A SINGLE BLACK FLASH WAS all it took for Yuji to lose whatever will to fight he had left.

Now it was Mahito's turn to deliver a beating.

"I bet you thought you were gonna do some pest control!" He taunted, assaulting him with a barrage of attacks. Yuji slammed against the wall, blood spurting past his lips. "Or ghost exterminations like in some make-believe story!"

He kicked him in the face, sending him flying to the side. He laughed and hit him again.

"You came to Shibuya with half-assed determination, didn't ya?! How naive, you stupid brat! This is war! Not a battle to fix what's wrong! But a clash of truths! You and your fragile justice! You are me, Itadori Yuji! I kill without a second thought just like how you save people without a second thought! The instincts of a curse against the so-called dignity obtained by human reason! It's a battle to determine who will be left standing in a hundred years!"

At the end of it all, Yuji laid broken on the floor. Mahito stood above him and when he spoke, his voice became softer, but the cruel edge was still there.

"How the hell did you think you were gonna beat me when you don't even realize that?" He asked the boy quietly. "Tell me, Itadori Yuji, have you ever stopped to count how many curses you've killed?"

Yuji's lips parted open, but the only thing that came out was more blood.

"No, right?" He said knowingly. "Me neither. Like I care about how many people I've killed." He chuckled, raising his hand and morphing it into a sharp claw. "I'm sure I'll eventually forget about you too!"

He started to swing down, but then a loud CLAP! sound echoed in the station.

Yuji was gone in an instant, and Mahito ended up swiping at thin air.

A voice spoke from behind, "The sound of the gion shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things. The color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the preposterous must decline. However! We are the exception!"

Mahito turned around. His target now laid on the floor before some tall buff student with a scar. Probably the one Hanami mentioned from the Goodwill Event.

"Todo!" Another student came running in, Nitta Arata. "I've finished treating the girl. But she's probably dead. Please don't make it sound like it was my fault later, okay?"

"Enough talk," Todo said abruptly. "Take care of my brother here too."

Mahito blinked. Brother? This guy looked nothing like Yuji.

"Wake up, brother!" Todo roared. "Our battle has just begun!"

"Todo..." Yuji said weakly.

Even the arrival of his 'brother' did nothing to lift up his spirits. He felt like his soul was drowning. Sukuna had taken over him and killed hundreds of people. Megumi was nowhere to be found. Mizuhime was in the hands of the enemy. Nanami was dead. Nobara could be next.

"I can't fight anymore...!" He croaked, his eyes stinging. "It's not just Kugisaki... Nanami is also dead. Sukuna... killed so many people. So... I tried to help more people. But I couldn't do anything! I'm nothing but a murderer! What I thought was my conviction was just an excuse!"

Once upon a time, someone once told him, "Because of you, people will die."

And they were right.

"I can't forgive myself," he whispered shakily, curling in on himself.

Mahito felt his body shudder, a wicked grin splitting his face as sadistic pleasure rolled off of him in waves. There it was, the very thing he had been looking for: the ruination of Itadori Yuji. He had finally cracked, but Mahito wasn't done yet. He wanted to make the boy break even more.

He licked his lips and lunged at them. "Speak up! I can't hear ya!"

Todo clapped his hands and Mahito found himself in the place of Arata. His attack missed completely and before he could whirl around, Todo was already behind him with his leg raised high.

WHAM!

Todo kicked him so hard he actually bounced off the floor.

Get up, Yuji thought, watching it all happen. Get up. Don't make Todo fight on his own! Get! Up!

One more time. He could fight him one more time. That was all he would need, he was determined to make it so.

As he began to push himself up, Todo spoke to him once more, "Brother... you're a man amongst men. Don't limit yourself to such narrow-mindedness. We are jujutsu sorcerers. You and I! Kugisaki! Nanami-san! All of our allies. Together we are jujutsu sorcerers! As long as we live, our friends who have passed away will not truly have been defeated! It's not about punishment... the moment we become jujutsu sorcerers, our lives cannot be limited to such misfortunes. Looking for meaning or logic in death can defile the memories of those we've lost! Even so! What have you been entrusted with?"

Todo stripped himself of his jacket, tossing it to the side as Yuji stared at him in shock.

