Third Person POV

Outside the gate, a woman stood, her face contorted in a mix of fear and desperation.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Where's Tadashi?!"

Two staff members quickly stepped in, forming a barrier between her and the restricted area.

"Ma'am, please stay back! It's not safe here!" one of them urged, holding up his hands to keep her from getting any closer.

"Is Tadashi… is my son Tadashi all right?!" Her voice cracked, and tears began to spill down her cheeks as her hands trembled.

"Please, calm down!"

"Let me go!" She struggled against him, straining to peer past the gate. "I need to see him! Please!"

The woman's face went pale, and she crumpled to her knees,

Noticing the scene, Ijichi moved swiftly, positioning himself in front of Yuji to block his view of the distraught mother.

"She's a guardian who was here for a visit," he explained quietly to Yuji, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro. The gravity of the situation sank in, and their expressions grew tense.

The staff member who had blocked the woman now knelt beside her, reaching out in a gesture of steady reassurance. It was his duty as part of Jujutsu High's support staff to ensure that no civilians suffered due to sorcerer-related incidents. If an unfortunate tragedy had already occurred, it was their mission to prevent further loss

"Please, ma'am, you need to step away, There's a chance that poisonous gas has been released inside. For your safety, we need you to stay back."

Her hands clutched at her chest, her shoulders shaking with silent, anguished sobs.

Yuji watched the scene, his fists clenching at his sides. The woman's grief struck him deeply. The thought that he might be able to prevent one family from feeling that kind of helplessness ignited a fierce determination inside him.

"Fushiguro, Kugisaki… We're gonna save them."

Kugisaki gave a confident nod, her unwavering determination a steady reassurance in itself.

"Of course we are,"

"Hmph."

As the three sorcerers reached the entrance to Block 2, Ijichi stood back, beginning to chant the mantra needed to raise the Veil. Gradually, an opaque dome-like barrier spread across the detention center, descending like a dark cloak.

It looked as if night had fallen.

"Huh? It's becoming night!" Yuji looked around, wide-eyed in amazement.

"It's a Veil," Megumi clarified. "There's a residential area nearby, so this barrier conceals us from the outside world."

Before they proceeded, Megumi formed a hand sign, his expression focused as he summoned his shikigami. Twin demon dogs emerged from his shadow. With their heightened senses, the shikigami would alert the team to any approaching curses.

With their preparations complete, Yuji, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki pushed open the entrance doors and stepped inside, side by side. But as soon as they crossed the threshold, they froze in place.

"What... What's going on in here? This is supposed to be a two-story dorm, isn't it?" Yuji stammered, his voice breaking the eerie silence.

The familiar corridors of the detention center had vanished, replaced by an industrial nightmare. Rusted beams and tangled pipes loomed overhead, forming an intricate, oppressive web that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. Shadows clung to every surface, swallowing most of the scant light that dared to filter through the narrow gaps in the metal.

The pipes were coated in grime, twisting along the walls and ceiling like veins, some running horizontally, while others spiraled upward, disappearing into the pitch-black void above.

It wasn't merely the sense of being in a different room—it felt like they had crossed into another realm entirely.

"C-C-Calm down! It's just... a maisonette!" Kugisaki's voice hit a high note as she attempted to rationalize, eyes darting around in barely-contained panic.

'No, it's not,' Megumi's mind countered as he scanned the surroundings. This was something far more sinister. A chill ran down his spine as he took in the impossible architecture of the twisted metal

'It's the deployment of an Innate Domain, formed entirely by cursed energy. And it's massive… It's my first time seeing one this big.'

He swallowed, feeling the weight of its power press on him.

Suddenly, Yuji's voice rang out, bringing the grim trio back to the immediate problem.

"Ah… Where's the door?!"

"Huh?" Kugisaki looked around, her face scrunched in confusion

"It'll be fine. The dog remembers the scent of the entrance," Megumi said, trying to reassure both Kugisaki and Yuji.

"You really are dependable, Fushiguro! Thanks to you, we'll be able to rescue people and save ourselves, too!" Yuji grinned, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Let's keep moving."

The trio pressed forward.

They rounded a corner, and suddenly, a grim sight met their eyes, lifeless and crumpled on the cold, industrial floor. one inmates lay scattered, twisted into unnatural positions as if they'd been caught in a horrific struggle before meeting their end.

