After his meeting with Suguru Geto, Sōjun Minamoto returned to his usual routine.
Every morning, he would stir up negative emotions, extract Cursed Energy from them, and use it to replenish a new Cursed Energy source.
As the energy gradually accumulated, the new bottles began to resemble the originals more and more.
Sōjun Minamoto was pleased.
The growth in his Cursed Energy was visible to the naked eye, and under his perfect sensory perception, it felt even more distinct—so much so that he found it hard to pull himself away.
He was already preparing to develop a Curse Form, just waiting for this batch of Cursed Energy sources to fully merge.
Meanwhile, no one else had seen Suguru Geto again—only Sōjun Minamoto had. And naturally, he hadn't said a word about it to anyone.
Everyone in the Jujutsu world was an adult. Whatever you chose to do, you had to bear the consequences, whether good or bad.
He never claimed he was absolutely right, so he wasn't about to stand on some moral high ground and pass judgment on others or their choices.
He didn't care to, either.
There were still so many fascinating things in the world of Jujutsu waiting to be explored and discovered—he had no time to waste on that kind of thing.
Satoru Gojo had vaguely sensed that Suguru Geto didn't want to see him. Over time, he stopped actively searching for him.
He had the ability to find him if he really wanted to.
Though he didn't understand the reason, he chose to respect his best friend's wishes. Rather than forcing anything, he shifted his focus back to his own affairs.
There would always be a chance to meet again.
The two of them shared an unspoken understanding:
The next time they met, it would be to prove who was right—or rather, to prove they hadn't been wrong.
Everyone else stopped dwelling on it, too.
Life returned to normal.
...
Two days later, the frustrating month of September had finally passed. The weather was cooling, and in the first few days of October, the long-awaited exchange meeting was about to begin.
Sōjun Minamoto was once again called in for a meeting.
At the meeting, someone briefly brought up Suguru Geto. The arrest warrant had been issued, and the bounty was slowly increasing, but no one really expected the case to be resolved.
Everyone understood the situation.
Once responsibility had been divided up, the matter stopped drawing much attention. It wasn't happening to them, so no one was going to keep tabs on it.
Instead, the main topic of this meeting—the annual sister-school exchange event—was what really drew their interest.
As a traditional event between the Tokyo and Kyoto schools, the winner would receive greater support from the Jujutsu Headquarters, including but not limited to financial aid and status benefits.
It was something that offered real, tangible rewards to everyone in the room.
So naturally, they were all very enthusiastic.
"As the winner of the last event, this year's exchange meeting will still be held at Tokyo Jujutsu High. That gives us the home-field advantage."
One of the older men spoke with rising enthusiasm, and the room's atmosphere followed suit.
"Masamichi Yaga, coordinate with Kyoto Jujutsu High as soon as possible to finalize the venue and competition format. Make sure the students can rehearse in advance and be well-prepared."
The lead elder turned to Yaga.
"Also, security during the exchange is critical. We want our neighboring school to feel welcomed—show them Jujutsu High's hospitality and presence."
"Hopefully, the exchange meeting will be hosted here again next year..."
Sōjun Minamoto listened as they discussed, uninterested in the topic itself, but inwardly he gave a nod.
Masamichi Yaga's rise to power was starting to bear fruit. He'd taken over many of the school's key affairs, and his voice in meetings now carried far more weight.
Most of the senior members had already shown tacit approval. Without realizing it, they were starting to shift major responsibilities into Yaga's hands.
This was the result of everyone's collective effort over the past period.
The next step was to use the exchange meeting to win over the Kyoto principal. Once they secured his support, it would silence the remaining candidates and eliminate any future disruptions.
Sōjun Minamoto had already mapped it out in his mind.
"Minamoto, would you handle the division of the competition grounds?"
Suddenly, a hoarse, aged voice called out to him—it was the lead elder again.
"And help ensure the students' safety?"
The tone was polite, seemingly seeking his input rather than issuing an order. The other elders chimed in quickly, clearly having discussed this beforehand.
Sōjun Minamoto had been invited to this meeting specifically because, after taking over from Tengen, he now maintained the school's barrier. It was clear the higher-ups had another agenda.
Handling the venue? That made sense.
Entrusting student safety to one of the only two users of the Reverse Cursed Technique? Also reasonable.
But in truth, the exchange meeting had been held for years, and the barrier permissions from Tengen had always included access for this.
As for safety, injuries were typically handled by the medical department. Shoko Ieiri didn't even need to be summoned most of the time.
So why suddenly involve Sōjun Minamoto now?
He scanned the room and realized what this really was—an attempt to "direct" him.
The Suguru Geto incident had given the elders a wake-up call. They now wanted to maintain real power in their hands. But after reviewing their options, they found that Sōjun Minamoto was, ironically, the most suitable.
What power could rival a Special Grade?
Yuki Tsukumo wasn't part of their school—unreliable. Satoru Gojo? He wouldn't take orders.
Among the three Special Grades, only Sōjun Minamoto was independent—and possibly open to negotiation.
Yes, he was rebellious, and he had even killed a colleague once. But hey, it wasn't one of them, so...
What did it matter?
The old men began to get creative.
"As an exchange, we'll hand over the Forbidden Vault to your care," the elder added.
The moment he said it, several elders' expressions changed.
Sōjun Minamoto immediately knew—they weren't all on the same page.
This elder didn't want control. He wanted cooperation.
Realizing he couldn't command Sōjun, the man abandoned the others and extended a personal olive branch—he just wanted to finish his final term in peace.
And Sōjun Minamoto was the perfect stabilizer.
Offer a little, gain a flawless legacy. Not a bad deal.
Sōjun paused to consider.
The so-called "Forbidden Vault" referred to the most dangerous room deep within Jujutsu High—and the only one not under his authority.
Back when Tengen was transitioning power, even he didn't dare hand it over directly, so it remained under his supervision.
It was the vault filled with thousands of false doors, only one of which led to the real chamber.
Inside were countless dangerous, unique, and even Special Grade cursed objects.
For some, it was a nightmare.
For Sōjun Minamoto, it was a treasure trove—an endless blind box of surprises.
Since the founding of Jujutsu High—no, since the beginning of the Jujutsu world—the most dangerous cursed items collected by the Higher-Ups had been sealed there.
With Tengen guarding it, there was only one such place in the entire Jujutsu world—buried deep beneath Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Sōjun had coveted it for a long time, but he hadn't yet found a chance to see it for himself. Stealth access was out of the question.
He thought for a moment. The elder seemed like someone he could work with. After a brief silence, he spoke.
"When's the handover?"
He needed to confirm—would it happen immediately, or would they drag it out until after the exchange meeting?
If it was the latter, disputes could arise, leading to complications.
Unexpectedly, the elder was quick to respond. Seeing Sōjun's inclination to accept, he even spoke faster than before.
"After the meeting, I'll hand over the key. You'll take charge of incorporating it into the current school barrier."
"But once it's yours, you're responsible. No incidents," he added.
With the Forbidden Vault in his hands, wouldn't it be his to do with as he pleased?
Sōjun Minamoto nodded.
"Alright, I'll handle the exchange venue and security."
It was a low-cost commitment—the vault wasn't even the foundation of their deal.
He was accepting two responsibilities, and the elder's return favor would come later.
It was an unspoken agreement.
Someone with that kind of rank and influence—even near retirement—still had weight wherever he spoke.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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