exorcised by a Tokyo Jujutsu High student, the talisman would burn with red flames, while Kyoto's exorcisms would light up in blue. Because of Maki's presence, unregistered eliminations were also set to trigger red.

Currently, Tokyo was leading by one point. Gojo clapped his hands in celebration, "Nice! One point ahead."

Iori Utahime, sitting nearby, glanced at him disdainfully, "How old are you? So childish."

Just as she spoke, another talisman ignited—this time with blue flames. Utahime's rising joy froze midway, her lifted hand pausing before slowly lowering.

"No, stay calm, don't let it get to you... It's just a minor victory…"

Utahime's gaze shifted slightly, noticing Gojo had sidled up next to her at some point. Startled, she saw him return to his seat, speaking in a teasing tone.

"Utahime, you were clearly happy too! Why pretend you don't care? I heard bottling up emotions leads to premature aging. Don't turn into Principal Gakuganji~"

Utahime finally lost her temper, her voice ringing through the room, "I'm your senior! Show some respect, you jerk!"

Having successfully annoyed two people with one comment, Gojo sat back down, laughing, while the furious Utahime found herself helpless. Hitting him wouldn't work—his technique would block everything, and verbally, she couldn't compete with him either. So frustrating!

Shoko Ieiri, sitting beside her, tried to soothe her. "Alright, alright, don't bother with him."

Utahime, touched, hugged Shoko. "Thank goodness you're here, Shoko~"

Meanwhile, the grinning Gojo continued watching the match.

...

Flashback to the night before: Kyoto students were discussing their strategy for the next day's battle. Kamo Noritoshi addressed the group, "I've heard from the principal and Utahime-sensei that one of their first-years is indeed special-grade."

"But it seems there's more to the story. Regardless, we'll stick to our plan. Nishimiya will handle intelligence from the sky. Miwa, Mechamaru, and Kasumi will exorcise curses and try to disrupt their operations as much as possible, especially targeting that dog and cutting off their intel source."

"And Todo…"

Standing off to the side, Aoi Todo crossed his arms and sneered, "Don't bother me with all that nonsense. I'm going to find that special-grade first-year. We're destined for a fierce and exhilarating battle!"

Kamo nodded, "Todo's task is just that." Todo clicked his tongue in annoyance but said nothing further.

"I will find and exorcise the Grade 2 curse as quickly as possible. No matter the reason behind this special-grade status, we shouldn't underestimate them because of their grade. Avoid direct confrontations and use our intelligence advantage to claim victory!"

Mai hesitated before speaking, "Won't that make us look weak?"

Kamo replied seriously, "No! Never underestimate a special-grade. They're absurdly strong in one way or another…"

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