October 30th.
Only one day remained before that chaotic Halloween.
The sky above Tokyo carried a strange bluish-gray hue.
Even the clouds seemed to foreshadow an approaching storm.
On the sports field of Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical College, however—
A rare moment of peace was unfolding.
A long-awaited barbecue party.
The sound of charcoal crackling mixed with the rich aroma of grilled meat.
For a brief moment—
The oppressive tension that had surrounded the school for weeks disappeared.
"Meat! Meat! Meat!"
Yuji Itadori hovered beside the grill like a starving puppy.
Drool practically fell from his mouth.
He tapped his plate with his chopsticks impatiently.
"That slice of pork belly is mine!"
"No one touch it!"
"Idiot!"
Nobara Kugisaki smacked him with the tongs.
"It's still raw!"
"You'll destroy your stomach!"
She expertly flipped the meat across the grill.
Like a conductor commanding an orchestra.
Nearby—
Toge Inumaki raised his plate eagerly.
"Salmon."
(Me too.)
"Salmon roe!"
(Give me some too!)
Standing quietly nearby—
Megumi Fushiguro held a can of oolong tea.
He watched the chaotic group.
A faint smile appeared on his usually stoic face.
Moments like this—
Ordinary.
Peaceful.
Those were the things he valued most.
A few meters away—
Maki Zenin and Panda were competing in a drinking contest.
Though they were technically only drinking juice.
"Hey! Don't chicken out!"
Maki slammed her glass down.
"I'm not scared!"
Panda replied proudly.
"Pandas never retreat!"
Meanwhile—
Yuta Okkotsu, who had recently returned from overseas training, tried to calm them.
"Maybe we should slow down—"
SMACK.
Maki slapped him on the back.
Yuta nearly spit out his drink.
On a bench nearby—
Two figures quietly observed the scene.
Yagami Sora
And
Satoru Gojo.
The setting sun stretched their shadows across the field.
"How nice."
Gojo removed his blindfold.
His Six Eyes shimmered under the fading light.
"This is youth."
"Sweat."
"Barbecue smoke."
"And hope."
Sora took a sip from a can of beer.
(Though technically underage, no one dared object today.)
"If those rotten elders and curse users weren't around…"
"These kinds of days could last forever."
After a moment—
Gojo spoke again.
"Thanks for yesterday."
His tone had become more serious.
"If it were me…"
"I probably wouldn't have gone that far."
"I still have to consider the balance of power."
"The reaction of the Three Great Clans."
"Sometimes…"
"I feel trapped by the title of the strongest."
"That's why you need someone like me."
Sora chuckled.
"The villain."
"You maintain order in the sunlight."
"I clean up the trash in the shadows."
"Good cop and bad cop."
"Perfect teamwork."
Gojo sighed.
Leaning back against the bench.
"Sometimes I envy you."
"That freedom."
"That decisiveness."
"You're freer than me."
"Freedom has a price."
Sora replied quietly.
He turned to look directly at Gojo.
Red eyes reflecting the blue of the Six Eyes.
"Satoru."
"Do you have a bad feeling about tomorrow?"
"Hmm?"
Gojo scratched his head.
"It'll probably be troublesome."
"Those cursed spirits and curse users have been hiding for too long."
"They must be planning something big."
"Especially that guy controlling Suguru Geto's body."
"But…"
He pointed at himself confidently.
"I'm Gojo Satoru."
"As long as I'm still the strongest…"
"No plan can succeed."
"True."
Sora nodded.
"But still…"
"We should be careful."
"Especially…"
"Prison Realm."
Gojo blinked.
"The Prison Realm?"
"You mean the legendary sealing cursed object?"
"That barrier capable of trapping anything?"
"Why bring that up?"
"Just intuition."
Sora shrugged.
He obviously couldn't say he knew the future.
"But if you encounter it…"
"Don't hesitate."
"Even a moment of doubt could be fatal."
He glanced at the laughing students nearby.
His expression softened.
"And if…"
"If you really do get sealed."
"Don't worry."
"I'll protect this place for you."
"I'll crush everything standing in our way."
"Mahito."
"Kenjaku."
"Every last one of them."
"With my own hands."
Gojo didn't speak for a long time.
He looked at Sora quietly.
Then smiled.
A rare smile.
One filled with trust.
"Good."
"With you here…"
"I really don't have anything to worry about."
"But I won't get sealed that easily."
"I still have to eat Kikufuku tomorrow."
"Edamame flavor with whipped cream."
Sora raised his beer can.
"For tomorrow."
"For sitting together like this again."
"Eating barbecue."
Gojo raised his cola.
"For tomorrow."
Clink.
The sound of the cans tapping together echoed softly in the night air.
Like a silent promise.
From the grill—
Yuji shouted loudly.
"Sora-senpai!"
"Gojo-sensei!"
"The meat's ready!"
"If you don't come now—"
"Panda-senpai is going to eat everything!"
"COMING!"
Gojo jumped up immediately.
"Leave some for me!"
The two exchanged a grin.
Then walked toward the noisy group.
That night—
The moon was gentle.
The wind was soft.
Laughter echoed across the field.
For a brief moment—
It felt like nothing could go wrong.
But no one knew—
This was the last peaceful night they would share together.
Tomorrow.
October 31st.
Halloween.
The night when the Shibuya Incident would begin.
And the gates of hell would open.
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