Megumi faced Mai's ninety-degree bow of apology while simultaneously feeling Maki's gaze from beside him.
Although Maki's eyes were completely calm, showing no intention of pleading for her sister, Megumi still scratched his head helplessly and sighed with resignation.
"I wasn't really hurt, so let's just drop it this time."
"But don't go around hurling insults so carelessly next time. Especially at Yuji—he's not a monster. He's our classmate, a comrade we can trust with our lives. Remember that."
"I understand. Thank you very much."
Mai straightened up, her eyes lowered as she apologized to Megumi.
Her attitude was extremely humble.
The arrogance she had displayed earlier was now nowhere to be found, replaced by complete docility.
Immediately after, Mai turned—not to look at Maki, but at Roy, as if seeking his opinion.
"Is this acceptable?"
"You pass."
Seeing that Megumi had no intention of pursuing the matter, Roy decided not to press the issue further and nodded in acknowledgment of Mai's apology.
"Take that gorilla and leave. Though we're all from Jujutsu High, Tokyo Campus doesn't welcome troublemakers. Relay that message to all Kyoto Campus students."
"Understood."
Mai kept her head bowed, meekly turning to leave.
Only after she had gone did the tense atmosphere finally ease, returning to its usual harmony.
"What an unpleasant person."
Yuji muttered under his breath, clearly displeased.
He still hadn't settled the score after getting kicked in the ass by Todo Aoi!
When the exchange event started tomorrow, he'd definitely pay him back for that!
"What about the school building?"
Megumi glanced at the completely ruined building behind them.
An ordinary person might have been thrilled—no building meant a few days off until a new classroom was found.
But sorcerers didn't think that way.
In fact, they'd probably find it downright miserable.
With the indoor classrooms gone, it meant nothing but outdoor training from now on—drilled to death every day!
At least the next few days were reserved for the exchange event, so there'd be no classes. Otherwise, it would've been a nightmare.
"Report it to the principal. A construction team will handle the rebuilding. Just make sure to explain the situation clearly—Kyoto Campus should foot the bill. We shouldn't have to cover the costs for others."
"Got it."
"That's all. Since it's dismissal time, you're all free to go."
"Yes!"
After handling the remaining matters, Roy turned and left the school building.
However, as he walked toward his dormitory, Maki caught up to him from behind.
"Roy-sensei!"
"Maki? Is there something else?"
"About earlier—thank you, sensei."
Maki stepped up beside Roy, her expression solemn as she expressed her gratitude.
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"For letting Mai off the hook."
"Oh, that. Well, she already got Megumi's forgiveness, didn't she?"
"Only because of you, sensei."
Maki shook her head.
She didn't believe Mai had gotten off safely just because Megumi had forgiven her.
From Aoi's case, it was clear that Roy wasn't just a devil during training—he was equally merciless when punishing students.
When Aoi tried to attack Roy, it wasn't meant to cripple him—just break a few bones at most. Yet Roy sent him flying with a single punch, nearly leaving him completely disabled. Though Roy did help with the treatment afterward.
When Mai drew her gun, she showed no more mercy than Aoi had. Though she aimed for Megumi's abdomen, a single hit would have left him bedridden for days.
That she walked away unscathed wasn't just because Megumi forgave her.
The fundamental reason was that Roy, out of respect for her sister, gave Mai a way out.
Had he refused that courtesy, Mai would have been carried back today too.
Ultimately, those two were complete idiots—picking a fight with Yuji and the others the day before the exchange event, then having the misfortune of Roy catching them red-handed.
Completely unjustified, and caught by their teacher—no wonder they got what they deserved.
Maki understood Roy had no real obligation to show her any courtesy.
Yet he did, so the least she could do was express gratitude.
"Anyway... thank you, sensei."
"Fine, I'll accept your thanks."
Roy gave a noncommittal hum.
"You sisters really are a pair of contradictions."
Maki remained silent at this.
He wasn't wrong.
Their sisterly relationship could only be described as complicated.
But at this point, it was beyond repair.
All she could do was reform the entire Zenin clan, burying its rotten traditions in the trash heap of history.
That way, the Zenin would be cleansed—and Mai's surroundings would become pure.
That was all.
