The plot, its course, and change?

"Your body..." Looking at the wheelchair beneath Kamo Xu, Suguru Geto could tell at a glance that he still hadn't fully recovered.

"Yeah. Shoko said that while I was unconscious, I seemed to be subconsciously using Reverse Cursed Technique to heal my brain. As you can see, I woke up."

"But because my brain was dead for too long, I still don't have any feeling in my lower body."

Kamo Xu spoke regretfully. He had woken up to find that the only change to the plot was that Riko Amanai and Toji Fushiguro hadn't died. Satoru Gojo was still as busy as ever, and Suguru Geto was brooding again, just like in the original.

Was the world's power to correct itself really that terrifying?

Just then, Yuki Tsukumo suddenly leaned over and slapped Kamo Xu on the knee.

No reaction...

"Oh~ No knee-jerk reflex. You really are paralyzed."

Kamo Xu: ...

Suguru Geto: ...

"Who's this?"

"Yuki Tsukumo, a special grade sorcerer."

"Ah~ That deadbeat who doesn't do missions, doesn't make money, and isn't wanted by anyone." Kamo Xu smacked a fist into his palm, as though he had finally realized what species the person before him belonged to.

Hearing this similar, even harsher assessment, Yuki Tsukumo's face darkened again. She retreated to one side, muttering, "Jujutsu High really should just be destroyed. What kind of people does this place raise? I'm not that pathetic..."

Now she was sulking... Just like in the original, she really was an outrageously flighty woman.

"Back to the point. You just said Riko Amanai didn't die? How could she not have died?"

The more Suguru Geto listened, the more wrong that sounded. What did he mean, "How could she not have died?"

Were you hoping Riko Amanai would die?

Seeming to realize his words could be misunderstood, Kamo Xu corrected himself. "I mean, why didn't Toji Zenin finish her off? Logically, he shouldn't have abandoned the target before confirming she was dead. That doesn't fit his personality."

Suguru Geto didn't know either, so Kamo Xu could only ask him what exactly had happened.

When he heard that Riko Amanai had been shot in the head, Kamo Xu finally lost his composure.

She still ended up getting shot in the head. Why did this story have to keep repeating itself like this? Was this world really one enormous, lifelike stage play, with everyone forced to follow the original script?

Only after hearing how Suguru Geto had been knocked unconscious with two slashes and a kick, like some stray by the roadside, did Kamo Xu finally understand the whole sequence of events.

So all my effort barely did anything?

And here I went and fought Toji Fushiguro one-on-one, only to be forced to throw everything I had into one final blast against him.

Just like in the original, Satoru Gojo had gotten distracted and been caught during his recovery window. Suguru Geto, meanwhile, had simply been blindsided on his first encounter and countered by the matchup.

All three of them had been kicked aside like strays by the roadside...

Still, Riko Amanai was alive. That wasn't bad. At least he didn't have to worry about Suguru Geto becoming as extreme as he had in the original.

Kamo Xu could tell that Suguru Geto was mostly exhausted right now and wanted to change the working conditions for jujutsu sorcerers. He was definitely not the extremist curse user from the original who intended to slaughter all non-sorcerers.

As long as he guided him properly now and kept him from overthinking things, perhaps the outcome could still be changed.

The problem was how to make Suguru Geto [stop overthinking]. This guy was stubborn and stuck to his convictions.

Unless there was someone who could change his mindset...

"Speaking of which, Haibara and Nanami are heading out on a mission. They're bringing back souvenirs. Do you want something sweet or savory?"

Kamo Xu: !

Oh, crap! How did I forget about Haibara?

"Forget that for now. Where's Haibara? Where did that guy go? Don't tell me he's already left for the mission site!"

Agitated, Kamo Xu reached out from his wheelchair and grabbed Suguru Geto's shoulders as he questioned him.

The sudden barrage left the still half-brooding Suguru Geto bewildered, but seeing Kamo Xu's serious expression made him tense up too.

"Not yet. He just left. What's wrong?"

"His mission was very likely assessed incorrectly. It might not be an ordinary Grade 2 mission. There's a very good chance it's Grade 1!"

Grade 1!

