Kiyotaka and Megumi walked together towards an abandoned multi-story parking garage while remembering Tegen's words.
[Tegen stood there saying, "Hakari Kinji is currently earning money as a bookie for a fight club he's running in an abandoned multi-story parking garage in Tochigi Prefecture. They host fist fights between sorcerers"
Megumi looked to them and said, 'Then the spectators are..."
"Generally non-sorcerers."
Tengen answered this as Megumi, then said, "That blatantly violates the secrecy mandated in Article 8 of the Jujutsu Code."
Tengen went on saying, "There are probably Curse Users among the participants in the fights, as well. Do be careful."]
They got closer as Kiyotaka asked, "Hakari Kinji. Have you met him?"
Megumi shook his head, saying, "I haven't. All our senpais say he's a good-for-nothing, but Okkotsu-Senpai claimed he's stronger than him. We definitely want his strength."
"That's fine. I understand that after all."
Kiyotaka said this as they entered the parking area, and a man called out to them, saying, "Go home, brats. This isn't a place for you to hang out. You have until the count of three to turn around. Any other choices will earn a beating from me."
They didn't stop, as Kiyotaka said, "I want to cut a deal with your boss. It's something I'm sure he'll be interested in."
"Huh? What makes you think you get to see the boss just like that?"
The man asked this as Kiyotaka said, "If he abandons this prospect, he'll regret it. Right now. I'll make a binding vow with you. For the next five minutes, neither of us is allowed to lie to each other. You don't have to answer questions you don't want to answer, of course. Fair?"
Kiyotaka asked this as he offered his hand, and the man took it, forming the vow, and Kiyotaka then said, "We have no intention of harming your boss in any way, shape or form. We are here to ask for his assistance, and we believe we have something he'll appreciate in exchange."
The man hesitated as another then said, "It's fine. The boss gave them the clear, so let him through."
Megumi tried to move with Kiyotaka, but the man stopped him, saying, "Not you. Only him."
Megumi clicked his tongue as he stepped back and said, "I'll be waiting for you, alright?"
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "Alright," as he walked off.
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Kiyotaka met with Kirara and deadpanned for a second, thinking, 'Based on their heartbeat and some other physical tells... this woman is probably... a man.'
Kirara smiled and asked, "Are you really a Third Year, Kiyo-chan? You look a bit too mature. Like you're already an adult. Kin-chan had to repeat a year in middle school."
"It seems like you're in a good mood."
Kiyotaka said this as Kirara laughe dnd said, "It's been a while since Kin-chan's gotten heated up. You see, I love it when Kin-chan is passionate."
Kirara let him into a room with cameras, and he saw Hakari sitting on the couch.
Hakari looked to him with a smirk and said, "Making a binding vow with my bouncer straight up like that? That takes guts. You're getting me heated up already. I'm already starting to like you. Let me ask you something. Would you believe me if I said you can earn a million yen a month by doing something for just one hour a day?"
"Obviously, you can, but the level of effort that it takes to reach a level where that's possible is slim."
Kiyotaka answered with this as Hakari smiled and said, "Well, that's a new type of answer. I like it."
Hakari then asked, "What if I told you you have to pay me 200, 000 yen to buy the information on what that method is first?"
"It depends on the terms of the contract and circumstances, but I'd likely believe you were attempting to scam me. Either that or some dirty trick."
Kiyotaka answered him as Hakari sighed, asking, "You're kind of a non-committal type person, huh?"
"I'll commit, but only when I see the value in something. Unless there's a certain value, then it's not worth my full commitment. After all, no one would raise the pot if their cards were worthless."
Kiyotaka said this as Hakari paused for a second and then smiled, saying, "Alright. You got some passion in you after all."
Hakari then asked, "That question I brought up is a scam where people pretending to be rich ask people to give them money in exchange for the means to become rich. If you thought about it logically, it's obviously a scam, but why do you think so many people fall for it anyway? It's because of passion."
"Passion?"
Kiyotaka asked this, and Hakari smiled, saying, "Both the swindler and the deceived have the same passionate drive to change their lives. People high on passion lose sight of their judgment. Yet no one can fall in love without passion, either. I love that passion."
"It can be a person's downfall, but it's not a bad thing. Is that what you're trying to say?"
Kiyotaka asked this as Hakari nodded, saying, "Exactly. I know your type, Ayanokoji. You love to keep things logical, but without passion, you'll never reach the top or find satisfaction."
