It was destined to be a sleepless night. Satoru Gojo sat alone on the plaza steps of Tokyo Jujutsu High, a cup of sake resting beside him. He had tossed his blindfold aside, exposing those bottomless, azure Six Eyes that mirrored the furthest reaches of the sky. His Six Eyes had now been developed to a degree completely unprecedented in history. If he so wished, he could perceive absolutely anything within the scope of human knowledge; he could effortlessly track the movement of individual atoms.
He possessed the eyes of gods and buddhas. He had the strongest eyes in this world, yet he could not use them to see the future. He felt... lost.
This was an exceedingly rare state of mind for Satoru Gojo. He wielded the absolute pinnacle of power in this world. If he decided to force something through, very little could ever stand in his way. The proof was in the pudding: when he made his intentions clear about reforming the jujutsu world, the higher-ups at Jujutsu Headquarters were utterly powerless to stop him.
But he was still human. He still possessed the emotions of a normal person. He, too, could feel lost, angry, helpless, and... depressed.
In the past, when Riko Amanai died, he had fallen into depression. When Suguru Geto betrayed them, he had fallen into depression. And now, he was facing his third bout of depression.
He looked up at the moon hanging in the sky. Perhaps because Tokyo Jujutsu High was built in the mountainous outskirts, devoid of any light pollution, the stars were breathtakingly beautiful. The gentle moonlight spilled down from above, illuminating Gojo's Six Eyes until they gleamed like pools of clear water.
He thought back to the discussions in the meeting room earlier that day, and to Kenjaku's words about 'Fate.'
Although most people in the hall believed Kenjaku was just fearmongering—even Suguru Geto, whom Kenjaku had let out to explain things, confidently claimed that Kenjaku was just putting up a tough front, and Gojo himself had declared in front of everyone that he wouldn't give up...
Although, although, although.
So many 'althoughs' were enough to reveal Gojo's true inner turmoil.
He was not ignorant of destiny. On the contrary, his knowledge of jujutsu was vast. In the past, he had heard the judgment passed down by Curse Users: *'Precisely because of Satoru Gojo's birth, the world, in its attempt to maintain balance, caused Curses to be born and erupt with far greater ferocity.'*
It sounded like a malicious smear, but Gojo knew it was true. He had experienced it firsthand.
Because after he was born, Cursed Spirits truly did experience an explosive surge. Their numbers kept multiplying, massively increasing the pressure on every single Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Though no one had ever dared to mutter such a thing in his presence, with Gojo's sharp intuition, how could he not connect the dots to himself? For this very reason, he had actively sought out knowledge on the subject, trying to understand it.
'Fate' absolutely existed. It was a tangible, genuine force.
Leaving everything else aside, Kenjaku had mentioned the karmic bond between the Six Eyes and the Star Plasma Vessel during the meeting. This was explicitly recorded in the Gojo clan's archives; how could he not know if it was true or false? And Tengen had once told him personally that the Six Eyes were the divine eyes she had discarded. Because of a Binding Vow forged with the Gojo clan, the Six Eyes would appear at a fixed time—and that fixed time was exactly when Tengen needed to merge with a Star Plasma Vessel. The manifestation of the Six Eyes was always, without exception, tied to the escort of the Star Plasma Vessel.
When it came to understanding 'Fate', Tengen's grasp even surpassed Kenjaku's. Kenjaku had to rely on his own machinations to test whether Fate existed, enduring multiple failures before confirming it. Meanwhile, Tengen was already capable of utilizing Fate to weave the karmic bond between the Six Eyes and the Star Plasma Vessel together. Had it not been for the destructive intervention of the Heavenly Tyrant, that bond likely would have persisted until the end of the world, right up until Cursed Energy vanished entirely.
Therefore, Gojo was certain. Kenjaku was telling the truth.
Even if Mahito hadn't officially ascended to godhood just yet, he was virtually indistinguishable from one now. "Just one step behind... huh." Gojo took a sip of sake, letting out a rare sigh.
He recalled the first time he received intel about Mahito. He recalled when Mahito annihilated the Zen'in clan. He recalled letting Yuki Tsukumo face Mahito alone, and finally, his own unreserved, exhilarating smile when he fought Mahito at full power.
A total of four times.
