Kiyotaka sat with Nobara and Junpei next to Megumi's bed as they all ate Pizza. Junpei looked to Kiyotaka and said, "I think you really might be a magnet for Special-Grades."
Kiyotaka deadpanned, thinking, 'He might be right,' before saying, "While I'm not in favour of that, I do admit... that fight was fun."
Megumi and Nobara looked at Kiyotaka as if he were a psychopath as they shouted, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Kiyotaka shrugged, saying, "The Black Flashes I hit were quite enjoyable."
They stared at him, dumbfounded as Kiyotaka took a bite of the pizza, thinking, 'This tastes quite nice. It's a shame my head feels heavy again, but I've got no Special-Grade Curses to Exorcise that can draw out a Black Flash from me. It's too bad.'
Junpei then, cutting through the awkwardness, asked, "You exorcised it, right?"
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "Todo and I did it together. Without him, I would be dead since my understanding of Cursed Energy wouldn't be high enough. If he had let me fight on my own after teaching me, I might have still died, and at the bare minimum, I'd be in bed just like Fushiguro."
Kiyotaka sighs, thinking, 'It's more likely that I could have lost an arm. I still have room to grow.'
Nobara looked to Kiyotaka, asking, "Since when did you start getting along with that Gorilla?"
Kiyotaka thought about it and said, "He taught me a lot about Cursed Energy. If you want, I can share it with you."
They sighed and said, "You can tell us later."
Nobara looked to Kiyotaka and asked, "I get why you get along with him, but why does he get along with you?"
"It's probably that I'm just one of the only ones who can keep up with his antics."
Nobara deadpanned, asking, "Are you okay?"
"He tried to beat me half to death and then proceeded to call me his best friend when I landed a few combos on him. What do you think?"
Nobara looked to Kiyotaka with pity, thinking, 'I actually feel bad for him' before smirking and mockingly asking, "If you're comparing nearly being beaten half to death, why don't you go practice some piano or calligraphy?"
The other two looked confused as Kiyotaka then said, "Ah! You're right!"
Nobara laughed, thinking, 'You're such an asshole', as the other two seemed even more confused.
Megumi looked to Kiyotaka and said, "You've grown even stronger. Back in the detention centre, if it wasn't for you, we'd both be dead, and it's still the same now."
He looked to Kiyotaka with determination in his eyes and said, "I'm going to become strong too. I'll definitely catch up to you."
Kiyotaka smiled and said, "Alright. Just know that I won't be waiting for you. I have my own reasons for becoming stronger, so don't waste a single second."
Nobara looked to them, saying, "Don't leave me out of this, you jerks!"
Junpei nodded, saying, "Yeah! I'm going to become strong too!"
Todo suddenly appeared, saying, "That's my Besto Friendo's friends for you."
Junpei jumped up from his seat in shock as Kiyotaka waved to him, saying, "Hey, Todo."
Kiyotaka got up and said, "I want to gather information on the events that occurred during the invasion, so I'll be off. If you want, you can tag along, Todo."
Todo nodded, saying, "Of course. Let's go."
They walked over to Maki's room, knocking on the door as she said, "Come in!"
Kiyotaka opened the door to see her up and asked, "So? What did you want?"
"I wanted to hear your side of the events."
She sighed, saying, "Well, I fought with the blue -haired girl and then Mai."
She looked to see Todo as she shouted, "Why did you bring him with you?!! Get out!"
Kiyotaka deadpanned as they were forced to leave the room. Kiyotaka looked at Todo, thinking, 'Maybe bringing him along wasn't a good idea.'
Kiyotaka sighed, saying, "Let's go find Mai then."
They walked around as they eventually found her, as she clicked her tongue at seeing Kiyotaka asking, "What do you want?"
"I want to hear about what happened at the event from your perspective. I want to have an idea of everything that happened. It could lead to information on the motives of the Special-Grade Curses and the Curse Users."
Mai sighed as she explained everything, including her fight with Maki.
Kiyotaka's eyes widened as he asked, "Why do you use bullets?'
Mai looked at him, asking, "What else would I use? I can't create anything bigger or more complex."
Kiyotaka looked to her, saying, "I never said you needed to create something larger. If you can't create something larger, create something smaller."
Mai's eyes widened, thinking, 'What is he talking about?'
Todo smiled, thinking, 'I see what you mean now, Besto Friendo.'
"I can understand your inability to create something larger due to a lack of Cursed Energy, but I don't understand why you can't just create poison."
Mai looked at him in shock, saying, "What?"
Todo smiled, saying, "Reinforce it in Cursed Energy and it'll affect Cursed Spirits too."
Kiyotaka looked to Mai and asked, "Did you know there is a creature native to the oceans near Australia?"
He continued saying, "It has venom so potent it would be able to kill 700 people..."
Kiyotaka lifted up his pointing finger as he finished, "... with one sting."
Mai's eyes widened at this, thinking, 'Why is he saying all of this?'
Kiyotaka looked to her and said, "Use darts or another method to inject the poison. After that, even Grade 1 Curses could be killed easily from a distance without them ever knowing what killed them. That's only one example of a poison you can create, and you don't have to do it on the spot. You can stock different poisons and prepare them before a battle."
