HEART THIEF || JUJUTSU KAISEN

epilogue

There was a saying that no sorcerer died without regrets, and Naoko was no exception. However, as he found himself confronted by a familiar pink-haired boy, he knew he would never regret the decision he made.

The smell of blood was pungent against Naoko's senses, he could smell and taste the rustic stench and it threatened to gag him, though it wasn't something he was unfamiliar with.

Compared to the curse he was battling, he looked absolutely monstrous with his hair matted with sweat and his shoulder bleeding heavily from a hard blow he took when he was careless. His trademark bow dangled in his hand and his quiver of white arrows lay strapped across his back.

Naoko's eyes were darkened with anger, bitterness, and above all, grief.

He'd been chained to managing a curse outbreak in the Yamanashi prefecture when the Shibuya Incident occurred. He wasn't there when Nanami was killed, when Yaga was executed, and he wasn't there when Gojo Satoru was sealed.

The news reached him days later, and by then it was already too late.

Naoko still had his phone in his pocket, shattered beyond repair but still paused on the last message Gojo sent him before he was ripped away.

"Who would've thought cursed spirits would work together? It's pretty interesting so I guess I'll show a little effort right? Sorry we had to change our plans last minute, I promise I'll head over the minute I'm done cleaning up this mess. No need to worry, I can handle things just fine."

"YOU FUCKING LIAR!!" Naoko had screamed, throwing his phone against the wall of their house in his rage. He'd curled up on the floor for hours afterwards, surrounded by memories and shadows as the weight of his loss sank in.

He wasn't going to come home. He wasn't going to answer Naoko's texts or show up suddenly to startle him out of his thoughts with a playful laugh. He was gone, just like everyone else he ever loved.

What did Gojo think before he was sealed? Did he regret not calling for help? Could Naoko even have done anything? There were too many questions and not enough answers, and as much as he tried to put those thoughts aside, there was one that gnawed at his heart like acid.

Regardless of whether or not he could've done anything, the fact remained that he was not there.

He was the strongest sorcerer and he wasn't there when people needed him.

He wasn't there when Gojo needed him.

When the Culling Game was announced, the first thing Naoko did was send Kiyoko and Hanako overseas to Yume.

"Don't come back." He told them in his sternest voice. "No matter what you hear. No matter what you see. You are not safe here."

"Why are you staying then?!" Of course, the girls stubbornly resisted him. "We'll help you save Satoru!"

"Don't go after Geto, not by yourself." Kiyoko gripped his arm like she was terrified he would suddenly disappear from them for good. Her honest face was contorted with a mix of worry and frustration, like she was holding back her tears and she didn't know why.

As much as he wanted nothing more than to keep them even closer, he forced himself to stand his ground. "I want you to be gone before the Culling Game begins. Overseas, and far away where that brain's curse won't even come close to touching you. No matter what happens, I won't risk losing anyone else, so do it for me. Yume will help you guys settle in, and I'll come and join you in a few days. I promise."

Too many people depended on him. Now that Gojo was gone, their world was without a pillar and in danger of being destroyed beyond repair. His students were fighting battles driven by nothing more than their own willpower and Naoko knew that Gojo would be counting on him to be there.