The enemy had learned to be smarter and simply refused to confront him head-on. Akira said, “It seems that Q Curse User Organization wants to fully commit to the tactic of picking on the weak. In that case, we might as well send them a soft target to squeeze. From a normal analysis, first-year freshmen should be much easier to deal with than seasoned third-years.”

  “You mean…” Kiyotaka Ijichi’s eyelid twitched.

  “I will be the bait,” Akira said plainly. “If the enemy is really that eager to take revenge on Teacher Gojo, they will not ignore our movements. If Q’s revival is as I suspect, then my information and Nanami-san’s should already be in the hands of Kron and Bale. Kiyotaka Ijichi-san, let me confirm something. My achievements have never been reported to the higher-ups, right?”

  “Yes,” Kiyotaka Ijichi said. “Teacher Gojo said that producing so many achievements right after enrollment would scare those elderly gentlemen with weak hearts.”

  He admitted it openly. With the number of Cursed Spirit that Akira had defeated, he should have been promoted long ago if no one had held it back. Akira had no objection to this arrangement, since his strength did not change with rank, and he did not care about fame or status.

  In fact, it created more room to act. “A fourth-grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, even if favored by Satoru Gojo, how strong could he be?” Akira continued. “A minor with no prestigious background, personally selected by the strongest head of the Three Great Clans, would he grow arrogant and think he could solve everything, that he was the future of the Jujutsu World?”

  “Would someone like that get along with the steady Nanami-san?” Akira went on. “Would he think adults are all useless?”

  A cold light flashed in Akira’s eyes, filling the room with a heavy atmosphere. Kiyotaka Ijichi swallowed unconsciously, feeling the pressure in the air.

  Inside a luxury apartment building in Minato Ward, Tokyo, a teenage boy stormed out and slammed the door behind him. His voice echoed down the corridor as he shouted without holding back.

  "Trash, cowards. People like you have no sense of duty, and you still dare to be Assistant Supervisor or call yourselves Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer?" "Do you think this is worthy of Teacher Gojo’s trust? The third-year seniors are still lying in hospital beds!" "How stupid was I to put any hope in people like you?" "Enough. Relying on you is worse than doing it myself. It is not like I have never exorcised a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit!" "I came to Tokyo to complete a mission and deal with Curse User, not to hide like a turtle!"

  He cursed as he walked away, ignoring Kiyotaka Ijichi calling after him. Even as he stepped into the elevator, he threw back a look of open contempt.

  "It is because Jujutsu World is full of people like you who refuse to improve that it has become so lifeless. This really pisses me off, you trash."

  Kiyotaka Ijichi stood in the hallway, having taken the full blast of the outburst. The spring evening wind was still a little cold, but it could not compare to the chill in the heart of a working man.

  His heart felt frozen.

  "I messed this up. How am I supposed to explain this to Gojo-san? I am definitely going to get yelled at."

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  Kento Nanami came out with a cold expression and spoke to Kiyotaka Ijichi.

  "This is not your fault. He acted on his own and refused to follow orders. I will explain it to Gojo-san myself and I will not let it fall on you." "B-but Akira rushing out like that, could something happen to him?" Kiyotaka Ijichi was still kind at heart.

  "Do not worry about him. A self-centered kid like that needs to suffer a bit to learn. You worked hard today. Come on, I will buy you a drink." "Is that really okay? Gojo-san is still waiting for me to report back." "It is after work hours. He does not control your time. You are an Assistant Supervisor, not Gojo-san’s personal secretary."

  As he spoke, Kento Nanami casually locked the door, and the two walked into the elevator side by side. The metal doors slowly closed, hiding Kento Nanami’s signature Sunglasses and the thoughtful look in his eyes.

  Less than five minutes after they left, a segment of surveillance footage was sent out. The long-haired man who received it showed a cold smile and passed the phone to the hooded man beside him.

  "Hmph. Satoru Gojo’s student, arrogant just like him." "That is normal for that age, but we should still be careful. It could be a trap meant to lure us out."

  "Relax. Suguru Geto has completely broken with Tokyo Jujutsu High, and Satoru Gojo, our so-called partner, is being watched all the time. As long as it is not a Special Grade, there is nothing to fear. There are far more ways to deal with a Jujutsu Sorcerer than with a Cursed Spirit."

  Behind the long-haired man was a dense array of rifles and heavy weapons. The firepower was enough to arm an entire platoon.

  "Exactly. Ten years ago, we were not prepared. If we had been, even a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer might not have gone from one to three." The hooded man waved his hand, and pairs of hollow eyes opened silently in the darkness, lifeless and still.

  "First, deal with that arrogant student. Then kill Kento Nanami." "Anyone who comes to help gets killed too. Should we blow them into pieces, or leave behind a strip of skin?" "No. I want to tie their corpses into strange shapes and dump them at the gates of Tokyo Jujutsu High. The look on Satoru Gojo’s face will be priceless."

  Hatred flickered deeply in both of their eyes.

  Ten years ago, they had not only failed their mission and tasted defeat, but their dignity had been utterly trampled. One of them had begged no matter what, only to be ignored, and then had a legendary kissing maniac Cursed Spirit unleashed on his face. Worse still, that thing was unbelievably ugly, and since then he had been scarred mentally, wearing a hood and wrapping himself even tighter than Satoru Gojo, never letting a bit of skin show.

  The other had been mocked by Satoru Gojo before the battle even started, and afterward had been posed into a shape too shameful to be seen, with photos taken for good measure. If such humiliation was not repaid, they would not deserve to be called human.

  Even knowing they were being used as expendable pawns did not matter. The higher-ups were using them, and they were using the higher-ups in return.

  Satoru Gojo was the common enemy of both Cursed Spirit and Curse User. Besides, as a Curse User, if one did not curse others, there was no meaning in existing at all.

  The night was dark and windy, perfect for curses and even more perfect for killing. Coincidentally, Akira was thinking the same thing.

  On the surface, this looked like revenge from enemies of ten years past, but the truth was far more complex. This was a warning and a weakening move from the conservative higher-ups who disliked Satoru Gojo.

  Satoru Gojo sought reform in Jujutsu World, and that was bound to shake the interests of those who already benefited from the system. If they could, the old powers would love to eliminate Satoru Gojo entirely, but unfortunately they could not. In fact, Satoru Gojo was the one with the ability to wipe them out instead.

  Doing so, however, would cause a total collapse of order. No matter how strong Satoru Gojo was, he was only one person and could not rebuild the order of Jujutsu World alone.

  So he chose to play along with the higher-ups, restraining and compromising with them while secretly cultivating his own people. The upper ranks of Jujutsu Society were not fools either, and they could see through Satoru Gojo’s intentions. If they could not win openly, they would play dirty. Being invincible yourself did not mean everyone under you was invincible.

  Without people, a lone commander could do little beyond destruction.