"Mind if I dissect you?"
In the early morning medical office of Jujutsu High, the unlit cigarette in Shoko Ieiri's mouth fell to the cold floor with a soft thud.
She stared intently at the physical data report that had just been printed, her eyes—shadowed by perpetual dark circles from staying up late—now shining with a fanatical light.
Sitting on the examination bed, Yoru quietly pulled the collar of his shirt together, his gaze wary.
"Doctor Ieiri, I'm just here for a routine checkup, not to donate my body to science."
"Do you even call this a human body?!"
Shoko excitedly shoved the report in front of Yoru's face, almost pressing it against his nose.
"Your muscle density is three times that of a normal person! Your cardiopulmonary function is comparable to a humanoid rex! Even your cellular activity defies biological logic!"
"If an ordinary blade struck your muscles, it would probably chip before even breaking the skin, right?"
"If I didn't see zero cursed energy residue on you, I'd swear you were a Special Grade Cursed Spirit in human skin!"
Yoru smiled helplessly, offering no further explanation.
He naturally knew how exaggerated his physical data was.
Ever since unlocking Yoriichi Tsugikuni's template and mastering Total Concentration: Constant, his body had been in a high-intensity energy cycle every second of every day.
Every breath and every heartbeat constantly reinforced his internal organs and muscle fibers.
To Shoko, who didn't know the inside story, this physical transformation based on breathing techniques was nothing short of a miracle in medical history.
"It's just a special breathing technique I practiced in the deep mountains since I was a child."
Yoru made up a reason on the fly.
"Breathing?"
As a genius who had mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique, Shoko leaned in close to Yoru, listening intently.
That long, deep breathing rhythm, accompanied by a faint radiation of heat, was like a miniature nuclear reactor in operation.
"Fascinating... Are you sure you won't consider letting me take a small tissue sample? I promise it won't leave a scar!"
Facing Shoko's dangerous move of subconsciously picking up a scalpel, Yoru considered using the Transparent World to find an opening to slip away.
*Bang!*
The medical office door was violently kicked open.
"Shoko! Stop right now!"
Satoru Gojo rushed in like a whirlwind, pulling Yoru up from the examination bed.
"Don't lay a hand on my exclusive combat instructor! I've been waiting for him all morning!"
Suguru Geto followed behind, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. "Satoru, that's incredibly rude. If you keep breaking the doors, Principal Yaga is going to dock our allowance again."
"The checkup is over, right? Let's go!"
"Go where?" Yoru raised an eyebrow, looking at the energetic 'strongest' student.
"To play video games, obviously! Didn't you say last night we should take you on together?"
Satoru Gojo spoke with such conviction, as if this were more important than saving the world.
"The combat instruction you mentioned last night... was this?"
Yoru looked at him with a half-smile.
"Gaming is a vital part of combat training! It tests reaction speed and tactical positioning!"
Satoru remained righteously indignant as he dragged Yoru outside.
"I specifically had someone get the latest fighting game masterpiece from Akihabara!"
"Besides, didn't you say last night we should both go at you? In the world of gaming, Suguru and I are the strongest tag-team duo!"
Watching the trio walk away, Shoko picked up the cigarette from the floor and put it back in her mouth, though she didn't light it.
"What an interesting guy. Even the arrogant Satoru is so attached to him."
"It seems Jujutsu High won't be boring from now on."
Satoru Gojo's dorm.
The spacious room was cluttered, almost buried under limited-edition figurines, manga, snack wrappers, and scattered clothes.
The three sat cross-legged in front of a massive television screen, the air thick with the smell of potato chips and soda.
An intense 3D fighting game interface was displayed on the screen, its dynamic music pumping adrenaline through the air.
"Listen up, Yoru!"
Satoru expertly grabbed a controller, his fingers dancing across the buttons as he unhesitatingly selected a muscular, domineering hidden boss character.
"In this arena, Suguru and I are truly invincible!"
"No matter how strong your physical skills are in reality, in a game, you'll be nothing but a floor mat for us! Prepare to get wrecked!"
Suguru Geto sat beside him, cracking open a can of cola with a *pssh* before picking up his own controller.
"Instructor Yoru, although two-on-one feels a bit like bullying, since Satoru insisted we team up, I'll have to accompany him."
Yoru looked at the somewhat unfamiliar controller in his hand, gave it a light toss, and curled his lips into a playful smirk.
"Is that so? One versus two..."
"Then I'll have to see what you've got."
He didn't pick any flashy characters.
Instead, he casually selected a basic swordsman wielding a wooden sword, a character with no special abilities.