"You don't need to answer right now. However... until you find your answer, never stop moving. For those of us who live as jujutsu sorcerers, that is the punishment we must endure."

And without wasting another moment, he ran at Mahito. Before Yuji could join him, he could feel Arata place his hands on his back, cursed energy engulfing them.

"I just applied my cursed technique on you," the other boy explained rushedly. "Listen closely, Itadori. The wounds you've endured until now won't get any worse. They aren't healed, but the bleeding has stopped and the pain should subside. But that's only for the wounds you've suffered so far. If you get hit again, you'll incur damage. My technique won't help you with those injuries! I've done the same for the girl over there." He said, gesturing to Kugisaki's body.

That made Yuji freeze. "Kugisaki?!"

He nodded, but his expression was pinched. "She has no pulse and isn't breathing, but not much time has passed since she received those injuries. Let's just say it's not a 0% chance she'll survive. I'm taking her and retreating."

He got up and started running for her body, but turned back to him to shout, "It's not a 0% chance, okay?! But please don't get your hopes up...!"

Yuji managed to nod. "Okay!"

The misery he felt before was diminishing by the second as he rose to his feet. There was a slim chance Nobara could be saved, and Nanami wouldn't have wanted him to give up now. Nor would he allow Todo to face Mahito alone.

It was just like what Nanami said to him. "You've got it from here."

Todo spotted Yuji in the corner of his eyes and grinned. He clapped his hands and Mahito found himself standing right in front of Yuji, his fist encased in cursed energy, ready to burst out.

With a vicious cry, Yuji hit him with Black Flash.

Mahito was sent tumbling through the floor but managed to catch himself in time. He had to admit, Yuji recovering from his mental breakdown had impressed him.

"Back from the dead, I see," he smirked.

"Welcome back, brother," Todo smiled, tearing his shirt off.

Yuji kept his eyes focused on the enemy. "Yeah!"

He had never been more grateful for Todo's presence. Not only did the older boy give him the right words he needed to hear, but his presence gave him the edge he needed against Mahito. Fortunately for him, their time fighting together against Hanami was enough for him to familiarize and match their fighting styles together.

They attacked him together, finding their own rhythm and overwhelming Mahito with it. Mahito held out well enough, but to his frustration, he couldn't make any physical contact with Todo. He always made sure to switch places with Yuji when the time came, and Yuji would counter against any of his attacks.

By this point, the three of them were flowing with cursed energy, greater than they had ever used before.

This fight's getting fun! Mahito thought giddily, spatting out a bunch of transfigured humans into his palm. Todo and Yuji froze.

"Soul Multiplicity!" He shouted, squishing the transfigured humans into his hands to merge their souls together. "Body Repel!"

He opened his hands and the merged transfigured humans shot outwards, larger than before. Neither Todo or Yuji had any time to dodge. The cursed creation slammed into them, sending them through the wall and flying out the building.

Rather than hitting the pavement outside, they used the flying pieces of rubble to jump back up. The transfigured humans had blown up like popped bubblegum, sticking to buildings and the streets below. It created a soft landing for them to stand.

Todo was the first to recover, jumping up and dusting off his pants. "Time to kick it up a notch, Itadori!"

"I got it!" He replied, getting into position.

Mahito jumped out of the building after them. "This is our last chance to curse each other!"

They came at him the second he landed.

They attacked from left and right. Mahito had to turn his whole head into a snail's in order to utilize the ocular tentacles snails had that made it capable of looking at both sides. Even then, he still got overwhelmed. By the time he managed to get away from them, his shirt was torn to shreds, showing off his patched up torso.

"Soul Multiplicity," he readied his hands. "Polymorphic Soul Isomer!"

Another transfigured human was molded into shape, but this one looked more intimidating than the previous ones. Rather than having the appearance of a shapeless blob, this one was more humanoid.

After getting flung to a building by it, Todo knew better than to underestimate it. He defeated one—taking note of its lack of durability—just as Mahito created two more to keep him busy while he fought against Yuji.

"Forgive me. You poor souls," Todo said mournfully. He knew all about Mahito and how he liked to toy with humans' souls for his enjoyment.

For their own sakes, he made sure to kill them quickly before joining Yuji. To his relief, the younger boy was holding his own while Mahito was looking more and more like a wild animal than a cursed spirit.

