Chapter 90: The Hidden Scheme Emerges
The time had arrived, and an invisible tension permeated the streets of Shinjuku, Tokyo.
The members of Jujutsu High had fully assembled. The asphalt beneath their feet still held the warmth of the daytime pedestrians, but above them, a massive veil had already been cast—a transparent barrier isolating the battlefield from the outside world.
Gojo Satoru stood at the very front of the formation, his short white hair gently stirred by the wind.
Those Six Eyes, capable of seeing through Cursed Energy, were locked onto the sky above the street ahead. A large swarm of Cursed Spirits was surging through the gaps between the buildings, their twisted bodies emitting murky Cursed Energy as they pressed toward the Jujutsu High group like a tidal wave.
What made hearts sink even further was that on the edges of the surrounding high-rise rooftops, figures stood in twos and threes. They were Curse Users, their auras cold and dangerous, like vipers lurking in the shadows.
Two of these figures were particularly conspicuous.
On the rooftop of the office building to the east, Miguel leaned against a water tank. His dark skin blended almost seamlessly into the shadows of the night, save for the cold gleam reflecting off the Cursed Tool he held in his hand.
Beside him, Manami stood straight, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her sharp gaze swept across the Jujutsu High group, a faint, imperceptible trace of contempt curling the corners of her mouth.
"Once the battle begins, everyone pay attention to coordination."
Principal Yaga's voice was steady and powerful. He stood beside Gojo Satoru, his gaze sweeping over every student from Jujutsu High:
"Most importantly, try to avoid destroying buildings and public facilities. Although the evacuation of the Shinjuku district has been carried out, we cannot rule out the possibility that some ordinary people failed to evacuate in time. If you find any, prioritize guiding them to safety immediately. Do you understand?"
The group responded in unison, though only Gojo Satoru seemed distracted, his gaze still fixed on Miguel.
Principal Yaga helplessly raised his voice and reached out to pat his arm: "Gojo, are you listening?"
He specifically singled out Gojo Satoru, and everyone present understood why. With Gojo Satoru's strength, if he were to unleash his full power, it would easily cause large-scale destruction.
After all, on this entire battlefield, he was the only one who possessed the power to instantly overturn the situation—enough to destroy the entire block.
Facing the Principal's reminder, Gojo Satoru finally withdrew some of his attention, but instead of responding immediately, he tilted his head slightly, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible gravity:
"That person standing on the eastern rooftop seems like a troublesome guy."
Almost at the same time, Miguel on the rooftop was also staring at Gojo Satoru on the ground.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed against the black rope, his eyes vigilant to the extreme. Before setting out, Rin had specifically sought him out and repeatedly urged him: "You must be careful of Gojo Satoru; absolutely do not lower your guard."
That solemn tone made Miguel dare not show the slightest slack.
The arrogance he usually displayed when facing Jujutsu High personnel had long since vanished, replaced by taut nerves. He could clearly feel that the white-haired man on the ground was exuding a sense of oppression that made him feel an instinctive fear.
"That person wearing a blindfold with white hair—is that Gojo Satoru?"
Miguel's voice was very low, but carried a tone of confirmation.
"Yes." Manami nodded: "Leave the others to you to handle; I will keep an eye on Gojo Satoru."
"Remember our mission." Manami turned her head, her expression growing serious: "Our goal is not to defeat Gojo Satoru, but to stall for time. Don't do anything unnecessary."
Miguel took a deep breath, the pressure in his fingertips increasing, his tone firm: "Understood. I will hold out until Rin comes to save the day."
He knew that on his own, he was absolutely no match for Gojo Satoru; he had to wait for Rin to arrive.
Meanwhile, on the ground, after Gojo Satoru locked eyes with Miguel for a moment, a strong sense of dissonance suddenly welled up in his heart.
He frowned, his Six Eyes quickly scanning the figures of all the Curse Users around, then looking at the swarm of Cursed Spirits. No, it was too wrong.
That guy who always loved to show off, who always wanted to turn the center of the battlefield upside down—why hadn't he appeared?
