Chapter 181: Shinjuku Streets, the Fall of Sworn Friends
A chorus of terrified screams tore through the bustling streets of Shinjuku.
At one of the busiest intersections, crowds scattered in every direction, shoving past one another in blind panic.
Several enormous low grade Cursed Spirits clung to the outer walls of nearby buildings, their grotesque bodies twisting as they released eerie roars.
Ordinary people could not see them.
But they could feel them.
That primal terror rising from somewhere deep within the soul, combined with windows shattering for no visible reason and streetlights suddenly collapsing, was enough to send the entire area into chaos.
And at the center of it all stood a lone man in a loose black monk's robe.
Suguru Geto.
The former Special Grade Sorcerer of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
The current leader of the Star Religious Group.
And, in the eyes of the Jujutsu World, a Special Grade Curse User beyond redemption.
With both hands tucked into his sleeves, Geto watched the fleeing civilians with cold indifference.
Some pushed others aside.
Some fell and were nearly trampled.
A faint look of contempt appeared on his face.
"What an ugly bunch of monkeys."
His voice was not loud, but Cursed Energy carried it clearly across the entire block.
Geto had deliberately exposed himself here despite the execution order hanging over his head.
There was only one reason.
This was the final step.
He needed to sever his ties with his former life in front of the entire Jujutsu World.
Especially in front of one particular person.
Boom!
A thunderous sonic boom exploded overhead.
The next instant, a tall figure descended like a meteor and struck the pavement ten meters in front of Geto.
The impact released a violent shockwave.
Cars were pushed sideways.
Dust and fragments of asphalt flew through the air.
When the smoke cleared, pale hair appeared first.
Then black sunglasses.
And behind those lenses, the unmistakable pressure of the Six Eyes.
Satoru Gojo had arrived.
Ten meters separated them.
Neither moved.
The chaotic street seemed to fall silent around the two Special Grade Sorcerers.
Even the wind felt still.
Gojo stared at Geto.
His hands slowly tightened into fists.
He knew the plan.
He knew this confrontation was an act.
But seeing Suguru dressed in the robes of the Star Religious Group, surrounded by malicious Cursed Spirits as civilians fled from him in terror, still made something twist painfully inside his chest.
When Gojo finally spoke, his voice was rougher than usual.
"So this is really the path you chose?"
Part of the question was for the higher ups' informants undoubtedly watching from somewhere nearby.
The rest was real.
Geto showed no reaction.
He merely raised his chin slightly and looked at Gojo with a distant, almost unfamiliar expression.
His performance was flawless.
"Satoru."
Geto's voice was cold.
"You came at the perfect time."
He glanced toward the fleeing civilians.
"Look around you."
"Suguru."
"Ignorant. Greedy. Selfish. Cowardly."
Geto continued without letting him interrupt.
"We bleed for them."
"We risk our lives for them."
"We swallow Cursed Spirits that taste like vomit so creatures like these can continue living without ever understanding what protects them."
He spread his arms.
A manic edge entered his expression.
"This world is worthless."
Gojo's jaw tightened.
"So I'll create my own righteousness."
Geto's smile widened.
"A world where only Jujutsu Sorcerers exist."
Gojo's Cursed Energy surged.
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
He stepped forward.
"For that ridiculous ideal, you murdered your own parents?"
"You slaughtered an entire village?"
His voice rose.
"Suguru, that isn't righteousness. That's arrogance."
"Arrogance?"
Geto laughed quietly.
"No, Satoru."
His gaze sharpened.
"You're the arrogant one."
Gojo's eyes narrowed.
"You have enough power to change this entire world."
"Yet you choose to remain obedient to those rotten old men."
Geto's expression darkened.
"If you refuse to change it…"
"Then I will."
His hand moved.
Several Grade 1 Cursed Spirits hidden among the buildings erupted from the shadows and rushed toward Gojo from different directions.
"You're really asking for it."
