"Impressive as expected. A top-tier sorcerer with Cursed Spirit Manipulation—Geto Suguru. What I
wouldn't give to possess that power."
The man on the mountain was Kenjaku—the thousand-year schemer known as "Brain."
"I knew I couldn't match him in direct combat. But I didn't expect him to subdue a spirit that had
absorbed one of Sukuna's fingers so easily."
Kenjaku smiled to himself, a hint of self-deprecation in the expression.
"No matter. At least now I understand his strength. There will be other opportunities."
He departed from the mountaintop and vanished into obscurity. He wouldn't resurface until
circumstances demanded it.
Back at Jujutsu High, Geto showed Sukuna's finger to Gojo.
"So this is one of the King of Curses' fingers?" Gojo examined it closely, turning it over in his
hands.
"Has to be. Nothing else radiates this much malevolent cursed energy."
"How'd you find it?" Gojo asked.
"The target was supposed to be Grade 1, according to the report. But when I engaged it, I realized
it was actually Special Grade—weak for that tier, but Special Grade nonetheless."
"Special Grade? Why don't I ever run into those? I wanted to test my automated Infinity against
something serious." Gojo's disappointment was almost comical.
"Only you would complain about not encountering Special Grade spirits."
Click.
The door swung open.
"Special Grade Sorcerer Geto Suguru—I understand you recovered a Special Grade Cursed Object
during your mission. Is that correct?"
A senior administrator entered without preamble.
"Yes. Right here."
Geto gestured toward the finger in Gojo's hand.
"Please hand it over immediately. The leaked cursed energy will attract spirits if left unsealed."
The man's urgency was apparent.
"Sure, sure."
Geto passed the finger over. The administrator immediately wrapped it in specialized talismans.
"Thank you for your cooperation. I'll take my leave."
He hurried out.
"Jumpy guy," Gojo remarked, watching him go.
"Sukuna's cursed energy is genuinely dangerous to ordinary people. His panic made sense."
"I guess? I didn't feel much."
"That's because you're you."
Geto could only smile at his friend's casual dismissal.
Meanwhile, the administrator delivered the finger to the senior leadership.
"Honored elders, I present Sukuna's finger."
He offered it with formal deference.
"Well done. You may leave."
"Yes, sir."
After the man departed, the five elders began their discussion.
"The Kamo clan's strategy has proven effective. The report indicated a Grade 1 spirit, but a
Special Grade appeared. If we'd sent an ordinary Grade 1 sorcerer..."
One elder trailed off. The others nodded grimly.
"So we return to the old question. What do we do with this finger?"
"What can we do? We've tried everything over the centuries. It can't be destroyed. Even sealed,
the binding weakens over time."
"We should maintain it as before—regular seal reinforcement."
The four debated amongst themselves until the fifth elder interrupted.
"There may be a new option."
The others turned to him.
"Explain."
"Let Gojo Satoru try. He doesn't respect us, but he generally complies with reasonable requests."
"You mean have him attempt destruction using the Gojo clan's techniques?"
"Yes. It's worth testing."
"He's stationed here this rotation anyway. No harm in asking."
They summoned Gojo.
"What now?" He strolled in with his characteristic lack of ceremony.
"Young man, even as the Gojo clan's heir apparent, such disrespect is unacceptable."
One elder couldn't contain his irritation.
"Sorry, who are you again?"
Gojo's response dripped with deliberate provocation.
"You insolent—"
"Enough." Another elder cut off the escalating confrontation. "We called you here to make a
request."
"What kind of request?"
"Attempt to destroy the Special Grade Cursed Object—Ryomen Sukuna's finger."
"Oh?" Gojo's interest visibly sparked. "Now that sounds worth trying."
He lifted his sunglasses, revealing piercing blue eyes beneath.
Gojo returned to the classroom with the finger.
"Back so soon? And with Sukuna's finger?" Geto raised an eyebrow.
"The old men want to destroy it but can't manage it themselves. So they asked me to try."
"Makes sense. Let's see what you can do."
They headed to the mountain behind Jujutsu High.
"Here we won't worry about collateral damage. Go ahead."
Gojo placed the finger on the ground at a distance and activated his technique.
"First—maximum output Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue."
Blue engulfed Sukuna's finger, drawing in surrounding debris like a miniature black hole—rocks,
branches, earth all compressing toward the center.
"That should do it."
Gojo deactivated the technique and examined the crater. Amid the pulverized debris, Sukuna's
finger lay completely unscathed.
"Looks like you need more power, Satoru."
"Obviously."
Gojo prepared his second attempt.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!"
Red exploded from his fingertips, obliterating everything in its path.
But when the dust settled, Sukuna's finger remained in the pit, utterly unmarked.
"Red should output at least double Blue's power. Not even a scratch? That's impressive
durability."
Gojo had to acknowledge it.
"But I've got one more option. If this doesn't work, nothing will."
"Going all out, Satoru?"
Geto watched his friend's expression turn serious.
"Yeah."
Gojo centered himself, ensuring perfect focus. Then he pressed his thumb against his middle
finger.
"Hollow Technique: Purple."
The violet sphere screamed forward with reality-warping force.
