I'm almost done with the draft I have, so next chapter might take much longer to make.
On that topic I have two questions, would you prefer longer chapters that take a little bit more to publish, or shorter chapters more quickly
And the other questions, I had this idea to add a couple of H worlds into the story. What to do you guys think?
Without any further to do, enjoy!
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(Sakurajima Mai's POV)
The morning light streamed into her room, illuminating the neat pile of clothes on her bed. Mai meticulously folded a sweater and placed it into her small backpack.
Sensei had been vague, as usual, only telling them to pack for a two-day trip.
A small, traitorous part of her heart fluttered at the thought of spending concentrated time with him, away from school and prying eyes.
But the flutter was quickly crushed by the heavy weight in her chest, a cold stone of reality that had settled there last night.
Her mind replayed the scene against her will: the roaring bonfire, the dancing couples, and the two figures standing just outside the circle of light.
Hiratsuka-sensei, her face lit with a soft, genuine smile as she looked up at him. And Yoshioka-sensei… his profile, the way he had been looking at the fire, and then the slight, almost imperceptible softening in his eyes when he turned to her.
It was nothing.
It was probably nothing.
They were colleagues. Friends, even.
But the image was seared into her mind, a perfect snapshot of a connection she desperately wanted for herself.
She zipped her backpack shut a little too forcefully.
'Stop it' she chided herself 'You made a promise. You will wait until graduation'
It was wrong. She knew it was wrong.
He was a teacher; she was his student.
It was a line that shouldn't be crossed, a boundary that existed for a reason.
But logic was a feeble shield against the stubborn, aching want in her heart.
'The heart wants what it wants' A stupid, romantic part of her whispered. She silenced it with a grimace.
Shaking her head as if to physically dislodge the thoughts, she decided to focus on the present. The trip. Training. Anything else.
Her phone, sitting on her nightstand, chose that moment to buzz insistently.
She picked it up, her brow furrowing slightly at the caller ID. It was Ayase Momo, the girl they'd rescued during that insane alien encounter.
The memory was still surreal. Aliens.
Actual, "we-come-in-peace-for-your-bananas" aliens.
Then again, they now had a pink-haired Devilukean princess living with Kageyama, so her scale for "weird" had been permanently recalibrated.
She swiped to answer. "Hello, Ayase-san. Everything okay?"
{Yeah, everything's… okay, I guess?} Momo's voice was cheerful but had a slight, worried edge. {But there's been a little problem.}
Mai leaned against her desk, her professional "problem-solver" mode kicking in. "Really? What happened?"
{Well,} Momo began, her tone shifting to one of mild exasperation. {Can you help me find Okarun's balls?}
The silence in Mai's room was absolute.Her brain short-circuited
"...Eh?!" she finally managed, her voice an octave higher than usual
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(Third Person's POV)
The morning at the bus stop was deceptively calm, the air still fresh and cool.
The tranquillity, however, was utterly shattered by the scene unfolding on the pavement.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Hana was doubled over, clutching her stomach as she howled with laughter.
Miko had the sleeve of her tracksuit pressed firmly against her mouth, but her shaking shoulders and the mirth in her eyes betrayed her.
"Pfft—hahaha!" Yuria couldn't hold back her giggles either, though hers were mixed with a hint of sympathy.
A small, amused smile played on Saeko's lips as she observed the chaos.
Mai, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, her face a perfect mask of deadpan exhaustion as she stared at the flustered pair of Momo and the boy known as 'Okarun'.
Meanwhile, a mini-drama was playing out between the boys. "You are laughing!" Zaimozuka proclaimed, his face flushed with indignation. "A man has lost his balls, and you are laughing!"
Shigeo, standing beside him, nodded with grave seriousness. "Yeah. They are very important for a man."
Lala, ever eager to support her Shigeo-kun, chirped up instantly. "Don't worry, Shigeo-kun! I will make sure to protect your balls!"
"Th-thank— WAIT, WHAT?!" Shigeo's face erupted in a scarlet blush.
"This is no laughing matter!" Zaimozuka continued, gesturing dramatically. "A man's balls are sacred!"
"Yeah!" Okarun, finding unexpected allies, joined the protest. "Stop laughing at me!"
"O-okay, okay," Hana managed, wiping a tear from her eye as she finally caught her breath. "Phew... Sorry, it's just... the way she said it..."
Yuria, still giggling, added, "Doesn't that old hag know where they are?" She pointed a thumb at the Maneki-neko doll that was beside Momo
"Hey! Respect your elders, young lady!" the Turbo Granny's voice screeched from within the ceramic cat. "And no, I don't know where they are! We checked the tunnel and the road outside. No luck."
