JJK: Red Priest Pathway

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The Jujutsu Headquarters is the widely recognized governing body of the sorcerer society, established by the Japanese government as the highest authority over all jujutsu sorcerers in the country. The members of the Jujutsu Headquarters are commonly referred to as the "higher-ups," and they are led by the Jujutsu Inspector General, who is appointed by the Prime Minister based on nominations from the Big Three Sorcerer Families. But that doesn't mean I plan to wipe them all out. Maki will handle the Zenin — her personal vendetta with that clan runs far deeper than mine. The Kamo clan will likely fall under the weight of Kenjaku's plans, which are already beginning to erode the foundations of their influence. As for the Gojo, without Satoru, the clan has lost its strength and significance, now resembling more a shadow of its former glory than an actual power.

My priority, then, is to eliminate the "higher-ups", those who hold the reins of power and decide the future of the sorcerer society from their seats at the Jujutsu Headquarters. But even that isn't as straightforward as it might seem. These old men, cunning and slippery, sit in their high chairs, weaving schemes and pulling the strings of fate like puppet masters. I need to ensure that their disappearance is complete and irreversible. If even a few of them survive, they'll scatter like rats, and I'll lose my chance to uproot their influence for good.

As they say, if you're pulling weeds, you have to pull them out by the roots.

I've got one shot to take out these bastards who think they embody the law and morality of our world. If I miss this opportunity, they'll vanish, and I won't have the time to track them down later. That's why I need help. And, as usual, I turned to Mechamaru. In my defense, my request was a simple one — just reroute a message meant for Yuuji's executioner or Principal Yaga to me. No matter who they decide to eliminate first, the executioner will be summoned to the Jujutsu Headquarters, where all the "higher-ups" — or at least most of them — will be present. This would be the perfect chance to gather them in one place and deliver the decisive blow.

Every detail has to be considered, every move carefully calculated. At one point, I even felt like Spartacus, burning with the motivation to overthrow the tyrants...

As it happens, tonight the higher-ups have summoned Okkotsu Yuta to the headquarters. Of course, that letter never reached his hands — it was intercepted and redirected from the very beginning. Not that I don't trust Yuta; on the contrary, I trust him fully. But in situations like these, you have to eliminate any uncertainties and unnecessary variables to avoid complications. This principle has become a cornerstone for me, and experience has shown that tackling complex problems by minimizing the links in the chain is the most efficient approach.

That's why I've decided to take matters into my own hands.

And here I am, standing in front of the massive doors leading to the secret chamber where, up until tonight, the fate of hundreds of sorcerers across Japan was decided. This chamber, steeped in the darkness of ancient traditions and the weight of countless decisions, has always been the center of power and intrigue, where the destinies of those who dedicated their lives to serving people and magic were shaped. But tonight, that will all change.

Infiltrating the Jujutsu Headquarters turned out to be easier than I expected. Despite my physical condition still being far from perfect, my problems with spiritual and cursed energy no longer troubled me. The fluctuations and instability that had plagued me ever since my battle with Sukuna vanished the moment I awoke from the coma.

I think it might be connected to the fact that I was unable to break through the barrier separating me from reaching the fifth sequence. As a result, over time, my spiritual energy just settled.

Thanks to my high-rank [Conspiracy] ability, I was able to slip into the sorcerer headquarters undetected. This was one of my favorite abilities as the "Provoker." Even though it has at least three main uses, my personal favorite has always been the power to redirect attention away from me. It's essentially like an invisible cloak, allowing me to move through corridors and rooms without raising the slightest suspicion.

Even with that advantage, it still took some time to locate the vulnerable points in the barrier surrounding the place. Like many barriers around important locations, this one was designed to prevent intrusions from outside and instantly alert the guards of any attempts.

