Third Person POV

At a hot spring on some unknown mountain. Jogo relaxes and smokes a pipe. Due to his fight with Gojo satoru, he was left with only his head intact, and because of this, he needed to recover his body and curse energy.

Mahito playfully jumps into the hot spring, flushing jogo with water.

"Tsk…"

"Looks like most of your body's back." Mahito ask jogo.

"Yeah, this place is relaxing. Humans don't come anywhere near it."

"Lacking a body really is a problem. It makes self-preservation so inefficient"

"Mahito, you're awfully worn down yourself. What happend to your arm?"

"Oh, you could tell? Sukuna and his vessel are my natural enemies. But Ryougi shiki was a different kind of trouble." He continues. "I started this game because I happened to acquire a new toy, but it just didn't go so well. It was great at first, though."

"Are you sure I shouldn't have just used a hostage to force him into a pact? Like, "Hand your body over to Sukuna if you don't want to see him killed." " Mahito ask Kenjaku who stand silently in geto's body.

"No, pacts are only placed by oneself on oneself. It's not easy to forget pacts with others or due to intervention from others."

A pact made with outside intervention, or one forced upon someone, lacks true binding power. A forced pact, even one created under duress, is inherently weak because it lacks the soul's complete acceptance of the terms.

Without this acceptance, the pact becomes meaningless. The soul simply won't recognize or adhere to it fully. Binding Vows are far more effective when willingly created by the individual, as the soul must embrace the agreement for it to hold any real weight.

Mahito stepped out of the water with a slow, deliberate motion. The steam swirled around him as he stretched his arms, still feeling the aftermath of his encounter with Shiki.

"Jogo... Touching Sukuna made me realize that we should probably proceed with Geto's plan for now. Sukuna is that valuable."

Jogo, deep in thought, glanced up at him.

"Gather all the fingers and offer them to Sukuna, huh? Even if we're all wiped out in the process, eh?"

He fell silent for a wasn't the type to linger on decisions for long, but this one needed careful thought. Still, as a cursed spirit, it didn't take much to know what mattered.

"Very well. I don't need to be the one laughing in the wasteland a century from now. As long as curses stand there as people, that's all that matters."

"Then first, let's go retrieve the Five fingers Jujutsu Tech has." Kenjaku's voice cut through.

.

.

Third Person POV

2 hours before the first phase began.

"What the hell does this mean?!"

Gojo, leaning casually against a wall with his usual carefree grin, raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"You knew about her, didn't you?" Shiki's voice was colder now, the edge of suspicion clear.

"I did. But what's the problem? She's just another participant."

Shiki took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. At this point, it was useless to ask for Gojo's true intentions. Asagami Fujino, a remnant of Geto's subordinate, was now attending Kyoto Technical High School as a first-year and was set to participate in the event.

It was unusual, but not entirely out of place. After all, both Kugisaki and Megumi were also first years.

But to join the school, a recommendation was required. Shiki was certain Gojo had something to do with it. She wasn't sure if the others were aware of Fujino's past, since only she and Gojo had faced her during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons incident.

But with Gojo, she figured it was likely he'd informed them somehow, just as he did with Yuji.

'But why?' Shiki thought. She wasn't sure of his game plan, but now that Fujino was confirmed to participate, there was no backing out. She'd just have to face whatever came. She was certain Fujino would confront her at some point during the event.

"Fine. Do what you want, but... is it personal?"

Shiki couldn't shake the feeling. Something about Gojo seemed off, despite the fact everyone else still saw him as the same idiot.

Gojo fell silent for a moment, his grin fading slightly before he answered.

"Yes, it's personal."

Though her questions remained unanswered, Shiki felt some satisfaction and let go of Gojo, heading toward the meeting with the others. Gojo watched her leave, a soft smile on his face.

"Fuu... having a perceptive girl like her was a hassle," Gojo muttered to himself. It wasn't a bad feeling, though. Aside from his best friend, Shiki probably understood him the best, and the feeling was mutual.

He made his way to the staff room, where the proctors would monitor the students during the event. Inside, he saw Utahime Iori sipping tea, so he made himself a cup as well. Afterward, he took a seat beside her, and the two sat in silence for a moment.

"So what did you want?" Utahime asked, her tone not quite as calm as usual.

"Huh? Why are you mad?" Gojo responded, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not mad, actually,"

"Right? I haven't done anything. Why is it that today, everyone seems eager to find something wrong with me?" Gojo's response only seemed to irritate her further.

Despite acknowledging Gojo as the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer of this era, Utahime couldn't shake the frustration of being treated like a child by him, even though she was the older one. She sighed inwardly, but decided to let it go for the moment.

Finally, Gojo dropped the teasing and got to the point.

"There's someone working with either a curse user or curses at Jujutsu Tech."

