Junpei Yoshino was one of the victims in this cursed spirit incident. Though he hadn't known Yuji Itadori for long, the two had bonded quickly, like old friends. Yuji had even planned to introduce Junpei to Jujutsu High so he could become a sorcerer. Tragically, this plan never came to fruition, as Junpei fell victim to Mahito's Idle Transfiguration.
Junpei's mother, Yoshino Nagi, a kind-hearted woman, also became collateral damage, a sacrifice to the curses. These events left a significant mark on Yuji, shaking him to his core.
Junpei's life was a tragic tale. He endured constant bullying at school, which ultimately led him to follow Mahito out of curiosity—setting the stage for his demise.
Bullying in schools is a serious issue that often goes unaddressed, particularly in places like Japan, where perpetrators are frequently shielded by their status as minors. This lack of accountability has contributed to a growing epidemic of school bullying.
Junpei was a typical teenager with no outstanding talents and a modest family background, which stood in stark contrast to Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara.
Yuji's extraordinary physical prowess ensured that bullying him was out of the question—in fact, anyone attempting it would likely regret it.
Megumi, on the other hand, had beaten up an entire gang of delinquents in middle school. As a Jujutsu sorcerer, dealing with ordinary humans was a trivial matter for him. In a way, he could have been labeled a delinquent himself.
As for Nobara, while she was a girl, her fiery personality left no room for doubt about her school life. Her words during an investigation—"There are some delinquents here. Let's beat them up so they'll repent and become decent people"—said it all. Like Megumi, she wasn't one to tolerate bullying and would often step in to deliver justice.
---
"Mahito's target is most likely Sukuna," Gojo explained.
As Yuji stared at Junpei's altered corpse, Seven-to-Three Sorcerer Nanami Kento and Gojo discussed the circumstances of Junpei's death with Daniel, producing a Sukuna Finger as evidence.
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Gojo asked softly as he took the Sukuna Finger.
"No. The official report frames it as a standard curse attack. Yuji can't handle this burden right now," Nanami replied with a sigh.
Yuji was already deeply shaken by the deaths of Junpei and his mother, Nagi. To reveal that their deaths were linked to him being Sukuna's vessel would be too much.
This was Mahito's original plan, but Nanami had quickly hidden the truth after discovering it.
---
Nanami shared a certain similarity with Borsalino (Kizaru) in his dislike of working overtime. His strict adherence to work hours was part of why he'd returned to sorcery from being a salaryman, even if it meant facing life-threatening dangers.
"If you can, never let him find out," Gojo advised before tossing the Sukuna Finger to Daniel. "We can't risk Yuji connecting the dots."
Yuji, while often perceived as naïve, wasn't stupid. He would have figured things out if given enough clues.
"I didn't need you to say that," Nanami replied as he prepared to leave. "Damn it, I actually worked overtime today."
Though Nanami despised overtime, reality often had other plans. His battle with Mahito had not only left him seriously injured but also extended well beyond his usual hours.
"Shoko's waiting for you. And remember—next time you encounter a cursed spirit like that, retreat if you can't win. I don't want to deal with the mess if you die."
"Don't worry, I don't plan on dying. I'm still waiting for retirement," Nanami said with a wave before heading off to Shoko Ieri for treatment.
Unlike Nanami, Gojo's Reverse Cursed Technique could only heal himself, not others.
---
"I'll go examine those bodies," Daniel said after Nanami left. The modified human bodies left behind by Mahito offered an opportunity to study his Idle Transfiguration.
Mahito's ability fascinated Daniel. Despite his own deep expertise in matters of the soul, he could not replicate Mahito's feat of reshaping souls at will. Techniques like the **Complete Hands** could access and alter memories but didn't allow for the wholesale transformation of a soul.
Mahito's Idle Transfiguration allowed him to manipulate the soul's shape, enabling him to repair his body no matter the damage, as long as his soul's form remained intact. The only way to defeat him was through attacks that targeted the soul directly.
Nanami's injuries were largely due to his attacks being ineffective against Mahito. It was only thanks to Yuji's unique ability to harm Mahito using Sukuna's power that the sorcerer survived, forcing Mahito to flee.
However, this battle significantly bolstered Mahito's strength, pushing him to awaken his Domain Expansion. With it, Mahito could directly apply Idle Transfiguration to anyone within his domain, a chilling prospect. Fighting him would require either a Domain Expansion of equal strength or a Simple Domain to nullify his ability.
---
After the Junpei incident, Yuji stopped working with Nanami and returned to Jujutsu High. There, he began practicing the breathing technique Daniel had taught and received comfort from Megumi and Nobara. The timing also aligned with the start of the exchange event between the two Jujutsu schools.
---
"What kind of woman do you like?"
This was the first thing that Aoi Todo said upon meeting the group from Tokyo Jujutsu High. His blunt question left everyone, including Daniel, stunned.
Todo, a burly and charismatic sorcerer, had arrived a day early with the rest of the Kyoto school team. The exchange event would last two days, hosted this year at Tokyo Jujutsu High as the previous victors.
If Yuta Okkotsu were still in Japan, Tokyo would have been heavily favored to win again. As one of the three special-grade sorcerers, Okkotsu could probably defeat the Kyoto team single-handedly.
In response to Todo's question, Megumi hesitated before reluctantly answering, prompting Todo to immediately declare, "You're not good enough!" His disappointment quickly turned to excitement as he shifted his attention to Yuji.
Yuji, surprisingly undeterred, declared, "I like tall women with big butts!"
Todo's eyes lit up as if he'd found a kindred spirit, leaving everyone else speechless. This was the first time anyone had seen someone share Todo's bizarre priorities.
---
Elsewhere, Maki Zen'in and her sister Mai were locked in a tense standoff. The relationship between the two sisters was notoriously complicated. Maki, with her limited cursed energy, relied on cursed tools to see spirits, while Mai possessed a more conventional but powerful technique.
Their contrasting abilities made Mai the obvious choice for family investment, highlighting the harsh realities of the Zen'in clan's values.
In comparison, Toji Fushiguro (formerly Toji Zen'in) was a complete anomaly. Despite having zero cursed energy, he could see and manipulate curses. Toji even possessed a cursed spirit that acted as a storage space, holding tools capable of nullifying techniques like Gojo's Limitless.
The special-grade tool **Inverted Spear of Heaven** was a weapon that could nullify any cursed technique, including Gojo's seemingly invincible abilities.
Through his time in the Jujutsu world, Daniel had come to understand why clans like the Zen'ins were so prejudiced against those with low or no cursed energy. While raw strength was valued, lineage and the ability to pass on techniques were paramount to these families.
---
The exchange event began with a large-scale team battle in a dense forest. Despite the rules, Kyoto's team—excluding Todo—focused entirely on targeting Yuji. As the confrontation escalated into personal battles, Daniel, uninterested in the chaos, turned his attention elsewhere.
---
"So, this is Tengen," Daniel mused, gazing toward the school's sacred barrier. The enigmatic figure had existed for over a thousand years, sustained by an immortality technique, though not without drawbacks.
Tengen was no longer a person but a pure consciousness, tasked with maintaining the barriers that protected Jujutsu High. Periodically, they needed to merge with a new vessel to prevent their transformation into a curse.
---
Just then, a barrier materialized around the forest where the exchange event was taking place.
"A Domain Barrier," Daniel muttered.
True to Gojo's earlier suspicions, the barrier had been designed to exclude him, a special barrier utilizing binding vows to limit Gojo's movements. The battle within had now become more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.
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