With one arm injured, Zen'in Maki took another cursed tool from her bag. She still didn't put on any protective gear, instead switching to a katana.
"She really doesn't know how to adapt at all…"Gojo Satoru rubbed his forehead helplessly, though a hint of admiration flashed through his eyes.
More often than not, it was obsession that allowed a person to go further—to reach the peak.
Chu Yang also admired that stubborn resolve. He decided to properly spar with her this time. If she managed to grasp something from it, that would be her own fortune.
"Give me a sword."
Chu Yang's words made Zen'in Maki's eyes light up. She hurriedly handed him the katana she was holding, then pulled another blade from her bag for herself.
The two resumed their duel.
Chu Yang deliberately suppressed nearly ninety percent of his strength. Otherwise, it would still end in a one-hit knockout.
This time, Zen'in Maki was far more cautious. Unlike before with the naginata, she no longer swung recklessly, instead circling just outside Chu Yang's effective range.
What she didn't realize was how far Chu Yang's swordsmanship had already progressed.
Even without Observation Haki, just from her stance alone, Chu Yang could predict her next move.
To an outside observer, the fight looked evenly matched, but Gojo quickly noticed something off—Chu Yang's movements were far too relaxed, as if he were always waiting for Zen'in Maki's blade to come to him.
"This guy isn't just good at hand-to-hand combat… his swordsmanship is terrifyingly good. No—this is way too strong, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Gojo saw Chu Yang unleash a sword slash several meters long, carving a deep trench into the grass of the training field.
"Hey, hey, you've got to be kidding me. That kind of power is already on par with cursed techniques!"
Gojo grew increasingly excited, like someone witnessing some outrageous gossip.
"Every casual slash has this level of force… hard to imagine this kid was just an ordinary office worker a few months ago."
Even Nanami Kento couldn't remain calm anymore. He unconsciously leaned forward, carefully observing the battlefield.
"So amazing!"Okkotsu Yuta's eyes sparkled.
Chu Yang's fighting style wasn't just suitable for Zen'in Maki—it suited him as well. Once he reinforced his body with cursed energy, his raw strength could barely keep up.
"Maki's really fired up. Her arm is clearly injured, yet her movements are still that aggressive."Panda looked worried, but also emotional. As her friend, he knew exactly how much this fight would change Zen'in Maki.
At first, he'd thought this would be a balanced spar where both sides could learn from each other. But reality was completely different.
The close-combat techniques Chu Yang displayed were the strongest Panda had ever seen—bar none. As another close-range fighter, Panda himself gained a lot from watching.
"Octopus."Inumaki Toge nodded in agreement.
Zen'in Maki truly was in an extremely excited state. The possibilities Chu Yang demonstrated allowed her to glimpse her own future.
After only ten minutes, the intense fight pushed Zen'in Maki to her limits. Her arm had swollen noticeably—there was no doubt it was fractured.
Chu Yang prepared to stop. If they continued, she might suffer irreversible injuries.
Throughout the entire fight, he had first used swordsmanship styles from the pirate world, then Demon Slayer sword techniques, and finally Soul Reaper-style zanjustu.
The styles were vastly different, yet they all led to the same path. Whether Zen'in Maki understood that principle… remained to be seen.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, Zen'in Maki stumbled and fell while retreating. Panda and the others immediately rushed forward to check her injuries, effectively ending the match.
Gojo Satoru and Nanami Kento also stepped onto the field.
"Excuse me, make some room."
Gojo pushed Panda aside, crouched down, and covered Zen'in Maki's injured arm with cursed energy. A miraculous scene unfolded—the swelling slowly subsided, her arm returning to normal size.
"Reverse Cursed Technique. The principle is similar to negative times negative equals positive—it allows cursed energy to gain healing properties."
Chu Yang watched the treatment process intently.
Reverse Cursed Technique wasn't a cursed technique itself, but a method of manipulating cursed energy. It was extremely complex, second only to Black Flash in difficulty, and only a handful of people could use it.
Most who mastered it could only heal themselves. At present, only Gojo Satoru and Ieiri Shoko could actively heal others.
In the future, Okkotsu Yuta—and the so-called King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna—would also be able to do so.
