Jujutsu Kaisen: I have everything I need now!

Even in spring, the air in Tokyo carries a lingering smell of dust and a sense of anxiety.

The Shinkansen train roared through the Kanto Plain, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from the snow-covered northern landscape to a gray jungle of reinforced concrete.

The heating inside the carriage was on full blast, making it even a bit stuffy.

Zhenyi sat by the window, holding a fashion magazine she had been reading for a long time, but her eyes were not on the pages. Instead, she kept staring at the empty seat next to her.

To other passengers, the beautiful woman with a cool and aloof demeanor was sitting next to an empty seat. But to Zhenyi, December Shuo was slumped there without any regard for his image, holding a bag of mixed-flavor nuts that he had taken from the vendor's cart without paying for them, and was now popping them into his mouth one by one.

"I said..." Mayi lowered her voice, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Can't you have some self-awareness as a 'ghost'? You're eating too loudly."

"Click."

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, he bit into a cashew nut and turned his head away with an innocent look on his face.

"Anyway, no one else can hear it."

As he spoke, he tossed another almond into the air and caught it steadily with his mouth.

"And I'm also observing. The closer we get to Tokyo, the heavier the oppressive feeling in the air becomes."

"It's already very serious?"

Zhenyi closed the magazine, her expression becoming more serious.

"Hmm. Although it's not as concentrated and volatile as Furano, it's like boiling a frog in lukewarm water here." December Shuo reached out and pressed his hand against the car window, feeling the faint but omnipresent strange vibrations from the outside world. "That guy, Rōsō, has laid a huge net in Tokyo. Those who have gone missing have probably become nourishment for his shadow army."

The train pulled into Ueno Station.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker that they were about to arrive at Tokyo Station. The surrounding passengers began to stir, getting up to gather their luggage and make phone calls.

December 1st also stood up from his seat and straightened his collar.

"Let's go, Senior Mai."

On December 1st, he naturally reached out to pick up the suitcase beside Zhenyi's feet. However, Zhenyi grabbed the handle first and took his arm with her other hand.

"I'll carry my own luggage. Your task now is..." Zhenyi paused, tightening her grip on his hand, "...don't get lost."

December 1st paused for a moment, then smiled helplessly and let her take his arm. The two followed the flow of people down the platform.

In the crowded throng, Zhenyi's actions were not arm in arm; instead, to everyone's eyes, she was walking with her arms swinging normally. However, her movements appeared extremely unnatural, as if played frame by frame.

Some whispered, some pointed, and some even took out their phones to take pictures. But Zhenyi didn't care. She held her head high, her high heels clicking as she walked confidently through the crowd. Her arm was pressed tightly against December's arm; that warm touch was her only support in this world on the verge of collapse.

"They're all watching you," December whispered in her ear. "They think you're weirdo."

"Then let them see!" Mayi said without looking away. "Anyway, they can't see the coolest ghost in the world, it's their loss."

My heart skipped a beat on the first day of December.

"Your sweet talk skills have improved lately, boss lady."

"Shut up and get out of here."

......

High School of Curses, Tokyo Campus.

A vast barrier envelops this ancient campus nestled deep in the mountains. Although the extinction migration has ended, the college remains at the highest level of alert.

Assistant supervisor Kiyotaka Ijichi stood at the school gate, sweating profusely, holding a latest report in his hand, pacing anxiously back and forth.

"The number of shadow-peeling incidents continues to rise... Yesterday, three more ordinary people went missing in Shinjuku, leaving only black filth at the scene... And Mr. Gojo has disappeared again..."

Just when he was at his wit's end, the sound of an engine came from behind him.

A taxi stopped in front of the torii gate at the foot of the mountain. The door opened, and a woman with short, neat hair, wearing a beige trench coat, stepped out of the car.

Ichiji pushed up his glasses, squinted, and then revealed a surprised expression.

"Zen temple... no, Miss Mayu!"

He hurried to meet her. Although they had lost contact since Mai went into seclusion in Hokkaido, everyone knew she was still alive. In this time of extreme manpower shortage, Mai's return was undoubtedly good news.

"Mr. Ijichi, it's been a long time."

May paid the fare, turned to look at the air beside her, made a gesture to follow, and then nodded to Ijichi.

Ichiji paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at Mai's side. There was no one there.

"Um... Miss Mai, did you come back alone?"

"Ichi asked cautiously."

