"Itadori."
"Itadori!"
"Yuji!"
The anxious voices ringing in his ears gradually became clear.
Yuji Itadori slowly opened his exhausted eyes. Familiar faces filled his vision—Nobara, Panda, Inumaki… and Choso, whose expression was the most worried of all.
Yuji tried to speak, but memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
Gojo-sensei being sealed… the humans he slaughtered in Shibuya…
And the death of his brother, Aoi Todo.
Scene after scene of heart-wrenching memories surged forth. Yuji's pupils dimmed, and he remained silent for a long time.
Beside him, Fushiguro—who understood Yuji's state of mind better than anyone—spoke in a low voice:
"There's no time to grieve…"
"Saving Gojo-sensei is the top priority."
The Prison Realm not being in Zen'in Mirai's hands was already a small stroke of luck amid disaster.
If they were only dealing with the fake Geto Suguru, Jujutsu High still had a chance.
Swish—
The flap of the hastily constructed medical tent opened as Shoko Ieiri and Masamichi Yaga walked in.
"So, you're awake."
"The speed at which your body recovers… it's honestly surprising."
Seeing Yuji conscious, a flicker of surprise crossed Shoko's tired eyes.
She pulled off her medical gloves and collapsed into a chair.
After using Reverse Cursed Technique nonstop for an entire day, she had only now exhausted her cursed energy and found a brief moment to rest.
Yuji sat up on the bed, looking weak as he asked,
"Where… is this?"
Lighting a cigarette, Shoko replied calmly,
"Outside the Shibuya barrier. A temporary base set up by Jujutsu High."
"When Tsukumo brought you back, you were already unconscious."
"With injuries that severe, the fact you were only out for five hours… is unbelievable."
Watching Yuji stand and move, Shoko showed surprise for the second time.
She had personally treated his injuries.
When he was first pulled out of Shibuya, his body had dozens of wounds—each one potentially fatal.
An ordinary person—or even an average sorcerer—wouldn't have survived long enough to receive treatment.
Shoko's gaze lingered on the faint scar on Yuji's face.
Even his physical wounds… were healing on their own.
Inside the tent, aside from those who had been seriously injured in Shibuya—
Tsukumo had already taken Kusakabe, Nishimiya Momo, and the others to exorcise the thousands of curses still scattered throughout the area.
Those were the curses the brain-possessing sorcerer had summoned before leaving.
Only after confirming Zen'in Mirai had left Shibuya did the auxiliary managers stationed outside the barrier decide not to evacuate the base.
After Yuji woke up, Choso explained the blood bond between them.
He also told them about the mysterious sorcerer controlling Geto Suguru's body—and the crimes he had committed in the past.
Half an hour later—
Tsukumo returned to the base with a group of Jujutsu High sorcerers.
During Yuji's unconsciousness, all the curses in Shibuya had been exorcised.
"Tsukumo, what's your plan?"
Sitting at the head seat, Yaga asked in a low voice.
Yuki Tsukumo only held the title of special grade at Jujutsu High.
For years, she had ignored the orders of the higher-ups.
Yaga couldn't quite grasp her intentions.
But without her help, the chances of unsealing Gojo were extremely low.
Yuki glanced at him and replied,
"I need to go to the Tombs of the Star Corridor first."
"Only after meeting Tengen can I decide what to do next."
She didn't explicitly say she would help Jujutsu High.
Even her involvement in clearing Shibuya's curses was only because she needed Yaga's assistance.
To enter the Tombs, she required Yaga, the principal, to guide her.
"Alright. Understood."
Yaga nodded without surprise—this had been their agreement beforehand.
"Wait."
Kamo Noritoshi, who had been standing behind Yuki, stepped forward.
After glancing at Miwa, Momo, and their teacher Utahime, his gaze settled on Yaga.
"I want to withdraw."
"Whether it's rescuing Gojo Satoru… or dealing with Zen'in Mirai."
"I'm out."
"H-hey, wait!"
Yuji, who had been listening, stepped forward in disbelief.
"What… are you all talking about?!"
"Wasn't Todo your classmate? Your friend?!"
"Didn't your clan get destroyed because of that person too?!"
He spoke emotionally, then turned toward Yuki.
"And you—wasn't Todo your student?!"
"You all know who the enemy is, and yet you don't even want to avenge him?!"
"How can you all stay so calm?!"
"Todo… died right in front of you!"
At this, Kamo's eyes turned cold.
"Mourning the dead has no meaning."
"Todo was my comrade—but he was also a jujutsu sorcerer."
"I believe that before entering the Shibuya barrier, he had already resolved himself to die at any moment."
"I'm sad about his death. I grieve for my destroyed clan."
"I hate Zen'in Mirai from the bottom of my heart."
"But that doesn't mean I should go and throw my life away."
The people he cherished were disappearing one by one.
All Kamo wanted now… was to take the last person he cared about and leave Japan.
To leave this cursed place with his mother.
"And besides, Yuji Itadori—what right do you have to question me?"
Kamo stared directly into Yuji's eyes.
"Do you know who killed the most civilians in Shibuya?"
"Wasn't it you?"
"Wasn't it because of your fear of death… that Sukuna had the chance to carry out that massacre?"
Kamo let out all the frustration he had been bottling up.
His accusations came one after another.
"Instead of worrying whether we're grieving for Todo—"
"You should be thinking about how to face the ordinary people who died because of you."
"If the government hadn't stepped in and labeled everything in Shibuya as a natural disaster…"
"The families of those you killed…"
"The person they'd want to kill most wouldn't be Zen'in Mirai—"
"It would be you!"
Five hours had passed since the Shibuya Incident ended.
The authorities had already released photos of the devastation.
To conceal the existence of curses and sorcerers, the disaster had been declared a meteor strike.
Kamo had never liked Yuji.
A vessel of Sukuna's fingers—a half-curse.
That had been Kyoto's label for him before the exchange event.
Sukuna's presence inside Yuji had always been a factor in this tragedy.
Utahime stepped forward.
"That's enough, Kamo."
Yaga glanced at the shaken Yuji, then said,
"Running away isn't shameful—especially when the enemy is that dangerous."
"Jujutsu High isn't heartless. I approve your request."
Kamo nodded and turned to leave.
As he passed by Yuji, he added one final remark:
"If the higher-ups hadn't all been wiped out…"
"If Principal Yaga and Tsukumo weren't protecting you…"
"Do you think you'd still be alive right now?"
"You're not the only one at Jujutsu High who resents you."
During the time Yuji was unconscious, two major events had occurred.
First—the entire leadership of Jujutsu High had been killed, confirmed to be the work of a curse called White Zetsu.
That was why Kamo's withdrawal only required approval from Yaga and Principal Gakuganji.
Second—
Five members of the Japanese cabinet, including the Prime Minister—
had all gone missing.
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