Chapter 125 (Patreon)

October 19th.

Click.

“How is the investigation progressing?”

Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto stood before Ragnar Kagenou.

“We’ve identified Kenjaku’s allies,” Yuta reported. “One is Mahito, a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. The other is Choso, an incarnated Death Painting Womb.”

Rika nodded.

“Kokichi Muta will act according to the plan as well.”

“Good.” Ragnar leaned back slightly. “Now we only need to wait for them to make their move. Until then, you two are free to go wherever you like.”

Yuta and Rika exchanged confused looks, as though question marks had appeared above their heads.

At that moment, a series of notifications appeared before Ragnar.

[Special Grade Cursed Spirit Hanami exorcised.]

[Cursed Energy increased by 1,000 points.]

[Cursed Energy: 12,110 / 14,540]

[Third Seal—First Layer released.]

Ragnar glanced over the notifications before dismissing them.

“All right. It’s time to find Gojo.”

He took out his phone and called Satoru Gojo.

After a brief conversation, the two agreed to meet at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

A short while later, Ragnar was stretched out across a bench on the school grounds.

“Get up.”

Gojo’s familiar voice came from above him.

“You were the one who asked to see me, so why are you lying around like you’re about to take a nap?”

Gojo tossed him a can of soda.

Ragnar caught it without sitting up.

“Who told you to keep running all over the place? I’ve barely managed to catch a glimpse of you lately.”

Gojo sat beside him, opened his own drink, and took a sip.

“You’re one to talk. Weren’t you exactly the same before?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Gojo leaned back against the bench.

“So? What did you want to talk about?”

“There is something,” Ragnar replied. “But I’m not sure you’ll be able to accept it.”

“Relax. There’s nothing I can’t accept, Ragnar.”

Ragnar fell silent for a moment before asking, “Satoru, do you believe someone who has committed unforgivable sins should be given the chance to change?”

Gojo paused.

His usual carefree expression faded slightly.

“No.”

Ragnar turned his head toward him.

Gojo continued calmly.

“Saying someone has ‘turned over a new leaf’ is far too convenient. It means nothing to the people they hurt.”

His voice remained level, but there was no trace of amusement in it.

“If that person truly regrets what they’ve done, then they have to atone for it. Not for a few months or a few years, but for the rest of their life.”

Gojo stared at the unopened can in Ragnar’s hand.

“And even then, their sins won’t simply disappear. They’ll carry them forever.”

Ragnar slowly sat up.

“I understand.”

He stood from the bench.

“There’s someone you need to meet.”

“Who?”

Ragnar hesitated briefly.

“An old friend.”

Gojo tilted his head.

“An old friend?”

Who could Ragnar possibly mean?

“Follow me.”

Ragnar led Gojo away from the main buildings of Jujutsu High and toward the place where Suguru Geto had been staying.

The moment they arrived, Gojo stopped walking.

His expression froze.

“This joke isn’t funny.”

Suguru Geto stood before them, raising one hand in greeting.

“Yo. It’s been a long time, Satoru.”

Gojo remained silent.

Then he slowly turned toward Ragnar.

“So you didn’t kill Suguru that day.”

To confirm that the man before him truly was Suguru Geto, Gojo removed the black blindfold covering his eyes.

The Six Eyes examined every detail of Geto’s body.

His appearance.

His Cursed Energy.

The structure of his flesh and soul.

There was no mistake.

The man standing before him was unquestionably Suguru Geto.

Gojo stared directly into his eyes.

“Let me make sure one more time. You really are Suguru Geto?”

“That’s right.”

Geto smiled faintly.

“One thousand percent. I’m Suguru Geto.”

“What kind of ridiculous answer is ‘one thousand percent’?”

Gojo’s expression immediately hardened again.

“Suguru.”

Geto’s smile faded.

“Do you still intend to kill every non-sorcerer?”

Although Gojo had confirmed that this was truly his former best friend, that did not mean he would ignore what Geto had done.

If Suguru still clung to the same twisted ideals as before, Gojo would not hesitate to stop him with his own hands.

This time, he would drag him out of that abyss, no matter what it took.

Geto lowered his gaze.

“Well, to be honest…”

He took a moment before continuing.

“During the past several months, my Cursed Energy was sealed. I was forced to live as an ordinary person.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Even after experiencing that life for myself, my ultimate objective hasn’t changed.”

The air became still.

The atmosphere turned unbearably tense.

Gojo did not move, but Cursed Energy had already begun gathering around him. He was prepared to activate his technique at any moment.

Ragnar stepped between them.

“Hold on. Don’t be so quick to attack, Satoru. At least let Suguru finish speaking before you decide anything.”

Gojo did not take his eyes off Geto.

“Ragnar, move over there.”

Ragnar pointed at himself.

“Wait. How did this suddenly turn into me choosing sides?”

