The black sedan wound its way up the mist-covered mountain on the outskirts of Tokyo. Inside, the silence was comfortable, though Gojo kept glancing sideways at Kaito. He was trying to catch Kaito off-guard—to see if the boy would fidget, look nervous, or show any sign of being overwhelmed by the heavy, ancient barrier they had just crossed.
Kaito didn't blink. He sat with his long legs angled slightly to fit the space, looking out the window with the calm of a king surveying his garden.
"You're very quiet, Kaito-kun," Gojo chirped, spinning his car keys around his finger. "Most people start asking about ghosts or monsters by now. Or at least ask why the school is hidden behind a giant magical curtain."
"The curtain keeps the noise out," Kaito replied smoothly, his storm-grey eyes reflecting the passing cedars. "And as for the monsters... they're just another part of the architecture."
Gojo's grin sharpened. Architecture. He keeps using that word.
The car pulled up to a traditional wooden complex that breathed history. As they stepped out, the sheer height of the two men became a spectacle for the few auxiliary managers nearby. Standing at 190cm and 193cm, Gojo and Kaito looked less like a teacher and student and more like a pair of visiting deities.
"The Principal is a bit of a grouch," Gojo warned, leading Kaito through a long, dimly lit corridor. "He likes his dolls and his discipline. Just tell him why you're here. If he likes your answer, you're in. If he doesn't... well, I'll have to drive you back, and I really don't want to waste the gas."
They reached a massive sliding door. Gojo slid it open with a flourish.
"Principal Yaga! I brought a live one! He's taller than me, prettier than a sunrise, and he hits like a freight train!"
The room was vast and filled with shadows. In the center sat Masamichi Yaga, a man who looked more like a yakuza boss than an educator, surrounded by a legion of colorful, stuffed felt dolls.
Kaito stepped into the room. The air was thick with Cursed Energy—Yaga was testing him. The pressure was meant to make a normal person's knees buckle, but Kaito walked through it as if it were a summer breeze. His presence remained "Empty"—a void that the pressure couldn't find a grip on.
Yaga looked up from his sewing, his sunglasses gleaming. "Kaito Sora. Satoru tells me you handled a Grade 2 with your bare hands. No Cursed Energy detected. No lineage on record."
"Correct," Kaito said, his voice steady, echoing through the hall.
"Then why are you here?" Yaga stood up, a small, green-furred doll in his hand beginning to twitch with life. "Jujutsu High isn't a place for those who just want to 'look good.' It's a place of death. Why do you want to learn to exorcise Curses?"
The green doll suddenly leaped from Yaga's hand, spinning through the air with the speed of a bullet. It was a test of reaction.
Kaito didn't move his feet. He simply raised his left hand, his fingers spreading slightly. He didn't even look at the doll. Using the "Structural Integrity" he had gained, he saw the exact point where the doll's core was anchored to Yaga's energy.
Snap.
Kaito caught the doll by its head mid-air, his grip landing perfectly on a structural "stress point." The doll's movement ceased instantly, its cursed energy flickering out as if Kaito had simply turned off a light switch.
"I'm not here to learn how to kill," Kaito said, looking Yaga directly in the eyes while holding the limp doll. "I'm here because this world is built poorly. It's chaotic, fragile, and filled with leaks. I'm here to see if the 'Architect' needs to start over."
Gojo, leaning against the doorframe, let out a low whistle. "Ooh, edgy. I like it."
Yaga stared at Kaito for a long minute. He saw the perfection in the boy's stance, the absolute lack of fear, and the mysterious power that had just neutralized his Cursed Corpse without using a drop of energy.
"A student who wants to be an Architect of the world..." Yaga grunted, sitting back down. "Arrogant. But at least you have a spark. Satoru, take him to the dorms. He's admitted."
As they walked out, Gojo slapped Kaito on the back—a move that would have knocked a normal person over, but Kaito didn't even stagger.
"Welcome to the madhouse, Kaito-kun! Since you're so perfect, I expect you to be at the head of the class. Oh, and by the way..." Gojo leaned in, his blindfold inches from Kaito's face. "The girls' dorm is in the other wing. Try not to cause a stampede on your first night."
Kaito just sighed, the sunlight catching his blonde hair as they stepped back into the courtyard.
[System Notification]
[Quest Completed: The Architect's First Lesson.]
[Reward: Permanent Buff — 'Unyielding Presence'.]
[Description: Your aura now naturally repels minor Cursed Energy pressure. You are the immovable object.]