"Nobara Kugisaki?"
Nobara remained where she stood, making no move to pursue. Staring at the trace of blood on her palm, her face gradually twisted into a delightfully wicked grin.
"Heh! Heheh! Just as Roy-sensei said—Falling Blossom Emotion suits me perfectly!"
"Falling Blossom Emotion? One of the Three Great Secret Techniques?" Kasumi set Momo down cautiously, eyeing Nobara with heightened wariness.
The so-called "Three Great Secret Techniques" referred to three unique cursed techniques developed by historical sorcerers to counter the ultimate culmination of jujutsu—Domain Expansions.
A domain is essentially a barrier technique, where a sorcerer within their domain can achieve a guaranteed hit effect—the moment an attack is launched, it lands on the opponent in the next instant.
For those without a domain, countering this guaranteed hit requires the creation of unique techniques.
One such technique is Falling Blossom Emotion.
When caught in a domain, the enemy's attack lands on you one instant after it's launched. The key to Falling Blossom Emotion is to release your cursed energy the moment the enemy attacks, allowing your own cursed energy to reflexively counterattack when the strike lands!
Kugisaki's method wasn't the orthodox Falling Blossom Emotion. She adapted its offensive principle to herself. The technique normally involves cursed energy lashing out like a hedgehog's spines to counter an enemy's attack, but she applied only the "hedgehog-like offensive style" to her own body, refining it into her personal secret technique with Roy's help.
"This secret technique is said to be a closely guarded secret of the Three Great Families—how do you know it?"
"Dunno. Roy-sensei taught me."
"Having a Special Grade teacher means you can do whatever you want?!"
"Sorry, but having a Special Grade teacher does mean you can do whatever you want!"
"Uuu…"
Miwa couldn't help but whimper.
Damn it, she wanted a Special Grade teacher too!
"Miwa, I'll back you up!"
Nishimiya had recovered—Megumi's weak cursed energy meant Nue's electric shock was feeble. She remounted her broom, eyeing Kugisaki warily.
"Got it!"
Miwa gritted her teeth against the stinging pain in her back, rallying her fighting spirit.
The attack must have pierced her flesh.
Thankfully, her full defense had limited the wound to less than half an inch deep—it wouldn't hinder her in battle!
"Yeah, right—you're going down first!"
Faced with the two's coordinated assault, Kugisaki showed no trace of panic.
She pulled a straw doll and a hammer from the pouch at her waist, pressing the doll against the blood on her palm. With a vicious grin, she struck the blood-soaked doll.
"Straw Doll Technique: Resonance!"
Instantly, Miwa felt as if her brain had been hammered—her vision spun wildly.
Then she crumpled to the ground, consciousness slipping away.
Before blacking out, she finally understood what Kugisaki meant by "Falling Blossom Emotion suits me perfectly."
Kugisaki's Straw Doll Technique, particularly the Resonance application, resembled the ancient curses often used in palace intrigue. By obtaining a part of the opponent's body—in this case, blood—and cursing a straw doll linked to it, she could deliver a devastating blow.
Through Falling Blossom Emotion's offensive style, Kugisaki could efficiently seize an opponent's blood, then follow up with Resonance—a flawless combo!
"Kyoto Second-Year, Kasumi Miwa—out!"
The brass bird in the sky announced the verdict.
"Kyoto Second-Year, Mai Zenin—out!"
Immediately after came the notice of Mai's elimination.
In an instant, the expressions of Kyoto's remaining fighters—Kamo and Nishimiya—twisted with dread.
The Kyoto students, who had been the encircling force, were now the ones being encircled!
...
"The students from Kyoto School are really brimming with killing intent, one after another!"
In the observation room, Roy watched the Kyoto School students moving on the screen with a cheerful smile, looking utterly amiable as if there wasn't a trace of gloom in his heart.
Mai left the team.
Mechamaru left the team.
Todo Aoi leaped toward Yuji in a single bound.
Kamo, Nishimiya, and Miwa followed closely behind.
Apart from the two who had left the group, the remaining four had clear targets—Yuji Itadori!
"Hmph, this is the correct tactic for a team battle! Not knowing how to utilize tactics only reflects the incompetence of the instructor."
Gakuganji snorted coldly, unmoving like a mountain, his expression unwavering. He even took the opportunity to mock Roy.
Hearing this, Roy's smile only widened.
"Then I truly look forward to seeing what tactics they can come up with."
His relaxed and cheerful demeanor made it seem as though he didn't care at all about Yuji's impending encirclement.
Gakuganji's heart sank slightly.
This wasn't the reaction he had expected.
In his predictions, Roy should have been furious upon realizing Kyoto students intended to kill Yuji Itadori—either rushing to intervene or confronting him directly.
That would have aligned with Roy's character as someone who "deeply cared for his students."
Sitting there so obliviously was as if he hadn't noticed Kyoto's intentions at all.
But was that possible?
Even Yaga Masamichi beside him had furrowed his brows as if he'd noticed something.
"Principal Gakuganji, Kamo's move seems like it's aimed at killing Yuji, doesn't it?"
Yaga clenched his fists as he watched the footage of Kamo's sickle-like blood blade slashing toward Yuji, his expression darkening as he turned to Gakuganji Yoshinobu.
"Yuji Itadori deserves to die. What's wrong with that?"
Seizing the opportunity, Gakuganji Yoshinobu sneered and launched into a tirade.
