The forest at Doryado Ruins had gone eerily silent. Mist coiled through the trees like ghosts, and the shattered remains of the spider curse still steamed on the cracked ground. Erina Nakiri was still trembling from the sudden clash, clutching her katana as her heart pounded in her chest.
But what made her freeze wasn't the silence — it was the man who stepped out of the shadows.
Suguru Geto.
His expression was calm, almost amused. Long black hair swayed behind him, and the air around him carried a faint, suffocating stillness — the kind that came only from a sorcerer who had walked the line between genius and madness.
"Well, well," Geto said with a wry smile. "The infamous Kurotsuki Tenkai in the flesh. You're far more composed than I imagined."
Tenkai met his gaze evenly. "And you're more talkative than your bounty poster suggested."
Geto chuckled softly. "So the rumors reached even you. The Jujutsu higher-ups never could keep my name quiet. Tell me, Tenkai… do you think I'm a villain?"
Erina tensed beside him, her cursed energy flickering faintly. "Who is this man?" she whispered.
Tenkai didn't take his eyes off Geto. "Suguru Geto — former Jujutsu High student, special grade sorcerer, now a wanted criminal. His technique allows him to absorb and command cursed spirits. Every one of those monsters he controls… was once exorcised by him personally."
Geto smirked, raising his hand lazily. "A fair description. Though I prefer 'collector' over 'criminal.'"
A deep rumble shook the ground. One by one, seven massive cursed spirits manifested around him — grotesque, towering creatures that distorted the air with their raw cursed energy.
Erina's breath hitched. "T-those are—?"
"Grade 1 curses," Tenkai said calmly. "Each one powerful enough to destroy a city block. Together… they're equivalent to a small army."
Geto spread his arms proudly. "Impressive, aren't they? Each one is a masterpiece born of hatred and despair. Tell me, Tenkai — have you ever faced an army before?"
Tenkai's lips curved faintly. "Once. It didn't last long."
Erina's fingers clenched around her weapon. Her Celestial Palate flared, tasting the oppressive density of the curses' energy — far, far beyond anything she'd faced before. The air itself felt like molten iron pressing against her skin.
"Why… why are you so calm?" she asked, voice trembling. "They're monsters—"
Tenkai glanced sideways at her, his tone almost teasing. "Because I already know how this ends."
Geto tilted his head. "Confident, aren't we?"
"I just prefer efficiency."
With that, Geto gave a simple command. "Devour him."
The seven curses roared and lunged — each one like a mountain of darkness crashing forward. Trees splintered, earth cracked, and the ground itself seemed to bend under their weight.
Erina instinctively stepped back, the sheer killing intent freezing her breath. "Tenkai—!"
But Tenkai didn't move. His eyes glowed faintly — galaxies swirling within.
Then, softly — almost like a whisper lost to the wind — he spoke:
"Nullpoint Axiom."
The world flickered. A blinding point of white-violet light appeared at the heart of the battlefield.
And then — silence.
In the space of a blink, every one of the seven curses vanished. No explosion, no scream, no residue — simply erased. Their existence folded inward, undone like a dream that had never been.
Erina's knees weakened as she stared in disbelief. "Wh–what… what did you just do?"
Tenkai looked toward the empty field, his expression unreadable. "Erased them. Their bodies, their souls, their equations of existence — gone."
Geto's smirk faltered. For the first time, surprise flickered across his face. "That… wasn't even a domain. You didn't use a single gesture, no barrier, no chant."
Tenkai tilted his head slightly. "You summoned seven curses to test me. I merely answered."
Geto fell silent for a long moment, studying him with a calculating gaze. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. "So the rumors about Gojo Satoru's equal were true after all. To think you'd stand beside him… fascinating."
Erina turned to Tenkai in shock. "Equal… to Gojo-sensei?"
Tenkai only shrugged. "Gojo has better sunglasses."
Even Geto chuckled at that.
Geto lowered his hand, his curses completely gone. "I wanted to see what kind of existence could rival the Six Eyes. And now I understand."
