The Star Religious Group.
Hearing those three words, Suguru Geto's expression instantly turned cold. Those pieces of scum.
"Nanako, Mimiko, wait for me here. I have something I need to take care of."
He stood up slowly and turned to Toji. "Look after them for me. I will be back shortly."
Toji Fushiguro glanced at Nanako and Mimiko. His cold gaze and the scar at the corner of his mouth made him look quite fierce, causing the two little girls to huddle together in fear.
Tsumiki immediately stepped in front of them. "Dad! You are scaring them!"
Toji scratched his head, frustrated. "This is just how my face looks. There is nothing I can do about it!"
...
Several members of the Star Religious Group walked down the street, completely unaware that Suguru Geto was following them. Before long, they arrived at the group's headquarters.
On a high stage bathed in spotlights, a senior executive named Shigeru Sonoda was delivering an impassioned speech. Below him, rows of fanatical cultists cheered and clapped as if they were on drugs.
Suguru, hidden at the back of the crowd, cared nothing for what they were cheering about. Watching this scene simply brought back memories of the Star Plasma Vessel mission. If Riko Amanai had truly died, these people would have likely clapped and celebrated around her corpse. The mere thought of it made Suguru feel sick.
"Committing an error out of ignorance makes you a fool. Knowing the truth of the world and still choosing ignorance and stagnation makes you irredeemable scum."
Souma Gojo's words echoed in Suguru's mind. Suddenly, he smiled.
His unrestrained laughter drowned out the applause and cheers, even cutting through Sonoda's speech. Suguru walked up to the stage step by step, snatching the microphone from the startled executive.
"Ahem! I am only up here to announce one thing. From this moment on, the Star Religious Group is officially disbanded. Who is in favor? Who is opposed?"
"I oppose this!" Sonoda shouted angrily. "Who do you think you are? Who allowed you on this stage?"
"He is wearing the Jujutsu High uniform. He is a student!"
"Students from High aren't allowed to attack non-sorcerers!"
"Get out! This is the business of the Star Religious Group. It has nothing to do with Jujutsu High!"
A tide of insults and whispers surged toward him. Suguru scratched his ear, his face devoid of emotion. "In that case... Daruma!"
BANG!!!
A massive Daruma doll suddenly fell from the sky. The defenseless Sonoda was instantly crushed into a pulp. Blood splattered everywhere, causing an immediate panic in the crowd.
"You... you actually dared to kill a non-sorcerer! Aren't you afraid of being wanted by the jujutsu world?"
Suguru paused. "You have a point."
As the crowd let out a sigh of relief, Suguru continued, "So, I cannot leave any witnesses behind."
"Sandworm: Earth Burial Swallow!"
BOOM—
The massive sandworm swallowed over a hundred people in a single bite. They didn't even have time to scream. Having completed the task, Suguru, who had been frowning for days, finally flashed a rare smile. He felt better.
After sensing the area, Suguru realized there were still people in the back courtyard. Following the aura, he discovered a ground cage. Inside lay a curled-up child with extensive burn scars on his face. Seeing Suguru, the boy shrank back in terror.
"Riku!"
Suguru turned to see a pink-haired girl of about fifteen or sixteen staring at him in fear.
"A sorcerer? Isn't the Star Religious Group made of ordinary people?"
Under Suguru's questioning, the girl provided an explanation. Her name was Manami Suda, and the boy with the burn scars was Riku Negi. Both were sorcerers secretly raised by the cult. The group likely felt that hiring external sorcerers was too expensive, even for them, so they decided to cultivate their own thugs.
Manami Suda's technique was a mild healing power called "Afterglow," similar to Reversed Cursed Technique but much weaker. Riku Negi's technique, "Explosive Firefly," was a dangerous flame-based explosive power. An accident during training had not only scarred his face but also injured several cult executives, leading to his imprisonment in the cage.
Manami, being of the same kind, was the only one who had cared for him during his confinement. Looking at Riku, who was roughly the same age as Nanako and Mimiko, Suguru kicked the cage to pieces.
"Those pieces of scum. Letting them die was too easy."
Suguru reached out, and Riku shrank back, his shoulders hunched.
"Don't be afraid."
Suguru placed a hand on Riku's head and ruffled his hair. Reversed Cursed Technique instantly began to heal his wounds. Although the burn scars on his face were old and couldn't be fully erased, the pain vanished.
"The Star Religious Group no longer exists. Follow me from now on."
Manami and Riku exchanged a glance, then silently followed behind Suguru. Afterward, Suguru swept through the entire headquarters. While he wasn't greedy for money, there was no reason to leave it behind. He had four children to raise now: what was the harm in taking a bit of the cult's ill-gotten wealth?
Beyond the riches, Suguru discovered various intelligence reports on the jujutsu world. One stack of papers regarding hired sorcerers caught his eye.
"South African sorcerer, Miguel."
"European sorcerer, Larue."
"Special cursed tool capable of disrupting techniques: Black Rope."
Suguru wasn't particularly interested in the foreign sorcerers, but the Black Rope caught his attention. He remembered Mimiko's technique, "String-Bound Doll," which would be a perfect match for the Black Rope. He considered preparing it for his "second daughter." Furthermore, the rope's ability to disrupt techniques might even work against the Limitless. He could give Souma and Satoru a little surprise later.
(In the original story, Miguel and Larue were helpers recruited by Geto from overseas, but since Suguru has no plans to cause trouble here, those characters will not be making an appearance).