The Binding Vow of Lazarus

Chapter 5

Satoru and Suguru moved with a confident carefree stride through the halls of the faculty building. They chatted loudly as if they were meant to be there, and that tactic seemed to be working just fine. None of the adults took more than a glance as they walked towards Yaga's office. The door was slightly ajar and they pushed it open and walked in as if they owned the place. Shoko was doing her part already, keeping Yaga distracted elsewhere with some questions, which gave them enough time to do what they needed to do.

Satoru walked immediately over to the filing cabinet, his heart racing with excitement. Despite his usual confidence, there was something thrilling about sneaking into their teacher's office. The allure of digging into secrets that weren't meant for them was too strong. Suguru was right there with him, his own expression more composed but no less thrilled.

Suguru sifted through the records in Yaga's desk. Since Yaga had already been temporarily acting as the new principal he had all of the information on all of the faculty at the school. Satoru, meanwhile, checked all of the files of the living sorcerers in the filing cabinet. Papers rustled quietly in the silence of the room, the only sound accompanying the rapid thudding of their hearts.

Satoru’s eyes scanned through various files, names and details blurring together until he finally found something— a small, unassuming folder marked with Sarah’s name. He flipped it open, but to his disappointment it didn’t reveal much. A basic profile, some information about her work at the school, and a brief mention of her being hired just two years ago.

“Hey, check this out,” Suguru whispered, holding up a similarly sparse file. Satoru glanced over, frowning.

“Not much, huh?” Satoru muttered, more to himself than to Suguru.

Suguru shook his head. “Nope, just a standard hiring file," he said quietly, "But if she’s been here for two years she must have a place on the grounds since she doesn't stay in the dorms? Maybe we can check in her room?"

Satoru’s frown deepened. “Yeah, but she’s never shown us where she stays," he said thoughtfully, "We’ve never seen where she goes at night.”

The thought hung in the air between them for a moment before Satoru closed the file, glancing at the door. “Let’s get out of here."

They left Yaga’s office as quickly and quietly, meeting up with Shoko a few minutes later outside of the faculty building. She had a satisfied smirk on her face, clearly proud of having kept Yaga busy. They huddled together in a secluded corner, exchanging their findings.

“So, what did you see?” Shoko asked, leaning against the wall with a curious glint in her eyes.

Satoru and Suguru shared a look before Satoru spoke up. “Not much," he sighed, "Just that she’s been here for two years. No mention of where she stays, though.”

Shoko tapped her chin thoughtfully while she said, “I’ve noticed that she always walks back towards the central building at night. The main headquarters?”

Satoru’s eyes narrowed as he considered this. He remembered that certain sorcerers with dangerous or volatile cursed techniques were housed within the headquarters building for safety reasons— or rather, to keep them under control. It wouldn't surprise him if they had her staying there. If her technique really was that powerful they definitely wouldn't want her wandering freely.

“Have you ever seen her room?” Satoru asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Shoko shook her head, “Nope. She's never invited me, and I never thought to ask.”

The three of them fell silent, the implications of this information slowly sinking in. Satoru’s mind raced, piecing together what little they knew. A time based technique would certainly be considered extremely valuable, but what about the revival aspect? She'd been able to bring him back, but as far as he could tell she'd only been able to do it once? Maybe they were keeping her as a failsafe for a catastrophe? If that was the case then why didn't they use her for stopping Sukuna or using Yuji as the vessel?