In the shadows

As the black fragments fell, Suguru Geto and Shuten Doji each took a step back. Both had clearly entered their cursed technique burnout period.

Shuten Doji drew his samurai sword again, looking eager to launch another attack.

"Sorry..." Suguru Geto saw right through Shuten Doji's intentions. "If you think we're on equal footing now, you're sorely mistaken!"

Suguru Geto focused all his attention and activated his Reverse Cursed Technique.

Suddenly, he felt something warm trickle from his nose. He touched it and found that he was bleeding.

Did it damage my brain because this was my first time using it?

Suguru Geto paid it no mind. He formed hand seals again and smiled at the distinctly human shock and fear on Shuten Doji's face.

"Domain Expansion-Binding of a Hundred Demons!"

Once again, the pool beneath Suguru Geto's feet spread rapidly beneath Shuten Doji, while a black sphere enclosed them both.

"..."

Shuten Doji raised his samurai sword, preparing for one last desperate fight.

An endless army of cursed spirits rushed Shuten Doji all at once like starving ghosts. He swung his samurai sword, cutting down the closest spirits one by one.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"..."

Suguru Geto watched Shuten Doji's dying struggle impassively, calmly counting down what remained of his life.

Soon, a giant cursed spirit grabbed Shuten Doji's arm and drained every last bit of his dwindling cursed energy.

Then more cursed spirits surged forward like a tide, engulfing Shuten Doji in an instant.

"It's over..."

Suguru Geto murmured as he watched the densely packed swarm of cursed spirits.

Suguru Geto ended his domain, and the tide of cursed spirits dispersed. He slowly approached Shuten Doji, who lay collapsed on the ground, his gaze utterly cold. "Goodbye."

Suguru Geto stretched out both hands and activated his cursed technique on Shuten Doji. Shuten Doji's body twisted continuously, then gradually turned into a bead.

He tipped his head back and swallowed it in one gulp. It had no taste, but a jumble of vague memories surfaced in Suguru Geto's mind.

That night, two boys had gazed at a sky full of stars, talking about their futures at the edge of a cliff.

Two little girls had stood beside him, asking him questions in quiet voices.

"What did I say back then?" Suguru Geto rubbed his forehead, racking his brain, but the harder he tried, the hazier it became.

Suguru Geto successfully absorbed Shuten Doji, and the palace around him began to fade, gradually dissolving into nothingness.

"Was it conjured from cursed energy?" Suguru Geto looked at the familiar mountain wilderness around him, stretched, and took out his phone to check the time. "I fought for an hour? Looks like I can still get back before dark."

Then Suguru Geto called Ijichi, who had been waiting at the entrance to the Curtain. "Hello? Ijichi, I've finished things here. It was a special grade cursed spirit. Come deal with the cursed residue."

"Yes, Mr. Geto." Holding his phone, Ijichi couldn't help feeling impressed. "A special grade sorcerer, all right. He dealt with a special grade cursed spirit that quickly..."

"You can spare me the flattery..."

"Yes!"

Suguru Geto hung up. He was also debating whether to use Reverse Cursed Technique again to heal his cursed technique burnout. After all, ordinary fights rarely called for this skill, and he normally wouldn't experience cursed technique burnout anyway. This was a good opportunity to practice...

But even as he considered it, Suguru Geto's body had already begun obediently using Reverse Cursed Technique to heal his cursed technique burnout. He felt like this could become addictive.

Hidden in the shadows, a cursed spirit with blue hair and a face covered in stitches looked at the person beside him with amusement. "Well, well, what have I found? That man's body was your original target, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was..."

The person beside him was Kenjaku. He was watching Suguru Geto with a smile, and, astonishingly, Kenjaku looked exactly like Suguru Geto!

"I heard a powerful cursed spirit had appeared here and wanted to recruit him. I didn't expect Jujutsu High to beat us to it."

"But it doesn't matter. We're still in the shadows, while they're out in the open..."

"What do you say? Let's surround him and kill him. In his current state, he's as good as dead." Mahito's gaze grew cold. "As for whether his cursed spirits run wild afterward? I couldn't care less!"

"No." Kenjaku shook his head. "I can't act right now. Even with this body, most of the cursed residue I leave behind would probably be his, but there's still a risk of leaving my own. If that man notices..."

At that, Mahito immediately lost interest. Then a rare look of hatred appeared in his eyes. "This is the first time I've ever been so angry at a human. Ze Zenin, the day you die... isn't far off!"

"Let's go, Mahito. The longer we linger, the more can go wrong."

Kenjaku spoke calmly, a trace of disdain lurking deep in his eyes. A mere cursed spirit, and he actually dares to say that? Even I can only settle for sealing the weaker Satoru Gojo.

If circumstances hadn't forced my hand, why would I have needed to work with him for ten years?

Mahito didn't notice Kenjaku's disdain, perhaps because his acting was simply too convincing, and followed him away.

"Speaking of which, that human we visited at Kyoto Jujutsu High a few days ago... can we trust him?" Mahito asked, looking at Kenjaku.

"Don't worry." Kenjaku smiled confidently. "Your Idle Transfiguration is the only thing in this world that can save him."

"Can I just kill him once it's done?"

"..."

Suguru Geto suddenly glanced toward the spot where Kenjaku and Mahito had been standing. Something felt strange. Had someone just left?

One of their presences had felt so familiar!

Just as Suguru Geto was about to pursue them, Ijichi approached, panting. "Mr. Geto..."

"It wasn't that far, and you're already this exhausted, Ijichi." Suguru Geto patted Ijichi's shoulder earnestly, wearing an understanding look.

Ijichi: "..."

Has Mr. Geto gotten the wrong idea? I'm not that kind of person! Though I suppose he isn't entirely wrong...

Ijichi grumbled inwardly, the corners of his mouth twitching nonstop.

Suguru Geto released two special grade cursed spirits and instructed them, "Keep Ijichi safe. I'm going to take a nap."

Suguru Geto walked past Ijichi, giving him another knowing look, then found a tree and fell asleep beneath it.

Ijichi: "..."

And so, evening arrived.

Inside a KTV.

"What took you so long, Gojo?" Ze Zenin stared coldly at Satoru Gojo as he finally arrived, then raised his wrist to check his watch. "You're thirty minutes late."

"Ze, give him a beating!" Shoko waved her fists beside Ze Zenin, pretending to look fierce.

"Well, sorry, sorry." Satoru Gojo grinned. "I bought some food on the way."

Satoru Gojo held up a bag for Ze Zenin and Shoko beside him to see, then took out four Kikufuku. "Have some. They're really good~"

Then he turned to Suguru Geto, who looked exhausted. "Geto, you have one too..."

"..."

Suguru Geto accepted Satoru Gojo's Kikufuku with resignation. He was already used to this unreliable colleague.

But why did it also feel so familiar?

He looked at the grinning Satoru Gojo, at Ze Zenin, whose face was expressionless except for the hint of a smile at his lips, and at Shoko, who was watching Satoru Gojo and Ze Zenin bicker.

Suddenly, it felt as though two people were standing behind him, pushing his shoulders and telling him, "Go on, Geto..."

Suguru Geto turned around, but no one was there.