~ Don't Foget Powerstones.
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Crossing the central avenue paved with blue stone slabs, the two quickly arrived at the meeting place.
It was a classical, multi-story Japanese-style building at the very heart of Tokyo Jujutsu High, resembling the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple stage in Kyoto.
Towering over twenty meters high, its lower section was constructed of sturdy wooden beams arranged in an intricate framework similar to scaffolding used at construction sites. Each grid within this network formed the most stable triangular structure.
The base alone took up about three-quarters of the total height, while the actual inhabitable building only occupied the top quarter.
From windows opening to the south on the top floor, one could look down and clearly see the entirety of the main avenue stretching down to the entrance gates, continuing all the way down the mountainside, and even the distant mountains and rivers.
It was indeed picturesque, though such a construction method really did waste an extraordinary amount of wood.
Beneath the building, adding a touch of modernity amid its classic style, there stood a discreet elevator cleverly hidden within the southern side of the building's base. One might not notice it without a closer look.
After entering the elevator, the two slowly ascended. Roughly half a minute later, when the doors reopened, they had reached the building's top floor.
Outside was a corridor running east to west, with the elevator at its very end. To the right stood a traditional sliding-door room, half-open.
"We've arrived," Busujima Saeko softly announced.
As they reached their destination, the expression on the swordswoman's face inevitably became somewhat cautious.
This couldn't be helped.
Although she could speak on equal footing with Bokue—the acting head of Kyoto's Keikain family—this was only because they had met first as acquaintances, discovered each other's identities later, were close in age, and most importantly, Bokue himself disliked formalities.
It was like having a leader's friendly, humorous friend joking casually with you—just because he was casual didn't mean you could turn around and act the same way towards your own boss.
As a daughter of a martial family, Saeko deeply understood this point.
She no longer walked beside Bokue, instead moving forward to guide him, only stopping before the room's entrance.
And even though the sliding door was half open, she did not enter directly. Instead, she first politely announced herself: "Excuse me," before gently pulling the door fully open.
Inside, a blue-haired girl stood straight as a sentinel near the doorway.
Within the traditional room, an elderly man wearing a kimono sat on the left-side sofa. His hair and beard were snow-white, his eyes deep-set and severe.
"Greetings, Principal Gakuganji, and…" Saeko politely started her greeting. However, when her gaze shifted to the sofa on the right side, she was surprised by the sight of a familiar white-haired figure sitting there casually.
"Gojo-sensei? Why are you here? Where's Principal Yaga?"
"Ahahaha~ Afternoon, Busujima-san~!" Gojo Satoru, completely unabashed despite being caught, waved playfully at the astonished swordswoman at the doorway, giving an exaggerated, childish smile.
"Well, you see, I was just so curious I thought I'd personally check things out! I even bribed Ijichi-san a bit, giving Principal Yaga a fake timetable. So, hmm… he'll arrive here in about, let's see… another two hours?"
"…"
Principal Yaga was going to explode, wasn't he?
The swordswoman thought inwardly, speechless.
"Come on, come on, don't sweat these little details~" Gojo laughed merrily. "They say only idiots obsess over tiny things, right? By the way, where's our dear Keikain-kun? Weren't you in charge of bringing him here?"
"Ah, yes, Bokue-kun is right—" Saeko started to say, but suddenly a calm voice unexpectedly resonated clearly within the room:
"Aren't I already here?"
!!!
The tranquil statement exploded like thunder from a clear sky. At that moment, every movement within the room froze simultaneously.
The elderly Principal Gakuganji sitting on the sofa raised his head sharply, eyes widening in astonishment.
A pair of hands had gently settled on his shoulders from behind—
—and he hadn't sensed them approaching at all.
❁❁❁❁
When had Bokue entered the room?
Nobody knew.
Principal Gakuganji didn't see him.
The two girls by the door hadn't seen him.
Even Gojo Satoru, possessing the legendary Six Eyes—a trait that only emerged once every few centuries within the Gojo clan—hadn't detected a thing.
Logically speaking, such a scenario should've been impossible. The Six Eyes were the Gojo family's ancestral inheritance, required to use the Limitless technique. Its power granted its wielder an unparalleled, almost infinite perception, like having a high-powered telescope with a 360-degree view connected directly to the brain.
Not only could he see far, but he could also see clearly—able to instantly perceive fluctuations in cursed energy and predict their path and nature, even anticipating what type of technique was about to be unleashed.
Therefore, any form of illusion or stealth trick should've been completely ineffective.
Yet, Gojo hadn't reacted in the slightest.
