After the meal, Geto Suguru suggested taking a walk in the courtyard.
Twilight had already spread across the horizon, and the setting sun dyed the sky a warm, gentle orange. Fluffy clouds were edged in gold, like crushed gold foil scattered across the firmament.
The blue-grey cobblestone path in the courtyard shimmered with a faint, warm light in the afterglow. As Rin stepped onto it barefoot, he could feel the lingering warmth of the day's sunlight gently rising from the soles of his feet.
"So, what do you think of everyone? First impressions are good, right?"
Geto Suguru broke the silence first, his tone as relaxed as casual chitchat. His fingertips unconsciously brushed the needles of a dwarf pine beside him, and dew from the pine needles slid down his knuckles, dripping onto the cobblestone path and blooming into small, wet spots.
Rin didn't beat around the bush; he stopped walking and looked up at Geto Suguru: "You brought me here, surely it's not just to treat me to a meal."
Geto Suguru smiled, stopped as well, and turned to face Rin.
The light of the setting sun fell obliquely across his face, half-drenched in warm orange, half-hidden in shallow shadows. His originally gentle gaze gradually deepened, taking on a touch of seriousness:
"You're right, I do have a purpose. When I saw you fighting in the warehouse, I noticed how special you were. Your Cursed Technique is unique, not the type common in this world. Moreover, your calmness and decisiveness when facing Cursed Spirits far exceed that of a newly awakened Jujutsu Sorcerer."
He paused, the light falling into Rin's eyes. "I'm curious, what is your view on this world where 'Jujutsu Sorcerers and Cursed Spirits coexist'?"
Rin fell silent.
In the few short days since he had transmigrated into this world, his life had been filled with life-and-death crises: being chased by Cursed Spirits, fighting with thugs, battling Cursed Spirits to the death in a school warehouse... His perception of this "world" remained stuck on the two cold words: "danger" and "unknown."
He had never thought about the "mission of Jujutsu Sorcerers," nor had he pondered the "relationship between Non-Sorcerers and Cursed Spirits." Those grand propositions were too far from him; everything he did was merely to survive.
"Chaotic, dangerous."
After a long while, he gave two concise words. His voice was very soft, yet carried the weight of personal experience:
"Cursed Spirits hide in the shadows, while ordinary people know nothing and can only passively suffer harm. Although Jujutsu Sorcerers have the ability to fight Cursed Spirits, they must constantly face death, using their lives to protect those who don't even know they exist."
"That's right." Geto Suguru nodded in agreement, but his gaze was like a sunset blocked by dark clouds, dimming bit by bit:
"But have you ever thought about why this is the case? Why can Cursed Spirits never be wiped out, but instead keep increasing? Why must Jujutsu Sorcerers keep sacrificing themselves, yet not even receive a word of thanks?"
He didn't wait for Rin to answer and continued, his tone carrying a trace of suppressed agitation, his fingertips tightening slightly:
"Because of 'Non-Sorcerers'—those ordinary people who cannot see Cursed Spirits yet produce greed, fear, and resentment every single day. They are the'sustenance' for Cursed Spirits. Every explosion of negative emotion provides energy for Cursed Spirits to grow. They enjoy the peace bought by the lives of Jujutsu Sorcerers, yet they turn a blind eye to our sacrifices, and may even fear, reject, or disparage us because of our 'uniqueness'."
"The philosophy of Jujutsu High is 'protect the Non-Sorcerers, eliminate the Cursed Spirits,' but this is merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause."
Geto Suguru's voice rose slightly, a flash of unwillingness showing in his eyes:
"As long as Non-Sorcerers continue to generate negative emotions, Cursed Spirits will never disappear, and the sacrifices of Jujutsu Sorcerers will never end! Don't you find such a cycle ridiculous?"
Rin's heart jumped. He knew Geto Suguru's "ideal," which was extreme to the point of being chilling, was coming.
