With the battle over, the Aurors took charge of cleaning up the aftermath. Whether dead or alive, all Death Eaters were now their responsibility.
Mr. Lucius Malfoy's situation was particularly dire.
Although he repeatedly claimed that he had been coerced by Voldemort, considering he had used the exact same excuse last time, prison was likely unavoidable this time around.
Even if he wasn't sent to Azkaban, his fate would certainly be grim.
As for Azkaban itself…
Professor McGonagall informed Fudge about the Dementors' defection to Voldemort. His expression darkened, yet he gave no clear statement about how the matter would be handled.
McGonagall was uneasy.
During his tenure as Minister for Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge had placed immense trust in the Dementors.
There had always been doubts from the outside, but for reasons unknown, Fudge had maintained unwavering confidence that the Dementors would guard Azkaban faithfully.
And yet, those same creatures had been Voldemort's allies during the previous uprising.
The mass breakout of Death Eaters had already pushed Fudge's credibility to the brink. Now, the fact that the Dementors had once again aided the Dark Lord in attacking Hogwarts made the truth undeniable.
To protect his position, McGonagall suspected Fudge would do everything in his power to suppress the incident.
For example—claiming that Voldemort had never truly returned.
That this attack had merely been a retaliatory act by Death Eaters, or some other absurd fabrication.
Given Fudge's obsession with authority, such behavior was entirely possible.
By the time the Ministry took everyone away, the sun had already set, leaving only streaks of crimson clouds on the horizon.
Professor McGonagall sought out Dumbledore and voiced her concerns.
Dumbledore smiled gently. "Professor McGonagall, whether in teaching or managing the school, you've always performed exceptionally well. You would be an excellent choice for the next Headmistress."
McGonagall froze. She didn't understand why Dumbledore was suddenly changing the subject.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, that isn't important right now. What's more urgent is—"
"No, Professor McGonagall. This is very important," Dumbledore interrupted softly. "Because I will no longer continue as Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"What?!"
McGonagall exclaimed in shock, drawing glances from nearby professors.
Lowering her voice, she said urgently, "That won't do. Hogwarts can't function without you."
Dumbledore gazed at the towering castle perched atop the cliff, his eyes filled with emotion. "This castle is my home—but also my shackle. The longer I stayed here, the narrower my vision became. I could no longer see the changes happening beyond these walls."
McGonagall didn't fully understand his meaning. "Hogwarts is the starting point of the wizarding world. All change should begin here."
Dumbledore's eyes grew deep as he murmured, "As you said… it's only the starting point for wizards."
McGonagall seemed to grasp his implication and frowned. "The change you're talking about… Muggles?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Once, a student told me that as time goes on, the destruction of the wizarding world is drawing ever closer."
McGonagall chuckled dismissively.
"At first, I felt the same way you do. Magic is so mysterious and powerful—how could it possibly be wiped out?"
"But the seed of doubt had already been planted," Dumbledore continued lightly. "As you know, my curiosity has always been rather… persistent."
He went on, "During my search for Horcruxes, I spent much time in the Muggle world. Unlike before, I began to observe it closely—and to grow curious."
"Gradually, I came to understand something. And that understanding filled me with a fear even greater than what Voldemort ever inspired."
McGonagall didn't know what troubled him so deeply, yet his gravity made her heart tighten.
"They are changing every single moment," Dumbledore said quietly. "But what about us?"
"Headmaster, we're changing too," McGonagall argued.
"Occasionally inventing a new spell—does that count as change?"
She hesitated. "Isn't that… enough?"
Dumbledore answered without hesitation. "No."
"Professor McGonagall, the wizarding world didn't start promoting pure-blood ideology in Voldemort's era. Thousands of years have passed, and we still haven't changed at all."
"How long must we remain mired in such trivial disputes?"
McGonagall asked uncertainly, "Are these matters truly trivial…?"
Dumbledore sighed."Compared to the survival of the wizarding world itself, they are."