Tenkai didn't respond, only watched him with quiet curiosity.
"You have composure, Tenkai. I admire that. My purpose isn't to destroy the world — it's to liberate it. From the cycle of curses, from endless suffering. I will create a world where only sorcerers exist."
Tenkai's expression softened — almost pitying. "And you think erasing everyone else will make it pure?"
Geto's eyes darkened. "Purity demands sacrifice. You, of all people, should understand that."
Tenkai's voice dropped to a whisper. "Understanding doesn't mean agreement."
The two stared at each other, silent currents of power rippling between them — enough to warp the air, to still the wind.
Finally, Tenkai turned away. "Good luck with your crusade, Geto. But understand this — the world you're trying to build will collapse under its own perfection."
Geto smiled faintly. "Then we'll see whose ideal survives."
Erina hesitated, staring at Geto. "He… he really believes that, doesn't he?"
"Belief," Tenkai said softly, "can be the sharpest curse of all."
They vanished — leaving behind only the echo of Geto's quiet laughter.
Without another word, Tenkai folded space around himself and Erina, the seam of light closing with a faint shimmer.
Moments later, they stood outside Jujutsu High's courtyard. The morning sun gleamed over the rooftops, peaceful — too peaceful compared to what just happened.
Tenkai glanced sideways at her. "You're too quiet."
"I just…" she murmured. "You erased them like they never existed. I couldn't even see it happen."
Erina was still pale, gripping her weapon tightly. "What was that… that power? You didn't even move."
"It's a precise operation," Tenkai explained casually. "Think of it as deleting an equation that doesn't balance."
Tenkai looked at her gently. "Power's only loud when it's insecure. You did well today."
"Don't tease me," she muttered, cheeks flushed. "I thought I was going to die."
He chuckled softly. "If you had, I'd have just folded time back a few seconds."
Her eyes widened. "You can do that?!"
"Probably," he said nonchalantly, already walking away. "Go home, Erina. You've earned some rest."
She watched him go, heart pounding not with fear this time, but awe. Just how strong is he?
Later that evening, Tenkai entered Gojo's office. Gojo sat cross-legged on his desk, spinning his phone like a fidget toy.
"Oh! Tenkai, you're back! How was babysitting the culinary prodigy?" he asked without looking up.
"She handled herself," Tenkai replied, leaning against the wall. "But we encountered someone unexpected."
Gojo looked up, one eyebrow raised. "Oh? Let me guess — a cursed raccoon? A love-struck ghost?"
"Geto," Tenkai said quietly.
The room fell silent.
Gojo stopped spinning his phone. "…Geto?"
Tenkai nodded.
For a moment, the room went utterly still. Gojo's usual grin faded, replaced by quiet gravity. "Did you fight?"
"Briefly. He summoned seven Grade 1s."
"And?"
Tenkai looked him in the eye. "They're gone."
Gojo blinked, then smirked faintly. "Yeah… that sounds like you."
But the humor didn't reach his eyes. He leaned back, sighing softly. "Geto's always chasing something that doesn't exist. He wasn't like this before. He used to believe in people… maybe too much."
Tenkai crossed his arms. "That belief is what broke him. After what Yuki Tsukumo told him — the two ways to end curses — he found a third. Eliminate non-sorcerers. He convinced himself that it was mercy."
Gojo stared out the window, voice low. "I used to think I could bring him back."
"You can't," Tenkai said quietly. "The moment he killed his own parents, he made his choice. He knows it's wrong — he just doesn't care anymore."
Silence stretched. Then Gojo smiled sadly, eyes hidden behind his blindfold. "Still… I'll never stop hoping."
Tenkai turned to leave. "Hope all you want, Gojo. Just don't let it blind you."
As the door closed behind him, Gojo sat there, staring at the dusk. The fading light reflected in the glass — one blue eye faintly visible beneath the fabric.
"Geto…" he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "When did the world stop being enough for you?"
The room fell quiet once more, save for the hum of the evening breeze — carrying memories of two men who once shared a dream.
[End of Chapter 18]