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Cold figures solidified on the Jujutsu Headquarters' top-secret archives:
❖ Shibuya Incident: Casualties: 5,376 deceased (excluding Transfigured Humans). Transfigured Humans deaths/impact: 7,129 affected. Severely Injured/Permanently Disabled: 6,955. Lightly Injured: 4,251. ❖ Total Casualties: 23,411.
This figure rested heavily on the paper, recording the true devastation left behind after the clash between the King of Curses and a certain entity.
Yet, these numbers were already significantly better than in the original source material.
In the original, the entire Tokyo was plunged into darkness. Almost all twenty-three wards of Tokyo were virtually destroyed. Nearly five million civilians required evacuation. Furthermore, numerous high-ranking government officials were missing, and the government was even considering moving the Prime Minister's official residence to Osaka.
Thus, Chen Tian's appearance had, to some extent, reduced the casualties and damage.
However, as night faded and dawn was forcibly imposed upon the ravaged landscape of Shibuya, a completely different narrative flowed from television screens.
The news anchorwoman's makeup was immaculate, her tone steady, with a touch of appropriate gravity:
"During last night's Halloween celebrations, the Shibuya area experienced multiple, severe, consecutive natural gas pipeline explosions, resulting in ten deaths and fifty people with varying degrees of injury. The government vows profound self-reflection and will strengthen public safety oversight..."
The scene quickly switched. The camera's gaze swept over the deliberately cleaned-up peripheral districts, a few symbolic, collapsed building ruins cordoned off by safety barriers, and rescue workers in neat uniforms conducting "cleanup" work.
Ten people? Fifty people?
The scene outside the window silently mocked the claim—more than half of the core Shibuya area had vanished! As far as the eye could see, there was a smoothly polished, utterly silent, ash-gray plain, stretching for several kilometers, as if violently scraped by an invisible giant plow!
That was the absolute cutting zone left by Sukuna's Domain! Outside this "plain" was a forest of wreckage completely destroyed by the shockwaves. Twisted rebar jutted toward the gray sky like the ribs of a giant beast, and broken glass and concrete dust covered everything.
Yet, no one questioned it.
The memories of the frenzied Halloween crowd, the chaotic screams and running, the family and friends of countless missing persons... all were thoroughly overridden and manipulated by the compulsory "cleansing" ordered by the higher-ups of the Jujutsu world.
All that remained were fragmented impressions of giant explosions, firelight, and chaotic shoving, along with the "reasonable" figure from the official news.
"Reiko... Reiko is missing because of the explosion..." A middle-aged man stood forlornly outside the police tape, staring at the suffocatingly massive "plain" in the distance, his eyes hollowly repeating the implanted memory.
His daughter had left excitedly the previous night to attend the Shibuya "Super-Large Halloween Parade," and never came back.
A vague feeling of wrongness gnawed at his heart. Immense grief and a sense of dissonance tormented him, but that small flame of suspicion was tightly suppressed by the ubiquitous cognitive correction.
"Natural gas pipeline explosion?" Maki Zenin, wearing her high school uniform, pushed up her glasses while standing in a relatively intact high-rise building, looking down at the infernal scene below. A cold, bitter arc pulled at the corner of her mouth.
She could clearly see Jujutsu Sorcerers moving like ghosts deep in the ruins, cleaning up overly obvious human remains and Cursed traces.
In the distance, massive construction machinery, driven by official forces, had already begun symbolic work at the edge of the "plain." "That was truly... quite the fireworks display."
Kento Nanami silently walked through an alley saturated with the smell of disinfectant and blood. Beneath his feet, crunching with every step, were fine fragments of glass and synthetic fiber.
Several blood-stained Halloween decorations were caught in a twisted window frame, fluttering in the wind. He adjusted his askew tie, his eyes behind his lenses tired yet sharp.
If the mastermind behind the Shibuya Incident didn't die, similar incidents would continue to occur in Tokyo.
"Ugh, when can I take a vacation to Malaysia," Kento Nanami muttered, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.
"Reconstruction! Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Announces Establishment of Shibuya Special Reconstruction Headquarters!" "Experts Analyze Rare Geological Activity Compounded by Aging Pipe Network Caused Tragedy!" "Citizen Prayer Vigil to be Held Tomorrow!"...
News headlines scrolled by, like layer upon layer of thick paint, attempting to whitewash the twenty-three thousand, four hundred and eleven silent screams.
