"So, you're saying I'm officially a dead man now?"
Inside a secret room beneath the grounds of Jujutsu High, Yuji Itadori pointed at his own nose with a look of pure disbelief.
The room wasn't large, but it was furnished quite comfortably.
It had everything—a sofa, a TV, a refrigerator, and even a stack of the latest manga volumes.
If you ignored the fact that this place was dozens of meters underground, it was essentially a perfect shut-in's paradise.
"That's right!"
Satoru Gojo sat on a single-seater sofa with his legs crossed, holding a can of cola and grinning like a cat that had swallowed the canary.
"Shoko doctored the autopsy report, and I've already coordinated everything with Ijichi."
"In the eyes of those rotten oranges at headquarters, Ryomen Sukuna's vessel is officially deceased."
"This is the only way for you to temporarily escape the shackles of that suspended death sentence so you can focus on your special training."
At this point, Gojo's tone became a bit more serious.
"After all, the incident at the detention center was clearly a setup intended to get you killed by proxy."
"If you 'come back to life' now, they'll just try a second or third assassination."
"Until I've finished cleaning out those rotten oranges, it's better if you stay tucked away in your grave."
Yuji nodded, though he only half-understood the politics. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to look at Yoru, who was sitting to the side wiping his blade.
"What about Yoru? Why is he here too?"
"Did he die as well?"
Yoru's movements paused for a split second.
He looked up, his crimson eyes calmly sweeping over Yuji before settling on Gojo.
"I'd like to know that as well."
Yoru's voice was flat.
"My mission is complete. I shouldn't need to hide like this guy, should I?"
"You're right, you don't,"
Gojo wagged a finger playfully. "But, Yoru, don't you want to get stronger?"
"Stronger?"
Yoru frowned slightly.
"Exactly."
Gojo stood up and walked over to Yoru, looking down at him.
Even behind the blindfold, his eyes seemed to glimmer with a certain sense of expectation.
"Your performance at the detention center was stunning—miraculous, even."
"Not only did you face a Special Grade head-on, but you even traded blows with Ryomen Sukuna."
"However..."
Gojo's tone shifted, and his smile took on a teasing edge.
"You still know far too little about the jujutsu world."
"Cursed energy, innate techniques, domains, Reverse Cursed Technique..."
"The lack of this fundamental knowledge will cost you dearly in the future."
"Moreover, if you don't learn to guide and correct that fighting style of yours—the one where you constantly overdraw your body's limits—you're going to burn yourself out eventually."
Yoru fell silent.
He had to admit that Gojo had a point.
Even though he had the Yoriichi Tsugikuni template and Sun Breathing, the jujutsu system of this world was equally profound and complex.
Besides, the previous battle had indeed made him aware of his shortcomings.
Faced with a Special Grade's domain, he had been forced into a defensive position. If he hadn't forcibly activated Godspeed and a Binding Vow at the last second, he might have actually died in there.
And that wasn't even considering Ryomen Sukuna.
Compared to a powerhouse of that level, his current self was still far too weak.
"So, you want to teach me jujutsu?"
Yoru sheathed his sword, his voice still calm.
"Not exactly."
Gojo shook his head. "For Yuji, I need to teach him how to control cursed energy and how to make that monster's power his own."
"But for you..."
Gojo rubbed his chin, seemingly considering his words.
"There isn't a trace of cursed energy in your body. That's both your disadvantage and your greatest strength."
"Forcing you to learn cursed energy manipulation would only ruin the purity of your swordsmanship."
"So, I plan to take a different approach."
"What approach?" Yoru asked.
"No rush,"
Gojo waved it off, his flippant expression returning. "Before we get to that special real-combat training, you need to sharpen your blade a bit more."
"The opponent I'm going to find for you is very strong."
"If you challenged him as you are now, you wouldn't even be worth his time."
Yoru was taken aback for a moment, then he understood Gojo's meaning.
He looked down at the Shiranui in his hands.
It was true.
In the previous battles, though he appeared impressive, he had been overdrawing his life force every single time.
"I understand."
Yoru nodded without any further argument.
He walked to the corner of the room where a simple yoga mat was laid out.
"I'll get myself ready."
With that, he sat cross-legged, placed the Shiranui across his knees, and slowly closed his eyes.
His breathing began to grow long and steady.
The surrounding air seemed to vibrate ever so slightly in rhythm with his breath.
"This kid sure enters the zone quickly,"
Gojo nodded in approval, then turned his gaze to Yuji Itadori.
At the moment, Yuji was clutching a pile of snacks, looking back and forth between the two with a dazed expression.
"Uh, Gojo-sensei? What's Yoru doing?"
"He's sharpening his sword."
Gojo grinned and pulled a harmless-looking teddy bear Cursed Corpse from behind him, tossing it into Yuji's arms.
"As for you..."
"Yuji, your special training is starting too!"
"The task is simple: maintain a steady output of cursed energy while watching these movies."
"If you fail..."
Gojo pointed at the teddy bear and flashed his white teeth.
"It's going to give you a big, 'loving' hug!"
"Huh? What kind of training is that? Besides, this bear looks kind of cu—"
Yuji didn't get to finish his sentence.
Pow!
The teddy bear suddenly lunged, delivering a heavy punch right to Yuji's face.
"GYAH!!!"
A shrill scream echoed through the basement.
"Ow, ow, ow! Not the face! You jerk doll!"
Watching the chaotic Yuji and the perfectly composed Yoru, Gojo nodded in satisfaction.
"Now then, struggle to your heart's content, boys."
"In this damned jujutsu world, strength is the only thing that earns you the right to survive."