The sun was sinking against the eaves of the distant buildings.
The orange afterglow was like molten gold foil, spreading across half the sky.
The other half had already been quietly stained by the ink of night; in the dim light, the alleys of Tokyo Jujutsu High were half warm and half cold, and even the wind carried a hint of desolation.
At the mouth of the dark alley, Rin stood alone.
His footsteps were incredibly unsteady, looking as if he might topple over with every sway.
His blood-stained fingers trembled slightly, yet his back was held ramrod straight, like an arrow that refused to bend.
His Crimson Sharingan glowed in the gloom, locked tightly onto the shadow at the end of the alley; there, he found the figure he had searched the entire Tokyo Jujutsu High for.
Suguru Geto.
Suguru Geto leaned against the base of a mottled brick wall, half his body nearly torn apart by Cursed Energy, blackish-red blood flowing down his mangled remains and pooling into a sticky puddle on the ground; even his breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Yet he just sat there, motionless, indifferent to the life force constantly draining from him; instead, a smile Rin had never seen before played at the corners of his mouth.
It wasn't the stubbornness of resistance, nor the resentment of a failed plan, but complete relief—like a traveler who had trekked for half a lifetime and finally saw his destination at the end of the wilderness.
Rin's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an icy hand, and a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.
But he shook his head desperately, trying to cast that thought away.
"Teacher."
He called out softly, his voice as raspy as if it had been rubbed by sandpaper, drifting through the empty alley with a hint of imperceptible trembling.
Only then did Suguru Geto slowly raise his eyes, his clouded gaze passing through the dim shadows of the alley to fall upon Rin at the entrance.
At this moment, Rin was standing in the sunset, the golden light outlining his battered silhouette.
His face was covered in blood, his nostrils were still bleeding, and his clothes were torn in several places, revealing the purple bruises beneath; yet in those eyes, there was a light of stubbornness, like a flame that refused to be extinguished.
"I've come to take you home."
Rin said, stepping into the shadows.
Every step was difficult, but he did not pause for a second, as if he could snatch the man back from the clutches of Death if only he were a little faster.
Suguru Geto's pupils constricted suddenly, and the relief on his face was instantly washed away by panic.
Ignoring the tearing pain in his body, he struggled to sit up straight, his voice full of urgency:
"Rin? What happened to you? Why are you so badly injured?"
Rin didn't answer; he just walked straight to Suguru Geto's side and crouched down, intending to support him.
But looking at Suguru Geto's mangled body, his hand hung in mid-air, frozen for a long moment.
He was afraid that touching him anywhere would worsen his injuries, and he felt his own strength was too meager, even his fingertips trembling.
Ultimately, he could only carefully prop up Suguru Geto's intact arm, gritting his teeth in an attempt to pull the man up.
But Suguru Geto's body was exceptionally heavy, as if filled with lead.
Rin used all his strength, but instead of pulling the man up, he stumbled and fell to the ground; the pebbles caused a sharp pain in his chest wound, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "pfft," staining the gravel in front of him red.
The chaos in his brain made it impossible for him to concentrate his strength.
"Don't... Rin, stop it!"
Suguru Geto shook his head in desperation, his pale lips devoid of any color, his voice full of pleading.
"You're too badly injured, don't worry about me, just go!"
Suguru Geto could tell that Rin was only hanging onto life right now because of the Reverse Cursed Technique.
Rin wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand and pushed himself up from the ground once more.
His movements were slow, every motion pulling at the wounds all over his body, yet he still said stubbornly:
"I'm fine, it's just a minor injury... See, I can still walk."
As he spoke, he reached out again to support Suguru Geto, but as soon as he exerted force, his vision went black, his body swayed, and he nearly fell again.
Seeing him like this, Suguru Geto's concern deepened, and his voice even took on a sob:
"Be good, Rin, don't push yourself anymore... You'll die if you keep this up!"
Rin acted as if he hadn't heard, merely gritting his teeth and reaching for Suguru Geto's arm again.
The alley was terrifyingly quiet, save for the heavy breathing of the two men and the "drip-drop" of blood hitting the ground; under the light where the setting sun and the night intertwined, it felt exceptionally sorrowful.
"Be good, Rin, don't push yourself anymore...!"
