Jujutsu High, infirmary.
The smell of disinfectant filled every inch of the air. White lights illuminated the entire room as brightly as daylight, leaving not a single shadow to hide in.
Shoko Ieiri rolled her neck, her vertebrae giving a series of faint cracks. She stripped off her bloodstained gloves, revealing long, pale hands with prominent knuckles, and let out a relieved sigh.
"Finally, everyone's treated." Her voice held the flatness of utter exhaustion as her gaze swept over the bodies covered in white sheets on the beds.
"The minor injuries were manageable. They've mostly recovered. Aoi Todo lost both hands. Itadori doesn't seem to be missing any limbs." She paused, her gaze lingering for a moment on Noritoshi Kamo's empty bed. "As for Noritoshi Kamo... he's gone."
She turned to Satoru Gojo, who was leaning against the wall nearby, a hint of complaint in her voice.
"Seriously, did Old Deer think things were going too smoothly for me lately and decide to give me more work?" She lit a cigarette. The lighter's flame flickered under the white lights, then went out.
She took a deep drag and slowly exhaled. White smoke spread before her, obscuring her expression. The ashtray beside her was piled with cigarette butts, like a tiny grave.
"Shoko, are you still in touch with Old Deer?" Satoru Gojo's voice drifted over from beside her. The question came out of nowhere, as though he were asking casually-or as though it had been weighing on him for a long time.
"No." Shoko looked out the window and exhaled another puff of smoke, her voice as flat as if she were discussing the weather.
"He blocked me the year before last. Actually, he probably blocked everyone." Her gaze rested on the sky outside, stained red by the setting sun.