Chapter 156: The Alien, Ria
After completing their mission, the four of them headed toward the ruins left behind by the Shinjuku battle.
Because they were jujutsu sorcerers, no one stopped them. They passed through the cordoned-off area with ease, stepping into a vast, empty zone sealed by warning tape.
What lay before them was a colossal abyss—
a crater over a kilometer in diameter.
Standing at its edge, the four of them looked no bigger than ants.
"Even though this isn't my first time seeing it," Okkotsu Kaguya said softly, staring into the pit,
"it's still just as shocking every single time."
The crater looked as though a meteor had slammed into the earth. Just gazing at it filled him with awe.
"So cool…!!"
Zen'in Kaon's eyes were wide as saucers.
"This is what was left behind after the battle with the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna? Even after eighteen years, you can still feel that terrifying presence lingering here."
It was hard to imagine that this kind of devastation had been caused by sorcerers fighting each other.
Could I ever reach this level one day? she wondered.
Beside her, Ria's expression was far more serious. As she sensed the residual power emanating from the crater, she could easily picture how monstrous the combatants here must have been.
If the jujutsu world possessed many sorcerers of this caliber…
would they truly welcome the Simurian people living alongside humanity?
And more importantly—
the Simurians themselves were not as peaceful as they appeared.
A significant faction believed that conquering Earth was the correct path forward.
If war were to break out, could either side truly guarantee total victory?
And even if they did win—
how many innocent lives would be lost in the process?
Ria's gaze hardened.
I can't let a war happen.
The best possible future was one where the Simurians successfully integrated into human society—
where both peoples could coexist peacefully and build a shared, happy future.
"It's a shame," Kaguya said with a hint of regret.
"All information related to that battle was completely sealed. Even this crater was officially designated as a 'meteor impact site' by the higher-ups."
There was a trace of longing in his eyes.
If given the chance, he truly wanted to experience that legendary battle for himself.
"If I remember correctly," he continued,
"all records and footage of that war are now stored in the Headquarters' archives. Access is strictly forbidden—its secrecy is on par with special-grade cursed objects."
Kaon tilted her head thoughtfully.
"With your family backgrounds… even you aren't allowed to know what really happened back then?"
The children of special-grade sorcerers—surely they'd have some right to that knowledge.
"Unfortunately," Kaguya replied, shaking his head,
"no."
"To prevent unnecessary trouble," he explained,
"even those who personally participated in the battle signed strict confidentiality agreements."
Gojo Kamui suddenly spoke up.
"My father once told me that sealing information like this was done to prevent war."
"Back then, every sorcerer knew something about what happened," he continued calmly.
"But the exact details—only those who personally experienced it truly know."
"Damn it, that just makes me even more curious!"
Zen'in Kaon clenched her fists in frustration.
She felt like the more she heard, the harder it became to stop herself from wanting answers.
"Sigh… let's head back," she said.
"We've already seen enough. If we stay any longer, I might actually sneak into Headquarters and steal the records from that war."
No one objected, and the group began making their way back.
On the way, Kamui suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right. There's something I should tell you all," he said.
"That curse user we captured earlier mentioned that aliens have visited Earth. I don't know if it's true…"
"But judging from his tone," he added, "it's probably real."
"What?! Aliens?"
Kaon's eyes immediately lit up.
"That sounds way more exciting than the Shinjuku battle from eighteen years ago!"
"We can just ask Itadori-sensei when we get back," Kamui said.
"He definitely knows."
At that moment, Ria's expression stiffened slightly.
No way… am I getting exposed on my very first day?
What kind of observer am I supposed to be at this rate?
"Ria? What's wrong?"
Kaon noticed her sudden pause and asked with concern.
Kamui and Okkotsu Kaguya also turned to look at her.
Three pairs of eyes focused on her at once.
Ria's face flushed.
"N-no, it's nothing. Let's just go."
She quickly walked ahead.
The three of them exchanged puzzled looks.
"Hey, wait for us, Ria!"
Not long after, they returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Itadori Yuji was already waiting for them.
"Congratulations," he said with a grin.
"You completed your first mission perfectly. From today onward, you're officially jujutsu sorcerers. Your official grades will be evaluated at the end of the school year."
"Try to break the school's records, okay?"
"Sensei, forget that for now!" Kaon blurted out impatiently.
"Tell us—are there really aliens on Earth?!"
She desperately wanted to know what aliens looked like.
Did they resemble the monsters from TV shows?
Kamui and Kaguya also looked at Itadori with curiosity.
Only Ria felt increasingly uncomfortable.
Should I just step forward and say it?
Would that make things less awkward… or worse?
Hearing the question, Itadori froze.
He hadn't expected the alien situation to leak this quickly.
"Where did you hear that?" he asked.
"The curse user from today's mission told us," Kamui replied.
"A curse user, huh… figures," Itadori muttered, stroking his chin.
"Those guys always have good intel, no matter the era."
"So it's true?!" Kaon leaned forward eagerly.
"Where are they? What do they look like?"
"This…"
Itadori scratched his cheek awkwardly, unsure how to answer.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward Ria.
He hesitated.
Is it rude to reveal this myself?
Meeting his eyes, Ria let out a small sigh and stepped forward.
"No need to ask Itadori-sensei," she said softly.
"I'll tell you myself."
"…Huh?"
Everyone turned to look at the petite girl, confusion written all over their faces.
Ria slowly peeled off the diamond-shaped sticker on her forehead.
A third eye opened beneath it.
"I'm the alien you're talking about."
"Wha—!?"
All three of them stared, eyes wide.
Who could have imagined that the mysterious aliens were actually a small girl who had been right beside them the entire time?!
Kaon immediately stepped forward and—without hesitation—cupped Ria's face in both hands, examining her third eye closely.
"So that's why you didn't want me watching when you used your ability earlier!"
She leaned in, eyes sparkling.
"Ria, I have to ask… are all aliens cute little girls like you?"
Her heart raced with excitement.
If every alien looked like this, she thought,
I wouldn't mind letting them all move to Earth!
"L-let go of me!"
Ria struggled free, her face bright red.
"The Simurian people aren't that different from humans," she said defensively.
"More specifically… we're not that different from jujutsu sorcerers."
"Oh really?" Kaon tilted her head.
"But you've got three eyes! That's so cool. Can that eye shoot laser beams like Superman or something?"