Fushiguro Megumi's voice was steady, if not a little irritated, as he spoke into his phone. "I couldn't find it."
On the other end of the line, Gojo Satoru's voice came through, filled with his typical nonchalance. "Huh?"
"The instrument shelter is empty," Megumi confirmed, scanning the school grounds as if the cursed object might reappear if he looked closely enough.
"For real? That's hilarious!" Gojo chuckled. "Maybe it took a nighttime stroll."
"I'll punch you," Megumi muttered under his breath.
"Well, no one's going home until it's recovered, okay?" Gojo replied cheerfully, then hung up without giving Megumi a chance to argue.
Megumi sighed, pocketing his phone. "I'm seriously gonna punch him next time."
He turned to leave the school grounds, unaware of the silent figure watching from the shadows with eyes far too dead for someone alive.
Subaru Natsuki remained motionless in the darkness, his hollow gaze following Fushiguro as the boy disappeared. This was the eighty-sixth time he'd watched this scene play out. Eighty-six deaths. Eighty-six resets. Eighty-six attempts to get everything perfect.
"As expected," he whispered, his voice devoid of emotion. Each death had stripped away a piece of him, leaving behind a calculating shell focused on one goal—creating the perfect timeline.
His cursed technique, Return by Death, was both a blessing and a curse. Unlike most jujutsu sorcerers who wielded their techniques as weapons, his activated only at the moment of his death, resetting time to a predetermined point while preserving his memories. A technique that could only be utilized through his demise—the ultimate price for a second chance.
He sensed a familiar presence materialize beside him—a small figure with drill-like blonde hair and an ornate dress that seemed from another era.
"You're late, I suppose," the curse spirit known as Beatrice said, her arms crossed.
"Sorry, Beako. I was making sure Megumi left on schedule."
"This is attempt eighty-six, in fact," she stated flatly. "What makes you think this one will succeed where the others failed?"
Subaru's lips curved into a humorless smile. "Because I've accounted for every variable now. I know exactly where and when to intervene."
Beatrice let out a sigh. Although she was a cursed spirit of significant power, she had formed a contract with Subaru years ago, attracted by his unique energy and the unusual nature of his cursed technique. Unlike most curse spirits that sought to devour humans, she possessed intelligence and autonomy akin to that of a human.
"Your technique wasn't meant to be abused this way," she reminded him. "Each death takes a toll, I suppose."
"I know the cost," Subaru replied, touching the center of his chest where an intricate curse mark pulsed beneath his clothing—a tally of his deaths that grew with each reset. "But it's worth it if I can prevent what's coming."
He checked his watch. "Three minutes until Itadori leaves the hospital. We need to be in position."
Sugisawa Municipal Hospital
The nurse at the front desk stamped the final form and handed it over. "Okay, that's all the necessary paperwork."
"Thanks for everything," Itadori Yuji said politely.
She paused, concern flickering in her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay, Itadori-san?"
Yuji let out a small, awkward laugh. "Well, this is my first time dealing with something like this, so it doesn't feel real yet. But... Grandpa would be furious if I kept moping around forever, so I'll just have to laugh it off as I roast him up."
The nurse blinked and then laughed despite herself. "Phrasing, please!"
Yuji smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He had barely turned when a voice called out from behind him.
"Itadori Yuji, right?"
Startled, he and the nurse looked up to see a tall boy in a black uniform standing in the corridor.
"I'm Fushiguro from Jujutsu Tech," the newcomer said coolly. "I'd like to have a word with you."
From across the street, Subaru observed through the hospital windows, timing each interaction with meticulous precision. The first domino had fallen, and Fushiguro had made contact exactly on schedule. Now Subaru needed to ensure the cursed object would be unsealed at precisely the right moment.
"Move," he whispered to himself. "Move now."
Beatrice floated beside him, invisible to normal humans. "I still don't understand why this boy is so important, I suppose."