"No, two people." Mayi answered matter-of-factly, even reaching out her hand as if to take someone's hand.

Ijichi felt a chill run down his spine. He was an assistant supervisor, and while his perception of cursed spirits wasn't as acute as a sorcerer's, it was still stronger than that of an ordinary person. But now, looking around Mai, he couldn't sense anything.

"Is that...the kind of 'friend' I'm thinking of?"

Iji swallowed hard, the terrifying image of Mai being possessed by some unseen cursed spirit due to excessive stimulation already flashing through his mind.

"Don't overthink it." Zhenyi seemed to see through his thoughts and coldly interrupted him. "Take me to see everyone. I have important information."

"Yes! Everyone is training on the field." Ijichi didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly led the way.

As he walked along the long approach, December 1st looked up at the campus. The fluctuations of the barrier did not react at all the moment he passed through.

He just swaggered in like that.

"Still the same as always," December 1st remarked. "Except for being a bit more crowded."

"What are you planning to do when you see Maki and the others later?" Mai asked in a low voice.

"What else can I do? I'll just stand there and watch." December 1st shrugged. "They can't see me anyway."

"I'll let them see." Zhenyi squeezed his hand.

......

On the playground.

The sounds of booming and colliding magical forces rose and fell.

It appears that Kyoto College and Tokyo College have merged.

"Brother! Your fists are still filled with confusion! Now that Black Flash is as natural as breathing, take it a step further!"

Yuujin Itadori, shirtless and radiating heat, was engaged in a fierce physical struggle with Aoi Toudou.

Not far away, Maki, holding a long staff, was instructing Yuta Otsuki and Kasumi Miwa. Noriyuki Kamo was resting with his eyes closed, while Momo Nishimiya hovered low in the air on a broomstick.

Fushiguro Megumi sat on the steps to the side, holding an ancient book in his hand, studying something with a furrowed brow, while the jade dog beside him lay uneasily on the ground.

In a corner of the playground, a figure stood out from the crowd.

It was a young man sitting in a specially made mechanical wheelchair. His face was wrapped in bandages, and several tubes were inserted into his body to maintain his vital signs. His skin was sickly pale.

With Kokichi.

Without the treatment from the new moon, the binding force returned to him, though it was much better than before.

At this moment, his eyes, though cloudy, were still sharp, fixed on the entrance to the playground.

"Everyone!"

Ijichi's voice broke the rhythm of the training. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

"Mai?"

Maki was the first to react. She tossed aside the wooden stick she was holding, strode over, and a rare smile appeared on her face. "Why are you back? Didn't you say you were going to retire in Hokkaido?"

"Mai! You're here too!" Aoi Toudou walked over laughing. "The entire Kyoto school is here, this is going to be even more interesting!"

"Maki-senpai!" Itadori ran over excitedly, wiping the sweat from her face. "Long time no see! How's business at the flower shop?"

"Mai-kun, it's been a long time." Miwa Kasumi waved happily.

Yigu and Fuhei also gathered around, and everyone was genuinely happy for Zhenyi's return.

However, this enthusiastic atmosphere lasted only a few seconds. Everyone keenly sensed that something was wrong. Zhenyi stood there, not with her arms crossed or hands in her pockets as usual.

Her left arm was slightly raised, bent into a hooked position, her fingers loosely clenched, as if... she were holding someone's arm. Moreover, her body weight was slightly tilted to the left, a posture she would only adopt when leaning on someone.

The barrier shielded the senses of some parts of the world, so the students at the college did not have their memories completely altered like the people at the train station.

The scene became extremely quiet, even somewhat eerie.

The panda scratched its head and whispered to the dog beside it, "Thorn, am I seeing things? Is Mayu... in a weird position?"

"Tuna mayonnaise." Dog Roll shook his head, his eyes serious.

Maki frowned. Her eyes were those of the Heavenly Curse, allowing her to see details invisible to ordinary people. She stared intently at the air around Mayi, trying to detect even the slightest trace of residual cursed energy or the movement of the air.

No.

There was nothing there.

In her vision, Zhenyi was just there, holding onto the air.

"Mai," Maki's voice turned serious, "What are you doing?"

Mayi wasn't embarrassed by the strange looks she received. She took a deep breath and pushed the air she was holding forward, as if introducing her dance partner.

Let me introduce it to you.

Zhenyi's voice was clear and firm.

"This is the first day of December."