The wooden tag from Yaga-sensei was still in my hand.
The corridor leading toward the archive stairs was quiet — too quiet even for Jujutsu High. Dust floated through narrow beams of afternoon light cutting through the tall windows.
I had just reached the stone staircase that led down to the sealed library levels when my phone vibrated.
My phone vibrated just as I stepped onto the stone staircase.
I glanced at the screen.
Nami.
I answered and lifted the phone to my ear.
"Yeah?"
Wind rushed through the speaker for a moment.
Then his voice came through.
"Dia."
"You're calling during work hours," I said, leaning against the railing. "Should I be worried?"
"I'm working," he replied flatly.
"That didn't answer the question."
A small pause.
"I'm in Sendai right now," he said. "A routine inspection turned into something else."
"That sounds like every mission ever."
"That observation is correct."
I waited.
Nanami rarely called unless he needed something.
"So?" I said. "What do you want?"
Another short pause.
Then—
"Another one of Sukuna's fingers has been located."
I straightened a little.
"…And?"
"Yuji Itadori will consume it today."
I rubbed my temple.
"Already?"
"Yes."
"And Gojo?"
"He was supposed to be present," Nanami said.
"'Supposed to be' never sounds good when you say it."
"He has been redirected to another mission."
Of course he had.
"So you want me to watch the situation," I said.
"Yes."
I glanced down at the wooden access tag still in my hand.
"You have incredible timing," I muttered. "I just got access to the Jujutsu archives."
Nanami was quiet for a second.
"You received archive clearance?"
"Limited access."
"…Impressive."
"But the archives can wait," he said calmly. "This cannot."
I sighed.
"Where is he?"
"Training Grounds B."
"Alright," I said. "I'll come."
A pause.
Then Nanami added dryly,
"And Dia."
"Yes?"
"Try not to start a fight with Sukuna."
"No promises."
"That does not inspire confidence."
The call ended.
I reached Training Ground B just as the sun was starting to drop behind the cedar trees.
The place always felt different in the evening.
Quieter.
Gravel crunched under my heels as I stepped past the wooden gate.
Two figures were already there.
One standing.
One pacing.
I recognized the pacing immediately.
Yuji Itadori.
He looked like a dog waiting for someone to throw a ball. Hands behind his head, stretching, then bouncing on his heels like he couldn't decide whether this was training or a field trip.
A few metres away stood Kento Nanami.
He noticed me first.
His eyes moved toward the gate before I even stepped fully inside.
"You're late," he said flatly.
"I'm three minutes early."
"That still counts as late."
I didn't bother arguing. With Nanami, that conversation never ends.
Yuji finally noticed me and turned.
His face immediately lit up.
"Oh—HEY!"
He jogged over like we were old friends meeting at a convenience store instead of a cursed object consumption site.
"You!" he said, pointing at me like he'd just solved a mystery.
"You're the warehouse person!"
Warehouse person.
That was a new title.
"I have a name," I said.
"Yeah, I figured," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nanami just never told me."
Nanami didn't react. Which meant he definitely heard that.
Yuji stuck out his hand with the enthusiasm of someone greeting a new classmate.
"I'm Yuji Itadori."
"I know."
"Oh."
He blinked.
"…Right. That makes sense."
I shook his hand anyway.
"Dia."
He repeated it immediately.
"Dia."
His gaze flicked between me and Nanami.
"So… you're the one he called?"
Nanami answered before I could.
"Yes."
Yuji looked impressed.
"That's kinda cool actually."
"It is not," Nanami replied.
Yuji ignored him.
"What do you do, though?" he asked me. "Like, combat? Support? Weird secret technique?"
"Containment," Nanami said.
Yuji looked back at him.
"That sounds ominous."
"It is," Nanami replied.
Yuji grinned anyway.
"Nice."
Then his attention drifted toward the wooden crate sitting near the centre of the field.
The cloth bundle resting on top of it was small.
Too small for the kind of weight it carried.
Even from here I could feel it.
Rotting cursed energy.
Ancient.
Wrong.
One of Ryomen Sukuna's fingers.
Yuji walked over and crouched beside the crate.
"Honestly," he said casually, staring at the wrapped object, "these things look way less scary than they should."
Nanami adjusted his glasses slightly.
"Appearances are deceptive."
"Yeah," Yuji said.
Then he glanced back at me.
"You ever eaten one of these?"
"Can't say I have."
"Lucky," he muttered.
There was no fear in his voice.
Just mild annoyance.
Like someone complaining about bad cafeteria food.
He picked up the bundle and unwrapped it slowly.
The moment the seals peeled away—
The air changed.
It was subtle.
But heavy.
Like the atmosphere had suddenly gotten thicker.
The finger inside looked exactly the way the others did.
Blackened.
Shriveled.
Cursed.
Yuji stared at it for a moment.
Then sighed.
"Man…"
He looked back at us.
"Every time I do this I expect it to taste worse."
Nanami didn't move.
"Take your time, Itadori."
I took a step back.
Watching carefully.
Because if something went wrong—
I would be the one stopping the King of Curses.
And somewhere deep inside Yuji's cursed energy…
Something was already smiling.