Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

"Yuta, it's your turn."

Gojo Satoru gestured casually toward Yuta Okkotsu. Nearby, Panda, who had just dragged Kamihara Hajime back, raised his voice with encouragement. "Yuta, go for it! Take down Gojo-sensei!"

Yuta clutched his wooden sword a bit nervously. Hearing Panda's cheer, he offered a sheepish smile. He had watched the previous matches and was still learning to fully control Rika. Compared to the dazzling performance from earlier… he wasn't confident.

But still—doing his best should be enough.

Drawing in a deep breath, Yuta calmed himself. Training scenes flashed through his mind. Slowly, his Cursed Energy surged before stabilizing under his control.

Gojo raised an eyebrow. The amount of Cursed Energy Yuta had was extraordinary. Perhaps… it hadn't been Rika that Cursed him, but rather he had unintentionally Cursed Rika.

With his resolve set, Yuta exhaled and dashed forward, leaving a blur behind him as his wooden sword swept toward Gojo's face.

And in the next moment—Gojo vanished.

"There it is! Gojo-sensei's teleportation," Panda muttered.

Yuta reacted quickly, spinning on instinct to counter. Just as expected, Gojo had reappeared behind him—and dodged the follow-up swing with ease.

"You're improving," Gojo said, his voice light. "Much more spirited than before. Truly my dear student."

With a smooth motion, he dodged again and stuck out his leg, tripping Yuta, who rolled to recover and rose into a crouch. Without hesitation, Yuta slashed again, but Gojo caught the wooden sword mid-swing with both hands.

"I told you to treat me as a real enemy. You're still hesitating. Your force isn't enough—keep this up, and you'll get hurt."

Stunned, Yuta couldn't react fast enough to Gojo's follow-up kick that launched him through the air. He landed hard, bones aching, but quickly stood up again.

Gojo smiled and beckoned. "Again!"

---

The entire afternoon became a blur of training. Gojo seemed tireless—running one-on-one drills, team matches, and everything in between. Eventually, it turned into a full endurance trial.

Physical limits were broken. Cursed Energy pushed to the edge.

Even Ieiri Shoko, who came by to check on them, ended up treating minor injuries again and again. "You're going to break them before they graduate," she grumbled at Gojo.

"The situation's getting worse," Gojo explained flatly. "More reports of Curses showing up—Grade 2s, Grade 1s, and even some hints of Special Grades."

He wasn't worried about handling them—but what worried him was that it might just be the calm before a major storm.

Shoko's expression darkened. Gojo clapped his hands, calling over the group. "So... the burden on the new generation is heavier than ever. They've got us watching their backs, but they need to grow—fast."

And with that, Gojo's next round of "training through love" resumed. Hajime used the time to refine his Technique with Gojo's direct feedback from the Six Eyes, which offered unmatched insight.

He'd discovered something: when using Technique Reversal on himself, his Cursed Energy and body state would return to a designated moment—almost like hitting a reset button.

"Reloading, huh?"

But not everything refreshed.

His consciousness remained intact. The mental fatigue, dizziness, and disorientation from repeated use didn't reset with the rest of him. Hajime dubbed this strain mental load. After multiple uses, he'd be left barely standing, and only Shoko's healing could recover him.

He had hoped to use his Technique like a cheat code—refreshing endlessly to keep fighting, replenishing stamina and Cursed Energy. But that was impossible. At best, it became a limited recovery tool with a cooldown.

Reverse Cursed Technique seemed like the better long-term solution.

What if I combine both? Use Reversal for recovery, then layer Reverse Cursed Technique for healing... maybe then the side effects can be minimized?

It was a tempting thought—but one for later.

Gojo's special training didn't last long. The very next day, he had to leave early to handle business elsewhere. Before leaving, he wiped away a fake tear.

"I know you'll all miss me terribly," he joked. "Don't worry! When I return, I'll bring even better training!"

"Nooo!"

He ignored their cries and left with a grin. Despite his overwhelming power and knowledge, Gojo had one flaw—he wasn't exactly the best at teaching. "It's simple," he'd say, while his students remained totally lost.

Still, Hajime had Gojo to thank for understanding his own Technique. Even if it came at the cost of constant beatings.

---

Time flew by.