In terms of healing effectiveness alone, Reverse Cursed Technique was even stronger than Chu Yang's life-energy healing. Even fatal injuries that pierced the brain could be instantly cured.
After finishing Maki's treatment, Gojo stood up and stretched lazily, teasing,"You weren't some kind of prodigy swordsman back when you were in school, were you?"
Chu Yang laughed self-deprecatingly."If I really had that kind of backstory, do you think I'd have ended up as an office worker?"
"Fair point." Gojo nodded, squinting with a smile."In just a few months, the combat experience and technique you've accumulated already surpass those of sorcerers who've lived for decades. It's astonishing. At this rate, you might even surpass me before long…"
Chu Yang scoffed."Sounds like you're praising me, but you're really praising yourself. Shameless."
"Hahahaha!" Gojo burst out laughing.
Nanami Kento shook his head and turned to leave.
Spending even one extra second near Gojo made him feel disgusted.
"Nanami's gone. You're not leaving?" Gojo asked Chu Yang.
"I'm tired. I'm resting here. Guarding Tokyo and all that—senpai, you do your best. I'm skipping work."
Chu Yang waved his hand.
"The more curses you exorcise in this mission, the bigger the bonus. A money-grubber like you giving that up? That's rare."
"Senpai, do you know what office workers hate the most?"
"I do! Nanami's told me—it's overtime!"
"Correct! By the way, I just applied for leave last night, and it got canceled this morning. My mood isn't great."
"Now that you put it that way, I understand."Gojo nodded sympathetically, then turned to Panda and the others."Take Maki to rest, and prepare a place for him to sleep too."
In Gojo's view, Geto Suguru's Night Parade of a Hundred Demons was nothing special. Even without Chu Yang's participation, the outcome wouldn't change. That was why he said it was a war Geto was destined to lose.
No one knew that Geto Suguru's true target was Okkotsu Yuta.
And likewise, no one knew that Chu Yang's true target… was Geto Suguru.
Time passed in a blur.
December 24, 2017.Christmas Eve.
Shinjuku and Kyoto.
Streets that should have been livelier than usual were now completely deserted, leaving only large numbers of sorcerers standing on high alert.
Most second-year students from Tokyo Jujutsu High were stationed in Kyoto, fighting alongside Kyoto Jujutsu High.
Only Inumaki Toge and Panda were dispatched to Shinjuku as support, along with upperclassmen.
Gojo Satoru and Yaga Masamichi were also there.
The sky grew dark.
Under the dreamlike glow of neon lights, the stench of curses grew ever stronger in the city's shadowy corners.
Eerie laughter echoed abruptly through the streets as curses swarmed in like an endless tide.
Yaga Masamichi reminded the participating sorcerers to avoid damaging infrastructure as much as possible.
"If you encounter civilians who haven't managed to evacuate, prioritize escorting them to safety. Don't linger in battle."
"Finally—exorcise all curses!"
"Move out!"
Tokyo Jujutsu High
Okkotsu Yuta was chatting with Zen'in Maki in a classroom. One wasn't allowed to participate in the operation, while the other was recovering from injury.
Suddenly—
Both of them looked out the window at the same time.
A black veil gradually covered the sky above Jujutsu High.
This was the most commonly used barrier in the jujutsu world: Curtain.
The caster could freely set entry and exit conditions. Those who didn't meet them couldn't enter.
The strength of the barrier depended on the sorcerer's ability.
Geto Suguru had arrived at Jujutsu High, his target locked squarely on Okkotsu Yuta.
As long as he killed Yuta, he could obtain the special-grade curse—Rika Orimoto.
Seeing an intruder at Jujutsu High, Zen'in Maki returned to her room to fetch cursed tools. She suddenly remembered that her most reliable naginata had been crushed barehanded by Chu Yang a few days ago.
Her gaze then fell on the katana, and images of Chu Yang's astonishing swordsmanship flashed through her mind.
"Then let's try it."
She took a deep breath, grabbed the katana, and rushed out.
After running downstairs for only a few steps, she ran straight into Chu Yang.
"Go back and rest."
Chu Yang took the cursed tool directly from her hands and walked away without looking back.
