Slide—
The classroom door opened, and the homeroom teacher, Masamichi Yaga, stepped inside.
"Where did Shoko and Kanao go?"
As Yaga asked while looking at the empty seats, Geto shrugged and replied.
"Who knows. They've been stuck to each other's sides since the start of the semester."
"Probably off in some corner having 'girls' talk' or whatever~."
Gojo chimed in listlessly, resting his chin on his hand.
"Well, it doesn't matter. This matter concerns you two anyway. A new request has come in."
"Eeeh~? We just got back from a mission, and there's another one already?"
"Exactly! Guarantee the students' right to self-study! Boo! Booo!"
Despite Geto's grumbling and Gojo's intense jeering, Yaga didn't even bat an eye.
"Quiet. The client for this request is none other than... Master Tengen himself."
The moment the name Tengen was mentioned, the lighthearted atmosphere in the classroom plummeted. The grand elder of the Japanese jujutsu world, and the most vital individual who maintains the barriers across Japan to suppress cursed spirits.
'It's finally starting... the Hidden Inventory arc!'
I clenched my fists in tension.
If things go according to the original plot, Satoru and Suguru will be tasked with escorting and then erasing Master Tengen's next vessel.
'But what about now, with me involved? Will I be joined as a bodyguard for Riko Amanai too?'
Amidst the tension, Yaga's next words followed.
"Satoru, Suguru. Master Tengen has specifically designated the two of you."
"...!"
"...!"
"!?"
Startled, I shot my hand up.
"Wait a minute, Yaga-sensei! Why aren't I included? Aren't I way more skilled than these two? There must have been a mistake in the communication process from the higher-ups!"
"No. I personally entered the Tombs of the Star Corridor and received this order directly from him. This mission applies only to 'Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo.' Just those two."
That's weird. Not to be full of myself, but at this point in time, I'm the strongest among this trio of problem children.
Gojo hasn't even figured out Reverse Cursed Technique yet, and Geto is the only one who's had a power spike compared to the original because I helped him stock up on way more Special Grade and Grade 1 cursed spirits. There's no way Tengen, who watches over all of Japan, wouldn't know that.
"Heh heh. Oi, Zenin. You panicking?"
While I was spiraling in confusion, Gojo gave me a condescending pat on the shoulder, snickering annoyingly.
"Looks like we're the chosen ones~. Don't be too salty about Master Tengen's choice, you scrub."
"I'm not... shut your mouth..."
I bit my lip so hard I thought my teeth might shatter. But Yaga wasn't finished.
"And Hachiro, come to the faculty office separately later. A different request has come in for you."
"Huh? Can't you just tell me here?"
"Ahem! You talk too much! Just do as you're told!"
"...Ah, yes sir."
'I'm already dying of anxiety because of the Hidden Inventory plot, and now what kind of request is this? Should I just slack off and try to tag along on the escort mission anyway? If I volunteer as their lackey and carry their bags...'
Ignoring me, Yaga turned his gaze back toward Gojo and Geto.
"Anyway, the request given to you two consists of two parts. The escort of the girl who is Master Tengen's compatible Star Plasma Vessel. And her erasure."
"Escorting and erasing a kid~?"
Gojo furrowed his brows deeply.
"Yes."
"He's finally gone senile in his old age."
As Gojo scoffed, Geto covered his mouth with his hand and whispered quietly.
"Shh, Satoru. Sensei is all hyped up lately because he's the candidate for the next Principal. Read the room."
A vein popped on Yaga's forehead at their irreverent whispering.
"Let's stop with the jokes."
Geto fixed his expression and asked seriously.
"Are we resetting Master Tengen's cursed technique?"
"Yes. His body cannot keep up with his famous 'Immortality' technique, resulting in aging... once that passes a certain threshold, the technique begins to forcibly reconstruct the body. Evolution, in other words."
"He'll transform into a higher-dimensional existence beyond humanity."
"Then isn't that a good thing?"
"Apparently, it's not," Geto added calmly.
