The courtyard had barely settled into its usual chaos again.
People were talking in clusters.
Gojo was arguing with someone for no reason.
Hakari was already betting on something that hadn't started.
Yuji and Choso were mid-conversation.
Takeru stood in the middle of it all.
Then sighed.
"…Man."
He stretched once.
Then snapped his fingers.
"…Cuddly Panda Pillow and sea urchin. Come."
Silence.
Gojo tilted his head.
"…What did you just—"
The air shifted.
Not like before.
Not time distortion.
Something… casual.
Like reality misunderstood a joke.
POP.
Two figures dropped out of nowhere.
Right into the courtyard.
Panda.
And Megumi.
Panda landed first.
Softly.
Like a weighted plush toy that had been dropped from the sky.
He blinked once.
Then slowly looked around.
"…Why am I here?"
Megumi hit the ground beside him with slightly less grace.
Hair slightly messed up in that familiar spiky "sea urchin" shape.
He immediately sat up.
"…What just happened?"
Gojo burst out laughing immediately.
"…WHY DID THEY RESPOND TO THAT?!"
Hakari pointed.
"…THAT WAS A SUMMON?!"
Kirara blinked.
"…That shouldn't be possible."
Higuruma adjusted his glasses.
"…There was no binding vow or activation sequence…"
Kashimo grinned.
"…Interesting."
Uro narrowed her eyes.
"…This timeline is getting insulting."
Yuji ran forward.
"…Megumi! Panda!"
Megumi looked up at him.
"…Why are you surprised?"
Panda slowly pointed at Takeru.
"…Did you just call me a pillow?"
Takeru blinked.
"…Oh. That worked?"
Gojo grabbed Takeru's shoulders.
"…EXPLAIN."
Takeru shrugged.
"…Malaysian beach vacation."
Silence.
Megumi's eye twitched.
"…Don't say that like it explains anything."
Panda slowly turned his head.
"…I remember that vacation."
A pause.
"…Why do I only remember being used as a pillow?"
Takeru nodded.
"…Because you were very good at it."
Gojo wheezed.
"…I can't breathe—"
Megumi stood up fully now.
"…And what was 'sea urchin' supposed to mean?"
Takeru pointed at his hair.
"…That."
Gojo fell onto the ground laughing.
Hakari was openly cheering.
Yuji looked conflicted but amused.
Megumi just sighed.
"…I hate this era."
Panda stretched slowly.
"…So I got summoned by a joke."
Takeru nodded.
"…Apparently."
Panda considered this.
Then shrugged.
"…Could be worse."
Gojo wiped tears from his eyes.
"…This is the strongest technique I've ever seen."
Higuruma muttered:
"…This violates multiple natural laws."
Kashimo grinned wider.
"…I want to learn it."
Uro groaned.
"…Absolutely not."
And just like that—
two more missing pieces of the timeline had reappeared.
Because in this world now—
even jokes had weight.