"I see. I suppose you're right."
Kiyotaka said this while thinking, 'What my passion is is to survive. That's why I made it through the White Room, isn't it? Not a fear of death but a rejection of it. Even with all the logic and physical ability in the world, I probably wouldn't have survived in that environment without the drive, or as he calls it, the [Passion] to get through it. And in those moments when I hit a Black Flash and felt freedom from the burdens of my mind, I felt it there too. I think I understand what he means. My [Passions] are Survival and Freedom.'
Hakari saw the look of recognition in Kiyotaka's eyes and got up, patting his back, saying, "There you go. Now you're getting it."
Hakari smiled and then asked, "Do you know the most direct way for people to deal with passion?"
"Gambling."
Kiyotaka answered, and Hakari nodded, saying, "Yep. Loads of women have dumped me because they hate gambling, but they've got it wrong. Our society throws out those who can't bet big and those who don't know when to fold. There isn't a single person who doesn't gamble. Even logical types like you have gambled. You gambled on the possibility of whether your logic was right or not. What people hate isn't gambling, it's losing and being ruined."
Hakari smiled and said, "Passion is gambling, and gambling is life. And love is control. In the future, I want to control this nation's passion through my fight club. With the existence of Curses going public and headquarters barely able to function, this is my chance to expand the business. I'm going to crush the obstacles before me and make them publicly recognise my fight club in the coming revisions to Jujutsu regulations."
Kiyotaka nodded and said, "What if I told you I'd offer my help in that regard?"
Hakari laughed and asked, 'Was that what you came here to offer me?"
"No. I'm making a gamble on something worthy of raising the pot."
Kiyotaka said this as Hakari laughed and said, "Alright. That's what I'm talking about.
He took a swig of his drink and offered his hand, saying, "For 5 minutes, we have to tell each other the truth. How about we run that binding vow back again?"
Kiyotaka took his hand, saying, "That's fine by me. It works well, actually."
"How did you know I was here?"
Hakari asked this with a serious tone as Kiyotaka didn't flinch and said, "Tengen-Sama told us."
"Tengen. Are you with Jujutsu High?"
Hakari asked this darkly, and Kiyotaka replied, "Technically, we're going against their orders."
Hakari laughed at this and asked, "Oh? Alright. So. What are you and your people planning?"
"There's an instance of Jujutsu Terrorism occurring right now called the Culling Games. It forces people to kill each other within colonies. There isn't a way to stop it, but by adding rules as players are possible, so we can minimise the bloodshed and hopefully find a way to get people out of the colonies. We'd like your assistance in this."
Kiyotaka said this as Hakari raised an eyebrow and said, "You obviously can't be lying, but it's still hard to believe. Why haven't the higher-ups just gotten Gojo-San to deal with it?"
"During a Jujutsu Terrorism attack done by the same perpetrators as this one in Shibuya, Satoru Gojo was sealed."
Kiyotaka said this as Hakari deadpanned, not believing a word out of his mouth that formed into that sentence.
"Hey. Hey. I'm more likely to believe that you're bypassing the binding vow than the idea that Gojo-San has been sealed."
Hakari said this as Kiyotaka sighed and said, "I don't blame you for that, but it is the truth. Another part of our mission is trying to free him from the Prison Realm."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "Gojo-Sensei won't be too happy to hear what the higher-ups have been up to in his absence. They'll probably be wiped out. That, along with our backing, will pave the way for you to restructure the regulations to allow your fight club to run. It can be framed as spectated Cursed Energy Reinforcement training, so I see no issues with it."
Hakari smiled and said, "Alright," as he offered his hand, saying, "I'll cut this deal with you."
They shook hands as Hakari took out his phone and said, "Hey. Let the spiky-haired kid up."
Hakari smield at Kiyotaka and said, "Ya got me really fired up, so congrats on sealing the deal with me."
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Suzune lay in bed as her eyes opened to see a dark expanse, and for Kenjaku to stand above her bed as she asked, "Who are you?"
Kenjaku looked to her and said, "I'm sorry."
She sweated, asking, "For what?"
"I'm the sorcerer who erected the barrier here."
Kenjaku replied with this as Suzune asked, "Sorcerer? Right... those things called Curses."
"Not quite, but... close enough. This spot has been chosen for people to kill each other. Unfortunately, there's no real honour in it."
Kenjaku said this as Suzune's eyes went wide and she shouted, "You're not serious, right?! There are normal people in..."
