Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Times

"Hahahaha!"

Aoi Todo let out a thunderous laugh, his towering figure exchanging blows with the nimble one opposite him. Every punch and kick tore through the air with whistling force. He was clearly ecstatic, relishing every moment of the fight—though one might forget that if not for the bruises on his face and the patches of blood staining his body.

Of course, Shingen Genichi wasn't doing much better. His ribs throbbed dully, and there was blood at the corner of his lips. Aoi Todo had realized early on that feints and trickery were useless against someone like Shingen, so he chose the simplest and most brutal approach: a straight-up slugfest.

In the thick of their exchange, Shingen Genichi landed a clean uppercut to Todo's chin, snapping his head back. But before he could follow up, Todo blocked his elbow with an arm and was forced to retreat under a heavy punch to the chest.

Todo panted, eyes blazing with euphoria. "Shingen Genichi, as a show of respect—I'll now fight with everything I've got! No Technique, just fists—this is what battle is all about!"

Shingen, starting to regret letting it drag on, considered just activating his Technique to end it. But he raised an eyebrow at Todo's words and responded, "Aoi Todo, you got one thing wrong. While Cursed Energy can only reinforce the body to a certain point... everyone's limit and energy capacity are different. Let's end this."

Todo grinned wider. His Cursed Energy surged.

In the same moment, Shingen blurred and reappeared in front of him. His right leg swept down like a blade.

Boom!

The arena's ground cracked violently beneath the force of the kick. Dust and debris flew up, obscuring their view. Todo, who had narrowly dodged, stared into the rising veil of smoke.

"If he moves, the dust will shift. Track the flow—find his position!"

Using that logic, Todo analyzed the scene.

Then—he spotted it. The dust was pulling ever so slightly... toward his location!

Attack met counterattack.

Aoi Todo drew his fist back like a bow, power coiling around it. Then, with a roar, he lunged into the dust cloud, punching with full force. The untouched smoke parted violently—

—and Shingen appeared.

His hands met Todo's wrist mid-swing, twisting around to clamp onto his arm and elbow. With explosive force drawn from his legs and core, Shingen heaved—and Todo's massive body was lifted clean off the ground.

A moment later, Todo was slammed into the earth with such force that the entire platform trembled, and deep cracks webbed outward.

Without missing a beat, Shingen went to stomp down, but Todo rolled and pushed off the ground, narrowly avoiding the crushing heel.

He landed on his feet and—without a word—kicked nearby stones toward Shingen as a distraction, then charged like a released arrow.

Shingen raised an arm, letting the rocks bounce off harmlessly.

Todo's fist glowed with power. His Cursed Energy twisted unnaturally at the edges—and a dark shimmer began to pulse from it.

"Now this is interesting..."

Shingen's fist drew back.

His Cursed Energy surged in perfect harmony. That same sensation—a merging of body, mind, and energy—gripped him. Black light flared from his strike too.

A Black Flash.

The energy around them warped under pressure. Spectators leaned forward in awe.

A dual Black Flash clash—rare, violent, and beautiful.

Todo shouted over the roar: "Shingen Genichi! Even if we're not best friends... this connection—we were fated to meet!!"

In the viewing area, Ieiri Shoko chuckled as she glanced at Gojo. "These kids are really something. Genichi still hasn't even used his Technique, has he?"

Gojo Satoru leaned back lazily, eyes half-lidded. "Of course not. He's my student, after all. He's just having fun. This is all part of his growth."

Back on the field, the two fists collided—

Black Flash vs. Black Flash.

The resulting impact flattened the ground around them.

The dust cleared. Aoi Todo lay flat on his back, panting, body bruised. Shingen stood a short distance away, sweat on his brow.

Aoi, his lip bleeding, still grinned.

"No regrets... No regrets at all."

The match was over.

Shingen walked over, grabbed Todo by the pant leg, and started dragging him off toward Ieiri Shoko for healing. She sighed, already preparing treatment for both of them.

