JJK: Red Priest Pathway

"Unfortunately, let's start with some bad news," began Satoru, pacing from side to side. "Since the Sorcerer Executive Council is filled with cowards and idiots, we won't be able to participate in the full lineup for either the first exchange event or the second. It's not surprising that the Council suspects everyone, probably because they have been running the Sorcerer Society for a very long time. Or maybe it's because, in the Three Great Families, which essentially form the backbone of the Council, it has been ingrained since the Heian period that if anyone has the slightest chance to 'betray' them, they will undoubtedly do so. So even when Satoru Gojo himself stands firmly behind me and Yuta, they always take precautions to avoid a 'stab in the back.'

"So, we need to choose which of our stars will participate in the 'Exorcist Race' and who will be in the 'Individual Matches,'" Satoru looks at me and then at Yuta.

"What nonsense is this?" Maki snorted discontentedly.

"Panda doesn't like it when Sorcerers are divided into minorities," here he is, the real hero of the twentieth century — big, cute, and fluffy!

"Salmon."

"Uh, well, actually, I wanted to ask the teacher not to participate," Yuta said uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot.

Four pairs of eyes and a mask stared at him instantly.

"Do you even understand what you're doing?" Maki's face distorted with a grimace of displeasure.

"Probably..." says the youngest special-grade sorcerer, leaning slightly forward and lowering his head.

"It's so annoying! Justifying your fear with concern for others, that's the best you could come up with in this situation!" The girl-samurai's voice becomes louder and more biting from her overflowing dissatisfaction.

"Wow, Maki, choose your words carefully," Panda, the disgruntled one, first stood up for Yuta. "We all have our problems; there's no need to express them so sharply and rudely."

"Tuna," Toge just nodded, showing that he was on Panda's side... Although he could just stand next to the healthy guy, not saying anything, and it would be clear whose side he was on. Best buddies, after all.

"I didn't care about that!" Maki retorted. "We've been classmates for four months already, but we continue to behave as if it's normal. I'm tired of how he treats Jujutsu. I'm tired that only he can run away and escape with all his might from his problems. And I wouldn't say anything if he were someone unknown, but the problem is that he covers our backs, and we cover his!"

"And so what? You and I have been studying together for almost half a year, but you still grimace when I call you Zenin. And I'm not saying how stupid and childish it is to deny your belonging to the Great Family, even though the panda was a panda, anger, and indignation were visible on his face. "If you want to prove that you're special, do it silently, don't throw yourself at your comrades over trivialities!"

Between our group, a heavy silence hung in the air. Watching it all unfold, I can say that I was on Maki's side, although not as emphatically towards the guy. After all, he had overcome an incredible journey from an ordinary frightened schoolboy to a guy who decided to help people, fighting side by side with death.

However, I still agree that running away is never a final solution. Wherever you run, you're always running from yourself, and almost with a hundred percent certainty, it ends badly. Well, in any case, Yuta has to overcome this himself, as no one else can do it for him.

"I refuse," Satoru spoke, breaking the pause. "You will participate in the 'Individual Matches,' so you won't have to fear harming any of the opponents, as I will be right there with you."

Looking at the teacher, I couldn't shake the feeling that this is exactly what he was aiming for. I don't know if he's a master psychologist or if he assesses us from his perspective, but his approach to our education has always been quite open. Perhaps only Yuta received a more official and practical Sorcerer course, although even here, Satoru can be understood: I, Maki, Toge, and Panda were already Sorcerers when we entered the magical school, while Yuta was like a blank slate... One can confidently assume that for the Strongest, Yuta was a kind of successor.

"I'll do my best," Yuta replied, glancing at Satoru, then turning to Maki and the others. "I am really afraid, and Maki is right that my weakness may harm one of you, but I promise that I won't let you down, guys, and maybe not all, but you can still trust me with your back."

"Don't worry about that. Toge and I trust you, and Maki too. Someone just sets equally high demands on those around her as on herself," Panda said, friendly patting Yuta on the shoulder.

