The interior of the car felt somewhat cramped.
Ieiri Shoko silently congratulated herself on her foresight — she had wisely claimed the front passenger seat.
Yaga Masamichi occupied the driver's seat on the right, starting the engine before glancing into the rearview mirror and scolding firmly: "All right — everyone sit still and buckle up!"
The three rowdy high school boys finally ceased their pushing and shoving.
Getou Suguru remarked in disbelief: "Akiya, you stuffed the trunk completely full — do we really need to bring that much stuff?"
As the vehicle pulled away from the gates of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Asou Akiya found it a little hard to breathe. Gojo Satoru was squeezed right beside him, shifting restlessly — those impossibly long legs had nowhere proper to go, leading to inevitable brushes and bumps.
If that were the extent of it, perhaps it could be endured — yet Gojo Satoru had actually activated his Limitless technique, shielding his own body from the heat and leaving Asou Akiya as the only one sweltering in the confined space.
Asou Akiya edged toward Getou Suguru's side, pleading: "Sorry — I'd like to sit by the window."
Getou Suguru yielded without hesitation: "No problem at all — we'll switch. Just be careful not to let the cold air blow directly on you; it might give you a headache."
Asou Akiya carefully stepped over Getou Suguru's knees in an attempt to change positions.
Gojo Satoru caught hold of Asou Akiya's shirt hem: "If you move over there, it'll be even worse for my legs."
Getou Suguru was just as tall and broad-shouldered — he would inevitably compete with Gojo Satoru for the scant remaining space in the back seat.
After a flurry of shuffling and readjusting, Asou Akiya finally secured the window seat as he wished — resulting in Gojo Satoru ending up in the middle, effectively separating Getou Suguru and Asou Akiya.
Yaga Masamichi took in the childish antics of the high school boys through the mirror and suddenly felt his longstanding reverence for the ancient clans waver.
If even Gojo Satoru could adapt to modern campus life without issue, why should the young master of the Zenin family be any different?
While steering the car, Yaga Masamichi remarked: "I'm not entirely certain about the current strength of Kyoto School's upperclassmen. But there will undoubtedly be members from the Kamo family's branch lines and the Zenin family's offshoots among them."
Gojo Satoru toyed idly with his phone — his head steady and his eyes unfazed — as he declared, "Just beat them all, it's that easy."
Yaga Masamichi responded firmly: "Stop playing with your phone — it's bad for your eyes! What I hope is that you'll give Akiya some actual combat experience."
Gojo Satoru shot back with a scoff: "Akiya needs me to introduce him to the Three Great Families? He's more familiar with them than I am."
Getou Suguru could not abide his laziness: "That's only because you know so little."
Asou Akiya devoted his full attention to the passing scenery outside the window — a radiant smile on his face, his ears deaf to the bickering of the high school boys.
This time, he was traveling to Kyoto by car alongside his classmates and teacher — an overwhelming sense of security enveloped him. He had no need to worry about the higher-ups in the jujutsu world or any of their schemes and intrigues; at this moment, nothing could stand against the united resolve of these five teachers and students bound together.
Two hours later, Gojo Satoru could no longer tolerate Tokyo's endless traffic lights and gridlock. He tilted his head to one side and drifted off to sleep in the back seat.
Just before Gojo Satoru's head could slide gradually onto Asou Akiya's slender shoulder —
Getou Suguru's devilish hand darted out, seizing the white-haired head by its mop of hair. He straightened it firmly, positioning it properly — refusing to allow any oppression of their classmate.
Gojo Satoru kept his eyes closed — even in that half-awake, drowsy state — yet did not forget to stomp lightly on Getou Suguru's foot in retaliation.
Asou Akiya pretended not to notice a thing.
With little else to occupy him, Yaga Masamichi eased off the accelerator and asked: "Gojo, do you know the young master of the Zenin family?"
Gojo Satoru replied with cool indifference: "Not really."
Yaga Masamichi took it as genuine unfamiliarity and wondered quietly to himself, "Don't the members of the Three Great Families interact with one another?"
Asou Akiya gently soothed Gojo Satoru's hostility toward those rotten old tangerines, murmuring softly, "Gojo holds a unique position among the Three Great Families — he has no obligation to show deference to the Zenin clan. If there's anything you wish to ask, Teacher, you can direct it to me."
Yaga Masamichi proceeded to explain his intention to invite the young master of the Zenin family to enroll.
Asou Akiya hesitated on the verge of speaking, but Yaga Masamichi stated steadily: "You need not hold back on my account, Teacher has no concerns about that."
Asou Akiya replied: "Then I will speak plainly — once you have met the Zenin young master even a single time, you will understand his style perfectly."
Yaga Masamichi countered with a question: "A unique style?"
Asou Akiya adopted the same cold, indifferent expression Gojo Satoru often wore: "No — an utterly bizarre style."
