Chapter 15

A week would pass.

Ryoto stood before the school with a smile on his face, he is going to be just like his parents and help out his aunt in figuring out what the jujutsu society is up to! He walked into the school rather confidently, he smiled to others in the hall, but noticed everyone coming to a rather dramatic stop and stared at him.

Granted, he understood since he was the tallest in the whole school. He was already aware of that! But perhaps some people didn't quite understand that someone like him could be this tall to begin with! "Sorry, I got my height from my dad!" he laughed.

But just looking about, he already got a sense of the place. There were few students, the classrooms themselves held merely ten at a time and the lesson plans were rather one sided. Also, those within the class were a certain level. He figured out the school teaches those by their power and grade level, there are no joint classes and everyone is kept within their own 'power system' as it where.

If anything, he thought it was the dumbest thing he had ever seen!

'So what if someone isn't a first grade sorcerer, it doesn't mean they can't learn the same thing…' he thought to himself.

He could focus on his lessons but also hear those from across the hall and down. They were all being taught the same thing! 'Segregation through power… what a joke' he thought once more.

Even during lunch, he would hear students talk about those who they believe are below them. "So some kid who was a third rank sorcerer walked by me without asking permission. What nerve huh!"

"I would have beaten some manners into him…"

"What about you?"

Ryoto paused from his meal as he found the focus came on him. "On…" he asked in a confused tone.

"What if some low rank walked by you without asking permission? What do you do?"

The question in itself made little sense. "Who needs permission?" he asked. "Besides, that happens every day, why get upset over it? There are worst things…" he said and went back to his meal.

The room was oddly silent. "What grade are you again?"

"Semi special first grade, why?"

They bocked a little. "Semi Special… meaning you could become a special grade sorcerer?"

"With some practice yes, why?"

There was an odd pause from the others in the room. "Ever… ever since the rebellion… there haven't been any sorcerers born or able to reach special grade status naturally…"

Interesting. "Go on…"

"What? That's it!" they protested. "My father even said that the council was doing experiments on other sorcerers to get them to the special grade point. But they were destroyed time and time again by the rebellion!"

He thought for a moment, the rebellion?

"Who was part of the rebellion?"

Everyone… stared blankly at him once more. "Have you been living under a rock?"

"More like a mountain…" he muttered.

"The rebellion happened years ago, shortly after the clone of Ryomen Sukuna came to be from the vessel. Those two turned jujutsu society on its head. The vessel was suppose to be destroyed yet, Satoru Gojo kept interfering!"

'Uncle did?' he thought. "What became of the vessel and the clone?"

"They ran. The clone suddenly lost his power, the vessel was rendered into an infant and no one knew how or why. But, the council took the opportunity and tried to eliminate them once and for all! They failed. In fact, the last we heard, the rebellion had moved to a Gifu prefecture! There's jujutsu in those lands that prevented the council from taking them out once and for all. They tried before but were stopped by four powerful, hooded figures. Recently, I heard that they have dabbled in necromancy!"

"That's not uncommon for sorcerers." Ryoto said offhandedly.

Once again, he was given odd stares. "Do you know who they brought back?!"

He could care less at this point, but he ended up shaking his head to them, unaware of this whole thing to begin with.

"They brought back some first grade sorcerers, and rumor has it the sorcerer killer. But the worst one they did return to life somehow… was a Tooru!"

Now… he was interested.

"Tooru you say?"

"Yua Tooru! She interfered first, which caused the demon vessel to be spared and then allowed him and the other to rebel. Because of her, the society crumbled! No one ever listens to a Tooru, no good can come from their words. Father always said, the only good Tooru is a dead one!"

Curious, and yet his mother and aunt are the nicest people he knows. They take their time with those who need help and are patient with them as well. He is always aware his father wouldn't do ANYTHING against his mother. That same fear is installed into him for a good reason!

Still.

"Why did the council hate the Toorus to begin with? Did they destroy jujutsu society or something?"

They shook their heads. "From what we were told, the council told our parents that the Toorus are the reason why Ryomen Sukuna was so powerful, and why he couldn't be stopped right away. The Toorus taught him, and he exploited that knowledge to his advantage. Because of them, Ryomen Sukuna became the bane of existence to all sorcerers."

"Is there proof of that?" he asked.

"If the council said so, then it must be true!"

The nine students, 8 boys and a single girl have already been programed for the council to use as pawns. This is how they did it, isn't it? Still, he should ask his mother about this information. It can't be true, right?

"What do you think?" the girl asked of him. "You're rather silent on the matter…"

"There isn't enough information." He said bluntly. "Rather than go by the words of elders, I rather gather the information they have used to make this judgment on the clan and see for myself. Sometimes, if someone has greater intentions than another, those who want what they want and see it through will do anything and say anything to obtain it."

Silence.

The room was silent after that, he finished his lunch and excused himself to go out for some air. That school… that place is stuffier than the communal fridge after his father hunts!

