Tokyo Jujutsu High moved with the usual rhythm of school life.
Inside the training hall, Maki pushed herself through a series of high intensity strikes, her staff slicing through the air with perfect precision.
Panda hopped from foot to foot across the polished floor, testing his reflexes and agility against imagined opponents, letting his cursed energy pulse subtly to maintain peak performance.
Yuta, new to the school but already showing remarkable potential, mirrored some of Maki's motions, cautiously experimenting with cursed energy control, his fists glowing faintly with the restrained intensity of a sorcerer in training.
Toge, constrained by his own cursed speech, communicated through gestures, his eyes sharp and calculating as he watched each movement, subtly guiding Yuta and Panda when needed.
Between training sessions, the group would gather in the common areas, discussing techniques, sharing snacks, and joking quietly with one another.
Even as they laughed and argued over who would win in hypothetical fights, a quiet awareness lingered, every moment spent mastering their craft mattered.
Yet, for now, life was calm.
There were no looming threats, no hints of the future that the students could perceive.
Outside the school, the streets of Tokyo hummed with ordinary life.
Shops opened, people moved along the sidewalks, and the occasional small curse incident was quietly dealt with by sorcerers on patrol.
For these students, the days were filled with classes, physical training, and the occasional mundane errands like grocery runs or helping the local community.
Their world felt contained, manageable, a temporary bubble of normalcy that masked the storms to come.
Meanwhile, far from the bustle of the school, a different scene unfolded.
Geto's compound was quiet, nestled in an isolated stretch of forested land, where the sound of the wind through the trees mingled with the faint hum of cursed energy.
Roy and the other members of Geto's household were engaged in various tasks.
The two girls, now older, practiced hand to hand techniques with each other, while the other members trained in controlling and amplifying their cursed abilities.
There was a rhythm to it all, disciplined, deliberate, and calm.
It was a household built on precision, patience, and the unspoken understanding of power.
Geto stood nearby, watching with a small, contemplative smile.
"It's time,"
He said finally, his voice calm but carrying the weight of authority.
"We need to visit Tokyo."
Roy's crimson eyes flickered toward him, curiosity tempered with cautious interest.
"To… Tokyo?"
He asked, though he knew exactly why.
The city was where the next phase would begin, where the paths of those he had long remembered , Gojo, Yuta, and the rest would inevitably intersect with the plans that Geto had set in motion.
Geto nodded.
"Yes. For now, it's still a quiet observation. No rash moves. We watch, we gather information, and we prepare. But it's time for us to be where the action will unfold."
The others exchanged glances, a mixture of excitement and tension in their expressions.
Roy, standing tall and calm, merely nodded.
He didn't need to speak.
Every muscle, every bit of cursed energy, every technique he had mastered was ready.
The wait had been long, the training exhaustive, but this was the moment they had all been preparing for, a calculated emergence into the very heart of the world they had kept in their sights for so long.
Back in Tokyo, Maki, Yuta, Panda, and Toge remained blissfully unaware of the approaching storm.
They went about their routines, training and studying, their laughter echoing through the school corridors, carrying the innocence of a world yet untouched by the shadows.
Meanwhile, Geto's family prepared their supplies and readied themselves.
Roy quietly adjusted his chains and felt the familiar pulse of his cursed energy flow through his veins.
The moonlight reflected faintly off the chains and the crimson hue of his aura shimmered faintly in the dusk.
A calm before the storm, a quiet before the clash.
The slow burn of preparation was coming to an end.
Geto's eyes lingered on Roy for a moment, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"It's almost time,"
He murmured to himself.
"Soon, everything will move according to the plan."