Confession

Rika slowly materialized beside Yuta Okkotsu.

Her massive form unfurled behind him, her cursed energy so dense it was almost tangible.

They charged straight toward the remaining pterosaur shikigami in the sky.

Okkotsu streaked through the air in a white blur, with Rika close behind. Both of her enormous hands reached out. Before the nearest two pterosaur shikigami could flap their wings and pull away, she caught one in each hand and curled her fingers inward-crack.

The shikigami were crushed in her palms without even a chance to struggle, their remains scattering through her fingers as tiny specks of light.

As though they had received a single command, the other pterosaur shikigami turned around at once and flew toward Sendai Gymnasium.

Dhruv Lakdawalla probably knew he was no match for Okkotsu right now and intended to gather his shikigami around the gymnasium like a turtle shell.

Cursed markings appeared at the corners of Okkotsu's mouth-Snake Eyes and Fangs.

"Die."

Cursed Speech activated, and several shikigami near Okkotsu burst apart in midair, reduced to dust.

He coughed softly. The backlash from Cursed Speech made his throat tighten slightly, and he figured it would be better to stick to simpler commands like "Don't move" in future battles.

Okkotsu looked toward the distant dome of Sendai Gymnasium. The fleeing shikigami had already landed around it.

Rather than pursue them immediately, he turned and headed beneath the bridge.

Everyone beneath the bridge was still huddled in a corner, trembling.

Okkotsu stepped inside, sheathed the Samurai Sword, brushed the dust off his white clothes, and gave them a gentle smile.

"I'm from Jujutsu High. We specialize in handling incidents like this, so please don't worry. Now that I'm here, I'll do everything I can to protect you."

For a moment, silence fell beneath the bridge.

Then someone let out the first sob-a middle-aged woman covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently. Her child tugged at the hem of her clothes, not understanding why his mother had suddenly started crying.

The fear and despair they had suppressed for so long poured out like water through a broken dam.

Some crouched down and sobbed into their hands. Others clung tightly to their families, repeating the same words over and over.

"We made it."

"We finally made it."

"We don't have to live like this anymore."

Okkotsu stood quietly and waited for the crying to subside, then explained a few basics-he was going to take down Dhruv Lakdawalla, the player controlling those shikigami, and everyone should hide here rather than wander off.

Once he finished, he headed into a corner beneath the bridge and found Mishima, who had regained control of his body.

"During that fight, I could manifest parts of my body whenever I wanted." As Okkotsu approached, Gu Yanzhi spoke quietly from deep within Mishima's consciousness, his tone much more serious than usual.

"That means our second theory was probably right-if a binding vow had been imposed, manifesting shouldn't have been that easy."

"And ever since I manifested, I've felt these occasional surges of restlessness deep inside. I can feel my body gradually waking up, and that thirst for blood keeps growing stronger." Gu Yanzhi paused, lowering his voice further.

"Let's stick to the original plan. Once we get somewhere suitable, I'll manifest completely. While I'm still conscious, I won't resist-just let Okkotsu kill me."

Mishima murmured a response, so softly that Gu Yanzhi couldn't make out what he said.

Okkotsu had already approached with a smile. His footsteps were light, and the hem of his white clothes swayed gently as he walked.

"Are you Mr. Okkotsu?" Mishima asked, raising his head.

Okkotsu was a little surprised that the boy knew his name-this was certainly their first meeting. But he didn't press the matter. He simply nodded, walked over, and slowly crouched down until his eyes were level with Mishima's.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Mishima lowered his head again and said, carefully enunciating each word, "There's a cursed spirit attached to me. His name is Mr. Gu."

"He said he'd go berserk after a while, so... so I'd like you to kill him, Mr. Okkotsu." Having finally spoken the words, Mishima's eyes grew wet, and his voice trembled.

"But... but..."

Okkotsu smiled faintly and reached out to gently stroke Mishima's head. "But Mr. Gu isn't a bad person, right?"

Mishima slowly raised his head and met Okkotsu's gaze. Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes as he shouted, "Right! Mr. Gu isn't a bad person! I've only known him for a day, but he saved my life, taught me how to use cursed energy, and told me how to use my cursed technique-Mr. Gu isn't a bad person!"

Okkotsu wiped the tears from the corners of Mishima's eyes. His thumbs brushed across the boy's grimy cheeks, wiping away the two tear tracks, before he stood up.

"Then that's easy enough to handle. Come back to Jujutsu High with me afterward."

A spark seemed to light up in Mishima's eyes. With a hint of admiration, he said, "You're really strong, Mr. Okkotsu."

Okkotsu smiled faintly. "Not really. I have a teacher, and he's the strongest."

When he mentioned Satoru Gojo, a little more joy and admiration entered Okkotsu's voice.

"Your situation is a lot like mine used to be. Back then, I had a cursed spirit attached to me too-her name was Rika. My teacher didn't kill me, and he didn't kill her either. He stayed on my side and protected me, and in the end, we all solved the problem together."

"I think this is exactly what my teacher would do. I'm just trying to look cool by copying him."

Mishima nodded firmly, as though he had drawn some kind of strength from those words.

Okkotsu drew the sword at his waist and turned toward the space beyond the bridge, his strides steady and strong. He left them with just one sentence: "Now I'm going to deal with the bad guy out there-I'm leaving this place to you."

Mishima watched Okkotsu leave, sunlight stretching the white-clad young man's shadow long across the entrance beneath the bridge.

Then Gu Yanzhi exploded inside Mishima's head.

"Seriously, Chovy here-kid, you were supposed to do this properly! What are you trying to play the hero for? Our situation is completely different from Okkotsu's!"

"And that teacher he just mentioned is still stuck twenty thousand leagues under the sea! What the hell is he going to solve..."

Mishima said nothing. He simply listened quietly until Gu Yanzhi finished ranting, then spoke slowly.

"I'm not trying to play the hero."

His voice was soft, but every word seemed to take all the strength he had.

"I'm a coward through and through. I even abandoned my own little brother."

Gu Yanzhi's tirade stopped.

"Xiaozhi was killed right in front of me, and I didn't do anything. I was scared to death, and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me."

"I chose the easier path."

"If I'd had the courage to fight back, even just to shout, maybe I could have distracted that person. Maybe Xiaozhi could have escaped."

"Maybe Xiaozhi would have been the one who survived... but I ran away. I left my own little brother there and ran."

His voice gradually steadied, though it still held a trace of tears.

"So this time, I don't want to choose the easy path. I want to choose the path I believe is right."

Gu Yanzhi fell silent, caught off guard by the kid's sudden outpouring of heartfelt emotion.

"...I really don't know what to do with you."

His voice finally softened. "Just so we're clear, I'm no good person. Why didn't you tell Okkotsu I also taught you how to loot convenience stores in the middle of a disaster?"

Mishima smiled faintly.

"Mr. Gu really is a good-"

Before he could finish, the air abruptly froze.

A strange, unfamiliar aura of cursed energy appeared out of nowhere above Mishima's head.

A pink-haired woman floated upside down in the air. She had appeared without warning, her inverted posture eerie yet weightless, both palms already aimed at Mishima.

"Thin Ice Breaker."