"Satoru and Souma will be fine, right?"
Riko Amanai looked back anxiously as Suguru Geto dragged her along in a sprint.
Geto's face was grim. "No! They are in big trouble!"
"Eh?"
Riko was confused. "Aren't you best friends? In this situation, shouldn't you say something reassuring even if it's a lie?!"
Geto took a deep breath. "If it were before, I wouldn't worry about Souma and Satoru at all. But..."
Geto remembered what Souma told him yesterday at the beach.
"I don't know if Souma can predict the future, but clearly, this is the crisis moment he talked about!"
"So we have to hurry!"
"Hey, hey! Slow down, I can't keep up... wait, this isn't the way to the Tombs of the Star, is it?"
Geto stopped and looked back at her. "What? Do you really want to merge with Master Tengen?"
"Huh?"
"'Merging' is not 'dying,' existing in another form... no matter how you look at it, that's just a lie to trick children, isn't it?!"
Geto smiled. "It's your life. You should choose how to live it yourself."
"No matter what choice you make, we will guarantee your future!"
Riko froze. Memories of the past few days flooded her mind.
Her classmates, teacher, friends, Misato Kuroi, and these three new friends—Satoru, Souma, and Geto.
"I really..."
Riko's nose stung, and big tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I want to stay with everyone a little longer!"
Geto smiled with relief. "Good. Then follow me!"
The two quickly arrived at a clearing where a figure had been waiting for a long time.
"Yaga-sensei!"
"Ah, it's you, Suguru."
Geto smiled at the man in front of him. It was his teacher, Masamichi Yaga!
"Interfering with the merger between Master Tengen and the Star Plasma Vessel... are you sure you can handle this, Sensei? Your promotion to Principal is definitely gone now!"
Yaga sighed. "That brat Souma... forget it. Even an old man like me can go crazy with you young people once in a while!"
Yaga summoned a human-sized rabbit doll. "This is an isolation Cursed Corpse Souma asked me to make."
He unzipped the rabbit's stomach and beckoned to Riko. "I don't know how they track the Star Plasma Vessel, but it must be a technique."
"This Cursed Corpse can isolate your aura and all cursed energy fluctuations. You'll have to stay inside for a while."
Riko nodded and curled up inside the doll.
Yaga zipped up the rabbit and turned to Geto, who was preparing to leave. "Are you going back?"
Geto turned around with a smile. "Those two idiots are still fighting. How can the 'Strongest Trio' be missing a member?"
Yaga nodded. "Be careful!"
Then he left with the rabbit Cursed Corpse.
Geto ran back the way he came. When he arrived at the entrance to the Tombs of the Star, a figure walked out of the shadows.
Geto's eyes narrowed. "You! Where are Souma and Satoru?"
Toji Fushiguro grinned. "Those brothers? Let me think... they should be dead by now!"
"By the way, where is the girl?"
Veins popped on Geto's forehead. He ignored Toji's question.
Even though Souma had predicted this possibility, Geto couldn't help his rage.
"Then you... can die too!"
Behind Geto, countless terrifying curses revealed their true forms.
"Sandworm: Earth Burial Swallow!"
The ground cracked open. The massive sandworm opened its serrated maw, swallowing Toji whole.
BANG!!!
The next instant, the sandworm was sliced to pieces from the inside by the Split Soul Katana!
Purple curse blood splattered all over Toji.
ROAR—
The Rainbow Dragon charged, carrying Toji into the air.
But Toji flipped the Split Soul Katana and sliced the dragon in half along its length.
Geto was shocked. "What? That was the Rainbow Dragon with the hardest skin!"
Toji landed and stood up slowly. Just as he was about to move, a woman's voice came from behind him.
"Let me ask you... am I... am I beautiful?"
The Kuchisake-Onna (Slit-Mouthed Woman) appeared, her face covered in eyes and her mouth slit like a beast's. It was chilling.
Imaginary Vengeful Spirit? A forced non-aggression pact until the question is answered.
Toji glanced at her and said flatly, "Let me think. You're not my type!"
"SCREEEE—"
The Kuchisake-Onna shrieked, stabbing at him with giant scissors.
Snip—
A lock of hair fell, and a thin line of blood appeared on Toji's ear.
But he didn't care. He pulled out the Inverted Spear of Heaven and instantly shattered the Kuchisake-Onna's Simple Domain.
However, at that moment, Geto appeared behind Toji, reaching for the curse "Inventory" wrapped around Toji's torso.
He had figured it out. Toji had no cursed energy, so he relied on cursed tools to kill curses.
And the tool storage was that curse.
A low-level curse like that... if I touch it, I can absorb it instantly!
But Toji didn't give him the chance.
With reflexes that defied logic, Toji spun around and slashed without thinking.
Slash!
An 'X' shape was carved into Geto's chest. Then, a kick sent him flying.
Geto smashed through several structures before finally stopping in a heap of rubble.
He lay there weakly, dizzy from blood loss, blood gushing from his wounds.
Toji walked over and stepped on Geto's face.
"Sorcerers don't die easily from cuts like this."
"Honestly, if you were a Shikigami user, I would have killed you. But since it's Cursed Spirit Manipulation..."
Toji shrugged. "Who knows what happens to the curses you absorbed after you die? They might go berserk or curse me. I don't want the trouble."
"Speaking of which, you guys getting these powers is just luck from your parents. Too bad even with those gifts, you still lost to a monkey like me who has zero cursed energy!"
Toji mocked him, snatching the Special Grade Tool Playful Cloud from Geto's waist.
"I wanted this thing for a long time, but the Gojo eldest son bought it. Funny how it ended up in my hands anyway!"
Stuffing Playful Cloud into the Inventory curse's mouth, Toji looked down at Geto. "Alright, now tell me where the Star Plasma Vessel is."
"I can find her myself, but if you tell me, it'll save me some trouble."
Geto half-closed his eyes, staying silent, as if he was losing consciousness.
Toji scratched his head and sighed. "Fine. I'll find her myself."
He had senses a hundred times sharper than a normal human and the experience of a hunter.
Finding the girl wouldn't be hard.
He turned to leave, but stopped.
Looking down, he saw Geto's hand gripping his ankle tightly.
"Only by approaching death can one realize the true meaning of existence."
Geto remembered Souma's words from yesterday. A madness rose in his heart.
He gave Toji a mocking smile. "Beg me on your knees, and maybe I'll tell you where she is."
Toji's eyes turned cold. "Hey. Do you want to die?"
Geto laughed maniacally, blood streaming down his face, looking savage and insane.
"Come on then!"
"If I die, my curses will just dissipate! They won't cause you any trouble!"
"Well? Want to test it?"
Is he bluffing?
Toji looked at Geto's expression and instantly realized the guy was telling the truth. Murderous intent flared.
"You asked for it!"
"Sorcerers really are strange creatures!"
SHK!
Toji plunged the Split Soul Katana into Geto's heart, watching his life fade away bit by bit.