"I'm aware. The exit isn't that far from here. Maybe five or six kilometres."
Kenjaku said this as Suzune thought, 'He's just completely ignoring what I said.'
Kenjaku went on saying, "I went through great pains to create this barrier, so I can't impose restrictions that are too unreasonable. Those of you who were inside the barrier from the start have the right to leave it."
"We do?"
Suzune asked, sighing in relief while thinking of her classmates.
"Just once."
Kenjaku said this as her sigh of relief now felt like a moment of stolen breath, and Kenjaku continued saying, "If you wish, you could wake up outside the barrier. Would you like to?"
"Wake up?"
"You're in a space between dreams and reality. It's a Curse."
Kenjaku said this and offered his hand to her.
Suzune reached out towards him, but then she stopped and said, "Leaving an area where people will kill each other? Obviously I want to, but... There will definitely be idiots who won't leave. I definitely won't leave them behind."
Kenjaku laughed and said, "You're a brave girl. I can see why my son likes you."
"Your... son?"
Kenjaku smiled, looking to her and said, "Oh, right. I nearly forgot to mention it. Thank you for being friends with my son."
"Suzune! Suzune! Suzune!"
Suzune realised she was in her bed as she heard banging on her door, and she opened it and said, "Sudo. Tell everyone to spread out across the school. If you see something supernatural, avoid it."
Sudo smiled and said, "Got it."
They moved together, Suzune thought, 'Even with that initial advice, is it enough to protect everyone? Probably not, but... it'll reduce casualties at least, right? And...'
Suzuen thought of Kiyotaka and thought, 'I have expectations to fulfil.'
Sudo then asked, "Did you see that guy in your dreams?"
"Yes. I did."
Suzue answered and then asked, "Why didn't you take his hand?"
Sudo replied, saying, "Cause I didn't want to abandon the others."
"It's the same for me. Did he... thank you for being friends with his son?"
Suzune asked this as Sudo scratched the back of his head and said, "Um... yeah. He did. It was weird, honestly. Whose kid could be his?"
Suzune sweated thinking, 'I've met your father already, but why do I get the feeling that that guy is your parent... Ayanokoji?'
They moved out.
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Kiyotaka, Megumi, Panda, Hakari and Kirara sat together as Hakari sighed, saying, "I think I understand the situation now. Damn!"
Panda then said, "Also, sorry to mention this as an aside, but the principal's dead, too."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "I see."
Megumi looked troubled, saying, "Panda-Senpai?"
"Sorry for not telling you, but it's true."
Panda said this as Hakari, then said, "If you say so, then there's nothing more for us to add."
Kirara agreed, saying, "Yeah."
Hakari rubbed his temple and said, "Still, that's everyone who's been good to me all at once... I haven't been this bummed out since I watched Yakul get shot in the ass with an arrow."
Megumi and Panda then simultaneously thought, 'What a nice life you've lived.'
Kiyotaka, however, thought, 'Yakul? Who's that?'
Hakari looked to them and said, "All right. I've already made the deal with Ayanokoji, so let's move it."
"Whatever it is you want, I doubt it'll be that hard to secure."
Megumi said this as Hakari turned to Megumi and said, 'Huh?! What would you know about anything Sea-Urchin Head? Huh?!"
Megumi stepped forward and said, "I'm the head of the Zenin Clan", while thinking, 'Screw it, I'll use it where I can.'
Hakari's eyes widened, saying, "Oh yeah?"
Hakari looked away, crouching, thinking, 'Wait, wait, wait, wait, for real?! I'm sorry for the other two, but that's the most shocking thing I've learned today! If I got the backing of one of the three big families, I could easily influence the revisions to the regulations. The only problem would come later, in trying to keep the Zenin Clan from getting involved in the fight club.'
Hakari then shouted, "Sea-Urchin Head!"
"It's Fushiguro."
"Fushiguro-kun!"
Hakari slowly turned around and said, "Let's be friends?" with a happy and harmless expression.
"Sure."
However, the next day, Maki would exterminate the Zenin Clan's military, and due to this they would be removed from the big three clans and lose their influence.
Panda got up and said, "Good. That just leaves deciding who's heading to which colony. Yuta went to Miyagi, right?"
Suddenly, a Shikigami appeared, saying, "Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong! A player has added a new rule to the Culling Game. Rule 9: Players shall be able to view the following information on other players: name, points, number of rules added, and current Colony."
Everyone looked shocked, thinking, 'A new rule?!'