"You really don't want me to join in on the fun, huh?" He commented.

Mahito regarded them quietly, thinking about his next move.

Oh what the hell, he decided. I'll deal with Sukuna later.

A wild grin crossed his face and he opened his mouth, revealing two pairs of miniature hands clasped together in position.

"Domain Expansion: Self Embodiment of Perfection!"

━━━━━━･❪ 🩸 ❫ ･━━━━━━

"Why am I still here?" Mizuhime asked angrily. She was no longer sitting on Sukuna's lap, but a few feet away from him in his twisted version of a 'hot spring'.

"Well sorry for trying to do a nice thing for you," Sukuna huffed.

"Sukuna, my friends could be dying out there and I'm stuck in a bloody hot springs! Let me out!"

He picked at his claws. "Nah."

She let out a cry of frustration and yanked out a rib bone from the ground and threw it at him.

He effortlessly dodged it and sent her a scowl. "Stop throwing shit at me. You're starting to get more brattier than the brat!"

"What's going on outside?" She said seriously. As angry as she was, she couldn't hide the worry in her voice. Sukuna was still taking over Yuji's body before she fainted. If he was here talking to her right now, then that must've meant Yuji regained control, but who knew what was happening with him now? "Why are you keeping me in your domain?"

"Hmm... who knows?" He replied slyly.

Her face scrunched up in anger. "You—"

Suddenly the air around them seemed to ripple. Mizuhime couldn't explain it, but she knew someone was entering the Domain.

Sukuna leaned back, his posture relaxed as he turned to face the intruder. A low hum left his lips.

Mizuhime turned too, sinking down in the blood. Her breath hitched.

It was Mahito. He stood before them at the edge of the hot springs. He looked a little battered, but there was a crazed look in his eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt," he sent a sweet smile her way before addressing Sukuna. "I take it I'm safe here... Sukuna? It is you we're talking about after all. Surely you've got a little understanding with Itadori."

Mizuhime was in a state of disbelief. The only way for him to be here... was if he used his Domain Expansion on Yuji.

"Not gonna let that happen," Mahito went on curtly. "He'll be dead before you can switch with him, so just shut up and watch."

He disappeared after that, leaving the two of them alone.

Mizuhime narrowed her eyes in disgust.

"Well that was rude of him," she scoffed, crossing her arms as she glared at the space Mahito once occupied. She turned back to Sukuna and demanded, "Let me out."

He dipped his head back and groaned. "Not this again."

"My friends could be in danger—"

"—I'm your friend," he said, his voice suddenly hard. The I'm all you ever need, went unsaid.

"I have other friends too," she replied, her voice just as hard. "Now let—me—out."

He stared at her, red eyes smoldering with held-back rage. But then...

"Alright. I'll let you out... on one condition," he smirked. "How about we have a nice little spar, hmm? You land one hit on me, and I'll release you."

She hesitated. They had sparred countless times before during training, but that was just training. Something told her that he wouldn't be going easy on her anymore.

"...Fine," she agreed after a while. "But you have to give me my clothes back first."

"Ugh, I was hoping you'd forget about that," he rolled his eyes.

"And you need to be clothed too," she added, because she wouldn't be surprised if he decided to fight her nude. A thousand years of wasting away in a bunch of fingers had certainly done a number to his mind.

He grumbled something under his breath and snapped his fingers. For a quick second, darkness enveloped her vision. When it dispersed, she was standing in the middle of his domain, fully clothed. He was in front of her, donning his usual kimono.

"Are you ready, melons?" He purred, excited.

She let out a steady breath. "Ready."

I need to make this quick. Yuji and the other's are in danger, she thought anxiously. Please be alive. Please, please, please be alive...

━━━━━━･❪ 🩸 ❫ ･━━━━━━

Todo's hand was gone, and there was no way Yuji was going to risk letting him fight any further.

This is going completely downhill...! He thought, gritting his teeth as he glared at Mahito. The cursed spirit had taken a whole new form—"Instant Spirit Body of Distorted Killing", he had called it—a form which he took after ripping his human face off. He now looked like a more muscular, monstrous version of Hanami.

Even worse, his body was tougher than before. Punching him felt akin to punching a hundred brick walls stacked together—it hurt like hell. He didn't know how much more of it he could take. He still needed to get Todo medical attention too!

