"Ahem, let me introduce you. This is your new physical education teacher, Toji. He'll be in charge of your hand-to-hand combat training."
On the podium, Masamichi led a clearly reluctant Toji into the classroom.
Satoru had brought Toji to the Gojo Family before Jujutsu Headquarters could apprehend him.
That's right, he literally carried him over.
After that, Toji was detained for several days.
He didn't attempt to escape.
During the battle with Satoru, Toji had already realized the vast gap in their strength. He knew there was no point in running.
At least until he found a new move that could counter Satoru, he had no intention of fleeing.
A few days later, someone from the Gojo Family delivered him an employment notice.
From that person, Toji learned what had happened recently.
Because Satoru and Eichi, among others, testified that Toji had been acting as their undercover agent on the Curse User side, and that the failure of Tengen's assimilation with the star plasma vessel had nothing to do with him.
In fact, the new star plasma vessel had already arrived at the Tombs of the Star the following day, but Tengen himself refused the assimilation.
Therefore, Toji bore no responsibility.
Once the matter was concluded, Eichi and the other two immediately found Yaga to submit Toji's application as a new instructor.
And just like that, Toji, fresh out of confinement, became a teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Clap, clap, clap.
On the training field at Tokyo Jujutsu High, Artoria and Toji were sparring with wooden swords.
Artoria's movements were broad and sweeping, yet flawless in execution.
Toji had underestimated her at first due to her petite size, but after just a few exchanges, she nearly knocked the wooden sword out of his hands.
Only then did Toji begin to take the match seriously.
Whoosh. Thwack.
Toji gripped the sword with both hands and used his size advantage to deliver a heavy downward slash toward Artoria.
Artoria raised her wooden sword, parrying the strike while subtly shifting her body.
Toji's sword slid downward with tremendous force.
Artoria took advantage of the momentum, spinning and slashing toward his waist.
Toji kicked off the ground and leapt back, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Artoria stepped forward quickly, thrusting her sword at his chest.
Toji swung his sword horizontally to block, then used his longer reach to press forward with a fierce series of attacks.
Relying on his arm length, Toji managed to gain the upper hand for a moment.
However, Artoria didn't reveal a single opening under the pressure.
Block, parry, deflect... Each of Toji's blows was precisely countered by her.
'This one... what insane combat experience.'
Toji, who usually only paid attention to match videos and ignored everything else, didn't care about Artoria's true identity.
He only knew she was another Heroic Spirit. As for which one or what her abilities were, he didn't bother to learn.
Toji raised his wooden sword and swung down again, as if cleaving a mountain in half.
But this time, Artoria didn't parry as she had before.
Whoosh.
Their wooden swords collided, but Artoria twisted her wrist mid-swing, pressing down on Toji's sword.
Tap.
Artoria stepped on his wooden sword, sliding her own blade along it toward his hands.
Toji had no choice but to let go, and Artoria seized the chance to aim a slash at his neck.
Toji dropped backward, caught himself with his hands, and performed several backflips to create distance.
"Interesting. What's your name?"
Toji hadn't expected someone besides Satoru and the other three to make him feel this excited.
"You may call me Saber."
Artoria gently kicked the wooden sword back toward him.
"So I was underestimated after all."
Toji grinned, revealing a dangerous, beast-like smile.
They immediately resumed the fight.
"They're still going. Saber is amazing."
Shoko commented as she returned.
She had wandered off to a vending machine after losing interest in hand-to-hand combat.
"Super sweet lychee soda, coffee, and green tea."
Shoko distributed the drinks she had gathered in her clothes to Eichi and the others.
"What's the situation now?"
She asked, cracking open a can of beer.
As one of the only two girls in their year, she was both powerful and petite, with a cute appearance.
Shoko was very fond of Artoria.
"Hmm, it's about even... oh, he's kicking sand now. How low."
At that moment, Toji kicked the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Artoria crouched slightly and shielded her eyes with her arm.
Her ahoge suddenly stood up.
Then she turned, holding her wooden sword horizontally in front of her.
Toji kicked Artoria's sword.
Crack.
The wooden sword broke.
Artoria dodged his follow-up and returned a strong kick to his side.
After all, they were just ordinary wooden swords. The fact that theirs had lasted so long only proved their skill.
"Go, Saber! Kick that gorilla away!"
Satoru was already cheering on the sidelines.
"Incredible. She can go toe-to-toe with that gorilla."
Shoko casually used the nickname "gorilla" for Toji.
"Ria is a king who commands the battlefield and can turn anything into a weapon."
Toji had the strongest physical prowess and was indeed a powerhouse in close combat.
But Artoria possessed the Bloodline of the Dragon, giving her physical strength far beyond that of ordinary people.
Combined with her refined combat instincts and exceptional intuition...
If it were a true life-and-death battle, Toji wouldn't be able to defeat her.
After all, his victory against Satoru had relied on attrition and surprise.
But against someone like Artoria, whose intuition was off the charts, surprise attacks had little chance of working.
Soon, the spar ended, with both sides stopping at an appropriate point.
"You already have your own complete fighting style. There's nothing I can teach you."
Toji scratched his head. He had initially thought about taking out his frustration on the students of Tokyo Jujutsu High, but reality showed this group were all monsters.
His gaze shifted to Shoko.
She was the only one among the five whose combat strength he had yet to gauge.
"Nope, I'm a non-combatant."
Shoko immediately raised both hands and made an X in front of her chest.
"That leaves the three of you."
Toji looked at Eichi and the other two.
The three of them stared at him with ill intent.
The clouds drifted by, casting shadows over the field.
In the darkness, the three stood with distorted silhouettes, resembling the eerie debut of the Three Brothers of the Moon. The oppressive atmosphere around them was palpable.
They were nothing like Artoria, who upheld the Way of Chivalry.
So, after being "greeted" thoroughly by the trio, Toji returned home with a face full of bruises.
He had to go back. Because before bringing him to Tokyo Jujutsu High, Satoru had warned:
"You're a teacher here now, so you better act like one. Otherwise..."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)