JJK: Wheel of Time

The team battle came to a quick end. The second-grade cursed spirit hadn't even been exorcised yet, and the final score was 10-4, with Tokyo Jujutsu High winning. Some of those points came from Rika tearing things apart after losing control.

On the Kyoto side, Nishimiya Momo, Kamo Noritoshi, and Todo Aoi were taken out midway. For Tokyo, Panda and Yuta Okkotsu were also eliminated. No one knew exactly how Satoru Gojo handled it, but it seemed like Rika's temporary loss of control didn't cause any lasting problems.

Panda's body had almost fully recovered after returning from Principal Yaga's office, and with Shoko Ieiri around, the others were quickly back to full strength.

Todo Aoi, undeterred by Rika's outburst, still seemed eager for a fight. He confidently told Yuta Okkotsu that he looked forward to resuming their battle, which had been interrupted last time, and even acknowledged Yuta's strength.

Yuta thought to himself, I could do without that kind of recognition…

Then Todo turned his gaze toward Shin. Although he hadn't witnessed the final fight in person, he was well aware of what had happened.

"I didn't expect this exchange event, which I thought would be boring, to introduce me to both Yuta and you. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's individual battles!"

Todo looked up, seemingly lost in thought, before turning back to Shin with a familiar question: "Shin… What kind of women do you like?"

Shin had originally come to visit Yuta and had brought two popsicles with him. Suddenly confronted with Todo's question, he briefly thought about Yuta and the future Itadori…

Gripping the remaining popsicle stick, Shin earnestly replied to Todo, "The type I like… is a white-haired, beast-eared girl! At least for now."

Todo paused, looking a little puzzled. "Ah… what a shame, but I respect your taste. I look forward to seeing your strength tomorrow, Shin!"

At that moment, Maki walked in. It was clear from the look she gave that she had overheard the conversation, and her expression suggested she regarded them as trash.

"Principal Yaga has called everyone together. He's going to finalize tomorrow's individual battles. You… Never mind," Maki said before turning and leaving.

Shin scratched his head. "What's up with Maki? Whatever, Yuta, let's go."

Completely unaware that anything was amiss, Shin headed to the meeting point with Yuta, while Todo returned to the Kyoto side.

Both the students and teachers were gathered when Shin and Yuta arrived, making them the last ones there. Principal Masamichi Yaga began speaking once everyone was present: "Regarding tomorrow's individual battles, we've tentatively settled on two formats and would like to hear your opinions."

"The first option is a round-robin battle. Each side will send out a representative, and the winner will continue to fight until the final victor emerges."

"The second option is a series of one-on-one battles, where each side alternates in choosing an opponent. Each victory adds one point, and the result will be determined by the score."

"Principal Yaga."

Maki raised her hand, confused. "But we only have five people. How do we handle the uneven numbers?"

Yaga seemed to have anticipated this. "If we choose the second option, Tokyo Jujutsu High can have one student fight twice. In exchange, Kyoto will get the first choice of matchups. If the score is tied at 3-3, then the individual battle is considered a draw, and the victory will go to Tokyo Jujutsu High based on the team battle results."

"What if we win the individual battle? How do we decide the overall victor if both sides win one event?" Kamo Noritoshi asked.

Before Yaga could answer, Satoru Gojo jumped in excitedly. "In that case, we'll have a Final Showdown!"

Everyone instinctively felt that this so-called "Final Showdown" would be problematic, so they tactfully ignored Gojo's self-satisfied rambling.

Instead, both sides formed a circle to discuss strategies. Panda, stroking his chin with a knowing expression, said, "I think… the first option actually works better for us! Shin could probably tear through the entire other side by himself."

Maki adjusted her glasses. "The second option is also good. If we have Shin fight twice, we're almost guaranteed at least one, if not two, wins. That gives us a high chance of victory."

Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the Kyoto side was a bit more somber. Both sides had already fought, and while some matches had been decided—like Shin versus Kamo Noritoshi—others, such as Maki's, had yet to be resolved.

At least they had some understanding of each other's strength. Miwa Kasumi, propping her face on her hands, looked a little downcast. "From what everyone's saying, if we choose the second option, they'll definitely have that Shin guy fight twice… How are we supposed to deal with that?"

Kamo Noritoshi responded, "It seems like Shin is their strongest fighter. My match against him ended quickly. His speed is abnormal, likely due to his technique."

"There are two ways to handle him. We could have our weakest fighters exhaust his battle count, but the other side probably won't let that happen."

"The second option is to send one of us against him first. They'll likely pit their 'best horse' against our 'middle horse.' Aside from that, we'll need to win the other matches. It's a tough battle."

