A month had passed since the incident with the principal. I stood outside the front of the school with the rest of the first years, and the second years. Nobara came walking up to us with a bag over her shoulder, and a suitcase behind her.
"Wait. Where's all of your guy's stuff? Aren't we traveling today?" She asked,
"What do you mean?" Maki asked.
"The exchange event in Kyoto." Nobara responded.
"Yes. The exchange event with our sister school in Kyoto, here in Tokyo. The last year's winner always hosts the next one." Panda explained.
"Why did you go and win it?" Nobara complained while holding Panda up by his fur.
"We weren't there. Okkotsu was only there since they were short a person."
"Yeah, and that was before Rika was free. I heard it was an overwhelming victory, but I didn't get to see it since it was in Kyoto." Maki told her.
'Okkotsu? Are they talking about Yuta? And, who is Rika?' I thought.
"Damn you Okkotsu! I'll never forgive you, even though I have never met you!" Nobara shouted from the top of her lungs.
"Man, these first years sure are loud." I looked over to see where the voice came from. I saw the Kyoto students, and their teacher walk up the stairs towards us. The teacher had long, black hair, had a scar covering up most of her face, and was wearing a white kimono. There was a girl with short hair that was the same color as Maki's, and looked like she was looking down on us. There was a short blonde girl, who was carrying a broom. There was a tall, muscular guy asking about Okkotsu, a guy walking around with his eyes closed, which couldn't be safe, a robot in their school uniform, and Miwa. Everyone started introducing themselves, the girl Named Mai, exchanged sly remarks with Maki and Nobara, and I thought a fight would break out right there. The robot started talking, which pissed me off, and the two principals of our schools showed up. Miwa noticed me, then smiled and waved at me. We texted every now and again since we met. We mainly talked about daily life at our schools, and about how she didn't feel like she really fit in at hers. Though, our last conversation was her asking for a picture when I told her I was training with Gojo last week,
"We're all here now. Where is that idiot?" The Kyoto teacher asked with a scowl.
"Gojo is running late, as usual." Maki responded.
"Well, no one specifically said idiot was referring to Gojo." Megumi chimed in.
"Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late!" I heard Gojo yell as he was pushing a cart with a container on it in front of him as he ran.
"I just got back from a long trip overseas, and I have souvenirs for everyone!" Gojo explained.
'What do you mean a long trip? We were training together yesterday.' I thought as he handed the souvenirs to the Kyoto students. Most of them didn't care, but Miwa's eyes lit up.
"And for the Tokyo peeps, I have this!" Gojo gestured towards the box.
"It's creepy when adults get excited." Nobara told him. Just then, the lid on top of the box swung open, and a boy with pink hair jumped out.
"O.P.P." The boy shouted while doing some kind of weird pose.
"It's your long dead friend, Yuji Itadori!" Gojo cheered. I looked over to see a look of shock and horrification on Nobara and Megumi's faces.
"Sukuna's vessel lives?" I heard the Kyoto principal shout. Then, Gojo walked up to him while laughing to himself.
'What is going on?' I thought while everyone was going crazy over one thing or another.
Ten minutes later, the Tokyo students, now including Yuji Itadori, went to our assigned room before the event started.
"Hey guys. Depending on how you look at it, this could be seen as an extreme form of bullying." Yuji said, while holding up a picture frame over his face, making it look like a funeral portrait.
"Shut up! Nobody asked you." Nobara snapped at him.
"Now, you heard his explanation. Cut him some slack." Panda told her.
"Is that a talking panda?" Yuji asked with amazement.
"Panda is a cursed corpse, so he's not a regular panda. Then, there's Toge Inumaki, who is a cursed speech user. He amplifies his communication with cursed energy. He speaks in rice ball ingredients to protect himself, and his friends." Megumi explained.
"So, if he tells someone to die, they'd fall over dead? Cool." Yuji responded.
"Tuna mayo."
"Over here, are the two first years that joined while you were gone. Usagi Madoka, and Fukoru Hayashi. Usagi can manipulate shadows, while Fukoru can summon cursed weapons, and run really fast with cursed energy, but he's unable to talk at all, while Usagi never shuts up. Fukoru can only communicate through text and sign language." Megumi introduced us while Usagi threw her bento box at him, still containing her lunch.
"Wait. Does that mean you all know sign language?" Yuji asked.