McGonagall covered her mouth, staring at him in shock.
"The wizarding world cannot remain hidden forever. Muggle technology is advancing rapidly, and our space to exist is shrinking."
"One day, the two worlds will inevitably collide. When that happens—what should wizards do?"
"Fight?"
"Thousands of years ago, wizards were already forced into hiding by Muggles armed with nothing but swords. Now they have machine guns, aircraft, and artillery."
"How many shells do you think Hogwarts' protective wards can withstand?"
McGonagall wanted to argue—but every word Dumbledore spoke struck like a hammer.
In truth, many wizards knew that the magical world was at a disadvantage. Pride alone prevented them from admitting it.
After all, wizards were born different.
"It's time to change," Dumbledore said firmly. "In the past, ordinary people rejected us because they feared our power. In the future, they may eradicate us simply because we are different."
He no longer used the word Muggle, instead choosing the neutral term ordinary people.
"Now is the best opportunity. We are not yet completely rotten, and they are strong enough not to fear us. Only now can we communicate as equals."
At last, McGonagall understood what Dumbledore intended to do. Her emotions surged.
Adjusting his glasses, Dumbledore smiled. "I must lead the wizarding world toward change. Therefore, I will become the next Minister for Magic."
Not run for office—become.
A man who had refused the position countless times in his life was finally stepping onto an unprecedented stage.
Meanwhile, Chu Yang had quietly arrived in another space.
A familiar palace.A familiar throne.
Not long after Voldemort's death, Chu Yang sensed the call of the Soul Palace. When he regained awareness, he found himself surrounded by his other selves. After sharing memories, everyone learned of Voldemort's demise.
Demon Slayer Chu Yang spoke first. "So—how did it feel to beat the final boss?"
Wizard Chu Yang smiled. "Even more empty than you felt."
In the early days, Voldemort could still be considered a threat. But as each incarnation of Chu Yang grew by leaps and bounds, Voldemort became increasingly insignificant.
Marvel Chu Yang asked, "So from now on, you can synchronize memories and abilities freely?"
Wizard Chu Yang nodded. Like Demon Slayer Chu Yang, he could now share abilities and memories with every version of himself at any time—no longer needing the Soul Palace as an intermediary.
This was excellent news for the others.
Swordsmanship improvements would mainly come from Demon Slayer Chu Yang. The technique Marvel Chu Yang used against the Destroyer Armor—Source Breathing: First Form · Sun–Moon Cycle—was Demon Slayer Chu Yang's masterpiece, and its power was extraordinary.
From now on, all technique-based arts—ninjutsu, kidō, and the like—could be entrusted entirely to Wizard Chu Yang's research.
This greatly reduced the burden on Naruto Chu Yang and Bleach Chu Yang.
The former needed to devote his time to extracting Ōtsutsuki bloodline traits, while the latter had to awaken his Zanpakutō as soon as possible.
As for cursed techniques, Jujutsu Chu Yang had yet to awaken his innate technique. Among non-innate techniques, he had only mastered barrier techniques and a small portion of cursed arts—hardly worth deep study.
However, Wizard Chu Yang planned to integrate all forms of techniques together. When that happened, ninjutsu and kidō might even be cast in the form of cursed techniques.
There was no need to expend effort learning jujutsu itself—only mastering the application of cursed energy was sufficient.
Another key point was that the more powerful versions of "himself" existed across worlds, the stronger Chu Yang's cursed energy would become. And beyond cursed techniques, there was the far more terrifying skill known as Black Flash.
A Black Flash occurs when the time difference between a physical strike and the surge of cursed energy is within 0.000001 seconds, causing spatial distortion. Its power equals the product of cursed energy and physical strength raised to the 2.5th power.
Those who had experienced Black Flash and those who hadn't were worlds apart in their understanding of cursed energy—fundamentally different levels of control.
Using Gojo Satoru as a benchmark: Chu Yang's cursed energy reserves were certainly inferior. But factoring in physical strength, Chu Yang was confident he could close the gap.
