"Well? That sincere enough for you?"
Faced with Gojo's easy smile, the members of the Time Vessel Association fell into silence. After a long moment, they gave in and transferred the money exactly as he demanded.
At this point, there wasn't much left for them to decide.
Killing Riko had long since become a fantasy. The steady stream of failed assassins had made that painfully clear.
Their only option now was to pay up and hope he kept his word.
In their eyes, there was still a chance.
If he truly intended to complete the mission, he could have taken her to Jujutsu High days ago. The fact that he hadn't, that he was still wandering around with her, meant the outcome wasn't sealed yet.
Gojo, for his part, wasn't in any hurry.
He took Riko and the others up to the top suite of the Association's most luxurious hotel, where they enjoyed the sweeping view of Tokyo's skyline.
A notification chimed.
He glanced at his phone. "Oh, the money's here."
"Seriously? That fast?" Riko hurried over, excitement written all over her face.
She wiped her arm with a towel as she leaned in to look.
The delinquent persona she had played earlier, cigarette, alcohol, tattoos and all, had been nothing more than an act Gojo had thrown together on a whim.
She had even crammed a few delinquent movies beforehand to get the attitude right. The cigarettes and drinks were just props, and the tattoos were temporary, though convincing at a glance.
"See for yourself."
He showed her the message on his phone.
Three hundred million yen.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"They really just handed it over like that. That's insane."
"This is three hundred million. I don't even know how I'd spend it."
Shoko chuckled softly, watching her.
"Don't go wasting it. Save it. You'll need money later, especially if you want to go to college."
"Before, you were the Star Plasma Vessel, so your expenses were covered through Miss Kuroi. But once that's no longer the case, things will change."
"You might still live together, but the funding won't continue. Without that support, you'll have to rely on yourself. Tuition, living costs, everything."
She spoke calmly, laying out the reality ahead.
Riko instinctively glanced at Misato.
Misato gave a small, helpless nod.
She didn't want it to be true either, but there was no way around it. The Kuroi family existed to serve the Star Plasma Vessel. Once that role ended, so did their obligation.
"So take this money seriously," Shoko added.
"It'll be enough to get you through school comfortably. Even after you graduate, you won't need to rush into finding a job."
Geto stepped in beside her, resting a hand on Riko's shoulder.
"She's right. This isn't something we need. As Jujutsu Sorcerers, we'll earn our own way."
Originally, Gojo had planned to split the bounty between the three of them.
But after talking it over, Geto and Shoko refused.
Compared to them, Riko needed it far more.
For an average person, this was the kind of money that took decades to earn.
"I understand," she said, nodding earnestly. "I'll save it. I won't waste it."
The warmth in her chest wasn't from the money.
It was from the people around her.
The remaining days passed in comfort, spent enjoying everything the hotel had to offer.
But not everyone shared their peace.
Gojo's phone rang.
He answered, and Masamichi Yaga's voice came through immediately.
"Where is the Star Plasma Vessel?"
"Ah, about that," Gojo replied in a solemn tone. "Sorry, Sensei. The Gojo Family's been running a bit short on funds lately."
"And the Time Vessel Association offered a lot, so I had no choice but to make a difficult decision…"
His voice sounded heavy with regret.
Meanwhile, behind him, Riko and the others laughed in the rooftop pool, their voices carrying clearly.
"I'll explain everything to the higher-ups myself," he continued. "I'll call them right now."
"Do you even understand what you're doing?" Yaga's voice hardened. "As a student of Jujutsu High—"
Gojo hung up before he could finish.
"So?" Geto swam over, grinning. "What'd he say?"
"What else? Just the usual. Putting on a show."
He flicked some water aside.
"Looks like the higher-ups couldn't sit still anymore and went straight to him."
"Makes sense," Geto said. "With his personality, he wouldn't have made that call himself."
"So, when are you planning to move?"
Gojo opened his mouth to answer, but his phone rang again.
This time, it was an unknown number.
