At the other end of the city, in an underground base, a metal door creaked shut, cutting off the outside clamor.
The meeting room's lights were cold as ice. Five men in black suits sat around a round table, the man at the head tapping his fingers on the surface, his voice sharp like a poisoned blade. "The mech project—give me the update."
The man to his right flipped open a folder, the rustle of paper loud in the silence. "The 'Stamen' and 'Pistil' pilots have been selected. Once we inject the 'Core'—the cursed energy crystal from the jujutsu world—it'll activate."
He paused, glancing at the head. "Dr. Franxx says, in theory, the mech's armor can withstand attacks from a special-grade cursed spirit."
"Those jujutsu world punks think their special-grade sorcerers make them untouchable?" The head man sneered, crushing a teacup in his hand, shards falling through his fingers. "Once the mech's up, East Tsushima's sky is gonna change."
A man in the corner spoke up, his voice hesitant. "But… that celebrity, Nero, he's a big threat."
"Enough!" The head man cut him off, eyes blazing. "Our target is Gojo Satoru and his jujutsu crew!"
He clenched his fist, knuckles whitening. "Besides, the higher-ups already said Nero's being handled by someone else. We don't need to worry about him."
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the hum of the air conditioning, like a beast's heavy breathing.
After a long pause, the man on the right spoke softly. "But… Dr. Franxx mentioned the mech's 'Core' isn't stable. If something goes wrong… maybe we should switch to nuclear power? It's more reliable."
"No!" The head man snapped, standing up. "Nuclear power can run the mech, sure, but it can't block cursed energy attacks! That 'cursed energy crystal'… it was stolen from the Star Corridor, infused with underground magma. Unstable or not, we're testing it. Tomorrow at noon, we start the experiment."
He strode toward the door, hand on the knob, then paused without turning. "If it fails…"
He didn't finish, but everyone knew—failure wasn't an option they could afford.
The metal door slammed shut. The room's lights flickered, casting a cold glow on the files labeled "Stamen," "Pistil," and "Cursed Energy Crystal."
Outside, the city hummed with life, oblivious to the dangerous thing stirring in the shadows below.
Deeper in the base, an elderly man—part of his face and body mechanical, a horn jutting from his right forehead—leaned on a cane, staring at a towering mech in a vast open space.
A girl with long pink hair, green eyes, and horns stepped up beside him, hand on her hip, gazing at the mech.
"Zero Two, the higher-ups gave the order. Tomorrow's the day for the official test," the old man said, his cloudy eyes holding an unreadable glint.
"Mm," the girl called 02 replied simply.
"This test is risky. There's a high chance the 'Stamen' and 'Pistil' pilots could die," he added.
"That dangerous? And we're still going through with it?" 02 tilted her head, puzzled.
"Ever since the jujutsu folks came back from that island, the higher-ups have been antsy," the old man sighed. "The cursed energy crystal… it's just the corpse of that guy called Tengen, mixed with magma we pulled from deep underground. The energy's wildly unstable."
"Alright. Oh, by the way, Dr. Franxx, about that boy you were looking for…" 02 trailed off, turning to him.
Franxx finally looked away from the mech, meeting her gaze calmly. "02, are you worried about tomorrow's test going south, so you're thinking about that boy?"
02 didn't answer, turning her face away.
Franxx studied her profile, a faint smile flickering in his murky eyes. "Oh? Too shy to admit it, 02?"
"It's not that. Just… remembering something," 02 said, glancing back at him. "Doc, who's my 'Stamen' for tomorrow?"
"Hiro, a prodigy we've had high hopes for since he was a kid. I believe you two will make the test safer," Franxx replied.
"Is that so?" 02 looked back at the mech, her mind flashing to a black-haired boy in the snow, promising to be her 'Darling.'
"02! I'll be your Darling, okay? We'll be together forever!" the boy had said, his bright smile warming her.
Pointing at a fairy tale book in the snow, 02 had mumbled, "Marriage… marriage…"
"Yeah! Once we escape this place, we'll get married!" His smile melted the cold in her heart.
As memories flooded back, Franxx's voice snapped her out of it.
"02, go rest. Tomorrow's the real deal," he said, turning and hobbling away on his cane.
02 watched his hunched figure disappear around a corner, her fingers brushing the horn on her right forehead—the spot that boy's warm hand once touched.
"If only it was you tomorrow, Darling," she murmured.
---
At Jujutsu High.
"Tengen's body got stolen?" Gojo Satoru spat out his tea in a spray.
Sitting across from him, Yuki Tsukumo leaned back, legs crossed, hands spread. "Yup. I went to the Star Corridor after getting back and found out."
"Huh? Hold up, doesn't the Star Corridor have a barrier? And where's Tengen? He didn't keep an eye on his own body?" Gojo said, incredulous.
"The barrier was broken—obviously by someone who knew the Star Corridor inside out. And Tengen… no clue where he is. He wasn't there," Yuki said, just as exasperated. She'd only been abroad for a bit, and now the whole place was a mess.
"Seriously? But what's the point of stealing a mummy?" Gojo mused, rubbing his chin.
"It might seem useless, but Tengen lived for ages. His remains still hold a ton of cursed energy. Plus, his body's structure is unique," Shoko said, blowing a smoke ring.
"Hm? Think someone's using that cursed energy to stir up trouble?" Yuji asked, confused.
"Duh, stealing Tengen's body is already stirring up trouble!" Nobara bonked him on the head.
"The priority now is finding the traitor who stole it," Megumi said gravely.
The room fell quiet. The Star Corridor had barriers *and* surveillance, but the cameras were hacked with high-tech gear, leaving no trace.
As everyone sat stumped, Gojo grinned, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"Hey, if we can't figure it out, let's not sweat it."
Everyone stared at him, baffled.
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Gaio-Gaio, consultant, we've got a tricky situation. Need your help~~"
"Whoa, don't be so cold! It's serious stuff~"
"You don't want your happy life messed up, right?"
"Huh? What? I don't wanna be 2.5-Gojo! I was just kidding, don't—"
*Beep beep beep…*
Gojo stared at his phone, dumbfounded, as everyone gaped at him.
"Heh… heh, think I'd better make a run for it," Gojo said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.