The cold pre-dawn wind howled through the ruins of Shibuya, sounding like the wailing of restless spirits.
Less than half an hour after the Jujutsu High group evacuated the temporary medical station and moved into the underground air-raid shelter, the sound of swift, rhythmic footsteps echoed from above.
"Something's coming."
Maki, who was on perimeter duty, tightened her grip on her polearm, her gaze turning sharp in an instant.
"Is it an assassination squad sent by the higher-ups?" Panda asked, switching to his Gorilla Core as his muscles surged.
Yoru sat with his eyes closed, leaning against the cold wall.
Within the perception of the Transparent World, a dozen or so cursed energy signatures—not unfamiliar, and even somewhat recognizable—were rapidly approaching.
"Relax, they're not enemies."
Yoru slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise crossing his red pupils.
"It's the Kyoto School."
Just as he finished speaking, the heavy iron door of the shelter was pushed open from the outside.
A woman wearing traditional miko robes, a scar running across the bridge of her nose, rushed in out of breath.
Utahime Iori, the lead instructor of the Kyoto School.
Following her were Kasumi Miwa, clutching her katana, and Noritoshi Kamo and Momo Nishimiya, who were carrying a large amount of medical supplies.
Even Ultimate Mechamaru—Kokichi Muta's puppet—dragged its heavy body in last.
"Instructor Utahime?"
Shoko Ieiri paused her Reverse Cursed Technique, looking at her longtime friend in surprise.
"What are you doing here? Didn't the higher-ups issue a lockdown order?"
"To hell with the lockdown order!"
Utahime, who usually prioritized etiquette, couldn't help but curse.
Her eyes instantly reddened as she saw Kento Nanami covered in blood, Nobara Kugisaki who had lost an eye, and Aoi Todo with both hands heavily bandaged.
"We received intel that something happened in Shibuya. That idiot Satoru Gojo has been sealed, and those Rotten Oranges at General Headquarters are losing their minds again."
"The Kyoto School isn't just going to sit by and do nothing."
Utahime waved her hand, and her students immediately began distributing the medical supplies and special grade medicine they had brought.
"We 'borrowed' all of this from the Kyoto School's warehouse. I hope it helps."
She walked up to Yoru, her expression complicated as she looked at the cursed-energy-less monster who had once crushed the Kyoto School during the Goodwill Event.
"I heard what happened..."
Utahime's voice was slightly hoarse.
"It was you and Suguru Geto who risked your lives to stop Sukuna, saving most of the civilians in Shibuya and protecting Shoko and the others."
"I didn't think you'd actually manage... to protect them all."
Yoru looked at the instructor before him; though she wasn't particularly powerful, she possessed a strong sense of justice. He gave a slight nod.
"The cost was high."
Yoru glanced at Yuji Itadori, who remained silent in the corner.
"And the real trouble is only just beginning."
Utahime fell silent for a moment, her expression becoming extremely grim.
She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Yoru.
"This is a secret order from General Headquarters that we intercepted on the way."
"Aside from the public order for Yuta Okkotsu to execute Yuji, the higher-ups have also issued another classified directive."
Yoru took the note and scanned it, his gaze turning icy.
The secret order read:
[IF MASAMICHI YAGA, SUGURU GETO, OR YORU ARE LOCATED, EXECUTE ON SIGHT WITHOUT REPORTING. USE ANY UNCONVENTIONAL CURSED TOOLS IF NECESSARY.]
"Execute on sight?"
Suguru Geto let out a cold laugh as low, hair-raising growls from cursed spirits echoed from the shadows behind him.
"It seems those old geezers really think we're just fish on a chopping block."
"There's more."
Noritoshi Kamo stepped forward, his face solemn as he added to the report.
"On our way here, we spotted numerous assassination squads in black uniforms directly under their command. They've already cordoned off the outskirts of Shibuya and are conducting a carpet search for your whereabouts."
"Furthermore, the barriers for the Culling Game have begun to manifest. Some civilians have even dropped dead on the spot, unable to withstand the sudden awakening of cursed energy."
"All of Japan has fallen into total chaos."
The atmosphere inside the shelter grew heavy once more.
With the higher-ups' dragnet ahead and Kenjaku's death game behind, their current situation was a classic case of being caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Instructor Utahime."
Yoru crumpled the secret order into a ball and tossed it aside.
