WARNING: Spoilers ahead from after the Shibuya arc to the end. I'm serious. If you don't know how and why Yuji will face Sukuna, it's best not to read this now.

A biting chill hung in the air as (Y/n) stood just outside the colony's barrier, arms crossed, scanning the empty streets. She had been waiting for hours. That morning, Ieiri had sent a short message: The exchange is happening around noon. Now, it was well past three, and nothing had happened. No updates. No signs of movement. Just silence.

She checked her phone again-still nothing. With a quiet sigh, she shoved it back into her pocket, her mind restless.

It had taken her nearly two weeks to find a way back into Japan. Ever since the Shibuya Incident, the country had been locked down, cutting off nearly all travel. During that time, she had kept in contact with Ieiri, gathering bits and pieces of information. She knew about Satoru being sealed, the losses in Shibuya, and the chaos of the Culling Games. The rules were a convoluted mess, but the surviving sorcerers were doing everything they could to turn the tide in their favor.

A faint rustling broke the stillness.

She looked up just as a figure emerged in the distance, walking toward her at an unhurried pace. Hands stuffed into his coat pockets, his posture relaxed but deliberate. As he got closer, she could make out his sharp eyes studying her, as if sizing her up. He stopped a few feet away.

"You're (L/n), right?" His tone was casual, but there was an underlying weight to it.

She nodded. "And you are?"

"Hakari Kinji," he said, skipping any pleasantries. "Change of plans. You're coming with me."

Her brow furrowed. "What happened to the exchange?"

Hakari exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah... about that. Turns out the girl wasn't actually Megumi's sister."

"What does that mean?" she asked, keeping her voice steady despite the questions racing through her mind.

Hakari's expression darkened. "It means Sukuna took Megumi's body. That's why I'm here. Figured it'd be easier to explain on the way back."

(Y/n) forced herself to take a slow breath, pushing away the weight of that revelation-for now. "And the Prison Realm?"

"We got it," Hakari confirmed, though his tone wasn't exactly triumphant. "Angel's the one who can open it. She got messed up pretty bad in the fight, and if she doesn't pull through..."

"Angel?"

"Yeah. Hana. Angel's her nickname-you'll understand once you see her."

The implication was clear. If Angel didn't survive, Gojo wouldn't be freed.

(Y/n) clenched her jaw, forcing herself to focus. There was nothing she could do standing here.

She took one last look toward the colony's boundary before stepping forward. "Let's go."

Hakari nodded and turned on his heel. As they made their way toward the hideout, he continued filling her in-how the confrontation had nearly turned fatal, Angel's critical condition, and how Ieiri was too busy trying to save her to come herself.

Then silence settled between them, and (Y/n) felt Hakari's gaze flicker toward her. She didn't know how much the others had told him, but with the burning marks exposed on her face and arms, she knew she looked like an enigma.

"Just ask already," she muttered, breaking the quiet.

Hakari blinked, feigning innocence. "Oh, I didn't want to bother."

She sighed. "It's better than you staring. I can't focus with you looking at me like that."

Hakari smirked at that but didn't ask right away. Instead, he let the silence linger a little longer, as if debating what he actually wanted to say. Then, with a shrug, he finally spoke.

"Well, Ieiri just said you were a friend and useful." He shot her a sideways glance. "But I can tell there's more to it than that. The others-Gojo's students-knew you as Yuna, right? And from what I gathered, you and Gojo had... something."

(Y/n) didn't react immediately. She had expected this. The way he phrased it made it clear no one had given him a straight answer-just enough to make him curious.

"So, you're trying to figure me out?" she guessed.

"Pretty much," Hakari admitted. His gaze flickered over her markings but didn't linger. "I mean, no offense, but you look like someone who's been through hell. You weren't in Japan during all this, so why come back now?"

(Y/n) exhaled, a short breath that wasn't quite a laugh.

"Because I felt like it," she said simply.

Hakari raised an eyebrow. "That's not an answer."

She glanced at him, debating whether to actually give one. But before she could decide, he spoke again.

"Look, I don't really care about whatever history you've got with Gojo or why the others are keeping quiet about you. I just want to know what to expect. If you're on our side, that's enough for me."

(Y/n) studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I am."

"Good," Hakari said, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "Then let's get this over with."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, but this time, it was more comfortable. Whatever questions Hakari still had, he seemed willing to let them go-at least for now.

As they reached the hideout, (Y/n) took in the sight of the building-large and spacious, enough to serve as a base. Hakari led the way, pushing the door open without hesitation. The two moved through the dimly lit halls until they reached the improvised medical facility.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense. The sharp scent of antiseptics clung to the air, and hushed voices carried the weight of exhaustion and urgency.