He answered and switched on speaker.
"Satoru Gojo, have you forgotten your identity as a student of Jujutsu High?"
"Regarding the mission to deliver the Star Plasma Vessel, you are to bring her to the school's barrier before the deadline. Failure to do so will result in—"
Gojo pulled the phone slightly away from his ear, clearly unimpressed.
"I think I know when to act now," he said.
"Yeah," Geto nodded. "Hearing that makes it pretty clear."
"Then we'll move after the deadline passes."
That settled it.
On the other end, the higher-ups were furious.
After several calls went unanswered and eventually blocked, they tried contacting Geto instead.
Same result.
When that failed, they pressured the Gojo Family.
They got nothing.
There was no way the Gojo Family would side against him.
Not when he possessed both the Six Eyes and the Limitless Cursed Technique. And especially not after they learned he had also mastered the Ten Shadows Technique.
A technique belonging to their longtime rivals, the Zen'in clan.
If that ability truly took root in the Gojo bloodline, it could reshape everything.
There was no chance they would turn against him now.
With no leverage left, the higher-ups resorted to sending people directly.
If those envoys came politely, things could still be discussed.
But if they didn't—
They were dealt with.
Gojo wasn't known for patience.
And Betty, who had been waiting for a proper fight against Jujutsu Sorcerers, handled them one by one.
Her control over both magic and Cursed Techniques had grown sharp and seamless.
The only disappointment was that none of them used a Domain.
At first, their defenses had been aimed at assassins hired by the Time Vessel Association.
Now, the threat had flipped.
It was the Jujutsu Society itself sending people after them.
Even so, they didn't budge.
Time passed.
The deadline crept closer.
Then, without warning, Gojo disappeared with Riko.
If he didn't want to be found, no one could track him.
And when the final moment passed—
The chance for Riko to merge with Master Tengen was gone.
"It's over," Gojo said lightly. "You're not the Star Plasma Vessel anymore."
"Yeah," she replied, smiling brightly. "I'm not becoming Master Tengen. I'm just me."
There was light in her eyes now, a kind that hadn't been there before.
These days had shown her what life could be.
And she intended to hold onto it.
"Now that your problem's settled," Gojo said, glancing into the distance, "it's time we deal with something else."
Geto stretched lazily beside him.
"I can already imagine the look on their faces."
"Doesn't matter if they're shocked," Gojo replied. "I'm not doing this for that."
He paused, his voice turning quieter.
"I just hope the ones who replace them won't disappoint me too quickly."
"No guarantees," Geto said.
"Yeah. That's why I need your help."
After making arrangements to keep Riko safe, the two of them set out together.
Their destination lay deep underground.
The hidden seat of power within Jujutsu Society.
"This is it," Gojo said, stopping at the entrance.
He glanced at Geto.
"One last chance. Once we go down, there's no turning back."
Geto snorted and punched him lightly in the chest.
"Cut it out. It's nothing more than something outrageous."
He rolled his shoulders.
"If we're doing it, we do it clean. I don't want trouble coming back to bite me later."
"Relax. Taking them out is partly for your safety, and Sensei's too. I'll make sure it's handled."
"In that case, let's go. Might as well become monsters in their eyes."
"Don't forget me."
Betty shot them a look from the side.
"This conversation is disgusting. Are you two planning to stand here all day?"
Gojo laughed softly and reached for her hand.
"Just getting it out of our system."
He gave her fingers a light squeeze.
"Let's go."
For a place that served as the headquarters of Jujutsu Society's leadership, the security was meant to be absolute.
Hidden. Untouchable.
But to them, it was nothing.
They descended underground.
The moment they stepped inside, a voice rang out.
"Who's there?"
Geto lifted a hand.
Cursed Spirits surged into existence.
"No need to go overboard," he said calmly. "We'll just deal with the main ones."
"Hey now," Gojo replied with a grin. "You're the one who came up with this. Don't make it sound like I'm the mastermind."
"I never said that."