The Tokyo sky was bathed in hues of golden orange as evening approached, but the sunlight felt cold against the towering structure of Jujutsu Academy in the distance. It wasn't the same academy as before—this one was different. Bigger, grander… and far more suffocating.
Maki walked beside Yuuji, arms crossed, eyes scanning the surroundings with a neutral expression. But Yuuji knew better—she was studying everything, taking it all in. It had been a long time since she last set foot here. Too long.
"I didn't think you'd ever come back," Yuuji finally said, breaking the silence. Maki scoffed. "I never said I wouldn't."
They passed through the main gate, and Yuuji could feel the stares from a few students training in the courtyard. Maki wasn't a stranger in the world of jujutsu, and even though she was no longer part of the academy, her name still echoed as a living legend.
"Something's different." Her voice was low, almost a murmur, but Yuuji caught it.
He let out a small, humorless laugh. "'Different' is putting it lightly. This place is barely recognizable."
They walked through a long, empty hallway, their footsteps echoing faintly. Once, this place had felt like home. Now… it felt like a fortress.
Maki glanced at Yuuji. "So?"
Yuuji didn't answer immediately. He exhaled, shoving his hands into his pockets, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
"I knew the system was harsh even before I joined," he said quietly. "But after the war… they changed everything. They said they wanted to 'make sure it never happens again.'"
Maki scoffed. "Bullshit."
Yuuji shrugged. "Of course. It was just an excuse to create an even more brutal system. Now, if you fail a mission you should have completed? You're cut. If you can't survive a certain type of training? You're cut. Before students even reach Grade 1, they have to prove they can survive out there without any help."
Maki didn't respond right away. She let his words sink in, letting the silence say more than any cynical remark could.
Then, she turned to him. "And you let this happen?" That question hit harder than any punch.
Yuuji was silent for a moment before letting out a small, empty chuckle. "I didn't have much of a choice."
Maki studied him, as if trying to see through the layers of calm he always wore.
"It's not like I didn't try," Yuuji continued at last. "I stood up for some students. I tried to stop this system from getting worse… but you know how the higher-ups are."
Maki clenched her fists. "Those bastards are still alive, huh?"
Yuuji smirked, but there was no warmth in it. "Unfortunately, yeah. And they've only grown more powerful since Gojo died. There's no one left to keep them in check."
Maki hissed through her teeth. "If they think they can keep playing games with young sorcerers—"
Yuuji looked at her, this time more serious. "They already have. It's not an if anymore, Maki."
The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Maki finally let out a long sigh. "I hate this place," she muttered. Yuuji gave a small, lopsided smile. "You're not the only one."
The academy hallway felt longer than usual, the air inside cold and hollow—like the building had lost its soul since the great war. Yuuji and Maki walked side by side, their conversation still lingering in the air—about how this new system was nothing more than a prison disguised in sorcerer uniforms.
"So… you're still here," Maki finally said, her tone carrying an unspoken judgment. Yuuji let out a small, bitter laugh. "I wouldn't call it 'staying.' It's more like… I can't just leave."
"You can." Maki's response was immediate. "You know you can."
She stopped walking, turning to face Yuuji, eyes narrowing. It was the same look she used to give him back when she saw him as a reckless junior, always causing trouble. But this time, Yuuji was more than just a junior. He was the face of the jujutsu world now—someone who couldn't simply walk away from everything he had built.
Yuuji only shrugged and kept walking. "Maybe. But if I leave… who's going to protect them?" Maki didn't answer.
They were almost at Yuuji's office when the sound of footsteps filled the corridor from the opposite direction. Heavy but steady steps, accompanied by faint murmurs and the quiet hum of a conversation.
Yuuji looked up, and his brow immediately furrowed. Megumi. With his three students.
Megumi looked the same as always—calm, sharp, like a storm brewing beneath the surface. He walked ahead of the group, hands in his pockets, his posture making it clear he wasn't in the best mood.
Behind him, his three students… Something was off about them.
Himari—normally brimming with confidence, always arrogant—was unusually quiet, her eyes scanning the hallway as if searching for something unseen.
Ryou, usually the most level-headed of the group, looked… tense. Like someone who sensed danger but couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.
And Tetsuya? Yuuji had never seen him this on edge. He looked like someone who already knew something terrible was about to happen—but couldn't stop it.
Yuuji met Megumi's gaze. "I thought you already left for your mission?"
Megumi stopped in front of them, his eyes briefly meeting Yuuji's before flicking toward Maki with a small nod.
"Mission?" Megumi echoed, his voice flat. "Not officially. I haven't trained them enough."
There was an emphasis in his words that made Yuuji frown.
Maki, noticing the strange atmosphere, stuffed her hands into her pockets and leaned against the wall, her expression bored—but her eyes sharp, analyzing every detail.
Yuuji glanced at the students again. "Something's wrong," he finally said. Megumi was silent for a moment before sighing. "You're not wrong."
Yuuji waited for more, but Megumi didn't say anything else.
And behind him, his three students remained silent, their postures just a little too rigid, their awareness just a little too sharp.
Like they knew something others didn't. And that made Yuuji uneasy.