"Speak for yourself," Maki replied shortly, her face now incredibly calm, to the point that it became somewhat unsettling.

"In healthy relationships, you can't do without disagreements," Satoru said in a serious tone, like some Buddhist monk, which this guy was not at all. "However, I hope that despite differences, you can still work together as a team."

"Well, I'm not a child," Maki rolled her eyes.

"So is that a yes or a no?" Panda, for some reason, still wasn't settling down.

"I promise. One more word from you in a similar tone, and I'll gut all the synthetic stuffing out of you," Maki tightened her grip on the spear.

"So, yes," Satoru clapped his hands, drawing attention. "Unfortunately, this year, the Tokyo school will only be represented by the first-year students. The second-year students had a bit of a celebration on the way from Kyoto to Tokyo, so you'll have to make up for it," the white-haired guy continued, holding his gaze on me as if accusing me of something. "Although, with Sukehiro's strength, the help of your seniors may not be needed."

"I know some guys from the Kyoto school," well, how else, Panda is the director's favorite, so he probably knows almost all young magicians in Japan personally. "Even with Sukehiro, we'll have problems. Firstly, we'll have two Sorcerers less, and secondly, even with Sukehiro taking three second-year students under his wing, we still can't be sure of victory because this event is not a usual 'one-on-one.'"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Satoru, giving Panda a thumbs up. "'The Exorcist Race' is called that for a reason because your main task will be exorcising curses. And this year in Kyoto, there's quite promising new talent."

"Are you not underestimating our abilities?" Maki frowned.

"Kasumi Miwa, a swordswoman, the user of the New Shadow Style. In just a few years, she turned from an ordinary schoolgirl into a full-fledged Sorcerer. Mechamaru was born maimed due to a Heavenly Restriction, but in exchange for his disability, he gained immense Cursed Energy, which he uses to control magical puppets called 'Mechamaru'. And..." Panda made a short pause, looking at Maki. "Mai Zenin, the daughter of the Zenin clan, which already speaks volumes about years of professional Sorcerer training. Besides, she has innate Cursed Techniques. So, yes, each of these guys is on par with us, and there are still second-year students."

"You can leave them to me," I spoke for the first time during this briefing. "Although knowing some of them, you'll still have to be 'running on the edge' for a while."

"What are you talking about?" Yuta asked. This guy sees me as a senior in the Special Class, and I, when there's time, try to help him... Well, help – I knock all the strength out of him, and then Rika comes, and I get it. But in any case, he was probably curious about the ones I paid attention to.

"Second-year student, Aoi Todo," I paused, emphasizing the name. "A real combat maniac who will be fighting the strongest among us. On the one hand, this is good because you won't have to suffer under his heavy fists. On the other hand, he won't let anyone interfere with his 'acquaintance,' so the other second-year students won't just sit and watch as he has fun."

"So, in addition to the three first-year students, we also have the heir of the Kamo clan and the American witch," Satoru first showed three fingers, gradually releasing the other two, indicating the number of opponents. Does he consider us kids?

"Heir of the clan, just like Maki?" Yuta's very unfortunate comparison led to an angrily raised eyebrow on Maki's face.

"Noritoshi Kamo is a true heir of one of the Three Great Families, inheriting the family Cursed Technique of Blood Manipulation," Panda shook his head negatively and pondered. "I think only Toge can be his opponent."

"In that case, I can hold off Mai and Miwa while Sukehiro deals with Todo," Maki confidently stated.

"Do you trust me that much? I'm flattered," a provocative smile adorned my face.

"You've been beating me and the guys for six months. If you can't do the same to Todo, then what kind of Special Class are you?" Maki's face featured a challenging smile.

"In that case, I'll take on Mechamaru and Momo Nishimiya," Panda slammed his fist into his palm, showing his readiness to fight.

"Well, that's great. Now all that's left is to develop a tactic that will allow you to be on the battlefield specifically with the chosen opponents and not end up in a mess," Satoru's face stretched into his trademark Cheshire grin.