Mai sighed, her shoulders slumping. "So we just need to find two gross balls rolling around somewhere? I bet a crow or a bird already feasted on them."
"They are not gross balls" Turbo Granny told the group "They're wrapped in a layer of my cursed energy. They shine gold and are about two inches big"
At that description, Yuria's laughter died in her throat. Her eyes widened in dawning horror. Golden orbs... about two inches big... that hummed with condensed energy... She remembered pocketing two exactly like that after the crab curse battle.
"Ewww," she gagged, her face contorting in disgust. "Yuck, yuck, yuck!"
Miko looked at her, concerned. "What's wrong, Yuria? You okay?"
"Yeah..." Yuria said, her voice strained as she fought down her nausea. She took a deep breath. "Umm, guys... I think... I may have his balls."
A new, playful voice cut through the ensuing silence. "Who has who's balls now?"
Everyone turned. Walking down the road towards them were their sensei, Yoshioka Akira, and the other white-haired man from the festival, the one with the black sunglasses now wearing a blindfold
"What sort of kinky stuff are your students into?" Gojo Satoru quipped, a wide grin on his face.
"I'm sure you just took it out of context," Akira replied flatly. He surveyed the group. "I see you all arrived on time. Good." His gaze then shifted to Momo, Okarun, and the Maneki-neko doll. "Alongside a couple of additions."
"Sensei, who is that?" Miko asked, pointing cautiously at Gojo.
Hana's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh! Is that the mysterious cousin from the school festival photos?"
Gojo instantly slung an arm around Akira's shoulders. "Yep! I'm Gojo Satoru, nice to meet'cha!" His head then tilted towards the Maneki-neko doll, and even behind the blindfold, they could feel his sharp attention. "Well, now that's curious."
The Turbo Granny, sensing his gaze, let out a tiny squeak and tried to hide behind Momo's leg.
"Oh, not so high and mighty now, huh?" Momo commented, looking down at the trembling doll.
"Are you kidding?! That's Gojo Satoru!" the Turbo Granny's voice shrieked from its ceramic prison.
"Why is the Turbo Granny afraid of him?" Shigeo asked, puzzled.
"Because he is considered the strongest sorcerer of today," Akira explained
"Considered? I AM the strongest," Gojo corrected, puffing out his chest.
"Hmm," Akira simply huffed, a sound laden with unspoken debate.
"Tch, you remind me of a protege I've got. You're both not cute at all," Gojo said, before turning his focus back to the doll. With a casual flick of his finger, the Maneki-neko levitated out of Momo's legs and floated directly into his hand.
"Woah, stop that!" the Turbo Granny shouted, her voice panicked.
Gojo inspected the doll, turning it over in his grasp. He held it by one ceramic leg, scratching his chin with his other hand. "Curious. This is like a cursed corpse, but instead of simple animation, it contains a real cursed spirit. I bet Yaga-sensei would be very interested in seeing this"
"Unhand me, you brute!" the Turbo Granny wailed, dangling upside down.
With another flick, Gojo tossed the doll back into Momo's waiting arms.
Just then, a bus pulled up to the stop. The doors hissed open, and a man in a neat suit and glasses stepped off. "Good morning, Gojo-san," he said with a polite bow.
"Yo! Ijichi!" Gojo greeted cheerfully. He turned to the assembled group, his grin returning. "Alright, everyone! Let's get going. You can tell us all about that thing with the balls on the way"
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The bus ride to Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College was anything but quiet. Gojo Satoru's hysterical laughter echoed through the vehicle as Okarun, his face beet red, finished recounting the tale of his lost "testicle talismans."
"Hahahahahahhaa! No way! No way!" Gojo wheezed, slapping his knee. "So it just looks like little machine handle? Only the lever? That's priceless! Hahaha!"
"Please, stop..." Okarun mumbled, sinking lower in his seat, wishing the upholstery would swallow him whole.
"Okay, okay, sorry," Gojo said, still chuckling as he raised his hands in surrender.
Akira, who had been observing the scene with his usual impassivity from a nearby seat, finally spoke. "At least the situation is resolved. Yuria-san has Okarun's... balls, on her home" He stated, the slight pause the only indication of the sentence's absurdity. "So when we return in two days, she can return them."
"Yes, thank you, Niguredou-san, for picking them up," Okarun said, bowing his head gratefully towards Yuria.
"Don't... ugh... thank me," Yuria replied, looking distinctly green as she recalled handling the orbs.
"Oh, look at that, we've arrived," Gojo announced, peering out the window.
