Ultimate Man [JJK X SOL]: Loading Golden Entries at The Start

"Tsk."

Mei Mei sat with her arms crossed, her head lowered, saying nothing. Though she was perfectly still, her irritation was clear.

The truth was, she was frustrated—not with the meeting itself, but because it had been days since she'd last had a chance to "run into" Ryuji.

Ever since they'd met, Mei Mei had been wondering when she'd see him again, picturing different scenarios and what kind of "coincidental" encounter they might have.

But she wasn't about to be the one to call and set up a meeting, that would be far too direct. She was still a beautiful woman with her pride intact. She couldn't look too eager, after all.

So, she'd come up with a plan.

Since Ryuji was frequently out hunting special-grade cursed spirits, Mei Mei had thought she could figure out where he might be and "happen" to arrive first, creating a perfect accidental meeting.

It was flawless.

But sometimes fate was a tricky thing. Before, she'd run into him by chance without even trying. But now, every time she set up the perfect opportunity to encounter him, something would come up, and she'd miss him by just a hair.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. How did I miss him again?

Her plan was foolproof, so why did it keep failing?

To top it off, there was a sting of annoyance in her chest. Mei Mei was used to men pursuing her, not the other way around. Why hadn't Ryuji taken the initiative to seek her out?

It was irritating. And it made her want him even more.

"Yo!"

A cheerful voice broke her train of thought.

Gojo strolled into the conference room, wearing his usual casual grin, not looking worried in the slightest. His laid-back arrival immediately silenced the room.

Everyone's conversations stopped in an instant. Gojo's presence commanded attention. That was the respect and fear the strongest sorcerer of modern times inspired.

"It's rare to see so many sorcerers gathered like this!" Gojo said with a smirk, greeting some of the attendees, many of whom he'd probably fought at some point in the past.

"Alright, enough of that, Gojo. Let's get started," came the voice of Principal Yaga from behind him, interrupting his chatter.

Gojo sighed, rolling his eyes but obediently finding a seat.

Yaga looked around the room, addressing everyone with a serious expression. "Alright, everyone. I'm sure you're all aware of the recent surge in cursed spirits. And I'm sure you've also heard that the existence of curses can no longer be hidden from the public. People are starting to talk about curses and sorcerers openly. This is a situation unlike anything we've ever faced."

The room was silent. Everyone knew that was why they'd been called here, but hearing it out loud still made the situation feel more urgent.

"Okay, okay, enough with the build-up," Gojo interrupted, waving his hand impatiently. "What's the plan?"

Yaga shot him an annoyed look but continued, "The higher-ups have decided on a solution: live broadcasts."

A few murmurs broke out in the room. Live broadcasts?

Yaga explained, "The plan is to broadcast our battles with cursed spirits to the public. The goal is to use the strength of our sorcerers to reassure ordinary people, to show them that curses are not unbeatable, that we're here to protect them."

For the sorcerers, who had always worked behind the scenes, this was a big shift. Some looked uncomfortable, while others seemed intrigued. They all understood the reasoning, though. It was a bold solution, and for now, it was the best option they had.

"Well, would you look at that," Gojo said with a smirk. "Didn't think those crusty old higher-ups had it in them to come up with something like this. I thought they just sat around all day counting their money and bossing people around."

Some of the other sorcerers might have wanted to laugh, but no one dared to join in. Only Gojo could get away with mocking the higher-ups so openly. The others simply kept their eyes down, pretending they hadn't heard him.

"Gojo." Yaga shot him a warning look. "Let's keep this professional."

But then he added, "This plan wasn't devised by the higher-ups. It was Lord Tengen's idea."

At that, Gojo burst out laughing. "Of course it was! Hahahaha!"

Anyone could tell there was a bitter edge to his laughter.

Even as the world was on the verge of being overrun by cursed spirits, the higher-ups had done nothing to adapt. Instead of leading, they were still protecting their own interests. It was Tengen, the one who rarely involved himself with the affairs of others, who had come up with the plan.