During the following days, Hajime encountered two seniors who had temporarily returned to school. From their demeanor, they seemed more like a couple than upperclassmen.

The male, Kinji Hakari, was tall and rough-looking, with a combed-back hairdo that made him look like broccoli. His stubbled jaw, cut eyebrows, and tough attitude made him feel more like a bouncer than a student.

The female was Kirara Hoshi, stylishly dressed with straight bangs and medium hair. Studs adorned her lip and chin. Her top revealed a toned waist, and the star-shaped pupils in her eyes sparkled behind sharp eyeliner and face markings.

They didn't talk much. Hakari seemed cold and indifferent about the exchange event. After a few gruff words, he left.

---

The day before the Exchange Event, Kyoto Jujutsu High arrived.

The venue was Tokyo Jujutsu High—since they had won last year. Everyone from both schools—students, faculty, and principals—gathered in a large conference room.

The Kyoto principal, Yoshinobu Gakuganji, was a traditional man, white-robed with long eyebrows and beard, both hanging down to his chest. Hajime had never seen such exaggerated facial hair in real life.

Gojo led Tokyo's team. Kyoto's group was led by a stern woman in a shrine maiden outfit—Utahime Iori, Gojo's upperclassman. They were clearly familiar, though she didn't seem to appreciate his enthusiasm.

As Gojo teased her, Hajime's attention drifted—to a black-haired girl among the Kyoto students. Her bob cut was different, but her face... looked exactly like Maki.

That girl seemed to be looking at Maki too—with an unreadable expression.

"Panda," Hajime whispered, "Is it just me, or does that girl look just like Maki?"

"Yup," Panda replied flatly.

Maki glanced over and saw them whispering. A vein popped on her forehead.

"She's my twin sister. Zen'in Mai. Stop gawking already!"

"Ohh…" both Hajime and Panda murmured, half in awe, half in fear of being punched.

Yuta leaned over and muttered, "Guys... maybe we should be more worried about that robot. And that scary-looking dude's been staring us down since we walked in."

Hajime turned to observe. Six Kyoto students stood there—three girls, two guys, and… a robot.

The robot, Mechamaru, wasn't some sci-fi humanoid. It resembled a Jujutsu-enhanced puppet in a school uniform. The boys included a handsome, soft-spoken guy who kept his eyes almost closed—Kamo Noritoshi. The other was a muscular giant with a scar running down the left side of his face—Aoi Todo, who looked like a wrestler wrapped in a school blazer.

Of the girls, Mai wore a smug smile. Another girl, with long blue hair and a friendly face, waved at Hajime—Miwa Kasumi. The third was small and cute, with blonde pigtails, large ear studs, and a broom beside her—Momo Nishimiya.

Yaga Masamichi stood and addressed the room.

"Principal Gakuganji and I have finalized the Exchange Event format. It will follow the structure from previous years. Now, take a moment to introduce yourselves. Remember—someday, you'll all be comrades on the same battlefield."

Miwa was the first to step up. "Hello, everyone. I'm Miwa Kasumi, a first-year at Kyoto Jujutsu High. Please take care of me."

"Momo Nishimiya, second-year," said the blonde girl.

"Mechamaru, first-year," came the mechanical voice.

"Zen'in Mai, first-year. What? Maki didn't mention me? Tsk, how cold of her." She smiled teasingly.

"Kamo Noritoshi, second-year. I look forward to fighting alongside you."

Hajime raised an eyebrow. Kamo… One of the Big Three Clans.

Then Tokyo introduced their team: Yuta, Maki, Panda, and Inumaki Toge—who spoke in rice ball terms as always. The Kyoto girls looked particularly intrigued by Panda.

Hajime stepped forward next. He hadn't had time to style his hair lately, so he tied it back, which gave him a rugged, untamed look.

"Kamihara Hajime. First-year."

Miwa's face twitched slightly as she tried to stay composed. Another good-looking guy?! But Gojo-sensei still wins... I have to get a photo with him!

Finally, the towering figure stepped up.

"Aoi Todo, second-year."

He paused, scanning them.

"I say... are you all first-years? Huh? Are you... underestimating us?"

---

"Enjoyed the chapters? Good. Now, cough up those Powerstones~ (＾▽＾)"