"Once he enters the stage of evolution, he supposedly can't maintain his own ego. Master Tengen is the one reinforcing and maintaining the barriers covering all of Japan and the barriers used by the Assistant Directors, right? If his ego vanishes and that cooperation breaks down, forget barrier techniques—the suppression of cursed spirit manifestation itself would become impossible. All of Japan might be overrun by cursed spirits."
"Tch... well, that's a problem, but it's not like we'd die just because a few barriers are gone..."
"In the worst-case scenario, Master Tengen could become an enemy of humanity. That's why he merges with a compatible human body once every 500 years. By resetting the body's information through the merger, the aging process starts over from the beginning, preventing the phenomenon of evolution itself."
"Aha! So basically, becoming a Vaporeon is one thing, but he'd rather die than become a Flareon, so he's quietly going back to being an Eevee?"
"...I guess that's one way to put it."
Geto nodded with a wry, exasperated smile.
"So, while he was waiting quietly for the day of the merger, the information about that girl leaked out for some reason."
Yaga turned to the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing rapidly.
"There are two main groups targeting the girl. First, the curse user group 'Q,' who seeks to overthrow the current jujutsu world by exploiting the rampage that would occur during the evolution. Second, the 'Time Vessel Association,' a radical extremist religious sect that worships Master Tengen in his pure form and rejects the merger itself!"
Yaga snapped the chalk down and glared sternly at the two boys.
"The exact time of the merger is in two days, on the day of the full moon. No matter what happens, you must escort the girl and ensure she reaches the Tombs of the Star Corridor safely. If this fails, the fallout will be a catastrophe that extends beyond the jujutsu world and into ordinary Japanese society. You must commit yourselves with all your heart and soul. That is all!"
**
[ Inside the Faculty Office ]
"So, what's this separate request that came in for me?"
In the faculty office after all the other students had left, I stood crookedly in front of Yaga-sensei's desk and asked.
"If it's some trivial errand, I'm going to decline and follow Satoru's team. Their mission seems way more important."
But Yaga didn't answer my question; he just silently massaged his temples.
"Seriously, what is it? Why are you hesitating so much..."
"It's an assassination request."
"...Huh?"
My expression froze at Yaga's heavy words.
"It's a designated request that came directly from the higher-ups. The target is Harue Gojo of the Gojo clan. I heard she's a cousin of Satoru's, but I don't know the exact degree of kinship. The charge is matricide. They say she slaughtered the clan elders and fled."
"What kind of crazy talk is that...!"
I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
"No, and do those high-and-mighty geezers in the Gojo clan have no pride?! If it's a murder that happened in their own family, they should track her down and deal with it themselves! Isn't that family business?"
"The problem is likely that the individual named Harue who fled is simply too strong," Yaga said, tossing a file onto the desk.
"Before Satoru was born with the Six Eyes, she was said to be a leading candidate to succeed as the head of the Gojo clan. Her current rank is Special Grade 1 Sorcerer. Furthermore, within the clan, they say she was the instructor who personally taught Satoru Gojo."
"Even so, would the Gojo clan really bow their heads to someone like me from the Zenin clan? Does the pride of the Big Three Families allow that?"
"The rumors about you have likely been grossly exaggerated. The record of you defeating Satoru in taijutsu and bringing him to his knees has spread with quite a bit of credibility. In their eyes, you've proven your strength. It seems the higher-ups and the clan want to cover up this disgraceful incident as quickly and quietly as possible, even if it means borrowing outside help."
To think my attention-seeking bluffing would turn into a butterfly effect and come back like a boomerang. I ground my teeth.
"What if I refuse? I have some very urgent personal matters related to the Tengen situation."
"Then you can join the escort mission. But... this assassination request will fall straight to Satoru. Sigh, as a teacher, it's a truly disgusting request to even mention to a student."
Yaga slammed his fist on the desk, swallowing his anger.
"The higher-ups' first choice for this assassination was you. Their second choice is Satoru."
"Those crazy old farts! They're asking Satoru to kill his own family?! I get it's 'family business,' but this is crossing the line by a mile!"
I couldn't hide my horror at the cold-blooded way the higher-ups handled their affairs.