24 Chapter 15. To be continued

Having encountered Sukehiro Yami, for the students from Kyoto, everything ended as expected. Some felt their pride was trampled, others were disappointed, and some were filled with a raging ocean of anger. Nevertheless, no one from their group dared to directly criticize or oppose Noritoshi Kamo's decision, so they could only vent their anger in meaningless, slightly childish objections.

"Why the hell did you agree to his proposal?" Mai Zenin had never felt so much shame and anger simultaneously. Not even when she lived with her sister in the Zenin family estate. There, she still experienced societal pressure rather than the personal superiority of a peer.

"I didn't know you had so much pride," Kamo's heir shook his head.

"Shut up!" Zenin snapped. "You're not the one to talk to me about pride! You can hide behind your mask of indifference all you want, but I bet among all of us, you were just as enraged as I was."

"Defeat is defeat. There's no need to focus so much attention on it," the guy with closed eyes merely shook his head. "I would be an incompetent heir if I went crazy over losing to another Sorcerer... especially a Special Grade."

"He's not special at all," Mai protested. "I've met Special Grade Sorcerers before, and this idiot doesn't measure up to them."

"You've only met Satoru Gojo," a digitized voice emanated from a mechanical doll running from the other side of Noritoshi. "It's the stupidest idea ever to compare Special Grade Sorcerers to Satoru Gojo... I think if the Sorcerer Council weren't afraid to give Satoru Gojo even more influence, they would have created a new rank just for him."

"However, Mai is right," Momo defended her friend. "The cursed energy of this guy is probably the lowest among all Special Grade Sorcerers... I felt like it was one and a half times more than Todo's."

"And his Cursed Technique is not as twisted as Satoru Gojo's Limitless or Ghetto Suguru's Cursed Manipulation," Mai added, feeling the "shoulder support" from Momo.

"Are you in agreement with them?" Noritoshi turned to Mehamaru.

"Sukehiro Yami is indeed not as powerful as other Special Grade Sorcerers. Besides, he caught us off guard with his attack," the mechanical doll mused aloud.

"Usually, after such words, people say 'but...'" noted Miwa.

"But..." two emerald stones, serving as Mehamaru's eyes, strangely gleamed as he glanced at his blue-haired classmate. "The Sorcerer Executive Committee is very adept at setting priorities, so there must be a reason why Sukehiro Yami received so much attention. And also, though it's just a rumor... they say that in 2016, during the fire in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, this guy almost burned down an entire street..."

"Do you believe in rumors?" Mai smirked contemptuously.

"I believe in my feelings... and I have a strong sense that this guy is truly capable of such levels of destruction," Mehamaru replied, not succumbing to provocations. "But that's not the main point," the mechanical doll exchanged glances with Noritoshi.

"Can we stop creating intrigue? It doesn't make you cool," Momo said irritably, rolling her eyes.

"All of this was a trap," Noritoshi replied in a measured tone, ignoring the bitterness in his classmate's voice. "If we hadn't accepted his proposal, by the end of the battle, only three of us, at most, would be standing. In reality, just two from our group."

"But by accepting his proposal, we are playing into the hands of the Tokyo school Sorcerers, meaning we are already operating on their initiative," Mehamaru concluded.

"I don't think so," shook her head the American witch. "He just divided us from Todo. We still outnumber the Tokyo freshmen by two."

"That's why I'm worried. It all seems too carefree on their part..."

Suddenly, the voice of Satoru Gojo echoed around: "Sorry, kids, but I've been thinking, and I've decided you should know - while you're having your little quarrels, one of the Tokyo school students has already exorcised a Curse! What? That's against the rules?! Who came up with these rules anyway? Hey, Utahime, stay out of this! You know nothing about stoking rivalry, so I won't give you the mic! Utahime!"

"They seem to be having fun there," muttered Miwa.

"Let's stick to the plan," suggested Mehamaru. "But I propose splitting into groups."

"Isn't that too much honor for ordinary freshmen? One-on-one is already absurd," Mai expressed her displeasure.

"I'm not saying we should go around in pairs holding hands. Of course, that would be foolish and ineffective. But the Tokyo students have planned something in a way that makes sense for us to be able to come to each other's aid," Mehamaru explained.

"I'll go alone and try to find a Grade Two Curse," Noritoshi said without hesitation.

"Agreed, in that case, there are exactly two pairs left... How about me and Momo, and Miwa with Mai?" the mechanical doll suggested.

"I thought of going with you," Miwa interjected uncertainly.

Mai and Momo silently exchanged glances, then strangely smiled.

"Momo and Mai are long-range focus Sorcerers, it wouldn't be ideal to pair them up," Mehamaru shook his mechanical head.

"That does make sense," Miwa mumbled embarrassedly. However, after a couple of seconds, she clenched her fists tightly and spoke with enthusiasm, even with some naivety, "In that case, I agree with your analysis and will give my all in this battle!"

"After all, we're here to exorcise Curses, right?" Momo hesitantly spoke, watching as her comrades regained their fighting spirit.

***

A bit earlier, at the starting position of the students from the Tokyo Jujutsu High.

"He didn't mention he could do that," Makki muttered, watching the departing red meteor. "Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

Away from the girl, Panda and Toge played "Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"Just so you know, I was the King in 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'," Panda said, paying no attention to the displeased classmate and flexing his wrists.

