Geto led the group toward the place where he had last seen Gojo. They arrived quickly, but there was no sign of him—or his body.
"Maybe they moved somewhere else during the fight," Ichigo suggested.
"Looks like it," Geto replied. "Let's follow the damage. It's pretty obvious which way they went."
They followed the trail of destruction until they reached an area that had once been full of buildings. Now, it looked more like a wasteland.
"Did this place always look like a tornado hit it?" Ichigo asked.
"No. This must have been caused by Satoru's cursed technique." Geto surveyed the wreckage. "For him to go this far…"
"There's nowhere to hide out here, but I don't see anyone. What about you guys?"
"I don't see him," Riko said.
"Me neither, but…"
Geto's gaze fell on the blood staining the ground.
Whose blood is that?
He couldn't bring himself to ask aloud. He already suspected the answer, but without a body, part of him still clung to the hope that Satoru was alive.
Someone could've taken his body away.
His fists tightened.
Damn it, Satoru. If you're alive, just show up with that cocky smile of yours. Please.
"If your friend's alive, do you have any idea what he'd be doing?" Ichigo asked.
"Knowing Satoru? Probably looking for payback."
"Then we need to find that man. Any idea how?"
"Um… we could try the Star Religious Group," Riko suggested. "He was working for them."
"Is he part of their religion?"
"No. He's a mercenary. They hired him to kill me."
Ichigo looked at her.
"Why would someone want you dead?"
"You really don't know, do you?"
"I keep telling you guys. I'm lost."
"We can explain once we've dealt with this," Geto interrupted. "Sorry, but I really need to find Satoru."
"Don't worry. I get it. He's important to you."
"Thanks." Geto hesitated. "And if we find him, please don't mention any of this. He'd never let me hear the end of it."
"Now I kind of want to tell him."
Geto sighed.
"Let's start with the Star Religious Group. There's a building their members use. We can check there first."
"Where is it? If I carry you, we can get there faster. Just give me directions along the way."
"That would be perfect."
With Kuroi's body held carefully in his arms and Geto and Riko clinging to him, Ichigo sped toward the building.
"So, what does your friend look like?" he asked. "Just in case I spot him."
"He's our age. Tall, pale skin, white hair, blue eyes."
"Are you describing your friend or some fairy-tale prince?"
"My friend."
"That really is what he looks like, Ichigo-san," Riko said. "It annoys me to admit it, but that rude bastard is pretty good-looking."
"I see. For a second, I thought you were messing with me, but looking at him, I guess you weren't."
"Looking at hi—" Geto followed his gaze. "Satoru?!"
"What is he doing?" Riko asked.
Ahead of them, Satoru Gojo floated in the air, golden sunlight spilling over him.
"What's that idiot doing now? Why is he moving his hands like that?" Riko squinted. "Geto, does he have that eighth-grade syndrome or something?"
"No, but he does look strange."
"We can ask him. Hold on tighter. I'm speeding up."
Ichigo closed the distance in seconds, then stopped a few meters away. Now that they were closer, they could see who Gojo was facing.
It was the man who had attacked them earlier.
"You called it, Geto. Your friend really does hold a grudge."
"That tends to happen when someone stabs you with a sword."
"Really? Some of my friends have stabbed me, and we still get along."
"You have weird friends."
"Are you really in a position to say that?"
Geto glanced at Gojo.
"…Touché."
"Anyway, your friend looks like he's having the time of his life."
Gojo wore a wide smile, moving his hands as though he were marveling at something only he could see. To Ichigo, he looked almost high.
Then he stilled.
"Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one."
"Oh my God." Riko grimaced. "Geto, what is that idiot doing? I'm getting secondhand embarrassment."
"Riko, please."
Gojo began speaking to Toji, apparently oblivious to their arrival.
"You were a member of the Zenin clan, weren't you? That explains why you know so much about the Gojo clan's techniques."
Fragments of stone rose around him. For a moment, they seemed to hang motionless in the air.
Gojo extended his hand, and a strange purple light began to form at his fingertips.
"Geto… what is that?" Riko asked.
"I don't know."
Geto knew about Satoru's techniques—or at least the ones he could use. He also knew about Red, though Satoru had never managed to use it properly.
But this?
He had never seen anything like it.
Ichigo's expression sharpened.
He could feel danger radiating from that light. Whatever Gojo was about to do, his instincts warned him against getting in its way.
"Imaginary Technique: Hollow Purple."
A mass of purple light shot toward Toji, tearing through everything in its path.
No…
Ichigo watched the attack carve through the landscape.
It's almost like everything it touches is disappearing. No wonder it felt dangerous. Blocking that would be difficult. The best option would be to dodge, but…
Toji saw the approaching attack and tried to move.
Too fast.
His physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans and most jujutsu sorcerers.
This time, they weren't enough.
"Ah…"
The purple light struck him.
When it passed, a devastating portion of his torso was gone.
Gojo approached the dying man.
"Any last words?"
"Nah."
Then Toji's expression shifted, as if something had just occurred to him.
"My kid's going to be sold to the Zenin clan in two or three years."
He paused.
"Do whatever you want with that."
With those final words, Toji drew his last breath.
After carefully setting Kuroi's body down, Ichigo hung back with Riko while Geto approached his friend.
"Satoru."
He studied Gojo's face, searching for something familiar after the unsettling display he had just witnessed.
"Suguru…"
Gojo's gaze shifted past him and settled on Ichigo.
"What's that thing next to you?"
Ichigo stared at him.
"Excuse you?"