There had been exactly four opportunities to thoroughly and completely eradicate Mahito. But he had failed to grasp every single one of them.
Gojo's thoughts drifted back to Kenjaku's declaration: *'Satoru Gojo, you are the one who created Mahito.'*
*It's true. It was me. It was my arrogance, my carelessness, that forged the Mahito who is now locked in by Fate to become a god... It was me.*
*Gulp.* Gojo took another swig of sake.
"I knew it. You couldn't sleep," a voice suddenly spoke up.
Gojo didn't even need to look up. He simply extended the bottle in his hand. "Want a drink?"
The newcomer naturally took the bottle and brought it to his lips... but nothing poured out. By the time he tipped the bottle, it was bone dry. Not a single drop of liquid remained.
The man chuckled. "There's no sake left at all. You drank the whole thing in just that short amount of time."
Gojo looked up at him and smiled back. "Suguru. Couldn't sleep either, huh?"
It was indeed Suguru Geto. He was still wearing his monk's robes as he slowly strolled over to Gojo's side. Tucking his hands into his sleeves and lifting the hem of his robes slightly, he sat cross-legged on the ground with the poised aura of a grandmaster, admiring the moon alongside Gojo.
"If cherry blossoms were falling right now, it would certainly be a lot more elegant," Geto mused.
"Sorry about that. It's the wrong season, and the wrong place. The only thing available for our nightly viewing pleasure is the moon up there," Gojo replied.
The two of them stared at the moon in silence for a while.
Gojo's heart stirred slightly. He knew exactly why Geto was sitting here. Geto had undoubtedly sensed Gojo's internal struggle during the meeting, predicted he would be sitting here at this exact moment, and came specifically to keep him company.
It wasn't Gojo overthinking things; this was simply the kind of person Suguru Geto was.
Back in their high school days, even though Shoko Ieiri was the girl of the group, Geto was often the most emotionally attentive among them. Gojo still remembered that during the escort mission for Riko Amanai, it was Geto who repeatedly warned Gojo about his mental fatigue and actively took preventative measures.
Suguru Geto was a gentle person. Even now, Gojo still believed that to be true. And then, this gentle person turned to Gojo and said, "Give up."
Gojo wasn't surprised in the slightest. He simply replied in a flat tone, "If we were in the meeting room, even if you are my best friend, I'd twist your head off and slam it onto the table for daring to say that."
Geto completely ignored the threat. He didn't even look at Gojo. Keeping his eyes fixed on the moon, he said calmly, "The confidence you put on in the meeting room to stabilize morale can't fool the people who know you. Forget about me; even Shoko and Principal Yaga heard the hollow exhaustion in your voice. You know better than anyone that the 'Fate' Kenjaku spoke of is real. I don't know how much preparation or effort you've put in, but you should know better than me how pathetic and laughable those efforts are in the face of Fate."
"That's not a reason for me to give up." Gojo didn't look at Geto either, keeping his gaze aimed at the sky. "Fate isn't invincible. Didn't Riko Amanai's death break the Fate that Tengen personally established?"
"That was because of the Heavenly Tyrant."
"We have a Heavenly Tyrant too," Gojo fired back. "Maki Zen'in... you've seen the girl. She's a genuine Heavenly Tyrant. With a body possessing zero Cursed Energy, she can sever Fate, exactly like Toji Fushiguro did when he killed Riko all those years ago."
Even as the words left his own mouth, Gojo felt a sharp pang in his chest.
He still couldn't forget Riko Amanai. He couldn't forget the mission that changed the trajectory of his and Geto's lives forever. He couldn't forget anything about that day.
Geto remembered it even more vividly than Gojo, because Riko Amanai had died right in front of his eyes. Geto had just promised to take her away, to free her from her duty as the Star Plasma Vessel and the merger with Tengen. But the very second he made that promise—the very second she smiled with hope for the future—she was gunned down.
Geto would never forget that day, not until the day he died.
He knew Gojo hadn't forgotten either. So, the fact that Gojo was willing to bring up Riko Amanai proved that he refused to yield, even if it meant tearing open his oldest scars.
*This is Satoru Gojo,* Geto thought. *The Satoru Gojo who will never admit defeat, even in death.* And that... was exactly why it hurt Geto to watch.