Purple carved through the mountain, leaving a long tunnel in its wake. The finger had vanished
from view, but—
"Even Purple couldn't destroy it?"
Gojo sensed Sukuna's malevolent cursed energy emanating from somewhere in the distance.
"Guess the old men will have to figure out something else."
"Never thought I'd see you fail at something." Geto couldn't help laughing. "This might be a
first."
"Shut up."
But Gojo's irritation quickly faded into grudging amusement.
After the experiment, Gojo and Geto returned the finger to the elders. Given that even Gojo's full
power couldn't scratch it, the leadership abandoned any hope of destruction.
Geto finished his duties for the day and headed to the bathhouse for a refreshing soak. Afterward,
he left his hair loose rather than tying it up.
He walked to the vending machine in the corridor to grab a drink.
"Mr. Geto!"
An energetic voice reached his ears.
"Oh, Haibara. Want something to drink?"
Geto smiled at the enthusiastic underclassman.
"Is it really okay for you to treat me?"
"No problem."
"Then I'll have a cola."
They sat down beside the vending machine.
"How have things been? Any missions lately?"
"Well... I actually had one lined up, but the investigation report flagged some
inconsistencies—like the locals were hiding something. So Nanami and I got pulled off. Heard the
Kamo clan filed the report and sent their own sorcerer instead."
Yu Haibara recounted the recent notice.
"Kamo clan? Probably Shinichi's doing again. Thanks to him, our casualty rates have dropped and
efficiency's improved. We should all hang out together sometime."
"Ha, yeah. Maybe Shinichi could teach his little brother some basics. The kid's only in elementary
school but he seems super interested in all this. Oh, and if we go out, I'll bring my sister
along!"
Haibara's enthusiasm was infectious.
"Sounds good."
Just as they were chatting, an unexpected visitor approached.
"You're Geto."
"And you are...?"
Geto examined the blonde woman standing before him.
"What type of women do you like?"
The sudden question caught him completely off-guard.
"I like girls with big appetites!"
Before Geto could formulate a response, Haibara had already answered on his behalf.
"I've got great instincts for people. This woman's definitely good news!"
Sensing he was suddenly a third wheel, Haibara hastily excused himself.
"What a lively kid."
Yuki Tsukumo took his vacated seat.
"Maybe too lively. Some caution wouldn't hurt."
Remembering Haibara's blind trust, Geto offered the observation with concern.
"Ha. Fair point."
"Could you introduce yourself first?"
"I'm the Special Grade Sorcerer, Yuki Tsukumo."
Hearing her identity, Geto finally relaxed his guard.
"So you're the one..."
"Which one? What have you heard?"
"The Special Grade who never accepts missions and wanders around abroad doing nothing useful."
"Ouch..."
Geto's blunt assessment clearly stung.
"Cursed spirits are still rampant domestically. Why not take some commissions and ease Jujutsu
High's burden?"
"Because I have more important work to do."
"More important?"
"Jujutsu High's approach has always been reactive—exorcise spirits as they appear. But cursed
spirit generation is inevitable. Ordinary people can't control their cursed energy leakage the way
sorcerers can. The cycle never ends. For years, I've been searching for a different solution."
This caught Geto's attention.
"What do you mean?"
"There are only two ways to stop cursed spirit generation. Either remove cursed energy from all
humanity, or teach all humanity to control it."
"Both are nearly impossible, of course. But the first method has a real-world example. You know
him—Toji Fushiguro. His Heavenly Restriction left him with zero cursed energy. People like him
don't contribute to spirit generation at all."
"As far as I know, the first method isn't viable," Geto replied. "You can't remove cursed energy
from someone who already has it. Only those born without it, like Toji, qualify."
"Right. So I lean toward the second approach—teaching everyone to manage their cursed energy.
Becoming a full sorcerer is extremely difficult for most people, and even basic control creates
its own problems. Once someone can perceive cursed spirits, the fear that causes..."
"Creates more cursed energy," Geto finished.
"Exactly."
They sat in contemplative silence.
"There has to be a solution somewhere. Until we find it, it falls to people like you to keep
exorcising spirits and protecting civilians."
Yuki gave Geto a thumbs up.
"Not just me. Satoru, Haibara, Nanami—we all do what we can."
"Then I'll leave it in your capable hands."
Yuki stood to leave.
"Wait."
Geto remembered Shinichi's plan. This seemed like an opportunity to gauge where Yuki stood.
"Yes?"
"If you had to choose between the current corrupt leadership of the jujutsu world and the new
generation of sorcerers—which would you pick?"
"Interesting question."
Yuki's smile suggested genuine appreciation for the directness.
"The new generation, obviously. The current leadership is too rigid, too set in their ways, and
far too stingy with resources."
Geto nodded, satisfied. At minimum, this Special Grade wasn't a puppet of the establishment.
"Good to know. Until next time, then."
"I didn't get to meet Gojo this time. Give him my regards? The three of us Special Grades should
coordinate better going forward."
They walked together toward the exit. Yuki donned her helmet, mounted her vintage motorcycle,
waved goodbye, and roared off.
"Special Grade Sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo. Shinichi's plan looks more viable by the day."
Geto murmured this to himself before heading back to enjoy his rare downtime.