"Chopped katsuobushi," Toge doubted the truth of that, daringly smirking and extending his hand forward.

"You underestimate animal instincts, buddy! After all, 'National Geographic' said bears have one of the best hunting instincts!" Panda proudly declared.

"It's the predator instinct, but whatever," Makki sighed, watching this pair.

"Tuna mayo," a light laugh escaped Toge in response to Panda's silly mistake.

"I happen to be a hunter," Panda tried to justify himself. "I'm not some wild beast to be a predator."

"Salmon?" Inumaki, surprised, tilted his head slightly.

"Just because I'm not a wild beast doesn't mean I don't have their instincts... After all, I'm Panda."

"Salty caviar," Toge shrugged, unimpressed by his partner's arguments.

"Enough doubts! It's time to start!" Panda shouted, no longer able to tolerate his classmates' provocations.

"Scissors, paper, stone, one, two, three!"

"Salmon, tuna, caviar, tu... na... Mayo!"

"I told you! I am still a bear!" Panda joyfully jumped in place, holding the victorious "scissors."

"And what was the point of all this?" Makki squeezed out notes of interest.

"All for the sake of being the first! First pass!" the healthy guy declared, convinced of his correctness, immediately jumping onto the roof of the nearest building and rushing off somewhere on his bear business.

"He looks more like a raccoon than a bear," Makki shook her head.

"Salmon," Toge agreed with her.

And a few seconds later, the voice of their teacher echoed around: "Sorry, kids, but I've been thinking, and I've decided you should know - while you're having your little quarrels, one of the Tokyo School students has already exorcised a Curse! What? That's against the rules?! Who came up with these rules anyway? Hey, Utahime, stay out of this! You know nothing about stoking rivalry, so I won't give you the mic! Utahime!"

Upon hearing this, Maki became so irritated that wrinkles formed the character of "Fuji" on her forehead.

"Since when do you think you can hide such things from me?"

"Tuna," Toji shook his head negatively.

"I'm just wasting my time," Maki sighed. "It's strange, for the first time, I can't determine what annoys me more: you and your childish behavior or Satoru Gojo and his... childish behavior."

"Okaka."

"Good luck to you too."

***

"You're not allowed to take the microphone!" Utahime exclaimed, snatching the microphone from Satoru's hands and puffing with overflowing indignation.

"Boring..." Satoru just swayed back and forth on his chair, paying no attention to the angry "gremlin" whose glare burned a hole in his skull.

"You have quite cheeky students," the hunched bald old man sitting next to Utahime remarked.

"Director Yoshinobu, don't you know that all is fair in war?" Satoru replied with his trademark irritating smirk.

Yoshinobu Gakuganji was an elderly man with a bald head, a long, thin gray beard, and thick gray eyebrows so long that they hung down froYoshinobu Gakuganji the corners of his eyes. As a representative of the Sorcerer Executive Committee, he was a supporter of conservatism and a strict, unbreakable hierarchy in the Sorcerer society. Therefore, being in the same room with such a rebel and "terrorist of tranquility" like Satoru Gojo triggered an irresistible fit of irritation and anger in him. However, he could restrain it, unlike his junior.

"War? Does that also apply to Hakari Kinji?"

"I don't know. Maybe the guy just had a bad day, so he decided to give that jerk a hard time... Or maybe I told him to do it. Either way, you can't do anything about him or me. Or am I wrong, old man?"

"Indeed, it's a pity," Yoshinobu shook his head, lost in thought, and continued, "It's a shame that back then and even now, this annoying youngster disrupts the natural course of events."

"I completely agree with you. Sukehiro is turning all of you upside down like Mount Fuji," Satoru laughed sincerely at the thought that in this world, someone was annoying the Sorcerers Executive Committee as much as he did... However, his student still had to live to be able to compare himself to him. "Maybe that's why you dislike him so much."

"Lately, you've been getting a bit out of hand, Satoru Gojo. You released Okkotsu Yuta, didn't let us contact Sukehiro Yami, and after that, you even hid Hakari Kinji - a criminal who violated the Sorcerers society's laws! And now this!"

"Maybe you should play some sad melody on the guitar? In that case, I promise, maybe I'll sympathize, and I won't rub salt into the wound."

Yes, the representative of the Great Gojo Clan was quite at odds with the Sorcerers Executive Committee. Well, what can you say? Two lions can't coexist on the same mountain.

"Will you keep bickering like dogs, or will you finally pay attention to something truly interesting?" a mature, alluring voice sounded behind them.

"Hey, Mei Mei, whose side are you on, anyway?" Satoru mockingly protested.

"If I have to choose someone..." Mei Mei paused for a moment. "Then I'll choose the adorable Utahime."

"Eat this!"

"And here I thought you were more into the younger ones," Satoru made a disappointed face.

"I'm more into 'dead presidents,'" Mei Mei instantly replied, making a money gesture with her hand.

"Here we go," their banter was interrupted by the deep commanding voice of Director Yaga.

At that moment, on the screen, the moment when Sukehiro Yami and Aoi Todo rushed towards each other was being shown. It was the beginning of the clash between two monsters, two of the strongest Sorcerers of the new generation, two men!