Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

"Just like at Satozakura High School, the victims were completely drained of blood. It's safe to say the same group is responsible."

Kamihara Hajime stood beside Gojo Satoru, calmly explaining the prison incident. "Around seven hundred people were killed—more than last time."

"If this is for a ritual," he continued, "then it's terrifying. And I have a feeling… this is only the beginning."

Gojo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "As expected, Curse Users infiltrated the school. We're still unsure how they discovered its location, but they were weak. We've already captured them and they're under interrogation."

"Gojo-sensei."

Hajime shifted the topic. "The Cursed Spirit I encountered—the Nekomata—was unusual. It caused direct soul damage, and more importantly, it was fused with a human. The technique used… resembles one developed by the higher-ups."

Gojo's smile faded. His expression grew serious as he adjusted his posture and sat upright. "I'll handle this. Those old fools might be stubborn, but even they have to explain this."

"Leave the politics to me. You young ones should enjoy yourselves. Oh, and this year's individual battles? I changed them to a lottery system," Gojo added with a smirk. "We're playing baseball this time. You can join."

"Not a lottery, huh?"

Gojo flashed a bright smile, his white teeth gleaming, then turned and walked off. Hajime sighed. He could already guess what would happen. If every lot drawn said "baseball," then it was definitely Gojo-sensei's doing.

The first round of the Exchange Event ended, just as Hajime had predicted. Fushiguro Megumi brought the match to a close, and Yuji Itadori unintentionally became Aoi Todo's new best friend. As Gojo declared, the "individual battles" were now set to be a baseball game, scheduled two days later.

The Curse Users who had infiltrated Jujutsu High were questioned, but no meaningful information was extracted. They'd simply received instructions to "invade a place." By the time they realized they were up against Gojo Satoru, it was already over.

Fortunately, no one from Jujutsu High was harmed. In fact, several Curse Users were taken out by the students themselves. The only casualties were some minor Cursed Spirits caught in the crossfire.

When Gojo returned from confronting the higher-ups, his satisfied smile said it all. Hajime understood—they couldn't explain how a forbidden technique, known only to the headquarters, was used by the enemy. Whether it was stolen or leaked, someone had to be held accountable.

But Hajime was more concerned about the stolen blood and the motive behind these attacks. If the goal were to revive Sukuna, Yuji would be the obvious target. Yet these attacks had nothing to do with Sukuna. Linking it to the earlier Bone Woman and the recent Nekomata, it seemed Mahito's group had mastered a similar technique.

That could only mean one thing—they were trying to revive something else. Something tied to the legendary "Totsuka-no-Tsurugi."

In Jujutsu lore, names like Orochi and Susanoo-no-Mikoto were more than just myth. Even if distorted through time, their mention was serious enough. Combined with Mahito's recent moves, Hajime suspected their ambitions were far greater than just chaos.

After sharing his theory with Gojo, Hajime was surprised by his calm response. Gojo had already suspected the same and scoured the ancient Gojo Family records but found no trace of Orochi or Susanoo. Even the Zen'in and Kamo Families turned up empty.

"What about Master Tengen? Does he know anything?" Hajime asked.

Gojo shook his head. "I asked. He said he's never seen a Curse like Orochi and doesn't know much about Cursed Objects either. Said he stayed isolated too long."

Hajime frowned. "Then we're back to square one. These Curses are like rats in a sewer—disgusting and impossible to pin down."

Gojo chuckled. "Nice analogy. But don't worry, we'll find their weakness."

This matter, along with the whereabouts of Mahito's group, became top priority. Predictably, after the Nekomata incident, the Curses vanished again. With few capable of tracking Special Grade Spirits and limited surveillance from the "Windows," all Hajime could do now was focus on the upcoming event.

And so, under the judgmental gazes of Yaga Masamichi and Utahime Iori, the students drew their "lottery." Of course, every slip read "baseball."

No one questioned it.

The match took place under clear skies. Jujutsu High had no shortage of fields or equipment, but…

"You've never played baseball?" Maki asked incredulously.

Hajime tilted his head. "It's just hitting and throwing the ball, right?"

Maki was speechless. Panda and the others began warming up in full gear, but Maki realized Hajime didn't even understand the rules.

"Maki-senpai! I'll teach him!" Yuji volunteered eagerly. He wasn't a hardcore fan, but he understood the basics well enough.

After the crash course, Hajime stepped onto the field confidently. "Got it. Just hit it where they can't catch it."

"This guy…" Maki sighed.

The rule was no Techniques or Cursed Energy. Otherwise, it'd be a death match. But even without Techniques, the raw strength of Maki and Yuji alone made things intense.

Crack!

Hajime swung the bat. The ball shot into the sky and cleared the fence. His eyes easily tracked the ball's arc.

"All that matters is that they can't catch it," he muttered, satisfied.

"Nice hit! Run!" Yuji shouted.

Maki narrowed her eyes. "Again."

Resting the bat on his shoulder, Hajime smirked. "The result won't change. I told you, this game's simple."

Suddenly, the next pitch flew in like a bullet. Hajime barely reacted in time, slicing it back with a screeching swing.

"That was close… This bat's sturdier than I thought."

At the field's edge, Gojo Satoru appeared, sunglasses on and grinning, flanked by Utahime Iori and Kyoto's team.

Due to Hajime's presence, Kyoto was one player short, granting them the right for one student to use Jujutsu.

And that student was Kamo Noritoshi.

"Huh?! That's legal?" Maki yelled, watching the ball curve unnaturally mid-air and land right into Naine's glove.

Red Blood Manipulation.

The game quickly turned competitive. Kyoto had Kamo and Aoi Todo; Tokyo had Maki, Yuji, and Hajime. Between shouts, hits, and trick pitches, the baseball match became a lively event under the summer sun.

---

Elsewhere.

Jogo stared into a rippling pool of blood, where a long sword hovered above the surface. "How many more sacrifices are needed?" he asked.

Suguru Geto stood nearby, smiling calmly. "Three or four more."

Before Jogo could complain, Geto added, "We need to take our time. This technique is interesting. Let the defective ones gather what we need first."

"And Sukuna?" Jogo growled. "What if they hide his fingers? What if we can't collect all twenty?"

Geto dipped a finger into the pool. The red drop clinging to his fingertip reflected his face like a jewel. "Don't worry. That was just a warm-up. If they try to keep the fingers, we'll handle it. When chaos erupts, they'll be too distracted to protect anything."

"Even the 'strongest' can't be everywhere at once," he added. "That title is heavier than it looks."

He flicked the blood off his finger, then turned to Jogo. "Stay hidden for now. Dying for nothing is foolish."

Jogo exhaled fire and smoke. "I'm not afraid of death—but I'm not dying for free either. That brat? With our Techniques, he's nothing."

Geto's smile remained, but something cold shimmered beneath it. "Is that so? What about death that erases you entirely?"

Jogo sneered. "You think we're doing this just for ourselves? If it takes my death to make Curses live as humans… I'll take it. I won't need to laugh a hundred years from now."

Geto nodded. "Then let's show this stagnant world something new."

---

Urami Higashi Junior High, Saitama City.

From June to September, deaths occurred across Morioka, Yokohama, and Nagoya. The victims all died the same way, after complaining about their automatic doors malfunctioning—yet no one else had those issues.

Digging deeper, investigators found they all had one thing in common: they had attended Urami Higashi Junior High.

This new mission was assigned to the three first-years. After the previous events, the higher-ups had little choice but to tolerate Yuji Itadori's presence.

Hajime and Megumi Fushiguro knew the school well. They had attended it together, and Tsumiki—still in a coma—had once walked these halls.

---

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