Roy descended from the sky as Todo Aoi emerged from the half-collapsed school building, plumes of dust swirling like fireworks behind him amidst the shattered ruins.
His cold gaze landed on Roy.
"Another one, huh... I heard Tokyo Jujutsu High got a transfer student mid-year. That you?"
"I've got a very serious question for you. Depending on your answer, I'll decide whether you participate in tomorrow's exchange event half-dead or completely crippled!"
"—What type of women do you like?"
His words seemed to freeze the entire scene.
Both Megumi and Mai stared at him with looks reserved for idiots, their faces screaming secondhand embarrassment.
Asking "what type of women do you like" to someone you just met was already absurd enough.
But the fact that he was asking Roy of all people made it infinitely worse for Megumi and Mai!
Roy did look young—like a teenager—so mistaking him for a student wasn't entirely unreasonable. He certainly appeared to be high school age.
But only someone who didn't know him would think that!
Todo Aoi, as a jujutsu sorcerer, should damn well recognize Roy, one of the most famous Special Grade sorcerers!
At the very least, Mai had identified him the moment she saw him.
Not because of Megumi's hints, but because she already knew Roy.
Due to certain circumstances, she'd seen photos of him before.
Late at night, alone, she'd studied his features meticulously—the angle of his brows, the bridge of his nose, the exact proportions of his frame, the breadth of his shoulders, the length of his legs... etching his image into her mind with near-obsessive precision.
Bocchi-chan glanced between the half-destroyed building and the gorilla-like Todo Aoi, then clutched her slug curse tighter. With a "please-don't-notice-me" expression, she quietly shuffled sideways.
Some transfer student? She didn't know him!
"Asking someone their type right after meeting them? How unbelievably rude!"
Just as the silence stretched, a figure shot out from the wreckage of the collapsed building like an arrow, roaring as they aimed a kick at Todo's back.
"Still got energy to spare, huh?"
The moment the wind shifted, Todo sensed the attack.
He sidestepped effortlessly, dodging Itadori Yuji's strike.
But he made no move to counter.
"Time out!"
Seeing Yuji immediately pivot to charge again, Todo threw up a halting gesture.
Yuji instinctively skidded to a stop, planting his feet firmly as he glared.
"What?"
"I've seen enough. Not bad at all!"
Todo clapped twice, openly acknowledging Yuji's skill.
"Thanks! And?"
"Delicious food should be saved for the main course. Since there's only one day left before the exchange event officially begins, let's settle our match tomorrow!"
"You just kicked me, and it hurt like hell. Now you want to walk away after getting the upper hand? That's despicable!"
Yuji Itadori rubbed his buttocks, glaring at him with clear displeasure.
"Just hurt? Hahaha, perfect!"
Faced with Yuji's accusation, Aoi Todo didn't get angry at all—instead, he burst into satisfied laughter.
"My purpose here was just to confirm whether you first-years are worthy of replacing Yuta Okkotsu. Since you've already passed the test, I don't feel like fighting anymore. If we settle things before the exchange event, the old man will nag me for hours. Not that I care, but I've got things to do and can't waste too much time here!"
Who said you get to decide?
Yuji really wanted to ask that.
But after saying his piece, Todo turned his back, his sharp gaze piercing through both Megumi beside him and Roy ahead.
"Next, I'll test you two. Answer my question—what kind of women do you like?"
Yuji was furious.
But he didn't want to attack Todo from behind, so he held back.
Mai pricked up her ears.
She glanced at Roy, her eyes flickering slightly.
She was somewhat curious about his answer.
"I refuse to answer such a stupid question."
Megumi rejected the question outright, his voice cold.
They were in the middle of a fight—unlike Yuji, he wasn't just going to pause because someone said so.
Besides, he'd just been shot by Mai and was still seething, focused on getting payback. He had no interest in discussing his preferences.
"I don't mind answering."
Roy's expression was casual, but then he frowned slightly.
"But honestly, I've never really thought about it before?"
Older, intellectual beauties?
Sure, he liked those.
But younger, loli-types were cute too.
Big or small breasts—he accepted them all equally.
Just like how he didn't favor Hayasaka Ai over Utaha, he had no particular preference for hips or legs either.
