The first day of the exchange event's team battle concluded with the Tokyo students' victory.
Yuji Itadori had kept Aoi Todo occupied, Megumi Fushiguro defeated Noritoshi Kamo, and Nobara Kugisaki, after defeating Kasumi Miwa, also managed to restrain Momo Nishimiya.
Maki, having defeated Mai, quickly returned to the battlefield.
With one move, she took down Momo Nishimiya.
Another strike knocked out Aoi Todo.
Kokichi Muta, too, chose to surrender.
All six Kyoto students had been completely defeated.
Not long after, Toge Inumaki and Panda also reported the good news of successfully hunting a Grade 2 cursed spirit, securing Tokyo's overwhelming victory in the team battle.
Throughout the fight, the students couldn't help but notice the earth-shattering commotion outside the forest, especially toward the mountains—it felt like an earthquake.
But soon, bronze birds descended from the sky.
"Leave all problems to the teachers! Just focus on performing well here!"
Trusting in their teachers, the students completed the team battle.
Only after the match ended did they learn what had happened while they were fighting.
Turns out, the outside world had been just as chaotic.
In an empty classroom of an unused building at Jujutsu High, the remaining Kyoto students gathered.
The atmosphere was unbearably heavy.
They had come to Tokyo, only to lose their principal.
One of their own had been colluding with cursed spirits all along.
The entire school had been turned upside down in an instant.
"Um... what will happen to Kokichi?"
Amid the oppressive silence, Kasumi Miwa mustered her courage and hesitantly asked the others.
"How should I know?! That's up to the higher-ups' judgment!"
Utahime Iori's expression was as dark as a black hole, making Kasumi immediately avert her gaze after a single glance.
"It likely depends on two things: how much damage the intel he provided to the enemy has caused the jujutsu world, and how valuable the enemy intel he's willing to disclose now is."
Noritoshi Kamo analyzed the situation, his expression grim.
With the Kamo family losing Gakuganji, the conservative faction's leader, they were left without a backbone. He was worried about his family, but as the current head was still in charge, there was little he could do.
"If the damage he caused is minimal and the intel he provides is highly valuable, the higher-ups might just imprison him for a while..."
But if the harm was severe and the intel useless...
The higher-ups had the authority to involve the Prime Minister and have him sign a death warrant.
Executions in Japan were exceedingly rare, practically nonexistent.
That was because every execution in Japan required the Prime Minister's personal approval.
With the jujutsu world critically short on personnel, every sorcerer was precious, and executions were seldom carried out. But if the higher-ups were truly enraged, a death sentence was not impossible.
"...In any case, this isn't something we can decide."
Mai's face remained cold as she jumped down from the desk.
"I have things to do, so I'll take my leave. I suggest you all stop wasting time discussing useless matters."
With those words,
Without waiting for the calls from those behind her, she walked out of the classroom on her own, leaving without looking back.
The Kyoto students exchanged glances, falling into unanimous silence.
Just as Mai had said.
No matter what they thought, the decisions of the higher-ups weren't something they could change.
Even the Three Great Families were essentially subordinates to the higher-ups—they might have influence, but no participation rights, let alone decision-making power.
All they could do was pray that Mechamaru hadn't caused too great a tragedy.
And hope that Principal Gakuganji could rest in peace in the afterlife.
In another school building.
Unlike the Kyoto students, the atmosphere among the Tokyo students was much more relaxed.
"Who would've thought even Kyoto's principal died!"
"He was a veteran first-grade sorcerer with decades of experience, right? Just how terrifying were the invading enemies?"
"Thank goodness Roy-sensei and the others drove them back!"
Yuji and the other five who participated in the team event huddled together, discussing in low voices, filling the small classroom with noise.
Since Gakuganji Yoshinobu had wanted to kill Yuji Itadori, they naturally held no fondness for him. His death didn't bring them any grief.
Yet they couldn't help feeling the chill of shared peril—if even someone like Gakuganji had died in this invasion, what if such enemies had broken into their competition area...
The consequences would be unthinkable!
BANG!
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open.
Masamichi Yaga walked in from outside.
He stepped onto the podium, his expression as stern and unyielding as ever.
"...The individual matches of the exchange event are canceled."
"Canceled?"
"Well, after what just happened, it can't be helped..."
"Even Kyoto's principal died..."
The students exchanged glances briefly before the room quickly grew noisy again.
"This year's exchange event will be considered Tokyo's victory. Tomorrow, you're free to rest."
Having said this, Yaga turned and left the classroom.
He had come only to deliver this message.
As he exited the classroom and entered the school building's lobby, he paused.
There stood Mei Mei, her long white ponytail tied at the front of her head, bending over to retrieve an iced drink from the vending machine—her graceful posture and voluptuous curves on full display.
Yaga intended to walk past her.
"Don't you have anything to say, Principal Yaga?"
Mei Mei pulled the tab off her canned drink, blocking Yaga's path.
Behind her hair, her face wore an inscrutable smile.
"...What do you want me to say, Mei Mei?"
After a moment of silence, Yaga asked coldly.
