Yoshinobu Gakuganji removed his outer robe. His hunched frame slowly straightened, revealing a firm, muscular build beneath his dark attire.
"I'm sorry, Yaga. This is the path we chose."
He stepped forward and threw a punch infused with cursed energy.
Masamichi Yaga crossed his arms to block, but the impact sent him flying backward. His body slammed hard into a concrete wall.
A sharp cough escaped him as blood spilled from his mouth. He struggled to stay upright.
Both men were Grade 1 sorcerers, but Gakuganji's combat ability was exceptional, comparable to Naobito Zenin.
Yaga, on the other hand, relied on his Puppet Manipulation Technique. Without his cursed corpses, his fighting strength fell below even that of a Grade 2 sorcerer.
Gakuganji advanced steadily.
Yaga let out a quiet, bitter laugh. He sank to the ground and stopped resisting.
At that moment, a thought surfaced in his mind.
Before dying, he would reveal the method to create a Fully Autonomous Cursed Corpse.
He could have avoided execution by revealing it earlier, but he chose not to.
This was his final act.
A curse.
One he would place on Gakuganji with his own death.
If Gakuganji handed over the method after learning it, then Yaga's death would mean nothing.
If he refused, then everything he had upheld all his life would collapse.
Yaga knew him well.
Gakuganji would never hand it over.
This was a gamble he could not lose. Gakuganji would carry that burden for the rest of his life.
That alone was enough.
A faint creak broke the silence.
Gakuganji paused. He turned slightly, confusion flashing across his face.
His pupils shrank.
The sorcerer sent by the higher-ups to oversee the execution now hung lifeless from a streetlamp, swaying gently in the wind.
Gakuganji immediately shifted into a defensive stance.
A hand rested lightly on his shoulder.
"Gakuganji. It's been a while."
A cold voice spoke beside his ear.
Geto Suguru stood behind him, expression calm and unreadable.
Gakuganji's body tensed. Every instinct screamed danger, yet he did not dare move.
The gap between Grade 1 and Special Grade was not just a rank difference. It was overwhelming.
And this was Geto Suguru, a monster once counted among the strongest.
"Wait, Geto. Cough... don't kill him."
Yaga forced himself to his feet, speaking urgently.
"Shut up, Yaga!"
Gakuganji's voice exploded with anger. His eyes burned red.
"Are you begging for me?"
"We chose different paths. We stood by them until the end."
"Do you think you can bind me with something as shallow as friendship?"
Yaga fell silent for a moment, then sighed.
"You're still as stubborn as ever."
Gakuganji let out a breath and closed his eyes.
"And you're no different."
He prepared himself.
But the expected attack never came.
Geto removed his hand.
"I'm only here to take my teacher. I have no interest in the higher-ups' affairs."
He walked past Gakuganji and stopped beside Yaga, using Reverse Cursed Technique to treat his wounds.
"Dad!"
Panda rushed in, panting heavily. He immediately moved to support Yaga.
Yaga steadied himself and glanced once more at Gakuganji. His expression was complicated.
"Let's go."
Without another word, they left.
Gakuganji stood motionless, staring at the empty space they had disappeared into.
After a long silence, he turned.
"Forget it."
He took a step forward.
A figure stood in his path.
The moment Gakuganji saw him, his entire body trembled. His face lost all color.
Then he burst into laughter.
"So that's how it is..."
"We've already lost... Gojo Shion."
A tearing sound split the air.
A deep gash opened across his chest.
Gakuganji fell backward, blood spreading beneath him.
As his vision faded, memories of his life flickered through his mind.
"...This is fine... this is fine..."
Shion stood over him, his expression cold as he watched the life leave Gakuganji's body.
"Stubborn old man."
...
"Gakuganji is dead."
At the meeting of the higher-ups, Kamo Takanobu delivered the news.
The room erupted into murmurs.
Ogi Zenin lowered his head, his voice dark.
"Who did it? Yaga doesn't have that kind of ability."
"The traces at the scene point to one of Yaga's students, Geto Suguru."
"A Special Grade?"
Several people stiffened.
"Is he declaring war on us?"
"Unlikely. He probably acted to rescue Yaga. Their relationship was close."
"Then we should deploy a Special Grade to counter him."
"Which one? Yuki Tsukumo does not follow orders."
"What about Yuta Okkotsu? With the Okkotsu family and Rika as leverage, and the fact that he's still a student, controlling him shouldn't be difficult."
"Geto Suguru is one of the strongest. Yuta Okkotsu has only recently become Special Grade. Relying on him alone is unrealistic."
"Enough."
Kamo Takanobu's voice cut through the discussion. The room fell silent.
With the Gojo clan elders stepping down and Naobito Zenin absent, he now held the most authority.
"Geto Suguru's actions do not indicate hostility toward us."
"For now, avoid any conflict with him. Also, revoke Yaga Masamichi's execution order."
"Understood."
A pause followed.
"Then what about the Gojo clan?"
The question brought silence again.
Ever since the Six Eyes twins disappeared, the Gojo clan had withdrawn from power. One elder after another stepped down, as if abandoning a burden.
"They were arrogant when the twins were active."
"Now they've retreated completely."
"They're probably hiding in their estate, waiting for the twins to return."
Kamo Takanobu waved it off.
"It doesn't matter. They gave up authority on their own. We will take it."
"If they return, reclaiming it will not be so simple."
He turned his gaze toward Ogi Zenin.
"And the Zenin clan head? Where has he been?"
Ogi's expression remained cold.
"The clan head has decided to select the next heir soon."
"An heir?"
"Isn't it Naoya Zenin?"
Only Kamo Takanobu narrowed his eyes, his expression turning slightly more thoughtful.