"Ah…" Yuji's face fell

"Atrocious…" Kugisaki's voice was quiet.

"That's… one of the three people, right?" Megumi's voice was barely above a whisper, his mind already racing with grim calculations.

Yuji knelt by one of the bodies, his eyes catching on the shirt's name tag: Tadashi Okazaki.

The image of the grieving mother outside flickered in Yuji's mind, anger tightening in his chest. The thought of leaving Tadashi here, lifeless and alone, felt fundamentally wrong. It felt wrong for someone like this to be left alone in death, without even a final dignity of returning to loved ones.

"Let's take his body back. It's that woman's son." Yuji said, his voice resolute.

But before he could reach out, Fushiguro gripped his shoulder, pulling him back firmly. "We have to find and verify the remaining two. Leave that body behind."

"Quit joking around! We turned around, and the way we got in here was gone! We won't be able to come back for it later!"

"I have no intention of risking my own life to save someone I had no intention of saving in the first place!" Megumi continued. "I know you're stuck on saving lots of people and guiding them to proper deaths. But what are you going to do when someone you saved kills someone else in the future?"

Megumi knew his own words were harsh, and aware of the hypocisy that came out of it.

"Ngh… Then why did you bother saving me?!" But Yuji didn't see things that way. The concept of "proper deaths" that Yuji wrestled with didn't fit into Megumi's worldview.

Before the tension could escalate further, Kugisaki's voice sliced through the air. "Cut it out! Jeez! What are you two doing?! You're both idiots! Think about the time and place if you—"

In the blink of an eye, Kugisaki was gone, swallowed by the floor.

'No way! Demon Dogs should have sensed the curse!'

Fushiguro had summoned his Demon Dogs precisely for a situation like this—tracking, sensing, and alerting them to any incoming threats. Right within the enemy's Innate Domain, they'd been divided and the chances of survival had just plummeted.

Fushiguro's gaze shifted, and he froze. The crushed head of one of his Demon Dogs crushed and embedded in the wall.

In just a few second, Fushiguro resolved for the most optimal solution. If they had any hope of surviving and rescuing Kugisaki, he and Yuji had to escape and regroup. He just had to trust that Kugisaki could hold her own until they could break through.

"Itadori! We're running! We'll search for Kugisaki later… Ah!"

The cursed spirit suddenly materialized beside them, its cursed energy radiating with oppressive malice. A surge of paralyzing pressure swept over the room, freezing them in place.

'There's no mistake. It's a special-grade. I can't move.' Every instinct screamed for him to move, to escape, but his body was frozen, gripped by the overpowering cursed energy pressing down on them. His mind spun, desperately seeking any chance for survival.

'Move, Move, Move, Move' Yuji's mind raced as he willed his body into action, not for his own sake but to protect Fushiguro. He refused to let him die here. With a surge of adrenaline, Yuji managed to pull his knife from his belt and swung with all the force he could muster.

But just as his knife arced toward the cursed spirit's neck, a searing pain jolted through his arm. His eyes widened in shock as he saw his hand severed mid-swing, blood spraying through the air.

A deep, malicious chuckle rumbled from the cursed spirit, sending shivers down their spines.

Refusing to let pain immobilize him, Yuji quickly tore a strip of cloth from his uniform and wrapped it tightly around the stump of his arm, gritting his teeth. He knew he couldn't afford to lose too much blood; they were still in the middle of this fight, and dying from blood loss wasn't an option

"Hey, Sukuna! If I die, you die, too, right? If you don't want that, then help me out!" Yuji voice echoed in the room, reaching out to the cursed spirit within him.

A twisted grin stretched across his cheek as Sukuna's mouth materialized on his face.

"Nope! Even if this part of me dies, I've still got seventeen other fragments of my soul scattered around. That lass did manage to destroy one of them, which is... impressive." Sukuna's voice dripped with irritation.

"But as things stand, I don't control this body. If you want to switch, go ahead and try. But let me be clear—if you do, I'll kill that brat Fushiguro before the cursed spirit gets the chance! And after that… I'll have some fun with that woman, too. She's got a fiery spirit. Might be entertaining."

Yuji's fists clenched, rage flaring in his eyes. "I'm not going to let you do that!"

Sukuna chuckled, low and mocking. "Thought you'd say that. But the more you focus on me... the closer your friends are to dying."