"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Geto took a deep breath, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes. "The Heavenly Tyrant cannot participate in the final decisive battle! Mahito absolutely learned from the 'bugs' in Tengen's manipulation of Fate. By utilizing the Dream Migration—a ritual that fundamentally requires Cursed Energy inside the body—he has preemptively locked the Heavenly Tyrant out of the equation!"
This wasn't Geto talking nonsense; it was a cold, calculated judgment.
The King of Curses was cultivated by Kenjaku, meaning his repository of knowledge definitely included the Heavenly Tyrant's ability to destroy Fate. Therefore, the Dream Migration was designed specifically by referencing the flaws in Tengen's system, using the format of a dreamscape to completely reject the Heavenly Tyrant's existence.
Maki Zen'in, their trump card... had been neutralized before the game even began!
But Gojo refused to concede. "Toji Fushiguro is in Tokyo No. 1 Colony right now. He even fought Megumi."
"Toji Fushiguro is no longer a Heavenly Tyrant! Even though his physical specs remain identical to one, he now has Cursed Energy. It's the Cursed Technique of the intelligent Cursed Spirit, Hanami." Geto's voice grew urgent. "He can still conceal himself, but not because he has zero Cursed Energy anymore—it's purely because Hanami's Cursed Technique is highly suited for stealth. His fighting style hasn't changed, and he's even grown stronger due to his ability to manipulate flora, but by acquiring Cursed Energy, he has officially entered the cycle of Fate... He can no longer break it!"
Only a true Heavenly Tyrant, someone with absolutely zero Cursed Energy within their body, possessed the right to shatter the cycle of Fate. Gojo and Geto had experienced this firsthand! The one who shattered the cycle back then was Toji Fushiguro.
But now, Toji Fushiguro was no longer a Heavenly Tyrant.
He was a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer.
A Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer wielding the Innate Technique 'Forest's Benevolence'—Toji Fushiguro! And now, Maki Zen'in faced the exact same paradox.
Geto declared with absolute certainty, "Maki Zen'in *could* theoretically enter the Dream Migration if someone transferred points to her. But because she has absolutely zero Cursed Energy, she can't even summon a Kogane. Thus, she has no way to grow stronger. Her zero Cursed Energy means she can't refine it, and fighting to the death won't earn her points. The Dream Migration is a paradise for other sorcerers, but for her, it's sheer hell. Unless... she follows Toji Fushiguro's example and abandons her identity as a Heavenly Tyrant."
But if Maki Zen'in abandoned her Heavenly Restriction and embraced a sorcerer's Innate Technique, she would no longer possess zero Cursed Energy.
If that happened, she could join the final battle, yes.
But by possessing Cursed Energy, she would simultaneously become trapped within the cycle of Fate.
"This is an unsolvable equation." Geto turned to look at Gojo. "Give up, Satoru. It's nothing to feel bad about. Handing the world over to Mahito... if you really think about it, it's not a terrible outcome. On the contrary, I believe that guy could do a better job than humanity."
*Suguru is right,* Gojo thought. *Handing the world to Mahito might actually be a good thing.*
Despite being the King of Curses, Mahito hadn't actually committed any atrocious acts recently. On the contrary, he restrained Curse Users and educated the second-generation intelligent Cursed Spirits. Even Utahime had mentioned that his education of the new Curses was thorough and reassuring.
Gojo didn't remember which book he had read it in, but the true, ultimate political system for this world was theoretically the centralized autocracy of an eternal Philosopher King. But it was deemed impossible because human hearts change. Even a Philosopher King who ruled perfectly in his youth and prime would inevitably grow stubborn, tyrannical, and unreasonable in his old age. It was a purely theoretical concept that could never be realized.
But Mahito shattered that impossibility!
He was immortal. He was eternal. He could actually wear the crown of the eternal Philosopher King! Looked at from that angle, Gojo was the villain here!
And his current behavior... in Geto's eyes, it must look like foolish, blind stubbornness.
*Since when did I become the stubborn, unreasonable one?* Gojo mused bitterly. *What a hilariously bad joke.*
"Suguru." Gojo suddenly called out Geto's name. Geto stopped his persuasion and stared at the side of Gojo's face.