"Gojo has been making us take classes. Some of us have been learning faster than others." Megumi explained, and all eyes in the room fell upon Usagi, who was too distracted by the fact that she didn't have any lunch to eat anymore.
"Yeah, I guess you have been falling behind a little bit, Weezer boy, but I'm sure Fukoru doesn't mind you learning at your own pace." Usagi responded with a smile.
"Anyway, with Yuji here now, we need to figure out our plan. What are your strengths?" Maki asked.
"I would say, punching and kicking." Yuji responded.
"Well, we're already covered there."
"I don't know what he's been doing these past two months, but I do know that if we all fought him without cursed energy, we'd lose." Megumi explained.
"Oh? Well then, that settles it. Yuji, you'll be taking care of Todo." So now, the two squads will be Nobara, Usagi, Inumaki, with Panda, and Megumi, and Fukoru with me." Maki explained.
"No fair! Why does Fukoru get to be in your squad!" Usagi complained while aggressively poking me in the face.
"Because you need to take this seriously, and not try to show off in front of Maki." Megumi explained, a little annoyed.
"That's enough. It's time for us to get going." Maki said while hitting both Megumi and Usagi on the head.
"We'll be starting in one minute!" I heard Gojo's voice over the intercom. We were standing out in the middle of the forest. I took some deep breaths while I gripped the steel in my hand tightly. I was anxious, but I wasn't exactly afraid. This was much different then how I felt two months ago with those cursed spirits. I didn't know much about the Kyoto students, so I didn't know what to expect. All I was told was that Aoi Todo was dangerous, and that I should avoid him at all costs. We had a whole plan to deal with him, so I wasn't too worried about that. I was more worried about doing well in this event, so Gojo didn't feel like it was a waste of time training me every day for the past month. Everyone here has had years practicing using their cursed techniques, while I've only been scratching the surface these past two months. I was anxious about how I would hold up in an actual fight against experienced Jujutsu sorcerers.
"But, before we begin, let's hear a few words of well appreciated encouragement from the always eloquent, Utahime Iori!" Gojo continued.
"Wait! Hold on now. Um... well, I guess, um. Although during this event, some degree of injury is unavoidable, you should um, help each other out? Or something, if you can." Utahime mumbled out.
"Okay, sorry. Time's up!" Gojo cut her off.
"Gojo, you jerk. I wasn't done!" She protested.
"Now, let the Sister School Exchange Event begin!"
With that we took off running. We were told that if we find and exorcise the second-grade cursed spirit wandering around in this forest, then that school would win the event.
"Where do you think the cursed spirit boss is?" Yuji asked.
"It was probably released at the midway point between the two schools, but we can't expect it to stay still." Panda responded.
"At the prearranged time, we'll split up into the Megumi Squad, and the Panda squad. After that, it's on you. Got it Yuji?" Maki reminded him.
"Got it." Yuji responded with a salute to her.
Megumi had summoned his Demon Dog shikigami to sniff out any cursed spirits, and it started barking as we came across one.
"Just a small fry." Panda told us, but then the dog started reacting to something else.
"Zen'in, stop running!" Megumi shouted to Maki, who was at the front of the pack. Then, from behind the rubble of destroyed trees, came the muscular dude from before, Aoi Todo.
"Yeah. You're all together. Now come at me, all at once." Todo told us. Then, Yuji charged at him without a second thought, and drove his knee right into Todo's face.
"Scatter!" Maki shouted, and we all took off running in our respective groups.
"I wonder why Todo was alone." Megumi said as I ran with him and Maki.
"I'm not sure, but we were right to give Yuji that job."
After ten minutes of running, Megumi suddenly stopped.
"It's odd. All the Kyoto students are running to where we just left Yuji." He said.
"Aren't they just heading to where they think the cursed spirit is at?" Maki asked.
"No way. Unless the second grade is extremely cunning, Demon Dog would've sniffed it out." Megumi explained. He then stopped to think for a second.
"You think. Could they be trying to kill Itadori?"
"It could be." Maki responded.
'What? Kill him? Why?' I signed.
"He's the vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses. They might be under orders from the principal to kill him." Maki told me. I looked over at Megumi to see that he was worried.
"Megumi, we're going back for him." She told him.
"I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for, dummy, If you let a friend die, winning or losing an event doesn't matter." She told him. We then ran back the way we came. After another ten minutes, we saw all the Kyoto students surrounding Yuji, but they seemed to be arguing with each other. Then, everyone but Todo started leaving.