"…Huh?" Utahime's eyes narrowed, confused by the claim.

"There's someone working with either a curse user or curses at Jujutsu Tech," Gojo repeated.

"Impossible! A curse user might be one thing, but working with curses?!"

The very idea made Utahime's voice rise in disbelief. Cursed spirits were born from the negative emotions of humans—hate, fear, anger. By their very nature, cursed spirits loathed humanity. The thought of them willingly working alongside a human was absurd.

"A lot of them on that level have been popping up lately. They understand human speech, and they've formed a faction that's operating with purpose. They might think they're just working with a curse user. I'd like to ask you to handle investigating those at Kyoto, Utahime."

Gojo was pretty sure of his theory. He'd even investigated his own students, though, as their teacher, he absolutely, 100 percent, with certainty believed in them. But to be thorough, he checked up on them himself and, of course, found nothing.

So, the suspicion shifted to the Kyoto side.

He didn't know much about them, which was why he'd left the task to Utahime.

"What would you do if I was the traitor?" Utahime asked, her tone tinged with sarcasm.

"No way. You're weak, and you don't have the gu—"

Before he could finish, Utahime tossed her tea at him. It didn't even come close to hitting him. She was left with nothing to throw, so she sat back in her chair, sulking.

"Is it possible that it was Fujino?" Utahime asked, her voice cautious.

She knew about Fujino's previous affiliation with Geto. But Gojo had managed to convince her to recommend Fujino for Kyoto Technical High School, and at the time, Gojo had been unusually serious, so she'd gone along with it.

"No, it wasn't Fujino. I'm certain of it."

"Then who do you think the traitor is?"

Gojo looked at her, his eyes hidden behind his blindfold. Even though she couldn't see them, Utahime could feel the weight of the pity in his gaze.

"Being useless won't win men, you know."

"Grrrr."

As expected, she hated him the most.

.

.

Shiki POV

After leaving Gojo, I headed to the meeting with the others. The teams were already decided, except for me. I was on my own.

That suited me just fine.

On the walkway, I approach Itadori.

"Itadori," I called out to him as he was walking toward the group.

He turned around, looking a little surprised but smiling like always. "Oh, Shiki-san! What's up?"

I paused, my gaze fixed on him. Apologizing wasn't something I did often, but after what happened last time, it felt necessary.

"About before… I might've gone too far."

Itadori blinked, his expression shifting from surprise to understanding. "Oh, that? Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean anything bad."

His easygoing response was disarming, and for a second, I wondered if he was always this forgiving. I mean, I did knock him out, and if Nanami hadn't stopped me, I might have actually killed him.

I nodded once, accepting his response.

Truthfully, I didn't even know how to approach him in the first place. Apologizing had only crossed my mind once, and even then, I wasn't sure if it was sincere or not. But according to common sense, this is something you're supposed to do. It's what normal people would do.

After that, we gathered at the gates leading to the forest where the event would take place.

"It's time," said Maki, glancing at her watch.

All of us, then gathered at our post in the forest.

—We're starting in one minute.

I glanced up and noticed a speaker mounted high in a tree.

Gojo's voice echoed from it, his tone as casual as ever, amplified across the forest and the school grounds.

—Now, let's hear a few words of well-appreciated encouragement from Iori Utahime-sensei.

There was a brief pause, followed by a hesitant and flustered voice.

—Huh?! U-Uh… Um, some degree of injury will be unavoidable, but, um… now and then, help each other out… or something…

—Time's up.

—Gojo, you little…!

It was oddly lively, considering the circumstances.

—Now, let the Sister School Exchange Event… begin!

As the signal sounded, we broke into a run, heading deeper into the forest.

"Where do you think the cursed spirit boss is?" Itadori asked, his eyes scanning the path ahead.

"It was probably unleashed somewhere halfway between both schools," Panda explained, keeping pace with ease. "But it's not just going to sit still."

Maki led the way, her tone sharp and focused as she spoke. "At the agreed time, we'll split into the Megumi squad and the Panda squad to scout—"

She stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowing.

There, standing alone in the middle of the forest, was a girl.

Her bright red eyes lit up, locking onto me as if she'd been waiting for this moment.

In turn, my Mystic Eyes stared back at her.

Maki hesitated, glancing between me and the girl. Her hand rested on the handle of her weapon, and I could feel the tension radiating off her.

"You guys can go," I said calmly, my tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll handle her."

Yuji opened his mouth to protest, but Maki placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. She must've sensed it too—this wasn't a fight for anyone but me.

"Stick to the plan. We'll need you to handle Todo later," Maki said to Yuji before turning back to me.

"All right," she said after a pause. "We'll keep moving. Don't lose, Shiki."

Without waiting for my response, she turned and led the others deeper into the forest, the sound of their footsteps fading into the distance.

Now, it was just the two of us.

