Minutes before the match.
Kyoto School and Tokyo School players were in position.
Both sides entered the field from different spots to avoid an instant clash.
The area was vast, but with jujutsu sorcerers' speed and stamina, they'd cross paths soon—only a matter of time.
Hayashi stood with his classmates in the forest, unleashing his cursed energy. It spread out, covering a wider range than before—400 meters in all directions.
Everything seemed normal. Aside from some low-grade cursed spirits, nothing suspicious popped up.
He'd waited ages for this day. His grasp of this world's plot was patchy, but he had scraps.
The exchange event was a key turning point. Nailing down some of the enemy's strength here would be ideal.
Mahito's crew was growing fast—how far, he couldn't say.
"One minute to go. Let's have Iori Utahime-sensei give us a heartfelt pep talk," Gojo Satoru announced from the control room, mic in hand, voice piping into the field.
Iori Utahime, sitting comfortably, froze. No one had mentioned a speech—Gojo pulling stunts again!
But with no choice, she spoke up. "Uh, well, injuries are unavoidable, but, y'know, help each other out sometimes…"
Gojo cut in: "Time's up."
Iori Utahime fumed: "Gojo, you jerk!!"
Gojo: "And with that—the Sister School Exchange begins!!!"
Iori Utahime: "Show some respect to your senior!"
Match on!
Kyoto School's crew bolted forward. Everyone but Todo Aoi shared one goal: take out Yuji Itadori first.
Miwa and Mai were reluctant as hell, but they had no choice—might as well try.
Tokyo School, though? No rush. They huddled in place, hashing something out.
The teachers in the observation room caught this—odd. The match had started; dawdling meant losing if they didn't nab the boss cursed spirit fast.
Gojo sat quiet. He'd guessed something was up—within his expectations, unless a wild card flipped it.
But so what?
As the match kicked off, tension spiked. Kyoto's priority was hunting Yuji; exorcising spirits was just a bonus.
They'd clear any cursed spirits they stumbled on, but that wasn't the focus.
"Where's Todo?" Noritoshi Kamo asked, sprinting ahead.
"Why would I know?" Mai replied flatly. Honestly, this match sucked.
Hayashi had wrecked the balance. They wouldn't have fun—probably just boredom.
Without him, it'd be a blast—fair fights, no tipped scales.
"Let's keep it chill, guys," Miwa said softly, her long blue hair whipping back in the wind. Her crisp black suit lent a mature, sharp edge, but her cuteness shone through.
Tokyo School side.
The group moseyed forward, sticking to Hayashi's plan—waiting for Kyoto's full squad.
Their aim was obvious: target Yuji. Everyone knew it, so they'd hold here.
"What's with them? Totally not their style," Iori Utahime mused, eyeing the live feed. Maki's crew looked like tourists on a stroll—no urgency, no edge.
The other screen showed Kyoto School—proper match vibes, tearing toward Tokyo's position.
"Strategizing?" Yaga Masamichi leaned back, eyes clear on the screens. Gakuganji Yoshinobu sat beside him.
Up front, a gray-haired beauty lounged—thirty-something, dripping with allure. Her sexy lips twitched unconsciously, gaze drifting lazily over the students.
"This route should lead to them fast, right?" Yuji shaded his brow, peering into the distance.
"Is this really okay?" Panda asked.
"We agreed to it—no second-guessing now. Quiet down, and don't mention 'those' things," Maki said, a pole naginata slung over her shoulder, strides firm and steady.
She'd wanted to shine in this exchange, prove her years of grind. But for the bigger picture, she'd yield.
Some things trumped proving herself. Opportunities would come—life wouldn't.
Death didn't scare her. Failing to prove herself before it did? That did. But even that paled next to what mattered more.
"Movement," Nobara Kugisaki sensed something.
The instant she did, the others clocked it too.
A small cursed spirit lunged from the side—brown, insect-like, but unplaceable. Sharp claws slashed at the nearest target: Fushiguro.
"Jade Hound!"
Whoosh~
A black shikigami dog surged, chomping the spirit's gut, pinning it down.
Maki spun her naginata off her shoulder, sweeping it down single-handed.
Splatter.
The trash-tier spirit split in two, dissolving into a puddle and fading away.
"Maki-nee's badass!" Nobara gushed, starry-eyed.
She'd bonded with the crew lately—especially Maki. Daily training, meals, chats—their tie had tightened.
Maki's vibe clicked with Nobara. Shadows of others, plus Maki's own flavor.
"Keep moving," Maki quirked a brow at Nobara, hoisting the naginata back up.
Nobara jogged to match her pace.
Hayashi, lagging behind, had meant to jump in. But Fushiguro and Maki were too quick—didn't even leave him scraps.
In the real world, even a fourth-grade cursed spirit rivaled plenty from the mirror world. This exchange was prime point-farming turf.
The school had said it—tons of low-grades in the field. Perfect for Hayashi.
"Keep going, guys. I'm off to smack some trash spirits for fun—I'll catch up," he said, flashing off with a time blink before anyone could agree.
"What is that technique? Poof, and he's gone," Panda scratched his head, baffled.
"Maybe teleportation—like in some anime, zipping around," Yuji said, jealous. Shadowless, traceless—pure assassin training gold.
Every guy's got a ninja dream, right? Yuji did. He wanted to be that unseen ninja too!