The atmosphere at Jujutsu High had shifted slightly—though not because of cursed spirits this time.
It was because of her.
A girl stood near the school gate with her hands on her hips, suitcase beside her, chin high. She had fierce eyes, a confident smirk, and a presence that screamed I don't take crap from anyone.
Her name?
"Nobara Kugisaki," she announced proudly.
Gojo gave her a sideways glance and then dramatically adjusted his blindfold.
"Oho~! The legendary straw doll girl has arrived! And here I was thinking you'd be taller."
Nobara squinted at him. "And you look like someone who should be legally banned from public schools."
Megumi muttered, "She fits in already…"
Yuji waved, smiling awkwardly. "Hey, nice to meet you."
Nobara turned to him, inspecting him from head to toe like he was produce at a market. "You look normal. Too normal. Are you strong?"
"I, uh, ate Sukuna's finger."
"…Respect."
Later that day, Gojo gathered the three students.
"Alright, kiddos! Since we've got a new student, it's time for a welcoming party!"
"Wait, really?" Yuji asked.
"By that," Gojo said with a sly grin, "I mean we're going on a mission. Nobara and Yuji will be handling it. Megumi and I will supervise like royalty."
"Are you serious?" Megumi asked flatly.
The four of them arrived outside an old, decaying building deep in the city.
Gojo pointed toward the structure. "That's the cursed house. There's a Grade 1 spirit inside. Should be fun."
Megumi's eyes went wide. "You sent new students into a Grade 1 cursed domain?"
"Relax," Gojo waved it off. "Nothing teaches like near-death experiences."
"That's psychotic."
Gojo grinned. "That's mentorship."
Inside the cursed house…
The walls bled. The lights flickered like dying insects. There was no gravity to the hallways—only the eerie hum of something breathing just out of sight.
Nobara adjusted her gloves.
"Try to keep up," she told Yuji. "This is my first mission, and I'd rather not have a sidekick."
"Got it," Yuji nodded.
Suddenly, from the shadows, a grotesque figure lunged. Its limbs were elongated, its jaw cracked open at the wrong angles.
Nobara reacted fast—hurling a nail with uncanny precision and smashing a straw doll against her palm. The nail vanished from her hand and drove itself into the curse's arm.
It howled.
She grinned. "See that? Bullseye."
But the spirit was strong—it regenerated almost instantly and sent her flying into a rotted cabinet.
Yuji ran up and caught her just in time. "You alright?!"
"I'm fine," she growled. "I'll kill that thing."
The two coordinated an attack—Nobara hammering nails with her cursed energy while Yuji took the hits. Eventually, the curse was pinned to the wall. As it screeched, Nobara activated her cursed technique:
"Straw Doll Technique: Resonance."
She jabbed a nail through a piece of the curse's severed arm—and with a crack of energy, the entire spirit was obliterated.
Behind it, a child sat—eyes wide, terrified, too scared to scream. Nobara stepped forward and gently helped the child up.
"You're safe now," she said, brushing dust off their shoulders.
Outside, Megumi crossed his arms. "You knew it was a Grade 1 curse."
"Yup," Gojo nodded.
"And you still sent them in?"
"Absolutely."
"Why?"
Gojo smirked. "Because you don't learn to swim without jumping in the river."
"That's not swimming—that's drowning!"
"Semantics~"
A moment later, the front door creaked open.
Yuji and Nobara stepped out—Nobara looking smug, Yuji looking exhausted, and both of them supporting the scared child.
Gojo gave them a thumbs-up.
"Great job, team! Especially you, Nobara—brilliant nail work. Yuji, good job being the muscle."
Nobara raised an eyebrow. "You say that like I wasn't the one who exorcised it."
"I reward emotional support too," Gojo said proudly. "It's a full-package job."
They all glared at him.
He shrugged. "What? I'm a modern teacher."
The child clung tightly to Yuji's jacket.
The group walked back to the car together—Megumi muttering complaints, Nobara showing off her hammer, and Gojo whistling an awful tune.
Yuji looked at them and smiled to himself.
Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad.