The 5th Special Grade | Jujutsu Kaisen

With the tension easing, Megumi took a deep breath and began explaining the rules of the Culling Game to the group. As he detailed the stipulations, Furō listened intently, his mind already beginning to formulate plans. However, before he could fully flesh them out, Yuji interrupted his thoughts.

Yuji turned to Furō and Yuta, his voice steady but somber. "If I ever switch to Sukuna again, I need you both to kill me. No hesitation. I don't want to risk a city—or more— again."

Furō and Yuta exchanged glances, their expressions growing serious. They turned back to Yuji and nodded in unison. "I'll do what I can," they said simultaneously.

Yuji gave them a small, grateful smile. "Thank you."

"What's our next move?" Yuji asked.

Megumi raised a finger, signaling for their attention. "First, we need to get back to Jujutsu High and contact Master Tengen. He's concealing the barriers, so it'll be difficult, but—"

"I can help with the barrier," Choso interrupted, his voice calm but confident.

Megumi nodded. "Alright. That'll make things easier."

Furō clapped Choso on the shoulder. "Good. Then let's not waste any more time."

The group quickly rose to their feet—Yuji, Yuta, Megumi, Choso, and Furōkawa all heading out together as the first rays of sunlight began to peek over the horizon. Furō glanced at the rising sun and thought to himself, I'll keep my power in check. No need to expose everything I've got yet… just in case Sukuna's watching.

Their path eventually led them to a secluded cellar beneath Jujutsu High, where they were greeted by two familiar faces—Maki Zenin and Yuki Tsukumo.

Maki stood with her arms crossed, her short hair framing her face, which bore burn scars and a bandage over the right side. Despite the visible injuries, she radiated strength and resilience.

Yuki smiled warmly at the group. "Welcome back, boys."

Yuta rushed forward to Maki, concern written all over his face. "Maki, are you okay? What happened?"

Maki shrugged. "I'm fine. My physical resistance helped me survive being burned alive. It's not pretty, but I'm still here."

She turned her gaze to Furō, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "You've grown too, huh?"

Furō smirked, a cocky glint in his eyes. "Sure have."

Maki cracked a small smirk of her own. "Good. You'll need it."

Her attention shifted to Choso, who stood slightly apart from the group. "And who's this guy?"

Yuji grinned. "Think of him as my big brother."

Choso's face lit up as he shouted joyfully, "Yuji!"

The group made their way deeper into the cellar, eventually reaching a massive black door. Choso placed his hand on it, a somber expression crossing his face. "My other siblings are behind here."

The door opened, revealing an expansive forest of dead and living trees. Furō and Yuji stared in awe at the vastness of the space.

Eventually, they found an elevator that led them down to the Tomb of the Star. The bloodstained floors made Yuji visibly uncomfortable as they walked through, the silence oppressive.

When they entered the tomb, they found an empty, endless white room. Furō frowned. "Damn, no one's here. Was that supposed to happen?"

Yuki clicked her tongue in irritation. "I suppose that thumb doesn't want us here… or just me… damn it."

As they debated what to do next, a deep, cursed voice echoed through the space.

The group stood in the bright, ancient hall of the Tomb of the Star Corridor, surrounded by glowing inscriptions and the faint hum of cursed energy. In the center of it all stood Tengen, the immortal sorcerer who looked far more unsettling than any of them had expected.

Tengen spoke first, their voice deep and monotone yet oddly comforting. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Children of the Zenin (Megumi Fushiguro and Maki Zenin), Michizane's descendants (Yuta Okkotsu and Furōkawa Fukitsu), Death Painting Womb (Choso), and Sukuna's vessel (Yuji Itadori)."

Before anyone else could respond, Tsukumo Yuki stepped forward, her expression unimpressed. "Aren't you going to say hi to me, Tengen?" she asked, a tinge of discontent in her voice.

Tengen, unbothered, replied flatly, "This isn't the first time we are meeting, Tsukumo."

Tsukumo crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "Then why did you close off the corridors?"

Tengen tilted their head slightly, their ancient presence weighing heavy on the group. "I was afraid you might have joined Kenjaku."

"Kenjaku?" Tsukumo raised an eyebrow.

Tengen nodded. "Yes. The sorcerer that inhabited Noritoshi Kamo's body—'the most wicked sorcerer in history.' He now inhabits the body of Suguru Geto."

The group absorbed this information in silence, but before anyone could speak, Furōkawa broke the tension with an impatient, "Okay, but why do you look like an old thumb?"

Yuji, equally curious, blinked in surprise. "Yeah, I was kind of wondering the same thing…"

Even Megumi looked slightly disappointed but kept quiet.

Tengen sighed, clearly accustomed to these reactions. "I am immortal, but I have lived for hundreds of years. The failed assimilation with the Star Plasma Vessel 11 years ago accelerated my aging, causing this form."

Maki, ever practical, interjected, "Let's focus on why we're here." She turned to Tengen.

"We came to ask about Kenjaku's plans and how to unseal the Prison Realm." Yuta said.

As the conversation pressed on, Furōkawa suddenly felt his attention slipping. A warm, familiar voice echoed in his mind.

"Furōkawa?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Eir?" he thought, recognizing the voice instantly.

"Ah, you can finally hear me. Wonderful!"

Furō frowned in confusion, keeping his expression neutral to avoid drawing attention. "How are you speaking to me? I thought I exorcised you."

Eir chuckled softly. "You wear my heirloom. Before it was a cursed tool, it was a cursed object housing our cursed energy. As such, I have a connection to you since it's now bound to your very being. The other Valkyries can speak through their heirlooms as well, though I doubt they'll bother. They're not exactly… fond of you."

Furō smirked nervously. "That's fair…" he thought, recalling all the insults and taunts he'd thrown at them mid-battle. "So why now?"

Eir's tone grew more serious. "That's Tengen. The hermit who began the era of jujutsu by setting the barrier over Japan."

Furō raised an eyebrow. "Cool lore drop, but I kinda already know that, Eir."

"You should probably be listening to them instead of me right now" she asked, exasperated.

Snapping back to reality, Furō realized the conversation had moved forward. Maki was holding a small cube—the "back" of the Prison Realm—out toward him.

"You got all that?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Uh, yeah…" Furō muttered, obviously confused.

As Furō tried to catch up, Yuta stepped forward, his usual calm confidence in full display. "Furō and I will enter the Culling Game immediately to gather information before the rest of you declare participation."

Maki nodded, already forming her own plan. "I'll return to the Zenin household, collect cursed tools, and find Panda."

Megumi crossed his arms, his tone serious. "Yuji and I will go get Kinji Hakari."

Furō raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "That gambling addict Yuta and I met months ago? I've got a bone to pick with him."

Maki rolled her eyes. "Save it until after we deal with this mess."

"I suppose," Furō said, shrugging as he turned to walk away. The rest of the group stared at him, confused.

"Did you miss the part where you're supposed to unseal the Prison Realm?" Tsukumo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Furō froze mid-step and turned back slowly. "I… don't recall! How exactly do I do this again?"

The group collectively sighed. Megumi, clearly irritated, said, "Try releasing your cursed energy on the 'back' of the Prison Realm."

Quickly, Furō took the cube from Maki and turned it so the stitched side faced him. He gripped it tightly with both hands. "Alright, here goes nothing!"

Furō closed his eyes, focusing his cursed energy as he channeled it into the cube. The stitches began to glow faintly, smoldering as they slowly burned. Despite his best efforts, the progress was excruciatingly slow.

After a few minutes, Furō stopped, exhaling sharply. "Sorry, guys. Looks like a stronger negation technique is needed to open this thing."

He handed the cube back to Megumi, who inspected it with a frown. "Looks like Plan B is a-go. I'll find Hana Kurusu too."

The group nodded, settling on their respective plans. One by one, they began to disperse from the tomb, leaving only Choso, Tsukumo, and Tengen.

Hours later, Furōkawa and Yuta stood at the edge of the Sendai Barrier, its towering boundary shimmering faintly under the moonlight. The oppressive energy of the Culling Game radiated from within, a constant reminder of the dangers that lay ahead.

Yuta adjusted the strap of his katana, his expression calm but determined. "Ready for this?"

Furō cracked his knuckles, his smirk returning. "Always. Let's see what this game has in store."

With that, the two stepped forward, their figures disappearing into the barrier as the next stage of their mission began.