The cursed spirit suddenly inhaled, a subtle build-up of energy crackling around it. Without warning, it released a blast of raw, dense cursed energy aimed straight at the ground beneath them. The explosion flung both Yuji and Megumi back, barely giving them enough time to evade.

Megumi's mind reeled as he steadied himself, eyes darting to the cursed spirit.

'It's not jujutsu… He just unleashed pure cursed energy…' Shock coursing through him. This wasn't a technique or calculated attack; it was raw power unleashed; a level of cursed energy so intense it bypassed the need for refined jujutsu entirely.

"Ro… Guro! Fushiguro!" Yuji voice reached out, breaking through the trance, but Megumi barely registered it, his mind too fixated on the terror before him.

"Take Kugisaki and get out of here! I'll keep this one busy until you two are out, As soon as you're clear, give me some kind of signal. Once you do… I'll switch with Sukuna." Yuji said firmly.

At this point, they both knew that against this special-grade curse, their odds were slim at best. Yuji's plan wasn't flawless; in fact, it was reckless. But at this point, relying on Sukuna might be their only real shot at survival.

"You know that's suicide, right?" Megumi's voice was strained, "Not with only one arm against a special-grade—you won't even last long enough to make the switch!"

"Look closer," Yuji said, gesturing toward the cursed spirit.

It grinned maniacally, its gaze fixed on them with twisted excitement, savoring every moment of the fight. Its face twisted with amusement, as if their struggle was nothing more than entertainment.

"It's having fun, Fushiguro. It's toying with us," Yuji continued. "I can at least buy us some time."

"No!" Megumi's protest was almost immediate.

"Fushiguro...Please." Yuji voice softened.

Megumi's fists clenched as he glanced back toward where Kugisaki had disappeared.

"...Fine," Megumi finally said, his voice barely audible. "But you better not die on me.

Yuji gave a nod, his expression hardening with resolve.

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Megumi POV

Leaving Itadori behind left a bad taste in my mouth.

I ran down the dark hallway.

I jumped over a huge hole in the floor. Midair, I quickly form a hand sign.

"Nue."

In an instant, the thunderbird appeared, its blue sparks lighting up the corridor as it grabbed hold of me, carrying me through the air. We landed at the bottom with a sharp jolt, and I wasted no time, summoning the Demon Dogs.

"Find Kugisaki!" I ordered, the urgency heavy in my voice.

The best chance I had was to let them track her cursed energy—anything to lead me to her faster. I followed close behind, I had to find her before it was too late, before Itadori's situation went from bad to worse.

A flicker of movement to my left, I exorcised it with a quick flash of Nue's lightning as he swooped down beside me, the charge scorching the air and making the spirit vanish instantly.

The Dog paused up ahead, their snouts raised, nostrils flaring as they locked onto Kugisaki's residual energy trail. Good. We were getting closer.

The Dogs paused ahead of me, sniffing intently with noses lifted and focused on something down the hallway. They'd caught onto Kugisaki's cursed energy trail. We were close.

I pushed myself to move faster, footsteps echoing in the narrow corridor. When I reached the end, there she was—Kugisaki, hanging helplessly in a cursed spirit's grip, with smaller spirits writhing around them.

There was no time to take them all down first. If I didn't act fast, she'd be a goner.

"Gama (Toad)"

Summoning the toad-like shikigami from my shadow, it the toad sprang forward, pulling her from the spirit's grasp in one quick motion. And while the cursed spirit was distracted, I brought out a swift-moving shikigami built for surprise attacks.

"Orochi (Great Serpent)"

The white serpent shot out and struck, fangs sinking into the spirit, killing it instantly.

"We're escaping, Kugisaki!" I called out, urgency driving my voice.

"I hate frogs, you know," she replied, her tone lethargic. It was no surprise; she was utterly spent, having burned through all her cursed energy.

"Yeah, well, sorry!" I shot back, trying to keep the mood light even as anxiety churned in my gut. I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd wasted too much time. All I could do was hope Itadori could hold on long enough.

As we made our way through the twisting hallways, I focused on guiding the toad shikigami with Kugisaki still in its mouth. My Demon Dogs were working hard to sniff out the exit, their noses twitching as they led the way. Ten grueling minutes passed, each second stretching like an eternity, but finally, a faint glimmer of daylight peeked through an opening ahead.

When we arrived outside, the sunlight felt like a balm against the oppressive atmosphere we'd just escaped. "Ichiji!" I shouted, waving my hand to grab his attention.