Overall, the power of their Black Flashes would not differ much.
In the jujutsu world, no cursed spirit or sorcerer could withstand Gojo's Black Flash. In other words, Chu Yang's Black Flash was equally apocalyptic.
Thus, rather than focusing on cursed techniques, it was far better to invest effort into Black Flash—a skill with virtually limitless potential.
Unfortunately, since the emergence of curses, no sorcerer had ever been able to activate Black Flash at will. A 0.000001-second margin was simply too unforgiving.
Most Black Flashes were triggered unconsciously in the heat of battle.
Jujutsu Chu Yang's current goal was to become the first person to deliberately perform Black Flash.
With Wizard Chu Yang's assistance, success was only a matter of time.
One regret was that Naruto Chu Yang's recently learned Multiple Shadow Clone Technique couldn't carry forces beyond chakra—especially not cursed energy, which originated from negative emotions.
If clones could be used to explore the secret of Black Flash, progress would be much faster.
After a brief exchange with Jujutsu Chu Yang, Wizard Chu Yang moved to Marvel Chu Yang's side, and the two began discussing Asgardian magic.
Asgardians possessed extraordinary physiques and required no wand to control magical output—their bodies themselves were the best conduits.
Chu Yang's own physique was far beyond normal humans', making their casting methods highly applicable to him. After studying them, he immediately developed new ideas for refining wandless magic.
Before long, Wizard Chu Yang would likely be able to cast the Imperius Curse without a wand.
This would greatly aid Marvel Chu Yang's future plans—namely, controlling the entirety of HYDRA.
After the Battle of New York, HYDRA would steal the Tesseract and the Mind Stone from within S.H.I.E.L.D.—and both were things he absolutely intended to claim.
If those artifacts could create Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, and Vision, then they could just as easily elevate Chu Yang's power to an even higher level.
With the Avengers clearly destined to lose, he had no intention of staking his survival on a mere 50% chance from Thanos' snap.
Moments later, the mist returned everyone to their respective worlds.
Jujutsu World
Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto a large bed. Chu Yang squinted awake, grumbling as he sat up.
He pulled a large bottle of ice water from the fridge and stood by the window, drinking as he gazed out at the bustling commercial district below.
His current residence was a luxury apartment in central Tokyo.
This was the home he had once dreamed of during his corporate-slave days.
Not long after becoming a jujutsu sorcerer, he had already earned more money than an ordinary 9-to-5 worker could make in a lifetime.
…a higher salary naturally came with greater risk.
In the world of jujutsu sorcerers, cases where someone died before they could spend their money were all too common.
After admiring the busy silhouettes of corporate workers below, Chu Yang stepped away from the balcony. He walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, took out a slab of snowflake beef left over from last night, and tossed it into a frying pan.
As the meat sizzled and the rich aroma filled the air, Chu Yang swallowed unconsciously.
Just as he was about to pop the medium-rare steak into his mouth, the phone on the table rang. He picked it up and saw the caller ID: Nanami Kento.
He answered.
"Nanami-senpai, what's going on so early in the morning?"
"I heard you took down another Grade 1 curse last night?"
"That curse was already injured. I just picked up the scraps."
"That's exactly what you said last time."
Chu Yang stuffed the piping-hot steak into his mouth, breathing in sharply as he chewed, and said through a mouthful of food, "Senpai, don't worry. I'm just a corporate slave—if the wind starts blowing the wrong way, I'll definitely run."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Nanami replied flatly, "Take it easy. Don't throw your life away just to make money."
Chu Yang was genuinely surprised. "Senpai, I didn't expect you to say something like that."
Nanami answered stiffly, "You became a sorcerer because of me. I don't want to end up collecting your body—it would ruin my mood for retirement."
Chu Yang nodded. "I'll try not to die then. But that aside, you didn't call me this early just to say this, did you?"
"Of course not. I'm not that free. You need to come to Jujutsu High—something big is happening!"
