Morning sunlight crept over the halls of Jujutsu High, painting golden streaks across the open-air courtyard. The quiet rustle of trees swayed above, but the air felt heavier than usual—as if the tension from the day before hadn't lifted.
Yuta sat alone by the training field, staring at his fingers.
"Rika," he whispered.
The cursed ring pulsed faintly. She was always there, always listening.
"I won't let them use you… I swear it."
But before that oath could settle in his heart—
Crunch.
Footsteps.
Unmistakably human, slow, composed… familiar.
Yuta turned.
Once again, Suguru Geto strolled through the open gates like a visitor rather than an intruder. No curses followed him this time. Only silence.
Yuta stood, fists clenched. "Why are you here again?"
Geto raised his hands in mock surrender. "Peace, Yuta. I told you—I'm not here for violence. Just conversation."
He smiled, stepping closer. "I've been thinking about your classmates. The next generation Gojo's so proud of."
Yuta's brow furrowed, suspicious. "What about them?"
"Inumaki." Geto's tone lightened. "A powerful bloodline. Controlled, focused. A child weaponized by words. Impressive."
He began to pace slightly, as if evaluating invisible statues.
"Panda. Not just a cursed corpse—he's proof that even constructs can evolve emotions. Fascinating."
A pause.
Then a sneer.
"Then there's Maki Zen'in."
Yuta's body tensed.
Geto looked at him, eyes sharp.
"A failure of the Zen'in clan. No cursed energy. No technique. Just strength and spite. That girl shouldn't be here. She drags you down."
Yuta's fists trembled.
"She's strong," he said, voice low. "Stronger than most people I've met."
"She's an embarrassment," Geto replied coldly. "A girl thrown out by her own family, clawing at relevance. The only reason she's still breathing is because Gojo pities her. You should too."
Yuta's eyes darkened. "Don't talk about her like that."
"Oh?" Geto smirked. "Touched a nerve?"
"She's my comrade," Yuta snapped. "She's fought beside me. She's protected people. She's not weak—you are."
Geto's smile flickered, just slightly.
"Anger is good," he said. "It means you care. That passion… is what I want to awaken in you."
Yuta stepped forward now, his cursed energy rising in a faint aura around him. Rika's presence shimmered behind him, forming the faint shape of her monstrous silhouette.
"You say you want to change the world," Yuta said, voice cold, "but all you do is tear people down. You don't understand strength. Not hers. Not mine."
Geto met his gaze.
"I understand power perfectly," he replied. "And soon, you'll understand what happens when it's wasted on the weak."
With that, he turned his back once again, walking toward the courtyard exit.
"Think carefully, Yuta. This world's about to split. And your choice… will determine which side lives."
Yuta didn't move.
But from behind him, Rika's growl echoed faintly in the air.
And this time, it wasn't fear—it was fury.