Zen'in Maki stood there in a daze, staring at his retreating figure.
It wasn't that Chu Yang cared about her safety or feared she'd be killed by Geto Suguru. Rather, he needed to end the fight before Gojo arrived—there was no time to waste.
Otherwise, Geto Suguru would certainly die.
Observation Haki overlapped with the Curtain's range. Chu Yang located Geto Suguru, who was advancing toward the classrooms.
In the next instant, Chu Yang vanished—and reappeared at the end of the road, waiting for him.
Seeing Chu Yang appear out of nowhere, Geto Suguru wasn't bothered. He laughed openly."I thought Jujutsu High was completely empty. You don't look like a student or a teacher—are you logistics staff?"
Chu Yang smiled slightly."Something like that."
"Let's make a deal," Geto said, sleeves folded, smiling gently."You let me pass, and I'll spare your life. How about it?"
"Then let me make a deal too," Chu Yang replied, smiling even more kindly."Call me big brother, and when I hit you later, I'll try to be gentle."
Geto Suguru was taken aback."Do you know who I am?"
Chu Yang nodded."The meeting the other day went into quite some detail. Special-grade curse user, Gojo's classmate… sounds pretty impressive."
"You don't seem insane, yet you dare talk like this. I know all special-grade sorcerers, but I've never seen you…"
Geto narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly.
"Not knowing me is normal. My Grade 1 evaluation just came through."
Chu Yang answered seriously.
That completely broke Geto Suguru's composure. He clapped his hands and laughed loudly."What an interesting guy. I almost don't want to kill you anymore."
Chu Yang drew his blade, still smiling."For saying that, I'll hit you even lighter later. Hmm… maybe only fifty percent."
Geto's laughter stopped abruptly. Killing intent surged in his eyes as he spat out coldly,"Madman."
With a wave of his hand, black mist filled the narrow alley as curses crawled out one after another.
"No need for probing. It's a waste of time."
As Chu Yang's words fell, a brilliant sword light suddenly flared, sweeping through the alley. The curses had barely appeared before being annihilated under the slash.
The smile froze on Geto Suguru's face. He took a deep breath and stared at Chu Yang.
"So… you stayed here on purpose, waiting for me?"
Chu Yang chuckled."I'm a very suspicious person. Most of the time, I don't even fully trust my allies—let alone information coming from an enemy."
Geto spread his hands helplessly and shook his head."Hey, hey, back then I was still a Jujutsu High student. I didn't really count as an enemy, did I?"
Chu Yang smiled back."What if Jujutsu High itself is my enemy?"
Geto's expression turned serious. He frowned and asked,"Just who are you?"
Chu Yang didn't answer. Holding the blade in one hand, he crooked a finger at Geto Suguru.
"No matter who you are, you won't be able to stop my plan!"
Black mist surged around Geto Suguru, the pressure completely different from before. The curses he summoned this time were clearly not second-grade fodder.
"This is a special-grade curse I possess—Incarnation of Tamamo-no-Mae. Go ahead and greet her properly."
From the black fog emerged a humanoid curse, clad in ancient robes, its face resembling a mask painted with a false smile.
At the same time, the air rippled behind Geto Suguru as another curse appeared. He reached into its mouth and pulled out a three-section staff.
It was Fushiguro Toji's relic—the cursed tool Playful Cloud. It had no technique engraved into it, only pure physical force.
The stronger the wielder's arm strength, the more terrifying Playful Cloud's destructive power.
"Fighting alongside your summons—how touching, master and servant," Chu Yang sneered.
Geto Suguru didn't dare be careless. He focused fully and launched his attack. The destructive power Chu Yang had just displayed said everything.
The man holding that katana before him was absolutely special grade!
"Even with cursed energy reinforcement, your body still looks as fragile as paper to me."
Chu Yang raised the katana high, disdainfully—like a god passing judgment on mortals.
He brought the blade down.
The powers of the sun and the moon manifested simultaneously.
Blazing sunlight.
Somber moonlight.
The two intertwined like colossal millstones, grinding everything within their radiance into nothingness.
Source Breathing · Second Form · Sun and Moon in Unison
The special-grade curse Incarnation of Tamamo-no-Mae had barely stepped into the sun-and-moon light when it let out a shrill scream, its body being erased bit by bit.
