Chapter 177 — Conspiracy, Council
Thirty thousand meters above the ground, somewhere within the spacecraft.
"High Priest… are we really going to make our move during the exchange meeting?"
One of the Simurian senior officials spoke cautiously, his expression grave.
"Isn't this a little too hasty?"
Hearing this, High Priest Leo smiled faintly.
"I understand your concern. The failure of our last plan has made everyone uneasy."
"Gojo Satoru's strength did exceed our expectations. But you must remember—how many sorcerers on Earth are actually on his level?"
"Earth has only four special-grade sorcerers.
We, on the other hand, have twenty-six top-tier warriors."
After witnessing Fushiguro Megumi's sparring match with Boses, and Gojo Satoru's overwhelming display during the previous incident, Leo had already roughly assessed the upper limit of Earth's special-grade combat power.
At most, it was comparable to Simurian's elite warriors.
Yes—Simurian had suffered a catastrophic planetary war years ago, leaving only fifty thousand survivors.
But every one of those survivors could wield cursed energy.
The probability of producing warriors among Simurian vastly exceeded that of Earth.
In sheer numbers—both in total combatants and top-tier fighters—Simurian overwhelmingly surpassed Earth's sorcerer population.
Leo acknowledged that Gojo Satoru alone surpassed any individual Simurian elite warrior.
But Earth only had one Gojo Satoru.
Strictly speaking, once equipped, every adult Simurian citizen could become a combatant—at the very least comparable to a Grade 3 or Grade 4 sorcerer.
If they launched a sudden assault, there was a high probability of eliminating Earth's sorcerers entirely.
And once the sorcerers were dealt with, slowly assimilating the rest of Earth would be far simpler.
"But…"
Another Simurian official spoke up hesitantly.
"The Leader won't agree to this. And not all warriors will support us."
Everyone present understood the reality.
Since the planet-destroying war more than a decade ago, Simurian had split into two factions.
Not all Simurian wished to conquer Earth through war.
"The Leader is a problem," Leo admitted calmly.
"That's why, within the next month—no matter the method—we must bring him into our camp."
"And Alice must stand with us."
A cold glint flashed through Leo's eyes.
Alice's combat power was extraordinary—no weaker than Leader Dex himself.
If she were the one to face Gojo Satoru, their plan would be nearly foolproof.
And if the Leader also supported them?
Leo was confident the plan would succeed.
But with the Leader's stubborn nature…
"Convincing the Leader won't be easy," someone muttered.
Everyone knew what kind of man their Leader was.
Dex and Leo had once been inseparable comrades, fighting side by side through countless wars.
But the final, devastating planetary conflict had changed Dex completely.
He abandoned his militant ideology and began seeking a path of peaceful coexistence.
Many Simurian agreed with him.
Especially the weaker civilians—after enduring extinction-level trauma, they desired peace far more than conquest.
"Don't worry," Leo said quietly.
"I'll handle the Leader myself."
A sharp light flickered in his eyes.
If Dex had truly lost his will to fight…
Then Leo would no longer hold back.
He had never forgotten the enemies who destroyed Simurian.
Never.
One day, he would gather his strength again.
One day, he would return to Simurian and make those arrogant invaders pay—
make them understand that what belonged to the Simurian people was not something to be taken lightly.
Earth was nothing more than one of the resources he intended to use to accumulate even greater power.
---
Tokyo Jujutsu High — Conference Room
Gojo Satoru sat at the head of the table, surrounded by the upper echelon of the jujutsu world.
"The purpose of today's meeting should already be clear to everyone," Gojo said casually.
"Let's hear your thoughts—specifically regarding the upcoming exchange meeting."
"I believe the exchange itself is secondary," Nanami Kento said, adjusting his glasses with a serious expression.
"What truly matters is the intention behind it. Principal, can we really be certain they harbor no hostile intent?"
This matter involved the fate of the entire planet—and, worse, had forced him to postpone his annual vacation to Malaysia.
In his eyes, that alone was unforgivable.
This was overtime.
"That's exactly what we're here to discuss," Gojo replied.
"Based on the Simurian people's two visits so far, it's clear their internal stance is not unified."
"Their leader seems genuinely interested in peaceful coexistence—he even sent his daughter to enroll at Jujutsu High."
"From my direct interactions with him, I can say with confidence: he has no hostility toward humanity."
Gojo recalled Dex's demeanor during their meeting. His certainty wasn't blind optimism.
"However," Gojo continued,
"as for their High Priest… Megumi and I share the same assessment."
"He is most likely the one among the Simurian people who harbors hostility toward humans."
Fushiguro Megumi spoke up immediately.
"Gojo-sensei, I think we should prepare under the assumption that he is an enemy."
"It's better than being caught completely off guard."
"I agree," Okkotsu Yuta added from beside Gojo.
"The number of Simurian sorcerers far exceeds ours. If they launch a surprise attack, we'll be at a severe disadvantage."
"And during the exchange meeting, they'll certainly bring many of their people to observe."
"I agree as well."
One by one, voices echoed their support.
Gojo nodded slowly.
"My thoughts exactly."
When he met Ria's sister, he had sensed genuine danger from her presence alone.
Whether coexistence was possible or not was secondary—what mattered was preparation.
They could not afford to put themselves at risk.
"Alright," Gojo said.
"Let's talk specifics."
"The High Priest strongly insisted that the exchange include combat between top-tier fighters. That's why we've added an adult division."
"The youth division is simple—seven participants from each side, team-based combat, following Jujutsu High tradition."
"As for the adult division—ten one-on-one matches."
"Anyone here is free to participate," Gojo added lightly.
"As long as we win in the end."
He had a strong premonition.
This exchange meeting would determine how Simurian and humanity interacted moving forward.
Victory would grant leverage—politically, strategically, and psychologically.
"Based on my investigation," one senior sorcerer said,
"Simurian's elite warriors correspond directly to our special-grade sorcerers."
"With their numbers, they likely have several fighters at that level."
Under the rule that each participant could only fight once, victory was far from guaranteed.
And as the host, Gojo himself could not take the field.
"Relax," Gojo said with a grin.
"I'll bring in some retired veterans."
"If necessary, those old monsters will step back onto the battlefield."
His smile widened slightly.
Some people had rested long enough.
It was time they did something for Earth again.