The distant flicker of faulty lights echoed above, buzzing softly in the silence of the ruined subway corridor.
Yuji's eyes fluttered open, his head pounding like a war drum. The cold stone beneath him felt strangely comforting as he slowly lifted his face—only to flinch in surprise.
Sitting across from him, slumped against a wall with his sword resting across his lap, was Yuta Okkotsu. His expression was unreadable—calm, still, but heavy with thought. For a moment, he didn't even look alive.
But then—
Yuta smiled.
"You're awake."
Yuji blinked, his throat dry. "Why didn't you finish me?"
Yuta closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again with a tired exhale.
"I remember now... who you are."
Yuji didn't respond immediately, watching him with confused eyes.
Yuta looked down at the floor as if seeing something long buried in memory.
"Gojo-sensei told me once… If anything ever happens to him… I'm the one who has to look after Jujutsu High."
He looked up.
"And especially… a particular brat named Itadori Yuji."
Yuji's mouth parted slightly, a flicker of grief and resolve passing over his face.
"So that's why…"
Footsteps echoed lightly across the stairs. Megumi Fushiguro appeared, walking down, his hands in his pockets, blood still dried on his cheek.
"I figured you two were done killing each other."
Yuji glanced at him and sighed, relieved to see his friend standing.
The three sat in an uneasy triangle. Wounded. Tired. Determined.
Megumi broke the silence.
"We need to figure out how to stop Kenjaku."
Yuta leaned back against the wall. "Yeah. But right now, we've lost more than we've won."
Just then, Megumi's phone buzzed.
He answered it. "Shoko?"
The voice on the other end was firm, laced with urgency.
"Kenjaku… he's making a game. Some kind of twisted challenge. Something to trap the first users."
Megumi's eyes narrowed. "A game?"
"The rules aren't fully clear yet," Shoko continued, "but the winner of the game will earn the right to face Kenjaku directly… and potentially unlock the key to Satoru Gojo's Prison Realm."
Yuji stood up, fists clenched again.
"A game? What kind of sick joke is this?"
Megumi clicked the call off and turned to him.
"Whatever it is… we play it. We win it."
Yuta nodded slowly.
"And then we bring back Gojo-sensei."
The camera of fate had shifted.
Three fighters stood bloodied but unbroken, and in the distance, a new arc was waiting to begin.