Sure enough, Geto Suguru took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly becoming incomparably firm, even revealing a light that was almost fanatical. He looked at Rin and said word by word:
"My ideal is to build a world with only Jujutsu Sorcerers. Only by eliminating those Non-Sorcerers who only create trouble and breed Cursed Spirits can we eliminate Cursed Spirits at the root, allowing Jujutsu Sorcerers to no longer be tortured by pain and sacrifice, and to truly possess a free life."
After speaking, he suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming candid, even carrying a touch of openness:
"Rin, I don't want to deceive you. The Cursed Spirits in the school were put there by me. I wanted to see what kind of choice you would make in a desperate situation: would you prioritize protecting unrelated Non-Sorcerers like the Jujutsu Sorcerers at Jujutsu High, or would you prioritize your own survival? The facts prove that you are different from them."
Rin's breath hitched slightly.
He hadn't expected Geto Suguru to admit this so bluntly, even treating a Cursed Spirit incident that put multiple students in danger as a "test" for him.
He remembered the students in the warehouse trembling with fear from the Cursed Spirits, and he remembered himself wielding an iron rod to survive. His heart was filled with mixed feelings. It wasn't that he didn't want to protect others, but in that life-or-death moment, he could barely save himself.
"I just wanted to survive."
Rin said in a low voice, his voice somewhat hoarse. He avoided Geto Suguru's gaze and looked at his own shadow on the ground:
"To be honest, I don't care about the life or death of Non-Sorcerers, nor do I care about what the mission of Jujutsu Sorcerers is. Controlling Cursed Energy, slaying Cursed Spirits—everything I do is just to make myself stronger so I can live well in this world where people can die at any moment."
Rin wasn't lying; this was indeed his true inner thought at the moment.
A flash of satisfaction instantly crossed Geto Suguru's eyes, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and his tone softened a bit:
"That is enough. Rin, join me."
He took a step forward, his voice carrying just the right amount of temptation.
"I can give you the best resources, the most top-tier knowledge of Cursed Techniques, the most suitable training methods, the Cursed Spirits you need to improve your strength... I will help you become strong quickly so you never have to struggle for survival again. Once we realize our ideal, you will be able to have a truly safe and free life, never having to fear the threat of Cursed Spirits again."
This was undoubtedly an extremely tempting invitation.
Rin knew very well that with his current strength, surviving alone in this world would only mean constantly encountering danger—no guidance, no resources, not even knowing when or where the next Cursed Spirit would appear.
Joining Star Plasma Vessel Society would mean obtaining protection and the opportunity to become strong quickly; this was the best "stepping stone" he could grasp at the moment.
But he knew Geto Suguru's ending even better: being killed by Gojo Satoru, his "ideal" ultimately turning into a bubble, and Star Plasma Vessel Society perishing along with it.
More importantly, Geto Suguru's plan required sacrificing countless innocent Non-Sorcerers, which was a bottom line Rin could not accept.
He might be cold, he might only care about his own life and death, but he absolutely could not bring himself to personally slaughter humans. His conscience had not yet reached the point of annihilation.
"I need time to think about it."
In the end, Rin didn't agree immediately. He looked up, meeting Geto Suguru's gaze, his eyes firm. "This matter is too important; I cannot make a decision lightly."
Geto Suguru didn't force it, just nodded, his tone returning to its previous gentleness, as if the fanatical words from just a moment ago had never been spoken:
"Very well. You can wander around the base as you like to familiarize yourself with the environment. Once you've thought it through, just come find me."
After speaking, he turned and walked towards the corridor, his black monk robe dragging out a long shadow in the sunset, gradually blending into the twilight in the distance.
Only Rin was left in the courtyard. He stood by the dry landscape garden, watching the sunset sink inch by inch below the distant horizon, the orange-red sky gradually being dyed by ink-colored darkness.
He didn't go to explore the base, but instead followed the stone path to the depths of the courtyard, where there was a lush cherry blossom tree. Even though it wasn't the flowering season, the dense branches and leaves could hide his figure.
He leaned against the trunk, closed his eyes, and Geto Suguru's words, as well as the uncrossable bottom line in his own heart, echoed repeatedly in his mind.