"Since you're aware of the higher-ups' orders, your actions right now constitute treason."
"What do you plan to do? Follow their orders and take us in?"
There was a hint of testing in Yoru's voice. Though he knew Utahime's character, human hearts were often unpredictable in such extreme circumstances.
"Let them try."
Before Utahime could respond, Kasumi Miwa had already drawn her katana and stepped in front of Yoru in a protective stance.
"Senior Yoru is a hero who saved everyone! If anyone tries to touch him, I'll cut them down even if it costs me my life!"
Seeing the usually timid Kasumi burst out with such spirit, Yoru couldn't help but smile faintly.
Utahime shook her head with a wry smile.
"Do you really think I'm that blindly loyal?"
She took a deep breath and looked Yoru in the eye with determination.
"I won't follow that order, and neither will anyone else from the Kyoto School."
"We might not always get along, but when it comes down to what's right, Kyoto and Tokyo will always be one family."
"Besides..."
Utahime paused, gritting her teeth.
"Those Rotten Oranges have lost their minds. Following them will only drive the entire jujutsu world into the abyss of destruction."
"Therefore, the Kyoto School's support isn't just supplies."
Ultimate Mechamaru's metallic voice rang out through the shelter.
"It includes intel and combat strength as well."
"I can use my puppet network to help monitor the movements of the General Headquarters' assassination squads and help you avoid their search routes."
"Furthermore, although Principal Gakuganji appears to follow the higher-ups on the surface, he's actually uneasy about the current situation."
"As long as we can prove Satoru Gojo can still be saved, or find a way to destroy the Culling Game, he will definitely switch sides."
Hearing this, a spark of hope finally flickered in Yoru's eyes.
The Kyoto School's support was exactly what they needed in their darkest hour.
Not only did it significantly relieve the pressure of treating the Tokyo School's wounded, but more importantly, it provided them with a massive intelligence network and potential allies.
"Good."
Yoru walked over to Utahime and extended his hand.
"Since the higher-ups are rotten to the core, let's team up and give them a show they'll never forget."
"Until we resolve the Culling Game and bring back Gojo-sensei..."
"...we are the final line of defense on this wasteland."
Utahime looked at the powerful presence of the boy before her, felt as if she were seeing the spirited Satoru Gojo of years past.
She gripped Yoru's hand firmly.
"Deal."
With both schools reaching an agreement, the tension in the shelter finally began to dissipate.
With the help of the supplies Utahime brought, Shoko accelerated the treatment of the injured.
Meanwhile, Yoru, Suguru Geto, and Mechamaru gathered around a simple map to plan their next extraction route.
"We can't stay here forever."
Yoru pointed to several regions marked in red on the map.
"These are the Culling Game barriers that have already formed. Kenjaku has divided all of Japan into ten arenas."
"Once the game officially begins, civilians within the barriers will either be forced to fight as awakened sorcerers or be slaughtered by ancient monsters."
"We have to go on the offensive."
"On the offensive?" Noritoshi Kamo frowned.
"But we don't even know Kenjaku's true goal yet. Entering the barriers blindly would make us sitting ducks."
Just as everyone fell into deep thought...
The sound of heavy, slow footsteps came from deep within the shelter.
Everyone immediately tensed up, gripping their weapons.
Yoru waved his hand, signaling them to relax.
"Don't worry, it's one of ours."
From the darkness, three strange figures slowly emerged.
Leading them was a man in a high-collared sweater with a dark bloodstain running across the bridge of her nose.
Behind him were two bizarre-looking cursed spirits emitting a thick scent of blood.
"Choso?"
Yuji Itadori stood up abruptly, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes.
"Yuji..."
As Choso looked at Yuji, his cold eyes instantly softened, filled with an irrepressible excitement.
He strode up to Yuji and reached out, as if wanting to touch his face, but fearing he might scare him, he let his hand hang awkwardly in mid-air.
"...I've come for you. Big Brother is here."
The moment those words were spoken, the air in the shelter seemed to freeze.
Nobara Kugisaki's jaw practically hit the floor, her gaze darting wildly between Choso's somber face and Yuji's clear eyes.
Standing in the shadows, Yoru watched this reunion spanning over a century, his fingers tightening slightly on the hilt of his blade.
In the face of Kenjaku's millennium-old conspiracy, the key to breaking the deadlock might just lie within these three 'discarded pieces' who weren't supposed to exist.