"He's the keystone," Subaru replied. "In every timeline where Itadori doesn't become Sukuna's vessel, something far worse happens."
"Something worse than releasing the King of Curses? That's quite a claim, I suppose."
Subaru's eyes darkened. "I've seen it eighty-five times now. Trust me."
Satozakura High School – Occult Club
Scratching noises echoed from the dimly lit room.
"I can't get it off," Setsuko Sasaki muttered, sitting at a wooden table and struggling to remove a paper talisman.
"Did we have to sneak in here just for this?" asked Takeshi Iguchi, sitting across from her.
"The atmosphere is essential for these things," she replied. "I know nothing will happen, but the eerie setting makes it more exciting."
Suddenly, she interrupted herself, finally managing to peel off the wrapping. "Look, it's coming off."
"What the—" she exclaimed in shock.
"What's wrong?" Takeshi Iguchi asked, startled.
"A human... finger?" they said in unison.
Before they could react, the lights flickered, and they started hearing scratching noises from above, sending chills down their backs.
A few minutes before
Scratching sounds echoed through the dark hallway.
Subaru watched from the shadows as two students fumbled with the seal on a small object, laughing nervously, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Above them, a cursed spirit strained against an invisible force.
Subaru's second cursed technique, Invisible Providence, held it in place like a leash. Unlike most techniques that manifested visibly, his took the form of unseen hands that could manipulate physical objects and even cursed spirits for short periods.
"I can't get it off," the girl muttered.
Subaru's eyes remained fixed on them; timing was crucial. In the previous loop, he'd let the spirit free too early, resulting in both students dying before Itadori could arrive. The loop before that, he'd waited too long, and Megumi had sealed the finger before Itadori could consume it.
Every variable had to be perfect.
Finally, the paper tore, and a pulse of cursed energy slipped out like a breath long held.
"A human… finger?" they exclaimed in unison.
He let go, releasing his hold on the cursed spirit.
"Loop 86, attempt 3," he whispered. "Let's see if this reality will be the one."
The lights flickered, and the students began to hear scratching noises coming from above, sending chills down their spines.
Subaru watched it all unfold with an unreadable expression. Behind him, Beatrice observed with a calculating gaze.
"Your eyes look dead again, Subaru," she noted quietly. "Each time you die, you lose something, I suppose."
"It doesn't matter what I lose," he replied. "Only what I gain, knowledge of what needs to change."
"Is saving the world worth becoming a husk?" she challenged, her normally childish voice carrying centuries of wisdom.
Subaru didn't answer, his focus unwavering. "Stay hidden," he warned. "It's about to begin."
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Footsteps echoed across the pavement as Itadori Yuji and Fushiguro Megumi sprinted toward the school building.
"Do the seals come off that easily?" Yuji asked between breaths.
"No! Someone without cursed energy shouldn't be able to remove them," Megumi replied, panting. "Normally."
Swoosh.
They reached the entrance, and Megumi came to a stop.
"You stay here," he ordered. "Where's the clubroom?"
"Hold on, I'm coming with you," Yuji protested. "Things are looking bad, right?"
"Stay. Here," Megumi repeated firmly, already pushing forward.
In the hallway, Setsuko Sasaki curled up behind a corner, trembling. Her eyes were wide with fear as a cursed spirit stalked the corridor just meters away.
"WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?!?!" the cursed spirit screeched, its voice fractured.
"ThE hOuR hAnD… pOiNtS tO iT…" came a warped reply. Takeshi Iguchi's head was halfway devoured, his mouth twitching unnaturally as the cursed spirit contorted his corpse.
Setsuko screamed.
Her shriek rang down the hall, echoing off the walls like a warning bell.
"Did they escape the clubroom?" Megumi muttered as he listened to the sounds around him. "Its presence is everywhere..." he said under his breath.
As he rounded a corner, he skidded to a halt—right in front of a cursed spirit.