And there was Rin. According to previous intelligence, Rin should have been one of the cores of this Curse User operation, but now, whether on the high-rise rooftops or within the swarm of Cursed Spirits, there was no sign of him.
Could it be... A thought suddenly shot into Gojo Satoru's mind, making the hair on his body stand on end instantly.
He spun around abruptly, looking toward the direction of Jujutsu High, Cursed Energy instinctively surging around his body. Not good! Their target wasn't the Shinjuku battlefield at all—it was Jujutsu High!
At the same time, the interior of Jujutsu High was in shambles.
On the training grounds, Cursed Tools that had been neatly arranged were scattered everywhere. Dozens of Jujutsu High support staff lay on the ground, blood seeping from their wounds and pooling into winding streams on the white floor tiles, staining every corner in sight red.
The air was filled with the heavy scent of blood, intertwined with the cold aura of Cursed Energy, making it suffocating.
Geto Suguru stood in the center of the pool of blood, his long black hair draped over his chest. His white Jujutsu High uniform was splattered with blood, yet it did not affect his calm expression in the slightest.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the dying support staff on the ground. There was not a ripple of emotion in his eyes, as if the tragic scene before him were merely an insignificant trifle.
He raised his hand, faint Cursed Energy swirling around his fingertips, as if he were waiting for something.
Perhaps it was a signal, perhaps it was someone about to arrive, or perhaps, it was the sight of the Jujutsu High group rushing back in a panic after receiving the news.
...
The streets of Kyoto were empty, with only the wind sweeping fallen leaves across the road, permeated by an unnatural silence.
Momo Nishimiya hovered in mid-air on her broom, the branches of the oak broom swaying gently with her movements.
She gripped her communicator with one hand, while the other rested against her forehead as she peered below, reporting the situation on the ground with rapid speed:
"The number of Cursed Spirits on the ground is scarce, only sporadically distributed across three blocks. Their strength is mostly Grade 2 to Semi-Grade 1, which completely contradicts the intelligence of 'one thousand'."
There was silence on the other end of the communicator, and the members of Kyoto Jujutsu High on the ground had long since shown signs of suspicion, their hands tightening unconsciously on their Cursed Tools.
They had clearly come to intercept the "one thousand Cursed Spirits" promised by Geto Suguru, but the empty streets before them looked more like a meticulously orchestrated scam.
"Something is wrong." Kento Nanami frowned. He raised his hand to press against his shirt collar, his gaze sweeping over the closed rolling shutters of the shops on both sides of the street, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Cursed Tool at his waist.
As someone who had crossed paths with Geto Suguru before, he understood the other's style of operation better than anyone. Geto Suguru never engaged in meaningless bluffs; if he said he would send one thousand Cursed Spirits, he would never cut that number halfway.
Before his words had even faded, a deafening explosion suddenly came from the distant street!
The orange-red firelight instantly burst through the obstruction of the buildings, and billowing black smoke spread rapidly like ink poured into clear water.
He looked up abruptly, his gaze locked firmly onto the direction of the explosion, his heart sinking suddenly. There was indeed a problem!
Almost simultaneously, Momo Nishimiya's exclamation came through the communicator from the sky, carrying undisguised urgency:
"Everyone, be careful! There is a high-level Cursed Energy reaction in the southeast! I don't see the enemy's figure, but..." Her voice paused, with a tremor added to her tone, "The Jujutsu Sorcerer squad below has suffered casualties!"
The explosion scene was already in chaos.
Several Jujutsu Sorcerers responsible for reconnaissance were stumbling as they fled toward their companions.
Their uniforms were covered in dust, their faces filled with terror. Up until this moment, they hadn't even caught a glimpse of the enemy's hem, yet their companions were disappearing one after another, leaving behind only the faint, ephemeral fluctuations of Cursed Energy in the air.
"Faster! Faster!" one Jujutsu Sorcerer couldn't help but roar as he turned back, but in the next second, his voice stuck in his throat.