The 5th Special Grade | Jujutsu Kaisen

Furōkawa gently set Choso down near a warm fire, across from a quiet and observant Megumi Fushiguro. The small, broken-down convenience store had been turned into a makeshift base, with faint embers flickering in the center of the group. Furō wiped his hands on his jacket, straightening up as he addressed the dark-haired sorcerer.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Furō said with a faint grin. "The second years have all met you, but somehow I missed the memo. Guess that's what happens when you're stuck fighting curses in Europe."

Megumi's sharp eyes studied Furōkawa, who exuded a casual confidence that belied the unsettling amount of cursed energy emanating from him. Despite Furō's unassuming demeanor, Megumi could sense the immense power he wielded, something almost as suffocating as Yuta's presence.

Megumi nodded in response. "Nice to meet you too," he said cautiously. He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "It's strange, though… someone as strong as you. Why didn't Gojo-sensei ever mention you?"

Furō chuckled, brushing off the comment. "Gojo likes his secrets. Probably thought it would be more fun to surprise everyone with me later." He crossed his arms, giving Megumi a playful smirk.

Megumi allowed a small smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. Despite Furō's power, his approachable nature was disarming. "Fair enough," he replied simply.

A sudden noise broke the calm. Choso stirred, his eyes snapping open. He bolted upright, his fists clenched as he shouted, "Yuji! Where's Yuji?!"

Furō hopped up immediately, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Relax, Choso! Yuji's fine. He's right over there. He should wake up any moment now."

Choso looked in the direction Furō pointed, his shoulders finally relaxing as he spotted Yuji lying near the fire, unconscious but unharmed.

On the other side of the fire, Yuta Okkotsu sat, calmly watching over Yuji as he slept. Despite the situation, Yuta's expression was one of quiet contentment.

Suddenly, Yuji stirred, gasping as he jolted awake. His eyes darted around the room as if he had just escaped a nightmare.

Before anyone else could react, Yuta burst into laughter, clapping his hands together. "What a relief!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing warmly in the otherwise quiet room.

Furō, Choso, and Yuji all looked at him in confusion, their brows furrowed.

"What are you laughing about?" Furō asked, crossing his arms.

Yuta grinned as he explained, "I had to enter a binding vow with the higher-ups to kill Itadori. But here's the kicker: the moment I killed him, I simultaneously healed him back to life. They most likely think he's dead right now."

Yuji's jaw dropped. "Wait… what? You… killed me?"

Yuta nodded. "Technically, yes. But only for a moment. It was the only way to get the higher-ups off your back without anyone interfering."

Furō let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "That's some next-level ingenuity, Yuta. You just bought us enough time to figure out our next move."

Choso frowned but eventually nodded in reluctant approval. "You're as sharp as you are powerful, Okkotsu."

Despite the relief in the room, Yuji's expression darkened as he sat up. His hands clenched into fists, his voice low and filled with guilt. "But I'm still to blame. Sukuna used my body. All the destruction in Shibuya, all those people… they died because of me."

The air grew heavy as Yuji's words sank in, but Megumi stepped forward from the shadows, his voice cutting through the tension. "Enough, Yuji."

Yuji looked up at him, surprised. "Megumi…"

Megumi's gaze was firm, his tone resolute. "You keep blaming yourself, but what happened in Shibuya wasn't your fault. Sukuna made those decisions, not you. Do you think those people would want you to wallow in guilt while there's still work to be done?"

Yuji hesitated, his lips trembling slightly. "But—"

"No 'but,'" Megumi interrupted. "It's our fault. We just have to save people as jujutsu sorcerers, and we couldn't do that in Shibuya. Stop giving up alone and being selfish."

Furō watched the exchange quietly, a small smile forming on his lips. This guy has a way with words, he thought. No wonder he's one of Gojo's proteges.

Yuji finally nodded, his determination slowly returning. "Alright. I'll fight."

With the tension easing, Megumi turned to the group, his expression grim once more. "But before we plan anything, there's something you all need to know."

Everyone's attention focused on him as he continued. "Noritoshi Kamo—or Suguru Geto, if that's what we're still calling him—has made plans for those involved with jujutsu to face off in something called the Culling Game."

Choso's brow furrowed, his voice low as he repeated, "Culling Game?"

Furō raised an eyebrow, glancing at Megumi. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Megumi's expression darkened, the weight of what was to come evident on his face.

The fire crackled softly as the group exchanged uneasy glances, the phrase Culling Game lingering in the air like an omen.