Gojo's laughter faded, and his expression turned dangerous. "Rotten to the core," he muttered. "If it weren't for the fact that no one's ready to take their place, I'd have wiped them out by now."

Despite his power, Gojo knew managing the world of sorcery was an entirely different skill from fighting. The old guard may have been corrupt, but they controlled a network of influence and authority that couldn't simply be replaced overnight.

Yaga saw Gojo's darkening mood and sighed. "Alright, enough of that. Since everyone agrees on the plan, we need to start preparing. Soon, we'll be stepping out of the shadows and into the public eye. Get ready."

The sorcerers in the room murmured in agreement, some looking uneasy at the thought of fighting in front of an audience. After a few moments, many of them began to file out, leaving just a handful behind, mostly from Jujutsu High and Kyoto High.

"Gojo." Yaga looked at him, his tone firm. "You'll be the first to go on camera. We need a strong debut, so you'll be facing a special-grade curse. Make it count."

Even Principal Gakuganji from Kyoto High, who often clashed with Gojo, didn't object. Everyone knew that Gojo's power was unmatched. If anyone could make an impact, it was him.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Gojo grinned, his tone more serious than his words suggested. "I'll make it a spectacle."

It would be a perfect opportunity to showcase the strength of sorcerers and show the world that there was nothing to fear.

"Oh, by the way," Gojo said, as if suddenly remembering something. "As far as special-grades go, we've got me, but then there's another one, right?"

The room went quiet, with several people glancing around in confusion.

Gakuganji raised an eyebrow. "Another special-grade sorcerer? What are you talking about?"

Gojo grinned. "I'm talking about Ryuji."

At that name, recognition sparked in the eyes of the Kyoto students, especially Miwa and Momo. Ryuji had saved them once, and his presence had left a strong impression.

"Ah, Ryuji," Gakuganji said, nodding slowly. "Yes, I've heard rumors. They say you even consider him a genius, Gojo."

"It's not just rumors." Nanami, who had been silent up until now, spoke up. "I saw him in action recently. Ryuji opened his domain and defeated a top-tier special-grade cursed spirit, one that had opened its own domain as well."

The room went quiet at that. Sorcerers exchanged looks of astonishment. Opening a domain was a rare skill, even among special-grade sorcerers.

"You're serious?" Gakuganji asked, clearly shocked. He had known Ryuji was talented, but this was on a different level.

Nanami nodded. "He handled it with ease. The cursed spirit didn't stand a chance. Ryuji's power is very real."

Gojo smirked. "Told you, didn't I? He's the real deal."

"Speaking of which," Nanami added with a slight smile, "his domain was the most beautiful I've ever seen. Sunshine, ocean, beach… it looked like a perfect vacation spot. It was almost surreal."

The others looked at him in surprise. A beach domain?

Mei Mei's eyes narrowed slightly. She had seen Ryuji's domain before, and it hadn't been anything like what Nanami was describing. When she had witnessed it, it had been dark and dangerous, a blood-red space filled with a sense of foreboding.

Something wasn't adding up.

"What's wrong, Mei Mei?" Nanami asked, noticing her expression.

She hesitated, then decided to speak up. "Are you sure? When I saw Ryuji's domain, it was… different. Dark red, almost oppressive. It felt dangerous, not beautiful."

Nanami's eyebrows knit together. "Sunshine and ocean aren't exactly dark and oppressive, are they?"

"Exactly," Mei Mei replied, still puzzled. She wasn't the type to misunderstand something like that.

A few others began to murmur, realizing the implications. If Ryuji's domain could appear so drastically different depending on the viewer, that suggested he had an unusual level of control over it, or maybe even multiple domains.

Principal Yaga's gaze sharpened. "Mei Mei, can you describe exactly what you saw?"

Mei Mei hesitated, wondering if this was crossing some line of Ryuji's privacy. But then she recalled that Ryuji had never tried to hide his strength. He had faced down curses openly and had never asked her to conceal his strength, so she stopped hesitating.

***

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