Chu Yang glanced at the date on his phone.
December 20, 2017.
Four days later—the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
There were only two institutions in the jujutsu world responsible for training sorcerers:
Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.Kyoto Prefectural Curse Technical College.
When Nanami referred to "Jujutsu High," he meant the Tokyo school—the one where Gojo Satoru taught.
Jujutsu High was to the jujutsu world what Hogwarts was to the wizarding world.
The main difference was that Jujutsu High also held certain powers and responsibilities similar to a "Ministry of Magic."
Chu Yang lived quite far from Jujutsu High. It took about thirty minutes by taxi just to reach the nearby area. Gojo and Nanami had brought him here once before.
As a self-taught sorcerer who joined halfway, Chu Yang needed a guarantor to officially register his identity.
Jujutsu High was located deep in the mountains outside Tokyo. Only a narrow two-lane road led up the mountain—one wrong move while driving could easily result in disaster.
No ordinary person would ever come here.
After getting out of the taxi, Chu Yang followed the mountain road upward. Before long, he saw a cluster of buildings with a distinctly retro style. Nanami Kento, dressed in business attire, was standing at the end of the road waiting for him.
Chu Yang himself was also wearing a suit and tie.
Standing together, the two of them looked like office workers on a business trip.
"Nanami-senpai, could you at least change your outfit?"
"You're dressed exactly the same—what right do you have to complain?"
While the two were bickering, Gojo Satoru suddenly appeared, smiling brightly. "You two really get along as well as ever."
Chu Yang looked disgusted. "Gojo-senpai, that sounded kind of gross."
Nanami frowned. "You were already annoying before, but now you're definitely at peak irritation."
Gojo clutched his chest dramatically. "Being told that really hurts, you know."
Nanami walked straight past him.
"Being ignored hurts me too, Nanami~~~" Gojo shouted after him.
"That's enough already—even I'm starting to feel embarrassed for you," Chu Yang said.
"Really? Then I'll stop for today." Gojo scratched his head and led Chu Yang inside. "I heard you've been really active lately—exorcising a lot of Grade 1 curses. In just two or three months, your evaluation's been revised three times. Almost once a month. The higher-ups are under a lot of pressure."
Chu Yang shrugged. "Whether they change it or not doesn't matter to me. I'm not that concerned. They can do whatever they want—stress causes hair loss, after all. Though at their age, they probably don't have much hair left anyway."
Gojo grinned. "You're really interesting—way more fun than Nanami."
As they walked, Chu Yang saw many people: students, teachers, and… a panda.
He stopped and stared at it carefully.
It was Panda, a fully autonomous cursed corpse created by the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Yaga Masamichi—one with independent personality and emotions.
"Why are you staring at me?" Panda said irritably, raising a fist in warning.
"Because I really like pandas," Chu Yang replied honestly.
Hearing that, Panda immediately relaxed, chuckled awkwardly, and looked at Chu Yang much more warmly.
As they spoke, two men and a woman approached.
One of the men, whose lower face was covered, said to Gojo, "Salmon."
Gojo waved. "Hey there, Inumaki."
The other man and woman greeted him as well.
"Yuta, Maki—when did you get here?"
"Just now, when you went out."
Zen'in Maki glanced at Chu Yang and asked, "Gojo-sensei, he looks pretty young. Is he a student here too?"
Gojo shook his head. "Sadly, no. But you should've heard his name before—you even asked me about him recently."
Maki thought for a moment, then her pupils shrank as realization hit her.
"He's that guy who took down five Grade 1 curses in a single month? I remember his name was…"
"Yang!" Gojo Satoru waved his arms wildly and shouted in an exaggerated tone, "This rising star of the jujutsu world is called Yang!"
Quite a few people nearby heard Gojo's voice and immediately focused their attention on Chu Yang.
The genius sorcerer who had joined halfway through his career was already well-known among the various factions of the jujutsu world. Everyone was curious what this young man actually looked like.
