Even after that thought crossed his mind, Gojo Satoru continued to laugh for a while longer.
However, that laughter was no longer light as it had once been. Though the corners of his mouth were pulled upward, his eyes were cold—strikingly, piercingly clear.
He was no longer the Gojo who played around, observed people's reactions, and broke the tension with a joke. His was the face of a man who had finally found a direction from deep within himself.
Geto Suguru watched that expression for a long time.
Satoru was always fast.
In his judgment, his adaptation, and his arrogance.
He was fast to look down on those weaker than him, and fast to grow bored with humans who possessed similar talent to his own.
But things were different now. For the first time, Gojo Satoru wore the face of a man looking up at someone undeniably higher than himself.
That expression was somewhat unfamiliar to Geto. And yet, it brought him a very slight sense of relief.
"Let's move locations first."
Geto was the first to speak. Gojo replied while keeping his gaze fixed on Yuji.
"You're saying it won't do here?"
"Of course not."
Yuji spoke up.
"If we do it near the Tombs of the Star Corridor, Tengen won't be able to turn a blind eye."
"I'm sure they're already pretty pissed off right now."
Gojo spoke lightly, but no one laughed. Riko finally seemed to regain her senses, lifting her head slightly.
"Wait."
Everyone looked toward her.
Riko tried to cross her arms, but feeling awkward, she ended up just clutching her fingertips.
She had thought using her haughty 'wara-wa' persona would make her tremble less, but right now, even that provided little comfort.
"Must you truly do this?"
The question seemed directed at Gojo, yet also aimed at Yuji.
Gojo immediately smirked.
"I must."
"Why do you speak as if it is a given!"
"Because it is."
Riko's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Did you not say you might die!"
"Yeah."
"And yet you intend to go through with it!"
"That's right. I'm prepared for it."
His answer was so simple it rendered her speechless.
Riko's lips quivered for a moment before she eventually turned to look at Yuji. Perhaps this was the person she had truly wanted to ask from the beginning.
Yuji watched Riko for a moment.
It was the same face that had burst into tears in front of the Tombs of the Star Corridor just a while ago. The face of someone who had bared their heart to the world for the first time. Having admitted her desire to live, she seemed more fragile, yet strangely more resilient at the same time.
"It's necessary," Yuji said.
His tone was dry.
Yet somehow, it sounded heavier than the answer Gojo had given.
Riko's brow furrowed slightly.
"Exactly what is the reason?"
"Gojo can't afford to stop here right now."
Gojo simply listened.
He didn't laugh, nor did he try to make a joke. He merely lowered his head slightly and listened to Yuji's words until the end.
Geto added to the sentiment.
"He's seen it once. Something that's ahead of him."
A brief silence followed.
The words were uncannily accurate.
Gojo was not the kind of person who only saw what he wanted to see. On the contrary, once he saw something, he could never forget it. A height greater than his own, senses faster than his, and a realm he had yet to reach.
And once he found something he couldn't forget, he would eventually reach out for it.
Riko couldn't argue any further.
Instead, she cast her gaze down. It wasn't that she understood, but she could sense that this fight wasn't a matter of mere stubbornness or bravado.
Kuroi quietly moved to Riko's side.
"Amanai-sama."
"...I know."
"Are you worried?"
Riko couldn't answer immediately.
Saying she was worried felt like she would be exposing too much, but saying she wasn't felt like a lie that made her heart race with anxiety.
Ultimately, she turned her head away and muttered grumpily.
"They are simply strange fellows."
Kuroi let out a small chuckle at that.
"That is true."
Riko felt her cheeks flush even hotter. In that short interval, Gojo had already turned around.
"Then let's go. The longer we drag this out, the more my concentration will slip."
Geto nodded.
"The outer field training barrier is the best spot."
"Won't Yaga-sensei be mad if he finds out?"
"He can get mad later."
"Man, I'm always at ease when I'm with you, Suguru."
