"Purging the General Headquarters right now would be the height of stupidity."
Yoru looked at the ominous barrier shroud in the distance, his voice steady with absolute logic.
The morning wind ruffled his blood-stained clothes, but it couldn't disperse the abyssal coldness in his eyes.
"While the higher-ups are corrupt, they control the vast majority of Japan's barrier networks and assistant supervisor resources."
"If we slaughter them all now, the entire Jujutsu world's command system will collapse instantly."
"When that happens, there will be no one to evacuate civilians or suppress the low-level cursed spirits that thrive in the chaos."
Yoru turned to face Suguru Geto and the agitated crowd.
"That old fox Kenjaku is practically begging us to tear each other apart so his Culling Game can harvest lives without resistance."
"We cannot let him have his way."
After hearing Yoru's analysis, the group's fury gradually cooled.
Maki bit her lip, slamming the butt of her polearm into the ground.
"So we just stand by and watch them smear Gojo-sensei and the Principal? Watch while Yuji is treated like a fugitive?"
"Of course not."
The corner of Yoru's mouth curled into a cold arc.
"Open conflict will only drain our strength. Therefore, we go underground."
Yoru quickly began assigning tasks, demonstrating his absolute authority as the group's backbone.
"Maki, Panda. You two head out immediately to intercept Principal Yaga. Since the higher-ups have issued a death sentence, they'll definitely send assassins. Protect him and find a safe place to hide."
"Understood!" Maki and Panda didn't hesitate for a second and turned to leave.
"Nanamin, Nobara, you need rest to recover from your injuries. Shoko, I'm counting on you to stabilize them with your Reverse Cursed Technique. In the meantime, don't trust any orders coming from Headquarters."
Shoko Ieiri nodded, stubbing out her half-burned cigarette.
"Leave it to me."
Finally, Yoru looked at Yuji Itadori.
"As for you, Yuji."
Yoru walked up to Yuji and patted his shoulder.
"From now on, you're a dead man."
Yuji froze, looking at Yoru with a dazed expression.
"Since the high command designated Yuta Okkotsu to carry out your execution, that actually becomes the key to breaking this deadlock."
Suguru Geto's brow twitched at the mention of Yuta Okkotsu.
'Yuta... would that boy really follow their orders to kill Yuji?'
"Of course not."
Yoru chuckled.
As a transmigrator, he knew exactly where Yuta Okkotsu stood.
The young man Suguru had dubbed the 'God of Pure Love' during the Night Parade was one of Satoru Gojo's most trusted students.
"Before the incident, Yuta had already received secret instructions from Satoru."
Yoru revealed this shocking piece of intelligence to the group.
"He only accepted the commission from the higher-ups so he could return to Japan officially. By becoming your executioner in name, he can deceive the General Headquarters' prying eyes."
"So, we're going to help him put on a show."
A calculating light shone in Yoru's eyes.
"A grand performance worthy of a Best Actor to pull the wool over their eyes."
Hearing this, Yuji finally understood Yoru's intent. He nodded firmly, clenching his fists.
"I get it. What do I need to do?"
"Follow us and leave this place. Then, wait for Yuta's hunt."
Yoru turned to Suguru Geto.
"Suguru, for the next while, we might have to live like rats in hiding."
Suguru shrugged nonchalantly, his cursed spirits slowly dissipating behind him.
"As long as it ruins Kenjaku's plans, I don't care if I'm a rat. Besides, this is just preparation for the real counterattack."
Just as everyone was preparing to evacuate the medical point, an assistant supervisor ran up, drenched in sweat.
"Lord Yoru! Dr. Ieiri!"
The supervisor gasped for breath.
"Zenin... Lord Naobito Zenin, he..."
Yoru's brow furrowed.
"He what?"
"The wounds he took in Dagon's domain suddenly worsened. He just coughed up a lot of blood and... he said he wants to see you one last time!"
Yoru and Suguru exchanged a glance.
In Dagon's domain, Yoru had broken the barrier in time to save Naobito.
However, the man was old, and after being heavily scorched by Jogo's flames, his physical functions were already at their limit.
"I'll go see him."
Yoru followed the assistant supervisor to another intensive care tent.
Inside the tent.
The man once known as the 'Fastest Jujutsu Sorcerer,' Naobito Zenin, lay weakly on a hospital bed.
His face was as pale as paper, his breathing so faint it seemed like it could stop at any moment.
Seeing Yoru enter, a flicker of light finally kindled in Naobito's clouded eyes.
"Yoru... you're here."
Naobito's voice was raspy and broken. Every word he spoke strained his lungs, triggering a violent fit of coughing.
"Lord Naobito."
Yoru walked to the bedside. Looking at the old man who had fought desperately during the Shibuya Incident, a flash of respect crossed his eyes.
"Don't speak. Let Shoko treat you again."
"It's useless..."
Naobito shook his head with a bitter smile, stopping Yoru.
"I know my own body best. This old man... has reached his limit."
He reached out a trembling hand, covered in liver spots and scars, and grabbed Yoru's sleeve.
"Yoru... I have a favor... to ask of you."
Yoru took the old man's hand and nodded.
"Go ahead."
"The Zenin clan... it's been rotten to the core for a long time."
A look of sorrow and helplessness passed through Naobito's eyes.
"Those old fossils only care about power and feudal rules. Once I draw my last breath, the family will inevitably descend into civil war over the headship."
"Especially that bastard Naoya... he'll never let Maki and Mai go."
Naobito stared intently into Yoru's eyes, as if pouring his final life force into this request.
"Yoru, you are truly strong, and you're a man of honor."
"I beg of you... protect Maki and Mai."
'And...'
Naobito took a deep breath, using every ounce of strength to utter his final words.
'Support Megumi Fushiguro to inherit the headship of the Zenin clan!'
Listening to the dying man's final request, Yoru nodded solemnly.
"I promise you."
"As long as I draw breath, no one will touch a single hair on Maki or Mai's heads. And Megumi Fushiguro will become the new head of the Zenin clan."
Hearing Yoru's vow, Naobito's tense body finally relaxed.
He stared at the ceiling of the tent, a look of relief appearing on his face.
"That's good... that's good..."
"That brat Satoru Gojo... really does have a good eye for people..."
The old man's voice grew fainter until finally, the hand clutching Yoru's sleeve fell limply.
The twenty-sixth head of the Zenin clan, Naobito Zenin, had passed away.
Yoru stood silently by the bed, looking at the old man's peaceful expression for a long time.
He knew Naobito's death was like the first falling domino.
Without the head's presence to keep them in check, the Zenin clan was destined for a bloodbath.
And Naoya Zenin, who harbored such intense hostility toward Megumi and the sisters, would never stay quiet.
"The Zenin clan..."
Yoru turned and walked out of the tent.
Facing the cold dawn wind, his gaze turned incredibly sharp.
"Since Lord Naobito entrusted Megumi to me."
"Then if anyone dares to jump out and cause trouble now..."
"I don't mind reducing the Big Three Families down to the Big Two."
Meanwhile, on the other side of Tokyo.
Deep within the underground of the Jujutsu General Headquarters.
A young man in a white uniform with a katana on his back was receiving a commission stamped with a blood-red seal from the higher-ups.
Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, Yuta Okkotsu.
He looked at the name 'Yuji Itadori' on the commission, his deep eyes hiding an abyss-like depth.
A grand performance to deceive the world.
A bloody reshuffling of clan power.
On this dawn before the Culling Game's arrival, the curtain had quietly been raised.
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