Chapter 77: Star Plasma Cult Secret Talk
Inside the secret room at the Star Plasma Cult base, the lighting was dim. Only a single kerosene lamp hung from the corner of the table, casting long, narrow shadows of the three men.
Miguel, Rin, and Suguru Geto sat around an old wooden table, on which half of a black rope lay silently.
Suguru Geto gently rubbed the half-section of the black rope with his fingertips. The face that usually wore a gentle smile was now covered in an impenetrable layer of melancholy.
He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting shadows beneath them. His silent demeanor was like a completely different person from the mastermind Curse User leader of the past.
Rin sat opposite him, hands folded on his lap, his gaze falling calmly upon Suguru Geto.
He knew better than anyone what kind of anxiety was hidden behind this silence. There were only a little over two months left until the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" in Suguru Geto's plan.
And the plan to seize Rika Orimoto and use the power of that Special Grade Cursed Spirit to throw the Jujutsu World into chaos had long since entered the countdown phase.
This half-section of the black rope before them was the most critical link in the plan.
He pondered to himself, without a complete black rope, what would Miguel use to hold back Satoru Gojo? That "the strongest" Jujutsu Sorcerer's Limitless? His elbow strikes? Don't make me laugh.
If Suguru Geto wanted to complete the seizure of Rika Orimoto, failing to contain Satoru Gojo would mean the entire plan would fall apart at the last hurdle.
Miguel, sitting beside Suguru Geto, unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothing, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
He was more nervous than anyone. Not only had the mission failed, but the special grade cursed tool black rope had also been damaged; this was a mistake he had never made since following Suguru Geto.
He stole a glance at Suguru Geto's profile. Usually, Suguru Geto could deal with crises calmly, but the current silence and melancholy made him feel increasingly uneasy, and he even softened his breathing.
The silence in the secret room continued for a while longer. Finally, Suguru Geto set down the half-section of the black rope, let out a long sigh, and looked at Rin and Miguel opposite him with a self-deprecating bitter smile in his tone:
"So, other than the 'damage to the black rope' and the 'plan being hindered,' are there no other pieces of good news from this mission?"
Miguel instinctively turned to look at Rin, his eyes conveying a plea for "help." He really couldn't think of anything else that could count as "good news."
But Rin deliberately turned his head away, avoiding his gaze, a faint, elusive smile hidden at the corner of his mouth.
Miguel felt a bit awkward from this sudden "buck-passing," and his dark cheeks even flushed with a subtle, imperceptible redness.
He scratched his head, stared at the wood grain on the table for a long time, and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence lacking confidence:
"Uh... well... Rin and I at least came back alive. Does that... does that count as good news?"
"Pfft." Rin could no longer hold it back and laughed out loud.
He had felt lately that Miguel, this big dark-skinned man, actually possessed quite a bit of honest humor, especially this kind of nonsensical "good news," which somehow still felt quite sincere.
Opposite him, Suguru Geto also couldn't help but rest his hand on his forehead and laugh helplessly, his previously furrowed brows completely relaxing:
"It counts, of course it counts. That you were able to return safely is truly the most reassuring piece of good news right now."
He paused, his tone filled with a bit more anticipation, "However, can you tell me something I don't know yet? For example... were there any unexpected gains during the battle?"
This made Miguel even more awkward. He couldn't exactly say that he had been suppressed by the Gargoyle's petrification Cursed Energy the entire time, and that he had even lost consciousness in the latter half, not knowing how Rin had won.
Actually, he couldn't really be blamed for this. On the way back, he had tried several times to ask Rin what happened after he was petrified, but Rin had either changed the subject or simply remained silent, leaving him completely ignorant of the rest of the battle, forcing him to "stall" just like now.
Anxious, Miguel quietly nudged Rin with his elbow, his eyes full of signals to "save the situation quickly" and not leave all the pressure on him alone.
Rin stopped laughing, met Suguru Geto's gaze, and finally began to explain: "During this battle with the Gargoyle, I was eventually forced to use a Domain."
His tone was flat, as if he were talking about an ordinary matter, but Suguru Geto's eyes instantly lit up. The previous helplessness and melancholy were swept away, and he even leaned forward unconsciously. The hand that had been resting on his forehead dropped, and his eyes were filled with undisguisable excitement:
"What did you say? Domain Expansion?!"