The young master of the Zenin clan, true name Zenin Naoya, also mockingly dubbed "Zenin Piggy" or "Rainbow Cloud Piggy."
This individual was fourteen years old this year, male, the legitimate direct heir of the Zenin family — born with the innate technique known as Projection Sorcery. His father was the twenty-sixth head of the Zenin clan, Zenin Naobito; his cousin was Fushiguro Toji; his cousins were Zenin Maki and Zenin Mai.
Secondary fan creations about Zenin Naoya were not plentiful, yet from what Asou Akiya knew… there were an alarming number of degrading, abusive stories.
At the root of it all, that guy was nothing less than human scum.
Asou Akiya let a strange smile curve his lips: "I suggest you meet him in person, Teacher — once you do, everything will become clear."
"Akiya, if the Zenin heir is far from normal, what about the young master of the Kamo family?" Getou Suguru's impression of the Three Great Families was considerably better than his view of the conservative headquarters — entirely due to the positive influence Gojo Satoru had exerted.
"He's still very young," Asou Akiya answered. "and a pitiful child."
Gojo Satoru harbored nothing but visceral disgust for Zenin Naoya, yet he showed a flicker of interest when the Kamo family was mentioned: "What makes that guy pitiful?"
Asou Akiya explained: "The legitimate heir born without an innate technique is hidden away, while a bastard son is presented in his place — unable even to acknowledge his own birth mother."
The separation of flesh and blood. That is one of the great tragedies of the human world.
The moment his words faded, a thick oppressive shadow of feudal darkness seemed to instantly descend upon the car.
Gojo Satoru leaned close to Asou Akiya's ear and whispered, "I've figured it out — you get way too excited about gossip. Have you been secretly hoarding a whole collection of dirt on the Three Great Families?"
He was not truly angry about it — far from it; he simply wanted to join in the fun of dishing out scandals about those rotten old tangerines. "Next time you get fresh intel, share it with me sooner."
Asou Akiya listened to the warm, moist breath of his male classmate brushing against his ear — no longer able to regard the other as a mere child.
Those photobooks of female celebrities were proof enough of everything.
Asou Akiya turned his head sharply, forcing the intruder to retreat. "Gojo, I do have the latest gossip right here."
Gojo Satoru instinctively pulled back, creating distance between them. "What?"
Asou Akiya smiled slyly. "Guess who will be the first to come knocking once we arrive in Kyoto?"
Gojo Satoru blinked. "Huh?"
Asou Akiya mouthed the words silently toward him — shaping a title of excruciating embarrassment.
["Divine Child-sama."]
"No way!" Gojo Satoru snatched out his phone and dialed a number at once, snarling fiercely into the receiver. "You are absolutely not allowed to send anyone to Kyoto School looking for me! No means no! If I see any of you there, I'll beat you to death!"
Thanks to Gojo Satoru's threats, the Gojo family dared not make any rash moves — sparing Asou Akiya the risk of exposure as well.
Asou Akiya could not stop laughing. Getou Suguru, seated in a position that perfectly blocked his view of the silent lip movements, asked curiously, "What's up with Gojo?"
Gojo Satoru glared and immediately slumped in defeat. "Don't say a word."
Asou Akiya naturally avoided dancing on any landmines. "I won't say a thing — go back to sleep. Don't tire out your brain."
Gojo Satoru closed his eyes once more, deactivating his technique to ease the fatigue — attempting to push away the psychological shadows cast by everyone in the Gojo family.
The atmosphere inside the car felt reassuring — neither the teacher nor his classmates would ever harm him. Gojo Satoru allowed his mind to sink into the boundless void of endless information. When he opened his eyes again, they had already arrived at the lush, verdant grounds of Kyoto School.
Gojo Satoru had assumed they would wake him — treating him just like any ordinary student.
But they did not.
Asou Akiya gently stopped them from making any noise, conveying a quiet request: please wait five minutes.
Five minutes later, Gojo Satoru awoke on his own — the Six Eyes alerting him that the car had been parked for some time already.
The sensation of being waited for… he had grown accustomed to it long ago. The old tangerines back home treated him the same way. The only difference was that his classmates never scolded him for it, and his teacher never lectured him — as though being indulged required no special privilege at all.
"Next time, just wake me up directly."
After stepping out of the car, Gojo Satoru noticed how much luggage there was in the trunk. In a rare gesture, he reached out to help Asou Akiya by lifting one of the suitcases.
Getou Suguru teased his suddenly helpful classmate. "Carry a few more."
Gojo Satoru shot back without missing a beat. "I'll definitely carry more than you!"
Getou Suguru flicked his sleeve lightly after summoning a swarm of cursed spirits to handle the luggage transport. "Say that again?"
"…"
Asou Akiya reminded gently, "Suguru, be careful of Kyoto School's barrier."
