My p@treon followers actually read chapter "92"...
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Geto didn't wait any longer. He snapped his fingers, and a massive curse appeared above him: a cyclopean creature, its massive body covered in black scales and bristling with sharp spikes. With a single roar, it swept the air with its claws, unleashing a destructive wave that blew everything apart in its path.
The ground twisted beneath Ryosuke's feet, creating a shockwave in opposition.
The two forces clashed in a deafening explosion, but Ryosuke was forced back under the sheer raw power of the curse. The creature charged at him, its gaping jaws ready to swallow him whole.
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes. The creature suddenly slowed, as if held back by an invisible force. Its scales cracked, its body shuddering.
"Not this time."
But before he could savor it, Geto appeared behind him, his tri-staff plunging toward his back. The staff struck his side with incredible force, twisting through him. Ryosuke spat a stream of blood, his knees buckling under the impact, his eyes widening.
Geto stomped him to the ground, pinning him under his weight. "You're strong, Ryosuke. But you're just a child playing with forces far beyond you."
Ryosuke, panting, let out a hoarse laugh. "And you're a man scared of a kid."
As if alarmed, Geto quickly retreated from Ryosuke, putting distance between them.
From beneath rubble and dust, Ryosuke slowly stood, brushing off his torn coat. He placed a hand on his side, rubbing it gently. His taunting smile resurfaced.
Geto, perched atop a shattered rock, crossed his arms, his tri-staff resting casually against his shoulder.
"Impressive," he said calmly. "Few people master RCT at your level. Your ability to heal that wound so quickly is remarkable."
Ryosuke shrugged, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. "You're the one who deserves credit. You managed to break through my defense."
Geto gave an enigmatic smile. "No matter how much CE you possess, there's a limit to how much your body can release at once. Maintaining a steady flow requires exceptional control. And luckily for me, you haven't reached that perfect mastery yet."
Ryosuke's eyes gleamed fiercely. He shook his head. "Interesting… But that's exactly what you're doing to protect yourself, isn't it? I've been watching you. You keep wrapping yourself in CE, like an invisible shield."
Geto's smile widened, but he didn't answer.
Ryosuke took a deep breath. "Then… Help me. Make me grow. I want to surpass my limits."
Geto tilted his head slightly. "I'll pass. I'd rather kill you."
The fight resumed.
Geto leapt, his tri-staff carving deadly arcs through the air. Ryosuke dodged with superhuman agility. He countered with waves of CE, invisible projectiles flying in every direction.
Ryosuke managed to graze Geto's hand, a tiny spark of CE passing into his skin.
Without hesitation, Geto sliced off his own hand in one clean stroke. The limb hit the ground with a dull thud, but Geto remained unfazed, his sharp gaze locked on Ryosuke.
"Well, that's troublesome," he murmured.
Ryosuke reset his stance, his cold gaze fixed on Geto. The latter glanced briefly at his freshly regenerated hand.
"So, are you really planning to keep fighting with a handicap, or are you just stubborn?" Ryosuke taunted with a smirk.
Geto narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.
A new shockwave burst from the ground as Ryosuke launched forward, his body slicing through the air like an arrow. Before Geto could fully react, Ryosuke unleashed a flurry of precise strikes, his fists and feet wrapped in CE, each impact exploding with pure energy.
Geto, dodging with surprising agility for his imposing frame, countered with a fluid sweep of his tri-staff. The weapon carved deadly arcs, generating glowing red blades of energy that sliced through the air.
The impacts thundered like explosions, Ryosuke being driven back under the relentless assault. Each strike felt like it weighed a ton, and despite his efforts to dodge or block, he couldn't stop Geto's sheer power from overwhelming him in close combat.
Ryosuke staggered under a particularly brutal strike to his side, knocking the wind out of him. He leapt back, creating distance, panting but still smiling.
Geto, upright like a pillar, calmly brushed dust from his coat. "You're fighting with handicaps too, aren't you?"
Ryosuke let out a short laugh. "Maybe so."
Geto swept his gaze over the ruined environment. Jagged stone lay in pieces, craters and clouds of dust everywhere. He sighed, shaking his head slightly.
"We've gone too far," he declared. With a motion, he made his tri-staff vanish as if by magic and looked at Ryosuke. "Listen closely, boy. I have nothing against you Jujutsu. But you… you're an obstacle. Not now, maybe, but soon. And that obstacle, I have to eliminate before it becomes insurmountable."
Ryosuke crossed his arms, his smile hardening. "Then why talk instead of finishing the job? Getting sentimental?"
Geto burst out in a deep laugh. "Sentimental, me? No, I'm just realistic. If I want to kill you, I'll have to give it everything. Absolutely everything. And you know it too. You're talented, maybe even a genius. But you didn't want to go all the way either."
Geto stepped back, then with an agile leap, mounted the back of a winged curse that rose slowly into the sky.
"You really think I'll let you leave like this?" Ryosuke shouted.
Geto turned his head. "Yes. Because you've understood, just like me. We don't want to destroy more than necessary for a duel. And you know you're not ready yet."
Ryosuke clenched his fists but didn't move, watching Geto rise higher.
"December, boy," Geto declared with a sly smile. "I'll be waiting. I can't wait to see how far you'll go by then. Don't disappoint me."
And with those words, he vanished into the sky, leaving Ryosuke among the ruins. The latter shrugged, finally releasing the tension in his muscles.
"December, huh?" he muttered, his smile slowly returning. "Next time, I won't hold back."
Ryosuke stood still for a while, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Then he let out a sigh.
"Phew… that was close. Never thought I'd make such a good actor."
He ran a hand through his messy hair, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. He recalled the moments before, feigning fatigue, exhaustion, playing the role of the brave victim holding out against a much stronger foe. But now that it was over, a hint of doubt crept in.
What if Geto had seen through it all? What if he had simply decided to play along with his own game?
"Eh, whatever," he said with a shrug.