The opponent was clearly prepared. Momo Nishimiya reached that conclusion and wanted to pass the information to her teammates, but the second most reliable member of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Panda, gave her no chance. He spoke to a crow on a tree branch and said, “Nishimiya is out. Take her away.”

  In the observation room, Satoru Gojo slapped his thigh. “Nice work, Utahime, Mei Mei.” “I know,” Utahime Iori replied, her mood poor as her student was eliminated so quickly, but rules were rules.

  Mei Mei brushed back her bangs and issued an order to the crow through her Cursed Technique. With a sharp cry, the black bird landed on Momo Nishimiya’s shoulder, making her mood even worse. She felt like even a bird was calling her an idiot.

  In just those few seconds, the Panda group slipped back into the forest while moving and contacting Akira by radio. “Momo Nishimiya is out. One Grade Three Cursed Spirit eliminated, no Grade Two found. Everyone except Aoi Todo is heading toward the fall site. Toge and I are withdrawing at full speed.”

  Panda’s ears twitched slightly. He was not only tough, but also an excellent support with wide-area detection, and as a non-living being, he was especially sensitive to living targets. That was why Akira had sent him out with Toge Inumaki, since the pair was ideal for skirmishing and point gathering.

  “Plan complete,” Akira said with a crooked smile, his expression animated, though only Maki Zenin saw it. “Keep it up. Cursed Spirit first, support second. Do not engage head-on, it wastes resources. When the timing is right, we will regroup with Yuta.”

  In large team battles, target detection was critical. One of Akira’s tactical ideas was to suppress scouting, turning the enemy blind and deaf while his side kept eyes and ears everywhere. That was why Momo Nishimiya was the first to fall.

  Back when he watched the anime before coming here, he had wanted to complain about this. A support who could not fight yet flew so openly was an obvious target. Since she at least contributed some aerial scouting, letting her exit safely was his small kindness, as for the others.

  “They did not chase Panda and Toge,” someone noted. “Looks like their team has another scout besides Nishimiya.”

  “So their target really is Yuta,” Maki Zenin said with a short laugh. “Where is Todo?”

  “Still no sign. Wait, there is,” came the reply. “He is near Kinji Hakari. Hard to say if that is good luck or bad.”

  Akira himself lacked scouting ability, but his Pokémon did not. Gardevoir and Darkrai were both excellent at that role. “Who knows,” Maki Zenin shrugged. “But Todo and Hakari will both be happy. They get a proper fight, assuming Hakari’s luck does not turn bad.”

  “Even in the worst case, he can hold him off for a while. Todo used Jujutsu on you because he was hungry and wanted to make a statement. In a normal fight, he would not open with his trump card. Their raw strength should be about even.”

  As they spoke, Aoi Todo and Kinji Hakari had already met head-on. Both were holding back anger, so neither wasted words, trading punches right away. Todo hit Hakari’s shoulder, and Kinji Hakari struck Todo’s chest.

  Both stopped at the same time. Todo spat to the side and said, “Good power. Looks like besides Akira and Yuta Okkotsu, Tokyo Jujutsu High still has opponents worth facing.” Hakari rolled his shoulder, joints cracking. “I am a second-year, after all. I cannot let the first-years get too arrogant. Aoi Todo, your opponent is me, Kinji Hakari.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Then before we start, let me ask two questions,” Aoi Todo said. “First, did you bring a girlfriend to the event?”

  Kinji Hakari stiffened, taking Akira’s words as those of Makoto. The big guy looked fierce, but he was unexpectedly decent. “How could I? Who walks around with a woman all the time like they do?”

  “I envy that,” Todo said. “If I could bring Takada with me, I would.”

  Seeing how seriously Todo spoke, Kinji Hakari looked even more awkward. To avoid sinking further, he struck first. “If your second question is about what type of woman I like, do not ask yet. Beat me first, and I will tell you.”

  “Deal,” Aoi Todo said, clenching his fist.

  Kinji Hakari took his stance and shouted, his voice echoing through the sky and startling flocks of birds. The two roared at the same time as the fight began in earnest. The clash of two hot-blooded men had officially started.

  Aoi Todo and Kinji Hakari, two men built like tanks, were fighting with overflowing passion, and in the viewing room Satoru Gojo was even more fired up watching them. As he watched, he swung his arms left and right at the air, making sharp shouts, clearly the habits of a longtime Bruce Lee fan.

  Satoru Gojo was having a great time, but the others were not. Kyoto Jujutsu High in particular had already started at a disadvantage, and with Satoru Gojo stirring things up, their mood only worsened.

  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 Ari? 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 head 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.