The bus came to a stop at the base of a long, imposing flight of stone stairs.
The group disembarked, gathering at the bottom and looking up at their destination. Led by Gojo and Akira, they began the ascent, passing under a solemn Tori gate at the summit.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the atmosphere shifted; the natural sounds of the forest seemed to mute, replaced by a profound, watchful silence.
Before them lay Tokyo Jujutsu High.
It was not a single building, but a sprawling complex of traditional Japanese architecture that seemed both ancient and impeccably maintained.
The main building, with its sweeping, curved roofs of dark grey tile and exposed wooden beams, stood with a severe, dignified grace.
Sliding paper doors lined the verandas, and meticulously raked gravel pathways connected it to several other dojo-like structures and a multi-story pagoda that pierced the canopy.
The entire campus was nestled in a secluded mountain valley, hidden from the outside world by powerful barriers and the sheer remoteness of its location.
It felt less like a school and more like a fortified temple, a place where the old and powerful secrets of jujutsu were guarded.
A welcoming committee awaited them.
At the front stood a tall, powerfully built man with a stern expression, spiky dark hair, and a mustache-goatee combo, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses. This was Masamichi Yaga, the principal.
Beside him stood a woman with long, tired-looking brown hair and a lab coat, a cigarette dangling from her lips. She was Ieri Shoko, the school doctor.
Slightly behind them were Nanami Kento and another man with spiky brown hair and a sharp gaze, and a lollipop on his mouth, Kusakabe Atsuya.
And behind them, a group of students: the second-years, Hoshi Kirara and Hakari Kinji, and the new first-years: Zen'in Maki, Inumaki Toge, and Panda.
"Gojo," Yaga's voice was a low rumble of long-suffering patience.
"Yo! Yaga-sensei! Shoko!" Gojo greeted with a wave. "I brought the home-schooled kids I told you about, and this is their teacher!" he announced, gesturing flamboyantly at Akira.
Akira stepped forward, giving a slight, respectful nod. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yoshioka Akira."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yaga Masamichi, the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu High," Yaga replied, his tone formal but not unfriendly.
Shoko took a drag from her cigarette, her tired eyes scanning Akira. "I'm Ieri Shoko, the school's doctor. You know, you look quite similar to Satoru."
That was Gojo's cue. "Of course we do!" he declared, slinging an arm around Akira's shoulders. "We're cousins! Haven't I told you?"
A collective ripple of surprise went through the Jujutsu High students who didn't truly know Gojo's family and his penchant for nonsense
"Wait, Gojo-sensei has a cousin?" Panda exclaimed, his stuffed animal face somehow conveying shock.
"Salmon?" Toge Inumaki muttered, his limited vocabulary expressing his confusion.
"They do look very similar," Maki commented, adjusting her glasses as she studied the two white-haired men
Yaga chose to ignore Gojo's theatrics for the moment, his gaze sweeping over Akira's students. "It is rare to see so many young sorcerers gathered at once. Even Tokyo and Kyoto schools combined barely muster a dozen in a given year."
"Speaking of which," Gojo interjected, "Were are the Kyoto kids?"
"Nitta went to pick them up," Yaga replied, a hint of weariness in his voice. "All for your... show."
Gojo nodded, a wide, anticipatory grin spreading across his face. He turned to Akira. "Right! Come on, cousin. There's someone you need to meet." He began leading Akira away, leaving the students under Yaga's watchful eye.
Yaga addressed the Soubu High group. "The six behind me are the current students of Jujutsu High. Why don't you introduce yourselves?"
One by one, the Jujutsu students stepped forward.
"I'm Hakari Kinji, and this is Hoshi Kirari, we are both second years, nice to meet you"
"I'm Maki, this is Inumaki Toge, he can't speak thanks to his cursed technique"
"Konbu" Inumaki nodded
"Oh and that's Panda" She gestured towards the Panda
A beat of silence passed.
Hana blinked. "And... that's it?"
Panda just smiled amiably. "Hi, I'm Panda"
The Yoshioka's group stared, waiting for more explanation that never came.
As the two groups began to mingle, Maki's sharp eyes fell on Lala, specifically on the pink tail swishing curiously behind her. "Hey. What's the deal with the tail?" Maki asked, her tone direct.
Lala beamed. "This? This is just my tail!"
Maki's brow furrowed in confusion. "Your... tail?"
Miko, sensing the incoming confusion, decided to rip the band-aid off. "Lala-chan is the princess of the planet Deviluke."
The chatter around them died down instantly.
Panda was the first to break the stunned silence. "Deviluke Planet? As in... another planet?"