Yaga Masamichi stood and declared, "Shingen Genichi wins. Final score: six to zero. Tokyo Jujutsu High is the victor of this exchange event!"

Cheers erupted.

Shingen's wounds were mostly surface-level and quickly healed. As he returned, everyone welcomed him back.

He wore a smug grin, casually flicking his hair. "It's nothing... really. I didn't even go all out."

Panda knelt beside him like a TV reporter, making exaggerated gestures. Inumaki Toge threw up two thumbs: "Salmon!"

Yuta smiled and congratulated him quietly.

Maki, smiling at first, then frowned when she saw the clowning pair.

"Please tell me you two haven't caught Gojo's idiocy."

And with that, the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event officially ended. With this win, the next one would also be hosted by Tokyo Jujutsu High.

---

Some Time Later

After a few days of rest, Gojo Satoru took the first-years to Shinjuku for a celebratory trip.

Naturally, the bill was covered by Gojo.

They dined at a top-tier restaurant that served premium wagyu beef and other delicacies. Of course, the place was booked out in advance—Panda's presence would draw too much attention.

Panda had simply added a decorative zipper to his chest, making him look like a mascot suit. In the crowded streets, people assumed it was just a really convincing costume.

Once inside, Gojo confessed that the restaurant was actually owned by the Gojo Family—money was no object.

After the meal, they visited a dessert café Gojo liked, sampling all sorts of sweets. He then packed some boxes, gave Shingen Genichi a credit card, and said with a wink: "Spend what you like. I've got business to take care of."

With Gojo gone, the group wandered Shinjuku.

Compared to Tokyo Jujutsu High, the atmosphere here was modern, lively, and diverse. Amid the crowd of eccentrically dressed people, Panda didn't even stand out that much. Some girls even asked for selfies.

Panda accepted two requests, then refused the rest with a dramatic sigh.

"Too much attention is exhausting for a panda."

The group didn't buy much—Maki wasn't into shopping. They picked up casual clothes, some accessories, and Shingen grabbed several game cartridges.

"I probably won't have time to play... but I have to own them."

At an electronics megastore, Maki and Yuta tried VR gear. Shingen found an old-school arcade and started hammering through classic fighting games.

That's when he heard footsteps.

Looking up, he blinked—

It was all six Kyoto students.

"Oh hey, what a coincidence!" he greeted them.

Dressed in casual outfits, they looked surprisingly normal. Kamo Noritoshi replied, "We were out sightseeing. Saw you through the window. Seems everyone's here."

Mai stared at Maki clumsily playing VR and muttered something sarcastic—but deep down, she wanted to try it too.

Seeing the group growing, Shingen's boredom vanished. "Let's play something!"

Aoi Todo was first to step up.

"I've got time before Takada-chan's handshake event. Bring it on!"

He was swiftly demolished.

As an experienced gamer with incredible reflexes, Shingen had no trouble crushing him. Then Miwa and Noritoshi gave it a try—same result.

Shingen smirked. "Invincible~ How lonely it is at the top~"

Even Yuta and Maki joined in—but none could defeat him. The more they fought, the more determined they became. Their tenacity gave Shingen a deeper satisfaction than just beating noobs.

Eventually, no one dared challenge him anymore.

Leaving the arcade, the Kyoto students said their goodbyes. Aoi Todo headed for Takada-chan's event, and the others returned to their lodging.

Shingen and the others visited a few more shops and ate more street snacks before wrapping up the day.

After the exchange event, things returned to normal.

Mission frequency spiked, and Shingen received many solo assignments.

He completed several quickly—but after being handed even more, he deliberately slowed down. Even steel would break under constant use. Money can wait, he reasoned.

He lived a relaxed rhythm: Work, then rest. Rinse and repeat.

One quiet afternoon, Gojo Satoru—who had been missing for a while—suddenly showed up.

"Yo, Genichi. Got a mission for you."

Shingen looked up, a little surprised. "You're giving it to me personally?"

Gojo grinned.

"Yup. You might also be getting a new classmate."

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