Mai's eyes widened as she shouted, "I told you I can't create complex..."
Kiyotaka looked at her and asked, "Can't? Or are you unwilling to learn how?"
Kiyotaka sighed, saying, "I don't know what to say. A technique with such a deadly application that even with a low capacity for Cursed Energy, it can still get you to the Semi-Grade 1 Level, and yet the user wallows in weakness. It's a waste of talent."
Mai looked shocked, thinking, 'Why is he saying this to me?'
"You can't change other people easily. They're stubborn. The only person you can change is yourself."
Kiyotaka said this as he left.
Todo stood next to Mai, asking, "So? Did you have a change of heart?"
Mai looked down, saying, "I'm not an idiot. He's right."
Todo smiled and said, "That's quite the expression you've got on your face. How does it feel to have those expectations put on you from my Besto Freindo? Are you finally going to be a bit pumped up?"
Mai blushed and said, "Shut up. What he said to me... it doesn't..."
Mai clicked her tongue before thinking, 'Of course it means something to me. Everyone else expected me to fail, but he's different...'
Todo smiled, saying, "It seems my Besto Friendo has earned himself an admirer."
She glared, saying, "If you tell him something stupid like that, I'll kill you", causing Todo to deadpan.
Mai walked away from him, leaving Todo to think, 'Things got more interesting.'
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Everyone was playing baseball as Kiyotaka thought, 'I've never played this game before.'
He was the Catcher as Miwa stepped up with a bat, and Maki was the pitcher as Gojo shouted, "Play ball!"
Maki threw the ball as Miwa hit it. Nishimiya started running as Utahime shouted, "Nishimiya, don't run yet!"
It was too late as Inumaki caught the ball easily and threw it to Panda, who caught it. Gojo waved his hands, saying, "Out!"
She looked confused, asking, "Huh? Why?"
Utahime then called out to her, saying, 'If you don't know the rules, then say so!"
Nishimiya looked back at Utahime, saying, "I do know them. When the ball's hit, I run."
Utahime sighed as Kamo stepped up to the batting position, wearing bandages on his face and saying, "I hear you exorcised a Special-Grade Curse. I also heard this isn't your first time doing it."
"I killed it with Todo's help. Without him I'd be dead.."
"Ayanokoji, why are you a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
Kiyotaka thought about it and replied, "I want to delay my execution and be free. Also... there are people I'd like to see again", while thinking of Suzune and the students from the White Room.
Kiyotaka sighs and says, "There's an awful place that exists that I'd like to destroy as well."
Kamo thinks about it and says, I see. You don't fight for the [Greater Good] or for the sake of non-sorcerers. You fight for your own personal agenda," as the ball whizzes past him into Kiyotaka's hands.
"Is that a problem?"
Kamo turned to Kiyotaka and said, "No. In fact, it makes you far more predictable and therefore more trustworthy than someone like Gojo Satoru. A man who wants to be free is a man who can be bargained with."
He then opened his eye, asking, "But tell me, Ayanokoji... if you destroy that place and find your freedom, will there be anything left of the you that started this journey?"
Kiyotaka responded, saying, "Hopefully not", while thinking, 'If I were to change to that degree, I wouldn't be a defective person anymore, right?'
Mai watched Kiyotaka thinking, 'He's not even trying right now, is he?'
She realised she was staring as she quickly looked away with a blush on her cheeks.
Maki looked to Mai, thinking, 'Don't tell me she...'
Maki confronted Kiyotaka, asking, "What the hell is your relationship with my sister?"
Kiyotaka deadpanned, saying, "I have absolutely no respect for her. She's wasting her talent in favour of living as a weakling."
Maki deadpanned, thinking, 'Well, that was the complete opposite of what I thought...' before saying, "Well... I can't say you're wrong about that."
Even though Maki loved her sister, she couldn't deny those facts. Even still, she looked irritated at his words. Mai looked to the two of them, annoyed, thinking, 'What are those two doing over there?'
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After the game, Gojo walked up to Kiyotaka, saying, "Come over here for a second."
Kiyotaka walked over as Gojo handed him a card saying, "Here's your Student ID."
Kiyotaka looked at it, asking, "I've been registered as a Grade 1 Sorcerer?"
Gojo nodded, saying, "Yep. Not even the higher-ups could ignore taking down a Special-Grade Curse of that level."
Kiyotaka took the card and said, "I'm guessing this will put more responsibilities on me?"
Gojo nodded, saying, "Yep."
Gojo sighed, saying, "You're one of two students of mine to be at Grade 1 Level. There are only three Grade 1 Level sorcerers in Jujutsu High. You, Hakari and..."
Kiyotaka finished for him, saying, "Todo."
Gojo nodded as Kiyotaka said, "Then there's Okkotsu-Senpai, who's a Special-Grade Sorcerer."
Gojo looked to Kiyotaka, asking, "Wondering about the difference in ability between you and him?"