However, despite its complexity, it couldn't compare to the one surrounding Tokyo Jujutsu High — crafted by the greatest barrier user of all time. So, after studying the barrier's structure, I quickly found its weak spots — places where the energy flows overlapped, creating small gaps just wide enough for me to artificially widen and slip through without setting off any alarms. Focusing my cursed energy into the right points, I created tiny, almost invisible breaks in the "magical field." It was a process that required precision and patience, but once I found the right rhythm, I was able to bypass the barrier, remaining unseen and unheard by those it was meant to guard against intruders.

Like any true hunter, even though I knew that no one in the room would be able to put up any real resistance against me — especially in my weakened state — I didn't take any chances. Once inside, I meticulously scouted every room a potential enemy could breach, setting traps along the way. Using my knowledge of the terrain and my opponents, I strategically placed "fire bombs" in key locations. In addition, I set up a few conventional traps — tripwires connected to detonators, weakened the floor in some areas, and even preemptively lit small fires in distant, unnoticed corners of the building.

Some might say that preparing this much for a special-grade sorcerer raid on a bunch of old bastards is overkill. But my response to that? I was told not to overexert myself, so taking precautions for the chance of an unexpected screw-up isn't such a bad idea. After all, I know all too well how things can go sideways when someone gets too confident in their victory. Satoru proved that already...

Slowly pressing against the massive doors, I felt them begin to open with a heavy creak, as if the very walls of this place were reluctant to let me in. When the doors fully swung open, the hall revealed itself before me. Its center was a vast empty space, surrounded by six folding screens. These screens, adorned with ancient symbols and intricate patterns, seemed strangely foreign and ominous. The atmosphere in the hall was thick, ancient, and tense, as if the air itself was saturated with fear and distrust.

I walked calmly into the hall, and although none of those seated behind the screens uttered a word, I could hear the sharp changes in their breathing. It became uneven, shallow, as if each of them was trying to mask their confusion, followed by the fear that gripped them at my appearance. But I didn't miss those subtle signs, nor the sudden stench of sweat that filled the air. That smell — a mixture of panic and anxiety — was the best proof that my presence had thrown them off balance.

Listening closely to the sounds, I caught the slightest tremors, barely audible but unmistakable in the silence of the hall. These were trembling hands clenched into fists, restless feet tapping nervously, and hearts beating faster than usual. Their fear was almost tangible, like a dense fog creeping along the floor.

Stopping in the center of the hall, I decided to break the silence first, with a hint of mockery in my voice:

"What's with the cold reception, huh? Don't I at least deserve a greeting?" My voice echoed through the hall, filling it with a cold confidence.

In response, I heard an elderly, raspy voice coming from behind the screen to my right:

"What are you doing here, Yami Sukehiro?"

The voice was weak and shaky, but there was a hint of defiance behind it, as if the elder speaking to me still hoped that the situation could turn in his favor. But I knew what they felt, knew that beneath all this pretense of confidence lay true fear of the unknown.

I was absolutely certain that these people were well aware of the difference between me and Satoru. In their eyes, I was a rough brute, raised by an even rougher and more ruthless brute. Unlike Satoru, who was born into "noble blood" and groomed from birth as the future heir of his clan — a ruler of sorts — I was a wild card, alien to their "refined" culture and traditions. Satoru, with all his inherited aristocracy, might have seemed to them predictable, even controllable, though that couldn't have been further from the truth. But I, raised outside the walls of the three great clans and two schools, represented something wild and unpredictable — a threat they couldn't control.

It's wild brutes like me who tend to choose the bloodiest and most straightforward path. I think the Headquarters had long realized that a sorcerer of my strength, untrained in their ways, had become a real and imminent threat to their rule. They saw me as a danger that needed to be eliminated, and it's quite possible they had already made plans to "deal" with me. But at some point, Satoru must have intervened, disrupting their schemes.

I smirked, watching their tense forms, knowing that beneath that cold calm, there was fear — fear of the person standing before them.

"You must be clever enough to be afraid of me," I said, not bothering to hide the mockery in my voice. "So then, why did you test my patience until now?"