It tried to flee, only to find itself unable to move. Between the two lights was a powerful suction, like a black hole.
Geto Suguru halted, watching the curse's annihilation with his own eyes. Goosebumps erupted over his body, a chill shooting from his tailbone straight to his scalp.
In his entire life, he had only seen such overwhelming power on one other person.
Gojo Satoru.
Geto Suguru felt the urge to retreat.
But at this point—how could he?
Rika Orimoto was right there. As long as he obtained that curse, he could completely turn the tables!
Gritting his teeth, Geto Suguru released a massive number of curses at once, intending to use them to pin Chu Yang down until he killed Okkotsu Yuta and seized the curse.
Meanwhile, inside the classroom, Okkotsu Yuta and Zen'in Maki also saw the curses Geto Suguru had unleashed.
They exchanged a glance, seeing the worry in each other's eyes.
"Even though Senior Yang is strong, dealing with this many curses alone will still be tough, right? Should we go help him?"
"Of course!"
The two rushed out together, leaping continuously across the rooftops.
Shinjuku.
Realizing Geto Suguru's true objective a beat too late, Gojo Satoru teleported Panda and Inumaki Toge back to Jujutsu High.
"With Yang there, help him stall Geto Suguru. I'll be back immediately."
In the blink of an eye, the two appeared above Jujutsu High.
"There's a Curtain. Gojo's guess was right—Geto Suguru is here!"
Panda roared, preparing to use brute force to break through the barrier.
But in the next instant, the barrier shattered with a thunderous crash, and two wondrous lights illuminated the entire world sinking into dusk.
Sunlight.
Moonlight.
Panda and Inumaki Toge saw countless curses on the ground completely erased under the twin radiance.
Okkotsu Yuta and Zen'in Maki witnessed an even more terrifying scene from closer range.
All four of them—along with Geto Suguru—trembled as their gazes fixed on Chu Yang.
Bathed in brilliance, he walked forward step by step.
Both god and devil.
"I underestimated you…"
Geto Suguru gave a bitter smile, his face ashen as he watched Chu Yang approach.
If he'd known the man was this strong, he never should have tried to stall him with curses. From the start, he should have unleashed his strongest technique.
Geto Suguru still had a move called Uzumaki, a technique that condensed the power of all his curses into a single devastating strike.
But now that Chu Yang had destroyed more than half of his curses, the remaining ones were no longer enough for Uzumaki to threaten him.
"I've lost."
Understanding that there was no chance of turning things around, Geto Suguru felt an unexpected sense of relief at death's door.
He had given everything he had in this life. If things ended like this, it could only be blamed on fate. History was full of people who fell just short—he wouldn't be the only one.
"Even if I succeeded… I might not have been able to beat Gojo anyway."
He mocked himself inwardly, his expression growing ever calmer.
Standing there without moving, as if quietly awaiting death.
Chu Yang stepped up to him, the blade in his hand slowly thrusting toward Geto Suguru's heart.
A surge of intense pain followed—but Geto Suguru's expression didn't change.
Panda and Inumaki Toge landed beside Zen'in Maki and Okkotsu Yuta.
The four of them held their breath, watching silently.
The blade didn't pierce a vital point. Instead, at lightning speed, it engraved mysterious runes onto Geto Suguru's heart. After the brief pain passed, Geto Suguru realized his injury wasn't as severe as he'd imagined.
Unbelievable skill!
Geto Suguru was utterly shaken.
When the blade withdrew from his body, he staggered and collapsed to the ground, consciousness slipping away. He wasn't dead.
Only a swordsman who had reached the absolute pinnacle could pull this off.
What Chu Yang carved into Geto Suguru's heart was the Flying Thunder God mark. From now on, as long as he wished, Chu Yang could appear at Geto Suguru's side at any moment.
A chill ran through Panda and the others.
From their perspective, Chu Yang had just killed Geto Suguru in an extremely cruel way.
Stabbing someone in the heart and twisting the blade—it was painful just to imagine.
That misunderstanding was fine. Better that they didn't notice anything amiss.