"Yep" the students replied in near-unison, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
"So... she's an alien?" Kirara asked, his voice full of wonder.
"Yep" they chorused again.
Maki stared at Lala.
Shoko, who had been listening while lighting another cigarette, froze, the match burning close to her fingers.
Yaga's stern expression cracked, revealing pure, unadulterated bewilderment.
Kusakabe simply stared, his cigarette forgotten.
Ieri Shoko finally found her voice, letting out a long, slow stream of smoke. "I have," she said, her tone utterly deadpan, "So many questions…"
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As Akira and Gojo left the mingling students behind and walked deeper into the Jujutsu High campus, the atmosphere grew even more hushed and old
The manicured pathways gave way to older, moss-covered stones, and the air grew cool and still.
"You didn't tell them about Lala's origins, right?" Akira commented, his voice low.
Gojo grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why? And take the fun out of it? Besides, I only found out about it after you texted me. Who would've thought aliens actually existed? It's way cooler than cursed spirits."
"By the way, Gojo" Akira said, his tone flat. "Go to hell."
"Huh? Why?" Gojo feigned innocence.
"Because you kept sending memes all night long."
"Hey, they were good ones, right?" Gojo chuckled, entirely unrepentant.
Akira simply ignored him, his silence a more potent reply than any retort.
Gojo led him away from the main academic buildings, towards a secluded part of the grounds shrouded in an even denser grove of ancient trees.
They approached a structure that was less a building and more a part of the landscape itself, a low, sprawling complex built directly into the base of a small mountain, its wooden walls dark with age and its thatched roof thick with moss.
This was the Tomb of the Star Corridor, the residence of Master Tengen. The entrance was a simple, heavy wooden door that seemed to absorb the light around it.
Gojo, familiar with the path, pushed it open without ceremony.
The inside was a labyrinthine space that defied normal geometry.
They walked down long, silent hallways where the only light came from flickering candle sconces, their flames casting dancing shadows on walls lined with faded talismans.
The air was thick with the scent of old wood, incense, and an immense, dormant power that pressed down on the senses.
Akira followed calmly, his crimson eyes taking in the impossible architecture, staircases that led to blank walls, corridors that seemed to double back on themselves in ways that hurt the mind to follow.
It was a place outside of normal space, a sanctuary maintained by a will that had persisted for centuries.
Finally, they emerged into a vast, cavernous chamber.
The ceiling was lost in darkness, but the centre was illuminated by a soft, ethereal glow.
There, a massive, gnarled tree, its bark looking like petrified light, grew from the very rock. Its roots snaked across the floor, pulsing with a gentle, golden energy.
Standing upon one of the largest roots was a tall figure and four calm eyes.
Master Tengen.
"Welcome, Gojo Satoru. Yoshioka Akira," Tengen's voice echoed softly in the chamber, a sound that was both old and calm
"Tengen-sama," Gojo greeted, his usual flippancy tempered by a thread of genuine respect
"Tengen-sama," Akira greeted as well, offering a respectful nod.
"It is nice to finally meet the one with such a curious cursed technique," Tengen said, his gaze, all four eyes, settling on Akira. "Ever since I felt how cursed energy was being... erased... in that particular way within my barriers, I was curious to meet the user. And I am grateful to see that you do not carry any malicious intent."
"I apologize if I caused any inconvenience," Akira replied.
"Do not worry, Yoshioka-san. But if you wish to apologize, you will have to apologize to Iori-san. She was the one most diligently investigating your curious phenomenon." Tengen then shifted his multifaceted gaze to Gojo. "So. You wished to ask me for a special barrier where you two could fight to your heart's content?"
"Yes," Gojo confirmed, his grin returning. "Yoshioka agreed to bring his students here on the condition that I help keep the Jujutsu Headquarters out of his way. A little demonstration should do the trick."
"Very well," Tengen mused. "You have done a great deal of work for the jujutsu world, Satoru. I can do you this favour as a reward." The master was silent for a moment, the golden light in the tree pulsing slowly "I think I could have it ready by tomorrow. Does that suit your purposes?"
"Sure. Thank you, Tengen-sama" Gojo said.
"Thank you for your time," Akira added. "We shall take our leave."
With a final bow of their heads, both Gojo Satoru and Yoshioka Akira turned and retraced their steps through the silent, impossible halls, leaving the ancient master alone with his tree
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The courtyard of Jujutsu High had become a buzzing hub of interschool—and interplanetary,socialization.
Near a weathered stone lantern, Miko, Hana, Momo, and Yuria were gathered around Panda. Hana and Momo were taking turns gently patting his fur.
