Megumi Fushiguro smoothly picked up where his adoptive father had left off, repeating what he had been told about the exchange event.
Strictly speaking, Megumi was not a student of Tokyo Jujutsu High, so he had no right to participate in the competition. However, the exchange event allowed internal Jujutsu Sorcerers of Jujutsu Society to attend as observers. Thanks to his agreement with Satoru Gojo, Megumi had registered well in advance and was able to accompany everyone to Kyoto.
"Besides, I'm pretty curious about the students on Kyoto's side," Megumi added.
"I actually looked into that," Panda said. "Kyoto Jujutsu High has had the upper hand for the past few years. That's why we're going to Kyoto this time."
According to the exchange event rules, the winning school earned the right to host the following year's competition. Since Kyoto had been winning, Tokyo had to make the trip.
"That's only because they have more people," Maki Zenin said, clearly unimpressed.
"Numbers are part of it, but don't underestimate their strength." Panda shook his head. "They won the individual matches last year, and there are two people on their team we should pay special attention to this year."
As the reliable information gatherer of the group, Panda had done his homework.
"The first is Aoi Todo. He's a direct disciple of Yuki Tsukumo, one of the Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers. He's already reached the point where he only needs his final evaluation to become a provisional Grade One Jujutsu Sorcerer. What's interesting is that he rarely uses his Cursed Technique in battle, so there's almost no information about what it does."
"Oh?" Maki's interest immediately rose. "So Kyoto isn't completely full of trash after all. And the second one? Let me guess, that heir from the Kamo Clan?"
"That's right. Noritoshi Kamo." Panda nodded. "Just like Megumi, he inherited the signature Cursed Technique of one of the Three Great Clans. He's also a Grade Two Jujutsu Sorcerer, the same rank as Toge."
"Blood Manipulation, huh?" Maki thought for a moment.
The Kamo Clan's inherited Cursed Technique allowed its user to control blood. It could be used for close combat, ranged attacks, defense, and various other purposes. In terms of versatility, it was one of the most balanced Cursed Techniques among the Three Great Clans.
"If you get the chance, why not challenge him?" Panda suggested. "Before you achieve your goal, using a future head of one of the Three Great Clans as practice doesn't sound bad."
"We'll see when the time comes," Maki replied.
That answer surprised Panda.
Normally, Maki would have jumped at the opportunity. She had never been the type to avoid a fight, especially against someone from the Three Great Clans. Yet this time, she had actually held back.
Panda leaned closer and looked at her suspiciously.
"What's wrong with you? Did you eat something bad?"
"Mustard leaf?" Toge Inumaki also turned toward her, apparently asking whether she was feeling alright.
"No! You idiots!" Maki snapped, shooting them both a disgusted look.
She then glanced toward Akira, who was sitting behind them.
Having grown up in the Zenin Clan, Maki knew more about the Three Great Clans than most people. She had also spent enough time around Akira to notice certain things about his family.
There was something familiar about the mother and son of the Ake Clan. Their circumstances, their history, and some of the things she had learned from Akira made her suspect that they had a connection to the Kamo Clan.
If her guess was correct, then there was probably a grudge involved.
And if that was the case, she had no intention of interfering.
Akira had taken care of her plenty of times. If he had his own problems with the Kamo Clan, then he should be the one to settle them. That was how Maki saw it.
While she was thinking about this, Panda suddenly spoke again.
"Alright, the idiot is out too. Since you're not an idiot, I guess you lose."
"Huh?"
Maki froze.
Only then did she remember what they were doing.
Throughout their conversation, the game of Old Maid had never stopped. Cards had continued changing hands while everyone discussed the exchange event.
Gardevoir and Rika Orimoto, both newcomers to the game, had already finished their rounds. Toge Inumaki and Megumi Fushiguro had also managed to get rid of their cards one after another.
In the end, only Panda and Maki remained.
A classic one-on-one showdown.
Unfortunately, Maki had been too distracted to notice what was happening.
Panda reached out, drew the final card from her hand, and calmly placed his completed pair on the table.
The game was over.
"Your expressions are way too easy to read," Panda said, sounding like an experienced senior giving advice. "You should be more careful about that in actual combat too."
He then added the finishing blow.
"Anyway, lunch is on you today."
"You..."
Maki stared at the cards in disbelief.
Losing a simple game of Old Maid was already annoying enough. Losing to Panda after being lectured by him made it even worse.
Bang!
She slammed the remaining Old Maid onto the table.
Her mood had completely collapsed.
Unfortunately for Maki, her bad luck that day was far from over.
After enduring the rest of the journey, the Shinkansen finally arrived at Kyoto Station. Everyone hurried out of the train car, glad to leave the unlucky game behind.
Maki had barely taken a breath when a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Well, well. Look who it is. The runaway dead last."
The voice was full of contempt.
Maki stopped walking.
Standing a short distance away was a young girl who looked almost exactly like her.
She was fifteen years old, the same age as Maki, and the two shared nearly identical facial features and builds. Anyone seeing them together would immediately realize that they were related.
However, their appearances also had several obvious differences.
Maki wore her long hair tied into a single ponytail. She rarely bothered with makeup and preferred to keep herself clean and neat rather than spend time dressing up.
The girl in front of her was different.
Her hair was cut short, ending around her ears. She had clearly put more effort into her appearance, giving her the fashionable look of an ordinary Japanese high school girl.
What stood out most was her uniform.
Instead of wearing the standard loose-fitting school uniform, she had altered it into a sleeveless, fitted long dress. A slit ran along the right side, and she paired it with dark high heels that emphasized her figure.
Judging by appearances alone, the girl would probably leave a stronger first impression than Maki. After all, most people tended to judge others by what they saw first.
