Kamo Itsuki acknowledged their commitment with a solemn nod. "Then let's divide the work." His tone was that of a commander deploying assets. "I will handle the nationwide barrier. The principles are in my mind, and only I have studied under Tengen to the necessary depth."
"Obviously," Gojo Satoru interjected with a lazy, knowing grin. "That job sounds tedious and complicated. Perfect for you." His own barrier skills were functional but crude, suited for quick curtains, not grand architectural works. This was a task for a master engineer, not a prodigious wrecking ball.
Their attention naturally shifted to Geto Suguru. The monumental task of founding and guiding a new religion required a unique blend of charisma, intelligence, and steadfast will. Among them, he was the clear candidate.
Geto seemed to sense the collective gaze. A faint smile touched his lips as he reached up, loosening part of his signature bun to let his hair fall in a more casual, approachable style. "Do I look the part?" he asked, his tone lightly self-deprecating yet accepting. The answer was implicit; the role was his.
Kamo then turned to Ieiri Shoko, a knowing glint in his eye. "That leaves the pressure on you, Shoko. Three of us are heading in different directions. Who do you choose?"
Shoko understood the question immediately. With a soft chuckle, she replied, "I'll join Suguru with the religion. My Reverse Cursed Technique could pass for divine healing—a useful 'miracle' for the faithful. Besides," she added with a pragmatic shrug, "whether I'm with you two or not probably won't affect your survival rates much."
Gojo leaned toward Geto, his voice a stage whisper dripping with mock significance. "Shoko chose you! You'd better not mess this up." The others nearly erupted into teasing cheers, but were swiftly silenced by a single, cool glance from Shoko herself. Geto merely smiled, a genuine warmth in his eyes as he nodded his thanks to her.
"Since the teams are set," Kamo said, his voice rising with a spark of competitive fire, "let's make it a contest. Let's see who achieves their milestone first."
The moonlight, now strong and silvery, wove through the courtyard, illuminating the scene with an almost theatrical clarity. It was then that Haibara Yu, standing beside Nanami and Tsukumo Yuki, could no longer contain himself. He raised a tentative hand. "Um… excuse me? Are there any tasks for us?"
Kamo's gaze shifted past the eager first-year and settled on Tsukumo Yuki, his expression one of polite curiosity. "Senior Yuki wishes to participate as well?"
Tsukumo Yuki met his look with a firm nod. "My initial hypothesis is invalid. If Toji's condition isn't heritable, then removing cursed energy from humanity is a dead end. Since my plan is obsolete, I'll help build yours. Assign me a role."
A flicker of strategic appraisal crossed Kamo's face. "How is your barrier technique?" he asked, testing the waters.
"Poor," Yuki stated bluntly, without a hint of embarrassment.
"And your relationship with Jujutsu High's administration?"
"Strained at best," she confirmed, a familiar disdain in her voice.
"Perfect," Kamo said, a genuine smile finally breaking through his calm demeanor. "Then your task is the most critical of all. You will be our external agent, our independent operator. While we build from within the system, you will operate outside it. Use your freedom, your reputation, and your unique perspective to scout the margins. Find the hidden talents the clans ignore, investigate anomalies the Higher-ups suppress, and apply pressure where the old structures are weakest. You are our wild card, Senior Yuki. Your role isn't to build a single piece of the new world, but to ensure nothing in the old one can stop us from building it."
He then turned to Nanami and Haibara, his expression softening into one of mentorship. "And you two. Your task is to grow. Learn everything you can. Nanami, hone your efficiency into an art form. Haibara, protect that optimism and let it fuel your strength. You will be the first officers of the new order we are creating. Your training starts now, under all of us. Consider yourselves… the inaugural class."
Kamo Itsuki listened to Tsukumo Yuki's blunt refusals—no barriers, no religion, no patience for Jujutsu High's politics—and his smile didn't waver. He had not expected her to fit into a predefined role. Her value lay precisely in her refusal to conform.
"Perfect," he said, the word carrying genuine appreciation. "Then your task is the most critical one. You will be our external agent, our independent variable."
He outlined it clearly, his gaze locking with hers. "While Geto builds a religion and I construct a barrier, you will operate in the shadows we cannot easily reach. Your targets are the two greatest wild cards: the Curse User community and the evolving threat of curses themselves."
He gestured toward the unseen world beyond the school's walls. "The Curse Users are a decentralized network of powerful, amoral talent. We cannot allow them to become an organized opposition. Your mission is to infiltrate, monitor, and neutralize. Identify the key players. Recruit those who can be swayed by a higher purpose or simple survival. For those who cannot… ensure they cease to be a problem. You have the strength and the autonomy we lack."
He then shifted to the even graver concern. "And the curses… they are changing. As Nanami noted, societal stress and the scale of natural disasters are amplifying human negativity. The curses being born are stronger, more volatile. We are likely on the cusp of an era with more Special-Grade manifestations than ever recorded. You have been researching the fundamental nature of cursed energy for years. You are the only one among us who can operate at that strategic, investigative level while also possessing the power to confront what you might find."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a tone of shared conspiracy. "Scout the edges of the jujutsu world and beyond. Investigate anomalies the Higher-ups ignore or hide. Find the pressure points in the old system and apply leverage where it will hurt them most. You are not building a piece of the new world, Yuki-senpai. You are ensuring nothing in the old one can prevent it from being built."
He finally turned to Nanami and Haibara, his expression shifting from strategist to mentor. "And you two. Your task is to become the foundation of that new world. Learn everything. Nanami, refine your efficiency into an art. Haibara, protect that earnest drive and let it harden into resolve. You will be the first officers of the order we are creating. Consider yourselves the inaugural class of a new era. Your training begins now, under all of us."
The plan was fully deployed. The architect, the prophet, the medic, the external agent, and the next generation—all had their parts to play. The moonlight seemed to solidify their silent pact, casting long, determined shadows across the ancient stones of Jujutsu High.