The halls of Jujutsu High were quieter near the upper floors—thicker walls, older architecture, and the subtle scent of incense burning somewhere distant. Gojo's footsteps echoed faintly as he walked, hands tucked into his pockets, blindfold slightly askew.
He stopped before a tall wooden door adorned with protective seals.
He didn't knock.
He simply pushed it open.
Inside, the dimly lit chamber was lined with high-ranking sorcerers—elders, clan heads, and council figures cloaked in tradition and suspicion. Their eyes snapped toward him as he entered.
At the center sat the Head Elder, gnarled hands resting atop his staff, his expression carved from stone.
"Satoru Gojo," he intoned.
"Yo," Gojo said casually. "Long time no see."
"You've brought disaster to our school."
Gojo raised an eyebrow.
"You refer to Yuta Okkotsu, I assume?"
"You know we do," another elder growled. "You took in a boy burdened with a Special Grade Curse. You had no authority to override the execution order."
Gojo leaned against the side of the wall, unfazed.
"Execution," he echoed. "So eager to kill children these days?"
"He is a threat," another snapped. "The girl's curse is beyond control. He cannot contain it. Innocents have already suffered."
Gojo sighed, tilting his head.
"You think I don't know that? I've seen what Rika can do. But I've also seen what Yuta is capable of—who he is."
"And who is he to you?" the Head Elder asked.
Gojo's voice quieted.
"He's someone who's lost everything," he said. "Like me."
A hush fell over the room.
"His pain is real. His fear is real. But so is his heart. We bury kids like him too often—say they're dangerous, too broken, too different. But all I see is someone who needs a reason to live. And I'm giving him one."
The oldest among them leaned forward, fingers steepled.
"And when that reason slips? When the curse goes rogue again?"
Gojo's blindfold shifted slightly, and his voice turned colder.
"Then I'll fight her," he said simply. "I'll fight Rika with everything I've got. Even if it kills me."
The council was silent.
The Head Elder finally spoke again.
"The execution of Yuta Okkotsu," he said, "is not canceled. It is only postponed. One wrong move—and we will not hesitate."
Gojo stepped forward then, slowly, deliberately.
He met the elder's eyes.
"If that day comes," he said softly, "then I'll stand beside Yuta. Not you."
And with that, he turned and walked away.
The doors slammed shut behind him.