"...What do you think of Mai, sensei?"
After a long pause, Maki's face twisted with visible internal struggle before finally hardening with resolve as she posed the question.
"Think of Mai?"
Roy glanced at Maki in surprise, not expecting this line of inquiry.
He pondered briefly.
"Fragile."
"Though she puts on an arrogant, unreasonable front, that's just a facade. Beneath it, she's as brittle as glass."
"You could see that much at a glance, sensei..."
"Not exactly at a glance."
Noticing Maki's complicated expression, Roy grew curious.
"Why ask me this? What are you planning?"
"...Actually, I have a request regarding Mai."
"Oh? A request?"
Roy's lips curled meaningfully.
"You want me to empower her? Like you?"
Did she want him to transform Mai Zenin into another Heavenly Restricted powerhouse like herself?
Roy assumed this was Maki's request.
Whether it was possible was another matter—he'd never experimented with turning a jujutsu sorcerer with innate techniques and cursed energy into a zero-cursed-energy Heavenly Restricted being. But if she was asking whether he'd help, he wasn't opposed.
Though that would fall outside their existing arrangement.
He transformed Maki into the perfected Heavenly Restriction to make her the spokesperson for the Zenin clan, consolidating the power of not just the Zenin but even the three great families, so she could serve as his subordinate in the future.
For Mai, he held no such expectations.
Matters outside the deal had to be exchanged with benefits beyond the deal.
"Sensei, you can even do something like that?"
Maki was startled by Roy's words, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at him.
Her gaze was as if she had never even considered such a possibility.
"Whether I can turn her into a Heavenly Restriction, I'm not entirely sure—after all, I've never conducted such an experiment. But if it's just granting her power, that's quite simple."
Roy admitted his capabilities frankly. Bestowing Mai with one or two powerful cursed techniques would be enough to benefit her for life.
"But judging by your reaction, it doesn't seem like you want me to strengthen her, does it?"
Maki's expression made it clear she was shocked by his proposal.
She had apparently never entertained the idea of asking Roy to empower Mai—otherwise, she wouldn't have been so stunned.
"Of course, I never considered it."
Maki gave Roy a strange look.
Zenin Maki, stubborn as an ox, would never turn back once she set her mind on something, often labeled by Panda as a "stress monster" and the team's pressure conduit. But she knew her limits. A shameless request like "asking Roy to strengthen Mai" was beyond her.
"My request is something else—"
Maki took a deep breath, her expression firm.
Under Roy's gaze, she slowly revealed her true request.
...
The next day, the day of the exchange event.
Morning.
As soon as class began, all seven first and second-year students of Tokyo Jujutsu High were neatly dressed and waiting beneath the massive torii gate at the school entrance.
Leading them was Roy, the first-year homeroom teacher.
Principal Yaga Masamichi also made a rare appearance, dressed as always in all-black attire like a secret agent, his face hidden behind sunglasses, his poker face as inscrutable as ever.
"They're here."
They didn't have to wait long.
A group of eight figures appeared at the foot of the mountain, ascending the stone steps.
Each of the eight exuded an aura entirely different from ordinary people, making it clear at a glance they were anything but normal. Their arrival immediately drew the attention of the Tokyo students.
The Kyoto students—six in total, from second and third years.
Among the second-years were three, one of whom was Zenin Mai, whom they had met just yesterday. But unlike the overwhelming arrogance she had displayed then, today she seemed unusually subdued, her demeanor even somewhat ladylike.
Another was a girl with long, water-blue hair. Unlike the others in uniforms, she wore a full black suit with a Japanese sword at her waist, her small face tense and serious.
The third was downright peculiar.
At first glance, the figure appeared no different from an ordinary person, except for a peculiar deep brown complexion resembling dried wood. But upon closer inspection, it was clearly not human—it was a robot entirely constructed of metal, just ingeniously crafted to mimic a human form perfectly.
"A robot! There's actually a robot!"
Yuji Itadori grabbed onto Megumi's sleeve, pointing excitedly at the robot, his face alight with enthusiasm.
He looked like a Gundam fan whose mecha-loving soul had been ignited upon seeing a Gundam appear in the real world.
"Could you not embarrass yourself like this?"
Megumi shot Yuji a disdainful glare and yanked his sleeve free.