For a moment, the upcoming Night Parade of a Hundred Demons seemed far less important. Every topic of conversation revolved around Chu Yang.
Zen'in Maki ignored Gojo's antics and stared straight at Chu Yang."I've heard that so far, you've relied purely on close-quarters combat when exorcising curses. Is that true?"
Chu Yang smiled. "Can't be helped. I'm new to the field and not very good with jujutsu yet, so I can only scrape by with my body."
Scrape by with his body…
Quite a few people twitched at the corner of their mouths.
In just a few months, he'd already "scraped by" all the way to becoming a Grade 1 sorcerer. Was this line of work really that easy?If so, why couldn't anyone else do it?
Maki lowered her voice. "Could we spar later?"
Chu Yang scratched his head. "Let's forget it. I need to save my strength for missions. This one looks pretty troublesome."
Maki grew a little anxious.
She was born without an innate technique. Her cursed energy level was about the same as an ordinary person's—she couldn't even see curses without relying on cursed tools. Observing and fighting curses required equipment.
Compared to Toji Fushiguro's completely zero cursed energy Heavenly Restriction, Maki's was imperfect. Although her physical abilities far surpassed ordinary people, they were nowhere near Toji's absurd level.
She also didn't possess Toji's extreme resistance to curses.
For her, the only ways to improve were either collecting powerful cursed tools or strengthening her physical combat skills.
Very few sorcerers were qualified to guide her in that regard—she herself was already a master of close-quarters combat.
Gojo Satoru's strength belonged to an entirely different realm and had nothing to do with physical technique, so he couldn't help her.
But Chu Yang's combat style, as he had shown so far, walked the exact same path as hers.
Even a simple sparring match would be immensely enlightening to her.
"It won't take much of your time!"Maki said eagerly.
"Please help Maki-san," Okkotsu Yuta said earnestly beside her.
Inumaki Toge followed up with a deep bow.
Panda hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly added, "If you agree, I'll let you touch my fur. It's really comfortable!"
Chu Yang immediately refused. "Absolutely not. I have zero interest in your fur."
Maki shot Panda a vicious glare. Panda laughed awkwardly and shut up obediently.
"Just have one match, Yang~~~"Gojo suddenly popped up behind Chu Yang and whispered in his ear, "I also want to know how strong you are now. If you think Maki isn't enough, I don't mind sparring with you myself…"
Everyone present was instantly stunned!
Gojo had his arm slung over Chu Yang's shoulder, casually saying something utterly outrageous.
Chu Yang knocked his hand away and said calmly, "If I fight you, I'll need months to recover. Do you know how much money I can earn in those months?"
Gojo covered his forehead helplessly. "You've been completely corrupted by Nanami. All you think about is money."
Chu Yang snorted. "You're from a big clan. You have no idea how hard it is for a corporate slave to make money. Standing there preaching without back pain—if I weren't doing this for money, do you think I'd be doing charity work?"
Forced back again and again by Chu Yang's words, Gojo raised both hands in surrender.
Yet in his heart, he recalled something his best friend once said:
Jujutsu sorcerers exist to protect non-sorcerers.
Looking at the young man before him, Gojo suddenly burst out laughing.
"I'm really glad you're a half-way-in, corporate-slave-turned sorcerer. You've seen the dark side of society, so you won't cling to naive ideals."
"And you definitely won't go extreme because your faith collapses. You don't even have faith—there's only money in your eyes…"
"Hahahaha!"
Chu Yang honestly couldn't tell whether Gojo was praising him or mocking him.
"Gojo-sensei, that might be a bit much," Okkotsu Yuta said cautiously.
"It's fine. This guy's mental resilience is strong. Don't underestimate corporate slaves!" Gojo declared righteously.
Chu Yang suddenly felt an itch in his hands, but until he mastered the active use of Black Flash, he decided to endure it.
Gojo's laughter soon attracted a tall, stern-looking middle-aged man.