One more Black Flash, he thought almost pleadingly. That's all I need. Just one more!

"Listen closely, cursed spirit," Todo suddenly said, standing at the edge of the crater they were fighting in. His arms were spread, standing like a statue of glory. "There is no way you do not know this... An arm is merely a decoration. The act of applause... is an acclamation of the soul!"

His hand clapped against the end of his severed arm. Mahito flinched, redirecting his attack since he expected for his place to be switched.

But it was a fluke.

Mahito's eye widened in realization. We didn't swi—

"Sorry," Todo said weakly, looking down despondently at his severed hand. "My Boogie Woogie Cursed Technique is already dead."

Yuji lunged forward, cursed energy pouring out of him in waves. He pulled his fist back and hit Mahito with the strongest Black Flash he could muster. The attack was so powerful that he was flung out of the crater. When Yuji jumped up to catch up to him, Mahito's body was battered and smoking. He had reverted back to his original form.

"Not... yet..." The curse heaved. He was on his knees and didn't have the strength to get up. He opened his mouth only to spew out vomit. There were no more transfigured humans for him to use.

Yuji started to approach him.

"You're right, Mahito," he said, his voice eerily devoid of emotion. "I'm you. I wanted to reject you. Convince myself that you were wrong. But that doesn't matter now. I'm gonna kill you. Even if you come back as another curse... I'll kill you. Change your name. Change your form. I'll kill you again."

He was standing in front of him now.

"I don't need to find a meaning or reason. Maybe a hundred years after my death, the meaning behind my actions will become apparent. In the grand scheme of things... I'm probably nothing more than a cog. But I'll keep killing curses for as long as I can. That's my role in all this."

Mahito let out a frightened noise from the back of his mouth. He turned and ran. Finally, the prey had become the predator.

Yuji ran after him, his sharp eyes zeroing in on him like a killer would with their target.

Mahito ran and ran as far as his broken legs would let him, only to end up stumbling and falling at the feet of a new figure. Behind him, Yuji skidded to a halt.

"Geto!" Mahito cried out in relief.

The stitched man smiled down at him. "Shall I save you, Mahito?"

━━━━━━･❪ 🩸 ❫ ･━━━━━━

11:28 PM
In front of Shibuya Stream

Panda, now in Gorilla Mode, struggled to walk over the ruins of the city. Buildings were destroyed and the once-towering skyscrapers were now rubble.

"Kusakabe! Kusakabe!" He shouted his teacher's name, looking around desperately.

They had survived Sukuna and the meteor, but it was just disaster after disaster. All of Shibuya was gone now.

His hands desperately picked up pieces of rubble, believing that his teacher had been buried amongst it all. If he was dead...

"Oh! Found you!" He exclaimed, finding him underneath. To his relief, Kusakabe was mostly fine, clutching his now sheathed katana. Wires and steel beams from the reinforced concrete seemed to have shielded him from further damage.

He helped the man up.

"Panda, that wasn't what was discussed." Kusakabe said seriously as he climbed out.

"Huh?"

"I mean Itadori," he clarified.

"No, that was Sukuna," Panda corrected.

He groaned. "But Itadori has control of the flesh. Isn't that what they said? I'm telling you right now... If Gojo disappears, no matter what punishment Itadori receives, I won't join Itadori's side."

Panda went still.

Kusakabe continued, unable to look him in the face. Instead, he looked towards the ravaged remains of the city. "I agree that Itadori Yuji should get the death penalty."

━━━━━━･❪ 🩸 ❫ ･━━━━━━

10:36 PM (local time)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mei Mei sluggishly rose from her bed, the blankets slipping down her new form. She felt perfectly refreshed now, the events of Shibuya now fading away.

There was no way she was going to stay there any further. She was smart enough to know what a hopeless situation looked like, and in her eyes, there was no surviving Shibuya.

So she fled, ordering Ui Ui to use his cursed technique to get them out there. Long ago, she remembered one of her coworkers, Nanami, mentioning wanting to have a lovely retirement in Malaysia. And he was right, Malaysia was a nice place to stay.

"Sorry... you must be tired, Ui Ui." She smiled at her blushing baby brother. "Shall I stay in bed with you all day?"

Ui Ui covered his mouth, his face pink. "Oh my! How shameless!"

