Advantage Is Mine

"'Assimilation' isn't 'death.' Tengen-sama is me, and I am Tengen-sama!"

All along, Riko Amanai had comforted herself with that thought.

But now, when the moment of "assimilation" had truly arrived, Riko Amanai felt a surge of inexplicable irritation.

"Riko? Riko?"

"Huh?"

Riko Amanai snapped awake, looked up, and saw her teacher and classmates all staring at her with puzzled expressions.

"I'm so sorry, teacher!"

The teacher touched Riko's forehead. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Riko Amanai gave an awkward smile. "Something happened at home, so I spaced out."

"Is that so?"

The teacher patted Riko Amanai's head. "Riko, I feel like you've been off all day. Is everything really okay at home?"

Riko Amanai reverted to her usual cheerfulness and shook her head at the teacher.

"It's fine, teacher, don't worry!"

Gojo Satoru looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, unable to stifle a yawn.

"So boring!"

Gojo Sawa flicked his cheap little brother on the forehead. "Boring means nothing's happening—that's a good thing!"

"A good thing?"

Gojo Satoru's face drooped. "Bro, do you really think letting Tengen assimilate with Riko Amanai is a good thing?"

"What's this? Only met her once, and you're already reluctant to let go?"

Gojo Sawa teased.

Gojo Satoru's face reddened. "Shut up! I just think this whole thing is hard to accept!"

"Why should that old hag get to sacrifice an innocent person for the sake of so-called greater good with just one word?"

Suguru Geto said calmly from the side, "Tengen-sama specializes in barrier techniques. At least ninety percent of the barriers in the entire jujutsu world are set up and reinforced by them."

"If Tengen-sama's evolution fails and the barriers go out of control, those barriers will collapse, inevitably throwing the entire jujutsu world into chaos."

"Assimilating the Star Plasma Vessel is also for the sake of the bigger picture."

"Tch—"

Gojo Satoru rolled his eyes. "I hate righteous talk and grand principles!"

"Whether it's Tengen's safety or the stability of the jujutsu world, what does any of that have to do with Riko Amanai? Just because she's the Star Plasma Vessel, she has to bear all of this alone?"

"Disgusting!"

"Bro, what do you think?"

Gojo Sawa said nothing.

Gojo Satoru froze, then sat up from the lounge chair. "Hey! Big bro, you're not thinking the same as Geto, are you? That's not like you!"

Suguru Geto also cast a questioning glance, wanting to see where Gojo Sawa stood.

Gojo Sawa didn't discuss the topic. Instead, he blurted out, "Reverse Cursed Technique is kind of hard. What do you guys think—should I try killing myself?"

"..."

"Wait!"

Suguru Geto suddenly furrowed his brow. "Sawa! Satoru! Go check on the school—Riko's in danger. Two of the cursed spirits I sent have been exorcised!"

Everyone moved at once.

Suguru Geto went to investigate the location where the cursed spirits were exorcised, while Gojo Sawa and Gojo Satoru went to check on Riko's situation.

Misato Kuroi followed along, but after just a few steps, Gojo Sawa picked her up.

"Eh?"

"Leave Riko to Gojo Satoru. You stay close to me—I'm worried those guys are trying to lure us away and then kidnap you after we leave!"

"Satoru, you go ahead!"

Gojo Satoru nodded, activated his teleportation, and headed toward Riko Amanai's school.

Misato Kuroi lowered her head in grievance, feeling like dead weight.

"Don't make that face."

Gojo Sawa comforted her. "You're Riko's only family. She'll still need you to take care of her in the future!"

"Huh???"

Misato Kuroi's eyes went wide. "You... what did you say?"

Gojo Sawa grinned. "Shh! Not even a single stroke of the brush yet!"

Even so, Misato Kuroi was still trembling with excitement.

Following the intel provided by his cursed spirits, Suguru Geto arrived at a long corridor.

But the moment he stepped inside, a figure blocked his path.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Kenji Nakamura."

He grinned, holding a talisman between his fingers. Cursed energy dripped like water onto the ground, pooling into a patch of shadow.

Then, two cursed spirits crawled out from that shadow.

Geto watched the scene with interest. "A technique that manipulates cursed spirits? Looks like we're the same type of sorcerer!"

As he spoke, Geto made no hand signs and used no cursed tools. With just a thought, two far more powerful cursed spirits emerged from the shadows.

Nakamura's eyelid twitched.

Cursed Spirit Manipulation—an ultra-rare innate technique. Without a doubt, it was the strongest of all cursed spirit manipulation techniques.

Even knowing his own technique was far inferior, Nakamura didn't panic. On the contrary, he was brimming with confidence.

Because his greatest strength wasn't controlling cursed spirits—it was hand-to-hand combat!

And sorcerers who manipulated cursed spirits were, without exception, weak in close combat—like fragile mages.

"Summon two cursed spirits first, make him think I'm bad at close-range fighting!"

Nakamura's eyes gleamed. In his mind, he had already simulated the battle against Geto, culminating in the latter's death.

"Yeah. Good. Everything's under control."

"The advantage is mine!"

The next moment, Geto struck.

A massive Sandworm filled the entire corridor, its abyssal maw lined with countless teeth looming over Nakamura!

Boom!!!

The fight seemed to end quickly.

Geto relaxed his tensed body. "Done. Time to regroup with Sawa and Satoru."

Just then, the window to his upper right shattered.

Nakamura had burst through it the moment the Sandworm charged, and now, the instant Geto let his guard down, he crashed back in through the window!

Short blade in hand, a single lethal strike!

But Geto seemed to have anticipated it. He sidestepped the blow, and a cursed tool appeared in his hand.

"That's... Playful Cloud!"

Nakamura's eyes went wide. He never expected to encounter that legendary special-grade cursed tool here.

Geto chuckled. "This is its first real fight. Lucky you!"

With a step of his left foot, Geto's figure instantly closed in on Nakamura. The three-section staff danced like a fluttering butterfly!

"How is this possible? Your hand-to-hand... ugh!"

"Hm? Tasuke? Tasuke! It's you!"

"Compared to me, who could see things normal people couldn't, my parents both preferred my talented younger brother. Only you, Tasuke, were always by my side."

"Speaking of which, Tasuke, it's been fifty years, hasn't it? Ever since you died..."

"Ah... these scenes... this is a life flashing before my eyes!"

The yellow Shiba Inu "Tasuke" vanished, replaced by a black-and-red three-section staff swinging with a sonic boom!