"Gojo Satoru, quiet down! The meeting is about to start!""Students, don't gather here. This meeting has nothing to do with you!"
The man's presence was imposing. Judging from his attitude toward Gojo alone, his identity was obvious.
Principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High—Yaga Masamichi.
As a rare master of cursed corpse creation, Yaga Masamichi was officially a Grade 1 sorcerer, yet his standing in the jujutsu world was no less than that of a special-grade sorcerer.
After all, he had created Panda, a fully autonomous cursed corpse.
If Yaga hadn't publicly claimed Panda's birth was an accident, he would have long been designated a special-grade sorcerer.
Yaga's appearance signaled the official start of the meeting.
Before leaving, Maki still looked at Chu Yang with sincere eyes. Left with no choice, he reluctantly agreed to her request.
Gojo clapped enthusiastically on the side—then immediately got glared at fiercely by Yaga.
The invited sorcerers filed into the conference room one after another. As Chu Yang stepped through the door, Yaga suddenly glanced at him.
There was a hint of emotion in his gaze.
The last time Chu Yang had met Yaga was the day Gojo brought him to register as a sorcerer.
Back then, Yaga hadn't been optimistic about Chu Yang at all.
Only because of Gojo's strong recommendation did Yaga allow Chu Yang to become a sorcerer.
That was the jujutsu world's standard attitude toward sorcerers not trained at Jujutsu High.
Thinking about it carefully, it was only natural.
How could a top-tier elite academy look favorably upon a vocational school graduate?
Not long after, however, Chu Yang used his actions to slap the faces of certain higher-ups—especially those arrogant sorcerers from self-proclaimed noble families.
Everyone took their seats.
Chu Yang sat beside Nanami Kento. Gojo stood off in a corner, still looking carefree.
The assistant supervisor in charge of logistics, Ijichi Kiyotaka, began presiding over the meeting.
Behind him, the board was covered with资料.
The subject of all those files was the mastermind behind the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons—Geto Suguru.
Geto Suguru had once been a student at Jujutsu High, a classmate of Gojo's. The two were best friends and jointly known as the strongest of their generation.
Geto had once been an exemplary youth, firmly believing that sorcerers existed to protect the weak—until he realized that the dark ugliness of humanity was sometimes even more repulsive than curses themselves.
From that point on, Geto's ideals began to shift, and his sense of justice gradually collapsed.
By chance, he learned the origin of curses from the special-grade sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo.
Ordinary people were unable to control the faint cursed energy produced by their negative emotions.
When that cursed energy leaked into the environment and accumulated over time, it eventually formed curses.
Cursed spirits were merely one manifestation.
Thus, Geto concluded that if a world existed with only sorcerers, curses would no longer be born.
In other words—kill all ordinary humans who could never become sorcerers.
After witnessing the depths of human ugliness again and again, Geto's malice toward ordinary people grew ever stronger, eventually pushing him down an extreme path.
During one mission, Geto personally witnessed ignorant villagers abusing two young girls who possessed cursed energy. His rage toward humanity finally reached its breaking point.
He slaughtered the villagers, took the two girls with him, and from that day on, crossed over from sorcerer to curse user. He began gathering others like himself, forming what became known as Geto's group.
Geto Suguru's technique was Cursed Spirit Manipulation, allowing him to absorb natural curses and command them.
In Chu Yang's view, Geto was basically the Pokémon Master of the jujutsu world—just with a disgustingly gross process.
To absorb a curse, Geto had to compress it into a black, spherical mass and swallow it.
The experience was described as eating a rag that had been used to wipe up vomit.
Just imagining it was nauseating.
And Geto Suguru had done it five thousand times!
Seeing it this way, his descent into extremism was only a matter of time. Anyone subjected to that kind of life would eventually go mad.
Strong though it was, Chu Yang wanted nothing to do with such a disgusting cursed technique.
When the gap in strength exceeded two full grades, Geto Suguru could forcibly claim a curse without going through the subjugation process.