"Teehee, do you not like me that way?" She asked teasingly.

"No, that's not—"

Her cell phone began to ring.

She got out of bed and threw on a silky bathroom that was generously gifted to her by the hotel staff. "Sorry. Someone's calling me back."

"Aw! Sis!" He whined.

She turned away from him and answered the phone. "Sorry to bother you at night. Oh, it's morning there?... Me? Kuala Lumpur... Yes, Ui Ui's cursed technique. We almost got killed. You should sell all Japanese stock and Tokyo real estate. I already exchanged yen... Yes. Immediately."

She walked towards the wide window overlooking the cityscape. It was a far better sight than the chaos that was currently going on in Tokyo.

"A negative chain reaction affecting major developed nations may be unavoidable. After all, Japan is the world's third largest economy. I leave the details to you... No, don't thank me. But keep it on the inside as usual. ... Teehee, we'll do business again~"

She hung up after that, and sat languidly on a fancy chaise.

"How are things in Tokyo, big sister?" Ui Ui asked curiously.

"It's a wreck, as expected," she answered smoothly, tucking her phone away into her pocket. A pleased smile curled over her lips. She idly wondered how Yuji was doing back there. The three of them had separated after all.

If he was smart, he would've fled the city like she had.

But knowing him, he most likely hadn't.

She let out a small chuckle.

Kids these days were so painfully naive.

━━━━━━･❪ 🩸 ❫ ･━━━━━━

11:28 PM

Floor B3, Shibuya Station

Choso was still leaning against the wall on his side, having been like that since Yuji's friend—his brother's friend—had left.

Yuji... his brother...

How could that even be true?

He was the eldest of his siblings—the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, the sorcerers called them. They were born from pain and wickedness. They had three parents. His beloved mother who he never got to know, the cursed spirit that had impregnated her, and the man who dared to mix his blood with theirs, and toyed with her life.

But all of that had happened around 150 years ago. Yuji wasn't like them. There was one plausible explanation as to how they could be connected...

"I have to go," he said aloud.

His limbs felt like jelly, but he forced himself to stand.

"Itadori Yuji, what are you? I have to know... And what am I?"

━━━━━━･❪ 🩸 ❫ ･━━━━━━

11:36 PM
At the remains of Shibuya Police Station, Udagawa Police Box

Geto.

Mahito had called this man Geto.

The second Yuji heard the name, he turned red.

"Give him back!" He screamed, running at him. "Give back Gojo-sensei!"

Geto merely smiled. "In the mid-Edo period, people connected catfish and earthquakes, and they spoke of this connection as a mystery. They believed a giant catfish moving underground was the cause of earthquakes."

As he spoke, a small catfish curse slipped through his hands and hit the ground. Suddenly, a void formed under Yuji. His breath nearly stopped, his feet no longer touching the ground. His scream felt trapped in his throat, but as he started falling back, he immediately hit the cold, hard ground. It was as if the hole never existed.

"Huh?!" He breathed out, dazed. His heart beat rapidly beneath his chest. One second, he was about to fall in an endless abyss, and in the next, he was on the ground.

"Did you think you had fallen?" Geto asked in amusement. "Seen from the side, you just suddenly flipped over."

Quickly, he got back up on his feet.

"The strength of Cursed Spirit Manipulation lies in the great number of moves at my disposal," Geto explained. "I wield multiple cursed spirits of semi-grade 1 and higher and may simply release more when opponents solve the cursed techniques and overcome them. Of course, I don't have to allow time for that and may simply pile on the attacks."

As if to prove his point, Geto's shadow lurched up and morphed into a swarm of centipedes that instantly attacked Yuji.

"Arrrgh!" Yuji screamed as the curses ensnared him. Things got worse when that endless void reappeared again. Rather than falling, he was suspended in the air without balance. Another swarm of centipedes stacked against.

"Last year during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, if the forces hadn't been divided between Shinjuku and Kyoto, he would have won instead of Okkotsu. I guess you had nothing to do with it."

Finally, Yuji was smashed back down with great force, his skin and face cut up by a fresh new set of wounds. His bloodied nails dug into the dirt. He looked more like an animal than a man now.

"Give him back!" He screamed hoarsely.

"Even I'm impressed. Sukuna's vessel is tough," Geto commented.

