NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Chapter 13
"T-minus one minute until we begin. And now a few words of encouragement from Ms. Utahime!" Gojo announced over the speaker system hooked up around the school, informing the students that their goodwill event with their sister school was about to begin.
"Umm… some injures will be unavoidable. So. Um, let's help each other and-" Utahime said, clearly unprepared for a speech. A speech she was unable to finish before being interrupted by Gojo.
"Time's up."
"Gojo you little-"
"It's time for the goodwill event to…" Gojo continued, completely ignoring Utahime.
"Where's Todo?" Kamo asked Mai while preparing to run off as soon as Gojo announced the events start.
"How should I know?" Mai responded.
"STAAAART!!" Gojo shouted into the microphone, kicking off that year's event.
The Tokyo students ran off, they were made up of two teams. Team Panda consisting of Panda, Yuji, and Nobara. And team Isamu consisting of Isamu, Maki, and Megumi. Toga would act as a free agent and roam the battlefield. He had two jobs.
One, he was there main exorcist, meaning he would actively seek out the curses the event was based around exorcising and get rid of them while everyone else would just exorcise them if they ran into one. Two, he was meant to throw off the other team.
If the Kyoto students were unable to locate Toga, they would always be worried about running into him or getting snuck up on. This would make them unable to relax even the slightest bit while they constantly burned cursed energy protecting themselves from cursed speech.
Megumi's black demon dog ran off, Megumi having summoned it right at the start of the event. The dog was back to its wolf like form. Isamu figured Megumi was saving its more powerful werewolf form in reserve so he could surprise the Kyoto students should it become necessary. The teams had yet to split up, seeing no need until they ran into the Kyoto students.
Demon dog was trained to sniff out curses so naturally the Tokyo students tensed when the shikigami ran forward and began to bark. Its nose was proven correct when a spider like curse swung down from the canopy and into their path.
"Is a grade 3." Panda called out, not worried in the slightest. Maki was about to step forward, her poll arm at the ready but was stopped when Megumi called out to her.
"Senpai! Stop!"
Maki heeded the words of her underclassmen and slid to a stop. She stopped just short of the curses and was glad for it when a large burst of dust and splinters exploded from the forest and engulfed the curse.
"Good! Everyone's here!" Todo declared as he stepped out of the dust cloud he created. "Let's have everyone come at me! All at once!" He challenged.
The Tokyo students held no desire to take Todo up on his offer. Yuji ran forward, hopped into the air, grabbed Todos head on either side, then planted a knee into his nose.
"Split up!" Maki shouted. The group of students split into their respective groups before running off into the forest while Toga slipped away on his own, leaving Yuji to take on Todo.
"He came along after all." Megumi observed referring to Todo, Megumi shrugged a bit to keep up with Isamu and Maki who were both running a head of him.
"We were right to tag Yuji in. Isamu will be much more useful this way." Maki commented, looking to her right, seeing Isamu clutching the handle of his sheathed sword, ready to fight at any moment.
——
"Pretty good speed." Todo commented before spitting out some blood. Yuji was indeed fast, especially for a first year. A beed of sweat rolled down Yuji's face, he thought he had him with that knee but to think he would just shake it off like it was no big deal.
"Here's one right back at ya first year." Todo said while raising a fist with a smile on his face. "Defend yourself as if your life depends on it." Todo finish before launching an attack of his own.
Yuji raised both of his arms in a defensive manner, protecting his head. Just as Todo was about to rocket forward, the curse from earlier swung in front of Yuji. Todo attacked anyway and punched through the curse like it was a wet napkin.
Yuji crossed his arms to from an x over his chest. Todo's fist smashed into him and he flew backwards into a tree about 10 feet away. Yuji was surprised his arms were even still attached so his body. If it weren't for the curse weakening the blow a bit, Yuji arm would probably be broken.
Yuji drew his attention away from his trembling arms and looked back at Todo only to find the bottom of a shoe blocking his vision. Todo smashed his foot into Yuji's skull, slamming his head backwards into the bark of the tree.