That was why, after reaching special grade, Geto possessed over five thousand Grade 2 and lower curses.
The so-called Night Parade of a Hundred Demons was simply him unleashing those thousands of curses into Tokyo and Shinjuku to carry out indiscriminate slaughter of ordinary people.
After listening to Ijichi Kiyotaka's report, many of the sorcerers attending the meeting looked puzzled.
The enemy's momentum was fierce, but their strength didn't seem as terrifying as expected.
Yaga Masamichi voiced the same concern."No matter how many curses there are, they're still just Grade 2 trash. They don't pose a real threat. As for the curse users around Geto Suguru, their numbers aren't that large either…"
Gojo Satoru reminded him from the side,"That's exactly what's strange. Based on your understanding of Geto, would he really start a war he's destined to lose?"
Between the lines, he was clearly implying that Geto Suguru had another scheme.
What no one realized was that Geto's true target was the special-grade curse possessed by Okkotsu Yuta—
The Queen of Curses, Rika Orimoto.
Back when he was a student, Geto Suguru had once told a lie, claiming that he couldn't absorb curses that had formed a master–servant relationship.
That was wrong.
All he needed to do was kill the curse's owner.
The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons was nothing more than a diversion—to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Once the chaos began, no one would be left guarding Okkotsu Yuta. Yaga Masamichi would never allow Yuta to be dispatched to defend Tokyo or Shinjuku.
Rika Orimoto's power was simply too great, and Yuta still couldn't fully control it.
If something went wrong, the consequences would be even worse than the Night Parade itself.
Keeping Yuta stationed at Jujutsu High was the safest choice.
Geto Suguru had predicted this outcome long ago, which was why he planned the operation this way.
Unfortunately, Yaga Masamichi never guessed Geto's real objective. After hearing Gojo's warning, he could only hurriedly request reinforcements to deal with the impending Night Parade.
Just as Yaga Masamichi was running himself ragged, Chu Yang spoke up amid the noise.
"I'd like to know—where did all the current intelligence on Geto Suguru come from?"
The meeting room quieted slightly as many people turned to look at him.
Ijichi Kiyotaka adjusted his glasses and explained,"Most of it comes from Geto Suguru's archived personal records from his time at Jujutsu High."
Chu Yang asked,"Is there any chance those records are wrong?"
Yaga Masamichi shook his head."The probability is very low. At Jujutsu High, we regularly test students' abilities and continuously update their files. You joined halfway, so it's normal for you not to understand this."
A few mocking chuckles followed, clearly ridiculing Chu Yang as a half-baked outsider.
Chu Yang had originally intended to give them a warning, but seeing their attitude, a new thought surfaced instead.
He decided to keep his mouth shut.
Compared to Geto Suguru, Chu Yang found the self-righteous upper echelons of Jujutsu High even more repulsive.
Most of them came from jujutsu families.
When it came to evil, these people were no better than curse users like Geto.
After the meeting ended, Chu Yang was assigned to assist in defending Kyoto, cooperating with Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"You seem like you have something you want to say. If you don't mind, you can tell me."
Gojo Satoru silently appeared beside Chu Yang.
"No. I'm just curious about Geto Suguru."
Since he'd already decided not to help Jujutsu High, Chu Yang naturally wasn't about to expose Geto's lie.
Gojo didn't press further. For once, he walked in silence.
That was, until they stepped outside and found Zen'in Maki and the others still waiting for Chu Yang.
"How persistent. I thought they'd left already."
With no choice, Chu Yang walked over and said,"If we're going to fight, let's find a place."
Zen'in Maki enthusiastically led him to the training field at Jujutsu High.
Interestingly, Nanami Kento followed along as well, standing at the edge of the field with Gojo Satoru to observe the match.
Gojo chuckled and said to Nanami,"Maki might be a forever Grade 4 on paper, but if she really fights, she's got near Grade 1 strength. She might not lose."
Panda and the others cheered loudly for Maki.
