The plot gets back on track!

August, Mount Yoshida.

Three figures walked up the stone steps.

"So tiring..."

Kenjaku walked at the front.

His hands were tucked into his sleeves, his pace unhurried, like a tourist on an outing.

Jogo followed half a step behind him to one side.

His eyes, embedded in volcanic rock, surveyed their surroundings with a trace of not particularly keen curiosity.

After they had walked for a while, the view ahead opened up.

The area where the abandoned shrine stood came into view.

More precisely, the remains of that area.

The scattered stone walls, torii gates, and temple foundations had all disappeared. In their place was a smooth, shallow crater more than twenty meters across.

Kenjaku stopped at the edge of the crater and tilted his head slightly.

"Just as described. What a frightening fellow."

"That Wangchuan."

Jogo stood beside him with his arms folded, the smoke rising from his head a little faster than before.

He looked down at the shallow crater, remained silent for a few seconds, then spoke, his voice like two rough stones grinding against each other.

"His destructive power doesn't look like much."

"Only twenty-odd meters. Far below Satoru Gojo's Limitless."

Kenjaku turned to look at him, that unfathomable smile on his lips.

"Take a closer look."

Jogo paused, then looked down at the crater again.

This time, he examined it more carefully.

His brow furrowed.

"...The internal structure has been compressed deep down."

"Yes." Kenjaku nodded, his tone still calm. "That's the issue."

He raised a hand and pointed toward the center of the crater.

"This cursed technique doesn't explode outward. It collapses inward. All its force was concentrated on that single point."

"On the surface, it looks as though it only destroyed an area twenty meters across, but in reality, the geological structure directly beneath this crater has undergone irreversible changes."

"The depth is at least three times the surface diameter."

He lowered his hand, his gaze lingering briefly on the smooth bottom of the crater.

"Satoru Gojo's cursed technique is sweeping and forceful, with a wide destructive range and a spectacular visual impact."

"But this Wangchuan..."

He paused, as though searching for the right words.

"His power is confined within an extremely precise range."

"All its force is concentrated on the target, without any waste."

"That's more frightening than simple large-scale destruction."

Jogo fell silent for a while, and the smoke above his head steadied.

He offered no further argument, only a quiet grunt of acknowledgment.

Just then, a figure silently emerged from the shadow of an old camphor tree behind them.

The figure was taller and larger than either of them, with deep gray-green skin.

Hanami.

She walked to Kenjaku's side and looked at the shallow crater as well, remaining silent for a moment before speaking.

"You must have received some information."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't be so certain."

Kenjaku smiled without denying it.

He drew a hand from his sleeve and waved it casually in front of him.

"Word sent back by those higher-ups at Jujutsu High."

He paused, then added another remark.

"According to Kyoto's report, Wangchuan eliminated three Special Grades with a single move in one battle."

"Much like the information we received before. An overwhelming victory."

Hanami's gaze flickered slightly.

"Those three weren't ordinary Special Grades."

"An overwhelming victory?"

Kenjaku fell silent for a moment, as though seriously weighing those words.

Then he slowly nodded.

"Yes!"

"That's why I said he might be even harder to deal with than Satoru Gojo."

A burst of hot air spurted from Jogo's head. "What about our plan, then? Do we need to change it?"

"No major changes are needed." Kenjaku turned away from the shallow crater to face the way they had come, his tone as calm and composed as ever.

"We only need to adjust a few details."

He started down the stone steps, and the other two figures followed silently.

"The key is still that same matter."

His voice drifted back from ahead, carrying the tone of someone discussing a long-term plan that was both important and required patience.

"How to seize Suguru Geto's body."

"Only then can my plan continue moving forward."

Jogo followed two steps behind him and tilted his head at those words.

His eyes, embedded in volcanic rock, narrowed, and his voice carried a hint of impatience, as though he thought this was needlessly complicated.

"If you want Suguru Geto's body so badly, why not let me handle it? You're dragging your feet."

Kenjaku did not stop walking. He did not even turn his head.

But a faint smile entered his voice.

"Let's wait and see."

"We've already waited this long... there's no need to rush now."

The three figures descended the stone steps.

At the same time.

Kyoto.

Inside a fairly small but warmly furnished hot pot restaurant.

Steam rose from the bubbling red chili-oil broth, blurring the lights overhead.

The spicy aroma and the sizzling of cooking meat filled the restaurant, mingling with the chatter and laughter from several tables into a lively, warm backdrop.

Wangchuan sat by the window, with a plate of evenly sliced beef rolls and a small dish of dipping sauce before him.