Chu Yang carried Geto Suguru's "corpse" out of Jujutsu High. Zen'in Maki and the others didn't dare ask questions, only watching him leave.
At a deserted location, Chu Yang first healed Geto Suguru's injuries, then woke him up. The latter looked confused.
"You're not killing me?"
"I want your life."
"What value does my life have? In front of you, I'm no different from an ant."
"Whether it has value is for me to decide. Even if you're an ant, you're a relatively big one."
Chu Yang said bluntly, "I don't like the current jujutsu world very much. The major clans, the higher-ups of Jujutsu High—they get to define good and evil at will. But in my eyes, some of them are more like curse users than actual curse users."
"I want to redefine the order of this world."
"I'm not interested in mocking your ideals, even if I think they're naive. But before you have the ability to realize them, how about helping me fulfill my wish first?"
Geto Suguru stared blankly for a long while, then let out a low laugh.
"Why should I help you?"
Chu Yang drove the blade straight into Geto Suguru's chest, his voice icy."I'm not giving you a choice. I'm giving you a chance to live."
The cold blade pierced his body again in that familiar way. Geto Suguru's breathing grew ragged. The feeling of dying and coming back to life was anything but pleasant—and each time, it eroded his courage to face death.
Just as Chu Yang was about to continue his "artistic creation" on Geto Suguru's heart, Geto Suguru chose to submit.
"Very well. From today on, we're comrades on the same side. I'm not particularly talented, but I can reluctantly act as the leader. What do you think?"
Chu Yang's gentle smile felt eerily familiar to Geto Suguru. He suddenly recalled what the man had said before the battle and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"So you were targeting me from the very beginning. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind…"
"In the current situation, if I say no, I'll definitely die. Besides agreeing, is there really a second path?"
Chu Yang nodded. "Since you agree, then hurry up and think of a way to fool Gojo Satoru. He'll be back any moment now."
Geto Suguru summoned a curse that looked like a reptile.
He dripped a few drops of blood onto it, and the curse immediately transformed into his own appearance.
Chu Yang instantly understood. With the tip of his blade, he smashed the fake Geto Suguru's heart, producing a flawless corpse.
"The corpse can exist for at most one hour. If it exceeds that time, the curse will disappear," Geto Suguru reminded him with narrowed eyes.
"Alright, you should leave quickly. If you run into Gojo Satoru later, it'll be even more troublesome."
Chu Yang waved his hand, signaling him to go.
"You're not going to ask where my base is? You don't plan on looking for me in the future?" Geto Suguru asked, puzzled.
"If I want to find you, I can do it anytime. If you don't believe me, you can try hiding."
Chu Yang let out a cold laugh, issuing the warning in a joking tone.
For some reason, Geto Suguru felt his scalp prickle. He knew Chu Yang must have done something to him, yet he couldn't figure out what or where.
The longer he stayed near Chu Yang, the more uncomfortable he felt. He immediately summoned a curse and left Jujutsu High with it.
Not long after, Gojo Satoru returned to Jujutsu High in the glow of dusk. At the main gate, he saw Chu Yang and the fake Geto Suguru's corpse.
Gojo Satoru suddenly slowed his steps. He walked up to the body and stared at it for quite a while before turning to Chu Yang.
"Good work."
Chu Yang shook his head and took a student ID out of his pocket, handing it to Gojo Satoru. It was Okkotsu Yuta's student ID, which had been lost during a recent mission and picked up by Geto Suguru.
"Do you need some time?"
"Thanks. Then give me a moment."
Chu Yang nodded and walked over to sit on the steps.
Looking at the fiery clouds on the horizon, he quietly waited for Gojo Satoru to mourn his close friend.
Three minutes later, Gojo Satoru stretched lazily, seemingly returning to his usual carefree demeanor.
"You figured out early on that Geto Suguru's target was Yuta, so you deliberately stayed at Jujutsu High, didn't you?"
The corners of Gojo Satoru's mouth lifted slightly as he recalled Chu Yang's hesitant expression during the meeting.
"Just good luck," Chu Yang said with a smile, copying Gojo Satoru as he stretched on the steps.
"Were you the only one who fought Geto Suguru in this battle?"
