Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Thud.

Ragnar Kagenou tossed Fushiguro Toji’s body aside.

“Kuroi, stay here and wait for Amanai and Geto,” he said. “I’m going to check on Gojo Satoru.”

“Understood.”

Kuroi Misato nodded immediately.

That was no problem.

Toji Fushiguro lay in a pool of blood.

Then—

His silent heart beat once more.

He was not dead yet.

Ragnar had failed to notice it.

But that was hardly strange.

Toji had no Cursed Energy to begin with.

Even if Ragnar killed him, there would be no rise in Cursed Energy for Ragnar to sense, no clear sign to confirm the kill the way a sorcerer normally might.

In other words, Ragnar had no way to verify Toji’s death through the usual means.

Meanwhile, Ragnar walked over to where Gojo Satoru lay in a pool of blood and saw at once that Gojo’s fatal wounds were slowly recovering.

“Reverse Cursed Technique...”

Seeing Gojo in that state, Ragnar did not dare move him carelessly.

If he interfered at the wrong moment and disrupted the process, that would be the end of it.

There was nothing else to do.

So he sat down beside him and kept watch.

If someone interfered now and threw off the balance between the automatic Limitless and the Reverse Cursed Technique, the entire recovery could fail.

...Hm.

It kind of looked like red bean soup.

No.

No, what was he even thinking at a time like this?

Meanwhile, inside the Tombs of the Star Corridor—

Amanai Riko and Geto Suguru walked out from the main hall.

“Miss!”

The moment Kuroi Misato saw Riko return with Geto, she called out in relief.

“Kuroi... in the end, I still couldn’t do it.”

Riko’s voice was quieter now.

Geto followed behind her with a faint, weary look in his eyes.

“Good grief... Going back to Jujutsu High like this is going to be a headache.”

Things had become troublesome.

Very troublesome.

Even so—

It should still have been worth it.

Then came a soft drip.

The hole in Toji Fushiguro’s chest stopped bleeding.

His muscles contracted with monstrous force.

The heart that had stopped began beating again, pumping blood rapidly through his body.

Then his eyes snapped open—

Red with blood.

Geto, Riko, and Kuroi all had their backs turned to him.

Completely unguarded.

Suddenly, Geto Suguru felt a chill run through him.

Something was watching him.

He turned—

And saw the black muzzle of a gun aimed straight at Amanai Riko’s head.

Bang!

A sharp gunshot echoed through the corridor.

Pfft!

“Gh—!”

“Geto!”

Riko Amanai and Kuroi Misato cried out at the same time.

The moment the gun fired a golden barrier appeared Infront of Riko protecting her but the bullet deflected and... hit Geto on the side.

The shot tore into his abdomen.

Fortunately, it had missed anything vital.

“I’m fine... go. Hurry!”

Toji Fushiguro slowly rose to his feet.

“None of you are getting away.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A few more shots rang out.

Riko Amanai and Kuroi Misato were both hit in the legs and collapsed to the ground.

“We... can’t run...”

Although Geto had summoned Cursed Spirits in time to block the fatal shots aimed at their heads and torsos, that was all he could manage.

Riko clutched her thigh, the pain so intense that she could no longer stand.

Kuroi Misato was in no better condition.

Geto stared at Toji in disbelief.

“Why...? You’re still alive.”

“Ragnar clearly killed you.”

Toji tilted his head slightly.

“He didn’t understand me. That’s why he didn’t finish the job.”

Even with a gunshot wound in his abdomen, Geto Suguru had not lost the ability to fight.

“Rainbow Dragon!”

Toji dodged, then fired again.

Geto instantly summoned another Cursed Spirit in front of him.

The bullet disappeared into its body.

Then Geto’s eyes sharpened.

“I remember now. You’re Heavenly Restriction, aren’t you?”

Toji gave no answer.

Geto continued anyway.

“Just like cursed techniques, revealing information strengthens the effect through binding. You increase the threat of your abilities by exposing what you are.”

Toji’s expression did not change.

“Quit talking nonsense. My target is the Star Plasma Vessel.”

He reached into the storage Cursed Spirit clinging to him and drew out another weapon.

