The camera had been recording for exactly twelve minutes.
Takeru was sitting comfortably on the couch, one leg hanging over the armrest, casually scrolling through his phone.
Yuji was eating.
Nobara was arguing with Maki about something completely unrelated.
Gojo was asleep.
The other Gojo was also asleep.
It was, by Jujutsu High standards, an unusually peaceful afternoon.
Then Takeru stopped scrolling.
His expression slowly changed.
"…Huh?"
Yuji looked over.
"What?"
Takeru didn't answer.
He stared at his phone.
A news alert had appeared.
BREAKING NEWS: MULTIPLE BUILDINGS IN TOKYO SEVERELY DAMAGED.
Another notification appeared.
REPORTS OF UNIDENTIFIED SLASHING ATTACKS ACROSS CENTRAL TOKYO.
Then another.
WITNESSES REPORT LARGE-SCALE FIRES.
Takeru sat upright.
"…That doesn't look good."
Nobara glanced over.
"What happened?"
Takeru turned the phone around.
Everyone gathered around.
The footage showed Tokyo.
Smoke filled the streets.
Several buildings had enormous diagonal cuts through them.
Some had simply been sliced apart.
Others were burning.
And in the middle of the chaos...
Someone stood on top of a damaged building.
A young man.
White, flowing hair.
Fair skin.
Strangely calm expression.
He looked almost ethereal.
But across his face and body were unmistakable markings.
Sukuna's markings.
Then the figure raised one hand.
FWOOM.
A building in the distance split apart.
Yuji's face went pale.
"…Sukuna."
Takeru slowly lowered the phone.
Everyone looked at him.
Takeru blinked.
Then he started counting on his fingers.
"Okay."
One finger.
"Original Sukuna."
Second finger.
"Younger Sukuna."
Third finger.
"Pickuna."
He paused.
He looked back at the phone.
The white-haired figure casually walked through the flames.
Takeru raised another finger.
"…And now this guy."
He stared at the screen.
"…Who the hell is this Sukuna?"
Silence.
Even Gojo woke up.
"Wait."
He sat up.
"You're telling me there's another Sukuna?"
Takeru pointed at the phone.
"I'M asking you!"
Gojo squinted at the footage.
"…Huh."
The other Gojo leaned over.
"That's definitely Sukuna's cursed energy."
Megumi stared at the screen.
"And his techniques."
Nobara crossed her arms.
"Okay, but why does he look completely different?"
Takeru narrowed his eyes.
"That's what I'm wondering."
He zoomed in.
The mysterious Sukuna had long white hair flowing down his back.
Fair skin.
A completely different facial structure.
No resemblance to the Sukuna everyone knew.
Takeru stared for several seconds.
Then he nodded solemnly.
"…Still not as handsome as me."
Everyone turned toward him.
Nobara stared.
"THAT'S what you're concerned about?!"
Takeru pointed at the screen.
"I have standards."
Yuji sighed.
"You're impossible."
Takeru kept staring.
Something wasn't right.
He could recognize Sukuna's cursed energy.
The markings.
The technique.
The way he moved.
Everything screamed Sukuna.
But the body?
Completely different.
And there was something else.
Something Takeru's Six Eyes couldn't quite explain.
He slowly removed his sunglasses.
The room immediately went quiet.
Takeru's eyes glowed.
He looked through the phone screen.
Past the footage.
Past the cursed energy.
Past the physical body.
His expression became serious.
"…That's weird."
Gojo looked at him.
"What?"
Takeru zoomed in again.
"There are traces of another person's cursed energy inside him."
Megumi frowned.
"Possession?"
Takeru shook his head.
"No."
He stared harder.
"It's not possession."
A pause.
"…It's like…"
Takeru's eyes widened slightly.
"…Sukuna was born into that body."
Everyone froze.
Yuji looked horrified.
"So it's another incarnation?"
Takeru slowly put his sunglasses back on.
"Maybe."
He looked at the footage again.
The white-haired Sukuna suddenly stopped.
He turned his head.
Directly toward the camera recording him.
Takeru froze.
"…No way."
The footage crackled.
The screen distorted.
For a moment, the mysterious Sukuna smiled.
Then the video abruptly cut to black.
NO SIGNAL.
Nobody spoke.
Takeru slowly looked at the camera sitting on the table.
Then back at his phone.
"…He saw the news camera."
Gojo frowned.
"That shouldn't be possible."
Takeru's smile slowly returned.
Not his usual goofy smile.
Something sharper.
More curious.
"Well…"
He stood up.
The camera continued recording.
Takeru grabbed his jacket.
"I guess we're about to find out."
Yuji stood too.
"Where are you going?"
Takeru opened the door.
"To meet Sukuna number four."
He paused.
Then looked back.
"…Hopefully he doesn't slice me."
A beat.
"Actually, that'd be kinda rude."
And with that, Takeru walked outside.
The camera kept recording.