The day after a meeting filled with conflicting opinions, where everyone had racked their brains over one complication after another.
Naoya, who had already crossed into Kyushu thanks to his signature mobility, entered the colony early and began securing a base of operations.
Considering the eventual closure of the colony's outer shell, Naoya had decided to hole up inside the colony before the nuclear strike even began. The location he chose for his base was deep within the mountains of Sakurajima. One might wonder if he would be safe from a nuclear attack, but Naoya had a secret plan for that.
The attack was scheduled to occur immediately after combat was authorized in the Culling Game. As for the method, after the details were finalized, the North Korea plan was scrapped. Instead, a dream team consisting of Toji, Yuki, and Gojo collaborated to "seize" a B28 nuclear warhead from the United States. Modified into a time bomb by Toji's handiwork and disguised by being embedded in concrete, the weapon had already been slipped into the ruins of Kagoshima-Chuo Station via Gojo's teleportation.
This superweapon, which utilized no jujutsu at all, would likely be incredibly effective against the "sorcerers from the past" who presumably possessed only knowledge of sorcery. However, if one knew the explosion was coming, surviving it was not a difficult task.
As long as one remained hunkered down in a military shelter with a network of underground tunnels, like the "Sakurajima Naval Base Ruins" that Naoya had chosen, the blast and heatwave of a nuclear explosion could almost certainly be avoided.
That left the effects of radiation, but in the end, that was a phenomenon similar to "burns that penetrate the skin and affect the internal body." For Naoya, who kept Reversed Cursed Technique running at all times, it was hardly a concern.
What Naoya prioritized more was the preparation for performing his daily "ascetic training" inside the bunker. He had managed to make do by "borrowing" charcoal and fire starters from a deserted home improvement center. As for food, he was consuming "insects," so there was no need to worry about supplies during this mission.
Thus, waiting quietly for the appointed hour, Naoya hid deep within the bunker, biding his time to hunt down Sukuna.
---
At the same time, in Sendai. The Special Grade Sorcerer Yuji Itadori, who had entered the colony deployed in his hometown at his own request, felt his heart sink as he looked at the devastated city. Nevertheless, he slapped his cheeks to fire himself up, determined not to let such tragedy repeat.
A man called out to him quite casually.
"Oh! That uniform. Are you one of those Jujutsu High sorcerers? Coming in solo... you've got some nerve!"
"!?"
"Hey, knock it off. If we pick a fight here, we'll both just drop dead for violating the rules, right? —Me, I was part of the Date Clan four hundred years ago. I came to see what Sendai looked like after four centuries, and I find it in this state."
"You're an incarnated sorcerer...!?"
"Surprised? Well, I'm dressed in the current style, so I guess it can't be helped. Originally, I had a shaved pate and a topknot, you know?"
While saying this, the young man in a leather jacket smoothed down his impressive pompadour. "This hair suits me too, doesn't it?" At a glance, he looked like nothing more than a modern person.
However, Yuji's eyes as a sorcerer immediately saw through him; the amount of cursed energy rising from the man was on par with Yuta's before his demonization.
But since combat between players was prohibited by the rules, there was no need for a stance. Deciding he should try to extract at least some information while remaining on guard, Yuji spoke up to engage in conversation.
"...Why did you choose to be incarnated?"
"Hmm. Well, my first life wasn't bad. In terms of a meal, I'd say I was eighty percent full. It was decent, but far from a feast. That's why I took Kenjaku up on his offer. He promised that in the distant future, he'd prepare a place where I could give my all without any regrets."
"...So your goal isn't the resurrection of Ryomen Sukuna or anything."
"There might be guys like that, but I'm definitely not one of them. I want to savor life to the fullest; I don't want to be eaten by the King of Curses."
As Ryu let out a sigh, the idea of a "joint struggle" crossed the mind of the naturally good-natured Yuji.
But Ryu laughed as if seeing right through him, wagged his index finger, and made a proposal.
"You just thought we might be able to cooperate, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did!"
"Wow, you're honest. Well, yeah. It's not impossible, but I have a condition. —Once the main battle of the Culling Game starts, let's have an all-out brawl. The loser follows the winner. How's that sound?"
"A one-on-one duel? In a way, that's exactly how you look."
"Is that so? While I was wandering around, I saw a picture of a cool guy in a shop that looked like a bookstand, so I just copied him. So, what'll it be?"
In response to the question, Yuji closed his eyes for a moment to consult with his brothers before giving a spirited reply.
"—Fine! I'm gonna wreck you!"
"! That's the spirit!"
"...But hey, there are still five days left, right?"
"Well, until then, I'll just take a look at Sendai four hundred years later. It doesn't look like everything was blown away. Perfect timing—you guide me around."
"Why!?"
"You had a grim look on your face earlier while looking at the ruins. That's the face of someone with an attachment to this city. You know your way around, don't you?"
"...I can't tell if you're sensitive or just wild. Fine, then. It's empty, but if it's just looking."
Exchanging these words, Yuji and Ryu walked through the streets of Sendai. In the midst of this, the information brought by Yuji—that incarnated sorcerers had their own individual goals and weren't necessarily associates of Sukuna—would become both an uncertain factor and a ray of hope for the Jujutsu High side.
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