And none of this disrupted the sweet morning of Chen Tian and Kitagawa Marin.
Kitagawa Marin stretched out her hand to block the sunlight streaming through the curtains. She slowly opened her eyes. "Ah It's morning already"
She let out a lazy sound, then reached out to the side, attempting to hug her boyfriend for another nap, but found nothing.
Kitagawa Marin didn't feel Chen Tian's body and opened her eyes fully, realizing he wasn't in bed. This made her more awake, and she then caught a faint scent of food.
"Ten-kun?" Kitagawa Marin called softly, her voice carrying the soft stickiness of just waking up.
She threw back the blanket, stepping barefoot onto the soft rug, and followed the scent toward the kitchen.
Chen Tian was there, wearing an apron, focused on the stove. The dumplings in the frying pan sizzled with oil. The white dumpling wrappers were turning a golden-brown, giving off an enticing sheen.
"You're awake," Chen Tian noticed Kitagawa Marin's arrival and turned with a smile. "Go wash up quickly; breakfast is almost ready."
Kitagawa Marin walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her face against his back. "Why are you up so early? You must have been so tired last night..."
Chen Tian slightly turned and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I wanted to make you breakfast. You were sleeping so soundly last night; I didn't have the heart to wake you."
After Kitagawa Marin finished washing up, she returned to the dining room. The table was already filled with delicious food: fried dumplings, steamed buns, vegetable and fruit salad, and steaming hot milk.
The two sat across from each other, enjoying the quiet moment. Kitagawa Marin took a bite of a bun and said contentedly, "It's so delicious. Chen Tian, your cooking has gotten even better."
Chen Tian smiled at her. "Eat more if you like it."
Outside the window, people went about their business as usual. No one knew what truly transpired behind the scenes in Shibuya last night.
Kitagawa Marin happily bit into a fried dumpling. The golden, crispy skin shattered between her teeth, and the meat juice mixed with the fresh sweetness of the cabbage instantly filled her mouth.
Morning light poured through the floor-to-ceiling window, warming the newly laid linen tablecloth.
"...Latest developments in the Shibuya natural gas explosion incident: the death toll has risen to fifteen people..."
The news anchorwoman's steady, almost cold broadcast suddenly cut in.
Kitagawa Marin's chewing motion suddenly froze.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the chopsticks, her knuckles turning white.
She looked up, her gaze piercing through the steaming heat, and settled on Chen Tian across from her.
"Ten-kun," her voice dropped, carrying the laziness of a full stomach yet edged with tension. "Even though you went there last night, did so many people still die?"
When Chen Tian returned last night, the faint smell of rust and coldness on him was easily covered by the steam from the bathroom and his warm embrace.
He didn't even touch the midnight snack she had carefully prepared, sweeping her instead into the warm water flow and a more intense vortex, letting all her questions dissolve into gasps.
The hand Chen Tian was holding his milk glass with paused imperceptibly for half a second. The light on the rim of the glass jumped between his fingers.
He lowered his gaze, resting it on the swirling milky-white liquid in the cup. His tone was calm, like describing yesterday's weather:
"When I arrived, things were already starting to get chaotic over there."
He didn't explain the twisted Curses, the rampaging King of Curses, nor the terrifying Domain that annihilated half a city block or the space cuts that could sever everything. He only used the vague word "chaotic."
The radiance that had just been lit on Kitagawa Marin's face by the delicious food and sunshine was instantly wiped away, as if by an invisible hand. Her expression sagged.
Even though her boyfriend possessed extraordinary "heroic" power, he still couldn't prevent the cold death toll from rising mercilessly.
A feeling of small, helpless loss gnawed at her heart. She looked at Chen Tian's impeccable profile. He was so calm it was as if the news on TV was about some distant, unfamiliar country.
Chen Tian set down his milk glass.
He wasn't bothered by the figure of fifteen on the TV; whether it was ten or five thousand, it was just background noise to him. But Kitagawa Marin's slumped expression and white knuckles caused his brow to furrow imperceptibly.
He stood up, walked around the table, and, under Kitagawa Marin's lowered gaze, slid his arms beneath her knees and behind her back, effortlessly lifting her from the chair.
"Ah!" The loss of gravity made Kitagawa Marin gasp softly, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Chen Tian carried her back to his own chair, setting her securely on his lap, like handling fragile treasure.
His strong arms encircled her. He gently rubbed his chin against the top of her head, his warm breath fanning her earlobe.