Mahito used this chance to attack him from behind, but Geto stepped to the side and caught him.

"I knew that," he panted, staring up at him. Unlike the other cursed spirits, he knew what Geto's plan for them was all along. "After all, I was born of humans."

Geto absorbed him as he spoke his last words, condensing him into a black sphere. Yuji's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Shall we continue?" Geto asked pleasantly. "Let us discuss the world to come."

Yuji bit the inside of his cheek. Mahito was gone at last, but now he had to deal with Geto...

"Are you familiar with the Maximum Techniques?" He asked the boy. "Apart from domains, they are cursed techniques' most supreme art. The Curse Manipulation Technique: Maximum Uzumaki combines all cursed spirits I have absorbed into one and hits my opponent with super condensed cursed energy."

At the end of his lecture, he started to laugh.

Yuji stared at him weirdly. "...Why're you laughing?"

"Oh, sorry. I realized I had suddenly started acting like him."

Like who? Yuji wanted to ask.

He resumed his lecture, "We were talking about Uzumaki. Uzumaki is powerful, but using it means I negate Cursed Spirit Manipulation's advantage—the great number of moves at my disposal. So at first, I didn't find it to be that exciting. I simply thought of it as recycling low-grade cursed spirits."

As he spoke, Yuji noticed a small shadow behind the man and stole a quick glance up. Up in the air was a familiar blonde haired girl riding on a broomstick.

He tried not to make any reaction, but inwardly, he was relieved. Momo from the Kyoto school was here, and that meant the other Kyoto kids must be around too (they most likely got Todo medical care as well). They were planning something, and it was his job to keep Geto talking.

"But I was wrong," Geto continued, lifting up the dark orb Mahito was absorbed into. "Its true value is revealed when cursed spirits of semi-grade 1 or higher are used and the technique is extracted."

Then, to Yuji's great disgust, he placed the orb in his mouth and swallowed it down. Even worse, he looked like he enjoyed every second of it.

"...How foolish," he said, his gaze directed upwards. Yuji sucked in a breath. They were caught. "Did you think I would not notice something that you had sensed?"

After he spoke, a volley of arrows came right at him. Geto dodged to the side, but then a bullet flew his way. He summoned a fish curse to take the hit for him.

"A sniper rifle? I like that!" He commended Mai, who was cursing under her breath. "I agree that it's wise to use conventional weapons when attacking a sorcerer!"

Just then, Miwa slid behind him, her hand at the hilt of her sword. She unsheathed it faster than what Yuji's eyes could keep up with, but it was nothing for Geto.

Effortlessly, he caught the blade with his bare hand and snapped it in half.

"Maximum: Uzumaki." He said, a sinister creature materializing behind him. It resembled a grotesque whirlpool made of human flesh.

Yuji's heart nearly stopped. Geto had told him what that technique would do.

"NO, DON'T!" He shouted, trying to run for her just as Momo tried to swoop down and do the same.

He couldn't see what happened next because Uzumaki's attack completely destroyed the ground with a blast of cursed energy. A gaping fissure was left in the aftermath.

"Kusakabe!" A girl cried out, and Yuji turned to see Miwa safe and sound, surrounded by Momo and Utahime with Kusakabe at the front, his sword out.

"You shouldn't be out in the front!" Momo and Utahime scolded her.

"New Shadow Style, huh? It's certainly nice facing someone with a little more experience," Geto said to Kusakabe.

Panda and Noritoshi hurried to Yuji's side.

"Panda-senpai! And Kyoto dude!" Yuji exclaimed.

"Good. You're back," Panda nodded, helping him up. He turned to Noritoshi, "Does that man have Gojo Satoru and the prison realm?"

"So it seems," Noritoshi replied. "But what's so great about carrying around that public nuisance? Who is that?"

"He looks like Geto Suguru, but I don't know who's inside." Panda said. He could tell that this 'Geto' wasn't actually the real one.

Another person came running to join the chaos. Geto was the first to notice him.

"Greetings, Choso."

Yuji turned, locking eyes with Choso.

"You!" He gasped, tensing up. Just great. Another enemy to deal with.

But Choso no longer looked angry to see him, instead, he stared at him as if he was in pain, before giving Geto a look filled with hate.