The moment they stepped in, all eyes turned to them.

(Y/n) recognized some of them immediately-Maki stood near the back, arms crossed, looking like a completely different person. Panda was nearby, his usual lighthearted energy absent. At the table, Yuji sat with his hands clasped together, his posture stiff, his expression unreadable.

It was Yuji who spoke first.

"You're here." His voice was quieter than she remembered, strained.

(Y/n) gave a small nod. "Yeah."

Maki's gaze flickered to Hakari. "You explain everything?"

Hakari stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. She knows."

The weight of it settled over them. Megumi was gone-taken. Angel's life hung in the balance. And if she didn't wake up, there would be no way to free Gojo.

(Y/n) exhaled slowly. She hadn't even been back a full day, and already, everything was worse than she had imagined.

"Where's Ieiri?" she asked.

"In the next room," Maki answered. "She's with Angel and Yuta."

(Y/n) nodded. She wanted to see Ieiri, to hear from her directly what the situation was. But first-

Her gaze drifted back to Yuji. He looked exhausted, like the weight of the world was crushing him. And maybe it was.

"How bad is it?" she asked.

Yuji met her eyes, looking like he wanted to say something, but then he just shook his head. "Bad."

That was enough.

A heavy silence settled over the room. No one moved. (Y/n) just stood there, absorbing the weight of it all.

Then, a familiar voice broke the quiet.

"You came."

Ieiri stepped out, looking utterly drained. The sharpness in her eyes was dulled by exhaustion, and faint lines of tension marked her face.

"Of course I did."

Without hesitation, (Y/n) crossed the room and pulled her into a hug.

"You look like hell," she muttered.

Ieiri let out a tired chuckle, leaning into the embrace for a brief moment before pulling back. "Yeah, well, I've had better days."

Before they could say more, footsteps sounded behind them.

Yuji had come up the stairs, his expression tense. "Shoko," he called, stopping a few feet away. "How is she?"

Ieiri exhaled, rubbing a hand over her face. "I did all I could," she admitted. "I've got no more cursed energy left to help her further."

Yuji's face fell, and (Y/n) felt her mind start racing.

No more cursed energy...

That shouldn't be the end of it. Not if her theory was correct.

(Y/n) had been testing this for a while now-manipulating her cursed energy, not just to absorb, but to give. It was dangerous. Unstable. The energy carried traces of her emotions, her memories. If she passed it to Ieiri, it wouldn't just be power-it would be fragments of herself.

But if it could save Angel, did that really matter?

She took a steadying breath.

"Ieiri," she said slowly, drawing the woman's tired gaze back to her. "I think there's a way for you to keep going."

Ieiri frowned. "What are you talking about?"

(Y/n) met her eyes. "I can give you my cursed energy. Just enough to get you through this."

Ieiri blinked, caught off guard. Yuji looked between them, confused.

"How?" Ieiri asked cautiously.

(Y/n) hesitated. "I've been testing something. In theory, I can transfer cursed energy to others. But there's a catch."

Ieiri arched a brow. "Of course there is."

(Y/n) sighed. "Some memories and feelings might come with it. Till you burn through the energy."

Ieiri studied her, weighing the risks. Then, she rolled her shoulders back and smirked-exhausted, but amused.

"Well," she said, "guess we're about to find out if it works."

(Y/n) nodded and stepped closer. "Alright. Just stay still."

Ieiri snorted. "Not like I have the energy to do much else."

(Y/n) focused. She had done this before-but never with the sole purpose of replenishing someone else's reserves. Usually, she absorbed energy, not gave it away. But she had experimented with reversing the process, pushing power outward instead of pulling it in.

Her fingers brushed Ieiri's wrist. Instantly, the connection took hold-a pull deep within her chest, like something unraveling. She didn't resist. Instead, she let the energy flow.

Ieiri inhaled sharply, her body tensing. Her pupils dilated as the rush of energy settled. Then, just as quickly, she exhaled, shaking off whatever she had felt.

"Shit," Ieiri muttered under her breath, blinking rapidly. "That's... a hell of a thing."

(Y/n) let go and stepped back, a little unsteady but still standing. "You good?" She knew exactly how intoxicating the rush of new power could be, even in small doses.

Ieiri flexed her fingers, rolling her shoulders. Already, she looked steadier-still exhausted, but no longer suffocating under the weight of it.

"I've got enough to keep going," she confirmed, then glanced at (Y/n), something unreadable in her expression.

(Y/n) lifted an eyebrow in silent question.

Yuji, who had been standing tensely nearby, finally spoke. "Did it work?"

Ieiri nodded. "Yeah. Let's hope it's enough."

The energy transfer was a success, allowing Ieiri to stabilize Hana. As her condition improved, so did the atmosphere in the hideout. There was even talk of celebrating.