"That guy calls himself Ultimate Mechamaru. Despite his appearance, he's a genuine semi-grade 1 sorcerer—his strength is nothing to scoff at!"
"That strong?!"
Yuji's expression instantly sharpened.
The strongest at Kyoto Jujutsu High was the grade 1 sorcerer Aoi Todo, followed closely by two semi-grade 1 sorcerers—one of whom was that robot?
Bocchi-chan stood among the group, staring blankly at the sky with a dazed expression.
What excuse could she use to flee at the last minute?
"What about the blue-haired one next to him?"
"That's Kasumi Miwa, also a second-year. Haven't heard much about her strength, though..."
The Tokyo students nodded in understanding.
In other words, the one to watch out for among the second-years was this Ultimate Mechamaru.
Against him, they absolutely couldn't afford to let their guard down!
As for Kyoto's third-years, one of them was Aoi Todo—the strongest among them—so no introduction was needed. The remaining two were a boy and a girl.
The girl, if she could even be called that, looked more like a child, appearing no older than eleven or twelve. Petite and adorable, she had golden hair tied into two broom-like pigtails on either side of her head.
And she was actually holding a broom nearly as tall as she was, looking like a medieval witch straight out of a movie—only missing a hat to complete the cosplay.
"Momo Nishimiya, third-year student, semi-grade 2 sorcerer."
She was semi-grade 2.
That meant the last semi-grade 1 had to be the remaining third-year boy.
Everyone's gaze shifted in unison toward the final young man.
He was a well-proportioned youth dressed in traditional, formal shrine priest attire, carrying himself with a composed and dignified air. However, his narrowed eyes gave off an unsettling, scheming vibe.
"Noritoshi Kamo, third-year student, semi-grade 1 sorcerer—the next head of the Kamo Clan, one of the Three Great Families. His strength is second only to Aoi Todo!"
Faced with this lineup, every Tokyo student wore an expression of grave seriousness.
Among Kyoto's six, even the weakest was a grade 3 sorcerer. Ultimate Mechamaru and Noritoshi Kamo, both semi-grade 1, were formidable enough to give them a hard time—let alone the even stronger Aoi Todo.
Among Tokyo's seven, only Maki remained unshaken, her demeanor steady and brimming with confidence in her own abilities.
Roy watched the group ascending the steps below, a faintly amused smile playing on his lips.
The others aside, Noritoshi Kamo—as the next head of the Kamo Clan—was certainly an interesting one.
Among the three great clans, the Kamo family has always been the backbone of the conservative faction.
They are the clan most devoted to the traditions of jujutsu sorcerers, their feudal nature rivaling even the Zenin family—and surpassing them in certain aspects! At times, they exhibit even more stubbornness than the Zenin.
In contrast, the Gojo family revolves almost entirely around Satoru Gojo. Most of its members are sorcerers who have been aided by him. Under Gojo's influence, no matter how reluctant they may be, they have had to adapt to modern society, making them far more receptive to contemporary values. Compared to the other two clans, they are much more humane—far less repulsive.
But conversely, precisely because the Gojo family is built around Satoru Gojo alone, if he were to disappear, the clan would likely collapse soon after.
On the other hand, if anything were to happen to the Kamo family, the backbone of the conservative faction, the faction itself would be effectively finished.
Standing at the front, leading the six students forward, was Kyoto Jujutsu High's supervising teacher, Utahime Iori.
Beside her was the Kyoto school's principal, Gakuganji Yoshinobu, the counterpart to Tokyo's principal, Yaga Masamichi.
"Huh?"
"What's that?"
"Why does it look…"
Just as the Kyoto group arrived near the open space before the main gate—
The Tokyo students' faces simultaneously twisted in confusion and bewilderment, their lips and eyes twitching in unison as their expressions turned uniformly strange.
They looked as if they were desperately holding back laughter, struggling not to burst out—clearly in great discomfort.
After all, this was a formal meeting between the two schools, with both principals present. Laughing here would be unacceptable. If they did, they might spend the entire year labeled as troublemakers in the principals' eyes—or worse, become targets of their displeasure.
"HAHAHAHA! TODO! WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH YOUR FACE? HAHAHAHA!"