Rain soaked Megumi Fushiguro's clothes and dripped from the tips of his hair. The boy panted as he handed over the last unconscious youth found in the detention center to the auxiliary manager.
"Thank you for your hard work, Ijichi-san."
"Fushiguro-kun... what about Itadori-kun?"
Megumi wiped rain and sweat from his face. His expression turned grim.
"That Special Grade Cursed Womb completely hatched. It deployed an incomplete Domain. Itadori is still inside the detention center. His status is... unknown."
"He stayed behind to hold it off. Told me to escape first and get these people out..."
Held it off. But he was probably done for.
Even with Sukuna as a trump card, the King of Curses from a thousand years ago surely wouldn't let Yuji manipulate him so easily.
Up until now, Megumi hadn't sensed any of Sukuna's cursed energy. That meant Yuji hadn't let him out.
He already had a guess.
Sukuna hadn't saved him.
If Yuji died now, Sukuna still had eighteen fingers scattered across Japan. He'd most likely abandon Yuji to eliminate the only "vessel" capable of restricting him.
Itadori...
Megumi clenched his fists.
When that curse found us, why did you save me?
We only met by chance. I'm not someone worth saving...
The rain poured harder. Megumi's palms were clenched so tight they nearly bled.
Even knowing that going back meant death, he gritted his teeth and spun around, sprinting toward the detention center gate.
"Ijichi-san, I'm going back for Itadori! Contact any Grade 1 sorcerers nearby for backup—immediately!"
But at that moment, the dilapidated iron gate creaked open from the inside.
A disheveled figure stumbled out. His Jujutsu High uniform was torn in multiple places, and the skin beneath was covered in purple bruises.
Yuji Itadori.
He'd wanted to use the Reverse Cursed Technique to heal himself, but his cursed energy had run dry after fixing just one arm.
Still, the boy perked up and grinned at Megumi standing outside the gate.
"Yo, Fushiguro! I took care of that cursed spirit. Did you find everyone?"
"...?"
Megumi froze in place.
"Ita... dori?"
For a moment, his mouth hung open.
Yuji's lively appearance was completely different from what he'd expected.
Confusion washed over him. Megumi lowered his head and pressed a palm to his forehead.
Am I hallucinating?
He looked up again at the relaxed Yuji Itadori.
No?
Finally, his expression shifted to pure shock.
You killed a Special Grade curse by yourself?
"Did you let Sukuna out?"
"No?" Yuji shook his head like it was obvious.
"You... you took care of that Special Grade... by yourself?!"
"Uh, it was a close call." Yuji scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Could you maybe not stare at me like that? It's kind of uncomfortable."
"...Are you even human?"
"Hey! That's rude!"
After the mission wrapped up, cleanup was left to the auxiliary managers. Yuji and Fushiguro took a car back to Jujutsu High.
The ride was silent.
When they got out at the entrance, Fushiguro patted Yuji's shoulder.
"You should hit the infirmary first. Shoko-san should be there today."
"Got it!"
Because casualty rates for jujutsu sorcerers were extremely high, Jujutsu High maintained a dedicated infirmary.
When Yuji pushed the door open and walked in, he found a brown-haired woman in a white coat sitting behind a desk, flipping through files. An unlit cigarette dangled from her lips.
Shoko Ieiri. The school doctor. The only precious healer in the jujutsu world capable of using the Reverse Cursed Technique on others.
"Yo, freshman." Shoko lifted her eyelids, expression flat. "You're the brat who swallowed Sukuna's finger?"
"Yes! Hello, Shoko-san! I'm Yuji Itadori!"
Yuji greeted her energetically.
"Sit over there. I heard you went on a mission today. How bad are the injuries?"
"I'm fine. Just some superficial wounds and bruises."
"Superficial? Doesn't look like it." Shoko glanced at him. "A cursed spirit that could injure you and Fushiguro this badly has to be at least Grade 1, right?"
"Uh... it was a Special Grade Cursed Womb," Megumi explained from the side. "We were short-handed, so it was just the two of us. To protect me, Itadori stayed behind alone to hold it off. That's how he got hurt."
