In the shade of the trees on the college training ground, several people who had finished their morning physical training were taking a break.
Eriri leaned against a beech tree, taking small sips of a sports drink, her golden twin tails slightly stuck to her neck from sweat. Utaha Kasumigaoka sat on a bench nearby, a heavy, ancient-looking cursed energy theory book open on her lap, but her eyes were a bit vacant, as if she was thinking about something. Megumi Kato sat quietly on the other side, holding her phone, the screen showing an app interface, her expression as calm as ever. As for Junpei, lying on the ground breathing heavily, looking like he was about to die...
"By the way, what kind of sports school is this? Why do we run so much?" Junpei began to complain weakly.
"So..." A hearty, unexpectedly lively voice broke the serene afternoon quiet.
A sturdy, black-and-white fluffy panda walked over with confident steps, sat down in an open space nearby, brushing off a little dust. He scratched his fluffy head and looked at Eriri and the three of them.
"Some of you, especially the newcomers and Eriri, probably aren't very clear about the 'Sister School Exchange Meeting' that's been going on for a while, right?"
"Sister School Exchange Meeting?" Eriri blinked her big blue eyes, looking bewildered, clearly not having seen this term anywhere in her schedule or curriculum.
Utaha Kasumigaoka also snapped out of her reverie, closed her book, and looked at Panda with questioning crimson eyes. Even Megumi Kato turned off her phone screen and slightly tilted her head, indicating she was listening.
"Ah, I know," Panda sighed humanly and explained with paw gestures. "Simply put, it's a traditional exchange event held annually between our Tokyo Jujutsu High and the Kyoto Jujutsu High—the only two jujutsu education institutions in Japan. It's called an 'exchange meeting,' but it's actually a disguised real combat competition. Both schools send student representatives to fight each other or complete specified objectives in a designated location according to rules. You could see it as a test of teaching results, and also... well, a bit of a rivalry. After all, our concepts and styles are different."
"Kyoto Jujutsu High..." Utaha Kasumigaoka tapped her chin with her fingers, thinking. "I've heard it's a more traditional and conservative training camp? The principal is Yoshinobu Gakuganji?"
"Correct," Panda nodded. "They place more emphasis on basic skills and tradition. Their fighting style... well, it's more refined and direct. It's different from our... uh, more freedom-loving style with Gojo-sensei. So the exchange meeting every year has a pretty strong competitive atmosphere."
"What about the participants?" Eriri asked. "Are they upperclassmen? Like Okkotsu-senpai?" She had heard rumors about that special-grade senior.
"Normally, yes," Panda spread his paws, his expression a bit helpless. "By standard practice, the main force is second and third years. First years mostly observe and learn, unless they're exceptionally talented. But this year is special."
He counted on his paws. "There aren't many third-year seniors. And you might have heard that the strongest one, due to some... well, more serious matters, was expelled last semester. The remaining ones are either away on long missions or aren't good at combat."
"What about the second years?" Panda continued. "Theoretically, our anchor is Yuta Okkotsu, a special grade, and he'd be a solid bet for our side. But the problem is, a few months ago, he was sent abroad on an international mission, said to be related to sealing an ancient curse, and he can't come back in time."
"The remaining second years are just me, Maki, and Inumaki. Our numbers are limited."
"The result is," Panda concluded, his gaze sweeping over Eriri, Utaha, and Kato, "our Tokyo Jujutsu High is seriously short-handed for this year's exchange meeting. So the higher-ups decided to let the first years participate as well."
He looked at Eriri. "Nobara Kugisaki, Yuji Itadori, and Megumi Fushiguro will definitely participate. Their strength and potential are recognized, and they need this kind of practical training."
Then he looked at Utaha and Kato. "As for you two, Kasumigaoka-san, Kato-san. Although you have solid theoretical knowledge or special talents in some areas, your practical combat experience is almost zero, and your actual application of techniques is still in the exploratory stage. It's unrealistic to expect you to quickly form reliable combat effectiveness. So there's a high probability you'll participate in this exchange meeting as non-combatants or support personnel, such as being responsible for reconnaissance analysis, barrier support, or medical logistics—if Ieiri-san is too busy."