If he had to say, maybe he liked 2D waifus?
Wait, but compared to Ai and Utaha together, he actually preferred Ichika and Miku Nakano.
No, this wasn't about what type of woman he liked anymore—it was about the thrill and taboo.
Thinking about it, he really hadn't considered this question before.
His past life aside, in this one, he'd been too busy.
He'd never had the time to think about it.
Never thought about it?
This answer elicited different reactions from those listening.
Yuji looked indifferent, while Megumi couldn't care less.
Mai, however, was caught off guard, blinking in surprise.
What did this answer imply?
She didn't know.
Mai couldn't decipher the logic behind Roy's response—she couldn't tell what he was thinking or what it meant.
Did it mean he was inexperienced with women? That didn't seem right.
Mai remained silent, quietly pondering the implications behind Roy's answer.
"...You're even more boring than I imagined."
Todo Aoi's eyes gradually moistened, tears of lament inexplicably welling up in his eyes.
"Exactly. I've anticipated all sorts of answers. After all, everyone has their own preferences. Even people with different tastes from mine, I usually give them full recognition. But so far, you're the only one who's exceeded my expectations—this answer I never could have anticipated. You're more boring than anyone I've ever met!"
Yuji quietly sucked in a small breath of air and subtly increased the distance between himself and Aoi.
Megumi stared at Aoi in stunned silence for a good while before stealthily retreating from the hallway.
The looks they gave Aoi were filled with pity.
This guy didn't know Roy-sensei.
Naturally, he wouldn't know his personality either.
Basically, their Roy-sensei wasn't the type to let grudges linger overnight.
Being thoroughly criticized like this by Aoi, even Roy couldn't help but pause for a moment.
"Hmm, okay... and then?"
He nodded with a strange expression, his eyes narrowing slightly.
A smile appeared on his face—one that seemed deliberately crafted, full of artificiality and pretense.
"I'm already a third-year. This year's exchange event is my last chance, a stage where I've staked my very soul! I absolutely won't allow boring people to set foot on this stage!"
Todo Aoi's voice grew deep, like a volcano about to erupt, brewing with some kind of furious emotion.
He spread his feet apart, lowering his center of gravity like a sprinter preparing to dash.
"I won't ambush you, nor will I take your life. But I will make sure you can't fight for the next three days, forcing you to withdraw from the exchange event!"
His passion seemed to burst forth from the depths of his soul.
A truly hot-blooded guy.
"This guy's an idiot!"
Yuji smacked his palm with his fist, wearing a look of self-satisfaction as he directed a scornful smirk at Aoi's back, feeling like he'd scored a point.
"This guy's got something wrong with his eyes!"
Megumi nodded with absolute certainty, still failing to notice anything amiss. This guy was utterly self-righteous.
"Alright, come and try!"
Seeing Aoi assume a battle stance brimming with oppressive momentum, Roy's smile gradually took on a hint of genuine amusement.
"Boom!"
With those words, Aoi seemed to receive the signal to commence battle.
His legs kicked off the ground, explosive force transmitting outward, instantly shattering the floor beneath him as he shot toward Roy like a cannonball, the air itself churning violently in his wake.
Aoi aimed for the white-haired youth's torso, intending to break a couple of ribs and end his exchange event journey right there.
Tokyo Jujutsu High had Shoko Ieiri, a famously skilled doctor in the jujutsu world—one of the few sorcerers capable of using Reverse Cursed Technique to heal others. She was kept under wraps like a national treasure at Tokyo High. Broken bones and similar injuries could be easily treated by her, though it would still require a few days of recovery—meaning he definitely wouldn't be participating in tomorrow's exchange event.
Todo moved swiftly, covering dozens of meters in less than a second to appear right before Roy.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Even Mai fell silent.
Despite being only a Grade 3 sorcerer, she could already see the outcome of this fight.
Todo closed the distance to Roy in an instant.
His fist shot toward Roy's ribs.
He expected resistance.
Even now, he didn't let his guard down.
But what he didn't expect—
Was for his opponent to vanish from his sight just as he was about to land his strike.
Then, his vision darkened.
A large hand had somehow clamped onto his face.
"Kid, you think you're funny?"
BOOM—!!