Utahime Iori had glared at Satoru Gojo more than once, and Mai Zenin and Megumi Fushiguro also showed open irritation. Only Kasumi Miwa still looked at him with the devotion of a loyal fan.
However, since the two school principals said nothing, and the Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer Mei Mei also stayed silent, the rest did not dare to complain. Just as the atmosphere grew unbearable, a video request arrived and saved them from their misery.
"It is actually Akira? Is he really that bored?" Satoru Gojo muttered.
Satoru Gojo glanced at the center monitor and saw a black-haired Boy who looked like he was on a casual outing, yet his hands were clearly empty, with no phone in sight. Curious, Satoru Gojo accepted the video request.
In the next second, a sharp glint flashed beneath the blindfold, and his voice turned low. "Miss Mei, the surveillance has not shown any footage from Yuta's side for quite a while now."
"Animals are very willful," Mei Mei replied calmly. "Even I cannot precisely control the crows from such a distance."
"I see. Then I will have to watch the phone feed. It is a bit blurry, but clear enough." With a casual hand sign, Satoru Gojo made his phone float upward until everyone could see it.
Then everyone saw it clearly. Yuta Okkotsu stood there in a white jacket, holding a tachi, back to back with a white cursed spirit.
They also saw four members of Kyoto Jujutsu High closing in from all directions. Standing directly in front of Yuta Okkotsu was the young heir of the Kamo Clan, Noritoshi Kamo.
"One against four, is that not a bit much?" Satoru Gojo asked quietly.
"That is how team battles work," Yoshinobu Gakuganji said without changing his expression. "You can force our students to withdraw, and we can do the same."
"That makes sense. As expected of the tactical master, Principal Yoshinobu Gakuganji." Satoru Gojo clapped exaggeratedly, producing an irritating sound. "But there is one thing I cannot figure out. If all your people are confronting Yuta, who is filming this video?"
Yoshinobu Gakuganji shifted uneasily, the sofa beneath him suddenly feeling like a bed of needles. Satoru Gojo smiled. "Old man, do not think I do not know what you are planning. No matter what scheme you have, it will not succeed. It will only make Yuta's stage even more dazzling."
Everyone else was focused on the video, but Satoru Gojo was watching Akira on the surveillance screen. As if sensing his gaze, Akira deliberately stopped, turned around, and flashed an OK sign.
Only then did Satoru Gojo fully relax. Before the battle, he had discussed with Akira the idea of having Yuta Okkotsu beat down Kyoto Jujutsu High directly.
That plan had been rejected as too crude, with Akira asking for time to make something better. A plan that would let Yuta Okkotsu shine, while also giving others a chance to stand out.
Satoru Gojo never doubted Akira's ability, but when Yoshinobu Gakuganji tried to make trouble and restrain Yuta, he still felt uneasy. After all, Kyoto Jujutsu High had many strong fighters, including Aoi Todo, whom even he held in high regard.
He had not expected Akira to calculate Kyoto Jujutsu High's movements so precisely. Toge Inumaki and Panda had shown themselves, Hakari had appeared as well, and Yuta had been given the perfect stage.
Thinking it over, Akira himself and Maki Zenin must also have been placed exactly where they belonged. Satoru Gojo felt a surge of satisfaction that he had moved quickly to bring this treasure into Tokyo Jujutsu High. If those old men from Kyoto had picked him up instead, his thick white hair would not have survived the stress.
"At this point, I will say it plainly," Satoru Gojo said. "Even without relying on Rika Orimoto's power, Yuta fully deserves the title of Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer."
As soon as the words fell, Noritoshi Kamo launched the first attack. His weapon was a bow, and the arrow flew straight toward Yuta's face.
Yuta calmly swung his blade, knocking the arrow aside and splitting the shaft in half at the same time. Unexpectedly, the front half of the arrow did not fall, but twisted in midair and shot toward the back of Yuta's neck.
Fortunately, Rika Orimoto reacted in time, crushing the arrow into fragments and neutralizing the attack. Surrounded, Yuta glanced at the red mixed among the fragments and recalled what Akira had told him about the signature Cursed Technique of the Kamo Clan, known as Blood Manipulation.
Blood Manipulation allowed control over blood, attaching it to objects and bending physical rules within limits. It could also regulate blood within the body to enhance functions or directly injure enemies. It was a dangerous ability at both close and long range.
"Rika Orimoto, destroy everything that person fires!" Yuta ordered.
"A wise decision," came the reply.
Noritoshi Kamo smiled slightly, not surprised at all. The advantage of an inherited Cursed Technique was the accumulated experience of past generations, saving many detours.
The drawback was that its information inevitably leaked, giving enemies a chance to prepare. "But your enemies are not just me," Noritoshi Kamo continued. "Seniors, please!"
From the left, right, and rear, three people attacked at the same time. They were third-year students of Kyoto Jujutsu High, with richer experience and seniority, and by rights the Goodwill Event should have revolved around them.
Unfortunately, the second years included two monsters, one overwhelmingly strong and one slightly weaker but with a prestigious background, while the last was a legally petite girl barely taller than Panda, reduced to the background. That did not mean the third years were weak. It was precisely their strong performance that had allowed them to overpower Tokyo Jujutsu High in last year's Goodwill Event.
Sadly for them, they had met an opponent who defied common sense. He looked young, his movements were unrefined, and even a veteran could read his actions at a glance. His stance was not even particularly stable.
Yet this novice-looking Boy casually swung his blade and forced them back with ease. One slash sent a self-proclaimed close-combat expert flying, crashing through two trees before stopping.
Another slash deflected every ranged attack. A third slash saw Yuta Okkotsu turn defense into offense, smashing another senior into the ground as if he had been run over by a Road Roller.
The reason for such exaggerated performance could be summed up in two words: Cursed Energy. It was the foundation upon which all Jujutsu Sorcerer relied.
It could be used to release Jujutsu or simply to strengthen the body, increasing speed, power, and defense. Skilled Jujutsu Sorcerer could shift its application based on the battle, optimize its use, or read an opponent's actions through its flow. Aoi Todo and Akira were masters of this.
Yuta Okkotsu needed none of that, because he simply had too much Cursed Energy. So much that he could reinforce his entire body at once and still have excess, even lifting his hair upward under its influence.
Normally he seemed mediocre because he did not use Cursed Energy during basic training. In this state, Yuta Okkotsu was like a weakened version of a Super Saiyan.
Led by Noritoshi Kamo, the representatives from Kyoto thought Yuta Okkotsu was forcing an explosive burst that would not last long. They never expected that his reckless spending of Cursed Energy would outlast them instead.
"Do you know?" In the forest, Akira laughed, and outside, Satoru Gojo laughed as well, once again in perfect sync. "Just in terms of Cursed Energy reserves, Yuta has more than Satoru Gojo and even more than me."