"I'm not at ease at all."
Gojo let out a snort and led the way.
This time, no one tried to stop them.
The five of them slowly changed direction, following a forest path on the outskirts of the Tombs of the Star Corridor. It was a trail seldom used by people. Dry branches snapped repeatedly beneath their feet, and the scent of damp earth and scorched grass hung thick and stagnant in the air.
The shadows of the trees weren't long, but it was a path where the light didn't quite reach every corner. Between the patches where sunlight and shadows were fragmented, five long silhouettes stretched across the ground.
None of them talked much while they walked.
Gojo had grown even quieter than before, and Geto didn't go out of his way to strike up a conversation. Kuroi simply walked in step with Riko, remaining silent.
Because of this, the silence was harder for Riko to bear.
The stillness was far too long.
Strangely, she kept glancing to her side.
Gojo and Geto were walking in front, with Yuji a bit behind them.
He was someone who had clearly been close to her in front of the sanctuary, but now he seemed so distant.
The hand that had patted her head, the voice that told her she could cry, and the promise to go see a more beautiful world together—all of it had come from the same person, but now he wore a completely different face.
Riko eventually couldn't take it anymore and slowed her pace slightly.
Naturally, she came to be side-by-side with Yuji.
Yuji asked, his eyes still fixed ahead.
"What?"
Riko flared up for no reason.
"Wh-who said I was doing anything for you to ask what!"
"Didn't you come here to say something?"
Riko was momentarily speechless. Because he had guessed correctly so effortlessly, it was even more flustering.
"...I simply had a minor question to ask."
"What is it?"
Riko hesitated for a moment.
What should she ask first? Why he looked so nonchalant, why he had immediately agreed to Gojo's request, if he would really be okay—or—
She bit her lip very slightly.
"Will you truly not die?"
Yuji didn't answer right away.
It was a question that could be about him, or about Gojo. Perhaps it was about both.
He watched the light filtering through the leaves for a moment before speaking.
"I won't let that happen."
Even after hearing that short sentence, Riko remained silent for a while.
The words were strange.
They didn't sound like irresponsible confidence. Nor did they sound like a tender comfort. It simply sounded as if that was the objective truth of what would happen.
That made it even more reliable, and yet, more unsettling.
Riko finally managed to speak.
"You..."
Yuji looked at her. Meeting his eyes, Riko spoke in a soft voice.
"You constantly say such heavy things far too easily."
Yuji asked back with a face that showed he hadn't thought much of it.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
The tips of Riko's ears turned a shade of red.
"About going together as well, and now this too... when you speak like that..."
Riko trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
To say the next part in front of the man himself—not Kuroi, nor Gojo or Geto—was truly too embarrassing.
Yuji looked at her for a moment before saying briefly,
"I didn't tell any lies."
Riko felt as if her breath had hitched. Ultimately, she snapped at him with an even louder voice for no reason.
"Who said anything about you lying!"
From ahead, Gojo glanced back. Seeing the corner of his mouth tilt upward, it was clear he had a rough idea of the atmosphere.
"What are you two doing already?"
Riko immediately shouted back.
"It's nothing!"
"Your face is pretty red for 'nothing.'"
"Satoru!"
Geto called out shortly. Gojo grinned and held up both hands.
"Fine, fine. I'll let it slide for now."
"Who even asked you to!"
Kuroi eventually lowered her head slightly to swallow a laugh.
Riko fell silent, her face flushed even more. She tried her best not to look at Yuji, but her gaze was constantly drawn back to him.
After that brief bickering had passed, the five of them arrived at the edge of the barrier.
Between the trees, the air was distorted in a thin, shimmering layer. On the surface, it appeared as just part of the forest, but inside was a training barrier completely isolated from the outside world.
It was a place Yaga had secured specifically for dangerous Cursed Spirits or high-difficulty training, so normal students didn't even know its location. Not that there were many 'normal' students to begin with.
Geto came to a halt.