What did this mean?
There were only two possibilities: either Gojo was intentionally playing along, pretending he hadn't seen Bokue, or—
—or Bokue Keikain had moved so rapidly that even the Six Eyes could not react in time.
Judging from Gojo's visibly startled expression, the answer was obviously the latter.
"Ahh, seriously…?" Gojo sighed, covering his face, displaying a somewhat helpless smile. But he quickly regained composure, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Alright, alright! No need to get all tense! It's rare we're all together, so why make things awkward right from the start~?"
"Really now?" Bokue's gaze passed far above Principal Gakuganji's already long-bald head without hesitation, directly meeting those pure blue eyes like a sky after rain.
From the room's entrance, Saeko—who had just stepped inside and slid the door shut behind her—gasped inwardly.
Gojo had removed his blindfold…
Though she'd never personally witnessed it before, she'd heard Gojo only removed his blindfold when preparing for a serious fight.
Yet he'd done so now, merely for a conversation… wasn't that a bit excessive?
"It seems my students received your enthusiastic greeting," Principal Gakuganji's deep voice spoke darkly.
"Save your breath," Bokue scoffed indifferently. "They started it."
With a dismissive shrug, he lifted his hands from the elderly man's shoulders, leisurely circling around and seating himself firmly in the main, central chair—the seat traditionally reserved for those presiding over a meeting.
There was no need for exaggerated posturing; his mere presence here already spoke volumes.
With a gentle snap of his fingers, the two solid black coffins standing motionlessly at the distant school gates abruptly crumbled into nothingness.
Two figures stumbled out.
Naturally, both were alive and unharmed, though visibly exhausted after struggling within the black coffins for quite some time—probably drained or even on the verge of fainting.
Being abruptly sealed in pitch darkness, completely blind and deaf, able only to stand helplessly, was undoubtedly psychologically torturous—almost qualifying as torture.
Bokue yawned, slightly bored.
"I know what your Jujutsu Association intended. You think that as the Keikain family's acting head, I'm still young and inexperienced. First, you sent Busujima-senpai to 'educate' me along the way, setting the stage to exert pressure. Then you had those two students waiting at the gates, ostensibly targeting her, but actually intending to test and intimidate me."
He paused briefly, letting the air grow heavier:
"But did you ever consider one tiny possibility—that maybe, just maybe, my power level is beyond your capability to test?"
"Playing these tricks in front of me—haven't you considered what I might do if I were irritated enough to slaughter all of you?"
"…"
"…"
He had barely sat down and already the air was thick with hostility.
Busujima Saeko subconsciously tightened her grip on her sword sheath.
The task of briefing Bokue on the school's history was indeed assigned by the Association; this had already been openly addressed between them, and thus wasn't grounds for outright hostility.
But even so, she wasn't sure she wouldn't be caught up if a fight truly broke out—if only in the incidental shockwaves of their unleashed powers.
Just as everyone was convinced a violent eruption of cursed and spiritual energy was imminent, a slender hand raised itself leisurely into the air.
It was Gojo Satoru.
He raised his hand like an Elementary Student waiting to answer a question, then turned casually towards Bokue, pointing dramatically at Gakuganji while adopting a Goofy nasal voice:
"Just to be clear, none of this has anything to do with me~! The Association didn't even officially send me—I just tagged along because I was curious! So, if we're fighting, just beat up that grumpy old man instead, okay?"
"GOJO SATORU!!" Principal Gakuganji thundered furiously, veins bulging, his eyes almost popping out. He looked like he was seconds away from exploding—barely restraining himself from shouting profanities.
"I'm just stating facts~" Gojo shrugged innocently, "The Association originally designated you and Principal Yaga. I'm just here as a casual observer."
"YOU BE QUIET!!" Gakuganji nearly roared.
Ignoring this amusing exchange, Bokue calmly spoke again:
"So, Gojo-san, you and Principal Yaga have a good relationship, right?"
"Hm?" Gojo paused in confusion, then coughed lightly. "Well… We get along pretty well, I suppose?"
Only "pretty well," huh?
Bokue inwardly shook his head, clearly unconvinced.
Straightening slightly in his seat, he placed both arms firmly on the armrests:
"I don't like complicating simple matters, so let's get straight to business."
The atmosphere tensed immediately.
Bokue leaned forward slightly, his voice clear and cold:
"About the Sukuna fingers… how much exactly is your Association willing to pay?"
"…"
"…"
Only silence answered him, broken faintly by distant sounds of hammering from the mountains outside.
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~ 18 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
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