Kiyotaka nodded as Gojo said, "You'd die in just a few seconds of fighting him."
"I see."
Kiyotaka said this as he wondered, 'I know I'm not on the level of those Disaster Curses, but... I'd lose that badly to him? How powerful is this Senpai exactly?'
Gojo smiled and said, "I also found out about some Clan lineage you have."
"Oh?"
Gojo nodded, saying, "You're a descendant of the Kamo Clan."
Kiyotaka's eyes widened as he asked, "Kamo Clan?"
Gojo nodded, saying, "There were multiple instances of people in the past from the Kamo Clan using the same Cursed Technique as you. It's quite rare nowadays, though. You're the first to be born with it in 4 generations."
"I see."
Kiyotaka said this as he thought, 'But how am I related to the Kamo Clan?'
Kiyotaka wondered this as he thought, 'It must be my mother.'
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Atsuomi sat in his seat, asking, "How is this plan of yours coming along?"
A hooded figure was sitting across from him as they replied, "It's coming along excellently."
Atsuomi poured a drink and asked, "And what of Kiyotaka?"
The hooded figure laughed a little and said, "He's surpassed my expectations from the very beginning. Dangerously so."
Atsuomi took a drink and asked, "Wouldn't that upset our plans?"
"The point is to create chaos that we can't control. He's doing his job splendidly without even knowing."
Atsuomi sighed, saying, "You say that, but unless we seal Gojo Satoru, the final part of the plan can't be done."
The cloaked figure took off its hood, revealing itself to be [Geto] as he smiled, saying, "You worry too much. I made sure to keep the boy in the dark about the most important things."
Atsuomi looked annoyed, saying, "And don't forget about Mahito. Kiyotaka has set his sights on him. If he dies, then everything is ruined."
[Geto] nodded, saying, "It's fine. I'll be keeping a close eye on those two."
Atsuomi sighed, saying, "This is everything we've been building up to."
[Geto] smiled and said, "Yes, it is."
A snake-like Shikigami appeared next to Atsuomi. Its body was made of beads like an Abacus as it wrapped itself around Atsuomi's neck like a scarf as he said, "I was able to create someone like Kiyotaka thanks to you, but until my goals have been reached, don't mistake my cooperation for friendship."
[Geto] smiled and said, "That Cursed Object that had lost its will and became a source of power and nothing else... It's acclimated to you quite well over the decade."
Atsuomi sighed and said, "It won't work on Kiyotaka anymore, so I'm leaving the rest of it to you."
[Geto] nodded, saying, "Of course. As for the White Room... Is there truly any use for it anymore?"
Atsuomi looked to [Geto] and said, "It hasn't achieved its purpose yet. If your plan fails, then it will still have some use."
[Geto] smiled and said, "That is true. But those students will be much more useful in my hands."
Atsuomi looked to [Geto] as he sweated and said, "I'll let you have a few of them. Three. I'll give you three of them."
[Geto] smiled, saying, "Oh? That kind of restriction? You're testing the waters, aren't you? Still, three is enough, so I'll take that amount happily. Just don't think about using your technique on me again. The consequences would be... quite staggering if I chose to resist."
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In the Class 3A homeroom, there seemed to be a lot of tension as Suzune sighed, saying, "Alright. Things are getting rough, but we've managed to reclaim our Class A position."
After the first Special Exam, their class had lost their position to Class B temporarily, but Suzune and Hirata pulled through for a victory in the next Special Exam as they reclaimed their Class A position with a small lead.
Hirata looked to Suzune and asked, "Have you been okay these past months? Ever since Ayanokoji-kun got caught in that gas explosion and dropped out, the strategies you've given out haven't been as good as in our first or second year. If you need a break, then maybe we can..."
Suzune shook her head, saying, "I'm going to make us graduate as Class A."
Sudo looked concerned, saying, "Hey. We know that Ayanokoji getting hurt and having to drop out has you all messed up. We feel the same, too, so we want to graduate as Class A. After all... It's what he would have wanted, right? But you don't have to..."
"I've constantly been relying on Kiyotaka. He was always next to me. He was annoyingly modest, but... no matter how hard I tried to deny it, he was my first friend. He told me that I could lead us to graduating as Class A. He had that kind of faith in me. I'm not going to back down. I'll be relying on all of you, but I'll be the one to lead you all past the finishing line."
She said this as Kei said, "Alright. Just lean on us."
Hirata nodded, saying, "We can do it."
Outside, Ichika stood there thinking, 'Your little test subject's grown a lot, Senpai. Hehe. Maybe things won't be so boring without you here after all.'
Ichika sighed, thinking, 'But where exactly did you go? Getting caught in a Gas Explosion? That sounds ridiculous. Did the White Room forcibly remove him from school? But they wouldn't take things that far, right?'
Ichika sighed, thinking, 'There must be something else going on.'
She tried to contemplate what was going on, but couldn't find any answers that made sense as she thought, 'The only thing I can think of is that Senpai dropped out on purpose... but why? Did he find a way to avoid the White Room officers? But how did he manage it? Where are you, Ayanokoji-Senpai?'
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Chapter?
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