Gojo Satoru stood at a distance, his back to Chu Yang.
When he asked that question, no one could see the look of surprise on his face.
"You want to ask whether Okkotsu Yuta took part? Unfortunately, he didn't make it in time."
Chu Yang shook his head.
Gojo Satoru suddenly turned to stare at Chu Yang. Special grade was the peak of the jujutsu world, and Geto Suguru was a powerhouse even among special grades. In the entirety of Jujutsu High, besides himself, he couldn't think of a second person who could decisively defeat Geto Suguru.
"Your first-grade evaluation hasn't even been officially announced yet, and now it needs to be reassessed again. You really know how to give the higher-ups a headache."
Gojo Satoru grinned as he teased Chu Yang.
"Honestly, I kind of wanted to see the looks on those higher-ups' faces if Geto Suguru had taken Rika Orimoto. For them, that would've been the real disaster…"
Chu Yang's tone turned chilling.
"Oh my, Yang~~~ that idea is dangerous. That won't do—Yuta would die," Gojo Satoru said with his usual playful grin.
Yet the atmosphere between the two grew increasingly eerie because of Chu Yang's words.
"Even though I also hate those rotten old men who stink of corruption…"
Before the tension could stiffen further, Gojo Satoru added that line in a joking tone.
"You rushed back in such a hurry for Okkotsu Yuta, didn't you? You should hurry up and deal with Geto Suguru's remains, then go check on him."
Chu Yang calculated the time and casually reminded him.
Gojo Satoru walked straight into Jujutsu High, waving his hand behind him without turning around. "Bury him somewhere with a nice view. That way, when I visit him next time, I'll be in a better mood."
Chu Yang had already guessed he'd react this way. Once Gojo Satoru left, he took the fake Geto Suguru's body with him directly.
Gojo Satoru walked toward the classrooms. Everywhere he looked were broken walls and ruins—it was easy to imagine how fierce the battle had been.
Okkotsu Yuta spotted Gojo Satoru from afar and hurriedly called out, "Gojo-sensei!"
Several people gathered around him, vividly recounting what had just happened.
"When that guy Geto Suguru showed up, I thought something terrible was about to happen."
"I didn't expect Senior Yang to wipe out thousands of curses with a single attack. It's just that in the end, the way he killed Geto Suguru was a bit brutal…"
Gojo Satoru listened quietly as the four of them excitedly described the battle.
Through their overlapping accounts, he formed a fairly clear picture of the fight between the two.
"He actually won that easily… His potential seems even greater than Yuta's. At this rate, could he really become a 'Heavenly Tyrant' with cursed energy?"
Gojo Satoru suddenly recalled his life-and-death battle with Fushiguro Toji during his student days. If his luck had been a bit worse back then, he really might've died.
Thinking about Chu Yang potentially growing to that level—or even beyond—it sent a shiver through Gojo Satoru's heart.
Amid his reflections, Gojo Satoru vaguely sensed that something was off. Though they hadn't known each other long, he didn't believe Chu Yang was the type to brutally torture and kill an opponent.
"Yuta, come with me for a moment."
Gojo Satoru returned the lost student ID to Yuta and then began talking to him about Rika Orimoto's curse.
…
To make the illusion of his own death more convincing, Geto Suguru took the initiative to sever his connections with the other curses, making those rampaging in Kyoto and Shinjuku appear more like ownerless natural curses.
At the same time, the curses in both locations stopped their blind assaults. Some of them even showed signs of retreat.
Seeing this, Yaga Masamichi immediately understood that something had gone wrong with Geto Suguru, their master.
Half an hour later, the last curse was exorcised on the streets of Shinjuku, marking the complete failure of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Members of the Geto faction vanished amid the chaos, slipping away from the sorcerers' pursuit.
Among them were Nanako and Mimiko, Geto Suguru's adopted daughters. Distraught, they returned to their headquarters.
They knew there was only one explanation for the curses going out of control.
Something had happened to Geto Suguru.
"Why the long faces? I'm not dead."
Geto Suguru looked at them with a gentle smile.
Nanako and Mimiko snapped their heads up, staring at the perfectly unharmed Geto in disbelief before rushing over to him.