He picked up a slice of beef with his chopsticks and swished it through the boiling chili oil a few times.

As soon as the meat changed color, he lifted it out, rolled it in the dipping sauce, and put it into his mouth. After chewing twice, he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

Utahime Iori sat across from him. The scar on her face had now completely disappeared.

She held a slice of beef tripe in her chopsticks, her gaze on Wangchuan's face. When she saw his expression, the corners of her lips curved involuntarily.

"Well? This place is good, isn't it?"

"Good. Really good."

"It tastes like home."

Wangchuan gave her a thumbs-up. "How did you find this place?"

"I passed by once while on a mission. The flavor seemed pretty authentic, so I remembered it."

Utahime put the cooked tripe into her bowl, her casual tone carrying a little of the satisfaction of sharing a small discovery.

"I thought you'd definitely like it."

Sitting at the side of the table, Aoi Todo had his mouth stuffed with beef, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's as he mumbled an interjection.

"Didn't we come here together last month?"

"Why are we here again?"

"I said I wanted barbecue..."

Utahime's chopsticks paused. "...Shut up and eat."

Aoi Todo grinned and lowered his head to continue cooking meat.

Momo Nishimiya and Kasumi Miwa were fighting over the last slice of beef aorta, while Mai Zenin sat at the corner of the table, quietly drinking juice, a faint, relaxed curve on her lips.

As for Noritoshi Kamo and Xinji, they simply watched quietly.

The atmosphere was just right.

Then something vibrated in Wangchuan's pocket.

"Hm?"

He set down his chopsticks, took out his phone, and glanced at the screen.

Caller ID: Satoru Gojo.

Wangchuan raised his eyebrows, answered, and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Gojo? What's up? Calling this late?"

The other end was silent for two seconds.

Then Satoru Gojo's voice came through, different from his usual drawn-out, joking tone.

Although his voice was the same, he spoke a little more slowly than usual, and his wording was more restrained.

"Chuan."

"Yuta Okkotsu and Toge Inumaki went on a mission together today."

"Okay. And?"

Wangchuan picked up a slice of beef, put it into the pot, and nudged it with his chopsticks.

"I found Geto's cursed residue at the mission site."

Wangchuan paused for a moment.

Looks like we've reached that point in the timeline.

Across from him, Utahime saw him suddenly go still, his chopsticks suspended in midair and his gaze resting on the phone screen.

She set down her own chopsticks, tilted her head, and mouthed, "What's wrong?"

Wangchuan shook his head slightly, then spoke into the phone. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"There's no way I'd mistake Geto's cursed energy residue."

Satoru Gojo's voice paused on the other end, then he added something.

"He really is active."

Wangchuan picked up the slice of beef that had already overcooked in the pot and placed it in Todo's bowl.

"Suguru Geto has his sights on that Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit with Yuta Okkotsu, right?"

The other end went quiet for a moment.

Then Satoru Gojo's voice sounded again, a little clearer than before, with a note of attentive listening.

"...That's what you think too?"

"What's that guy's cursed technique?"

"Cursed Spirit Manipulation. He needs to collect powerful cursed spirits. And Rika, who's with Yuta Okkotsu..."

He paused.

"She's one of the Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirits with the greatest amount of cursed energy currently known."

"If Suguru Geto wants to obtain her, approaching Yuta Okkotsu would be the most direct way."

The other end fell silent again.

This silence lasted a little longer.

After a while, Satoru Gojo's voice came through.

"...That's what I was thinking too."

Wangchuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze passing through the steam rising from the hot pot to Utahime's concerned face across from him.

He curved his lips at her to indicate that everything was fine, then spoke into the phone.

"Then keep a close eye on Yuta Okkotsu."

"Yeah. I know."

"I'm hanging up."

"Bye."

Wangchuan took the phone away from his ear, ended the call, locked the screen, and put it back into his pocket.

Across from him, Utahime tilted her head as she looked at him. "What happened? Was Satoru Gojo calling you?"

"Yeah, just something at Jujutsu High."

Utahime's brow furrowed, and the displeased expression that automatically appeared whenever she heard Satoru Gojo's name surfaced again.

"That bastard."

She muttered the words, then reached into the pot, picked up a cooked slice of beef, and placed it in Wangchuan's bowl.

"Forget about him. Eat first."

Wangchuan lowered his head and looked at the slice of beef in his bowl, cooked to perfection.

Then he looked at Utahime across from him, trying hard to act as though nothing had happened while a trace of concern still lingered in her eyes, and smiled.

He picked up the slice of beef with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth.

"...Mm, delicious."