Kiyotaka sighed, thinking, 'Well, it gives us information, but it also gives away ours.'
"Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong! A player has added a new rule to the Culling Game."
He froze, thinking, 'Another rule?!! Already?!!'
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Koenji stood there with an annoyed expression, saying, "Kogane. Are you telling me that I only get 5 points for killing a sorcerer? What kind of travesty is this?"
Kogane floated next to him and said, "You have exceeded 100 points. Do you want to add a rule to change the amount of points earned?"
Koenji thought about it for a second before saying, "Kogane make a new rule. Points can be transferred via agreements. If players vocally confirm the wish battle eachother, then it is an agreement to hand over points upon death."
Kogane's eyes flashed, saying, "Processing. Accepted."
Koenji smield as he walked off, leaving several corpses behind and combing his hair, his body pristine and undamaged.
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The Shikigami flew around Kiyotaka, saying, "I am Kogane. A liaison between Players and the Culling Game!"
Hakari raised an eyebrow, asking, "Did that thing just change personality midway through?"
Megumi stepped forward as Kogane answered, saying, "The first part was an announcement from the Culling Game! Now I am speaking as the personal liaison attached to the Player Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."
"Wait, this isn't right! Why is Ayanokoji already being counted as a player in the Culling game?"
Megumi said this, and Kiyotaka took a breath, saying, "It's likely that I was fed one of Sukuna's fingers long before the incident at Advanced Nuturing High School."
Megumi took a breath and said, "I think I get it. That must be why you were compatible with Sukuna."
Kiyotaka then said, "Kogane. Give me the names of the players who added rules to the Culling Game."
"Searching... searching... searching..."
Kogane said this before its body turned into a screen revealing two players;
Name: Hajime Kashimo
Rules Added: 1
Points: 100
Current Colony: Tokyo Colony 2
Megumi looked shocked, saying, "So this guy originally had 200 points? That means he's killed at least 40 people."
Name: Koenji Rokusuke
Rules Added: 1
Points: 5
Current Colony: ANHS Colony
Kiyotaka deadpanned, saying, "Seriously? Thinking of him having Cursed Energy and a Technique as well is a pain."
Megumi looked to Kiyotaka and asked, "That's Koenji-Senpai, right?"
"Yeah. Though he was only your senpai for a few days before the incident that pulled me into the world of Jujutsu."
Megumi nodded and asked, "What's he like?"
"He's a narcassist through and through, though, given his capabilities, maybe that narcasism in earned."
Kiyotaka said this before asking, "Kogane, are there any other players with more than 100 points?"
"Searching... searching... searching..."
Kogane said this before a third player appeared;
Name: Higuruma Hiromi
Rules Added: 0
Points: 102
Current Colony: Tokyo Colony 1
Megumi gripped his hand, saying, "Another one. Good."
Kiyotaka turned to Hakari and said, "If Okkotsu is right about you, then you go tackle Tokyo Colony 2."
Hakari smield and said, "Got it."
Kirara then asked, "What about you, Kiyo-chan?"
"I'm heading to ANHS Colony. I have commitments over there."
Kiyotaka said this as he turned to Panda and asked, "Where are you going, Panda-Senpai?"
"I'll be sticking with Hakari."
Panda said this as everyone moved out.
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Kiyotaka walked towards the ANHS Colony, but before entering, he asked Kogane, "Can you pull up a list of the players in the ANHS Colony? When listing them, convert rules back into points and put those with the most at the top."
Kogane responded, saying, "The request will take some time."
Kiyotaka nodded and said, "Give me the top 5."
"Searching... Searching... Searching..."
Kogane said this as a list appeared;
1st Place: Koneji Rokusuke - 1 Rule Added - 5 Points
2nd Place: Hidaka Akira | 0 Rules Added - 98 Points
3rd Place: Gakurei | 0 Rules Added - 88 Points
4th Place: Yagami Takuya | 0 Rules Added - 70 Points
5th Place: Amasawa Ichika | 0 Rules Added - 50 Points
Kiyotaka sighed, thinking, 'A lot of people with a high amount of points. But that does mean that I can earn a lot too.'
Kiyotaka then asked, "Is Horikita Suzune listed as a player in the Culling Game?"
"Searching... Searching... Searching... Confirmed."
Name: Horikita Suzune
Rules Added: 0
Points: 0
Current Colony: ANHS Colony
Kiyotaka sighed, thinking, 'That's not good.'
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Chapter?
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