He then drew his foot back before slamming it forward once more. He continued to stomp the daylights out of Yuji until he stopped trying to resist, leading Todo to believe he had lost consciousness.
"Oh? Done already?" Todo asked the seemingly unconscious Yuji. He was disappointed that the first year was done already. He turned away, wondering aloud where he should go next before he noticed a scuffle behind him.
"You're kidding." Toda said in disbelief. This first year was incredibly tough.
"Why'd you go and pound my face like that?!" Yuji asked loudly after standing up, a part of his hair stained with blood. The middle of his forehead was also bloodied and bruised. "What if you made me dumber than I already was?!"
"Don't worry." Todo said with a simile, he was starting to like this kid. "Takaba says "dumb guys are perfect.""
"Who's that? I don't care about pop idols." Yuji fired back while rubbing his forehead, trying to get rid of some of the blood so it wouldn't get in his eyes later.
"If you don't know her, how do you know she's an idol?" Todo asked, seeing through Yuji's lie with ease. "First year. What's your name?" Todo asked, changing the subject.
"Yuji Itadori."
"Well, Yuji Itadori. I have one question for you." Todo said as he resumed a fighting pose. "What kind of girl is your type?"
——
"Do you think the grade 2 is that way?" Maki asked Megumi while pointing towards the center of the event area. They were standing on a small hill, overlooking a decent portion of the forest.
"No. Unless it's incredibly clever, demon dog should've detected it by now." Megumi answered. "Hey…" Megumi continued, drawing Maki's and Isamu's attention. "Do you think they're trying to kill Yuji?"
Maki and Isamu thought on it a bit before Maki answered. "It's definitely possible." While they knew Yuji as a kind jujutsu sorcerer, those who haven't meet him would just see him as a vessel for Sukuna, just another curse to exorcise.
Maki looked towards Isamu with a questioning looked. Understanding her meaning, Isamu nodded in agreement. Now in the same page, Maki spoke "We're heading back Megumi."
"Sorry." Megumi said while turning to follow Isamu and Maki who had begun to set out.
"Why are you apologizing? If your friend dies, this event is pretty much over." Maki said while quickening her pace.
——
"Yeah, keep going straight. But Todo's there." Momo directed into her phone.
"That shouldn't be a problem. He did say he didn't about our plans." Momo heard Kamo responded over their call.
Momo was flying over the clearing Todo and Yuji were fighting in, reporting on their activities and location to the rest of her team. Before Yuji knew it, he was surrounded by all of the Kyoto students.
Mechamaru and Kamo were located on the branches of nearby trees, ready to rain down arrows and beams of cursed energy at any moment. Miwa stood a few feet away from Yuji, cutting off a path of escape while Mai stood on the other side of the clearing, opposite of Todo who was in front of Yuji.
Mai, without warning, began unloading at Yuji, firing three shots. Yuji dashed to the side towards Miwa and away from Kamo and Mechamaru's position. All three bullets whizzed past Yuji.
"New Shadow Style: Simple Domain." Miwa said while widening her stance. A white circle surrounded her as her right hand hovered over her sheathed blade, ready to draw and strike at anytime.
Yuji continued to run towards Miwa, ignorant of the dangers stepping into a simple domain could pose. Miwa, after a little hesitation, drew and slashed at Yuji, only to find herself cutting through air and nothing more. Yuji had jumped and flipped over Miwa in order to avoid the attack.
Once he regained his feet, Yuji began the run away from the group of students. Before Yuji could even make it a few steps, the robot leaped into his path and aimed an arm at him. The metal construction opened its plan as it split open, revealing a barrel with a condensed ball of cursed energy ready to fire.
It was only then, with Mai, Kamo, and Mechamaru aiming their respective long ranged attacks at him, that Yuji realized that the Kyoto students were trying to kill him. Before Yuji would even think of a plan of escape, he heard someone clap.
