"Even if I've lost an eye, I'm still the thorniest rose at Jujutsu High!"
The husky yet fierce voice of the girl rang out abruptly in the quiet hospital room.
Yoru had just pushed the door open when he was met with this visually striking scene.
The sharp scent of disinfectant filled the air, yet it still couldn't mask the faint, heart-wrenching smell of blood.
Nobara Kugisaki was leaning against the hospital bed.
Her orange short hair, which she usually kept meticulously groomed, was now disheveled and lacked its usual luster.
But the most striking thing was the thick white bandage wrapped around the left side of her face.
Deep red blood faintly seeped through the bandage, looking shocking against the pure white background.
In the meat-grinder that was the Shibuya Incident, while covering for Yuji Itadori, she had unfortunately been touched by Mahito's disgusting 'Idle Transfiguration' on her left eye.
Even though Yoru had severed Mahito's arm at the critical moment, and even though Shoko Ieiri had given her all to use the Reverse Cursed Technique immediately...
Damage involving the soul still caused her left eye to lose its light forever.
For a girl in her prime who loved beauty, someone who would even argue with Megumi Fushiguro just to buy a limited-edition outfit...
Disfigurement, let alone losing an eye...
Such a devastating blow would have caused an ordinary person to break down mentally and fall into endless despair.
But she was Nobara Kugisaki.
The stubborn girl who ran away from the countryside to Tokyo just to live her own way.
"Instructor Yoru."
Hearing the door open, Nobara's intact right eye immediately locked onto him.
No crying, no hysterics, and certainly no self-pitying weakness.
Her gaze was as sharp as a newly sharpened dagger.
"Don't look at me like I'm some pathetic charity case."
Nobara gritted her teeth, enduring the intense pain from her face, and forced a rebellious, defiant smile.
"I'm not dead yet."
"As long as I have a breath left in me, I'm going to hammer nails into that stitched-face freak's head with my own hands sooner or later!"
Looking at the girl before him who still exuded wild vitality despite her severe injuries...
A flash of unmistakable admiration and relief crossed Yoru's eyes.
In the original timeline, Nobara's face was half-shattered in the Shibuya battle, leaving her fate unknown.
Her fall was the final straw that broke Yuji Itadori's spirit and became the greatest regret for countless fans.
The girl who could still smile at Yuji in her final moments and say, 'Hey everyone... it wasn't so bad,' shouldn't have withered like that.
And now.
Because of his intervention, although this thorny rose had lost a petal, her roots were still buried deep in the soil, even more resilient than before!
"I wasn't looking at you like a charity case."
Yoru walked to the bedside, pulled over a chair, and sat down, placing a few files on the nightstand.
His nuclear gaze was calm and gentle, carrying the tolerance of a senior mentor.
"I'm just looking at a female warrior who just crawled back from hell and is preparing to flip it upside down."
Hearing the words 'female warrior,' Nobara was slightly stunned.
Then, an unnoticeable blush appeared on her pale face.
"Cut it out, Instructor Yoru."
She snorted deliberately and turned her head away, trying to hide her emotions.
"I don't fall for that sweet talk for little girls routine."
"Anyway, what's the situation outside right now?"
Nobara's tone suddenly became incredibly serious, her remaining right eye burning with anxiety.
"Gojo-sensei is sealed, Shibuya is half-destroyed, and those old fossils at headquarters are definitely up to no good."
"What about that idiot Yuji? And Megumi? Are they hurt?"
"And what exactly is this damn Culling Game thing?"
Facing Nobara's rapid-fire questions, Yoru didn't hide anything.
In the most concise and straightforward language, he explained the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident, Kenjaku's plot, and even the execution order the higher-ups had issued for Yuji.
As Yoru spoke, the temperature in the ward seemed to drop several degrees.
Nobara's fists clenched tighter and tighter.
Her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing traces of blood.
"Those bastards!"
Nobara slammed her hand onto the bed. The sudden movement pulled at the wound on her left eye, causing her to hiss in pain.
But she didn't care at all.
"At a time like this, all those higher-ups can think about is how to eliminate dissenters and kill their own people?"
"That idiot Yuji is definitely taking all the blame on himself again!"
She struggled to throw off the covers, desperately trying to get out of bed.
"Get me my nails and hammer!"
"I'm going to smash those Rotten Oranges' heads one by one!"
*Pat!*
Yoru reached out and gently pressed down on her shoulder.
A seemingly light movement carried an irresistible force, pinning her back onto the bed.
"Instructor Yoru?"
Nobara looked at him with confusion, even a bit of anger.
