Just Take One Move

Although Gakuganji was only asking, his tone was quite certain.

Angry Misato Kuroi mustered her courage and shouted, "You keep saying 'Star Plasma Vessel' this and 'Star Plasma Vessel' that—she has a name! It's Riko Amanai!"

Seeing that concealment was no longer possible, the zipper of the rabbit cursed corpse opened, and Riko Amanai crawled out from inside.

After prolonged stuffiness and lack of oxygen, she took a deep breath, then planted her hands on her hips and said, "That's right! Exactly! It's this young lady!"

"So it really is the Star Plasma Vessel!"

One of the Sawanin Clan's elders, a senior member second only to Naobito Sawanin and Ogi Sawanin, Keisuke Sawanin.

He stepped forward now, his face dark as he glared at Masamichi Yaga.

"Masamichi Yaga, hiding the Star Plasma Vessel and obstructing Lord Tengen's assimilation—this is a grave crime!"

"Hand over the Star Plasma Vessel now, and the higher-ups may still consider leniency for you!"

Masamichi Yaga lowered his head, as if weighing his options.

"Apologies, Lord Keisuke!"

Masamichi Yaga lifted his head, a rare gentle smile appearing on his stern face. "It seems... I really don't want to disappoint my students after all."

Keisuke Sawanin furrowed his brow. "Do you realize what you're doing?"

Masamichi Yaga said nothing, instead assuming a combat stance!

Keisuke Sawanin sighed. "Colleagues, Masamichi Yaga's actions amount to betrayal. I recommend immediate execution on the spot."

The assembled higher-ups said nothing, but their silence was tacit approval.

Keisuke Sawanin drew his blade, adopting an iai stance, killing intent flashing in his eyes as he stared at Masamichi Yaga.

"Once we start fighting, take Riko and run—as fast as you can!"

Masamichi Yaga said quietly to Misato Kuroi.

Even though he knew that under these circumstances, the chances of the two of them successfully escaping were almost negligible.

"Mm!"

Misato Kuroi nodded firmly.

But Riko Amanai suddenly spoke up from the side. "Wait. Let them go, and I'll go back with you!"

"Miss!"

Misato Kuroi grabbed Riko Amanai's wrist, but the latter shook her head.

"Sorry, Misato. I can't be with you anymore after this."

Then she looked at Masamichi Yaga. "Um... you're called Masamichi Yaga, right?"

Riko Amanai stepped forward and bowed deeply to him.

"Thank you for your help, Uncle Yaga! But you've already done too much for my sake. Satoru and the others... I don't know if they're okay."

"All of this happened because of me alone. I can't be so selfish. Please don't stop me."

Riko Amanai wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, turned to Keisuke Sawanin, and said, "I'll go with you!"

Seeing this, Keisuke Sawanin let out a cold smile. "At least you know what's good for you. Otherwise, you'd all be dead..."

Suddenly, Keisuke Sawanin felt an intense suffocating pressure from behind.

An endless chill shot from the base of his spine straight to the crown of his head, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper resting on his neck, about to swing down at any moment.

Keisuke Sawanin tried to move his feet, but was horrified to find his entire body frozen.

What's going on?

At that moment, Gakuganji and the others stared with eyes as wide as if they'd seen a ghost at the three figures who had suddenly appeared behind Keisuke Sawanin.

Gojo Sawa's hand rested on Keisuke Sawanin's shoulder, and the words he spoke were like a demon's whisper.

"Hey, old man. Who did you say was dead?"

Gulp~

Keisuke Sawanin swallowed his saliva, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Meanwhile, Riko Amanai waved her arms excitedly from not far away and shouted, "Satoru! Thank goodness! You're all okay!"

"No duh! We're the Strongest Trio—how could anything happen to us!"

Gojo Satoru walked toward Riko Amanai with a smile.

Gojo Sawa nudged Suguru Geto with his elbow and laughed heartily. "Look, even though it's the three of us, Riko only called out Satoru's name. Pretty obvious, huh!"

Suguru Geto also showed an interested smile. "At Satoru's age, that should count as early love, right?"

The two chatted and laughed as they followed.

The three of them walked past Keisuke Sawanin one after another.

At that moment, Keisuke Sawanin was drenched in cold sweat.

He felt as if he had become an ordinary person, brushing past three fierce tigers, and even the hand holding his blade was trembling.

Riko Amanai laughed as she lunged at Gojo Satoru, but he suddenly rapped her on the head, making her yelp and crouch down clutching her skull.

"Ow ow ow... You bastard! What the hell was that for?!"

Gojo Satoru sneered. "Huh? We risked our lives to stop you from merging with that old hag Tengen, and now you want to go back? You're just wasting all our hard work!"

Riko Amanai threw herself onto Gojo, yanking at his white hair as she growled, "You think I want this, you jerk?! Die already!"

The two immediately devolved into a scuffle.

But Gojo's choice of words for Tengen quickly drew ire from the assembled higher-ups.

"Gojo! Show some respect for Lord Tengen!"

"Running your mouth like that—is this the upbringing of the Gojo Clan?"

Yoshinobu Gakuganji's face darkened. "Gojo Sawa, just what do you think you're doing?"

At that, Gojo Sawa and his two companions finally turned their attention back to them.

Gojo Sawa spoke flatly. "You go back and tell that old hag Tengen that Riko isn't merging with her."

"What?!"

The higher-ups were instantly unsettled, especially the elders of the Three Great Families.

After all, the vast majority of the Three Great Families' barrier techniques had been laid by Tengen.

"Gojo Sawa! Gojo Satoru! And Suguru Geto! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"

"Are you trying to betray the entire jujutsu world?!"

"Shut up!"

Gojo Sawa scratched his head. "You don't speak for the entire jujutsu world."

By now, the trio had retracted their pressure. With their comrades at their backs, Keisuke Sawanin felt emboldened again.

"Gojo Sawa! You three may be called the Strongest Trio, but you're still just a bunch of teenagers!"

"There are dozens of clan elders and first-grade sorcerers here. Hand over the Star Plasma Vessel!"

Gojo Sawa glanced at him and chuckled. "Fine. You—no, all of you—if you can withstand one move from me, do whatever you want."

Gakuganji and the others were taken aback. Keisuke Sawanin burst into laughter.

"Arrogant brat! The fame of being the strongest has gone straight to your head!"

"With all of us here, what's one move? What's ten or a hundred?"

"No. One move is enough."

Gojo Sawa smiled and said no more. Both hands manifested Azure and Crimson.

"Imaginary Technique: Purple."

Inside the Tombs of the Star Corridor.

Gojo Sawa stared at Tengen, expressionless. "I know you can slow your evolution even within the barrier, and you don't need to merge with the Star Plasma Vessel." (See original manga chapter 202.)

"So if I ever find out you're using someone else's life as an experiment again, I'll kill you."

Feeling the boy's undisguised killing intent, even Tengen, who had lived for nearly a thousand years, felt a chill run down his spine.

Having said that, Gojo Sawa turned and left without looking back.

Tengen watched his retreating figure, then sighed after a long silence.

"Very well. I never imagined the jujutsu world would produce such monsters—and three of them at once. With them around, I suppose I don't need to worry so much about evolution."

Sensing two more auras outside the Tombs of the Star Corridor, each no weaker than Gojo Sawa's.

Tengen let out a breath of relief, closed his eyes, and slowly sank into slumber.