"Slurp, slurp, slurp," the spirit echoed.
"You're in my way," Megumi growled. "Divine Dogs!"
Two hounds burst from his shadow, one black and one white, howling fiercely.
"Go. Feast."
Meanwhile
Just outside the school's shattered gates, Itadori Yuji stood palms slick with sweat. The cold wind whipped through the darkness, and the building before him pulsed with malevolence.
In the shadows of the school, Subaru watched in silence as Itadori braced himself before finally charging inside.
Subaru's gaze shifted to Megumi just as he was about to turn the corner, where the schoolgirl was being attacked.
The timing wasn't right; Itadori hadn't yet reached the fourth-floor window of the Occult Club.
Too early, Subaru thought. I'll have to intervene again.
Stepping forward, he activated his third cursed technique: Lion's Heart.
This ability allowed him to temporarily enhance others by taking their weaknesses upon himself. In an instant, the weight of fear and exhaustion lifted from Itadori's body, as both mental and physical burdens were siphoned away. With nothing holding him back, Itadori surged forward, moving faster than before.
Subaru grunted as Itadori's exhaustion flowed into him, nearly buckling under the strain. His vision blurred momentarily as he absorbed the burden.
"Subaru!" Beatrice exclaimed, hurrying to assist him. "You're overextending yourself again, I suppose."
"It's fine," he muttered. "This timeline is crucial. Everything has to align perfectly."
Subaru watched silently as Megumi rounded the corner, divine dogs at his side, only to face the cursed spirit mid-feast, which was wrapped around the passed-out girl.
"Crap," Megumi muttered, his eyes wide. "It's trying to swallow them both at the same time!"
KRAAASH!
Glass shattered overhead as Itadori Yuji crashed through the fourth-floor window, shards glittering in the air.
"Itadori!" Megumi shouted in shock.
He launched toward the cursed spirit, aiming his flying kick at its grotesque body.
The blow landed with a sickening crunch.
It was perfect, too perfect.
From the shadows just outside the window, Subaru watched silently, unnoticed by anyone.
His ability, Invisible Providence, had subtly redirected the cursed spirit's movement, nudging it just enough to expose its weak point.
And the dominoes fall, he thought.
Yuji hit the ground and slid to a halt, cradling Sasaki in his arms. He muttered something under his breath, something about a natural death, as the cursed spirit turned its attention to him.
Seeing the cursed spirit distracted, Megumi took the chance to fire a burst of cursed energy and sent his divine dogs to tear into it.
"Normally, I'd be pissed," Megumi muttered, walking toward Itadori. "But… good job."
As they caught their breath, something slipped from the unconscious girl's pocket and landed on the floor with a dull clink.
Itadori bent down and picked it up. "This is…?"
"Special grade cursed object," Megumi said. "Ryomen Sukuna. Or at least, a part of him."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Just hand it over. It's dangerous."
"Yeah, yeah—"
Before he could finish, Megumi suddenly shoved him back. "RUN!"
A cursed spirit came crashing down through the ceiling above.
BOOM!
"Fushiguro!" Itadori shouted, eyes wide.
From the shadows, Subaru watched. Everything was in motion, just as it should be. The timing of the cursed spirit, the fall, and Megumi's panic would all lead to one outcome.
"This time," Subaru whispered, his eyes reflecting the chaos unfolding before him, "we'll get it right."
Beatrice looked up at him, her expression a blend of concern and determination. "What if it fails again?"
Subaru clenched his fists behind his back as the curse mark on his chest burned with the memory of eighty-six deaths. "Then I die, and we try again."
The cursed spirit lunged toward Itadori, who still clutched Sukuna's finger. In exactly three seconds, he would make his fateful choice.
Subaru began counting down.
"Three..."
The spirit closed in.
"Two..."
Megumi struggled beneath the debris, unable to help.
"One..."
Itadori raised the finger to his lips.
"Zero."