Suguru Geto's voice carried a sob, every word piercing Rin's heart like a needle.
But Rin only shook his head, avoiding Suguru Geto's gaze, and stubbornly repeated: "I'm fine, it's just a minor injury, look."
He raised his hand, wanting to show his "intact" state, but he stumbled again and nearly fell to the ground, the words catching in his throat.
He knew he was lying.
Blood was still flowing from his nose, the sharp pain in his brain was becoming more intense with every wave, and even his vision was starting to double.
But he couldn't stop; just a few more steps and he could bring Suguru Geto out of the alley, closer to safety.
Seeing that Suguru Geto was still struggling to persuade him, Rin steeled himself and suddenly bit down hard on his own tongue!
Sharp pain instantly swept through his body, like a blade cutting through his muddled consciousness, allowing him to regain a moment of clarity as his scattered strength barely managed to coalesce.
"Ugh!" He let out a muffled groan, and using this burst of ruthlessness, he suddenly exerted force, actually managing to half-support and half-drag Suguru Geto up.
Suguru Geto's body was still heavy, every step like dragging a giant boulder, but Rin's footsteps were exceptionally firm as he moved toward the sunset at the alley's mouth.
"Rin! Are you crazy? Put me down!"
Suguru Geto struggled desperately, his remaining arm constantly pushing at Rin, but his injuries were too severe, and his strength was as weak as a tickle.
He continued to try and persuade him, moving from pleading to reprimanding, but Rin acted as if he were deaf, never even turning his head, just gritting his teeth and moving forward step by step.
The sunset at the mouth of the alley drew closer, the golden light almost touching the hems of their clothes.
Just as Rin thought he could get him out, a sudden burst of sharp pain exploded in his brain.
His vision went black, his body suddenly went limp, and he fell heavily to the ground, Suguru Geto being pulled down beside him.
This time, Rin could no longer get up.
He lay prone on the ground, his fingers clawing at the gravel, his fingernails even peeling back, yet he didn't even have the strength to prop up his upper body.
His teeth had nearly bitten through his tongue, his mouth was full of the taste of blood, but the chaos in his brain was becoming more and more severe, making even mobilizing a sliver of strength a luxury.
"Can't... can't stop..."
He muttered unclearly, but his gaze became fierce.
He wanted to summon a Cursed Spirit, just as he had summoned the Crow earlier.
Even though he was currently hanging onto life solely through the Reverse Cursed Technique and the Delayed Cursed Technique, he still wanted to try. As long as he had a Cursed Spirit to help, he could surely take Suguru Geto away.
But just as his Cursed Energy was about to surge, Suguru Geto's roar suddenly exploded in his ear, making his eardrums ache:
"Rin! Stop! Whatever you're trying to do, I beg you, stop it!"
This time, Rin could no longer ignore it.
That voice was filled with despair, like the final plea of a dying man.
He turned his head with difficulty and saw Suguru Geto using his only remaining hand to tightly grab his collar, his knuckles white from the exertion.
And Suguru Geto's face was already covered in tears, his clouded eyes full of pain and pleading, no longer showing any of the previous relief.
"Rin, stop it, I beg you..."
Suguru Geto's voice choked up, tears sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the back of Rin's hand, terrifyingly hot:
"I've already done too many things wrong and hurt too many people; don't let me be wrong one more time... I absolutely cannot watch you die before my eyes. Please, listen to me, okay?"
Rin looked at Suguru Geto, his heart feeling as if it were being violently squeezed, hurting so much he couldn't breathe.
Suguru Geto was still in the shadows of the alley, while the sunset at the entrance was not far away; as long as Suguru Geto was willing to cooperate with a little more effort, as long as he didn't give up, Rin could take him out.
But in Suguru Geto's eyes, there was only a resolute letting go.
He would rather stay in the shadows than drag Rin down any further.
Rin finally understood that the thing he feared most had happened.
It didn't matter how badly Suguru Geto was injured, and it didn't matter if Satoru Gojo appeared before him right now.
He had a way; he really had a way.
He could give his all to save someone, but he couldn't save someone who had already decided to give up on themselves.
The light of the setting sun fell on him, as warm as a childhood embrace, but he felt cold all over, unable to even shed a tear.