"Why did you release the curses?! We really thought you were dead!"
The two girls, who had always revered Geto deeply, exploded in anger for the first time.
"All in all, the plan failed. I didn't manage to seize Rika Orimoto, and I almost died—no, to be precise, I'm already a dead man."
Geto scratched his head awkwardly, explaining what had happened at Jujutsu High.
When they heard that he had been defeated with ease, everyone assumed that Gojo Satoru must have arrived in time—but thinking it over…
Gojo would never propose an alliance to Geto Suguru.
The truth was hard to accept.
In their eyes, no one could defeat Geto Suguru—especially not someone other than Gojo Satoru.
Nanako and Mimiko were particularly indignant. They could not accept anyone else leading the group in Geto's place.
Seeing this, Geto placed his hands on their heads, gently ruffling their hair as he warned them in a low voice:
"Don't get any ideas. That guy looks normal on the surface, but he's actually a complete lunatic. If things go wrong, we could all die—myself included…"
Thinking of Chu Yang's even more unhinged ambitions, Geto felt goosebumps break out all over his body.
Rewriting the order of the jujutsu world…
Absolutely insane.
"'Lunatic' is a pretty fair evaluation. I'll take it as praise."
Chu Yang's voice suddenly rang out in the headquarters.
No one saw how he appeared. It was as if he had crossed space itself.
Everyone reacted as if facing a great enemy, glaring at Chu Yang as they activated their techniques. The atmosphere turned instantly explosive.
"Stop!"
Geto barked sharply, sweeping his companions with a fierce gaze.
Only then did they rein in their techniques.
"I don't mind using force to obtain your temporary loyalty. To save time, you're welcome to challenge me together."
Chu Yang smiled warmly, speaking calmly and evenly, his tone oddly soothing.
Some members of the Geto faction hesitated, their eyes flickering.
One person couldn't win—surely a group could?
Chu Yang's smile deepened. He was already prepared to make an example of someone.
The same was true for Geto Suguru—none of this escaped his notice. His low, furious voice followed.
"I'll say this again. Don't seek death."
The group stiffened. Even those who had bared their fangs fell back into line.
Chu Yang shook his head in mild disappointment.
Seeing this, Geto felt a chill run up his spine. He was almost certain Chu Yang had been planning to kill someone just now.
Quickly changing the subject, Geto looked at Chu Yang with feigned curiosity.
"Is your technique spatial teleportation?"
"No," Chu Yang replied with a smile. "It's just a little trick. My innate technique hasn't awakened yet."
Normally, those born with cursed energy would awaken their innate technique in childhood. But Chu Yang was different—before the Soul Palace existed, he had been a genuine ordinary person.
By the timeline of cursed energy alone, he was practically a newborn.
Even with shared talent, it would still take a few more months for his innate technique to awaken.
"Hasn't awakened…?"
More than how Chu Yang had found him so precisely, this revelation shocked Geto deeply.
He began to tremble as the seriousness of the situation truly sank in.
So that devastating strike that annihilated thousands of curses earlier hadn't even been Chu Yang's technique.
If not a technique, then what kind of power was it?
Only now did Geto genuinely feel inclined to submit to the man before him.
He wasn't worried about being deceived.
Someone that powerful had no need for lies.
Though intensely curious about that annihilating force, Geto didn't press further. Instead, he shifted the topic and introduced the vast organization that was the Geto faction.
The faction's upper ranks consisted of curse users who genuinely agreed with Geto's ideals.
The lower ranks were former followers of the Time Vessel Association.
The Time Vessel Association was a cult of ordinary people who fanatically worshiped Tengen.
Tengen was an ancient sorcerer with an incredibly mysterious origin, possessing the innate technique of immortality. Whenever his body aged beyond a certain point, his technique would remodel his flesh, forcing him to evolve into a higher being.
Fearing that excessive evolution might threaten humanity, Tengen chose every five hundred years to merge with a special individual, "resetting" the aging process and interrupting the technique.
Those with such special constitutions were collectively known as Star Plasma Vessels.
The sorcerers tasked with escorting the previous vessel, Riko Amanai, to merge with Tengen at the Tombs of the Star Corridor were none other than Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru.
