Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

The next morning, the individual battles officially began.

The venue was the largest dojo at the school. Teachers from both sides were seated along the perimeter, leaving a wide open area in the center. Once both teams had assembled, Yoshinobu Gakuganji and Yaga Masamichi gave a brief rundown of the rules before announcing the start of the first match.

"First match: Kamihara Hajime versus Miwa Kasumi."

Despite staying up late gaming, Hajime looked energized as he stepped into the arena. Miwa Kasumi took a deep breath to steady her nerves and joined him. They bowed, and the match began.

Both wielded cursed swords. Miwa looked slightly nervous, while Hajime refrained from using his Technique immediately. Instead, he assumed a stance and silently invited her to attack.

Miwa charged with her blade. Hajime parried easily, observing her form. His blade techniques, developed from training with Maki and honed in actual combat, were fluid and versatile.

In contrast, Miwa's style was more rigid—part of a structured school of swordsmanship known as the New Shadow Style, taught by Atsuya Kusakabe, a skilled second-year teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

It was said that Ashiya Sadakata, a powerful jujutsu sorcerer from the Heian era, had created the Simple Domain to protect his disciples. The style had been passed down for centuries, encompassing not only swordsmanship but also ways to enhance cursed tools and energy efficiency.

Hajime exchanged over a dozen blows with Miwa, controlling the pace effortlessly. He quickly noticed her shortcomings: her cursed energy output was too low, her physical strength insufficient, and despite her passable technique, she wouldn't last against a real threat.

But compared to the average sorcerer, she wasn't bad. Hajime understood that Kusakabe had reached Grade 1 without a Technique. If Miwa kept training, she could eventually reach a respectable level.

Still, she wasn't there yet.

After exploiting a gap in her form, Hajime swept her legs, knocking her to the ground. As she got up, he bluntly commented, "Your sword's too slow. No power. No conviction."

Miwa blinked in confusion.

"In simple terms, you lack the will to cut your enemy down. Even if it's a wooden sword and your opponent can't die, once you draw your blade—you need to understand it's a weapon. A lethal one. That mindset changes everything."

"Why are you even in the jujutsu world?" he asked.

Catching her breath, Miwa hesitated before answering truthfully, "I'm poor. I have two younger brothers. I became a jujutsu sorcerer to support them."

Hajime nodded. It made sense. Curses were born from negative emotions. While the jujutsu world was hidden from the public to prevent mass panic, government officials knew it existed. Sorcerers were constantly in short supply, and though the job was dangerous, the compensation was high.

Higher-ranked sorcerers earned more—naturally, some people joined for the money. Hajime didn't judge her, but her motivation had a flaw.

"You don't have a reason to get stronger," Hajime said, raising his blade. "You're thinking about income, not survival. What if you run into a Curse beyond your strength? You'll just die."

Miwa remained silent, stunned.

"You do have a reason to grow stronger. Whether it's to stay alive or to earn more—either way, that's your fuel. If you want to live, you need the will to kill."

She gazed at her reflection in his blade, momentarily speechless.

"One move," Hajime said. "Show me what you've got."

Miwa took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She slowly sheathed her sword and assumed a drawing stance. Cursed energy gathered in the scabbard, and her senses expanded outward—anything that entered her range would trigger a deadly strike.

New Shadow Style: Simple Domain.

New Shadow Style: Iaijutsu.

Hajime observed curiously. "So that's the Simple Domain? And the Iaijutsu—covering the blade in cursed energy, compressing it, then unleashing it for a rapid draw. Impressive."

He sheathed his own sword, mirroring her stance.

He couldn't mimic the Simple Domain, but he admired how practical it was. No wonder Gojo-sensei's Six Eyes were so valued—just by observing, he could probably replicate these things instantly.

"Let's test this out—without using a Technique," Hajime muttered.

The cursed energy around his sword began to burn like a blue flame. The pressure built.

Clang!

Metal rang as Hajime vanished. In that same moment, Miwa's blade struck automatically, triggered by Hajime entering her domain. The two slashes collided.

Miwa's strike was strong, filled with genuine killing intent. For once, it impressed Hajime.

But instead of clashing, Hajime adjusted mid-motion, slightly deflecting his blade. Their swords grazed past each other.

With a sudden flick, Hajime twisted his cursed tool, throwing off Miwa's balance. Her blade flew from her hand—only for Hajime to catch it in midair and offer it back.

Miwa stared at her empty hand, then bowed deeply. "Thank you."

Yaga Masamichi announced, "First match: Kamihara Hajime wins. Tokyo Jujutsu High gains one point."

Back at his team's side, Hajime ignored the formal kneeling posture and sat cross-legged. Maki watched Miwa return to the Kyoto side and muttered, "So there are normal people over there."

Yaga continued, "Second match: Panda versus Mai."

Mai's Technique was no mystery—especially with Maki around. It was called Construction, which allowed her to materialize objects from nothing. The downside? She could only manage one bullet a day due to the strain.

She typically hid that cursed energy bullet among the six in her revolver to surprise opponents.

But Panda gave her the surprise. Despite his cuddly look, he was a close-quarters powerhouse. And while the dojo gave Mai some range advantages, it also limited her escape options.

Bullets bounced off Panda's reinforced frame. Though they weren't live rounds, Mai couldn't keep him at bay. Once he closed the distance, she was overwhelmed.

Her reversal came when she managed to land her cursed energy bullet directly on Panda's core—a weak point she'd identified through prior observation.

But Panda wasn't just Panda—he had three cores. Entering his gorilla mode, the fight was as good as over.

"Second match: Panda wins. Tokyo Jujutsu High, two points."

"Panda, saikou!"

"Tuna mayo!"

Panda chuckled as his team cheered, while Kyoto's side looked increasingly tense. Momo and Miwa consoled Mai. Kamo spoke quietly, "Just do your best next time. Don't beat yourselves up over it."

"Third match: Inumaki Toge versus Mechamaru."

Mechamaru stepped forward, voice robotic. "I'm up."

Toge entered and greeted him with a polite "Kelp."

At the start signal, Mechamaru fired dozens of small orbs into the ground. Smoke erupted as they shattered, concealing his form.

"Blow away," Toge said, triggering a gust of wind to disperse the smoke.

A flash of red followed—an intense pillar of fire erupting from the haze. Toge barely dodged.

Mechamaru launched a barrage of ranged attacks from various angles, trying to wear Toge down while staying hidden.

Toge preserved his throat, waiting. Eventually, Mechamaru exhausted his tools. With his location exposed, Toge zeroed in.

Knowing he couldn't endure more, Mechamaru surrendered. The puppet was too valuable to risk destruction.

"If the battlefield had been different... maybe," he thought, retreating.

Toge returned to his seat, where Hajime promptly handed him throat medicine.

Tokyo had three points now—the worst they could do was draw. One more win would secure the overall victory.

Maki stood. "Guess it's my turn."

As expected, Yaga announced, "Fourth match: Zen'in Maki versus Momo Nishimiya."

The result was inevitable.

Momo attacked from the air, conjuring wind blades with her broom. Maki, with beastlike reflexes, deflected them all.

Then Maki used the room's walls and pillars to launch herself upward, slamming Momo to the ground.

The scene quickly devolved into what could only be described as a grown woman bullying a child.

"Zen'in Maki wins. Tokyo Jujutsu High gains another point."

"Woohoo!"

Hajime and Panda were ready to cheer but went silent under Maki's glare.

"Next match: Yuta Okkotsu versus Kamo Noritoshi."

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