Steam drifted through the mountain forest, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
In the midst of the steam, various pools emitted heat, and beside one of the hot spring pools sat a "person." In its hand was an old-fashioned pipe, from which it puffed smoke slowly.
This was Jogo, who had previously been defeated by Gojo Satoru. Now, Jogo seemed noticeably smaller, as though his body had shrunk—whether this was real or an illusion was unclear.
Not far from him sat another cursed spirit, a much more robust one, with a crocodile-like head. Its upper body was covered with black scales, and its back was encased in a shell-like structure, resembling a shield.
Its arms were lined with sharp scales and spikes, making it look like a being one would not want to provoke.
It didn't speak, instead enjoying the moment of quiet.
Jogo puffed on his pipe, his expression indifferent, as though deep in thought, or perhaps disinterested in everything around him.
The pipe, an unusual artifact, wasn't filled with tobacco but with a tiny, whole brain. Every time Jogo inhaled, the pipe and the brain emitted strange, eerie sounds—chilling and peculiar.
After a while, the large cursed spirit spoke.
"Do we have any chance of victory given the current situation?"
Jogo took a puff of the pipe, looked at the cursed spirit, and replied, "Unless you fight Gojo Satoru yourself, you'll never understand the gap in strength. Besides, Croc, you don't even know how to cast a Domain."
"I'm not as monstrous as you. If someone like you got beaten that badly by Gojo, I wouldn't even have the courage to face him. But I'm still confident in my defense. Even you couldn't easily harm me," replied the cursed spirit known as Croc. It seemed to be quite familiar with Jogo, speaking without fear of angering him.
Jogo merely snorted in disdain, unwilling to continue the conversation with the "old turtle." He tossed aside his pipe and turned his gaze toward a fog-filled area.
"There you are! I found you, Jogo!"
From the depths of the fog, Mahito came running excitedly, pulling off his clothes as he ran.
Behind him, Suguru Geto and Hanami strolled leisurely, as if they were on a pleasant walk.
Mahito jumped into the air, his naked body catching the sunlight before he plunged into the hot spring, causing a splash of water.
Jogo blinked in surprise, then quickly regained his usual indifferent expression. It seemed the days of tranquility had come to an end.
Mahito emerged from the water, his head bobbing above the surface. He grinned at Jogo, saying, "Looks like you've recovered quite a bit."
Jogo didn't deny it. "I suppose. It's comfortable here, and humans don't come by."
Mahito swam around the pool for a while before speaking wistfully, "Not having a physical body isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the recovery process is slow."
Jogo turned his single eye toward Mahito, studying him for a moment. He noticed something different about Mahito. "Mahito, have you gained something?"
"Oh?" Mahito, floating face-up in the water, smiled. "Looks like you noticed. Yes, after my encounter with Hayashi, I've been working hard to improve. Although it's not what I wanted at first, if I want to deal with him, I can't afford to slack off."
"That brat... I'll kill him eventually," Jogo snorted, clearly unimpressed by Hayashi.
Geto, who had been sitting on a large rock nearby, chimed in, "Rather than Itadori Yuji, we need to prioritize dealing with Hayashi."
At this, all the others turned to look at Geto. Jogo asked curiously, "What's so special about that kid? Did you notice something, Geto?"
To Jogo, Hayashi was just a first-year student at Jujutsu High. Even if there was something unusual about him, it didn't seem like enough to warrant this level of attention. But now Geto was suggesting that Hayashi should be dealt with before Itadori Yuji, which was surprising.
Geto's face carried its usual smile. "Hayashi is far more troublesome than Itadori Yuji. First, there's his teleportation ability. I don't know its exact range yet, but he can escape before we even activate our Domain. Unless you can activate your Domain half a second faster than him."
"This teleportation ability is different from Gojo Satoru's, but it's much more annoying. He could be targeting you before you even realize it, and even if he doesn't kill you in one strike, he can use other methods afterward."
"Seems like you're quite interested in Hayashi too, Geto. Although there aren't many of us here, we could hold a small meeting about him," Mahito said cheerfully, clapping his hands in the water. "Go ahead and lead, Geto. We'll be the participants. Tell us everything you know."
Hanami, meanwhile, found a rock to sit on. With its thick fur, it didn't like this hot environment but tolerated it for the sake of the meeting. After all, it had its own grudges against Hayashi. The kid was too arrogant. If they could figure out a way to deal with him, that would be ideal.
However, spirits like them couldn't roam freely in the human world without being targeted. Until they were sure they could kill him, it was better to stay hidden and gather strength in the shadows.
"Mahito, you're still too playful. Very well, I'll act as the speaker for this meeting," Geto said, casting a peculiar glance at Mahito. There was always an inexplicable emotion in Geto's eyes when he looked at Mahito and the other cursed spirits—something he hid well, so none of them knew what he was truly thinking.
The only one Geto found genuinely threatening among the cursed spirits was Brain, who had joined them recently. Brain was the one cursed spirit Geto preferred to keep his distance from.
Mahito, oblivious to Geto's inner thoughts, seemed content and continued to trust Geto, though it wasn't clear if that trust was absolute. Either way, Mahito never showed doubt on his face.
Seeing that Geto was about to begin, everyone paid close attention.
"Let's get started then. Hayashi, a first-year student at Jujutsu High, may seem unremarkable on the surface, but he's actually quite unique. His cursed energy is highly unusual, unlike anything I've seen, not even in Gojo Satoru."
"I've gathered quite a bit of information on him. His cursed energy forms a type of armor that can block cursed techniques and isolate danger. Mahito, this is important for you—your 'Idle Transfiguration' might not work on him unless you can penetrate the armor's cursed energy. Then there's his teleportation, which makes him incredibly agile, both offensively and defensively. No one is more mobile than Hayashi, except for Gojo Satoru."
"You've got to be kidding. That's not enough to pose a real threat to us. He's still not on our level," Jogo interjected, thinking that Geto's concerns were overblown. "That armor of his might be tough, but against my lava, it would melt in no time. As for his teleportation, my speed isn't a joke either. As long as I can see him, I can track his cursed energy and stop him from running."
Jogo was clearly unimpressed, recalling the last encounter in Tokyo, where they had held back because of the public setting. But he believed that in a real fight, Hayashi's teleportation wouldn't be enough to escape him.