Chapter 182 – The Simurian Starfolk's Lineup
"Don't just stand around in the courtyard—come inside and eat. We can talk while we eat."
Kurusu called out from the doorway.
Everyone filed into the house and sat together in a circle.
After the meal, Zen'in Kaon finally pieced together her relationships with everyone present—and found it almost unbelievable.
She truly hadn't expected every single one of her relatives to be this terrifyingly capable.
The realization brought with it a subtle sense of pressure.
More importantly, the man who claimed to be her second great-grandfather had casually handed her the position of next head of the Zen'in clan.
And no one objected.
Not a single person.
She was completely stunned.
So… she'd come to the jujutsu world for training—and casually inherited an entire clan along the way?
After that day, Kaon's life entered a brief period of calm.
She continued steadily strengthening herself, sparring daily with various top-tier figures. Her progress was visible almost by the day.
She also learned how to combine shikigami from the Ten Shadows Technique, creating hybrid summons tailored for different combat scenarios.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed.
The exchange event was now just one day away.
The entire jujutsu world sprang into motion.
This exchange was unprecedented in scale—those qualified to participate were the absolute elites of both sides.
Without at least semi–Special Grade strength, one wouldn't even qualify to step onto the stage.
"Kaon," Megumi said, briefing her carefully,
"aside from lacking a fully developed Domain, your current strength is already on par with a Special Grade sorcerer."
"Perform well in the exchange."
"After the event, the higher-ups will reassess your sorcerer rankings based on what you show."
"I understand," Kaon replied firmly.
"We'll secure victory in the youth division."
She understood the higher-ups' mindset.
This wasn't just a competition—it was a clash between humans and extraterrestrials.
Earth couldn't afford to lose momentum.
"Good. Don't be too nervous," Megumi added.
"Even if something goes wrong, we're here to back you up."
"Rest well today. Go in at your best."
After finishing his instructions, Megumi left to handle other matters.
Across the jujutsu world, sorcerers began making their way toward Jujutsu High.
This exchange could not be taken lightly.
Not only did they need to win—but they also had to be on guard against any unexpected actions from the Simurian Starfolk.
After Megumi left, Kaon couldn't suppress her excitement.
This was the first time she'd ever taken part in an event of this magnitude.
She was almost certain she wouldn't sleep tonight.
And she wasn't alone.
Tonight, many were destined to lie awake.
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The Next Day
Kaon arrived early at Tokyo Jujutsu High to rendezvous with Earth's participants.
"Ria! Long time no see," Kaon said brightly.
"And what was that last time—why did you pretend not to recognize me?"
In the classroom, she saw many familiar faces:
Gojo Kamui, Okkotsu Kaguya, Ria…
Even Kusakabe Zetsu—the senior who'd assigned them their previous mission—was present.
"Kaon," Ria stepped forward, smiling awkwardly,
"You must've run into my sister, didn't you?"
They looked almost exactly the same—so alike that unless you knew them well, it was impossible to tell who was who.
"Your sister?"
Zen'in Kaon suddenly understood. "That explains why she felt… different."
Since that was the case, she couldn't really blame Ria.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Let me introduce them," Yuji Itadori said as he walked into the classroom, two students following behind him.
"These two are third-year students from Kyoto Jujutsu High—and they'll also be participating in this exchange."
"Go ahead and get acquainted."
Yuji stepped aside, letting the students introduce themselves.
A burly, towering man strode forward first, his voice loud and confident.
"I'm Todo Joi. I like big girls—preferably taller than me."
"..."
Kaon and the others fell silent, momentarily speechless.
"I'm Kamo Oka."
Compared to Todo, the narrow-eyed student's introduction was refreshingly normal.
After a few minutes of introductions, Kaon leaned closer to Okkotsu Kaguya and whispered,
"Kaguya… where are Tokyo Jujutsu High's third-years?"
Kaguya explained quietly,
"Talented sorcerers are rare. Jujutsu High doesn't recruit students every year."
"This year, Tokyo Jujutsu High doesn't even have third-years.
We only have one second-year—Senior Kusakabe."
"Kyoto's similar. They don't have any first-years this year."
Kaon tilted her head. "Then why are we first-years qualified to compete? What about Kyoto's second-years?"
There were seven spots total in the youth division.
Tokyo alone had five participants—one of whom was Ria, an alien.
"It's simple," Kusakabe Zetsu said lazily.
"Because you guys are strong."
"The seven competitors are just the strongest available."
Kusakabe himself had zero interest in this exchange—but the youth division required participants to be under twenty.
And somehow, among all under-twenty sorcerers in the jujutsu world, he had inexplicably landed in the top seven.
He seriously doubted whether he was qualified at all.
A minor with no innate technique… entering a match of this scale?
Wasn't he just asking to be crushed by aliens?
"I see…" Kaon nodded.
Sorcerers were already rare to begin with—and powerful ones usually revealed their talent at a very young age.
"There's still an hour before the match starts," Yuji said.
"I'll take you to the competition site now."
He led the group toward the now-familiar mountain range.
"I met your opponents yesterday," Yuji continued seriously.
"Let me warn you in advance—their seven-member team includes at least three individuals comparable to Special Grade sorcerers."
"Three Special Grade–level opponents?!"
Everyone except Ria was visibly shaken.
Is this the true foundation of the Simurian Starfolk?
Just among their younger generation, they already had three Special Grade–level combatants.
If this year's Jujutsu High hadn't also produced several monsters, the youth division would've been a guaranteed loss.
"My sister told me the same thing," Ria added.
"By Earth's ranking system, three of their team members are Special Grade–level, while the remaining four are around semi–Special Grade."
Among the Simurian Starfolk, the likelihood of producing sorcerers was far higher than among humans.
Out of fifty thousand Simurianns, a few prodigies were inevitable.
Unlike humans—where the ability to manipulate cursed energy was extremely rare—Simurianns could control cursed energy from the moment they were born.
"Ria's right," Yuji said calmly.
"In terms of overall sorcerer strength, the Simurian Starfolk far surpass the jujutsu world."
"But don't let that scare you. Just do your best."
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