Gojo Satoru broke into a wide, beaming grin the instant he realized that a cursed energy signature not attuned to the barrier would trigger an alarm.
"Come on then — come on!" Gojo Satoru slung a bag over his shoulder and hoisted a suitcase in each hand, bellowing with the strength of an ox.
"I won't stoop to your level…" Getou Suguru muttered as he picked up whatever he could manage, casting a resentful glance toward Asou Akiya.
"Do I not have to carry anything?" Asou Akiya asked in surprise.
Ieiri Shoko smiled. "Akiya, isn't it nice to feel this unburdened?"
Asou Akiya replied firmly, "No — it isn't."
He took the initiative to lift Ieiri Shoko's backpack and slipped it onto his own shoulders — displaying perfect gentlemanly grace. "This is the reasonable way."
Though Asou Akiya had insisted on bringing plenty of supplies, Ieiri Shoko had believed they could shop locally and had lightened the load accordingly.
With male classmates providing escort and protection, Ieiri Shoko felt a surge of eager anticipation at the thought of exploring Kyoto's streets.
Gojo, after all, would make an excellent local guide!
Their first-year homeroom teacher, Yaga Masamichi, led the students into Kyoto School — registering their cursed energy, meeting the principal and class supervisors, and completing the full series of formalities.
A group of both boys and girls laden with bags large and small — the five of them drew stares wherever they went on the Kyoto School grounds, like rare wild animals under observation. Anyone who caught sight of them would pause and look a second time.
The first-year students of Kyoto School had received advance notice and now lurked in corners, eavesdropping on the enemy.
"Wow — they actually knew to bring so many supplies!"
"Smart."
"It must have been their supervising teacher who leaked the information — otherwise, they wouldn't even have instant noodles to eat."
"Which one is the Six Eyes? How come we can't spot him?"
Gojo Satoru's behavior was anything but befitting the Six Eyes — he was directly overlooked by the Kyoto School students from prestigious sorcerer lineages.
After all, the illustrious young master of the Gojo family would never stoop to acting as a porter.
The black-haired youth carrying the least luggage drew focused attention from the Kyoto School students, who murmured in confusion, "We've heard the Six Eyes have azure-blue irises — how is this one black-haired and black-eyed?"
A few seconds later, the Kyoto School students convinced themselves they had uncovered the truth. "It must be the Cursed Spirit Manipulator!"
Among Tokyo School's first-year newcomers, two names rang like thunder in their ears — Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru.
Asou Akiya found himself muddled into a case of mistaken identity.
…
The first day settling into Kyoto School.
Boys and girls were not separated — they all stayed in the same row of dormitories prepared by the school.
Asou Akiya joined Gojo Satoru, Getou Suguru, and Ieiri Shoko in marveling, "These dorms are so old-fashioned."
The rooms lacked any modern renovation. The classic Japanese style prevailed, with tatami mats laid out and bedding placed directly on the bedroom floor. The air carried the persistent scent of wood that lingered even after thorough ventilation.
"There's a refrigerator." Asou Akiya hurried to stash the ingredients inside, preventing them from spoiling in the heat.
"For the next week, it would be best if we all ate together." Getou Suguru surveyed the kitchen and tested the sharpness of the knives.
"Aren't we going out to eat?" Gojo Satoru remarked idly — speaking without any ache in his back from labor.
"Too troublesome," Ieiri Shoko grumbled — unwilling to venture out for all three meals every day, especially since Kyoto School's grounds were vast.
Gojo Satoru declared with lavish confidence, "I can just have someone deliver food here."
Not a single classmate agreed.
Gojo Satoru, who had earlier refused the Gojo family's offer to escort him to Kyoto, felt a touch of gloom — yet he understood that his Tokyo Jujutsu High friends were exactly this sort of people. Even when wanting to give gifts, one had to consider everyone's feelings and the customs of holidays.
Asou Akiya organized the refrigerator's contents. "Aren't you happy not having to see anyone from the Gojo family?"
Gojo Satoru shot a sidelong glance at the busy Asou Akiya, thinking to himself, Little tangerine, did you just exclude yourself from that?
Yet Gojo Satoru — who had never truly escaped his family's shadow — felt no real sadness. He welcomed the dormitory camp life with open-hearted cheer.
The scenes from anime of high schoolers huddled together chatting had always seemed far too enjoyable.
In a moment of distraction, the others suddenly noticed Gojo Satoru returning with an armload — calling out triumphantly, "Sugu, Akiya — no need to thank me. I grabbed the bedding from the next dorm over. We'll all sleep on the tatami tonight! Play together!"
…Where's mine?
Am I invisible to him??
Ieiri Shoko raised a pillow from behind Gojo Satoru and smashed it squarely into the white-haired classmate's head.
A splendid pillow fight then erupted ahead of schedule.