The mission failed.
Riko Amanai was killed halfway.
Her killer was the man known as the "Sorcerer Killer," Toji Fushiguro.
The Time Vessel Association believed the merging was a blasphemy against Tengen, so they paid an enormous sum to hire Toji—an expert at hunting sorcerers—to stop it.
Gojo Satoru nearly died at Toji's hands, surviving only because he awakened Reverse Cursed Technique at the last moment and healed his fatal wounds.
Even so, Riko Amanai could not be saved.
The cult members celebrated her death right in front of Geto and Gojo.
That moment marked the first time Geto Suguru felt deep disappointment in humanity.
Gojo even wanted to slaughter them all, but Geto stopped him.
Gojo likely never imagined that the very man who once restrained him would, years later, massacre hundreds in a fit of rage.
In short, the Time Vessel Association became Geto's enemy.
After his fall, he wiped out their headquarters, forcing them into submission through sheer violence.
It was through this powerful organization that Geto amassed wealth and curses in sufficient numbers to launch the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Now, this entire force was in Chu Yang's hands.
After learning the situation, Chu Yang dismissed everyone else, intending to speak with Geto alone.
Perhaps due to Geto's earlier severity, everyone obeyed without resistance—including Nanako and Mimiko.
Soon, only Geto Suguru and Chu Yang remained.
Before Chu Yang could speak, Geto spoke first.
"I won't appear before sorcerers for a while. You can rest easy on that."
Chu Yang nodded. "You know what you're doing. But that's not why I came. There's something else I need to warn you about."
"A warning?" Geto frowned slightly.
The word wasn't severe, yet his heart tightened.
"Have you ever heard the name Kenjaku?"
"It sounds familiar…"
"He was a sorcerer from the same era as Ryomen Sukuna."
"If that's the case, shouldn't he have died long ago? Why bring him up?"
"Because he didn't die."
A sorcerer from a thousand years ago still alive?
Geto was about to deny it—but then thought of Tengen.
"…Is his technique similar to Tengen's?"
"Somewhat. More accurately, it's parasitic. Kenjaku abandoned most of his body, retaining only his brain, which he transplants into other bodies to achieve immortality."
Chu Yang paused, his tone turning grave.
"After possessing a body, Kenjaku can use not only his own innate technique, but also the original technique of the host."
Geto's expression instantly darkened.
He finally understood the warning.
Kenjaku had his eyes on Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
Chu Yang continued, "Kenjaku has been watching you. If you'd died at Jujutsu High today, he would've taken your body immediately. But you didn't…"
Geto finished the thought himself.
"If he finds out I'm alive, he'll search for me—and kill me."
"That's about right."
Chu Yang sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and waited for Geto to process the news.
Kenjaku was a legendary figure—comparable to Sukuna himself.
"Do you think I'd lose?"
"You wouldn't lose. You'd definitely die."
"And you're so certain because?"
"Anyone who left their mark on history wouldn't be weak."
Geto let out a long sigh.
"I haven't even had time to celebrate surviving, and now Kenjaku shows up. Why is everyone lining up to kill me?"
Chu Yang chuckled. "He needs your power. I need it too. Fundamentally, we're no different—just different methods."
Geto slumped back on the sofa. "There's still a big difference. At least I'm alive. I really don't want someone else using my body for weird things."
"If that day ever comes, remember to destroy my body."
There was a bar counter in the room. Chu Yang walked over, pulled out a bottle of champagne, and grabbed two flutes.
"I didn't come here just to warn you. I said your life belongs to me. Even if you want to die, you'll need my permission."
Chu Yang poured two glasses—then drank both himself, smiling at Geto.
"That kind of sick humor really reminds me of Gojo. Are all people at your level a little messed up in the head?"
Geto grumbled as he poured himself a glass.
The next second, they raised their glasses.
"Then here's to a pleasant cooperation."
…
On the streets of Kyoto and Shinjuku, in the aftermath of the Night Parade, Jujutsu High's logistics division was handling cleanup—repairing public facilities and compensating damages.
In a deserted corner, a shadowy gaze silently watched the scene.
"Geto Suguru is presumed dead. Proceed according to plan."
(End of Chapter)