"I have plenty to say—about you moving without consulting me, your homeroom teacher, or Kusakabe, the first-year teacher, and about leaving your Assistant Director behind at a rest area. But... for the rescue of Utahime and Mei Mei, good work."
These were the words Masamichi Yaga, the second-year homeroom teacher, used to open the meeting in the second-year classroom.
For some reason, the three first-years, their teacher Kusakabe, and even the sub-teacher Megumi Fushiguro had been called in. As they gathered, Yaga began to detail what was perhaps the most significant mission in recent years.
"By the designation of Master Tengen, I hereby assign a special mission to the following seven individuals: Special Grade Sorcerers Satoru Gojo and Naoya Zen'in; Grade 1 Sorcerer Suguru Geto; Special First Grade Sorcerer Toji Fushiguro, acting as the representative for Special Grade Yuki Tsukumo; and as additional personnel from the college, Grade 2 Sorcerer Kento Nanami, Grade 3 Sorcerer Yu Haibara, and Grade 4 Sorcerer Shoko Ieiri. To be perfectly honest, even with this lineup, I do not feel entirely at ease."
"Huh? Just me, Suguru, and Naoya could probably burn the world to a crisp in seven days," Satoru said.
"We might be a bit short for Giant God Warriors, but if we set our minds to it, we could probably manage, right?" Naoya added.
"You're drifting off-topic, Naoya. Anyway, Sensei, what is this designated mission from Master Tengen all about?" Suguru asked.
"The 'Star Plasma Vessel.' You are to guard, and then erase, the girl who is the compatible match for Master Tengen."
"Guard and erase? Shoko, has he finally lost it this time? Can you fix his brain with Reverse Cursed Technique???" Satoru asked.
"Don't look at me, idiot. He's just lashing out at whoever's nearby," Shoko replied.
"He's probably just let the talk about him being the next Principal go to his head," Satoru joked.
"Satoru-kun, Suguru-kun, look at the teacher's temple. It's practically throbbing," Naoya pointed out.
"But it really is strange to guard someone only to erase them, isn't it?" Haibara mused.
"Haibara, we literally covered this in the classroom lectures the day before yesterday," Nanami noted.
"We did!?"
"Haibara, you... you're getting remedial lessons. I went through all that trouble to set up the context..." Kusakabe sighed.
"Kusakabe-sensei!? Are you serious!?"
"Dead serious. Seriously, second-years, quit messing around and listen. This one is going to be a real pain."
At Kusakabe's urging, everyone finally turned toward Yaga with at least a semblance of seriousness. Rubbing his temples and letting out a heavy sigh, Yaga began to explain the details of the mission.
"Master Tengen possesses an 'Immortality' cursed technique, but they are not 'Ageless.' Aging within the normal human range is not an issue, but... once aging progresses beyond a certain limit, the technique will forcibly reconstruct Master Tengen's body. They will cease to be human and evolve into a higher state of existence."
"Isn't evolution a good thing? Muk is way stronger than Grimer," Satoru commented.
"Satoru, could you not have picked a better Pokémon for your comparison? According to Master Tengen, a being at that stage possesses no 'will.' It means Master Tengen would cease to be Master Tengen," Suguru explained.
"Correct. As you know, the barriers protecting the various Jujutsu High locations and the barrier techniques used by many Assistant Directors are all reinforced by Master Tengen's power. Without that support, we couldn't even manage basic security, let alone our missions," Yaga added.
"Hmph. Must be tough for Master Tengen, having to look out for all those weaklings. So, what's the connection between this evolution and the Star Plasma Vessel kid?" Naoya asked.
"Depending on the direction of Master Tengen's evolution, there is a possibility that they could become an enemy to humanity in the worst-case scenario. Therefore, roughly once every five hundred years on the night of a full moon, Master Tengen must merge with a human compatible with them—the 'Star Plasma Vessel'—to rewrite their physical information. By refreshing the body, the effects of the cursed technique are reset. This prevents the 'evolution' from occurring."
"I see. So, because we'd be in trouble if a Raiju and a Shikigami did a Demon Fusion to become a Hell's Angel, we're going to perform a Fusion with a Kodama to turn it back into a Raiju," Satoru said.
"Was there really any point in using MegaTen for that analogy? Whatever. We know about the mission now, but why are you still worried even with this group?" Naoya asked.
"The location of the Star Plasma Vessel girl has been leaked. Currently, there are two major factions targeting her! First is 'Q,' a group of curse users plotting to overthrow the current jujutsu world by causing Master Tengen to go berserk! Second is the 'Time Vessel Association,' a religious group that worships Master Tengen as their absolute, sole deity! The merger between Master Tengen and the Star Plasma Vessel will take place two days from now, on the night of the full moon on August 9th! Until then, you must protect the girl and deliver her to Master Tengen! If you fail, the consequences will impact society at large! Do not take this lightly!"
Stirred by the intensity of Yaga's declaration, the sorcerers nodded silently.
In the midst of that silence, one man who had been sitting with his eyes closed finally spoke.
"Remedial lessons, huh..."
"No, Haibara, seriously... did you even hear a word of what was just said???" Kusakabe groaned.
"I heard it, Kusakabe-sensei! We just have to protect the girl, right!"
"You're right, but I'm still so worried! Nanami, Zen'in, I'm counting on you, okay!?"
As Kusakabe and Yaga held their heads in their hands at the lack of gravity in the room, Toji snorted derisively. The second-year trio—Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko—slapped Haibara on the back, laughing and calling him the best, while Nanami and Naoya could only offer wry smiles at Kusakabe's plea.
The mission began with an air that felt entirely detached from tension, yet it was destined to become an unforgettable two days of their youth.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]