In philosophy and ethics, there's a well-known thought experiment called the "trolley problem."
The scenario is simple, yet morally complex: you're facing an unstoppable trolley hurtling down the tracks. Ahead, the rails split in two directions—on one track lies a single person, on the other, five.
Do you let the trolley stay its course and kill one, or pull the lever, redirecting it to take the lives of five?
...
As Tengen's chosen compatible vessel—the Star Plasma Vessel—her existence was discovered shortly after birth, and her identity was immediately reported up the chain.
The machine known as Jujutsu Headquarters began to move.
To ensure she could fulfill her role, the Star Plasma Vessel was raised from childhood as someone of great importance.
The Kuroi family, a lineage closely tied to Tengen, was tasked with watching over her for generations.
In addition, the Higher-Ups implemented a series of contingency plans...
Behind the scenes, both Jujutsu High campuses secretly deployed personnel from various departments, forming an elite protection force.
Officially, she was informed by Jujutsu High of her situation—restricted in movement, guarded closely.
Protection—and surveillance.
So from a young age, the Star Plasma Vessel knew her fate.
...
Assimilation was scheduled for the night of the full moon, three days away.
Sōjun Minamoto and the others gathered early in a classroom.
Masamichi Yaga briefed them once more. "Your mission is to ensure the safety of the Star Plasma Vessel. Three days from now, on the full moon, she must be escorted back to Jujutsu High on time and delivered to Tengen-sama."
"If the mission fails, even the non-sorcerer world will be affected. You must not let your guard down!"
Yaga's tone grew grave. He was facing his own trolley dilemma. What was the right choice? He didn't know—no one did. All they could do was move forward, step by step, and leave the outcome to fate.
"Also, during the mission, all of the Star Plasma Vessel's requests must be fulfilled." He added a new order, freshly passed down from the Higher-Ups.
But the classroom had no tension. Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were still busy discussing Tengen's technique.
Sōjun Minamoto hopped down from the desk he'd been sitting on and stretched. It was finally time.
The Jujutsu world had never been a monolith.
There were Jujutsu Sorcerers sworn to protect humanity—and Curse Users who stood in direct opposition.
Where there's light, there's shadow. That's the only way to define justice and evil.
Those who indulged their desires or took pleasure in killing—especially those who slaughtered non-sorcerers en masse—were branded Curse Users by institutions like Jujutsu High.
Only the strong have the right to define justice.
Which is why most Curse Users, even those who banded together into organized groups, were little more than mobs—nothing against the overwhelming power of the Higher-Ups.
Historically, Curse User factions were short-lived. But like a persistent rash, as soon as one group was wiped out, another would rise. They were never truly gone.
...
With the Star Plasma Vessel's identity now exposed, there were two primary threats—both with the goal of killing her and preventing the assimilation.
The first: the Curse User organization Q, which sought to throw the Jujutsu world into chaos by allowing Tengen to spiral out of control.
The second: the cult that worshiped Tengen—the Star Religious Group, officially known as [The Vessel of Time Society]. They revered the pure essence of Tengen and rejected the idea of the Star Plasma Vessel—an "impurity"—being part of him.
The trio's task: for the next three days, prevent any interference and ensure the assimilation process proceeds uninterrupted.
With three Grade 1 sorcerers, including Six Eyes wielder Satoru Gojo, Jujutsu High had dispatched its absolute strongest—proof of just how seriously they took this mission.
After reading through the case files, the three immediately prepared to set off.
...
On the road...
"To be honest, this is a lot of pressure. But being personally assigned by Tengen-sama..." Suguru Geto's voice carried deep respect.
The other two—clearly less reverent—responded with vague, half-hearted agreements.
"Why the rush? Wouldn't it have been easier to raise the Star Plasma Vessel inside Jujutsu High from the start?" Satoru Gojo muttered, already annoyed.
"Before her identity was revealed, keeping things low-key was smarter. As soon as the leak happened, the mission came down immediately. Can't really fault them for their speed." Sōjun Minamoto, a seasoned bounty sorcerer, was satisfied with Jujutsu High's response time and even gave them a bit of praise.
"Anyway, the Star Religious Group is just a bunch of non-sorcerers. Not worth worrying about. We only need to focus on Q." After analyzing the situation, Suguru Geto concluded the mission wouldn't be too difficult.
These Curse User groups might seem aggressive, but every member's data was logged, their records detailed. No matter how much they stirred things up, the Higher-Ups never batted an eye—unless they crossed the line. Then, they'd be wiped out in an instant.
"Yeah, this should be a breeze. After all, we're the strongest." Satoru Gojo slipped one hand into his pocket, tone casual.
Suguru Geto nodded in agreement. "That's exactly why Tengen-sama picked us."
Sōjun Minamoto took half a step back. He was more humble—he just knew he was strong.
The mission had barely started and those two were already flag-planting like crazy. Sōjun could practically feel the debuffs stacking on him.
"My view's the opposite," Sōjun said, spreading his palms. "With our strength, Q isn't worth worrying about. But the Star Religious Group..."
He paused, eyes dropping to the lines in his palm.
"But what?"
"But they've got money—and they're not shy about spending it." He chuckled. "They've already posted a huge bounty on the dark web for the Star Plasma Vessel's assassination."
He pulled out his phone, logged into a covert site, and handed it to the others.
Both glanced at the screen—right at the top of the hit list was the Star Plasma Vessel.
Sōjun put his phone away. His blood began to stir. His black hair shortened in an instant, now just a notch longer than a buzz cut.
"We're not just fighting two organizations anymore. We're up against every bounty-hunting Curse User out there."
He clenched his fist.
"No one knows who's taken the job—or how many will come for us."
"That's the real challenge of this mission."
Gojo and Geto both grew more alert.
But Sōjun simply waved it off like it didn't matter. "Seriously though, that whole 'fulfill all the Star Plasma Vessel's requests' clause—that's a bit much, don't you think?"
"Ugh, such a pain." He gave the others a sideways look. "Why don't we just grab her and bring her straight to Jujutsu High?"
Sōjun suggested.
Satoru Gojo nodded without thinking—it made sense.
Suguru Geto, however, looked unsure. "Maybe...we should play it by ear?"
Sōjun shrugged. "Whatever works."
Then he added casually, "By the way, the Star Plasma Vessel's only fourteen, right? Still in middle school at Renchoku Girls' Junior High?"
Fourteen. That age of youth, rebellion...and a whole lot of attitude.