He came running, eyes wide with concern. "What happened? Is she—"

"Exhausted," I interrupted, not wanting to linger on the grim details. "We need to get her out of here.

After a brief exchange with Ichiji, confirming Kugisaki's condition and our plan, he nodded. I added, "Please expand the evacuation area to ten kilometers."

"What about you?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"I'm waiting here for Itadori to return."

"I see. After I take Kugisaki-san to the hospital, I'll return as quickly as possible."

I hesitated before continuing, "No, there wouldn't be much point in you staying here. If you want to do something, please ask them to send over a sorcerer—Grade 1 or higher. Preferably Shiki-senpai."

At this point, I was all too aware that hoping for Gojo-sensei's intervention was a lost cause. All the second years were out on their own missions. Shiki-senpai was the only reliable option left, despite her often prickly attitude. I trusted her skills, and in this chaotic situation, her help is the best choice right now.

"I'll do what I can. Later." Ichiji's tone was resolute as he drove off with Kugisaki.

As I stood there, a heavy sense of responsibility settled over me. I was the one who had pleaded with Gojo-sensei to put a stop to Itadori's execution.

And If the worst-case scenario happened, if Itadori were to succumb to Sukuna's will or be overwhelmed by that cursed spirit, then it's my responsibility to end him.

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Third Person POV

It hurts.

Itadori Yuji lay amidst the crumbling rublle deep inside the detention center, his body battered and broken. Pain throbbed through every part of him.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I don't want to die…

The question echoed in his mind, desperate and raw. It was fear, pure and unfiltered, clawing its way through his thoughts. He didn't want to die. Not like this. He had hoped to live well, to choose his death—maybe even one that would mean something. But this? Dying here in this cold, miserable place, under the gaze of a merciless cursed spirit?

Would that really be a proper death?

'Heh… I was so full of myself,' he thought bitterly, realizing the truth. 'I thought I was strong. I thought I was at least strong enough to choose when I died. But I was wrong.'

He let out a shuddering breath, struggling to keep his vision from fading.

I'm weak!

The admission burned. He wasn't prepared for this, for the raw terror of facing his own death. He didn't want to die—not here, not like this.

I don't want to die!

A raw, but quiet cry escaped him, echoing off the ruined walls.

"A proper death? Yeah, right! Don't be naive!" he yelled out, clenching his fist despite the searing pain. Principal Yaga's words flashed through his mind

Jujutsu sorcerers never die without regret.

Finally, he understood. There was truth in it, a painful truth he couldn't ignore now.

"Still, I want to be able to say my death was a proper one." He gritted his teeth, tightening his fist, ignoring the agony that shot through his body. "So all the hate, fear, regret… let it all out… and put it in your fist!"

With that, a faint spark of cursed energy ignited around his clenched hand, the last of his strength manifesting. He charged forward, roaring with everything he had left. But the curse caught his fist effortlessly, barely acknowledging the force of Yuji's last stand.

"Damn it…" he whispered, his voice hoarse, as he felt his strength slipping away.

Then, piercing through the silence, came the faint howl of a dog. Fushiguro's signal.

He made it.

Suddenly, a wicked grin slashed across Yuji's face, as Sukuna's ominous presence surged forward.

"What a thoroughly annoying brat. He's obviously screwing with me."

Sukuna placed a firm hand on the Finger Bearer's shoulder.

"Hold on a moment. I'm thinking here. What can I do to make that brat regret this?"

He mused to himself, looking for the best way to cause chaos without giving the brat a chance to switch back. Killing Fushiguro and Kugisaki would likely hit this Itadori the hardest. All he needed was for this cursed spirit to do the dirty work.

Sukuna turned, a dark smile spreading across his face. "Hey, let's go kill some kids. Follow me."

The Finger Bearer growled, shuddering under the sheer intensity of Sukuna's cursed energy. Driven by raw instinct and fear, it lunged at Sukuna, releasing a powerful blast of cursed energy his way.

Idiot, Sukuna thought.

Effortlessly, he raised his hand, deflecting the blast and, in the same motion, regenerating Yuji severed hand. He glanced at the new limb, mildly annoyed.

"Ah, damn it," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "I healed this one, too."

Sukuna tilted his head, mocking, "What's wrong? Don't like a little walk? Well, cursed spirits are supposed to stay put, aren't they? Fine, then… you die here."

