A half-baked Mr. Geto?

Faced with Suguru Geto, who looked so shocked he might lose all his color, Aikawa Kaze tilted his head in confusion.

"If you can't beat him, join him! As an enemy, Gojo Sensei is the most terrifying, most troublesome person there is. But as a teammate, he'd be absolutely reliable!"

"..."

"Not only that, Gojo Sensei definitely wants Jujutsu Society to improve, too. You're all heading in the same general direction! Let me draw a third circle. This is our [intersection]..."

"..."

"Oh, right, the overlap between your two circles isn't just your shared goals. There's also room to mend your broken friendship. That makes it even better!"

"..."

"Mr. Geto? Are you okay?"

"..."

Suguru Geto stood up to leave. Why on earth had he wasted his time listening to an underage junior spout nonsense?

And what exactly were they teaching in Jujutsu High's general education classes? What the hell was that metaphor about mending a broken friendship?!

Suguru Geto moved to leave without hesitation, only for Aikawa Kaze to grab his hand.

This exasperating junior had poured all his cursed energy into reinforcing his body. Even with Suguru Geto's excellent hand-to-hand skills, he couldn't break free for the moment.

Even more maddeningly, the junior who had been so refined, gentle, and polite just moments ago changed his tune in an instant and shouted at the top of his lungs, drawing out every word.

"Go~jo~Sen~sei~~~! Mr. Geto says he needs your help!!!!"

"Shut up!!!"

Crash!

"How pathetic, Geto~~~"

Satoru Gojo kicked a hole through the ceiling and jumped down, his face full of mockery.

"So you do need help from Satoru Gojo, the Strongest, after all, huh?!"

He looked utterly carried away with smug satisfaction, but his movements were perfectly coordinated as he blocked the best escape route, joining Aikawa Kaze in trapping Suguru Geto.

Suguru Geto: ... Damn it! He's a summoner too, so why does this junior have such a powerful grip?!

Even more infuriatingly, Satoru Gojo stood to the side with his arms crossed, offering unsolicited commentary as though he were watching a show.

"You're slipping, Geto. We haven't seen each other in a little while, and you've gotten this frail? If you can't even break out of a first-year's grip, why not just surrender and come do grunt work at Jujutsu High?"

"Shut it!"

Suguru Geto shot Satoru Gojo an irritated glare. He was already reinforcing himself with cursed energy, yet still couldn't get free. Apparently, this junior was naturally gifted with monstrous strength.

He had already been thinking of retreating, and now that Satoru Gojo had arrived, Suguru Geto naturally prepared to release a cursed spirit and leave.

"I never thought you'd learn to use your students to set traps, Satoru."

"I did intend to lure you out, but unfortunately, the fish didn't take the bait."

Satoru Gojo didn't deny it. His expression was somewhat casual, but his tone was serious.

"If you really need help, Geto, I'll consider agreeing."

"It seems you've finally understood the meaning of your own choices."

Suguru Geto tugged at the corners of his mouth, surprised to find a sense of relief rising within him.

He knew very well that the younger Satoru Gojo hadn't really possessed a clear sense of right and wrong. He even knew that, to a certain extent, he himself had been the "compass" by which Satoru Gojo judged good and evil.

Back when he still insisted on "righteous principles," he might indeed have managed to fill that role, but later...

After realizing his own uncertainty and confusion, he had told Satoru Gojo, "Your choices all have meaning."

Now it seemed that Satoru Gojo really had forged his own path, which put him even more at ease.

"Let go." Suguru Geto looked down at Aikawa Kaze. "Your technique takes time to use, doesn't it? Don't force me to attack you directly."

"Of course."

Aikawa Kaze, who had been clinging to him so stubbornly, agreed with surprising ease. That decisiveness brought a glimmer of appreciation to Suguru Geto's eyes.

Choosing to give up when he knew something couldn't be done-that ability to make decisive judgments was admirable, too.

It was just that the outrageous things he said were truly unbearable.

Suguru Geto did feel him release his grip. At the same moment he felt himself regain his freedom, he heard Aikawa Kaze sigh.

"That was my mistake. I thought you were like me, Mr. Geto-someone determined to achieve his dream, whatever the cost. I didn't realize your resolve amounted to so little."

"What did you say?!"

Suguru Geto abruptly stopped in his tracks, his expression darkening.

Even though he knew this was most likely an attempt to provoke him, he couldn't ignore it.

To fulfill his cause, he had abandoned almost everything: honor, reputation, a bright future, the friendship he cherished, and even... his own parents.

All of that forced him to keep moving forward, ever forward. He could never turn back.

And now, all his efforts and sacrifices were being dismissed so casually?!

"It's your pointless pride and embarrassment, isn't it?"

The instant he let go, Aikawa Kaze decisively darted behind Satoru Gojo for safety.

Trash talk was all well and good, but his personal safety mattered more. He couldn't beat Suguru Geto right now, so of course he had to find the strongest person to back him up!

"You know perfectly well-getting Satoru Gojo's help wouldn't just mean one less troublesome enemy. You'd also gain the most powerful ally. That's the way you'd have the best chance of achieving your dream."

"Like what you're doing now?"

"Exactly like what I'm doing now."

As he said that, Aikawa Kaze dropped the polite language he had been using to keep up appearances.

He was already hiding behind Satoru Gojo, letting that tall frame shield him completely. Only his head poked out from behind him, his face full of mockery.

"You clearly have a better choice, but you've discarded it because of your own ridiculous, useless feelings."

Aikawa Kaze felt he had taught Suguru Geto a proper lesson.

The weak needed to recognize that they were weak. It was perfectly normal to want to become stronger through one's own efforts, and there was nothing wrong with wanting to achieve one's dreams through one's own strength. But knowing one's abilities were insufficient and still refusing to swallow one's pride was a real problem.

Aikawa Kaze, for instance, had never neglected his training. He drove himself relentlessly, never letting up for a moment.

At the same time, however, he also understood how "weak" he currently was. That was why he had chosen without hesitation to rely on his companions' strength and to build good relationships with Satoru Gojo and the others.

He would do this during his early development, and even once he truly became powerful later on, he wouldn't abandon that approach. Even a hero needed a few helping hands!

"So, is there anything wrong with me saying your resolve amounts to so little? No, there isn't."

Aikawa Kaze gave Suguru Geto a look of sympathy and pity.

"Don't tell me you're still fooling yourself into thinking you've done everything you can and sacrificed everything to pursue your dream?"

"No way, no way! Do you really think that? When you're nothing but a half~~baked~~~amateur~~~~"

Thonk!

"Don't bully Geto too much, Kaze."

Satoru Gojo rapped Aikawa Kaze on the forehead. Geto was his best friend, after all. Bullying him himself was one thing, but letting his student do it was going a little too far.

He couldn't quite bear to watch anymore, so he chose to take out his phone and snap a few pictures of Suguru Geto's complicated expression.

More new material to share with Shoko. Hooray! ヾ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ

Suguru Geto: "..."

The urge to kill was stirring.