Much to Yuji's and Kamo's confusion, they had suddenly swapped places. Yuji was now located on the branch of a nearby by tree while Kamo was now the one surrounded. "Hey!" Todo shouted menacing while looming over Kamo, standing right behind him.
Todo punched down at the shorter man but was unable to score on the man before he jumped out of the way. Todo's fist rocketed down and planted itself into the ground, kicking up dust and rock on impact. "I thought I told you… that I'd kill anyone who got in my way." Todo
"No, you said you'd kill anyone who gave you orders." Kamo corrected as he landed and righted himself to face Todo, ready to fight his classmate should the need arise.
"Whatever! Go away!" Todo shouted, he was infuriated at being corrected. Kamo began walking towards Todo as the larger man tensed ever so slightly in preparation of an attack. Said attack never came as Kamo continued on past Todo.
"Looks like we're retreating." Mechamaru said to the others.
"Lame." Mai commented while Miwa was glad they didn't need to fight another jujutsu sorcerer with the intent to kill anymore.
"Just make sure to kill him." Kamo said, his back now facing Todo's own back.
"That… is entirely up to Itadori." Todo said as he took up a fighting stance once more.
——
"I knew we should've left them alone from the start." Momo said to herself as she casually followed her grounded companions. "Having to deal with everyone's BS is a pain. At least I look cute while doing it."
"Take her down." Megumi whispered as a large mass of darkness flew from his shadow.
Momo was blasted out of the sky in a streak of lightning courtesy of Nue, Megumi's large, orange, owl like shikigami.
Team Isamu moved to where Momo had been looking to find four of the Kyoto students, Kamo, Mai, Miwa, and the robot Mecamaru. The team had just split with Mai and the robot going to help Momo. "Go after those two, Isamu and I will take on these ones." Maki commanded Megumi.
Megumi gave a stiff nod before running to continue his assault on the witch. Maki ran, spun her staff, before striking out at Miwa from the woods in a sneak attack. Miwa, to her credit, was able to block the blow at the last second.
Isamu also struck out at Kamo. Due to Kamo not being prepared for the attack, he was forced to block the blow with his bow instead of dodging like he would've preferred. As a result, Isamu's blade cracked the wood, leaving miny cracks where he'd struck. The bow was still serviceable but Isamu gave it 5 shots before it snapped from the overuse.
Isamu was happy with the results of his first attack and quickly followed up on his good fortune, not letting Kamo gain any momentum. Isamu rushed Kamo once more but was only able to cut air with any accuracy. He was able to knick he a few times, drawing small amounts of blade, but he was never able to land any decent damage.
During his burst of slashes, Isamu heard the clash of steel and scuffle of feet emanating from Maki and Miwa's battle slowly becoming fainter and fainter, leading Isamu to believe that they were gradually moving away. Suddenly, Kamo finally threw out an attack of his own, a plan strike.
Isamu blocked the blow with the flat of his blade but was a bit surprised at the power behind the strike. Before isamu could continue his attack or defend against any attacks from the clan heir, his vision turned red.
No, he was no suddenly overwhelmed by hatred. Kamo had simply controlled the trace amounts of blood leaking from the small cuts Isamu had given him and threw it in his eyes. Isamu quickly wiped his eyes with a single hand while keeping his sword in a defensive manner.
Once his vision was no longer impaired, Isamu looked back towards Kamo. He had been a bit surprised that Kamo hadn't attacked him during his vulnerable state but he instantly understood why once he'd cleared his eyes. Kamo had run off.
Isamu was suuupper disappointed and very annoyed. He would be lying if he claimed to like hunting for things. That why pretty much every mission he took was just a "go here and kill this" type and not a "investigate this string of disappearances" type.
But he was still a grade one and was decently skilled at detecting and following cursed energy residue. Isamu took off at full sprint towards where he figured Kamo would've run off at, sheathing his sword in the process. He really just wanted a head on fight!!