Leaving the carnage behind, Satoru hovered above Jujutsu High. The cold night wind stirred his white hair as his eyes scanned the horizon.
'I really didn't want to do this,' he thought, pulling his phone from his pocket and flipping it open with a sharp flick of his hand, revealing a cracked screen. 'Ah, shit. Sorry, Inoue Waka. These cracks have defiled your perfect face.'
Fiddling with the buttons, he went into his contacts and scrolled until he found the name "The One Who Finds People," listed just below "The One Who Finds Things."
'Here we go,' he tapped to call. It rang twice before an anxious voice burst on the other end.
[G-GOJO-SAMA! It's been so long since we've heard from you—]
"Yeah, yeah, I've been kind of busy, you know how it is," Satoru cut off the enthusiastic voice. "Listen, I need a little favor."
[O-OF COURSE!] the man practically screamed, forcing Satoru to pull the phone away from his ear with a grimace. [Whatever you need, Gojo-sama! Just say the word!]
'What an annoying guy...' Satoru rolled his eyes, nearly ending the call right there. "I want everything you can find on the Time Vessel Association. Every detail—members, contractors, connections. Everything."
[Yes, sir—!]
Satoru ended the call, too drained to listen to the rest. 'My exhaustion just went up two levels after that... Now, let's find Suguru.'
***
'It still hasn't sunk in…' Sitting on the cold ground outside the building that housed the morgue, Suguru Geto stared at his right hand — the same one he had reached out to Riko with. 'Feels like a dream… no, a nightmare. Did we really fail? Satoru and I? The strongest couldn't save a girl from a man without cursed energy?'
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "… I need a shower."
"I could use one too."
Suguru lifted his head at the familiar voice. Satoru was approaching, hands shoved into his pants pockets, his clothes still stained with dried blood. Without his dark glasses, the Six Eyes shone brightly in the night's gloom.
'He's not going to deactivate his technique?' Suguru stood up, wiping his hands on his pants to rid himself of the sticky feel of blood. "We need to talk to Yaga-sensei."
"You haven't reported anything yet?" Satoru asked, stopping in front of him, his expression unreadable — Suguru couldn't tell what his friend was thinking or feeling.
"When I came to see Shoko, I told her you and Riko were dead. But I've already let her know you're alive. Yaga-sensei asked me to wait for you so we could go talk to him together." He gestured toward the building with his chin. "He's inside."
"How thrilling," Satoru muttered sarcastically as he walked into the building. "I can already hear the lecture."
Suguru followed with his head down. "I don't think we're getting one this time, Satoru."
"Yeah… maybe not." Satoru was walking with long strides but suddenly stopped in the hallway, turning to his friend. He raised a hand and placed it on Suguru's shoulder, holding him in place. "Hey, when we talk about that shitty cult, I want you to say everyone in the basement was already dead."
Suguru's eyes widened. "W-What?... Satoru… did you kill those people?"
"Yes," Satoru replied without hesitation.
"W-Why?" Suguru's voice trembled, thick with disbelief. "They were just followers! The real culprits weren't even there—"
"Not even you believe that, so cut the fake morality," Satoru interrupted. "Everyone there knew what was going to happen. They knew they were sending someone to kill a child. And if they were ready for that, they were ready to die too. I just gave them justice."
Suguru felt a knot tighten in his stomach. Satoru's words hurt—not because they were lies, but because they echoed the dark thoughts he'd been trying to suppress. He looked away, fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. "You got that attached to her just to do something like this?"
Satoru hesitated, his eyes drifting for a moment. "…I don't know." He let go of Suguru's shoulder, his hand falling to his side. "I'm kind of confused right now."
"I see…" Suguru murmured, running a hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. "But this… what you did… I don't know if I can just accept it."
"Then don't," Satoru shot back, regaining a bit of his usual tone. "But when we're in front of Yaga-sensei, you'll say what I asked. We don't need more complications right now." He turned his back and started walking down the hallway. "Let's go. The sooner we get this over with, the better."
Suguru stood still for a moment, the weight of their conversation anchoring him in place. 'Killing those people… was it really wrong? Yesterday's me would've said yes without hesitation. But today's me… doesn't have an answer.' With a sigh, he followed his friend, their footsteps echoing down the empty corridor.
