Night fell, the moonlight pure and clear.
Inside a small standalone building, White Zetsu flipped through an old notebook in his hands, a trace of dissatisfaction on his face.
"What the heck… You told me to stay away from Satoru Gojo, yet you're the one who went and provoked him."
Leaning halfway against the sofa, Mirai replied calmly,
"That's different."
"Geto is a death-row criminal wanted by Jujutsu High, and the culprit behind the attack on the school."
"In front of a student who's already been gravely injured, Gojo Satoru wouldn't make a move."
White Zetsu scratched his head, confusion appearing on his face.
"Someone who calls himself the strongest, yet he's still restrained by worldly rules… influenced by the opinions of ordinary people."
"I really can't understand it."
Mirai stood up, took the notebook from Bai Jue's hands, and said softly,
"The 'ordinary people' you're talking about are his students, his former teachers, and his classmates."
"The bonds between them aren't as fragile as you imagine."
Mirai flipped open the notebook and settled back onto the sofa.
"More importantly, Gojo Satoru had already prepared himself for Geto's death."
"If Geto hadn't betrayed them…"
"Even if it meant destroying the stability of the entire jujutsu world, he wouldn't have let things end the way they did today."
"Human emotions really are complicated."
As White Zetsu spoke, he opened his mouth wide.
A grotesque curse spirit, resembling a massively enlarged crimson caterpillar, crawled out from inside his mouth.
Playing with the curse spirit in his hand, White Zetsu grinned.
"Putting everything else aside, at least our gains this time were pretty good."
The Next Day — In Front of the School Building
Gojo Satoru looked at the figure walking toward him and blinked in surprise.
"Shoko?"
"Not often I see you outside the infirmary."
Shoko lifted her eyes slightly and replied flatly,
"Just a coincidence. I'm here to find Zen'in Mirai."
Gojo frowned.
"What do you want with that guy?"
"Don't tell me you're actually interested in him?"
"The Limitless can't block poison, you know."
Shoko pulled a cigarette from her pocket and said calmly,
"One of these days I might find a chance to poison that mouth of yours shut. I'm sure plenty of people would thank me for it."
Gojo pouted.
"As long as you don't like him. That guy doesn't look like a good person at all."
Shoko lit her cigarette.
"Neither do you."
With his hands in his pockets, Gojo started walking forward.
"Come on. I happen to have business with him too."
Shoko paused slightly before following behind him.
"Is it because of… Geto?"
"No."
Gojo's expression remained calm.
"Even without him, I would've done it myself."
Hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed through Shoko's eyes.
"Looks like that reckless idiot from back then… has matured quite a bit."
"Sister Shoko, long time no see."
She wore the doctor's signature white coat, and even the heavy eyeshadow couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes.
Ten years ago, Mirai had muttered in the car that he wanted to deepen their relationship.
Now it had indeed happened — they had evolved from strangers into colleagues.
"Long time no see."
Looking at the smile on Mirai's face, Shoko seemed to understand what Gojo meant by a fake smile.
It was like copying text straight from a textbook — repeated word for word.
Too formulaic.
Not a trace of sincerity.
But Shoko didn't care. She hadn't come here to reminisce.
After glancing around the room's furnishings, she got straight to the point.
"Where's that talking curse spirit?"
"Would it be convenient for me to dissect it?"
"Hahaha! I knew it!"
Watching from the side, Gojo burst out laughing.
The smile on Mirai's face stiffened for a moment. He really hadn't expected Shoko to be this direct.
"Don't worry. A curse spirit's body is different from a sorcerer's."
"As long as the core isn't destroyed, it can recover through cursed energy."
Shoko played with a strand of hair beside her ear, speaking with complete seriousness.
She had dissected plenty of curses before, but a special existence like White Zetsu was impossible for her not to be interested in.
Mirai twitched slightly.
"I personally don't mind… but only if Bai Jue agrees."
"Is Bai Jue human or a curse? I'll go ask him myself."
Mirai replied,
"He's probably hanging out with Maki and the others."
Shoko rolled her eyes at the idiot laughing beside her and turned around to leave.
Gojo clearly knew White Zetsu was in the teaching building but hadn't bothered to say anything.
Watching her leave, Mirai's face also showed a trace of speechlessness.
It was true that curse spirits could regenerate through cursed energy.
But that didn't mean they couldn't feel pain.
Shoko's idea reminded Mirai of a viral joke from his previous life online:
Pigs grow meat by eating feed. If you cut off pieces of meat one by one and let them grow back, you could keep eating until the pig dies of old age…
"Your expression right now doesn't look fake."
Gojo crossed his legs and chuckled.
Mirai took out his phone and sent White Zetsu a message as a warning, then asked calmly,
"What did you come to see me about?"
"Heh. That cold expression now — that's real too."
Seeing Mirai remain unmoved, Gojo shrugged and explained the reason for his visit.
"Fushiguro Megumi. Why are you so fixated on him?"
Mirai turned his head to look at Gojo.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?"
"He has Zen'in blood and awakened the same technique as me."
"Shouldn't he return to the family?"
Gojo's expression turned serious.
"Name your condition."
"The condition for giving up Megumi."
"It seems Gojo-sensei cares a lot about that child."
Mirai's lips curved upward, revealing a smile that came from genuine sincerity.
"In that case, I happen to have something I'd like Gojo-sensei to help with."
"If possible, not only can you decide that child's future however you like—"
"I'll also give you the Zen'in clan's experience and intelligence regarding the Ten Shadows Technique for free."
Gojo frowned.
"What do you want?"
The Ten Shadows Technique was Megumi's innate cursed technique.
Even without the Zen'in clan's historical records, Megumi could still control the shikigami of the Ten Shadows quite skillfully.
But those records were far from worthless.
They could accelerate Megumi's growth and diversify the ways his shikigami could be used in combat.
For example, when Sukuna possessed Fushiguro Megumi's body, the changes weren't just in the size of the shikigami caused by the difference in cursed energy.
Usage methods, shikigami fusion, and other techniques…
The difference was obvious to the naked eye.
"It's simple."
Mirai smiled slightly.
"I want to experience Gojo-sensei's Domain Expansion."
"One minute."
"Let me stay inside your domain for one minute."
"Just ensure my life is safe while I'm inside."
Gojo leaned forward slightly, the brows beneath his blindfold furrowing.
Naobito had spoken as if Megumi's existence was extremely serious.
Yet this guy was giving up so easily.
Suspicious.
It felt like a plan prepared in advance.
Is he trying to learn something through my Domain Expansion… or does he have some other motive…?
After thinking for a moment, Gojo nodded.
"No problem."
"But first you want me to ensure your survival inside my domain, and then you say you'll give me experience about the Ten Shadows Technique."
A mocking smile appeared on Gojo's lips.
"Mirai-sensei…"
"You really value your life, don't you?"
His goal achieved, Mirai paid no attention to Gojo's sarcasm and simply smiled in response.
Gojo's expression didn't change.
But in his heart, an inexplicable heaviness appeared.
That smile…
was real.