The next morning at Jujutsu High felt suspiciously normal.
Which, in hindsight, was already a warning sign.
Yuji was halfway through breakfast when Gojo slid into the room like he owned the concept of gravity.
"…Good news!" Gojo announced brightly.
Nobara didn't look up."…That never means good news."
Megumi sighed."…What is it this time."
Gojo placed a folder on the table with dramatic flair.
"Mission."
Takeru tilted his head slightly."…Another spar?"
Gojo gasped."NO. Worse."
Silence.
Yuji blinked."…Worse than sparring?"
Gojo nodded enthusiastically."Much worse!"
He opened the folder.
Inside—
a map.
A cursed energy report.
And several photos of a completely destroyed suburban district.
"…A Special Grade curse outbreak," Gojo said casually.
"…But don't worry! It's probably just mildly catastrophic."
Nobara slowly raised her head."…'Mildly catastrophic' is not a thing."
Megumi leaned forward slightly."…Location?"
Gojo tapped the map.
"Residential town outside Tokyo. Three blocks are gone, people are reporting 'repeating shadows' and 'wrong directions in space.'"
Takeru's Six Eyes activated for a second just from hearing it.
"…Spatial distortion."
Gojo pointed at him."Correct!"
Yuji frowned."…So we're fighting something like Kirara again?"
Kirara, who had randomly been sitting in the corner (no one had noticed), calmly answered:"…Worse if it learned."
Nobara immediately turned."WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
Hakari, also somehow present, waved."We were bored."
Megumi put his head in his hand."…Of course you were."
Gojo clapped once.
"Anyway! Team assignment!"
He pointed dramatically.
"Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, Takeru."
Takeru blinked."…All of us?"
Gojo smiled."Yes!"
Yuji pointed at himself."…Isn't that overkill?"
Gojo nodded immediately."Yes!"
Silence.
Megumi muttered."…That's never reassuring."
Gojo continued, walking in circles around them.
"Your mission is simple!"
Nobara crossed her arms."…Define 'simple.'"
Gojo ignored her.
"Go in. Identify the curse. Don't die. If possible, don't break the entire town again."
Yuji blinked."…That's a weird priority order."
Gojo stopped walking.
Then smiled.
"…Oh, and one more thing."
Takeru narrowed his eyes slightly."…There's more."
Gojo leaned in.
"Try not to solve it in five minutes this time."
Megumi stared at him."…That's not a real restriction."
Gojo shrugged."It is emotionally."
Nobara groaned."…We're going to die."
Yuji pumped his fist anyway."Let's go!"
Megumi immediately:"…No enthusiasm."
Takeru adjusted his sunglasses."…Understood."
Gojo clapped again, already walking away.
"Have fun! If you find anything weird, text me! If you die, also text me!"
Yuji blinked."…We can't text if we're dead."
Gojo waved without turning."Try your best!"
Silence.
Nobara slowly stood up."…I miss sparring."
Megumi sighed."…That's concerning."
Takeru looked at the mission file again.
"…Spatial distortion curse."
A pause.
"…We go now."
Yuji grinned."Now THAT sounds like a plan."
Megumi muttered."…I regret everything."
And just like that—
they left.