"Yes." Rin nodded and added: "The Domain is called 'Second World War Battlefield.' It can materialize Weapons of Wars within its range, and its destructive power is enough to suppress the Gargoyle's 'Eternal Stone Coffin Garden.' Being able to take down the Special Grade Cursed Spirit this time relied on the advantage of the Domain confrontation."
Suguru Geto clenched his fingers tightly, his breathing becoming even more rapid than before.
He knew all too well what "Domain Expansion" meant; it was a critical trump card capable of changing the tide of battle.
That Rin could master a Domain at this stage not only meant that his strength had thoroughly entered the ranks of "Special Grade," but also added an important guarantee to the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" plan.
"Good! That's great!" Suguru Geto couldn't help but exclaim, a genuine smile finally appearing on his face. "This is the good news I wanted to hear! With a Domain, the upcoming plan... has a much higher chance of success."
Miguel, standing to the side, saw that the atmosphere had completely relaxed and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a simple, honest smile appearing on his dark face. So Rin had been hiding such an important matter; if he had known earlier, he wouldn't have had to rack his brain trying to come up with lame good news like "coming back alive."
Miguel listened, dumbfounded, his dark face filled with the shock of being "played." He turned his head to glare at Rin, muttering to himself.
You rascal! You hid such a big thing the whole way, making him rack his brains to think of "good news" and almost making him unable to hold his own in front of Suguru Geto. The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became!
Suguru Geto, however, did not notice Miguel's mood. His attention was completely hooked by the matter of "summoning the Cursed Spirit." He leaned forward slightly, the excitement in his eyes intensifying: "So after that Special Grade Cursed Spirit died, was it absorbed directly by your Sharingan? Can it be summoned again now?"
Rin nodded and explained calmly: "Theoretically, it's no problem, but it needs some time to reconstruct its form; it cannot be summoned immediately."
He deliberately concealed the existence of the Divine Tree Space; he could not let anyone know about it for the time being.
As for the ability to "summon the Cursed Spirit," it could just be attributed to a special effect of the Sharingan, which was both reasonable and would not expose his secret.
He paused and added: "However, the re-summoned Cursed Spirit is different from ordinary Cursed Spirits; it's more like a Shikigami under my control. It cannot be too far from me, nor can it be subdued by others; it can only obey my commands."
As soon as these words were out, not only did Suguru Geto's eyes light up, but even Miguel, who had just recovered, couldn't sit still. He stood up with a "whoosh," reached out and slapped Rin on the shoulder, his tone both urgent and a bit aggrieved: "Damn! Rin, you guy! You actually lied to me and said 'no gains.' You didn't tell me about such a big thing—were you playing me for a fool?"
Suguru Geto, however, was smiling so hard his eyes crinkled, the gloom previously caused by the damage to the black rope completely dissipated: "Although this Special Grade Cursed Spirit with a Domain cannot be used directly by me, in your hands, it's no different than being in the hands of the Star Plasma Cult."
He counted on his fingers: "Now we effectively have two complete, powerful Domains: your 'Second World War Battlefield,' plus this Gargoyle's 'Eternal Stone Coffin Garden.' Even if we can't act separately, the strength of the Star Plasma Cult has already made a qualitative leap!"
Thinking of this, Suguru Geto's spirit was completely invigorated. His fingers tapped lightly on the table. The plan that had been stuck due to "containing Satoru Gojo" instantly had a new direction.
He looked up at the two of them, his tone light: "You two go back and get some good rest. I'll cook personally tonight to celebrate Rin mastering a Domain and to celebrate your safe return. I need to adjust the plan now, so I won't hold you up."
Rin and Miguel stood up in response and turned to leave the office.
Just as they stepped out of the door, Miguel suddenly extended his thick arm, clamped Rin's neck, and wore a "fierce" threatening smile on his face: "Rin, oh Rin, do you still have any respect for me as your 'boss' at all? You lied to me the whole way—you must give me an explanation today!"
Rin was choked and coughed twice, hurriedly waving his hands and smiling awkwardly as he begged for mercy: "Don't, don't, don't. Next time there's news, I'll definitely tell you the first moment I get. This time, I just forgot to say it!"
The two of them walked towards the accommodation area, bickering along the way. Their laughter echoed in the corridor, completely dispelling the heaviness from the secret talk earlier.
For the Star Plasma Cult, this unexpected gain undoubtedly added the most critical weight to the upcoming "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons."
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