The girl's red eyes continued to burn, unwavering as they focused on me. Was this what she meant by "we'll meet again soon"? If so, she really didn't have any patience.

Without a word, she turned and walked deeper into the forest. I followed, keeping my distance but never letting her out of sight.

Eventually, we arrived at a clearing. The trees formed a natural barrier, isolating us from the rest.

Now, it was just the two of us.

"Asagami Fujino," I said, breaking the silence.

She nodded slightly, her eyes never leaving mine.

Neither of us moved. The forest around us felt unnaturally still, as if even nature understood the tension in the air.

"Why are you here?" I asked. The answer seemed obvious, but I wanted to hear her say it.

"To see if you're still the same," she replied, her tone calm, almost indifferent.

"Stop lying."

She shrugged, offering no further explanation.

I unsheathed my sword, letting the scabbard fall to the ground, and pulled a knife from beneath my clothes, holding it in a reverse grip.

Fujino didn't react. Instead, she calmly raised her arm, revealing a bracelet. The glass surface rippled unnaturally, distorting like water.

'Suitcase?'

From the bracelet emerged a black suitcase, its smooth exterior unremarkable except for the chain attached to it. This was the first time I had seen it, but I recognized that chain. My eyes flicked back to the bracelet.

It squirmed slightly against her skin. That's when it hit me—it wasn't a bracelet. It was a cursed spirit. Though rare, such tools weren't unheard of.

'A storage-type cursed spirit, then?'

If it could hold weapons, there were likely other surprises inside. I'd need to be extra careful when I approached her.

"Let's get this over with," I said, taking a step forward.

Fujino raised her suitcase, her glowing eyes narrowing. "Don't hold back, Shiki."

I didn't plan to.

Suddenly, Fujino's suitcase unfolded, its surface breaking apart to reveal a massive, roaring buzzsaw. Though it seemed unpowered, just imagining what getting sliced by it would feel like was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine.

This wasn't going to be easy.

But somehow, it didn't feel bad at all.

I dashed toward her, raising my sword to strike.

Clank!

My sword met her buzzsaw in a blinding clash of sparks.

"What's wrong? Use your eyes," I taunted, driving a sharp kick into her stomach. Fujino staggered back, putting some distance between us.

Now, with a gap between us, I stood my ground, staring at her intently.

And then, it arrived.

Her eyes turned a vivid crimson, the exact opposite of mine. The air around her began to distort, warping like a mirage on a scorching summer day.

The power to bend everything. Her eyes were undeniably dangerous. But...

Cut.

The spiral of red and green—that was how her power appeared to me. I saw its lines of death, and I severed it. But she just silently looking at me.

"You don't seemed suprised?" I ask.

"I know your eyes is special like mine." She continues "You know, peepole like us are an anomaly and different. Its like we have a different view of human from the rest of humanity."

Different view… She's not wrong. Since the day I woke up with these eyes, I knew deep down that I wasn't like everyone else. Even in this world filled with curses, sorcery, and all the unnatural horrors that come with them, I still felt like I was different.

If someone else could see what I see, I wonder—would they even be able to keep their sanity? Would they break under the weight of understanding what the end truly looks like?

A normal person probably wouldn't be able to function after that. So… does that mean I'm not normal?

"I don't know what you see, and you don't know what I see, but we are similar in this case," Fujino said, her voice calm yet firm, like she truly believed her words could bridge the gap between us.

"No," I said, cutting her off.

"What?"

I dashed forward, swinging my sword down at her. She caught it with her weapon, the clash ringing out in the empty space between us.

Not letting up, I gripped my knife tightly and thrust it toward her. But she skillfully controlled her chain, intercepting the attack. The chain coiled defensively, keeping me at bay. We locked eyes, her red gaze glaring back at me.

"What you see, and what I see, are totally different."

That's the truth. Even if her eyes are special, what I see and what she sees are nothing alike. In this world, my existence is like no other. So even if her vision is extraordinary, we are completely different beings.

"I agree that we are different from others, but," I said, my voice colder now, "don't make it sound like you understand what I see."

I kicked her buzzsaw, forcing her to loosen her grip, and leapt back to put some distance between us.

"I see death every single day. Everything in this world has a lifespan—its natural end. My eyes see that. When I cut something, I'm delivering death itself, speeding up its process in an instant."

That's the truth of my eyes.

"If you could truly see death, you wouldn't be able to stand. It's like walking on the moon—a desolate wasteland where nothing feels solid. To see death means to see the world's uncertainty and fragility. The ground beneath you feels like it could vanish, the sky like it could collapse at any moment. You're forced to live with the illusion that the whole world could perish in an instant."

I pointed my blade at her.

"Instead, let me show you what death truly look like."

[END]

.

.

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

Don't forget to leave a review!

[Thanks for Reading!]