Time rewinds to about twenty minutes earlier. On the streets inside the first curtain.
"There are this many transfigured humans…"
Yuji had just been sent by Haibara to support his Death Painting brothers, but the scene before him made his eyes tremble. It wasn't because there were too many enemies.
It was because they used to be human.
To save the people now, he had to kill those who once were people. But for someone as kind as him, these monsters were not at fault. They were just innocent victims who had been cursed.
His hands shook, and even while helping civilians and getting beaten by transfigured humans, he still refused to fight back.
"Yuji!"
Streams of blood arrows shot out, wiping out all the transfigured humans around him.
Choso rushed over anxiously and looked him over from head to toe, checking his younger brother who had just been "bullied."
"I'm fine. Thanks, Choso..."
Watching them die in front of him, it was impossible for Yuji to not feel something.
Nanami had once told him that these people were already dead, and if he wanted to save them, the best he could do was give them a quick end.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it. So he was grateful to those who helped him, and to the brothers who always cared about him.
"It's a big brother's duty to walk ahead of his little brother."
A small hint of joy flashed across Choso's face, as if it was only natural.
Whoosh!
Just then, a sound came from the sky, like something burning away into dust.
Everyone turned. The curtain from earlier, the one blocking ordinary people from entering or leaving, had begun to disappear.
"Did Nanami-sensei and the others succeed?"
Yuji looked up and smiled. He believed in them. With them around, things would definitely be resolved.
Next, they just had to finish dealing with everything on the surface, rescue Gojo-sensei, and bring this incident to an end.
'But where are Fushiguro and Kugisaki…'
Yuji looked around. Among the first years, only he and Junpei were nearby helping civilians.
In the following ten minutes, all the transfigured humans on the surface were cleared. The sorcerers from the Jujutsu High then began searching buildings for people hiding inside.
After all, no one knew what was happening below. For ordinary people, this place was still extremely dangerous.
"Help!"
A cry suddenly rang out.
Turning toward the sound, Yuji discovered several people running out of a subway entrance in panic.
"What happened?!"
His heart tightened as he quickly ran toward them.
"Down there... there are still many people! Please go save them! They got trapped while hiding!"
When they saw him, their eyes lit up.
A memory surfaced in their minds.
* * *
A little while ago, on the fifth basement level, Kenjaku sat calmly in front of the Spirit-Sheltering Cage.
There was no need to avoid it. If Satoru could break out quickly, then staying anywhere in Shibuya meant there was no escape. But if Satoru couldn't get out, then there was nothing to fear.
The only question was how long Kyoto could hold things off. Kenjaku never expected them to stall for long.
All he needed was these few hours.
"Such terrifying cursed energy... So Suguru Geto has come as well. And Toji Fushiguro..." he muttered to himself.
The outermost barrier had a function that allowed him to detect any cursed energy source above a certain level, and that level was based on Jogo. In other words, if the barrier sent a signal, it meant a special grade sorcerer had personally entered the battlefield.
Mukuro and Satoru had only just been sealed. If another special grade showed up so soon, there was only one likely candidate.
And some of the weaker non-combatants on the outside had already reported the possible appearance of Toji Fushiguro.
For some reason, Kenjaku felt like no matter how he planned things, someone was always one step ahead of him.
But that didn't matter.
He let out a quiet laugh.
All he needed to do was grasp human nature.
"Some of you have a chance to survive. It just depends on whether you want it."
He looked at the group of people he had kept for his use, raised a finger, and smiled kindly.
"Me! Me!"
The moment he said that, everyone shouted desperately, afraid that if they were too quiet, they would lose their chance to live.
"You, you, you…"
Without any pattern, Kenjaku pointed and selected more than twenty people.
"Remember this person. Go ask him to save you. If you can bring him down here, I'll let everyone here go."
He took out a photo.
On it was Yuji's slightly silly-looking face.
Kenjaku had already confirmed through nearby lackeys that Yuji was currently above ground, helping civilians. That worked perfectly for him.
As long as Yuji wasn't with those two monsters, the plan would be much easier to carry out.
"Really?!"
The group froze for a moment, then burst into joy. They didn't know what Kenjaku was planning, but since he said "ask for help," it meant they were supposed to find someone on the good side.
That meant they could escape and seek protection outside. If they could really get out like that, only a fool would come back.
"Oh, right. To make sure you don't run away after leaving my sight, I've left a small insurance on all of you."
Noticing the barely hidden excitement on their faces, Kenjaku kindly added.
"Insurance? What insurance..."
His sudden words made those secretly celebrating become alert.
"It's very simple. Like this."
Kenjaku raised his stitched arm. Chaotic cursed energy flowed over it.
"Idle Transfiguration."
Among the crowd, one person suddenly began to convulse without warning.
The next moment, his body swelled violently. Right before everyone's eyes, he transformed into a horrifying transfigured human and lunged at those nearby.
"A monster!"
These people had seen such things before. They were the survivors who had not been transformed.
Splatter!
Just as panic spread, Kenjaku made his move and killed it effortlessly. Blood splashed onto the people around him, even onto their faces.
Fear spread instantly.
"Don't worry. As long as you follow my instructions, I won't turn you into that."
He showed his "kindness" at just the right time, and they had no choice but to believe him.
"You have about fifteen minutes. I'll remove the barrier. I'm sure you can come up with a reason to bring him down to meet me."
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't use such a method. But this was Yuji Itadori.
Even if he knew it was a trap, in Kenjaku's eyes, someone that kind, almost foolishly so, would throw himself into it without hesitation.
With a snap of his fingers, the selected people started running toward the stairs.
The fifteen-minute countdown began.
* * *
The memory ends.
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