Shibuya Station, Underground Level 5.
With the departure of Kenjaku and Uraume, the area returned to a deathly silence.
Rubble and broken walls covered the ground, a testament to the brutality of the battle that had just taken place.
The Special Grade Cursed Tool, Shiranui, stood alone, thrust into the ground like the young man's final act of defiance, its faint flames flickering as it stood watch over the ruins.
Although Kenjaku had left, his plan had not ground to a halt.
Above Tokyo, countless invisible threads of cursed energy were weaving together frantically.
It was a barrier being prepared for the Culling Game.
Though he had lost his two greatest obstacles, Satoru Gojo and Yoru, it would still take time to truly initiate the game that would drive the world into a frenzy.
"..."
In the shadows, a figure with a severed arm moved quickly.
Kenjaku clutched his wound; despite the unbearable pain, he couldn't suppress the smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Finally..."
"This world will eventually belong to us."
He believed Yoru was certainly dead, exiled into the turbulence of space and time.
After all, that was a fundamental power of law that even Satoru Gojo could not resist.
As long as that variable was gone...
The remaining brats were of no concern at all!
Yet, he didn't know.
At this very moment, on the other side of time and space, untold light-years away...
Or rather...
At a certain point in the past.
The boy he considered dead was experiencing an unprecedented encounter.
The scene shifted.
Tokyo, 2006.
People crowded the bustling streets.
Neon lights flashed, and giant billboards broadcasted concert previews for popular idols.
The air was thick with the scent of takoyaki and oden.
It was a peaceful and noisy era, the starting point where none of the tragedies had yet begun.
"Ugh..."
Inside a quiet alleyway.
A boy carrying a black guitar case slowly opened his eyes, looking dazed.
His head throbbed with a splitting pain.
It felt as if he had been tossed into a washing machine and spun hundreds of times; the world-shaking vertigo made him gag.
"Where am I...?"
Yoru rubbed his temples and slowly stood up.
His surroundings were both familiar and strange—the street layout was recognizable, but it carried a retro vibe from over a decade ago.
Passersby wore slightly dated clothing and were sending texts on flip phones.
Even the smell of the air was entirely different from Shibuya in 2018.
There was no sickening stench of cursed spirits, only a sense of calm.
'Wasn't I just in Shibuya?'
'How did I...'
Yoru instinctively reached for his waist.
It was empty; Shiranui was gone.
The divine weapon that had accompanied him all this way had been left behind in that future.
"Um... excuse me, kid?"
A passing middle-aged salaryman looked curiously at the boy in the strange uniform standing dazed at the mouth of the alley.
"Are you okay? Did you get heatstroke?"
"Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?"
Yoru snapped back to reality, looking at the ordinary man before him, whose face was filled with concern.
That kind of look.
It held no fear of curses, no numbness toward death—only the pure kindness belonging to a time of peace.
"No, I'm fine."
Yoru shook his head, his voice a bit raspy.
"Excuse me, but what year is it?"
"Huh?"
The man blanked for a moment, staring at him as if he were a fool.
"It's 2006, obviously."
"It's the 18th year of the Heisei era. What's wrong? Did you sleep yourself into a stupor?"
"2006..."
Although he had already suspected it, hearing the definitive answer made Yoru's heart skip a beat.
He really...
...had come back.
He was back in that summer where everything had yet to begin.
"Thank you."
Yoru took a deep breath and bowed to the man.
"Don't mention it. Kids these days... the pressure is just too much..."
The man waved his hand and grumbled as he walked away.
Yoru looked up at the sky, which was so azure it felt surreal.
Just then.
[DING!]
A crisp notification sound suddenly echoed in his mind.
[DETECTION: HOST HAS ENTERED A SPECIAL SPACE-TIME NODE: YEAR 2006 (HIDDEN INVENTORY ARC)]
[CURRENT LOCATION: SHIBUYA DISTRICT, TOKYO.]
[MAIN MISSION UPDATED!]
[MISSION NAME: THE SLASH THAT CROSSES TIME]
[MISSION OBJECTIVE: REWRITE REGRETS AND PREVENT TRAGEDIES FROM OCCURRING]
[SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:]
[OBJECTIVE 1: REWRITE THE FATE OF THE STAR PLASMA VESSEL RIKO AMANAI'S DEATH (INCOMPLETE).]
[OBJECTIVE 2: PREVENT SUGURU GETO FROM FALLING COMPLETELY INTO DARKNESS AND AVOID THE TRAGEDY OF THE NIGHT PARADE OF A HUNDRED DEMONS (INCOMPLETE).]
[OBJECTIVE 3: ENSURE YU HAIBARA SURVIVES AND CHANGE KENTO NANAMI'S FATE OF "LABOR" (INCOMPLETE).]
[REWARDS: SYNCHRONIZATION RATE INCREASE (RANDOM 40-50%), UNLOCK SLAYER MARK (PERMANENT), AND THE KEY TO RETURN TO THE FUTURE.]
[PENALTY FOR FAILURE: HOST WILL BE FOREVER EXILED IN THE TURBULENCE OF SPACE-TIME, UNABLE TO RETURN TO 2018, AND HOST'S EXISTENCE WILL BE ERASED.]
'As expected...'
Looking at the rows of blood-red text on the system panel, Yoru's lips curled into a smile.
This wasn't just a return.
This was a journey of redemption.
A giant electronic screen on the side of the road suddenly lit up, catching his attention.
"Today's News."
"Recently, several mysterious gas explosions and building collapses have occurred in various locations within Tokyo. The police remind citizens to stay alert..."
"Furthermore, according to an anonymous religious group, a secret ceremony concerning the 'Star' is about to take place soon..."
Boom!
Like a bolt from the blue, Yoru was completely stunned.
Ordinary people might not understand the subtext in this news report.
But as a transmigrator who knew the plot well, he knew exactly what those "gas explosions" and "religious groups" represented.
The Jujutsu world! The Star Religious Group!
And that ceremony regarding the "Star"...
Could it be... the Star Plasma Vessel merging?!
Yoru abruptly looked down at his own hands.
Though they were a bit rough, they were indeed his own.
"Is this..."
His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"The past?"
2006. The Hidden Inventory Arc.
The summer when Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were still best friends and none of the tragedies had happened!
Riko Amanai wasn't dead yet, Suguru Geto hadn't fallen into darkness, and Yu Haibara was still alive.
Kento Nanami was still that slightly gloomy but justice-filled teenager.
Even that man, Toji Fushiguro...
...was still here!
"I see..."
Yoru suddenly laughed.
He laughed radiantly, a hint of tears even appearing in the corners of his eyes.
Since the heavens had given him a second chance—since he had been sent back to the source of all these tragedies...
Then...
"This time."
Yoru clenched his fists. Although he had no sword, the light in his eyes was more dazzling than ever.
"I will not let anyone die!"
"Not Riko, not Haibara, and certainly not..."
"...the Suguru Geto who is still lost in uncertainty."
The wind rose.
It ruffled the boy's black hair and swept away the gloom that had once hung over everyone's heads.
Carrying his guitar case, Yoru walked with firm steps toward the crowded intersection.
Though his silhouette appeared slender...
...it looked as though it were carrying the hope of the entire world.
A new story...
...was about to be rewritten...
...this summer!