Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
⋆ ────
Someone observed the intense battle unfolding before her, a sly smirk playing on her lips as she clutched the Prison Realm tightly in her hands. She then dropped the domain on the ground right in front of Gojo, his gaze fixated on the sphere as her voice echoed around them.
"Prison Realm... open gate," The person commanded, her voice filled with sinister anticipation.
Gojo's eyes widened in shock as the Prison Realm's power unleashed itself before him. However, his moment of surprise was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. "Yo! Satoru!"
His heart skipped a beat for the first time in a long time, as the voice rang out. "Huh?" Gojo murmured, turning his attention towards the source of the sound.
There, waving her hand at him with a nostalgic smile, stood a figure he never thought he would see again - his childhood best friend, Yumi. But the sight of her standing there, alive and well, sent a wave of shock and disbelief coursing through his veins.
Gojo's mind reeled, his heart pounding in his chest. He could hardly believe his eyes. How could Yumi be standing here, in front of him, after he had ended her life with his own hands?
Gojo's mind was awhirl with a mix of disbelief and confusion. He desperately tried to rationalize the situation, searching for any explanation for Yumi's presence. But as the memories of their childhood together flooded his mind, his thoughts stalled.
He froze, paralyzed by indecision and conflicting emotions. He didn't know how to react – should he embrace her, or flee in terror? His Six Eyes told him it was Yumi standing before him, yet something felt undeniably wrong. Everything about this situation felt off.
The air seemed thick with tension, the silence between them deafening. Gojo's mind was racing, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. He was in a state of shock, unsure if he was hallucinating or if this was somehow real.
Yumi let out a laugh, amused at the sight of Gojo knelt before her, ensnared by the Prison Realm. She reprimanded him for his momentary lapse of focus, her expression a mix of disapproval and condescension.
"Tch! That was sloppy, even for you," she scoffed, shaking her head in disapproval. "Letting your mind wander in the middle of a fight? Not a good look."
Gojo lifted his gaze to meet hers, his voice laced with a hint of anger and desperation. "So... who are you?" he demanded.
Yumi's face twisted into a frown, feigning offense at his question. "Yumi Tsukihara, of course," she replied coolly. "And you're a damn poor friend for forgetting me."
Gojo's eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of guilt passing through them. Even his heightened senses, guided by his precious Six Eyes, confirmed her identity. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was fundamentally off.
"Your body... and even your cursed energy... my Six Eyes tell me you're Yumi Tsukihara," he said, his voice laced with a hint of desperation. "But my soul and love knows otherwise! Tell me who the hell you are!"
Yumi sat down and feigned offense, shaking her head in disappointment. "I must say, I'm quite hurt," she said, her tone laced with playful annoyance. "I thought I knew you better, Satoru. I truly believed you'd be overjoyed finding me alive like this."
With a sigh, she stood up, lifting her bangs to reveal a distinctive scar on her head. "How did you figure out my little secret?" she teased, playing with the detached piece of her skull.
As Gojo stared in astonishment, Yumi continued to explain the nature of her technique, a devilish smile on her face. "It's a cursed technique that allows me to switch brains and hop between bodies. I also gain access to the innate abilities of each body."
She held up the forehead with a smirk, swirling it around for his inspection. "You, however, made a mistake... a crucial mistake," she taunted, pointing out his oversight.
"You didn't have Shoko Ieiri dispose of the body, did you?" Yumi laughed, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she pointed out Gojo's blunder in handling her remains.
Gojo's expression darkened, the weight of her words hitting him hard. He had assumed that leaving the body in the care of the Tsukihara clan would be enough, but it seemed he had underestimated the extent of Yumi's ability to manipulate her destiny.
"Damnit," he muttered under his breath, cursing himself for the oversight.
Yumi tightened the thread on her forehead, a sly smile plastered on her face. "You're only considerate during awkward moments," she mocked. "Thank you for that. It made it quite easy for me to obtain this body. So fundamentally, it's your fault... you're an awful friend, Satoru."
Gojo couldn't help but smirk, recognizing a hint of truth in her words. He responded, a touch of defiance in his voice. "Don't worry about me. I doubt I'll be in here for too long."
Yumi raised an eyebrow, a smirk still present on her face. "Oh, really? I suppose a thousand years or so isn't that bad, right? I'm sure you'll find something to keep yourself occupied."
Gojo couldn't help but chuckle at her attempt to downplay his situation. "You're quite optimistic about my predicament," he said dryly.
Yumi stood there, preparing to seal Gojo inside the Prison Realm. She looked at him one last time, a mixture of mockery and anticipation on her face. However, Gojo's smirk grew wider.
"Heh! You don't remember?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Before that body was killed by me, remember who beat it up?"
Yumi stared at him as she answered, "Yuta Okkotsu, right? I don't know what people see in him. He looks depressed all the time with those eyebags..."
Yumi let out a sigh, her gaze lingering on Gojo for a moment. "But I guess it doesn't matter," she said, a hint of finality in her tone. "Sorry to say, but he's just not you, Gojo. You're the only Satoru Gojo."
With that, Yumi raised her hand, "Goodnight, Satoru Gojo.. Let us meet again in the new world!" as she was about to cast the sealing spell. But before she could, Gojo spoke up, his voice firm. "Wait a second!"
Gojo spoke up, his voice firm. "Yeah, maybe it's goodnight for me," he said. "But it's time for you to wake up, Yumi. How long are you going to let this asshole use your body?"
Yumi's eyebrows furrowed, and she felt a strange sensation in her hand, as if it was twitching on its own. "Huh?" she exclaimed, surprised. Suddenly, her own hand gripped her throat, slowly choking her.
Yumi laughed through the pain, her voice strained. "Hahahaha! This is a first time for me!" she gasped, desperately trying to loosen her grip on her throat. "Ain't that something?"
Out of nowhere, Yumi heard a voice calling her name. "Yumiiii," it sounded, and Yumi recognized the voice as Mahito. "You theorized that the soul came before the body," she mused, attempting to continue her explanation.
But Gojo interrupted her, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "Heeey! Let's just get this over with. This is uncomfortable. I'm not enjoying looking at you two either," he said, annoyed.
Yumi frowned, still finding some amusement in the situation. "I'm enjoying the view myself, but I suppose you're right," she admitted. "Can't risk something happening." With that, she commanded the Prison Realm to close, sealing Gojo back into the block, which she swiftly caught before it hit the ground.
Yumi announced triumphantly, "Seal complete!" as she broke into a little dance. She patiently waited for the others to arrive, showing them the Prison Realm. However, just as she was about to explain what would happen next, she was interrupted as the Prison Realm suddenly became heavy and began to twitch. It fell heavily on the ground with a loud impact, causing her to exclaim in frustration,
