After Geto Suguru’s threat to Jujutsu High, he made good on his promise. On December 24th, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons descended—a brutal battle where every sorcerer fought hundreds of curses, from Tokyo to Kyoto. As expected, plenty of them were injured, some lightly, some gravely. And of course, they needed a doctor—Shoko Ieiri, always the one to step up. As one of the few able to use Reverse Cursed Technique on others, she bore the responsibility of healing them all. That night, she worked harder than ever, the stress building with every wound she closed.

But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was Geto. He’d once been one of her best friends, back in their student days with Gojo Satoru. She’d accepted his betrayal long ago, but tonight, she couldn’t help but miss him—miss who he used to be.

After hours of non-stop healing, it was over. Geto was defeated by Yuta Okkotsu in a final clash, and then killed by Satoru himself. It was a tragic ending—no one really won. Even with her usual nonchalant demeanor, the whole thing hit Shoko harder than she’d expected. And it only got worse when Gojo brought Geto’s body to her and asked her not to cremate it. She’d seen countless dead sorcerers before, but never one who’d once been her friend.

When her shift finally ended, she came home to her girlfriend—a fellow sorcerer who’d also fought that night, though thankfully she wasn’t badly hurt. Her girlfriend rushed to Shoko as soon as she saw how drained and hollow she looked. Her presence was always a reason for Shoko to keep going, a sound she could listen to on repeat.

“I’m okay, I promise... it’s just been a long night. Don’t worry, Sweetie.” Shoko brushed off her girlfriend’s concern, trying to act unfazed. But even she couldn’t hide the weight in her eyes.

“I’ll be fine... I-I just need a cigarette...” she murmured, avoiding her girlfriend’s gaze. She knew she couldn’t keep the shield up much longer if she met that worried look.