"From here on, it's just the two of you."
Gojo nodded immediately. Then, he suddenly asked Yuji,
"One last thing."
"What?"
"If you're scared, say so now."
Yuji looked at him blankly.
Gojo laughed.
"I'm talking about you, not me."
This time, even Geto, Riko, and Kuroi blinked in surprise. Gojo continued very casually with his hands in his pockets.
"You've been way too calm since earlier, so it's suspicious. Aren't you actually finding this a huge pain? Having to beat a guy who can't use Reverse Cursed Technique to the brink of death just to wake him up?"
Yuji thought about it for a second after hearing that.
Just for a split second.
And then he replied.
"It is a bother."
Gojo burst into laughter.
"Wow, that's way too honest!"
"But it's worth it."
The laughter subsided a bit. Yuji spoke while keeping his gaze on the barrier.
"Because it's you. I think that's why it interests me."
Gojo couldn't say anything for several seconds after hearing that.
He could have brushed it off as a joke. He could have laughed it off saying, "What's this? Getting sentimental all of a sudden?"
But strangely, those words were hard to dismiss.
'Because it's you.'
In that one phrase, it contained both how highly Yuji regarded him and how heavily he was taking this responsibility.
Gojo eventually let out a small chuckle. This time, it was a laugh genuinely mixed with sincerity.
"Good."
He took a step forward.
"Don't regret those words."
Yuji stepped forward to meet him.
"You'll have to endure it."
A brief response.
The moment Gojo heard it, the look in his eyes changed.
This was it.
From here on, they would communicate with power, not words.
Geto watched the two of them back and forth in silence. It was hard to imagine Satoru losing.
But what was needed today wasn't victory or defeat. It was for Satoru to see his own limits and force himself across them, even by sheer will.
For that to happen, he might truly need the sensation of being on the verge of death.
Geto spoke very quietly.
"Satoru."
Gojo turned his head just slightly. Geto searched for the right words for a moment before finally throwing them out briefly.
"Live."
Gojo smiled.
"Who are you even saying that to?"
"Both of you."
Yuji said nothing, but that answer was enough for Gojo. Riko eventually stepped forward.
"Wait..."
Everyone looked at her. Riko felt her lips go dry.
She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say. 'Don't do it,' 'Don't get hurt,' 'End it quickly,' 'Don't die.' All of it felt too direct, yet too strange.
So, what eventually came out was a very short sentence.
"...Truly."
Gojo and Yuji looked at Riko simultaneously. Riko forced her chin up and spoke.
"Truly, both of you must come out unscathed."
Gojo let out a snicker upon hearing that.
"Wow. You're including me too? I'm so touched!"
Riko gritted her teeth.
"Is it not obvious! I'm only saying it because it would be a bother for Geto if you died!"
Geto let out a small laugh from beside her. Gojo waved his hand.
"Okay, message received."
Yuji looked at Riko.
Without saying a word this time, he gave a very short nod. Riko couldn't say another word after that single, small movement.
Strangely, her chest felt tight.
Standing before the barrier, Gojo took a deep breath. At that moment, the air shifted.
The sensation of the invisible Limitless thinly forming over his skin. An absolute sense of distance that pushed others away began to quietly fill the space around him.
He wasn't a complete monster yet. He lacked the Reverse Cursed Technique, and there were many realms he had yet to reach.
And yet, he was undeniably strong. A genius whose sharp edges were even more lethal because they were unfinished.
Yuji stepped into the barrier first.
Passing through the invisible veil, the sounds of the outside world grew thin. The cicadas, the wind, and the smell of the forest all receded into the distance. All that remained was the sound of his own footsteps in the center of the empty training field, followed by Gojo's presence as he entered.
The expressions of the three remaining outside also hardened.
Geto stood with his arms crossed, his gaze unmoving. Kuroi stood quietly close to Riko's shoulder. Riko found herself holding her breath without even realizing it.
In the middle of the barrier, