"You leave Megumi the hell alone. I get that you hate Yuji but Megumi has no part in this. He doesn't have to die" Kuina yells as she fights against the strength of Xavier's telekinesis which is forcing her to walk in between Xavier and Sukuna.

"Shh stop that infernal yelling, you're getting on my nerves" Sukuna says as he puts his hand over her mouth, "this Itadori brat needs to understand that I am the one in charge here, despite the fact that it is his body which I now inhabit. Since he has been disobeying me and screwing me around, I'll kill, and I'll kill that Megumi boy in order to teach him a lesson. Your time will come soon so just calm down for now".

"Xavier, please" Kuina says as she manages to get Sukuna's hand from her mouth, "this has to be some kind of sick prank to lure your brother in. You told me you hated him, he killed your lover did he not? From what I read, Ryomen Sukuna killed Oni Clemont in order to teach Xavier Sukuna a lesson".

"Well do you not see past repeating itself here Kuina" Xavier asks as he looks at her, "my brother punished me for disobeying him by killing my beloved wife, and now he will kill Megumi and yourself in order to teach Yuji a lesson. If it comes down to it, I will kill you Kuina".

"If you're so confident with that then why did you save me earlier?" Kuina asks as he looks at Xavier, "earlier when Sukuna released his domain expansion, if you had not barricaded me from the attack, I would have been split up just like that cursed spirit, but you stopped the effects. Somewhere deep down inside of you wants to save me, I know it".

"Don't listen to her ridiculous drivel little brother. I know she is identical to your wife Oni, but she is not her. Women will only manipulate you and break your heart. You do not need this woman, you do not need the pact you have formed with her. Break the pact, kill her, and reign alongside me like we once did" Sukuna says as he looks over at Xavier.

"I'm sorry Kuina, but family is everything to me. My brother and I may have murdered our parents in cold blood, but the only person I need is my brother. Love is nothing, I feel nothing for you, despite the way you look, the way you act, the way you sound. You were just something for me to use, a naïve young jujutsu sorcerer looking for some extra power. Once I have killed you, I will move on from you, not giving you a second thought" Xavier says as Kuina looks down.

Megumi is standing at the front gate of the detention centre after sending Ijichi off to the hospital with an injured Nobara in the back seat. He stands in wait of his two classmates when he feels a large amount of energy drop from the detention centre.

The Innate Domain's been closed off. Did Kuina and Yuji truly defeat that special grade? If so, that means Yuji will have switched with Sukuna in order to exorcise the curse. Kuina is now trapped inside of there with Sukuna. And with the way he acted the last time the two of them met, Kuina is in trouble. I need to go inside and get to her.

Megumi tells himself as he is about to run off inside of the detention centre when he feels a large amount of cursed energy surrounding himself.

"Sorry, but I'm already here. And this Itadori brat is not coming back" Sukuna says as he appears from behind Megumi, "don't be so frightened. I'm in a great mood right now. I have Kuina in my grasp, Itadori is unable to switch back and my dearest younger brother Xavier was freed. Let's have a chat, Megumi. This is what that Itadori gets for trying to use me without creating a pact. Like I said, it feels like he's having some difficulty switching back. Still though..." Sukuna says as he tears off the torso of Yuji's uniform, "it's only a matter of time".

"Where is Kuina?" Megumi asks as he watches Sukuna.

"Oh her? She's there" Sukuna says as he points to nearby Megumi when Xavier is stood, holding Kuina.

"Kuina!" Megumi yells as he tries to get to her, only to be held back by Xavier's telekinesis.

"Anyways, I was thinking about what I could do right now" Sukuna says as he plunges his fist into Yuji's chest, wrapping his hand around Yuji's heart.

"No!" Kuina yells as she tries to break free of Xavier's grip.

"W-what are you...?" Megumi asks as he watches in shock.

Sukuna tears out Yuji's heart in front of Megumi and Kuina as he tosses it into the grass nearby.

"Yuji!" Kuina says softly as she falls to the ground.

"I'm taking this brat hostage" Sukuna announces.

"Hostage?" Megumi questions in confusion.

"Yeah. I can live without this but, that ain't true for the brat" Sukuna explains, "switching out with me means he dies. Also... for good measure" Sukuna says as he eats the finger he'd taken from the special grade, "with that, I'm as free as a bird. You can be frightened now. I'll kill you".

"For no particular reasons. Our roles are reversed now" Megumi says quietly, "the only thing granted equally to all is an unfair reality" Megumi says as he prepares a stance to fight, "you don't get it. He's... Itadori's coming back. Even if that means he'll die. That's just who he is".

"You give him too much credit. This guy's just a little tougher and denser than other humans. Just a moment ago, he was scared out of his mind, on the verge of death, and prattling on about all his regrets and nonsense. I know for a fact that he doesn't have the guts to kill himself" Sukuna says as Megumi rolls his eyes.

"Nue!" Megumi says as a bird forms behind him.

"I'm finally outside, after all" Sukuna says as Megumi runs at him, Nue flying at him from the other direction, "let's use the open space".

Megumi goes to kick Sukuna but he dodges. He then punches but the attack is dodged yet again. Megumi continues to try his best and fight but it's useless, he can't land a punch on Sukuna.

"Interesting" Sukuna says as he continues to dodge, "you use Shikigami, but you'll still come at me yourself".

Sukuna puts his hands in his pockets as he continues to dodge but Megumi and Nue.

"More" Sukuna says as he sways his head from side to side to dodge Megumi's attacks, "more. More!" Sukuna shouts as he grabs Megumi's fist and swings his around, "put more curse behind it" he says as he draws Megumi towards him.

Sukuna punches Megumi as Megumi falls backwards, only to receive a punch from Kuina which knocks him backwards as well.

Black flash.

Kuina tells herself as she helps Megumi up.

"Where did Xavier go?" Sukuna asks as he looks around.

"I'm sorry brother, but she is somehow supressing me" Xavier says, his voice being heard, but he is nowhere to be seen.

As Sukuna is distracted, Megumi calls out to his snake shikigami as the snake grabs Sukuna and takes him up in the air.

"Gang up on him!" Megumi yells as Nue comes in and starts to strike Sukuna.

Sukuna smirks as Megumi's snake is torn to shreds. Megumi gasps as Kuina feels someone grip her by her uniform.

"Hey, what did I just say?" Sukuna asks as Kuina turns and tries to hit Sukuna, only for him to stop her, "I said we should use the open space".

Sukuna throws Kuina through the trees as the branches start to cut her.

"Nue!" Megumi yells as Nue comes down and scoops Megumi up, taking him to the sky, "don't lose them!".

Kuina opens her eyes and sees she's in mid air. Sukuna comes over and kicks her, smashing her into a large building. Sukuna catches up to her and punches her into another. Nue flies over as Megumi grabs Kuina.

"Kuina!" Megumi yells as Kuina looks at him as she starts to grow weaker.

"Nice technique there!" Sukuna yells as he throws the three of them into the ground.

Nue covers Megumi and Kuina as Megumi releases the technique, Nue disappearing.

"Kuina, what should I do?" Megumi asks as he looks at Kuina.

"We need Yuji back" Kuina says as she looks at him.

Megumi nods as he stands up, Kuina starting to cry.

"I get it now" Sukuna says as he stands there with his hands on his hips, "so your shikigami as formed from shadows".

"So what?" Megumi asks as he looks at him.

"Hmm" Sukuna says as he puts a finger to his chin, "I don't get it though. Why did you run back then? What a waste of talent. Whatever. Either way, that won't be enough to fix this hole in your friend's chest. You're risking your life over stupid shit. This brat isn't even worth that much".

Megumi starts to stand up as he holds out his arm, covering his entire body with blue energy.

"Nice. That's it" Sukuna says with a devilish smile, "so this is when you start burning through your life. Now I see. Well, in that case... show me, Megumi Fushiguro".

"Sacred treasure swing and ring, ring- Eight Grip-" Megumi starts to say when he remembers something before he starts to smile, "just so you know, I... don't have any logical reason for saving you back then. Even if it's dangerous, I couldn't bare to see a good person like you die like that. I did have my reservations, but ultimately, it was for selfish, emotional reasons. That's fine, though. I'm not a hero. I'm a jujutsu sorcerer. So I've never once regretted saving you, and neither has Kuina".

"I see" Yuji says as the tattoos disappear and a bright smile appears on his face, "you really are smart Fushiguro, you too Kuina. You've put more thought into this than I have. I think your conviction's a proper one, but I don't think mine's wrong, either", Yuji says as blood starts to pour from his chest, "oh, sorry, I'm almost done for. Guess I won't have to worry about you, or Kuina, or Kugisaki, or Gojo-sensei. Live a long life".

Yuji starts to fall to the ground as Kuina gets up and grabs him, laying him down.

"Yuji! Yuji!" Kuina yells as she shakes him, tears brimming her eyes.

"Kuina, he's gone" Megumi says as he crouches down.

"No" Kuina says as she hugs Yuji close.

A few moments later, Kuina and Megumi start to walk out of the detention centre, Megumi carrying Yuji, Ijichi stood at the entrance with ambulance's parked up.

"What do you want me to tell them about yourself and Xavier? I can keep a secret from them" Megumi says as he walks next to Kuina.

"Tell them the truth, all of it. Tell them I have a cursed technique, tell them I was the one who broke Xavier out of the dungeon. I don't care if I get expelled. All I need is you. You're my friend. And being expelled can't stop me from being your friend" Kuina says as Megumi nods.

--- at the school ---

"If you encounter it, you let Kuina deal with it. I warned the three lower grade students that fighting was absolutely not an option" Ijichi says as he stands in front of Satoru in the school's morgue.

"It was intentional" Satoru says as he sits down.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ijichi asks confused.

"There was a special grade. Sending four first years to save five people who may or may not be alive should be out of the question" Satoru says as he scratches the back of his head, "besides, with Yuji, I was the one who forced the issue and got his execution suspended. Some higher ups who didn't like that took advantage of my absence and the special grade to tactfully dispose of him. If the other two had died, it'd be more harassment for me and two birds with one stone for them".

"No, but..." Ijichi tries to reason, "no one expected it to become a special grade by the time the dispatch was issued".

"Searching for someone to blame is just a pain. Maybe I should just kill the higher ups" Satoru says as the door to the morgue opens.

"You're not usually this emotional" Shoko says as she enters the room.

"It's good too see you Ieiri-san" Ijichi says as he bows to her.

"Looks to me like you've taken quite a liking to him" Shoko says as she looks at Satoru.

"I've always been a nice guy who cares for his students" Satoru says as he looks at her.

"Don't torment Ijichi too much" Shoko warns Satoru, "he's got it rough, stuck between us and the higher ups".

"I don't care about a man's hardships" Satoru says as Ijichi blushes at Shoko's words.

"That so?" Shoko asks with a small chuckle as she pulls back the sheet laid over Yuji, "so this is Sukuna's vessel, huh? I can take him apart as I please, right?".

"Make sure to get good use out of him" Satoru says as he looks down.

"Oh I will" Shoko says with a small smile, "who do you think I am?".