Upstairs, in the living room.
Rin had just stepped up from the basement when a series of urgent doorbell rings echoed from the entrance.
Along with it came a massive surge of Cursed Energy, so bright it felt like sunlight even while being restrained.
There was no need to guess who it was.
With a thought, Rin unlocked the door, which swung open on its own.
"Yo, old man! Long time no see!"
A tall figure walked in.
White hair, unruly and striking. Black round sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
He still wore the dark uniform of Jujutsu High, but compared to a few months ago on the Okinawan beach, his presence now carried an overwhelming sense of composure and depth.
Gojo Satoru.
Ever since he grasped Reverse Cursed Technique at the brink of death and achieved twenty-four-hour automatic operation of Limitless, he had truly crossed into the realm of the "strongest."
"I told you, I'm only twenty this year. Calling me 'old man' so naturally is a bit much, don't you think?"
Rin sat on the sofa and gestured to the seat across from him.
Gojo didn't stand on ceremony. He dropped onto the couch, grabbed an apple from the table, and took a bite.
"It's just a title. Don't worry about it. You've really scared those old geezers at the top these past few months."
He chewed as he spoke, voice slightly muffled.
"Now whenever they hear your name, it's like they've seen a ghost. Because of that, Suguru and I have been treated a lot better at school. All those disgusting, high-risk mandatory missions have been canceled."
"So you came all this way just to thank me?"
Rin poured himself a glass of water.
"Not exactly. I brought an invitation."
Gojo pulled out a pink envelope and tossed it onto the coffee table.
"Riko's starting high school next week. She and Kuroi want to thank you properly, so they're planning to treat you to dinner in Shinjuku. They asked me to deliver the message."
At the mention of Riko Amanai, Rin gave a slight nod.
Freed from the burden of being the Star Plasma Vessel, the girl could finally live a normal life.
"Got it. Send me the time and place once it's set."
After delivering the message, Gojo didn't leave.
He leaned back, hands behind his head, the Six Eyes hidden behind his sunglasses fixed on Rin.
"By the way… have you ever thought about becoming a teacher at Jujutsu High?"
Gojo suddenly made the suggestion.
"With your strength, Principal Yaga would welcome you with open arms. Isn't it boring staying in this big house all day?"
"I have no interest in babysitting a bunch of brats."
Rin rejected the idea without hesitation.
"Don't shut it down so quickly."
Gojo sat up straight, his tone losing its usual playfulness.
"The jujutsu world hasn't been very peaceful lately. Even with the Star Religious Group gone, the number of Special Grade cursed spirits appearing across different regions is increasing. I can feel something building beneath the surface."
He recalled the strange incidents he had encountered during recent missions, a faint frown forming.
The behavior of those cursed spirits had become far more organized than before.
"That's something for you jujutsu sorcerers to worry about. If you run into something you can't handle, come back and ask me for help."
Rin already knew what that hidden current was.
Even though Kenjaku was lying low, the Special Grade cursed spirits under him, calamities like Jogo, Hanami, and Mahito, were quietly gathering strength.
But Rin had no intention of clearing them out ahead of time.
If all the pieces were removed too early, what would be left of the game?
"Fine. If you're not interested, I won't push it."
Gojo stood up and stretched.
"I should get going. Suguru's been acting strange lately. He keeps taking missions in remote areas and looks pretty down. I should go talk to him."
At the mention of Geto Suguru, Rin paused slightly as he lifted his glass.
In the original timeline, the Star Plasma Vessel incident had been the turning point that sent Geto down a darker path.
Even though Riko Amanai had survived this time, Geto's belief in protecting non-sorcerers was still being tested.
Each encounter with human ugliness chipped away at him.
And his cursed technique, which required him to consume cursed spirits that tasted like something foul and rotten, only worsened the strain.
"Satoru."
Just as Gojo reached the door, Rin called out.
"Hmm?" He stopped.
"Do you think you're the strongest now?"
Gojo turned back with a confident grin.
"Of course. Aside from a monster like you, I don't think there's anyone who can beat me."
"Then don't let your comrades fall too far behind."
Rin's gaze drifted past the window toward the fading glow of the sunset.
"When people hit a dead end in their own minds, even overwhelming strength can't always pull them back."
Gojo froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that.
His smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression as he nodded.
"Don't worry. Suguru is my best friend."
…
Time was the most merciless force of all.
It rolled past the flashes of blades and shadows of the Taishō era, and onward into the streets of Shinjuku at the dawn of a new millennium.
Spring passed into autumn, winter gave way to summer.
In the blink of an eye, eleven years slipped by.
During that time, Rin's life remained as still as stagnant water.
He no longer involved himself in the affairs of the jujutsu world.
He spent quiet, loving days with Shinobu Kochō, and also wandered the JJK world alongside Toji Fushiguro.
Just as he had expected.
Kenjaku had completely vanished.
For eleven years, not a single trace of the stitched forehead appeared in the black market.
Yet in those same eleven years, the jujutsu world underwent drastic changes.
Gojo Satoru became a teacher at Jujutsu High. With the title of "the strongest," he turned into a figure that gave the higher-ups endless headaches, yet left them powerless to act.
As for Geto Suguru…
In the end, he still could not escape fate.
Even though the Star Plasma Vessel had survived, the influence of Yuki Tsukumo, combined with witnessing Haibara Yu's death, shook his beliefs to the core.
The final trigger came during a mission in a remote village.
There, Geto saw two young girls with cursed potential being imprisoned and tortured by ignorant villagers as if they were monsters.
At that moment, everything he believed in collapsed.
He slaughtered one hundred and twelve villagers.
He defected from Jujutsu High and became the most wanted curse user in the eyes of Jujutsu Headquarters.
After that, he took over the remnants of the Star Religious Group, gathered followers, and began advancing his plan to create a world belonging only to jujutsu sorcerers.
It was as if, under some unseen force, everything had returned to its original course.
___
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
Patreon.com/slept01