Gojo's Six Eyes slowly shifted from the moon in the sky to Geto's face. His gaze locked onto Geto's eyes, the reflection of his best friend's face practically searing itself into Gojo's eternal, indestructible core.
Gojo spoke slowly, but with crushing weight. "I am the strongest human alive. And right now, a new species is trying to place itself above humanity... to rule over us."
"I ask you, Suguru. If it were you, what would you do?"
Geto didn't hesitate for a microsecond. "Endure the humiliation, bear the burden, and wait for the right moment to strike!"
*In other words, go into hiding and wait for Mahito to show a moment of weakness before considering rebellion?* Gojo thought it was a sound strategy. It was exactly what Geto had done in the past, gathering Curse Users and amassing a legion of Cursed Spirits before launching the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
If Yuta Okkotsu hadn't stopped him, and Geto had managed to breach Tengen's Tombs of the Star and absorb Tengen with Cursed Spirit Manipulation... he really might have pulled off something catastrophic. Something even Gojo wouldn't have been able to stop in time.
Suguru Geto was indeed a man capable of enduring immense humiliation for a long-term goal. Coming from him, Gojo respected the answer deeply.
So Gojo asked, "And what if, in the future, you realized that this new species ruling humanity was actually better than humans ruling humans? What would you do then?"
Geto looked deeply into Gojo's eyes. "A wise man submits to circumstance."
"And that is exactly why I have to fight Mahito. Do you understand now?" Gojo asked.
Geto fell silent.
Anyone else would have been utterly confused by this exchange, but Geto truly understood. He understood Satoru Gojo far too well. He understood his pride, his ideology, and his psychology. That was exactly why, during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Geto had been so confident that Gojo wouldn't intercept his attack on the Tombs of the Star.
He was the one man who truly knew everything about his best friend. Their unspoken bond remained perfectly intact, even across a chasm of a hundred years.
"You're going to throw your life away just to act as humanity's final spine?" Geto asked.
Gojo slapped Geto hard on the back, bursting into loud, roaring laughter. "Don't make it sound so noble! I'm just a stubborn, pigheaded bastard! If even I—the universally acknowledged Strongest Sorcerer of the Modern Era—am defeated, then surely any future revolutionaries will realize they need to at least reach my level before they even *think* about rebelling, right? See? Isn't that great? I'll get written into the history books as the ultimate benchmark for defying a god!"
"Mahito doesn't care about any of that," Geto countered. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have resurrected me. I am a literal, genuine advocate for the eradication of all Curses! The fact that he revived me proves he couldn't care less about 'humanity's final spine'!"
That was also true. Gojo firmly believed that if he raised his hands right now and offered his surrender, Mahito would eagerly roll out the red carpet to welcome him. There would absolutely be a seat saved for Satoru Gojo in Mahito's promised future world.
*Mahito wouldn't give a damn about my background,* Gojo thought. *Even knowing that my existence could easily be used as a rallying symbol to usurp him, he would still place absolute trust in me. Why? Because that's just the kind of entity Mahito is.*
Who knows, Mahito might even take a page out of the Marines from *One Piece*, loudly broadcasting to the world that a 'D' had become a Vice Admiral, maybe even grooming him to be a Marine Hero.
Both politically and practically, Mahito would be thrilled to accept Gojo's surrender.
But—
"I refuse," Gojo said.
Geto's brow furrowed tightly. "What the hell are you being so hypocritical about, Satoru?!"
"I'm being hypocritical because I failed to recognize the threat Mahito posed the moment he appeared! I'm being hypocritical because I failed to fulfill my absolute duty as the strongest! I'm being hypocritical because I... I cannot stomach this new era!" Gojo suddenly roared, his voice echoing across the empty grounds. "I am a remnant of the old era! I should sink to the bottom of the ocean on a rotting ship and become nothing more than a myth of buried treasure!"
Gojo abruptly stood up. He reached out a hand, his palm seemingly cradling the bright moon in the sky. He declared, "I'm going to charge in one last time, Suguru."
"For the guilt in my heart. For my absolute obligation as the strongest."
"And... for the bitter unwillingness burning in my soul."
"Suguru, I'm going to commit deicide."
*Or be killed by a god.*
"This is the future I have chosen for myself. I... have no regrets!"