"Kombu," Toge Inumaki said.
"He's saying hello," Panda translated.
Finally, all eyes fell on Zen'in Maki.
The ponytailed girl put down her long staff and walked over to Eriri. She was half a head taller than Eriri, with a strong build and sharp eyes. They looked at each other for a few seconds.
"Zen'in Maki, second year," she said in a slightly low voice. "Zen'in branch family. Heavenly Restriction—incomplete."
Satoru Gojo clapped his hands. "Alright, introductions are over. Eriri, Utaha, Kato, I'll take you to look around the campus today. Classes start next week. For now…"
He looked toward the training ground entrance, where Principal Yaga was walking over with a folder.
"The principal has something else to say."
Yaga walked over to everyone and opened the folder.
"Two things," he said, his voice serious. "First, the Headquarters has issued a notice requesting a 'qualification assessment' for Eriri Sawamura. The time is set for next Friday afternoon. The assessors will come from Kyoto."
Eriri's heart tightened.
"Second," Yaga looked at Satoru Gojo, "regarding the awakening of Lord Zen'in Genji, there are differing opinions within the Headquarters. The conservatives demand 'risk control.' The radicals want to 'win him over.' And some clan forces are moving secretly. Gojo, keep a close ear to the ground."
Satoru Gojo's smile disappeared.
"Got it," he said, his tone light, but his expression beneath the black blindfold turned cold for a moment. "Those old men really never stop, do they."
He turned to Eriri and smiled:
"But don't worry. As long as I'm here, they won't dare to play any tricks. And…"
He looked at the air beside Eriri, his voice relaxed:
"Lord Zen'in Genji isn't a pushover either, is he?"
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.
Then, a calm, smiling voice sounded on the training ground:
"Of course."
Zen'in Genji appeared.
Not slowly, but suddenly. One second there was nothing there, the next—a teenager in modern clothes.
A simple white shirt, dark blue jeans, and canvas shoes on his feet. His black hair was casually tied at the back of his head with a hair tie, a few stray strands falling over his forehead. His face was handsome, with the calm of a thousand years of sedimentation between his brows, but his overall temperament was clean and refreshing, like an ordinary college student.
If not for the fact that he was hovering half a foot off the ground, if not for the inhuman depth flowing in those deep indigo eyes, no one would have thought he was a thousand-year-old God of Curses.
The training ground fell silent again.
Yuji Itadori's mouth formed an "O." Nobara Kugisaki's hammer nearly fell to the ground. Megumi Fushiguro's pupils narrowed slightly. Panda blinked his beady eyes. Toge Inumaki's collar twitched. Zen'in Maki gripped her long staff tighter.
And Masamichi Yaga, that stern principal, also had his eyes slightly widen at that moment.
Genji floated over to Eriri and nodded slightly to everyone.
"Nice to meet you. I am Zen'in Genji," he said in a gentle tone. "For the time being, I will be accompanying Eriri as she studies here. I look forward to working with you."
He paused, looked at Satoru Gojo, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a playful arc:
"As for the Headquarters… if they want to 'assess' or 'negotiate,' I am always open to it. As it happens, I also want to see what the jujutsu world looks like after a thousand years."
It was said calmly.
But the air on the training ground became inexplicably heavier for a moment.
Satoru Gojo laughed. There was excitement, anticipation, and a certain relief in that laugh—"finally here."
"Then it's settled," he said, turning and walking toward the training ground exit. "Alright, that's enough for today's visit. Eriri, Utaha, Kato, I'll take you down the mountain. Everyone else, continue training."
He reached the door, turned, and added:
"Oh, and I'll be at next Friday's 'assessment.' So…"
He smiled, showing a dangerously bright grin:
"When the time comes, don't forget to 'perform well.'"
The door closed.
On the training ground, the remaining students looked at each other.
After a long time, Yuji Itadori spoke quietly:
"So… that was Lord Zen'in Genji?"
"Yes," Megumi Fushiguro nodded, his expression complex. "He looks… younger than I expected."
"And he looks so good in modern clothes!" Nobara Kugisaki's eyes lit up. "But why a shirt and jeans? I thought he'd be wearing a kimono or hunting robes or something…"
"Salmon," Toge Inumaki said.
"Thorn says his temperament is very special," Panda translated. "Even wearing modern clothes, he doesn't feel like a modern person at all."
Everyone looked at Zen'in Maki.
The ponytailed girl was silent, looking at the spot where Genji had just been standing, gripping her long staff, a determined light flickering in her eyes.
"I need to ask him something."
---
Outside the training ground, on the stone steps leading down the mountain.
Eriri walked in front, her steps a little lighter than when she had arrived. Although the pressure was still there, at least she had met her "classmates" and knew what she was facing.
Utaha followed behind, her crimson eyes shining with thought. Megumi Kato walked quietly at the end, her presence faint.
Satoru Gojo and Genji floated beside them.
"The modern clothes suit you," Satoru Gojo teased. "I thought you'd wear that hunting robe."
"When in Rome…" Genji said calmly. "Besides, that outfit is inconvenient to move in."
"That said," Satoru Gojo's tone became serious. "How are you going to handle the assessment next Friday? Those old men at the Headquarters won't be easy to deal with."
Genji looked at the distant mountains, a faint cold light flickering in his deep indigo eyes.
"If they want to assess, let them assess," he said. "But I set the rules."
"What are your rules?"
"First, don't threaten or harm Eriri. Second, no kidnapping her under the guise of 'righteousness' or 'responsibility.' Third…" He paused. "If their requests exceed reasonable limits, I have the right to refuse and reserve the right to 'negotiate.'"
Satoru Gojo laughed.
"Negotiate? Negotiate with your fists?"
"It depends," Genji also smiled. His smile was gentle, but something undeniable flickered in the depths of his eyes. "It's been a thousand years. I haven't 'talked' with anyone for a long time. I hope they… are reasonable."
Eriri, walking ahead, heard this and felt an inexplicable chill down her spine.
Suddenly, she felt that next Friday's "assessment" might not be too peaceful.
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