Shoko paused mid-bandage and looked up at Yuji.
"Special Grade?"
"Yeah." Yuji nodded.
"By yourself?"
"Yeah." He nodded again.
"..."
"Didn't you just enroll a couple days ago?"
"Yeah..."
Shoko fell silent for two seconds. Then she shook her head and went back to treating his wounds.
"Young people nowadays are getting more and more absurd."
"..."
While Shoko worked, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the infirmary.
"Yo, everyone—I'm back!"
A tall figure appeared in the doorway. Satoru Gojo, wearing his signature black blindfold, carrying a delicate paper bag in his right hand.
"Gojo-sensei?"
"The mission wrapped up early, so I came back ahead of schedule." Satoru strode in and set the bag on the table. "Brought souvenirs for you guys. Sendai beef tongue and Kikufuku. Come on, there's enough for everyone."
He turned to look at Megumi.
"Right—Megumi. I heard you and Yuji went on a mission together this morning. You're both pretty banged up. How'd it go?"
"It was... alright."
Megumi sweatdropped slightly. While Shoko continued treating Yuji, he recounted the entire mission.
"...Anyway, I was worried at first. But thankfully, Itadori defeated that curse in the end and made it out."
"..."
Hearing the full account, Satoru Gojo's expression went blank.
"You're saying Itadori soloed a Special Grade curse?"
"Uh..."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"..."
Satoru was stunned at first. Then confusion washed over him. He lowered his head and pressed a palm to his forehead—doing exactly what Megumi had done earlier.
Am I hallucinating?
He looked up again at the shy-looking Yuji Itadori.
No. The intel checks out.
Satoru immediately straightened. Then the man known as the strongest modern jujutsu sorcerer suddenly grabbed Yuji and shook him vigorously.
"Yuji! You truly are the best student I've ever taught! Soloing a Special Grade on your second day! That's even crazier than your teacher was!"
"Sensei, stop shaking me... my wounds are going to reopen..."
"Gojo-sensei, calm down!" Megumi rushed forward, trying to pry him off.
"Calm down? Me calm down?!" Satoru released Yuji, spun to face everyone, and spread his arms wide. "Do you understand what this means? It means there is absolutely nothing wrong with my teaching methods! The problem is entirely with Megumi!"
"How could my student possibly get wrecked by a Grade 2 curse?!"
"..." Megumi's face darkened instantly. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Everything! You've been enrolled for a year and you're Grade 2. Yuji's been enrolled for two days and can solo a Special Grade. The gap clearly shows it's your problem!"
"That's because he's a monster!"
"Excuses! All excuses!"
"...Pfft."
Watching Satoru and Megumi bicker, Yuji couldn't help but laugh.
He hadn't experienced such an everyday scene in a long time.
In his past life, as years passed, the people around him had left one by one—until he was alone in the world. Now, everything could start over. Everything could change.
This is great.
"..."
"Anyway—good job." Satoru's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "But be careful with Special Grades in the future. If you can't win, run. You're strong, but there's a huge gap between Special Grades. The one you met today was freshly hatched. If it had been one of those ancient monsters that's lived for hundreds of years, you wouldn't have had such an easy time."
"I understand, Gojo-sensei."
"Good. Also—a reward for you two. Matcha-flavored Kikufuku. My personal recommendation."
Satoru pulled a beautifully packaged pastry from the bag and handed it to Yuji.
"Ah, thanks."
"One for Shoko, one for Megumi..."
He smiled and distributed souvenirs to everyone.
Megumi accepted his portion. He looked at Yuji and suddenly spoke.
"Itadori."
"Hm?"
"I can't surpass you right now. But I'll work hard to catch up." Megumi's voice was serious. "In the future, we'll get stronger together."
Yuji blinked in surprise. Then he smiled.
"Yeah. Let's get stronger together."
The setting sun's afterglow streamed through the infirmary window, casting long shadows of the people inside.
In this lifetime, Yuji Itadori was no longer alone.
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