Nanami watched for a moment before saying calmly,"She'll definitely lose."
Gojo grinned slyly."That's some deep trust."
Nanami replied slowly, meaningfully,"Since the time you helped him register as a sorcerer, you haven't really seen him fight up close, have you?"
"Your understanding of Yang's battles with curses comes entirely from Ijichi Kiyotaka's reports—you've never witnessed it yourself."
Gojo scratched his head, a little regretful."From the way you're talking, it sounds like I missed something really interesting."
Nanami rolled his neck once."Just watch. You'll understand soon enough."
Gojo turned back toward the training field, eyes fixed on the two figures.
"Mr. Chu Yang is already a professional sorcerer. Using cursed tools against you shouldn't be a problem, right?"
At Zen'in Maki's feet was a large bag filled with cursed tools.
Chu Yang nodded in agreement.
If she didn't use cursed tools, she probably wouldn't last even a second against him.
He offered a well-intentioned warning."You'd better put on protective gear."
Zen'in Maki took a deep breath. The remark irritated her—if the gap in strength weren't that large, why would he suggest armor?
Clang!
She pulled a naginata from the bag, thick cursed energy surging along its blade. Whether against curses or sorcerers, this weapon was formidable.
Among her collection, it was top-tier.
It was clear how seriously she was taking this fight.
Chu Yang slightly turned his body and gestured for her to attack.
Zen'in Maki's expression hardened as she stepped forward. In an instant, her figure moved like a specter.
The naginata traced a half-arc through the air, slashing diagonally toward Chu Yang's chest and abdomen.
Chu Yang leapt lightly, the blade passing beneath his feet.
The next moment—
Seizing the opening while Chu Yang was airborne, Zen'in Maki raised both hands and flicked the naginata upward.
The blade shot straight toward Chu Yang's lower body.
"That's crossing a line!"
Chu Yang shouted, twisting his waist midair, flipping upside down as he reached out and clamped the naginata between two fingers.
With a sharp twist—
The high-grade cursed tool shattered instantly, like a poorly made toy bought from a roadside stall.
Zen'in Maki's pupils shrank violently.
The cheers from the sidelines died out in an instant.
The two boys and Panda stared wide-eyed, completely stunned.
"Just now… he didn't reinforce his body with cursed energy."
Gojo Satoru pulled down the blindfold slightly, observing Chu Yang's movements through the gap.
"Pure physical strength," Nanami added calmly.
Gojo knew Chu Yang had extraordinary physical talent. He had even compared him to Toji Fushiguro before.
But he hadn't expected Chu Yang to realize that potential so quickly.
After losing her naginata, Zen'in Maki didn't immediately switch to another cursed tool.
Instead, she charged straight at Chu Yang, choosing to fight him bare-handed.
Freed from the weight of the weapon, her speed increased noticeably.
She feinted from the front, baiting Chu Yang, then instantly slipped to his blind side and threw a punch aimed at his waist—right at the liver.
The infamous "liver-buster."
Chu Yang was speechless.
First his lower body, now his liver and kidneys—every strike went straight for vital points. One mistake and he'd be singing soprano for the rest of his life.
Damn it.
Time for Armament Haki!
When Zen'in Maki's punch connected with Chu Yang's waist, a flash of delight crossed her face.
The next instant, her expression turned deathly pale, as if she'd just experienced unbearable pain.
At the same time, a crisp cracking sound rang out.
She let out a muffled groan and staggered back several steps, shouting angrily,"You're wearing armor under your clothes?!"
Chu Yang smiled, pulled off his upper garment, and revealed his muscular torso.
No armor.
Zen'in Maki couldn't believe it. How could a human body possibly be this hard?
"I told you to wear protective gear. You didn't listen. Now you're hurt—so are we continuing or not?"
Chu Yang yawned. That exchange hadn't even counted as a warm-up.
Zen'in Maki clenched her teeth and spat out a single word.
"Continue!"
(End of Chapter)