Geto smiled knowingly. "It appears you have noticed."

Choso ground his teeth together. "So that's the deal, huh?! KAMO NORITOSHI!"

"Kamo Noritoshi?!" The students and teachers echoed.

Panda and Yuji instantly whipped their heads to the pale-faced student.

"ME?!" Noritoshi freaked.

"No, not you!" Panda hissed. "He's talking to him!" He pointed a paw at Geto.

"Huh?! What does he mean?!" Momo asked.

"The blot on the Kamo clan! The evilest sorcerer in history!" Utahime exclaimed. "If that's true, what's inside Geto is over 150 years old!"

Ridiculous barrier techniques, and ridiculously powerful cursed tools... Kusakabe thought. "Yeah, it makes sense."

"Kamo Noritoshi is but one of many names. Call me whatever you want," Geto stated.

Choso stormed forward, blood boiling in his veins. "How... how dare you try to make me kill my little brother, Itadori?!"

Wait what. Yuji paused.

A blurry white figure ran into the battlefield, sliding to a stop beside Geto. Choso halted.

"Step aside, bottom feeder," a white haired sorcerer said coldly. "Don't make me wait any longer."

Choso's face twitched in annoyance. "Get out of my way! I'm his onii-chan!"

They started to fight. As if things couldn't get any weirder (for anyone who wasn't Yuji at least), Choso was able to use Blood Manipulation—a cursed technique that only their Noritoshi should have.

"I'm just asking, but... you're not related, right?" Panda asked Yuji.

"No way. He almost killed me earlier."

"Todo too. Are you giving off freaky pheromones or something?"

"Forget about Itadori's weird collection of brothers," Noritoshi scolded him. "This man has created a disturbance. We must take advantage of it."

Yuji nodded in agreement. But his eyes were glued on the white-haired figure.

"What is it?" Noritoshi asked him.

"I... I recognize that person. When Sukuna let me regain control, he showed me everything he had done. One of those things was handing Mizuhime-senpai over to that person. If they're here... and senpai isn't..."

Noritoshi swallowed thickly, understanding where he was getting at. If Mizuhime wasn't here, then that likely meant she was dead.

"We don't know for sure, but we can't focus on that right now," Panda brought them back. "We still have him to deal with. Now listen, I've still got two cores left, so I'll go out in front," he strategized. "If we all attack, we can create an opening. No matter what, we must retrieve the Prison Realm."

Everyone agreed to it and got ready. Panda started to attack, but the white-haired person made their move first.

"Ice Formation: Frost Calm!" They said, blowing into the air. An icy mist formed and it was rapidly billowing their way. It hit Panda and Choso first, trapping them in a block of ice and spreading out to trap the rest of them.

But then it started to melt back into water just as quickly as when the ice formed.

Yuji's eyes widened in realization. Wait... water...

The ice sorcerer turned to the side and made a scathing look.

"You again," they said, displeased.

"Senpai!" Yuji cried out in relief.

Mizuhime was breathing heavily but she managed to send him a tired smile before her gaze went to the ice sorcerer.

"So," her eyes narrowed. "This is where you ran off to." 

— author's note —

Yes I wrote the Mei Mei scene too teehee. I noticed a bunch of ppl on Twitter using that scene as "evidence" that Gege "supports incest" just because he wrote about it.

I think those ppl are dumb as fuck (writing does not equal endorsing guys). I saw a reddit post about it and I believe Gege wrote that scene solely to show that Mei Mei's purpose was to be Nanami's foil, and to also reinforce JJK's ongoing theme that being horrible and selfish is the only way to win in jujutsu society, whereas being good and moral gets you killed.

Nanami went back to becoming a sorcerer because he wanted to help Yuji out and he's always going on about how "being a child isn't a sin" and is shown to very obviously care about children and tries to protect them. Yet he still died. But Mei Mei, who has no issues exploiting her own kid brother (she happily risked his life while fighting the Small Pox curse), is the one who survives Shibuya.

Also, it's not a coincidence that right after Nanami dies, Mei Mei shows up ALIVE and also chilling in MALAYSIA, the one place he said he wanted to go to for retirement. 

(I talked about this in my old dead Yuta theory LOL)

I got more picrews from cocogum!

MIZUHIME FANART FROM honeydew-mist:

And then some picrews from me!