The infirmary at Jujutsu High was quiet, save for the faint hum of the lanterns and the occasional shuffle of paper from the desk where Shoko Ieiri sat, filling out reports.
At the far end of the room, a curtain was drawn half open, and inside that space Megumi Fushiguro lay as still as stone. His breathing was steady, his chest rising and falling at its own measured rhythm, but his eyes remained closed, his consciousness unreachable.
Nobara sat in her wheelchair at his bedside, her chin resting on her palm. She stared at him for a long time without speaking, her face betraying nothing.
Across from her, Yuji sat on the edge of his chair, elbows on his knees, hands clasped tightly as if he could will Megumi awake through sheer stubbornness.
"Not a twitch," Nobara finally said, breaking the silence. Her tone was casual, but there was a tension underneath, a brittle edge to every word.
Yuji sighed through his nose, staring down at the floor. "Yeah. Not even Shoko can explain it, other than him not feeling 'whole'. He's just… stuck."
For a long while, the two simply sat in the dim room, the sound of Megumi's breathing their only anchor. Then Nobara shifted, straightening her back, her gaze flicking to Yuji.
"You think it's Mahito?" she asked bluntly.
Yuji's shoulders tensed. The question had been circling in his head for weeks, but hearing it spoken aloud twisted his gut. He looked at Nobara, and her eyes were sharp, waiting.
"I don't know," he said slowly. His voice was tight, almost hoarse. "I really don't know. But… It's possible."
Nobara leaned back in her chair, exhaling through her nose. "That bastard always had tricks no one expected. If he wanted Megumi gone, this would be a clean way to do it. Keep him alive but useless. Honestly… It feels like something he'd do at this point."
Yuji gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Mahito's shady, yeah, but… I get the feeling that if he wanted Megumi dead, he'd have killed him outright."
"Selfish, not evil," Nobara muttered. She ran her hand across the armrest of her chair, her nails clicking softly against the wood. "That's what I think. The rumors about him being able to fix me, but not bothering? Tells me enough. I'm useless to him. He didn't do it because there's nothing in it for him."
Her voice was flat, but Yuji turned sharply toward her. "Don't say that. You're not useless."
Nobara's lips curved, a faint smirk tugging at her mouth, but it didn't reach her eyes. "To him, Yuji. Not to you. Don't get the two mixed up."
The words lingered in the air like smoke. Yuji clenched his fists tighter, but he couldn't argue. Not with the memory of Mahito's mocking grin carved so vividly in his mind.
Silence pressed in again before Nobara spoke, her voice quieter this time. "He's the strongest now. Like Gojo-sensei was."
Yuji swallowed hard. He had thought the same, but hearing her say it made it real.
"Okkotsu Yuta coming back didn't change anything either," Nobara went on. "He and Yuki are tied up with their council now. Playing politics. And Mahito's out there… doing whatever he wants."
Yuji leaned back, exhaling shakily. "We don't even know what 'whatever he wants' means. Nobody does. The rumors… they're everywhere."
Nobara's gaze slid to Megumi, still lying motionless. "That he made an army out of humans. That he bent souls until they broke and stitched them into soldiers."
Yuji flinched. "We don't know if that's true."
"Yuki thinks it's close enough," Nobara said simply. "She said his army feels too human. Souls with a different shape. And she's good at that kind of thing. I believe her."
Yuji didn't respond right away. His chest felt heavy, his throat tight.
"Even if it's true," he finally said, "what are we supposed to do? If we knew every detail of what he's done… even then, who can actually fight him?"
Nobara's expression hardened. "Not Maki. She's gone completely rogue. And not Yuta, not Yuki. If they try, they might not come back. And then we're screwed. Kenjaku, Uraume, whatever else is out there… they'd swallow the world whole if we lost them."
Yuji's jaw tightened. The truth was bitter.
Nobara shifted again, her gaze fixed on Megumi. "So what do we do? Just sit here? Wait for the Strongest curse to decide if we're worth keeping alive?"
Yuji opened his mouth, but no words came.
The silence stretched until Nobara snorted softly. "I mean, it's not like we've only got bad news! We've got Choso now. Your weird brother."
That made Yuji crack a faint smile despite himself. "He's not that weird..."
"He's a walking blood bank who calls himself your big brother," Nobara shot back. "That's weird."
Yuji let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "He's… not bad. Strong too. Stronger than I thought. They said he's about Special Grade 1. And he actually helps. Trains with me every day. He wants me to get stronger."
Nobara smirked faintly. "Guess you finally have someone looking out for you like a brother should."
Yuji's smile faded into something softer, more solemn. "Yeah. Feels like that."
Nobara leaned back again, folding her arms across her chest. "Then you better keep up with him. Because if we're really going to do anything about Mahito, we need you. Stronger than you've ever been. When sparring, you were the only one among us who could deal actual damage to him..."
Yuji nodded firmly, his eyes blazing with quiet resolve.
The room fell silent again, but this time it was steadier, anchored by something shared between them. Yuji looked at Megumi, still as ever, and whispered quietly, "We'll keep you updated. So when you wake up, you're not left behind."
Nobara tilted her head toward him, her eyes softening for just a moment. "Yeah. You better wake up, Fushiguro. We're not carrying this mess without you."
The faint hum of the lantern filled the room once more. The three of them, bound by silence and uncertainty, remained together in that fragile moment.
Eventually, Yuji stood. He stretched his shoulders, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down on him. "I'm going to get some air."
Nobara nodded, her eyes already drifting back to Megumi.
Yuji stepped outside, the cool night air brushing against his skin. He exhaled deeply, his breath forming pale clouds in the chill. For a moment, the stars above seemed distant but comforting.
Then, without warning, the world shifted.
A wave of cold struck him, sharp and absolute. Ice blossomed around his body before he could react, encasing him from head to toe in a crystalline coffin. His breath froze in his throat, his limbs locked instantly.
The last thing he saw before the frost closed over his vision was a pale figure stepping from the shadows, their presence as merciless as winter itself.
Uraume.
Their voice was calm, almost reverent, as the ice sealed Yuji away. "Good, the Vessle comes with us now... Kenjaku better find Lord Sukuna's finger quickly."
And just like that, Itadori Yuji was stolen from Jujutsu High.
Inside the infirmary, Nobara sat in silence, unaware of the storm that had already taken him.