"Marin," his voice was low, carrying a stable strength that could smooth over any anxiety, overpowering the anchorwoman's formulaic broadcast. "At least, the others were saved."
This simple sentence was like a warm current pouring into her heart.
Kitagawa Marin's small sense of loss and confusion was instantly washed away by this solid embrace and the conviction in his words.
Her cheerful, outgoing nature immediately took over. Her eyes brightened again, like they were filled with stars.
"Well, of course!" She waved her small fists, a big smile blooming on her face, completely sweeping away her previous gloom. "Ten-kun is the best!"
She twisted excitedly, finding a more comfortable position on Chen Tian's lap, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Right! Does Ten-kun have to keep his superhero identity a secret? Like Batman and Spider-Man? That's so cool!"
Chen Tian was amused by her sudden leap in logic, and his chest softly vibrated.
He raised his hand, his calloused thumb affectionately ruffling her fluffy hair, making her head wobble.
"Eat up," he picked up the glass of lukewarm milk that was still half-full on the table and put it in her hand, interrupting her fantasy about keeping her superhero identity secret. "The milk's getting cold. Don't forget, we have a stage rehearsal today."
"Oh, right!" Kitagawa Marin finally remembered the important task. She quickly gulped down a large mouthful of milk, leaving a faint white ring around her lips.
She obediently slid off Chen Tian's lap and returned to her seat.
The sun shone brightly outside the window. The news continued to scroll, reporting the "tragedy" of fifteen people.
In the dining room, the two smiled at each other. The earlier shadow seemed never to have appeared.
The aroma of fried dumplings, the warmth of the milk, and the focus in Chen Tian's eyes reserved only for her, formed a small yet unbreakable world.
The sweet morning continued to flow.
And in another hidden place.
Paper doors stood in the gloom as silent silhouettes. The sole light source pierced the murky air below, illuminating a small void.
Several ancient voices clashed in the darkness.
"Is there any reliable news on that man who popped up in Shibuya?" one voice said, dry as rubbing dead leaves.
"The Zenin girl let slip a bit of information... he's a celebrity," another voice drawled.
"Cannot be traced. No Cursed Energy fluctuation on him. Normally... he's just an ordinary person."
"An ordinary person?" a third voice suddenly rose, sharp and shrill. "Fushiguro Megumi saw it with his own eyes! Mahoraga was sliced into meat paste by that guy! Kusakabe also reported that Sukuna got the worst of it against him!"
"So, what do you propose?" the first voice asked.
"Exile? Ha!" the shrill voice was full of mockery. "Who should go? Gojo Satoru is still locked in the Prison Realm! Or should we expect you to beg Sukuna to intervene? Can he even do it?!"
The argument inflated in the cramped darkness, like several vultures squabbling over food. Just then, a deep voice, like an ancient bell, rang out, crushing the noise:
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried monumental weight, instantly quelling all the clamor.
"Bickering and shouting, like market peddlers." The deep voice rebuked coldly. "Where is your rank? Where is your dignity?"
The darkness fell into dead silence. Only the dust motes beneath the light source floated uneasily under the invisible pressure.
Under the dim light source, the murky air seemed to solidify. The deep, aged voice crushed the dead silence, carrying an unquestionable authority:
"Regarding that 'Nero,'" the voice paused. "Send Maki Zenin and Kento Nanami to make contact. As for Sukuna's vessel and Gojo Satoru..."
The voice had no emotional inflection. The cold directives were delivered one by one:
"One, confirm the continued existence of Suguru Geto, and declare his death again."
"Two, deem Gojo Satoru a joint principal offender in the Shibuya Incident and permanently exile him from the Jujutsu world. Any attempt to release the seal shall be punished equally."
"Three, deem Masamichi Yaga guilty of instigating Gojo Satoru and Suguru Geto to cause the incident, and sentence him to death."
"Four, immediately execute Itadori Yuji's death sentence."
"Five, Yuta Okkotsu shall be responsible for executing Itadori Yuji's death sentence."
"Six, Maki Zenin and Kento Nanami shall be responsible for contacting the variable of the Shibuya Incident—Nero."
The last two words fell, like a cold seal stamped onto an invisible verdict.
There was no further sound in the darkness; the dust settled.
After a few faint movements of air, the gloom returned to complete silence. The resolution was passed. No one answered, nor did anyone question it.
Execution was the only path.
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