Jujutsu Kaisen: I have everything I need now!

In the ruins, the smoke and dust had not yet dissipated, and an indescribable sweet and fishy smell permeated the air.

Yukichi felt the damp earth between his toes. The realism made him feel dizzy; for sixteen years, he had never truly experienced this world. He turned to look at December, who was brushing dust off his clothes. The boy's figure appeared thin and even sickly weak in the sunlight.

"You...you told Gojo Satoru?" Kokichi's voice was still hoarse.

"Of course...no." December stopped what she was doing, looked up at the sky, and said, "It's not just about me. I haven't told him about you either, even though he probably already guessed that you're the mole."

"I am indeed a traitor, but they promised not to harm anyone from the high school," Yukichi hurriedly explained.

"So, senior, you're really naive." December Shuo shook his head slightly. "Besides, even if I told Gojo-sensei, he probably wouldn't care. Compared to the strongest, the so-called Special Grade is just a slightly stronger kid."

He walked up to Yu Xingji, lowered his voice, and a faint purple halo flashed in his dark eyes: "Now, senior, you should think about how to deal with the interrogation from the vocational high school."

Yukichi fell silent. He looked at his smooth palms.

"What do you need me to do?"

Hearing this, December 1st was taken aback, then said, "Do what you want to do."

After saying that, he walked away from the ruins without looking back, leaving only a lazy silhouette.

He stood there for a long time with Kokichi. He looked down at the soil beneath his feet, then looked up at the tent gradually disappearing on the horizon, and finally looked at the new moon of December, which was treading straight ahead on the rubble in the distance.

He seemed to have made up his mind, and crawled back into the broken mechanical ball in the ruins. The grating sound of the metal joints grinding together made his emotions fluctuate.

The back mountain of Kyoto Vocational High School remains as tranquil as ever.

Although the exchange meeting has ended, the higher-ups don't seem to intend to let the students off the hook. Reports of cursed spirit sightings are surging across the country, and a sense of oppression is quietly looming over everyone.

Kasumi Miwa was sweating profusely as she practiced on the wooden stakes in the training ground. Her wooden sword flashed again and again; though it was only the most basic swordsmanship, each strike was executed with unwavering resolve. At the exchange meeting, she had not only had her weapon taken away, but she had also slept through the entire subsequent battle, rendering her useless. Although, even if she had been awake, it wouldn't have been of much help anyway.

She was a very self-aware person. In this world overrun by monsters, ordinary sorcerers like her could only keep practicing.

"Three-wheeled vehicles."

A deep electronic voice sounded behind her. Miwa stopped what she was doing and turned around with some surprise.

The mechanical ball's dull body stood quietly under the shade of the tree, with some scorch marks on the joints of its arms still visible from overloading.

"Mechanical Maru! Are you fixed yet?" Miwa Kasumi put down her wooden sword and ran over quickly, her tone full of genuine concern. "I heard from Kamo-senpai that you were badly injured at the exchange event."

Hidden in a basement hundreds of meters deep with Kokichi, he watched the girl through the camera's sensors. He could clearly see the beads of sweat on her forehead and her cheeks, slightly flushed from running.

"I want to see her." This thought had never assaulted his reason so intensely.

But he simply manipulated the mechanical ball, replying in that emotionless electronic voice, "Only the outer armor is damaged; the core is fine. Mitsuwa, you should take a rest too."

"I'm fine." Miwa Kasumi scratched her head sheepishly and pulled a small, slightly rough-made keychain from her pocket—it was a rather comical little cat. "I asked Mai-senpai to bring this back from outside yesterday. I think it looks a lot like you. Good luck, Machine Maru."

The pendant hung on the cold metal knuckles of the mechanical ball, looking somewhat comical, yet also possessing an indescribable warmth. In the basement, Yukichi clutched his chest tightly; the feeling of being alive was painful, yet undeniably real.

Meanwhile, December 1st was lying sprawled out in the shadows of the school rooftop, fiddling with a dragonfly he had caught from who-knows-where.

"December! You're slacking off again!"

Zenjima Shin's signature mocking voice rang out. She strode over, her shadow completely obscuring December 1st's face. Today she wore a sleek tactical jacket, her specially made revolver tucked into her waistband, her eyes filled with impatience.

"Senior, you walk too loudly, you scared away the dragonflies." December No. 1 said lazily, without even opening his eyes.

"Stop talking nonsense, the principal wants to see you." Zhenyi snorted coldly and reached out to grab his collar. "Although I know you're a good-for-nothing, because of your mysterious disappearance and safe return during the exchange meeting, that old man suspects you have contact with external forces. You'd better tell me the truth and don't embarrass our Kyoto School."

"The principal wants to see me?" December 1st opened her eyes, her face nonchalant. "Senior Zhenyi, you're so concerned about me, are you afraid I'll get expelled by the principal?"

"Go to hell." Zhenyi pulled out her revolver and pressed the barrel against his forehead. "Get down here right now."

On the first day of the twelfth month, he raised his hands and stood up with a smile.

The room of the abbot of Leyan Temple was filled with a strong sandalwood scent. The old man was fiddling with an electronic keyboard in front of him with his eyes closed. The sound of the keyboard was shrill and carried a chilling aura.

December 1st stood in the center of the room, looking timid and fearful. Zhenyi stood guard outside the door; inside, only he and the cold, gloomy headmaster were present.

"I've seen your file from December." Leyan Temple stopped playing the zither and opened his eyes.

"So your eyes can open." December 1st thought to herself.

Leyan Temple's cloudy eyes stared intently at him. "You come from an ordinary family, and you were recruited because you possess Heavenly Binding, which allows you to store cursed power and then release it in a short time, unleashing a wave of fire. In the chaotic scene of the exchange meeting, we didn't detect any fluctuations in your cursed power. How did you survive being attacked by two level-one cursed spirits?"

"Headmaster, would you believe me if I said it was just luck?" December wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "I passed out, and when I woke up they were gone."

Leyan Temple didn't speak. He suddenly raised his hand, and a faint wave of magical energy shot towards December's knee.

While such a level of provocation would be enough to cripple an ordinary student, it is indeed very painful for the new student in December.

"Ouch! Principal, you've killed someone!" December 1st rolled on the ground clutching her knee, her screams so loud that Zhenyi, who was outside the door, couldn't help but peek in.

Leyan Temple frowned. In his perception, the attack had indeed struck flesh, leaving no trace of defense. The boy before him still possessed sparse magical power and slow reflexes.

"Get out." Leyan Temple plucked the strings again. "Don't let me find out you're lying."

On the first day of December, he scrambled out of the room and only managed to stand up straight by leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zhenyi walked over and, seeing him covered in dust, surprisingly didn't mock him. Instead, she handed him a handkerchief.

December 1st paused for a moment, then put on a nonchalant expression: "Senior, you really do love me. I'll never wash this handkerchief again in my life."

"Get out of here! Hurry up and get ready, we have a mission tomorrow." Mayi turned her head, her ears slightly red. "It's an abandoned factory in the western suburbs of Kyoto. There's a suspected Level 1 cursed spirit. Kamo and Miwa will be going. You stay in the back and behave yourself."

Watching Zhenyi's departing figure, Shiyue Shuo casually stuffed the handkerchief that exuded a faint fragrance into his pocket.