Still, he was getting bad feelings about this place, the curse energy for one felt odd, second, there was still some accumulating somewhere on the grounds but he couldn't quite pin point it. Yet when he did sense what he did, it made him sick with the notion. Lastly, he may not last the month.

These students have been brainwashed by their parents, who seek to gain favor of the council if they still remain. For all he knows, these students are being prepped to be used as pawns whenever needed.

If that's the case and the old council is gone, who is the one gathering pawns?

"WE TOLD YOU TO GET LOST!" Ryoto jumped as he heard shouting, curious, he hid himself behind a large enough tree, but peered to see a man with two odd prong in his hair standing down the teachers of this school. "WE TOLD YOU, WE ARE NOT INTERESTED!"

"This no longer has to do with YOUR interests!" the man snapped back. "I speak about the future of the students you currently have… there's no point in keeping this school open for a mere handful of them! As well, your lesson plans are so dated my grandmother considers them old fashion!"

Ryoto snorted a laugh but kept listening.

"You forget yourself Kashimo! We don't acknowledge you as the new council, you stole power for yourself and those around you!"

Kashimo forced a laugh. "You think that don't you? So be it, before long, the school is going to fall and close for good. Your council is gone, and we have been acknowledged as the new council and elders. Get with the times or simply get out of the way."

Despite how the conversation sounded, Ryoto could hear the tone of words spoken. Kashimo who was speaking rather arrogantly near the end, wasn't doing so as a threat. It was to convey that things are changing, the society itself is altering and they have to get with the times or simply get out of the way of progress. He sounded more concern over the students than anything else.

"Eavesdropping are we?"

Ryoto peered up, he was hidden behind a tree but saw a young girl with blond hair in the branches. "I could say the same thing about you."

She smirked and came down, just as Kashimo was leaving. Yet he caught something, he was glaring at this girl oddly. As if she had done something wrong… He ignored it for now and focused. "Sorry I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Lucy by the way."

"Rather odd name…"

"Foreign, parents wanted me to 'stand out more' so they gave me such a name. You?"

"Ryoto," he said. "Apparently, it belonged to my uncle or something."

"Ah… I haven't seen you around here before."

"First day, can't say I am enjoying it or anything…" he muttered.

"Yeah, my friends and I feel the same way, this is all pointless anyways right?" she laughed.

Ryoto nodded. "Have you been going here for a while?"

"This is my second year."

"Ah, sorry I should have addressed you properly, Saipan"

Lucy lost it! She folded over laughing. "Oh please, that doesn't matter here either, all they care about is power and what you can do… judging you your uniform, you have to be at least a first grade sorcerer… I can tell by your badge"

Ryoto never thought much of the uniforms. Everyone dressed the same way in a blue suit but the badge he just noticed now. It has 1+ on it, which mean semi special first grade. "I was wondering what that was about…"

"Anyways, you should hang out with my friends and I, we know this place is stupid to begin with. My parents were even considering the other school in Kyoto, but for now, we'll remain here…"

He ended up striking a conversation with Lucy, she then introduced him to six of her friends who felt as she did about the place. They claim to be attending just to keep their fingers on the pulse of events. "This so call new council is butting heads against the remaining old council… there isn't many of them left either. Somehow they have been taken out or something…" Lucy explained.

"Either or, I could care less about the old council, they sound like a bunch of old dicks to me." Said her friend Leon.

Ryoto snorted a laugh. "Yeah, but it's amazing how such ideas are transferred from one generation to the next. Just having lunch I heard them talk about the Tooru clan…"

He paused as Lucy and her friends made odd faces, as if forcing a smile to hide their disgust. Apparently, that feeling is mutual among them. "Toorus… aren't the kind of sorcerer you aim to be." Lucy said offhandedly. "In fact, my parents said if there was ever a Tooru around, badly wounded, leave them to die or finish them off yourself."

Curious, the Toorus have such a stigma. He couldn't understand why either, his aunt and mother don't go looking for trouble, they quell it before anyone is harmed.

"They seem to be as hated as Ryomen Sukuna," he said offhandedly.

Lucy… nodded. "It's rather ambitious to be placed in the same category as him. I mean Ryomen Sukuna… King of curses!"

"No one really explained that to me…" Ryoto muttered. "I know of him, but not much about him. He was vile I know but the fact remains is that he is this feared."

"Man, Ryomen Sukuna DEVOURS his opponents, he's no stranger to cannibalism." Lucy said.

"Indeed, and he is able to take a technique from another and use it against them. Rumor has it he took over a Zen'in clan member to obtain the ten shadow technique after swapping from his vessel!" chimed Morris.

Lucy's friends; Morris, Leon, Nikkei, Jay, Adam and Joe… odd names to begin with and yet… very talkative. He could pick up on their tones too, despite the damage and destruction Sukuna had caused, he could hear hints of admiration in their voices.

Before long, lunch was over. "Well, we better head to class, it was nice to meet you Ryoto. Wanna join us again tomorrow?" Lucy asked.

Naturally, he agreed. Perhaps he may even make friends here, but who can say for certain. It's the first day after all!