Hearing this, Utaha raised her eyebrows slightly but said nothing, seeming not to object to such an arrangement. She knew her limitations. Megumi Kato simply nodded calmly, as if listening to some trivial matter unrelated to her.
Then, Panda's gaze finally fell on Eriri, and his expression became a bit... subtle, even somewhat wry.
"Then there's you, Eriri."
"Me?" Eriri pointed at herself, a little nervous. "I have to participate too? But I..." She thought about her own poor cursed energy control and her bad practical combat experience; besides summoning Genji, she seemed unable to do anything else.
"Theoretically, you don't have to participate," Panda scratched his cheek. "But the problem is your 'identity.' You are the summoner of Lord Zen'in Genji, a sorcerer who has signed an official shikigami contract with him. In the evaluation system of the jujutsu world, the strength of a shikigami can, under certain conditions, be converted to the power of its summoner. Especially in a special case like Lord Zen'in Genji, who is linked to you and follows your instructions."
Eriri complained, "When has he ever followed my instructions? Turns out I'm still a summoner? I thought I was his maid, that bastard just knows how to use me."
Panda paused, then said in an almost inspiring yet absurd tone, "So, according to a nearly childish evaluation that the higher-ups spent a long time without figuring out, on your registered sorcerer file and sorcerer ranking card—"
He took a deep breath and spat out two words that made Utaha and Kato's eyes widen slightly:
"Special Grade."
"Huh?!" Eriri immediately jumped up, her golden twin tails nearly hitting Panda in the face. "Special Grade?! Me?! Are you kidding?! I can't even beat the lowest-level cursed spirit!"
"Calm down, calm down," Panda quickly pressed his paw down. "That's just 'theoretical'! Because Lord Zen'in Genji's combat power is too unusual, it needs to be noted according to the rules. But you and I both know that doesn't count."
He lowered his voice, as if discussing a taboo topic. "Think about it. If you really followed the identity of 'Special Grade Sorcerer Eriri Sawamura' and brought Lord Zen'in Genji to the sister school exchange meeting... what would that be like?"
Panda imagined it for a moment and couldn't help but shudder. "The Kyoto side, even if their principal, that old man Gakuganji, plus all the teachers and students together, probably wouldn't be enough for Genji to make a move for even a minute. That wouldn't be an 'exchange meeting,' it would be called a unilateral massacre. They'd have no choice but to wait for death."
Eriri pictured that scene and couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth. Indeed, letting Genji participate in such a "kids' play" competition, not to mention whether he would agree, just the thought of the possible consequences made one's scalp tingle.
"So," Panda spread his claws and made a final conclusion. "After a tacit 'coordination' between Gojo-sensei, Principal Yaga, and the old guys above, your actual combat effectiveness assessment has been 'reasonably' adjusted."
"Lord Zen'in Genji, as your shikigami, his combat power will not be counted in this exchange meeting. You can only use the techniques you have cultivated and mastered—if you have any."
Panda looked at Eriri and patted her shoulder with his paw, his voice full of sympathy and encouragement:
"Therefore, Eriri, on the official list of participants and the combat effectiveness evaluation form for this sister school exchange meeting, your registered rank is—"
"Grade 4 Sorcerer. And the most basic supervisory support level. Come on, don't lose too badly; at least last a little longer than Kasumigaoka and Kato."
Eriri: "…"
She looked at Panda's fluffy face, full of an "I can't help it, it's the truth" expression, then at Utaha's slightly teasing eyes beside her, and Megumi Kato's still calm and tranquil gaze. She felt a mouthful of old blood welling up in her chest.
From "theoretical special grade" to "practical grade 4"...
Wasn't that gap a bit too big?
And why did it sound so deja vu? It seemed like she had seen this scheme somewhere before, that bastard!