(Y/n) and Ieiri sat off to the side in the main room, away from the others. Ieiri leaned back, watching her with a tired but amused look.

"You've done some dark stuff since you've been gone," she remarked.

(Y/n) took a sip of her drink before replying, her tone casual. "Maybe you just got the worst memories." But there was something unreadable behind her words.

Ieiri caught the hint. She smirked, stretching her arms. "Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm just glad I didn't get any memories of you and Gojo."

(Y/n) shot her a look before lightly smacking her arm. "Dumbass."

They laughed, drawing a few curious glances from the others.

Hakari strolled over, hands in his pockets, looking amused. "You two hiding over here?"

Ieiri smirked. "Just taking a break from the chaos."

He glanced at (Y/n), then at the half-empty glass in her hand. "You got another one of those?"

Before (Y/n) could answer, Ieiri grinned. "You know, she used to be a bartender."

Hakari raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Then you have to make me something."

(Y/n) sighed but pushed herself up. "Fine. Anyone else?"

At that, Maki perked up. "I'm in," she said, leaning back in her chair.

"Me too," Yuta added, a little more hesitant but interested.

Then Takaba, never one to miss an opportunity, threw an arm around Hakari's shoulder. "Ohhh, a real bartender? This is gonna be fun!"

(Y/n) shook her head, suppressing a smirk. "Alright, but if I'm making drinks, you're all getting cocktails. No complaints."

With that, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work, the tension in the room slowly easing as the drinks started flowing.

The next morning *

The hideout was quieter than the night before. The air was thick with the sluggishness of those who had indulged too much, the energy subdued compared to their brief moment of celebration.

Shoko sat at the table, sunglasses in place, slowly sipping her coffee like it was the only thing keeping her alive. Hakari, somehow unaffected, leaned back in his seat with a self-satisfied smirk, while Maki groaned, her head resting against the table.

Yuta, ever responsible, had paced himself, but even he looked a little off. Takaba, on the other hand, was perfectly fine—probably because his cursed technique ignored things like alcohol.

(Y/n) watched them with mild amusement. She felt fine. Working as a bartender had taught her how to drink and when to stop.

Takaba, grinning, leaned toward Shoko. "Shouldn't you be used to this?"

Shoko exhaled, voice dry. "I don't usually get drunk. Blame her." She tilted her head toward (Y/n).

(Y/n) just shrugged. "You asked for a strong one."

Maki lifted her head just enough to glare at her. "You could've warned us."

"I did. You ignored me."

Hakari laughed. "She's got a point."

The light conversation was a temporary relief, but reality crept back in soon enough.

Yuta was the one to bring it up. "Angel's stable enough, right?"

Shoko nodded, setting down her coffee. "Yeah. But she's still recovering. Don't expect her to jump into a fight anytime soon."

A pause. Then Hakari leaned forward, his voice turning serious.

"Then it's time."

The air shifted. Tension settled over them, sobering them in an instant.

They made their way to Kiroko Mine, Jujutsu High's training ground No. 4. Here, they would make the necessary preparations for Gojo's unsealing.

"Salmon."

At Inumaki's signal, Hana began her technique.

A brilliant white light engulfed the Prison Realm, so intense that everyone had to look away. (Y/n)'s heart pounded uncontrollably, anticipation and hope twisting inside her. She was about to see Satoru again.

And then—nothing.

The Prison Realm was gone.

But Gojo was nowhere to be seen.

Disappointment crashed down on them, the silence almost suffocating. Then—

A sudden earthquake rumbled beneath their feet, shaking the ground violently. The tremors made it clear—something had happened.

But as time passed and there was still no sign of him, they had no choice but to return to the hideout.

(Y/n) lingered at the mine, unable to move, still hoping—praying—that he would appear.

It was Ieiri who finally spoke, her voice gentle but firm.

"Let's go, (Y/n). We'll figure out what happened."

(Y/n) couldn't answer, the knot in her throat too tight. She just nodded, allowing the medic to pull her away.

Back at the hideout, everyone was gathered in the main room, trying to piece together what had gone wrong. Tension filled the air, frustration and uncertainty pressing down on them.

And then—

A presence.

Before anyone could react, a man dressed in black appeared.

His white hair was striking against the dark fabric, his posture loose but alert. His piercing blue eyes swept across the room, taking everything in. Then—

They stopped on her.

His gaze locked onto (Y/n), unreadable at first. He took a few steps forward, his expression shifting.

"(Y/n)."

Her name was soft at first.

Then, sharper—"What the hell are you doing here?"

I had just the end scene in mind before starting this chapter, but it didn't sit well. I needed some continuity to make it work, so it turned out to be more than just one more chapter.