"You're strong, Nobara."
Yoru looked into her eyes, his tone more serious and solemn than ever.
"The resonance of your Straw Doll Technique at the soul level can even pose a fatal threat to Special Grade Cursed Spirits."
"You are an indispensable part of our combat force; there's no doubt about that."
"However."
Yoru's tone shifted, becoming indisputable.
"For now, you must temporarily withdraw from the front lines."
"What?!"
Nobara's eye widened, filled with unwillingness and rage.
"You mean you want me to lie here like a useless person while you guys go out and risk your lives?!"
"While that idiot Yuji gets executed?!"
"No way! I absolutely refuse!"
She struggled violently, her right eye bloodshot with fury.
"Calm down."
Yoru's voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a magic that struck directly at the soul, instantly quieting the volatile Nobara.
"I didn't say I'd make you a useless person."
Yoru let go and tossed the thick stack of documents he had placed on the nightstand onto the bed.
They contained intelligence on the various barriers of the Culling Game, Kenjaku's possible hidden agents, and the movements of major factions in Tokyo.
"Your left eye has lost its vision."
Yoru pointed out the cruelest fact without mercy.
"In a life-or-death battle where things change in an instant, losing depth perception and your left field of vision will be a fatal flaw."
"Facing Special Grade Cursed Spirits or those ancient, mad sorcerers, even a fraction of a second in a blind spot will get you killed."
"I didn't just snatch you back from the Grim Reaper's hands only to watch you go throw your life away."
Yoru looked directly into Nobara's right eye.
"However, your mind, your insight, and your refusal to lose are still intact."
Yoru pointed at the documents.
"The Culling Game is a massive slaughter game covering all of Japan; the situation inside the barriers is complex."
"We need intelligence, we need someone behind the scenes to coordinate everything, and we need a pair of eyes that can see through Kenjaku's schemes."
"Even more, we need someone to contact our allies scattered everywhere, like Maki and Mai."
Yoru's voice was low and powerful.
"Handling intelligence analysis and central coordination is more suited for you right now."
"I want you to become our eyes."
The ward fell into a deathly silence.
Nobara stared fixedly at the documents on the bed.
Her chest heaved violently.
Was she unwilling?
Of course she was.
As a jujutsu sorcerer, who wouldn't want to fight on the front lines, tearing apart those disgusting curses and protecting their comrades?
But she knew all too well that Yoru was telling the truth.
If she forced herself into that level of combat after losing an eye, she would only become a burden and might even get everyone killed.
If it were her old self, she might have sulked or thrown a tantrum.
But after experiencing the cruel baptism of Shibuya...
She had grown up.
"This really sucks..."
After a long while.
Nobara suddenly let out a long breath, and her tense body slowly relaxed.
She reached out, picked up the top document, and flipped through it casually.
Then.
She smiled.
It was a wild, confident, and even slightly bloodthirsty smile.
"Fine, Instructor Yoru."
Nobara looked at Yoru with her remaining eye, a chilling light flickering within it.
"Since I'm not needed on the front lines, I'll take the back."
"I'll dig up every last detail on those players in the Culling Game, including their ancestors' history!"
"I'll be your eyes and make sure those pests hiding in the shadows have nowhere to run."
"But!"
She suddenly leaned in close to Yoru, lowering her voice with a hint of ruthlessness.
"If you guys lose on the front lines, or if you let that idiot Yuji die..."
"I swear, even if I have to chase you to hell, I'll hammer your heads onto the wall with nails!"
"It's a deal."
Yoru smiled and extended his fist.
*Bump.*
One large and one small fist lightly bumped in mid-air.
This was not just a promise.
It was the declaration of the most resilient rose of the Jujutsu High trio blooming anew in a different form.
Nobara accepted her new role.
She immediately entered her work state, ignoring the pain in her left eye as she began frantically leafing through the mountain of intelligence, making the most meticulous preparations for the upcoming Culling Game.
Watching Nobara quickly dive into her work, Yoru quietly stepped out of the ward.
He knew that he no longer needed to worry about this rose.
Next...
Yoru looked up toward the Tokyo Tower.
In the night wind, he could faintly feel a massive, trembling surge of cursed energy.
That cursed energy was so strong it made the surrounding air feel thick and viscous.
He was about to meet a real handful.
The Special Grade Sorcerer known as Satoru Gojo's successor, carrying the order to execute Yuji Itadori.
The God of Pure Love, Yuta Okkotsu, had arrived in Tokyo.
And the grand spectacle that would determine Yuji's fate and the course of the Culling Game was about to officially begin amidst these ruins.
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