"Megumi, up there." Maki pointed up to the sky while we stayed out of sight. We looked up to the short blonde girl flying above us on her broom. She seemed like she was focused on Yuji and Todo.
"If we take her out, they might split up to check on her." She explained.
"Got it. Nue!" Megumi summoned this bird shikigami, and it flew up into the sky next to her. Then, with one flap of its wings, electricity shot out at her, knocking her out of the sky. Two of the Kyoto students split off, leaving the guy with his eyes closed, and Miwa.
"Now!" Maki told us. I summoned my katana, and clashed blades with Miwa as we intercepted them.
"Komo, is your team trying to kill Yuji Itadori?" Megumi asked the other one. After no response, Megumi started getting irritated.
"I'll ask again. Are you trying to kill Itadori?"
"And if I said we were? What does it matter?" Kamo responded.
"It would mean that you've all failed. Itadori could never be defeated in such a short time."
"We've no reason to kill him."
"Yes you do. The major three clans, and the higher ups." Megumi told him.
Then, both Kamo and Miwa took off running in different directions.
"Shit! Fukoru, you catch up to Miwa!" Maki shouted. I nodded, and took off running after her. Being in the forest made it difficult to use my technique without running into a tree. So, I was forced to chase after her without it. We ran for about ten minutes, until we came across a river bank. She stopped, and stood in the water, catching her breath. I stepped into the water, pulled out my phone, and held it up.
"Go ahead. I won't attack you." She told me, also pulling out her phone.
'Are you guys really trying to kill Yuji?' I texted her.
"Principal Gakuganji ordered us to kill him before the start of the event, but you should know after meeting them, that I'm not like the others. I don't want to kill him." She told me.
'So then, what are you trying to do?'
"I need to do well in this event. Doing well can grant you recommendations from other sorcerers to rank up in grade. I want to become independent as soon as possible. What about you? What are your goals?"
'I want to get stronger, and I want to see my friend again.'
"Then, we both need to do well here. You really do seem like a nice person, and I'm proud to call you my new friend, but I can't afford to hold back here."
'Me neither.'
We both put up our phones, and readied our katanas. I held mine out in front of me, while she had her's in her sheath, and took a defensive stance. We both stood there, waiting for the other to make the first move.
'I don't know what her technique is. Should I be cautious, and observe? No, she looks to be on the defensive. I could try to overwhelm her with my speed, and try to throw her off balance.' I thought. I took a deep breath, and channeled my curse energy.
'Cursed Technique: Sonic Overdrive.'
I took off sprinting at Miwa, kicking water up as I went. I noticed her take a deep breath as I planted my foot to attack. I told her that I wouldn't hold back, but I didn't want to hurt her. I saw her as a friend. That thought would become my downfall. I felt this immense pressure, and I almost didn't have time to react. She swung her sword at me with incredible speed, and I barely managed to block it. I jumped backwards to try and create some space, but she jumped on the attack as soon as I landed. She was relentless, and came at me with a flurry of strikes. I couldn't keep up with the speed of the strikes, and I couldn't properly set my feet. Her attacks got harder and harder to defend, and she eventually gave me a cut on my left arm. I managed to kick up water at her face to distract her, and jumped away while holding my arm.
'Shit! What am I going to do?' My breathing was heavy, and the pain in my arm made it hard to focus. Miwa readied herself for another attack.
'I gotta buy myself some time.'
"What rank are you now, anyway.' I signed.
"I'm sorry. I don't understand sign language, but I can study it after the event if you'd like." She responded. Then, her phone suddenly started ringing.
"Do you mind if I get that?" She asked me, and I gave her a thumbs up.
'Whoever that is, they are my savior.' I thought.
"Hello, Useless Miwa here." She said as she answered the phone. Then, I felt the familiar cursed energy of Inumaki's cursed speech, and Miwa fell over. I ran over and managed to catch her. She was sound asleep in my arms. I looked at the caller I.D. and saw it said Mechamaru, but I swore that it was Inumaki that called her.
'Was that you?' I texted Inumaki.
'Salmon.' He responded.
'Did she fall asleep? That's so cool!' Usagi texted me.
'I'm gonna assume that's a yes.' I thought. I ripped off my sleeve, and tied it around the cut on my arm to try and stop the bleeding. Then, I looked back down at Miwa.
'Well, I can't just leave her here.' I thought. I then wrapped her arm around me, picked her up, and carried her on my shoulder as I navigated us out of the forest.