Suguru Geto was startled. If that was true, it was definitely beyond what Yu Haibara and Kento Nanami could handle right now. They had to stop them!

"Wait... Why are you so certain?"

Kamo Xu's hands trembled. Those words had come from Yuki Tsukumo. He hadn't expected this carefree woman to be so unexpectedly perceptive at a time like this.

If it had only been Suguru Geto, Kamo Xu was confident he could get him to overlook those details. But he had completely forgotten about Yuki Tsukumo!

"Besides, even if it's true, what makes you think the higher-ups would change the grade just because you said so?"

Yuki Tsukumo leaned back against the bench, smiling crookedly.

This boy seemed to have rushed here in a hurry to change something, but he was too impulsive, and his methods were far too crude.

As a result, Kamo Xu's statements contradicted one another and came across as extremely jarring.

So she felt she had to say something, if only to make the boy less agitated.

"Speaking of which, what kind of girl is your type?"

"Slutty ones." Kamo Xu didn't hesitate or give it much thought. Right now, he only wanted to shut the question down, so he bluntly chose the most outrageous answer possible.

Yuki Tsukumo froze, then silently looked at Suguru Geto, her eyes asking, This is the kind of person you make friends with?

But what could Suguru Geto do?

Other than looking thunderous, he couldn't say a word.

Just like that, Kamo Xu had Hard Control-ed both of them into sitting silently on the bench.

"Asahi, what you're saying really is too far-fetched. The school wouldn't treat students' lives as a joke, either." He hadn't listened. He had believed Yuki Tsukumo!

Fuck! That damned corrective force!

Suguru Geto hadn't started talking about killing non-sorcerers, but did Haibara still have to die?

"Hey, Geto, that's a human life! At least tell that old man Yaga!"

"Geto, are you listening to me? Geto!"

Suguru Geto could indeed hear Kamo Xu, but he had no interest in listening at that moment.

Kamo Xu shouted himself hoarse for a long while before Suguru Geto finally stood up. "Sorry about that. Asahi just woke up, so he might still be a little confused. Please forgive him if he's offended you."

He walked behind Kamo Xu's wheelchair, took hold of the handles, and silently turned the boy around and wheeled him away.

"Hey, Geto, wait! Don't listen to that woman! We have to stop Haibara and the others right now! Are you even listening to me?"

His voice grew fainter and fainter.

Soon, only the blond woman remained in the dim corridor.

They really took things seriously... That Kamo boy, and that Geto boy too.

Ah... I never found out what kind of girl Suguru Geto liked!

"Hey... Why are you ignoring me?" Riko Amanai reached out and waved her hand twice in front of the distracted Suguru Geto.

The two of them had already reached a spot not far from the Village. According to the intel, there was only one utterly ordinary Grade 2 cursed spirit here.

Near the site, both its presence and the cursed energy they sensed were only Grade 2.

But Suguru Geto still didn't dare let his guard down, because one moment of carelessness had already cost him a junior forever...

Satoru Gojo had taken over that supposed Grade 2 mission as quickly as possible. Kamo Xu's crazed words had been right...

Instead, he, the one who wasn't crazy, had refused to listen. He had gotten Yu Haibara killed.

Now, every time he went out to exorcise cursed spirits, Yu Haibara's face would surface in his mind. Back then, he...

Since then, Suguru Geto had checked every detail of every mission carefully. After gathering and verifying all the intel, he would personally visit the site to confirm it, and only begin the exorcism once he had completely ruled out any possible unexpected danger.

Because he had gotten that hardworking junior killed... That foolishly kind boy who had always kept giving whatever he could within his abilities...

"Yeah... I was wondering whether we'd missed any information. I'll go in first. Riko, wait here for me."

Riko Amanai immediately puffed out her cheeks. She didn't want to be left alone so far from the site, and she had a mission of her own.

When Kamo Xu had taught her how to use the cursed energy in her body and her bizarrely modified blood, he had stressed more than once that she had to stay by Suguru Geto's side at all times!

The moment he lowered his head and looked like he was about to [think], she had to interrupt him by any means necessary!

Since my lifesaver asked me to do it, naturally, I'll carry it out perfectly!

It's only Geto. I've got this in the bag!