"A cursed monster like him has no right to stand alongside sorcerers. Such a thing should have been executed from the start—that's in line with the regulations set by the higher-ups! It's only because someone disregarded the law, acting solely out of selfishness and wielding power to suppress the matter, that he's still alive."
"Principal Gakuganji, you're going too far."
"Principal Yaga, is there anything incorrect about what I've said?"
Gakuganji Yoshinobu glared coldly at Yaga Masamichi.
The tension between the two was palpable, thick with hostility.
Watching this, Roy suddenly had a realization.
"This old man… is he trying to provoke me on purpose?"
From the start, Gakuganji Yoshinobu's words had been dripping with cynicism, belittling both Yuji and Roy himself, filled with nothing but provocation.
Logically speaking.
If your strength was clearly inferior to someone else's, shouldn't you at least maintain a civil facade for the sake of your own safety, even if you had ulterior motives?
Even if your schemes were exposed, shouldn't you at least pretend for a while?
But Gakuganji was the opposite—his words were as blunt as they could be, as if he was eager to anger Roy.
Thinking about it, was provoking him Gakuganji's goal?
To make him act against the rules, giving grounds for impeachment?
But Roy was a Special Grade. That status came with privileges. Using something as minor as protecting a student to impeach him would only invite ridicule!
"No, think about it carefully. If I insist on protecting the students and interrupt the exchange event in the forest, what would happen? Someone would definitely try to stop me—at the very least, Gakuganji would. Could it be... this guy actually wants to die by my hand on purpose?"
An utterly unbelievable conjecture suddenly flashed through Roy's mind.
Upon closer consideration, only something of this magnitude could potentially shake Roy's standing.
Gakuganji was the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High, a mentor with countless students under his wing, and a high-ranking member of the Jujutsu Higher-ups. If Roy were to kill him, the consequences would indeed be severe.
After all, Roy wasn't a native of Japan and had almost no foundation in the country's jujutsu society.
Killing Gakuganji with his own hands would likely provoke widespread discontent toward him across the entire jujutsu world.
At that point, even people like Yuta Okkotsu and Yuki Tsukumo might return to oppose him—
Hiss. If things truly reached that point, his plan to openly take control of Japan's jujutsu world might very well be ruined!
"Now, now, don't get worked up, Principal Yaga."
Though thoughts raced through Roy's mind, his expression remained utterly composed.
Far from showing concern for Yuji, he even took the initiative to soothe Yaga.
"If you accidentally provoke Principal Gakuganji to death, wouldn't you be shouldering the blame? Given that he's already on death's doorstep, why not humor him a little for now?"
Yaga stared at Roy in stunned silence for a long moment, his eyes wide with disbelief behind his sunglasses.
Wait.
Who was it again that had the worst relationship with Principal Gakuganji before?
And now you're just... making peace with him?
Roy didn't look at Yaga. Instead, his gaze subtly shifted from the corner of his glasses toward Gakuganji Yoshinobu.
Gakuganji's expression flickered slightly.
He glanced at Roy uncertainly, as if trying to gauge something.
By sheer coincidence, his eyes met Roy's at that very moment.
The instant their gazes locked, Roy's expression turned teasing.
This old bastard... could he really be planning to die by my hand on purpose?
If that were the case...
He'd at least give the old man some credit for having guts.
However.
No matter how many schemes the old man had, he wouldn't get the chance to carry them out.
Because Roy had no intention of letting him live past today.
There was no particular reason.
It wasn't for Gojo's faction, nor was it for the students.
Simply a matter of opposing stances.
The old man stood in his way.
That alone was reason enough for Roy to act.
"Oh my, why has contestant Mechamaru suddenly left the competition area?"
Suddenly, as if noticing something, Roy pointed at one of the corner screens and exclaimed in exaggerated surprise.
His shout immediately drew the attention of everyone present, their eyes turning toward the footage monitoring Mechamaru.
On the screen.
Mechamaru was sprinting out of the forest at breakneck speed, crossing the stream and charging straight out of the competition zone, racing down the mountain without pause.
"Mechamaru... abandoning the competition? What is he trying to do?"
Gakuganji Yoshinobu's face darkened as he watched the scene unfold.
This development was completely outside their discussed tactics!
A vague sense of unease prickled at him.
It felt as though something was slipping beyond his control.
On the screen.
After reaching the foot of the mountain, Mechamaru came to a stop and stood waiting, as if expecting someone.
Before long, a figure suddenly emerged from the soil beside him and landed at his side.
The moment this figure appeared.
Everyone in the observation classroom turned pale with shock.
"A cursed spirit!"
"Why is there a cursed spirit here?"
"Why is Mechamaru waiting for a cursed spirit?"
"What's their relationship?"
On the screen.
The one who appeared beside Mechamaru was none other than one of the three special-grade cursed spirits that had attacked Roy in the Okubo area—Hanami, the special-grade born from humanity's fear of forests!
After Hanami's appearance, Mechamaru didn't flee. Instead, he actively approached and began conversing with the cursed spirit, clearly indicating their prior collusion!
"Principal Gakuganji, your student is actually colluding with a cursed spirit. As the principal, you bear undeniable responsibility for this. Just how have you been running this school?"
Roy's gaze suddenly turned severe as he interrogated Yoshinobu Gakuganji in an accusatory tone.
"Or perhaps you, as the principal, are also involved in this? Are you a spy for the cursed spirits, secretly colluding with them to harm the entire Japanese jujutsu society?"