When they reached the door to the morgue, Satoru pushed it open without ceremony, entering with his usual lack of reverence. The two of them found Yaga Masamichi sitting on a metal chair, elbows resting on his knees, staring at Riko Amanai's body. She lay on the autopsy table, covered by a white sheet, except for her face.
"So, you've arrived." Yaga lifted his gaze, which immediately settled on Satoru, lingering on the dried bloodstains splattered across his clothes. A shadow crossed his face—not of surprise, but of understanding. "Sit down. We need to talk."
Satoru remained standing, hands in his pockets, his defiant posture contrasting with the restless gleam of the Six Eyes. "There's not much to say, sensei. We failed. The girl's dead. End of story."
"Satoru," Yaga said, reprimanding him with a firm but calm tone. "It's not that simple, and you know it. Sit down. I want to hear everything. From the moment you entered the barrier until…" He paused, eyes flicking briefly back to the body on the table. "Until it ended like this."
***
"I see... so that's how it happened," Yaga murmured, his deep voice carrying through the room. He leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on something beyond Satoru and Suguru. "To think they would hire the infamous Toji Zen'in..."
Suguru lifted his gaze from the floor, surprised. "That man was a Zen'in?"
"Not an active member," Yaga clarified, crossing his arms. "Toji was a renegade from the clan. Someone born with a Heavenly Restriction that completely erased his cursed energy. In return, he gained strength, endurance, and senses far beyond any non-sorcerer — and even most sorcerers. That man was an anomaly."
'The Zen'in rejected that guy? They're dumber than I thought.' Satoru pulled out his phone, fingers moving quickly as he sent a message to "The One Who Finds People," asking for everything on Toji Zen'in.
Unaware of Satoru's actions, Suguru kept his eyes on Yaga. "And now?"
"Now," Yaga stood up, "I need to speak with the higher-ups. The fact that Master Tengen couldn't merge with the Star Plasma Vessel opens doors to things we can't even imagine. But that's not something you two need to worry about right now. Go rest. You've been through hell today."
"Sounds like a plan," Satoru replied, putting his phone away as Suguru simply nodded.
"Haa... don't get into trouble," Yaga said before leaving, the two of them alone now in the morgue.
Suguru stared at the door for a few seconds, shoulders tense, as if the weight of everything — Riko's death, Satoru's actions, Yaga's words — was pressing down on him. "... What do you think is going to happen now?" Suguru asked, turning to Satoru.
"I don't know..."
***
In the corner of an inner courtyard at Jujutsu High, Shoko Ieiri leaned against a wall, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Smoke rose in lazy spirals, mixing with the night air.
Across from her, Utahime Iori paced back and forth, arms crossed, her face twisted in a mix of anger and helplessness. "You're going to finish that pack before dawn," Utahime said, pausing to shoot a disapproving look at Shoko. "Seriously, how can you smoke this much at a time like this?"
Shoko took a long drag, the tip of the cigarette glowing orange in the dim light. "Helps me think," she murmured, blowing the smoke to the side. "Or not think. Either works."
Utahime sighed in defeat. "How can you stay so calm? He's dead! The guy everyone said was untouchable!"
Shoko stayed quiet for a moment, eyes half-lidded as she took another drag. "Calm? No, senpai. I just... don't know what to feel. I fix people. Stitch up wounds, mend bones. But this?" She gestured vaguely into the empty air, as if trying to point to Satoru's absence. "This I can't fix. I can't bring him back."
The words fell like stones, and Utahime felt the weight of them crash into her like a wave. Slowly, she walked over and slid to the ground beside Shoko, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Sorry. I didn't mean to... I'm just angry they sent only the two of them on a mission like that."
"Welcome to the club," Shoko gave a dry chuckle, putting out the cigarette against the wall before lighting another.
"..."
"..."
"Oh, finally found you, Shoko."
The voice broke the silence in the courtyard, and both Shoko and Utahime turned their heads at the same time. Walking slowly toward them, Satoru stopped right in front of them.
"..."
"..."
"What's with the funeral vibes? Someone die?"
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.