The next morning, at the gates of Kuoh Private Academy in Osaka City.
Itadori and Fushiguro stood at the entrance, drawing wary glances and hushed whispers from passing students.
Their outfits were… well, weird.
Itadori's pink hair was hidden under a lopsided wig parted eight-to-two, and he sported thick, bottle-bottom glasses, looking every bit the nerdy good boy.
"Why do we have to do this? I saw plenty of kids with colorful hair around here," Itadori grumbled.
Next to him, Fushiguro's spiky hair was slicked back, glossy and neat, though his brows were slightly furrowed. "Just follow orders, Yuji."
"Fine, fine. But where's Nobara? And Okkotsu-senpai? Maki-senpai's not here either?" Itadori's tone was serious, echoing Fushiguro's, but he couldn't help pointing out that their group of five, who were supposed to enroll together this morning, was down to just the two of them.
"No clue. Okkotsu-senpai sent me a message before we got here. Said we should enroll on our own and he'd stay in the shadows, ready to back us up if needed," Fushiguro said, sounding a bit exasperated.
"Hahaha, with Okkotsu looking like some strung-out junkie, they probably rejected his enrollment," Maki's voice cut in from behind.
True to her "Heavenly Tyrant" reputation, Maki stole the show the moment she appeared, drawing the eyes of every female student nearby.
She wore a sleeveless top, her school uniform jacket slung carelessly over her shoulder. Her toned arms weren't overly bulky but still eye-catching, and instead of the typical short skirt, she rocked tight athletic pants that showed off her fit physique. With her short hair and confident swagger, she looked effortlessly cool.
"Uh, Maki-senpai, don't you need a disguise?" Itadori whispered cautiously.
"Disguise? Pfft, that's just Gojo-sensei's bad taste rubbing off on you guys," Maki scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If someone knows who we are, no disguise is gonna fool them. And if they don't, what's the point?"
She glanced at the bracelets on their wrists. "Unlike you two, I don't have cursed energy to hide."
Itadori scratched his head, staring at Maki's athletic pants. "But, senpai, won't the dean chew you out for wearing the uniform like that?"
Maki snorted, tugging the jacket higher on her shoulder. "The dean? Whatever. Worst case, I'll just pull an Okkotsu and hide."
Fushiguro frowned, scanning the surrounding students, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing his bracelet. "We're drawing too much attention. Let's head inside."
"What, we're not waiting for Nobara?" Itadori asked.
"No. We'll contact her once we're in," Fushiguro said, already striding through the gate.
"Wait up!" Itadori hurried after him.
Maki lingered outside, a cold smirk tugging at her lips as she muttered, "Okkotsu, you were right. This school's crawling with some kind of power, and it's definitely not cursed energy."
Her earpiece flickered, and Okkotsu's voice came through. "Yeah, Rika's been warning me since I got close. That's why I'm staying hidden. The energy here is… complicated."
"Hmph. I can't sense cursed energy, but I'm pretty good at picking up on malice. Someone in this school really doesn't want us here," Maki said, her lips curling.
With that, she strode into the school.
---
On a corridor in the main building, a black-haired girl leaned against a window, watching Fushiguro and Itadori enter.
"Newbies, huh? Interesting. They look pretty tough. No Sacred Gear users, but people from another faction? Heh," Rias giggled softly. Oddly, none of the students bustling through the corridor seemed to notice the stunning girl.
In Class 1-B, Nobara was already settled in, chatting up a storm with the girls who'd arrived early.
"Demons? Really?" Nobara gasped, playing the part of a shocked schoolgirl. "That's so scary! Why would a school club study something like that?"
"Oh, it's not just demons," a girl with twin tails waved her hand dismissively. "They research angels, superpowers, all kinds of supernatural stuff."
"But, like, do you guys think Lord Nero's a demon?" a blonde girl suddenly piped up. "I think he is~ Like, a super, super powerful succubus~"
Nobara's brow twitched. "Why would you say that?"
"If Lord Nero isn't a succubus, how come I can't stop swooning over his perfect face every time I see him?~ Ohhh, Lord Nero~ I can't take it, I need to hit the bathroom!" The blonde's face flushed as she stumbled out of the classroom.
"Is she okay?" Nobara asked, eyeing the girl's unsteady steps with concern.
"Oh, her? She's fine, just off to 'dig a ditch,'" a girl with wavy black hair said, waving it off.
"I think she's onto something, though," the twin-tail girl said, dead serious. "Lord Nero's got siren blood too."
