The 5th Special Grade | Jujutsu Kaisen

Nearly a month had passed since Furōkawa exorcised Gunnr and Eir, but the battles still lingered heavily on his mind. September of 2018 had arrived, and with it came an unsettling stillness. The Valkyries' reign of chaos had come to an end—but one remained.

Emilia leaned against the doorway of their temporary base, her arms folded, the faint marks of battle still visible on her. Though her injuries from Gunnr's cursed arrows had mostly healed, minor lingering aches reminded her of how close they had come to losing. She watched as Furōkawa trained relentlessly outside, the golden light of late summer casting long shadows across the ground.

His movements were sharper than before—faster, more precise. The fight against Gunnr, and particularly the Black Flash he had landed, had transformed him. His understanding over cursed energy had deepened, and though he was unaware of it, his Binding Vow had adapted. What had once limited him to 60% of his full power now allowed for 80%, though the output of his cursed energy had decreased slightly from 130% to 120% when the vow was broken. The trade-off had created a more stable, refined version of himself, though Furōkawa only felt this as a subtle difference in his body—an ease of movement he couldn't yet explain.

As Furōkawa finished his drills and returned to the base, Emilia stepped forward. "You're pushing yourself harder than usual," she remarked. "Training for something specific?"

Furōkawa wiped the sweat from his brow, sheathing Onamazu at his side. "You could say that. The more I fight, the more I feel like I'm not the same as I was before Gunnr." He glanced at his hands, flexing them as if trying to grasp something intangible. "Something changed after that Black Flash, but I can't figure out what. It feels like I'm stronger… but I don't know how much stronger."

Emilia nodded thoughtfully. "That's probably your Binding Vow. It might've shifted after that breakthrough. Whatever it is, you're definitely stronger. But don't let that go to your head—there's still one more Valkyrie left."

Furōkawa's gaze darkened. "Sigrun."

Sigrun had appeared shortly after Eir and Gunnr's exorcisms, emerging in a desolate field in Germany. Unlike the other Valkyries, who wreaked havoc wherever they went, Sigrun had remained perfectly still for nearly a month. She knelt in the center of the field with a massive sword planted in the ground before her, her golden armor catching the light of the sun and moon alike. Monitored closely by cursed energy reconnaissance sorcery, her behavior baffled everyone. She neither attacked nor moved, her presence a silent enigma.

Emilia leaned over a map of the area as she spoke to Furōkawa. "Sigrun hasn't moved an inch since she showed up. It's been almost a month, and no one has been able to figure out what she's waiting for. She hasn't attacked anyone, but her cursed energy is overwhelming, even from a distance. It's like she's a hurricane that hasn't broken yet."

Furōkawa studied the map intently, his brow furrowed. "It doesn't make sense. The other Valkyries were practically made of wrath—they destroyed everything in their path. But Sigrun? She just sits there. She's not like the others."

"That's what makes her dangerous," Emilia said, her tone sharp. "She's unpredictable. We don't know her intentions or what she's capable of. For all we know, she's waiting for someone to come close so she can unleash her power."

Furōkawa straightened, determination in his eyes. "Then I'll go."

"What?" Emilia's voice rose slightly, a mixture of disbelief and frustration. "Furō, you can't just walk into her territory! You don't know what she'll do the moment you're within range."

"She's been there for a month without making a move," he countered. "If she wanted to destroy something, she would've done it by now. I'll go alone—no risk to anyone else."

Emilia narrowed her eyes, her arms crossing. "This isn't just about risk. You don't know how strong she is. What if she's waiting for you specifically?"

"Then I'll find out," Furōkawa said firmly. "I need to see her. If she's the last Valkyrie, she's my ticket out of Europe. Sitting here and speculating won't get us anywhere."

Emilia hesitated, the conflict visible on her face. Finally, she sighed, relenting. "Fine. But don't do anything reckless. If she makes a move, get out of there. Promise me that."

Furōkawa gave her a faint smirk. "You have my word."

The journey to Germany was solitary and quiet. Furōkawa approached the desolate field cautiously, Onamazu at his side. As he crossed the barren terrain, the air grew heavier with cursed energy. It pressed down on him like a physical weight, but he pressed on, his focus unyielding.

Finally, he saw her.

Sigrun.

The final Valkyrie knelt in the center of the field, her massive golden sword planted in the earth before her. Her golden armor gleamed faintly under the overcast sky, and her long hair cascaded down her shoulders like a river of light. She remained perfectly still, as if unaware of his presence. But Furōkawa knew better—her cursed energy pulsed faintly, slow and steady, like the heartbeat of a slumbering giant.

"Sigrun," he called out, his voice steady but loud enough to carry across the field.

For a long moment, there was no response. Then, slowly, she lifted her head. Her golden eyes locked onto Furōkawa, and for the first time, he saw the faintest flicker of life in her expression. She didn't rise, nor did she speak. She simply stared, her gaze piercing.

Furōkawa stopped a safe distance away, his hand resting on Onamazu's hilt. "I'm here to end this. You're the last one."

Sigrun's voice, soft but resonant, broke the silence. "I know."

Her words carried no malice, no anger—only quiet certainty. She lifted her hand slightly, resting it on the hilt of her massive sword. The movement was almost reverent.

"Then let's settle this now," Furōkawa said, taking a step forward.

But Sigrun shook her head slowly. "Not yet." Her gaze drifted past him, her golden eyes distant. "October 31st."

Furōkawa blinked, confused. "What?"

Sigrun's gaze returned to his, steady and unyielding. "October 31st," she repeated. "You and I will fight."

Her words hung in the air like a decree, unshakable in their finality. Furōkawa hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. I'll see you then."

Without another word, Sigrun lowered her head again, returning to her kneeling position. The air around her grew still once more, as if she had become part of the earth itself.

Back at the base, Furōkawa relayed the encounter to Emilia. She listened carefully, her expression a mix of disbelief and unease.

"A Valkyrie scheduling a fight?" she muttered, shaking her head. "That's… unsettling. She's giving you a month. Why?"

"I don't know," Furōkawa admitted, his tone thoughtful. "But if she's giving me time, I'm going to use it. This is the last fight, Emilia. The last chance to end this."

Emilia sighed, rubbing her temples. "Then we train. Harder than ever. Sigrun's the leader of the Valkyries for a reason—she's going to push you further than anyone else has."

Furōkawa nodded, his determination unwavering. "October 31st. My birthday. The end of the Valkyries."

The two of them exchanged a solemn glance, the weight of the coming battle hanging over them.