With a swift, brutal movement, he grabbed the curse by its head, smashing it hard into the ground.

"Gah! Ahh… Gah…" The Finger Bearer writhed, but Sukuna wasn't done.

"Not finished already, are you? Try harder."

Sukuna drove his foot into the cursed spirit head with a force that shattered the ground beneath them, sending both of them plummeting. As they fell, the cursed spirit lunged, gripping Sukuna's ankle in a desperate attempt to hurl him

But Sukuna only grinned. In a swift, brutal motion, he tore the creature's arm clean off.

"Even a cursed spirit… would miss their arm, right?" he sneered, his laughter growing louder, filling the space with an almost gleeful menace. "Fufufu… Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"

The curse crashed into the water below, splashing wildly, while Sukuna landed effortlessly on the scattered rubble, watching it flail with an amused smirk.

The cursed spirit surged out of the water, screeching in fury as it launched itself at Sukuna. But Sukuna didn't even flinch. He sidestepped, delivering a backhand strike that sent the spirit flying through a nearby pillar.

"Is that it?" Sukuna taunted, strolling toward it with a mocking smile. "Surely you can do better."

The curse howled, its twisted face contorted with rage as it lunged again, but Sukuna was faster. He evaded the attack with ease, his grin widening as he grabbed its outstretched arm. With a sickening crunch, he twisted and ripped it off, tossing the severed limb aside.

The cursed spirit shrieked, but Sukuna only laughed. He delivered a brutal kick that shattered one of its leg, sending it crashing to the ground in agony.

The spirit tried to drag itself back, clawing at the ground, but Sukuna's foot came down on its remaining hand, pinning it. With a sadistic grin, he bent down and ripped off the other leg, holding it up mockingly before throwing it aside.

Finally, Sukuna seized the creature, lifting it effortlessly. He hurled it toward the wall, and before it could react, he was already there, driving it hard against the stone. With one last, brutal movement, he tore off the final limb, leaving it pinned to the wall by sheer force.

Sukuna stepped back, admiring his handiwork.

"Hey, did you know? We're both classified as special-grade, apparently. Both you and me, man."

"Grr… Ngh! Ngh…"

The Finger Bearer growled, its limbs regenerating with a sickening squelch. Sukuna smirked at the creature's defiance.

"You look happy. Want me to praise you? But healing with cursed energy isn't that hard for cursed spirits, unlike for humans.

Neither you nor this brat… really understand what curses truly are. This is a good opportunity, so I'll show you… what real jujutsu is."

Slowly, Sukuna began forming a hand sign. His cursed energy flared dramatically, the air around him crackling with power.

"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"

In an instant, the environment transformed. Gone were the remnants of the fight; they now stood in a bleak, empty void. Before them loomed the Malevolent Shrine—a grotesque distortion of a Buddhist shrine, twisted to enshrine demons. Bovine skulls formed the base, and the roof sprouted horns, with human skulls dangling ominously from above.

The Finger Bearer froze, eyes widening in terror.

Before it could react, the cursed spirit was instantly sliced vertically into several pieces. Despite being severed cleanly, the curse was still alive, its fragmented body twitching in agony.

Sukuna smirked as he looked down at the cursed spirit, which was now disintegrating before him.

"I was planning to cut you in three slices, but you're really weak," he sneered, pulling something from its chest—a shriveled, wrinkled finger. It was unmistakably one of his own.

As the cursed spirit dissolved into dust, Sukuna brushed his hands off, annoyed. "It's over. This sucks! If you're gonna switch, just do it already!"

Silence.

Sukuna's eye twitched with irritation. Usually, Yuji would rush to take control back. But this time… nothing.

"What's the matter, brat?" he asked, his tone mocking.

Still no response.

For the first time, Yuji wasn't there to interfere.

A slow, sinister grin spread across Sukuna's face

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Third Person POV

It was a quiet ride.

Ichiji kept his eyes on the road, hands steady on the wheel.

In the passenger seat, Shiki sat still, her face turned toward the window. Her gaze followed each raindrop sliding down the glass, merging, parting, drifting. The quiet, steady rhythm of the rain had a strangely soothing effect on her.

Her sword rested across her lap, still sheathed. She just hoped this mission wouldn't end in disaster, but that was a hope she held close and rarely spoke aloud.

It was, indeed, a quiet ride.

[END]

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That's it for the chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

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[Thanks for Reading!]