"It's so soft!" Hana marveled. "I thought it would be more like... stuffed animal fabric."
"Right? It's so fluffy!" Momo Ayase agreed, her earlier distress over the lost talismans momentarily forgotten.
Panda endured the petting with good-natured patience. "Well, I do try to keep up with grooming. It's important to look your best."
A short distance away, Shigeo stood with Lala latched onto his side, while Zaimozuka and a still-mortified Okarun were talking with Hakari and Kirara. Hakari was explaining some idea he had, while Kirara's eyes sparkled as he listened to Lala describe the different colours of the sky on Deviluke.
Principal Yaga was having a surprisingly civil conversation with the Maneki-neko doll. "So, you're saying the body itself is what's containing your energy and allowing this form of mobility?"
"Exactly! It's all that Ayase Seiko's fault, binding me this way!" the Turbo Granny's voice grumbled from within the ceramic cat.
Yaga adjusted his sunglasses. "Ayase Seiko... that name sounds familiar." He made a mental note to look into the archives
Meanwhile, Maki had been quietly observing Saeko, who stood with a relaxed but ready posture. Saeko met her gaze
"Do you need something?" Saeko asked.
"I'm sorry, it's just that... you don't seem to have any cursed energy," Maki stated, her tone more curious than accusatory.
"It's because I don't," Saeko replied simply.
Maki's eyes widened slightly. "What? That's..."
Saeko nodded. "I have a Heavenly Restriction. My body has zero cursed energy."
Nearby, Shoko, who had been listening while taking a drag from her cigarette, exhaled a plume of smoke. "Heavenly Restriction," she murmured to herself. "That sounds familiar..."
Just then, a new energy entered the courtyard.
The Kyoto contingent had arrived.
Iori Utahime led the group, her expression a mixture of determination and weariness. Behind her were the first-years: Mai Zen'in, Miwa Kasumi, and Mechamaru the armoured puppet body, followed by the second-years: Nishimiya Momo, Todo Aoi, and Kamo Noritoshi.
Utahime's eyes immediately found Shoko. "Shoko!" she called out, striding over.
"Utahime. Nice to see you," Shoko replied, her voice as languid as ever.
"Thanks, it's been a while," Utahime said, before getting straight to the point. "Do you know why Gojo called everyone here? He said it was very important." Her gaze swept over the large group of unfamiliar faces. "Does it have something to do with them?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Shoko commented, taking another drag. "Yaga-sensei said something about a... 'show.' But I still don't know what that means."
As the teachers spoke, the students began to mingle, albeit with some initial tension.
"My, if it isn't my dear sister?" Mai Zen'in's voice was a saccharine drawl as she approached Maki. She then gave Saeko a slow, appraising look. "And who is this nice lady?"
"Mai," Maki replied flatly, her posture stiffening.
"Now, now, it's not nice to stare at your dear sister that way, is it?" Mai purred, the hostility between them a palpable force.
On another side of the courtyard, Nishimiya Momo from Kyoto floated over on her broom to the group with Panda. "Hi, I'm Nishimiya Momo," She introduced herself cheerfully.
Miko smiled. "I'm Yotsuya Miko. And this is Hana, Yuria, and..." She gestured to the other girl.
" Ayase Momo" the girl with the brown hair said, blinking. "Oh! We have the same name!"
Nishimiya Momo grinned. "Yeah! Momo squad!"
The lighthearted moment was shattered by two familiar presences.
Gojo Satoru and Yoshioka Akira reappeared, walking back into the centre of the gathering.
"Well, it looks like we have everyone we needed here, then" Gojo announced, his voice cutting through the various conversations.
"Gojo," Utahime said, her hands on her hips. She glanced at Akira, her eyebrow raised in question, before turning back to Gojo. "What is this all about?"
"Well," Gojo began, a theatrical grin spreading across his face. "For starters, I wanted everyone to meet the home-schooled kids and their teacher." He gestured grandly at Akira and his students. "And for the other part..."
He paused for dramatic effect, turning to address the entire assembled crowd of students and faculty from both schools.
"Everyone, guess what?" he declared, his voice ringing with excitement. "Tomorrow, Yoshioka Akira and I will fight to see who keeps the title of the strongest!"
A stunned silence fell over the courtyard, broken only by the distant caw of a crow. Every eye, from the first-years to the teachers, was wide with disbelief.
The strongest, Gojo Satoru, was publicly challenging the mysterious new teacher to a duel for his title.
The "show" had just been given a name, and it promised to be one for the history books
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Next chapter: Infinite Void vs Void Palace