Todo Aoi chimed in, "Those first-years are all monsters. But don't worry, they won't use such a calculated strategy. They'll go king versus king, general versus general, and fight with all their might!"

Mai, standing nearby, looked puzzled. Did Todo overhear the other side's strategy? But from what she had heard, everything seemed too vague…

"Todo, why do you say that?"

Hearing Mai's confusion, Todo Aoi flashed a bright smile, showing his white teeth. "Because of our special connection!"

"..."

Everyone was speechless, once again ignoring Todo and resuming their discussion of the actual situation. Todo, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much. After all, these people weren't worthy of being his true friends. Such loneliness...

"I don't mind. Whether it's Yuta or Shin, just facing them is enough to get me excited!"

Over on the Tokyo Jujutsu High side, they had also unanimously chosen the second option. Since the team battle had ended so quickly, most of them hadn't even fully fought their opponents, except for Shin, who swiftly eliminated two people.

"So what if im a first-year? So what if my jujutsu rank is low? I'll beat them so badly they'll be searching for their teeth on the ground!" Maki's confidence was evident in her expression, filled with martial vigor.

Panda, too, was fired up. Inumaki and Yuta nodded in agreement. Noticing everyone looking at him, Shin scratched his head and yawned. He had stayed up all night playing games, and while he still had plenty of energy, some reactions were unavoidable.

"Isn't the first option a guaranteed win? But if you all agree on the second, I don't mind. I guess I'll be the one fighting twice."

Maki casually remarked, "We already have a big advantage. They'll probably send their weakest to burn one of your fight chances. We just need to roughly figure out the order."

In the end, both sides agreed on the individual battle format, with the curtain set to rise at 10 a.m. tomorrow in the school dojo.

Principal Masamichi Yaga announced, "Now we'll decide the battle order. Kyoto will choose first."

Kamo Noritoshi, representing Kyoto, stood up and said, "Our Miwa Kasumi challenges Shin Shuichi."

Neither side seemed particularly surprised, though Miwa Kasumi looked a little nervous. Then it was Tokyo's turn.

Yuta Okkotsu stood up and said, "I choose to battle Kamo Noritoshi-senpai."

On Kyoto's side, Todo Aoi stepped forward. "I'll fight Shin Shuichi."

Kamo Noritoshi's face remained expressionless, but others showed some regret. Ideally, someone else would have challenged Shin first, leaving Todo to fight Yuta Okkotsu. If there was no chance, they could go for the cursed speech user, Inumaki Toge, which might give them a better shot.

As for Shin, he didn't care either way. This worked out better for him—it would be less boring. Although he hadn't seen Kamo Noritoshi's ultimate technique, the result wouldn't change. If memory served, Todo's hand-to-hand were quite strong, so they could have a proper physical showdown tomorrow.

On Kyoto's side, Todo was known for being his own person, and no one could stop him. Back on the Tokyo side, Panda spoke up on behalf of the quieter Inumaki. "Inumaki Toge will fight against Mechamaru."

"Tuna Mayo!"

Next, Kyoto chose Nishimiya Momo to face Maki, and finally, Panda would battle Mai.

With the matchups decided, there was nothing left to do for the day. Yaga dismissed everyone. Shin slung an arm around Panda's shoulder. "Panda, come over to my place tonight and let's game! I need one more teammate for PUBG. We'll dominate the battlefield!"

As she was leaving, Maki overheard and chimed in, "Hey… don't pull another all-nighter. You've got the individual battles tomorrow!"

Shin grinned and brushed it off. "Come on, Maki, you know staying up doesn't bother me. We won't be up all night."

Panda, with his usual straightforward expression, added, "I'm just a panda, so I don't need much sleep."

"Tch…"

Maki, not interested in dealing with the two of them, turned and walked away. On her way out, she gave Yuta a warning, "Don't act like those two. It'll only bring you bad luck."

"Uh…" Unsure how to respond, Yuta watched as Maki walked away. Inumaki gave him an encouraging "Tuna Mayo," though it was unclear if it was meant to cheer him on or something else.

Meanwhile, Shin and Panda had already dragged Inumaki along with them.

As they disappeared down the hall, Shin's voice echoed, "I barely touched my copy of Breath of the Wild that I got at launch, but they said it was good."

Shortly after, Panda's head peeked out from around the corner. "Yuta, you should come too."

"But… um…"

Panda quickly slipped over and threw an arm around Yuta's shoulders. "You know, the key to success is balanced preparation. With the individual battles tomorrow, playing games is the perfect way to relax. A calm mind can also help you win!"

Before he knew it, Yuta had been swept up into the group and was heading off with them toward the "battlefield."

°°°

A/N: Gimme stonez, and I'll double release again tomorrow

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