“If you get in my way, I’ll kill you.”

Geto’s eyes hardened.

“Then I’ll kill you.”

He sent the Rainbow Dragon surging forward.

Rip!

Toji cut the Rainbow Dragon in half in a single strike.

Geto was shaken, but he did not stop.

He immediately continued manipulating other Cursed Spirits.

Then, behind Toji, another appeared—

Kuchisake-onna.

Its eerie voice rang out.

“Am... am I beautiful?”

Before Toji could answer, the Simple Domain of Kuchisake-onna took effect.

His body locked in place for an instant.

Geto moved at once and appeared behind him.

He had him.

Or so it seemed.

In the next instant, Toji pulled out the Inverted Spear of Heaven and tore through Kuchisake-onna’s Simple Domain.

“What—?!”

There was no hesitation.

A brutal slash ripped across Geto Suguru’s chest.

Pfft.

The severely wounded Geto collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Toji looked down at him coldly.

“I held back. I’m not killing you.”

He spoke without emotion.

“If it weren’t for Cursed Spirit Manipulation, I would’ve killed you already. If you die, your Cursed Spirits might rampage. That’d be a pain.”

Then he continued, almost mockingly:

“People like you, favored by the heavens... lost to a monkey like me, a man with no Cursed Energy at all.”

He lowered his gaze.

“If you want to live a long life, remember today well.”

With that, Toji turned toward Amanai Riko.

He was about to finish it.

Then—

“Hey, Geto. Are you guys alright?”

Ragnar’s voice echoed in from outside.

While guarding Gojo Satoru, he had heard faint sounds from deeper inside and come over to investigate.

Toji frowned instantly.

He had been unable to defeat Ragnar even at full strength.

If Ragnar found him in his current state, he really would die this time.

Geto coughed up blood, but a smile still tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Toji had no time to care about that.

He grabbed Amanai Riko, exploded forward with every ounce of speed he had left, and bolted for the entrance.

As long as he moved fast enough, Ragnar would not be able to react in time.

If he could just get past him—

He could escape.

“Pfft—! Ra... gnar!!!”

Using the last of his strength, Geto shouted in the direction Toji was fleeing.

At the entrance to the Tombs of the Star Corridor, Ragnar heard Geto’s voice and instantly realized that something was wrong.

A high-speed afterimage flashed before his eyes.

Golden ripples unfolded at once.

Whoosh!

Pfft!

Toji endured the pain of a Noble Phantasm piercing into him and still forced his body through, brushing past Ragnar in a violent burst of speed.

“Toji Fushiguro?!”

As Toji rushed past him, Ragnar’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He was alive.

He did not know how, but Amanai Riko was in Toji’s grasp.

When Ragnar aimed the golden ripples at him, Toji deliberately shifted Riko onto his back, using her as a shield.

“Bastard!”

Now Ragnar could not attack carelessly.

He wanted to deploy the Chains of Heaven and bind him on the spot—

But before they could be fully brought out, Toji had already escaped outside at terrifying speed.

Ragnar ground his teeth and turned back.

“Geto! Are your injuries fatal?”

Judging from the way the fight had unfolded, it did not seem like Toji had tried to kill Geto outright.

Geto coughed violently.

“No... cough... they’re not. You... hurry and go after him!”

Then there was no need to hesitate.

The most important thing now was chasing down Toji Fushiguro and rescuing Amanai Riko.

Ragnar turned to leave, then threw one line back over his shoulder:

“Gojo Satoru isn’t dead yet. Don’t collect his body.”

The moment those words fell, he shot off down the route Toji had taken.

“This time... I won’t leave even a corpse behind, Toji Fushiguro!”

After Ragnar disappeared, Geto forced himself upright.

His whole body screamed in pain.

Then he noticed that Kuroi Misato had already fainted.

In his condition, he did not even have the strength to carry her.

So all he could do was give her some rough first aid.

After that, he staggered over to where Gojo Satoru was lying in a pool of blood.

He looked down at him and muttered weakly,

“If you’re not dead... then get up already...”

The moment he finished speaking, Geto collapsed beside him.

And there, in the silence—

One of Gojo Satoru’s fingers twitched slightly.