Morning air moved quietly through the grounds of Jujutsu High.
Nobody joked.
Nobody argued.
Nobody delayed.
The atmosphere had changed.
Yesterday had been rest.
Today was war.
Takeru stood at the front of the group one last time.
Looking over everyone.
Every familiar face.
Every older version.
Every younger version.
Every Heian-era anomaly he had somehow dragged into modern Japan because apparently causality had stopped filing complaints.
"…Everybody remembers the plan?"
A chorus answered back.
"Yep."
"Obviously."
"Unfortunately."
"Yeah."
Hakari stretched.
"Tokyo Colony 2's gonna be easy."
Ryu smirked.
"Sendai better have strong people."
Maki rolled her shoulders.
"Sakurajima sounds annoying already."
One of Takeru's copies stepped forward.
Then another.
Then another.
Perfect duplicates.
Same cursed energy.
Same expression.
Same dangerously casual confidence.
Yuji stared.
"…I still hate that you can do this."
Takeru shrugged.
"Efficiency."
Megumi muttered from nearby.
"…You've used that excuse way too much."
The copies immediately split.
One headed toward Sendai.
One toward Tokyo Colony 2.
One toward Sakurajima.
Each joining their assigned groups.
Kashimo walked toward Sendai.
Ryu followed.
Reina followed beside Uro.
Yuta joined behind them.
The Sendai group disappeared first.
Hakari stretched his neck.
Both Kirara versions moved beside him.
Aika cracked her fingers.
Akari rolled her shoulders.
Raiden gave a lazy wave.
The second copy followed.
Tokyo Colony 2 departed.
Maki stepped forward.
Both Sukuna variants walked behind her.
Third Takeru copy moved with them.
Without another word—
Sakurajima group left.
Silence.
Only one group remained.
Tokyo Colony 1.
Yuji.
Higaruma.
Nanami.
Younger Sukuna.
And Takeru.
Younger Sukuna crossed his arms.
Still looking mildly irritated that existence kept being weird around Takeru.
"…So remind me."
Takeru adjusted his haori.
"We go in, find younger Higuruma and Angel."
Nanami looked over.
"And after locating them?"
Takeru smiled faintly.
"Convince them."
Higaruma adjusted his sleeves.
"…And if convincing fails?"
Takeru immediately answered.
"…I become persuasive."
Yuji looked sideways.
"…That answer concerns me."
Takeru started walking.
The others followed.
Ahead—
Tokyo Colony 1 stood in the distance.
The massive barrier shimmered against the morning sky.
A prison.
A battlefield.
A trap waiting to close.
Wind moved around them.
The atmosphere felt heavier with every step.
Younger Sukuna stared at the barrier.
"…Strange."
Nanami narrowed his eyes.
"…This amount of cursed energy…"
Higaruma exhaled slowly.
"…The game has already started."
Yuji clenched his fists.
Takeru stopped a few feet from the barrier.
Blue eyes glowing faintly.
He looked back at the group.
"…You all know what happens here."
A pause.
"…So let's make sure history doesn't."
Silence.
Then—
all five stepped forward.
And passed through the barrier.
Far away—
inside Tokyo Colony 1—
new players had entered.
The game acknowledged them instantly.
The hunt had begun.