“At that point, they will of course learn fear and compromise. Their power will no longer be enough to maintain their former stability, so they will settle for a lesser one. That’s what people call not crying until they see the coffin. No, the fact that you can stand here now means the Zenin Clan left a line open. Otherwise, unless Satoru Gojo came to snatch you personally, you would never have had the chance to leave.”

  “So that was the head’s so-called trial?”

  Maki Zenin recalled the moment last year, just before she announced she was leaving the family. At the time, she had already prepared to fight her way out at any cost. She never expected Naobito to simply say, “I will give you a corresponding trial,” and let her go.

  She had always thought it was just empty words, but it turned out to be a setup for future possibilities. If she were to return to the Zenin Clan in an overwhelming display of strength, and the old matters were brought up again, it would be hard for her not to waver, and impossible to push things to the absolute end.

  “That old man, I thought his head was full of alcohol.”

  “Anyone who can become head of the family is not stupid. Underestimate them, and you’ll suffer.”

  Akira spoke patiently. Whether it was favoritism or shared experience, among everyone, he had indeed put the most thought into Maki Zenin.

  Maki Zenin thought for a moment, then nodded. “If the Conservative Faction were all fools, how could they have survived ten years without being dealt with by Satoru Gojo? Wait, according to what you said, why would Satoru Gojo do that?”

  As head of the Gojo Clan, he already stood at the peak of the Jujutsu World and was the greatest beneficiary.

  “Because what I just described is a trait of humanity as a whole, not every individual. In human history, there are always some who go their own way. Maybe it’s because the heights are too lonely, maybe it’s foresight or a mind that goes beyond worldly limits, or maybe they’re simply bored.

  Most importantly, Satoru Gojo is strong enough, strong enough that no matter how things change, he can ensure his own stability. Remember this, Makoto: reason always exists within the range of the cannon.”

  “I get it. If it’s like this for me, it’s even more so for Yuta.” With Akira’s guidance, things she had never understood before suddenly became clear. “But if Rika Orimoto completely loses control… Satoru Gojo?”

  “Correct.” Akira smiled slightly. Maki Zenin was straightforward, not stupid. “Satoru Gojo values the development of the Jujutsu World and won’t let young people die for nothing. Even setting that aside, he can’t ignore his own students. If he did, his reputation would be ruined.

  Besides that, Satoru Gojo has a bottom line. He needs a system that operates normally to exorcise Cursed Spirit and keep civilian casualties from growing into bigger disasters. As long as the Jujutsu Society remains the maintainer of order, the Conservative Faction does not fear retaliation from Satoru Gojo.”

  “Every strike hits the weak spot, and you can’t even fight back. That’s suffocating,” Maki Zenin said. Just thinking about it made her teeth ache.

  “Because despite how he looks, Satoru Gojo is actually a good person at heart. Good people follow rules more than bad people, and in this world, those who know how to break rules often live better.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Of course, this is my worst-case guess. The Conservative Faction may not go that far, especially since many students have unusual backgrounds. But the direction of their thinking is the same. For example, forcing Yuta to break restraints to embarrass both him and Satoru Gojo, weaken their credibility, apply greater pressure, and further reinforce the idea that Yuta Okkotsu should be executed.

  One fast, one slow, but the destination is the same.”

  “That kind of thing doesn’t matter. No matter what they plan, what we do won’t change. We will crush all conspiracies together with the Kyoto delegation. If I’m not wrong, you didn’t let Yuta go alone just for its own sake. It was that one best at hiding, Darkrai, right?”

  When it came to combat, Maki Zenin was always sharp.

  Akira chuckled and said nothing.

  He was pleased with Maki Zenin’s growth and trust, and it was also a show of confidence. He had already figured out their moves, so how could he let them succeed? Even if Yoshinobu Gakuganji showed mercy and only wanted a match without other tricks, he was not afraid. His formation was the most orthodox one, focused on stability.

  With superior strength on their side, there was no need to take risky moves.

  “Oh? That was fast.”

  “The first fish has bitten.”

  A man and a woman moving together both looked up.

  At the edge of their vision, Momo Nishimiya was flying low on a broom, full of a Hogwarts-like style. Unfortunately, in the Jujutsu World where cover was plentiful and flight was rare, this method was far too eye-catching.

  “Fall.”

  A single word filled with force was transmitted directly into the girl’s ear amid crackling electric noise.

  “Damn.” By the time she realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

  The broom and the girl lost lift together and fell downward.

  Kyoto Jujutsu High School Second-Year Student, Momo Nishimiya.

  Her level as a Jujutsu Sorcerer was unclear, but judging from the amount of Cursed Energy, it fell between Grade Three and Grade Two. Her Cursed Technique was called Tool Manipulation, which worked by controlling objects with a spirit to produce various effects. The technique was flexible but had many limits, since objects that could become such tools were rare.

  In other words, most of Momo Nishimiya’s strength depended on the broom under her, and her own combat ability was not strong. When Toge Inumaki suddenly shouted at her, she lost balance at once and flipped straight down. At that moment, she had only one thought, that her face was done for.

  She was not flying very high, but the shout disrupted the flow of her Cursed Energy, leaving her unable to adjust her Cursed Technique. She could only use Cursed Energy to barely protect her body as she fell. Unfortunately, she had little talent in this area, so the result was only passable.

  She thought that if only she had learned earlier from Noritoshi Kamo, things might be different. Scars were a woman’s greatest enemy. Just as her face was about to hit the ground, a soft black and white ball shot out of the woods and appeared beneath her, catching her in time.

  “Hello there, Nishimiya.”

  “Th-thank you, Panda.” Momo Nishimiya thanked him right away, since he had saved her face.

  “No need to thank me. We already took this area, so for your safety, could you please leave the field now?”

  Panda’s round eyes and mouth looked honest enough, but to Momo Nishimiya they seemed like a frightening black and white beast. Just moments ago, she had thought he was cute. As she was about to speak, another round black and white head popped up on Panda’s shoulder, glaring at her while holding a low-level Cursed Spirit shaped like a spider about twenty centimeters long.

  The other paw swung hard, and the Cursed Spirit vanished in an instant, as if it were a warning. Panda turned his head and said, “You found one already. As expected of my little brother.” “Pan pan,” Pancham laughed proudly, looking even cuter.

  Momo Nishimiya did not dare think anything extra anymore. The little one looked adorable, but its attacks showed no mercy, and a hit from those claws would leave holes in her body. “I surrender,” she said, raising her hand in a clumsy salute.

  “Salmon Roe.”

  Toge Inumaki also walked out of the woods, cheering as he high-fived the Panda brothers. A foldable loudspeaker was clipped to his belt, and its amplification was how Momo Nishimiya had heard Cursed Speech in midair. There was no need to worry about friendly fire, since Toge Inumaki could now direct force and Cursed Energy precisely, leaving Panda and Pancham completely unaffected.