Geto cleared his throat.

“What a troublesome situation. This is what happens when someone doesn’t finish his sentence.”

Ragnar gave him a flat look.

“You’re the one who stopped talking.”

Geto ignored him.

“Eliminating all non-sorcerers was only the method. My true objective was to create a world without curses.”

Gojo’s eyes narrowed.

“So?”

Ragnar answered before Geto could continue.

“I told Suguru a long time ago that his plan could never succeed.”

He turned toward Gojo.

“Whether someone is a non-sorcerer or a jujutsu sorcerer, as long as they live in this world, they will experience negative emotions. That is unavoidable.”

Ragnar folded his arms.

“And it isn’t limited to humans. Any living being capable of thought and emotion can produce negativity.”

Gojo remained silent, listening carefully.

“Our real objective shouldn’t be to eradicate one group of people. We need to control the source itself.”

Ragnar’s voice became more serious.

“We have to completely separate curses and Cursed Energy from the world so that Cursed Spirits can never threaten humanity again.”

Gojo considered his words.

“That doesn’t sound bad.”

He shifted his gaze back toward Geto.

“So, Suguru, you and Ragnar are working toward the same goal now?”

“There is no other viable path.”

Geto’s expression remained composed.

“And the conditions Ragnar presented will, at the very least, prevent the two of us from crossing swords again.”

Ragnar nodded.

“Don’t worry, Satoru. You’ll be watching him as well. If he tries anything, you’ll be able to stop him immediately, won’t you?”

Gojo sighed heavily.

“I really don’t know what to do with either of you.”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“But Suguru is still on the jujutsu world’s wanted list.”

Geto remained silent for several seconds.

Then he spoke without hesitation.

“If we can accomplish this goal, I don’t care what happens to me afterward.”

Ragnar shook his head.

“Don’t worry about that. As long as the higher-ups aren’t complete fools, they should understand which choice they need to make.”

Silence followed.

Geto lowered his eyes.

“It’s only now that I understand my plan was doomed to fail from the beginning.”

His hand slowly tightened at his side.

“In the end, that man only intended to use me.”

Gojo frowned.

“That man?”

“Kenjaku.”

Gojo’s expression darkened.

“Him again…”

Geto looked at him.

“It seems there’s no need for me to explain who he is.”

“Ragnar already told me about him,” Gojo replied. “He’s an extremely dangerous Curse User.”

“More than dangerous,” Ragnar added. “He’s cunning enough to have survived from ancient times to the present.”

Ragnar paused.

“Still, no matter how clever he is, we hold the advantage when it comes to combat power.”

Gojo rested an arm across the back of the bench.

“What exactly is Kenjaku trying to accomplish? His involvement seems to be hidden behind almost everything.”

“I’m not certain.”

Geto’s expression turned thoughtful.

“Even while I was cooperating with him, I could never understand what he truly wanted.”

“One of Kenjaku’s objectives is the complete resurrection of Ryomen Sukuna,” Ragnar explained. “He also intends to plunge the world into an age where Cursed Spirits run rampant.”

Gojo waited for him to continue.

Ragnar’s expression became colder.

“And he wants to do all of it simply because he finds it interesting.”

“Interesting?”

Gojo’s mouth twisted in disgust.

“Good grief. Even his soul is rotten. Something like that can barely be called human.”

Geto strongly agreed with Ragnar’s assessment.

During the time he had spent meeting and cooperating with Kenjaku, he had occasionally sensed the same thing.

Kenjaku did not act out of hatred, resentment, or even ambition.

He simply wanted to witness what would happen.

Ragnar clapped his hands once, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

“Well, now isn’t the time to keep discussing him.”

He glanced toward Geto.

“With Suguru back, we’ve gained another Special Grade sorcerer.”

“That’s true.”

Gojo turned toward his former best friend.

“But Suguru, everything you do from this moment onward will be part of your atonement. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I understand.”

Geto met his gaze without looking away.

“To be honest, even if you killed me right now, I wouldn’t have any complaints.”

Gojo scoffed.

“Kill you?”

His voice turned sharp.

“Just as Ragnar said, dying now would be the most irresponsible and cowardly choice you could make.”

Geto’s eyes widened slightly.

“Live.”

Gojo stared directly at him.

“Live shamelessly if you have to. Carry the weight of every sin you committed for the rest of your life.”

He paused.

“And use that life to save as many innocent people as you can.”

Geto remained silent for a moment before nodding.

“I will.”

“That’s for the best,” Ragnar said.

He then turned toward Gojo.

“Satoru, wait a moment.”

Gojo raised an eyebrow.

“What is it? Is there something else?”

Ragnar motioned for both of them to follow him.

Gojo watched him walk away.

“What are you doing now? Why are you acting so mysterious?”

Geto began following Ragnar before glancing back at Gojo.

“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know what Ragnar is planning either.”