Born as Gojo Satoru Cousin

The next day.

"Wait."

Kurusu Hana's soft voice broke the awkward silence. The implied worried tone made everyone around stop what they were doing.

"?"

Takaba Fumihiko, who was holding a square cloth in both hands, looked up and stared at Hana in confusion.

Inumaki Toge, who was standing not far from him, also glanced at Hana, showing curiosity.

Hana, who was still weak from her previous injuries, sat on the sofa with her hand gripping the armrest. Her eyes stared seriously at Takaba.

"Are you really planning to lift Gojo Satoru's seal here?"

"Huh? Why?" Yuji asked innocently, squatting in front of the cloth.

Before him, Prison Realm, the Special Grade Cursed Object, looked like an antique waiting to be opened.

Takaba crossed his arms arrogantly.

"Hmm… Indeed, this is not a suitable place to welcome him. Disrespectful, I think."

He continued enthusiastically, "How about we make some decorations? Cardboard origami, perhaps? Or… make ornaments like this!"

Takaba began to gesture towards Nishimiya Momo, who looked confused.

Hana sighed deeply. "That's not what I meant."

She adjusted her sitting position and began to explain.

"There's no physical time travel inside Prison Realm. That means, time there isn't like the outside world. No hunger, no aging. Gojo Satoru could have felt time pass in a flash… or maybe he felt like he'd been waiting for a hundred years."

Everyone began to tense. Even Hakari Kinji, who was usually relaxed, crossed his arms and interjected.

"So, it's like a time machine, huh?"

"No, it's not a time machine." Hana corrected with a serious tone.

"What I'm worried about is Gojo Satoru's mental state. There's no guarantee that what he's experienced all this time hasn't affected him."

Yuji, with a confused expression, asked, "But he's… the strongest, right? What could happen?"

Ieri Shoko suddenly joined the conversation, her hand holding an unlit cigarette.

"If Satoru loses control of his mind, especially in a confined space like this, the outcome won't be good."

Yuji, Hakari, and Toge immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Their wild imaginations started working, picturing Satoru in a giant form like Godzilla, destroying everything mercilessly.

"Alright… So… let's find an open space." Hakari finally concluded, followed by a unanimous nod from the others.

❀❀❀

Kiroko Mine, Saitama Prefecture.

In the midst of the wide-open mine, the atmosphere turned tense. All preparations were complete. Prison Realm was placed on the ground, while everyone immediately retreated as if they had just lit a bomb.

"Quickly hide!" Takaba shouted as he jumped behind the sandbag with the others.

Yuji held the sandbag tightly with both hands, sweat dripping from his forehead. On the other hand, Toge stood with a megaphone in hand, ready to give the signal.

Hana, who was now standing in the air with her white wings, stared at Prison Realm with a nervous expression. Her hand was raised high, ready to use her technique.

"Salmon!" Toge commanded, loud and firm.

Following that signal, Hana swung her hand down. The Angel Cursed Technique was released.

"Jacob's Ladder!"

A thick light descended from the sky, illuminating the mine and the surrounding forest. A strong wind swept up dust and leaves, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Yuji squinted, trying to withstand the bright light and stinging wind. Next to him, Toge wore a safety helmet, looking a bit excessive but still vigilant.

In the distance, Takaba struck a dramatic pose, taking advantage of every moment to show off his comedic talent.

Meanwhile, Shoko sat calmly in a chair with sunglasses, one leg crossed, observing the process without showing any emotion.

The light finally subsided, leaving dust swirling in the air. All eyes were on the place where Prison Realm was.

"Did it work?" Yuji whispered, his voice almost inaudible.

They all stared ahead, waiting for the figure they had long missed to emerge from within Prison Realm. But what happened was the opposite.

"Sensei, can we approach?" Yuji broke the silence, his voice full of hope.

Without waiting for an answer, Yuji and the others ran towards where Prison Realm should have been.

"Huh?" Yuji stopped midway, his eyes widening.

"Sensei?"

To everyone's surprise, Prison Realm had disappeared.

As they all stood with confused expressions, a rumbling sound suddenly shook the mine. The ground beneath them shook violently, causing dust to fly and some small rocks to fall from the surrounding cliffs.

"What's happening?" Maki exclaimed, trying to balance herself.

Meanwhile, in the distance, two figures watched everything calmly. A young man who was 80% similar to Gojo Satoru stood on the edge of the hill, while a woman held the man's arm to stabilize herself.

The couple was none other than Kamiki Eiji and Nakano Nino, both silently watching the process of Hana releasing the Prison Realm seal.

"Nino, be careful." Eiji said softly.

Nino nodded, tightening her grip on Eiji's arm.

"Why is there a sudden earthquake?"

Eiji, who possessed Six Eyes, stared far into the sea. His blue eyes glowed faintly as he explained the situation.

"This isn't a natural earthquake. Kenjaku placed the front of Prison Realm in the intersection zone… about 8000 meters below the surface of the Japan Trench. If Gojo-sensei… No, Satoru Nii-san, breaks free from the seal, he will be instantly crushed by the pressure of the deep sea."

"What? So that was his plan?!" Nino was amazed at how deep Kenjaku's plan was.

"Unfortunately, Kenjaku miscalculated. That still wasn't enough to kill Satoru Nii-san." Eiji sneered.

From the depths of the ocean, Gojo Satoru's figure shot up with incredible speed, breaking through the water pressure like shards of glass flying in the air. In a matter of seconds, he had reached the surface and glided directly towards the location where Kenjaku and Sukuna were.

"Satoru Nii-san is still as reckless as ever." Eiji murmured with a faint smile. However, he remained still, not intending to follow.

Nino stared at him in confusion.

"You're not going to help?"

Eiji shook his head and said lightly, "It's not the time."

Pausing for a moment, he glanced at Nino for a moment, then added, "Besides, tomorrow is Yotsuba's wedding day. We can't miss it."

Nino seemed relieved to hear that.

"That's great. I was worried before that I wouldn't be able to attend my sister's important moment."

"Cursed Technique Lapse: Azure."

Opening his hand, Eiji created a blue glowing portal.

"The main event won't start until December 24th. Until then, no major events will occur."

"Let's go back soon, I have to prepare my clothes for tomorrow."

Eager to choose clothes, Nino pulled Eiji.

With that, the two of them stepped into the portal, leaving the world preparing to welcome a great conflict that would shake everything.