Gojo's voice turned icy.
Limitless activated.
The charging Cursed Spirits froze before they could touch him.
An invisible distortion caught them.
Then their bodies were crushed apart by overwhelming force.
Blood and fragments scattered through the air.
But Geto had already moved.
He closed the distance the instant the Cursed Spirits died.
No elaborate techniques.
No massive attacks.
The two went straight into close combat.
Bang!
A fist met an arm.
Bang!
A knee was blocked.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Their blows echoed through the intersection.
Every exchange cracked pavement beneath their feet.
Nearby buildings groaned from the shockwaves, glass raining onto the abandoned street.
To anyone watching from a distance, it looked like a brutal fight between two Special Grade Sorcerers trying to kill each other.
But every time they passed close enough to speak beneath the noise, their voices dropped.
Geto swung a kick toward Gojo's neck.
"Too stiff, Satoru."
Gojo raised his forearm and blocked it.
"What are you doing, tickling me?"
"Shut up."
Gojo drove a fist toward his chest.
"I'm trying not to accidentally kill you."
Geto took the blow and slid backward several meters.
"Then make it look convincing."
He wiped the thin line of blood at the corner of his mouth.
"The higher ups are watching."
Gojo clicked his tongue.
Geto straightened.
His public expression twisted into open contempt.
"Satoru."
He raised his voice.
"You cannot stop me."
A cold smile appeared.
"One day, I will tear this hypocritical world apart."
Gojo breathed heavily.
Anger filled his face.
Disappointment.
Pain.
All of it looked real because much of it was.
Then he raised his right hand.
His index and middle fingers came together.
Red light began gathering at his fingertips.
Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.
The surrounding air warped.
The growing sphere of Cursed Energy carried enough destructive force to erase Geto where he stood.
Hidden observers belonging to the higher ups stared in excitement.
"Do it."
"Gojo, kill him."
"Execute the traitor!"
Geto did not move.
He stood completely still and looked at Gojo.
No fear.
Only challenge.
And beneath it, absolute trust.
Time seemed to slow.
Gojo's fingers trembled.
Red pulsed at his fingertips.
For a fraction of a second, memories flashed through his mind.
Training beside Suguru.
Laughing on school grounds.
Protecting Riko.
The festival.
The shrine.
Three cans of soda striking together beneath the fireworks.
Their agreement.
Their plan.
Gojo exhaled slowly.
The red light vanished.
His hand lowered.
"Get lost."
His voice was colder than the winter air.
Gojo turned his back on Geto.
"Before I change my mind, disappear."
The informants hidden around the area froze.
Satoru Gojo had let Suguru Geto escape.
Geto stared at his back.
For the briefest instant, an almost invisible smile touched his eyes.
Then it vanished.
He summoned a flying Cursed Spirit.
"Satoru."
Geto stepped onto its back.
"The next time we meet…"
His voice became merciless.
"We'll truly be enemies."
The Cursed Spirit rose into the sky.
Within moments, Geto disappeared beyond the buildings.
Shinjuku fell quiet.
Ruined cars and shattered glass littered the streets.
Gojo remained alone in the middle of the destruction.
He lifted his head and stared toward the direction Geto had gone.
Dark clouds pressed low over the city.
After a long silence, Gojo finally lowered his gaze.
Beneath his sunglasses, the Six Eyes carried emotions no observer could fully understand.
"Don't die, you bastard."
The words were quiet enough that only he could hear them.
The performance was over.
Around him, the city remained eerily silent.
Cold wind moved through Gojo's white hair.
And at the corner of his mouth appeared the faintest, most dangerous hint of a smile.
Across the city, Suguru Geto continued forward beneath the moonlight, returning to the headquarters of the organization he had seized.
Their lives had once run side by side.
Now, before the eyes of the world, those paths had split apart.
One remained in the light.
The other disappeared into darkness.
But both were still moving toward the same future.
....
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