"Huh?" Every girl turned to her.
Twin Tails pushed up imaginary glasses, looking wise. "How else do you explain why every song he sings gets a 99% approval rating?"
"Ohhh!" The girls gasped in unison, nodding like she'd cracked the code. The conversation, which started about the Occult Research Club, had now fully derailed into a fanfest about Gaio.
Nobara grinned smugly to herself. Hmph, I see Lord Nero all the time.
---
Outside Class 1-A, Itadori and Fushiguro stood at the door.
"Fushiguro, shouldn't we find a teacher first? Not just barge into the classroom?" Itadori asked, confused. Weren't transfer students supposed to meet with a teacher who'd introduce them to the class?
Fushiguro shook his head. "No, we're here to talk to the students first. See if we can get them to spill anything useful."
Itadori nodded. "Got it! Leave the socializing to me, the people person!" He started toward the classroom when a wave of excited shouts erupted from the next room.
"Wow, Nobara, is this photo for real?!"
"No way! Nobara, you actually hugged Lord Nero's arm?! I'm gonna explode!"
"Nobara, please get me his autograph! I'll give you anything!"
Itadori and Fushiguro exchanged a look, exasperation in their eyes. So Nobara hadn't been late—she'd just beaten them to the school.
As they moved to check out Class 1-B, Nobara emerged, surrounded by a gaggle of girls like she was holding a celebrity meet-and-greet.
"Nobara! Is this photo legit? You really hugged Lord Nero's arm?!"
"I'm losing it! Nobara, let me touch your hand! I need some of that luck!"
"Nobara-sama, I'll trade three years' worth of my allowance for a signed picture of Lord Nero!"
Itadori's mouth twitched, and he whispered, "Fushiguro… what happened to keeping a low profile?"
Fushiguro's face was blank, but a vein pulsed at his temple. "Nobara Kugisaki… you'd better have a good explanation."
Oblivious to their death glares, Nobara tilted her chin proudly. "Oh, this photo? Just a casual snap. Lord Nero's actually super chill~"
"Argh! Nobara, you're so cool!" The girls' screams hit a new pitch.
Itadori facepalmed. "Weren't we here to investigate disappearances? How'd this turn into a fan convention?"
Fushiguro took a deep breath, trying to push through the crowd to drag Nobara out, but he was bumped back by a few girls.
"Wow, this guy's hot! A transfer student?"
"Dark-haired cool guy! Totally my type!"
"The glasses guy's cute too! Like a manga honor student!"
Itadori gave an awkward laugh. "Haha… thanks?"
Fushiguro's face darkened. "…We're screwed."
Nobara finally noticed them and waved cheerily, addressing the crowd. "Oh, by the way, my two friends here? They're super tight with Lord Nero too!"
"WHAT?!" The entire corridor erupted in screams.
Itadori & Fushiguro: … (Internally screaming: Nobara Kugisaki! Are you undercover or just stanning?!)
As the chaos in the hallway reached a fever pitch, the bell rang.
Ding-dong.
The frenzied girls froze, like someone had doused them with cold water.
"Nooo! Already?!"
"Nobara, we'll talk after class!"
"You two guys too, we're coming for you later!"
The crowd scattered, leaving the corridor half-empty in seconds.
Fushiguro grabbed Nobara's arm, his voice low. "Are you here to investigate or to host a fan club?"
Nobara poked her fingers together. "Well, they brought up Lord Nero, and I couldn't help myself…"
Itadori leaned in. "Fushiguro, actually—"
"Shut it." Fushiguro shot him a glare. "Do you two realize we're supposed to—"
"You students over there!" a sharp voice cut them off.
At the end of the corridor, a group of teachers approached, led by a balding man with glasses that glinted ominously. "The bell rang ages ago, and you're still chatting?"
Fushiguro switched to model-student mode instantly. "Sorry, sensei. We'll head to class now."
Nobara stuck out her tongue behind the teacher's back, while Itadori hurriedly fixed his crooked glasses.
The balding teacher squinted. "Transfer students? Which class?"
"Class 1-A," Fushiguro said smoothly.
Nobara raised her hand. "I'm in 1-B!"
"Hmph. Follow me," the teacher said, turning. "Don't you know the rules for transfers? You're supposed to see a teacher first, not just waltz into class. Kids these days…"
The trio followed obediently. Nobara mouthed to Fushiguro behind the teacher's back: "We'll talk later~"
Fushiguro: Vein pulsing.
Itadori: Shaking from suppressed laughter.