"So he killed a thousand priests at once who went to subjugate him?"
Walking down the bustling streets, the pink-haired boy repeated the words he had just heard, his tone filled with disbelief. Neon lights reflected off the wet pavement, people moved past them in clusters, and the city of Roppongi buzzed with its usual restless energy.
"Damn. Sukuna really was strong."
"Oh yeah, he was."
Walking casually beside him, hands tucked into his pockets and a blindfold covering his eyes, Gojo Satoru answered with an almost cheerful tone. Despite the cloth obscuring his vision, he navigated the crowd effortlessly, leading the group through the lively streets as if he could see everything perfectly.
"He was said to be the strongest curse ever born."
"Coming from you, he must really be something."
Itadori Yuji spoke while stuffing the last bite of a cream puff into his mouth, crumbs clinging to his fingers as he chewed. He glanced sideways at Gojo, curiosity burning in his eyes.
"Anyway, answer us honestly," Yuji continued after swallowing. "If you both ever fight… who would truly win?"
Gojo hummed thoughtfully, tilting his head slightly as if genuinely considering the question.
"It would be difficult to say," he replied lightly. "Things would get tricky if Sukuna regains his full power."
Yuji stopped walking for a moment, staring at him.
"But would you lose?"
"Nah. I'd win."
"Chapter 236, bitch."
The words came out suddenly, casually, and completely out of place.
Gojo stopped in his tracks.
The lively street noise seemed to dip for just a second as he turned around, facing the source of the comment. His blindfolded gaze locked onto Amakawa Haruto, who was walking behind the group with his phone held up, eyes glued to the screen. A martial arts tutorial played silently, his fingers scrolling with idle interest.
"What was that?"
Haruto blinked, then looked up slowly, as if he had only just realized he'd spoken out loud. He shut off his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
"Oh, nothing," he replied evenly. "Just a meme going viral."
"What meme?" Nobara asked, taking a bite of her ice cream as she glanced back at him.
Haruto shrugged.
"Oh, it's about some overconfident dude getting cut in half after talking shit about his opponent."
He let out a small laugh. "Kinda funny, not gonna lie."
The group stopped walking as they reached their destination. The lively glow of Roppongi faded behind them, replaced by an abandoned building standing quietly at the corner of the street. The shopping mall looked old and decayed, its windows dark and lifeless. Just beside it lay a cemetery, rows of gravestones stretching into the shadows, creating an unsettling contrast with the city behind them.
"This place again?"
Megumi muttered the words under his breath, irritation clear in his voice. Nobara and Yuji exchanged looks, memories of their last visit flashing across their faces.
"What's wrong?"
Haruto asked, glancing between them, genuinely confused. Megumi let out a tired sigh.
"Does Jujutsu High welcome all new students through this building?" Nobara complained, gesturing toward the mall. "This is the same place Yuji and I fought curses a few days ago."
"Yup!"
Gojo clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "And now it's the newcomer's turn to shine and bully some weak spirits. Go, Haruto!"
With a firm pat on his back, Gojo shoved Haruto forward, pointing toward the entrance of the abandoned mall.
Haruto stumbled a step, then turned around sharply.
"The hell?" he snapped. "Are you crazy, dude?"
"You want me. Me. To go inside and fight curses?"
"Yes, yes," Gojo replied casually, nodding.
Haruto stared at him, jaw slowly dropping.
From everyone else's perspective, Haruto was someone who had lost all his memories. He had spent an entire week in the hospital after a roof collapsed on him, leaving him injured, confused, and seemingly powerless. To them, he barely had any ability to fight curses at all.
And yet, here Gojo was, sending him alone into a building filled with them.
Test him?
Or was this just madness?
"It'll be a fun experience," Gojo said cheerfully. "Here, take this."
He tossed a long object toward Haruto.
Haruto caught it instinctively and looked down, eyes widening slightly. In his hands was a Chinese dao, still sheathed, its presence heavy and cold.
"It's a cursed tool," Gojo explained. "It'll be of great use to you."
Cursed tools were weapons and support items used by jujutsu sorcerers, purposefully imbued with curses. They allowed even non-sorcerers to exorcise cursed spirits.
Haruto stared at the sword blankly, then slowly lifted his head to look at Gojo, who waved at him like a proud teacher sending off a student.
For a brief, dangerous moment, Haruto felt an intense urge to use the blade on the blindfolded man.
"Tell me this is a joke," Haruto said through clenched teeth.
"Nah," Gojo replied, shaking his head. "This isn't a joke. Don't be a bitch now, Haruto. Those are all weaklings in there. You can handle them by yourself."
Haruto looked toward the others.
Yuji avoided his gaze. Nobara focused intensely on her ice cream. Megumi looked away, expression unreadable.
"You traitors…"
Haruto muttered under his breath before sighing deeply. With no other choice, he turned around and stepped toward the entrance of the abandoned shopping mall.
"Those fucking traitors," he grumbled as he crossed the threshold.
Inside, the air was stale and heavy. Dust hung thick, and the silence pressed down unnaturally. Haruto scanned his surroundings carefully, every sense alert.
"At least you're with me… Great Sage."
…
The response was silent, but the faint confirmation of her presence echoed in his mind.
Kchng.
Haruto drew the dao from its sheath, the sound ringing softly through the empty hall. He ran his fingers along the blade.
Cold.
The chill of the metal seeped into his skin, sending a strange thrill through him. This was the first time in his life he had ever held a weapon. The weight felt natural in his hands, almost familiar.
As he tightened his grip around the hilt, an unexpected confidence surged through his heart. His eyes lifted toward the stairway leading deeper into the building.
"Let's do this."
***
Outside, Yuji stood near a window, peering toward the entrance with visible worry.
"Sigh… I feel bad doing this to Amakawa," he muttered.
"Don't exaggerate," Nobara replied dismissively. "We're all jujutsu sorcerers. Facing curses is what we do."
"But—"
"Nobara's right, Yuji," Megumi interrupted. "Today or tomorrow, he needs to face curses. It's better that he does it now."
He glanced toward Gojo, who was animatedly munching on cream puffs, completely unconcerned.
"Nothing will happen to Haruto," Megumi said. "Not with him here."
Yuji hesitated, then nodded. If Gojo was present, then Haruto would be fine.
"Munch… consider this a test, everyone," Gojo muttered between bites. "A test to see if Haruto is really ready for the jujutsu world."
His smile widened slightly beneath the blindfold.
'And to see if he is truly the monster I thought him to be.'