"Ha! You're picking a vanilla character against us?"
Satoru laughed arrogantly, his eyes behind his sunglasses crinkling into crescents.
"Who are you looking down on? Die! Witness our infinite combo!"
The moment the battle began.
[SYSTEM: FIGHT!]
The heavy boss controlled by Satoru and the summoner mage controlled by Suguru charged forward.
At first, their coordination was flawless, covering both long and short ranges, cutting off all of Yoru's paths.
However, as a faint, imperceptible golden light flashed in Yoru's eyes, the Transparent World opened.
The situation reversed instantly.
This was no longer just playing a game; it was a dimensional strike.
Yoru could not only predict their moves by the contraction of their finger muscles but also detect the slight discord in their cooperation.
"Your teamwork looks seamless on the surface, but your philosophies are fundamentally at odds."
Yoru spoke calmly while controlling the basic swordsman, dodging through the barrage of effects as if he were strolling through a garden.
"Satoru, you chase individual destructive power too much, completely ignoring your teammate's rhythm. You're like a willful tyrant."
"And Suguru, while you're trying to coordinate with Satoru, your moves are filled with hesitation and restraint."
"You're suppressing your nature to accommodate him, and subconsciously, you want to shoulder all the pressure yourself."
On the screen, Yoru seized a fatal opening Suguru left while trying to protect Satoru.
The basic swordsman lunged forward with a simple, unadorned strike.
Parry! Break! Stagger! Two birds with one stone!
Followed by a fluid sequence of basic combos.
Large red letters filled the entire screen.
The room fell deathly silent.
Satoru and Suguru stared blankly at their fallen characters, their controllers slipping from their hands with a clatter.
Yoru put down his controller and looked at the two stunned teenagers.
"In a game, when you hit a wall that truly cannot be overcome, a combination like yours—seemingly solid but fundamentally at odds—will collapse in an instant."
"Satoru will start seeing his teammate as a burden, while Suguru will fall into self-doubt because he can't keep up. Eventually, it leads to a split."
Yoru's words were like a sharp blade, precisely piercing the most hidden corners of their hearts.
In the original story, it was exactly because of Satoru's solo awakening after the Star Plasma Vessel incident that Suguru fell into deep loneliness and confusion, eventually leading to their heart-wrenching parting.
And now, Yoru had torn open this hidden danger in a game, laying it bare before them.
"What a load of crap!"
Satoru suddenly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, ripping off his sunglasses.
"Who would split up with Suguru? We're the strongest!"
Suguru also took a deep breath, suppressing the flicker of panic from being seen through, and stared at the screen.
"Instructor Yoru, don't get too cocky. That was just a warmup."
"Satoru, listen to my leads for the next one. We're changing tactics! No more fighting individually!"
"Fine! No one's sleeping tonight until we win a round!"
Looking at the two who had regained their fighting spirit and were actually trying to understand and coordinate with each other.
A paternal smile touched the corners of Yoru's mouth, his gaze becoming incredibly soft.
This was what youth was supposed to look like.
These carefree smiles belonged to them, untainted by cruel reality and curses.
It was good.
The destined tragedy of their split... let it end early here, in front of this little game console.
This time, even if I have to put my life on the line, I will protect your smiles.
And so.
From the dorm that was supposed to be for resting, wails, the clacking of buttons, and intense tactical discussions rang out all night.
The night outside gradually faded, and the eastern sky turned pale.
When the first ray of dawn shone into the room.
Satoru and Suguru had already fallen asleep on the floor in a tangled mess, sporting massive dark circles and mumbling in their sleep about 'parries' and 'combos.'
Controllers lay scattered to the side.
Although they hadn't managed to win against Yoru even once all night.
Their game characters, in those final rounds, had achieved a state where they truly entrusted their lives to one another.
Yoru stood up and stretched his limbs, his bones letting out a series of crisp pops.
Just then, the flip phone on the table vibrated violently. It was an emergency message from Masamichi Yaga.
"There's an emergency rescue mission."
"An abandoned mansion in Shizuoka Prefecture. Suspected Grade 1 Cursed Spirit. The barrier is extremely complex."
"Rescue Utahime Iori and Mei Mei, who have been trapped for over forty-eight hours."
Yoru looked at the information on the phone screen.
Then he glanced down at the two problem children sleeping like logs on the floor, yet wearing relieved smiles.
These two guys, who had spent the whole night playing a hell-difficulty game, were exhausted to the limit.
Can they really complete today's rescue mission smoothly?
[ Author's Note : If you're loving the story, a power_stone, review or comment means the world!
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