Extreme Speculation

"Riko! You okay?"

Gojo Satoru pushed open the classroom door, and a crowd of middle school girls turned to look.

The next moment, stars practically sparkled in their eyes!

"Ahhh, he's so handsome!"

"White hair! Is it natural?"

"Could he be mixed-race?"

"He's gotta be over six-foot-three, right? Tall and hot!"

"Handsome guy, can you take off your sunglasses and let us see?"

Facing the swarm of fangirls' requests, Gojo Satoru cockily removed his glasses, flashing a crooked-grin dragon king smile.

"Ahhhhh..."

Riko Amanai stared at her frenzied classmates, utterly baffled.

What part of this scumbag was even handsome?

"Silence! Everyone back to your seats!"

The teacher rapped on the desk, and the students reluctantly returned to their places.

"Sir, who are you here to see?"

Gojo Satoru leaned in. "Hello, teacher. I'm looking for Riko Amanai. I'm her... brother!"

The teacher nodded. "Well then, Riko, you can go with your brother for now."

Suddenly, the teacher turned and discreetly slipped Gojo a note. "Here, this is my contact info!"

"..."

By the time Gojo Satoru and Riko Amanai stepped out of the classroom, Gojo Sawa had already arrived with Misato Kuroi.

Along the way, Gojo Sawa had dealt with a curse user hired by the Star Religious Group.

A guy wearing a paper bag on his head, who could use a "Clone Technique"—Sawa had given him a thorough beating.

Though the crisis was resolved, this incident signaled the end of Riko Amanai's free time.

The higher-ups had even issued a direct order: the Star Plasma Vessel must be delivered to the Tombs of the Star Corridor as soon as possible.

Hearing the news, Riko Amanai didn't sink into gloom. Instead, she felt a wave of relief.

"Time's up. Let's go."

Gojo Satoru watched Riko Amanai's back and suddenly spoke. "Bro!"

Gojo Sawa scratched his head. "Actually, one more day wouldn't hurt, right? What do you two think?"

Gojo Satoru grinned. "Agreed!"

Suguru Geto spread his hands. "No objections here."

Okinawa, the beach.

"Woo-hoo~"

Gojo Satoru and Riko Amanai ran back and forth on the sand, having the time of their lives.

Misato Kuroi watched with a gratified smile. "It's been so long since I've seen Miss laugh this happily!"

Beside her, Gojo Sawa's face was lined with exasperation.

Are you seriously playing the role of a wealthy old butler here?

Suguru Geto watched the rowdy Gojo Satoru, then turned to Gojo Sawa. "Sawa, you and Satoru have been maintaining the Limitless technique nonstop, and you haven't slept in a day. Can you hold out?"

Gojo Sawa waved a hand. "No prob!"

Suguru Geto took a sip of coconut water, staring with dead fish eyes as he muttered, "Don't act so carefree, or your brain might burn out, you know."

"Fair point. There are some things I should arrange."

Gojo Sawa pulled out his phone, typed a long message, and hit send.

Suguru Geto glanced sideways. "Sending flirty texts to someone?"

"Piss off!"

Gojo Sawa laughed and cursed, then explained, "It's an email to Teacher Yaga!"

"Oh? About what?"

"Secret!"

"Tch~"

"Hey, Geto."

"What?"

Gojo Sawa suddenly turned serious. "Do you really think this whole thing with Riko merging with Tengen is okay?"

Suguru Geto fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "From the perspective of greater justice, sacrificing one person to stabilize the entire world is the optimal solution."

"Even if that person to be sacrificed were me, I would go to my death gladly. That is my resolve!"

"And from your personal perspective?"

Geto's gaze was firm. "That way... is dogshit!"

Gojo Sawa laughed.

"Suguru, there's something I need to ask of you..."

"What?"

Geto's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're saying you and Satoru will lose?"

Sawa didn't commit fully. "I just have a feeling, like the scythe of death is pressed against my neck."

"In any case, if that situation arises, I need you to immediately take Riko to the designated location."

"Can I trust you, my friend?"

Geto rolled his eyes. "Of course I'll do my best with what you ask, but hearing you say you and Satoru might lose is hard to believe!"

"I said it's just a feeling!"

"Better not have that kind of feeling. People die!"

Sawa rubbed his nose. "Sometimes, dying a little might not be such a bad thing."

"Huh?"

Geto looked utterly baffled. "Sawa, have you lost your mind?"

"Suguru, do you know why the three of us can't learn Reverse Cursed Technique?"

"How did we get back to this?"

"Be serious, Suguru. Don't you think it's strange?"

Sawa held up a finger earnestly. "Remember the moment the three of us learned Black Flash?"

"Of course I do."

The scenes from back then echoed in Geto's mind.

Black Flash!

When the error between a physical strike and cursed energy impact falls within 0.000001 seconds, spatial distortion occurs.

It's a special technique no one can use intentionally... except for the three of them!

That's right. Back when Sawa first used Black Flash, he and Satoru copied him and pulled it off too.

But the incredible part was that the three of them discovered that if they just calmed their minds and followed the flow of cursed energy when striking, they could unleash Black Flash at will.

This completely defied all previous experience and common sense!

"Being able to defy logic and actively use Black Flash fully proves that the three of us have unparalleled talent!"

"...I didn't come here to listen to you brag!"

"What I mean is, with our talent, learning Reverse Cursed Technique shouldn't be this hard. We've studied with Shoko for so long, and even if her teaching is incredibly abstract, we shouldn't be completely clueless!"

Geto blinked. "So..."

Sawa revealed a faint smile. "Comfort! We've been too comfortable!"

"Carrying the title of the 'Strongest Trio,' we've breezed through every mission before this. We have no motivation to get stronger!"

"The most prominent feature of Reverse Cursed Technique is its super-strong healing ability, almost like raising the dead. But we rarely even get injured. We lack the pressure of life-and-death situations!"

"So I was thinking, maybe if we try walking the line of death, we might comprehend Reverse Cursed Technique!"

"Like that Martin Heidegger quote... what was it..."

Geto sighed helplessly. "Only when you are infinitely close to death can you awaken to the truth of existence."

"Ah, right, that's the one!"

"...Don't you think your idea is a bit too extreme?"

"Are you scared?"

"Everyone is afraid of death. Anyone who says otherwise is lying!"

Sawa smiled and lay back in his chair, basking in the warm sunlight. "Alright, alright, it's just a hypothesis!"

Seeing Sawa close his eyes to doze, Geto shook his head.

"Only when you are infinitely close to death can you awaken to the truth of existence... That sounds really unreliable~"