Of course, that impression would change as soon as she opened her mouth.
Her sharp tone was almost identical to Maki's. Both sisters had a talent for saying exactly what would annoy the other person.
When it came to talking back, this girl was practically a Minefield Dance King.
"Who's that?" someone asked.
"Wait, are they sisters?"
The other students who had just stepped off the train began looking between the two girls.
Maki gave a short snort before answering.
"My younger sister, Mai."
She looked the girl up and down, then frowned.
"What are you doing here? And what's with that uniform?"
"What? Doesn't it look good?"
Mai Zenin raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her outfit.
"I altered it myself. It fits pretty well, doesn't it? Besides, Tokyo Jujutsu High doesn't even have a proper summer uniform."
That was true.
Tokyo Jujutsu High generally provided students with uniform jackets and track pants. There were plenty of spare sets available, so replacing worn-out clothing was never an issue.
As for why the school had never bothered introducing a summer uniform, Akira had his own guess.
It probably had something to do with the work of a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Unlike ordinary students, sorcerers regularly fought Cursed Spirits and entered dangerous environments. Their uniforms needed to provide at least some protection. Making the clothing thinner and lighter for summer would only increase the chances of accidents.
Of course, that was just Akira's personal speculation.
"That's not what I'm asking," Maki said, her frown deepening.
She had not seen Mai for several months.
Under normal circumstances, meeting her younger sister again should have been a happy occasion. Yet from the moment Mai opened her mouth, something had felt wrong.
This was completely different from the little sister Maki remembered, the one who used to follow her everywhere and call her name at every opportunity.
"Maki! Maki!"
That familiar voice from the past was still fresh in her memory.
So why was Mai acting like this now?
"I know what you're asking."
Mai seemed to have guessed her thoughts.
"You want to know why I'm wearing this uniform, right? It's simple."
She straightened her back and smiled.
"Because I'm a student of Jujutsu High too. First year, Kyoto Jujutsu High. Mai Zenin."
Then, turning toward the others, she introduced herself with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you, everyone from Tokyo Jujutsu High."
As she spoke, Mai even threw them a playful wink.
The movement was so natural that it was obvious she knew how to use her appearance to her advantage. Compared with Maki, who had never cared much about that sort of thing, Mai was clearly far more experienced at acting charming.
Unfortunately, this was exactly the kind of behavior Maki disliked.
"Mai."
Her voice turned cold.
Anyone familiar with Maki could tell that her temper was beginning to rise.
Before she could say anything else, however, someone lightly patted her shoulder.
It was Akira.
"We're at Kyoto Station, not Tokyo Jujutsu High," he reminded her.
Then he looked toward Mai.
"And I doubt you came all this way just to see your sister, right?"
Maki paused.
"...Right."
After hearing Akira's words, she quickly suppressed her irritation. Her expression settled, and she stopped herself from arguing further.
It was a small exchange that lasted only a few seconds.
However, Mai noticed everything.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Something was wrong.
Since when had her older sister become so easy to persuade?
The Maki Zenin in Mai's memory was anything but obedient.
Even while living at the bottom of the Zenin Clan, Maki had never lowered her head to anyone.
The clan head, the elders, and even those who had inherited powerful Cursed Techniques could not make her feel inferior.
If someone ordered her around, she would argue back.
If someone deliberately provoked her, she would respond with her fists.
No matter how badly she was beaten, she never complained. As long as her body could still move, she would get up and continue fighting.
Even their father, a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, had been unable to make her listen.
In the end, Maki had gone so far as to leave the Zenin Clan altogether.
That was the older sister Mai knew.
Proud, stubborn, and unwilling to compromise.
Yet just now, a few simple words from a boy had been enough to calm her down.
Mai found it hard to believe.
She glanced at Akira again, then back at Maki.
Since when did she start listening to a man like that?
For some reason, the thought made her uncomfortable.
Mai could not quite explain why, but seeing her sister respond so easily to someone else left a strange feeling in her chest.
She crossed her arms and raised her chin.
"Of course I didn't come here just to see you. Why would I go out of my way to visit a dead last?"
She let out a short laugh.
"If someone like you can get into Tokyo Jujutsu High, why can't I get into Kyoto Jujutsu High?"
Maki's lips moved.
She almost replied immediately.
After all, neither of them had much room to look down on the other.
Maki lacked Cursed Energy, while Mai's ability was limited to pouring Cursed Energy into objects. From the perspective of the Zenin Clan, neither was particularly impressive.
But just as the words were about to leave her mouth, Maki stopped.
She suddenly remembered Akira.
This was someone who had taken the basic skills of Jujutsu Sorcerers, techniques that most people considered common knowledge, and developed them into something completely different.
After spending so much time around him, Maki had gradually come to understand something.
Judging a sorcerer's worth solely by their inherited Cursed Technique or the amount of Cursed Energy they possessed was far too narrow-minded.
Wasn't that exactly how the Zenin Clan judged people?
If she mocked Mai for her weak abilities, how would she be any different from those rotten conservatives she hated so much?
Maki swallowed the words she had been about to say.
She could argue with Mai about plenty of things, but she refused to repeat the same attitude that had made their lives miserable in the Zenin Clan.
And so, for once, Maki Zenin chose to remain silent.
Mai noticed that too.
Her expression changed slightly.
She had deliberately provoked Maki, fully expecting her older sister to snap back. That was how their arguments had always worked.
Yet Maki had actually held herself back twice in a row.
Before Mai could figure out what was going on, another voice suddenly joined the conversation.
"Isn't it because you want to catch up to your sister and don't want to be left behind?"
"!"
Mai's expression froze.