"Looks like it was aimed at me after all. You go in and protect the students."
As Gojo Satoru noticed the barrier that excluded only him, a faint smirk appeared on his face. He instructed Gakuganji Yoshinobu, Utahime Iori, and others to head into the forest first. The students participating in the exchange were the future of the Jujutsu world, and an attack here would deal a significant blow to sorcerers.
Nodding in acknowledgment, the others entered the forest immediately. Only after they had gone did Daniel suddenly appear beside Gojo.
"It's your turn now," Gojo said.
"I know," Daniel replied, stepping into the barrier ahead. His role was straightforward: ensure the safety of the students. This was what he and Gojo had agreed upon beforehand. Unless the students faced a life-threatening situation, Daniel wouldn't intervene. In essence, he was their bodyguard.
The barrier designed to exclude Gojo was proof enough that someone had targeted the strongest sorcerer. Without Daniel, Gojo might already have contacted Yuta Okkotsu for backup, as he did in the original timeline. However, with Daniel present, Gojo didn't need to rely on anyone else.
---
"Where's Gojo? Get him out here so I can turn him into a coat rack!"
As Daniel stepped into the barrier, a boisterous voice echoed from a distance. The overconfidence of the speaker, talking big in Gojo's enforced absence, left Daniel shaking his head in bemusement.
"Unbelievable."
Soon, Daniel arrived at the scene and saw the one responsible for the boastful declaration. It was an unusual sight: a bald old man with white eyebrows wielding an electric guitar as his weapon.
The man was Gakuganji Yoshinobu, principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High and a staunch conservative in the Jujutsu world, often at odds with Gojo. While Daniel wasn't fond of the man, he had to admit the elder's unconventional fighting style was intriguing.
But a sudden surge of cursed energy and sounds of intense battle nearby pulled Daniel's focus.
---
"Poor Kyoto sorcerers."
As Daniel advanced, he saw the Kyoto students scattered and injured to varying degrees. He shook his head lightly.
The Tokyo students were clearly stronger, even with Yuta Okkotsu absent. Years of superior training under Principal Yaga Masamichi had resulted in a formidable group. Of the four special-grade sorcerers in the Jujutsu world, all but one had emerged from Tokyo Jujutsu High. Kyoto had produced none.
This disparity was evident during the exchange event. The Tokyo team's newfound strength, bolstered by Daniel's breathing techniques, made them almost unbeatable. Except for Aoi Todo, every Kyoto student had been defeated in one-on-one combat.
Zen'in Maki, in particular, shone brightly. With her mastery of the breathing technique, she took on three Kyoto students—Kamo Noritoshi, Miwa Kasumi, and her own sister, Mai—and emerged victorious.
Even Miwa Kasumi, who relied on her broom-riding technique to maintain an advantage against most opponents, found herself outmatched. Maki's newfound agility allowed her to exploit tree trunks to close the distance and drag Miwa off her broom midair, securing an easy victory.
---
The only even match was between Fushiguro Megumi and Kamo Noritoshi. Normally, Kamo held the upper hand, but Megumi's breathing training had closed the gap. Their duel was interrupted when the sudden appearance of the barrier forced both to head toward the source of the disturbance.
---
"Gojo's fangirl, huh?"
On the way, Daniel found Miwa Kasumi unconscious in the forest, with a curse approaching her prone form. Daniel recognized her instantly. Though typically serious and reserved, she transformed into a giddy fangirl in Gojo's presence, once even begging him for an autograph.
Seeing Iori Utahime arrive to fend off the curse, Daniel decided not to intervene. Though only a semi-first-grade sorcerer, Utahime could easily handle such minor threats.
---
"This must be the plant-controlling curse Gojo mentioned," Daniel muttered as he arrived at the scene of the ongoing battle.
The curse was Hanami, born from humanity's fear of forests and capable of controlling plants. Daniel wondered: *What would happen if I used Wood Release to beat him? Would he break down in despair?*
---
Hanami, a special-grade curse, was immensely powerful. However, this time he faced the combined might of Yuji Itadori, Aoi Todo, Maki Zen'in, and Nobara Kugisaki. Their teamwork, honed through Daniel's teachings, put Hanami on the defensive from the start.
Daniel watched from above, impressed by the coordination. Todo's strategic mind, hidden beneath his boisterous exterior, was the real standout. Despite his reputation as a musclehead, Todo displayed sharp tactical thinking and an ability to assess the battlefield.
Hanami's weaknesses were quickly identified, and Todo's *Boogie Woogie* technique—a spatial exchange ability—proved invaluable in the group's efforts.
In a team setting, Todo's ability was unparalleled. He seamlessly swapped positions between allies and enemies to exploit openings. For example, while Yuji and Maki prepared simultaneous strikes, Todo swapped Hanami into their attack zone at the perfect moment.
The battle saw Yuji as the tank, Maki as the main attacker, Todo as the strategist and support, and Nobara as the controller, disrupting Hanami with her Straw Doll Technique.
---
"Looks like I won't need to step in."
In the original timeline, Hanami had inflicted serious injuries on Yuji and Todo. But this time, the tables had turned. Under the relentless assault, Hanami barely had time to counterattack before Nobara disrupted him again.
Had Nobara been stronger, her technique could have been fatal. With just a drop of Hanami's blood, she could have cursed him to death.
---
"Domain Expansion."
Cornered, Hanami prepared to unleash his ultimate move. He summoned a massive forest of trees for defense, buying time to deploy his domain.
Boom!
The sky shattered as the barrier fell apart. Gojo Satoru descended from above, his immense power obliterating the specialized barrier designed to exclude him.
"Gojo! I'm going to turn you into a coat rack!" the bald curse user from earlier yelled, charging at Gojo with an axe.
Splat.
Before the curse user could reach him, Gojo flicked his wrist. The attacker's body flew backward, exploding into a shower of blood midair.
---
"Don't kill him!" Gakuganji shouted as he stopped playing his guitar.
"Relax. I didn't kill him—just knocked him out. Take him back for questioning," Gojo said calmly before turning his attention to Hanami.
As Hanami's domain expanded, Gojo began forming seals. Blue and red energy spheres materialized at his sides before merging into a massive purple orb.
"Reversal: Red. Amplification: Blue. Hollow Technique: Purple!"
The purple energy orb surged forward, obliterating everything in its path. The terrain was left scarred with a hundred-meter-long trench.
"Everyone, fall back!" Todo shouted. He and Maki immediately dragged Yuji and Nobara away from Hanami's domain, which had nearly enveloped them.
Hanami didn't stand a chance. Gojo's attack disintegrated the curse, leaving only a massive void in the forest.
---
Watching from above, Daniel marveled at the devastation.
"So, this is Hollow Purple... The strength is truly incredible."
Even Daniel, accustomed to Gojo's abilities, found himself impressed. Though he had faced Gojo's *Limitless* and *Unlimited Void* before, this was his first time witnessing Hollow Purple.
---
Unbeknownst to Gojo, Daniel had pursued Hanami underground, where the curse had fled to a sewer system.
There, Daniel encountered Mahito, who used Idle Transfiguration to restore Hanami's life force.
Gojo's attack had nearly killed Hanami. Without Mahito's intervention, the forest spirit would have perished. Daniel observed quietly, his intent clear: Mahito's days were numbered.
------------------
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