Inside the surveillance chamber of Jujutsu High, the atmosphere was tense—but not grim. Screens buzzed with static and incomplete signals, half-formed cursed images flickering across monitors. The place felt like a nerve center, a fragile calm within the chaos storming the world outside.
Utahime Iori stood with arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on the Prison Realm that sat sealed on a reinforced pedestal. Next to her, Mei Mei leaned casually against the console, twirling her cursed axe with a calm that was almost smug.
In the back corner of the room, Ui Ui was sulking quietly, occasionally peeking over the edge of a desk, clearly still wounded from earlier.
"This thing's a damn joke," Mei Mei muttered, inspecting the Prison Realm. "You'd think a God-tier seal would at least come with instructions."
Without waiting for permission, she raised her cursed axe and slammed it down—hard. The blow sent a gust of cursed energy through the chamber. Sparks flew. The pedestal cracked.
The Prison Realm didn't even flinch.
Utahime sighed. "You really thought that would work?"
"Sometimes brute force is a shortcut to intelligence," Mei Mei said flatly.
From the corner, Ui Ui poked his head out and called, "You're both idiots. That thing's not some vending machine. It's Satoru Gojo's prison. Of course it won't break just like that."
Mei Mei turned and gave him a death stare so sharp it could've shattered reality.
Ui Ui vanished behind the desk in half a second, yelping.
There was a quiet moment afterward. Utahime stepped closer to the Prison Realm, brushing her fingertips along the surface. Her face was unreadable, but her silence spoke volumes.
Mei Mei noticed and smirked.
"You know, for someone who acts like they hate him, you look pretty invested in saving your future husband."
Utahime didn't blush. She didn't scowl. She just looked down at the floor, her lips a tight line.
That said more than a thousand words.
Then—suddenly—a faint ripple of cursed energy pulsed from the Prison Realm.
And a voice echoed faintly through the room:
"When are you guys going to save me already? This place is boring."
Utahime blinked.
Mei Mei stared.
Ui Ui peeked up and gasped, "He's… he's conscious?"
Gojo's voice came again, muffled but unmistakably smug.
"You've got three high-level sorcerers in a room and none of you know how to open a door? No wonder I'm stuck."
Utahime's lips twitched. Mei Mei chuckled.
"He's still annoying. That's a good sign."
Utahime crossed her arms. "So, Mei Mei… got any other genius plans? Or should we let Ui Ui try his luck?"
Mei Mei looked at her axe, then at the Prison Realm, and grinned.
"Actually… I do have a plan."
Utahime raised an eyebrow. "And what is it?"
Mei Mei smirked.
"Simple. Axe Kenjaku in the face until he gives us the key."
Utahime sighed again, but there was a very faint smile tugging at her lips now.
From within the Prison Realm, Gojo's voice responded:
"Honestly? That doesn't sound like a bad idea."
As the trio looked at each other—half-determined, half-exasperated—one thing became clear:
It wasn't just about saving Gojo anymore.
It was about finishing this war, once and for all.