The aura around him remained as impenetrable as ever—like a lake under nightfall, making it hard to discern his true thoughts.
"Oh, many things! For instance, your thoughts on Principal Gakuganji's death..."
With a faint smile, Mei Mei turned and sat on a nearby bench, crossing her long legs.
The setting sun streamed through the window, bathing the entire lobby in golden light.
"Since you've chosen the path of a jujutsu sorcerer, sudden death is just a matter of time."
"That's such a you answer."
Mei Mei shrugged nonchalantly, smiling slightly, not minding his evasive response.
"Now, about the news regarding Gojo Satoru... isn't it about time you admitted it?"
"Who paid you to ask this time?"
"No one paid me. I'm asking out of my own curiosity."
Mei Mei spread her hands, adopting an expression that was both playful and deadly serious—making it clear she wasn't joking.
"You know as well as I do how significant Gojo Satoru is to this country—no, to the entire world. If he's gone, the entire order of Japan's jujutsu society will collapse! For me, it's the same—specifically, it's a matter of when to sell off my assets in Japan and flee overseas."
"It's not certain that Japan's order will collapse."
Yaga Masamichi remained impassive.
Mei Mei, however, laughed.
"So you're admitting Gojo is gone?"
"I'm merely answering your hypothetical question."
"Honestly, Principal Yaga, you're as stubborn as ever."
Seeing Yaga's unyielding expression, Mei Mei could only sigh in resignation.
She had once studied at Jujutsu High too, and Yaga had been her teacher.
She couldn't bring herself to speak too harshly to him.
"Then let's change the subject. This is just my speculation—but why did you rush to recruit Roy into Jujutsu High before the higher-ups could decide whether to approach him or not?"
Mei Mei shifted the topic, a hidden intent and probing look faintly visible beneath her hair.
"Gojo's last known contact was in March, and you recruited Roy in April—exactly one month after Gojo went missing."
"Had you already sensed something was wrong by then...? No, as Gojo's teacher, it's impossible for you to lose contact with him. You should have been the first to realize something might have happened to him."
"Even an outsider like me knows what Gojo's disappearance would mean. You understand even better—especially since you stand on the same side as Gojo and the Gojo clan. You know full well that once news of his disappearance gets out, Jujutsu High and the Gojo clan will immediately be dragged into a power struggle, possibly even torn apart with heavy casualties."
"In that situation, you spent a month in panic, unsure what to do—until one day, you learned of a sorcerer named Roy, who could defeat three Special Grade curses head-on... Let me guess. To have Roy replace Gojo as the pillar of the Gojo faction, you immediately stepped forward to invite him into Jujutsu High?"
Yaga's expression remained unchanged.
Only his jaw tightened slightly.
An unconscious clench of his teeth.
Noticing this subtle reaction, Mei Mei grew even more certain of her speculation.
"It was a gamble, but desperate times call for desperate measures... That must have been your mindset when you invited him. But the results proved your judgment was as sharp as ever—Special Grade Roy certainly didn't disappoint you."
"Have you considered," Mei Mei gulped down her drink in one go and let out a satisfied sigh, "that after such a major incident at Jujutsu High—even Principal Gakuganji being killed by an unknown curse user—when Gojo Satoru still hasn't shown up, what will the jujutsu world think?"
She stood up and tossed the empty can into the trash bin.
"I don't want to rain on your parade, Principal Yaga, but after this, the news about Gojo Satoru's disappearance probably can't be kept under wraps any longer. The Japanese jujutsu world is about to undergo a massive upheaval!"
"Although Special Grade Roy is strong, he doesn't have Gojo Satoru's invincible reputation yet. He can't suppress all enemies!"
Gojo Satoru's invincible reputation was built over ten years of accumulation.
Though Roy is undoubtedly powerful, he's only been part of Japan's jujutsu society for five months.
If he wants to establish his own invincible reputation, he'll have to step over the corpse of the previous invincible one.
"Whew..."
Masamichi Yaga let out a long breath.
At this moment, he finally dropped his facade.
He understood that the news of Gojo Satoru's disappearance couldn't be kept secret forever.
Especially after this invasion of Jujutsu High by curse users, the entire jujutsu world would likely start questioning Gojo's whereabouts.
The secret couldn't be contained any longer.
Fortunately, there was Roy holding the fort.
At least their faction wouldn't collapse immediately.
"But that's not all."
Yaga removed his sunglasses, rubbing his temples as he sat down wearily in his chair.
"Geto has returned too. The battle in the back mountains was caused by him..."
"What did you say?!"
This time it was Mei Mei whose expression changed dramatically, her normally steady voice rising sharply.
"Geto... wasn't he already dead? Did Gojo Satoru not kill him? Wait, could Gojo's disappearance mean he ran away with Geto Suguru?"
"...You should watch your words. That's absolutely impossible."
"Fine. But where is our reliable Special Grade Roy right now?"
"He went to the Star Tomb."
Yaga paused briefly.
"Master Tengen wanted to meet him. I just sent him in, they should be talking now."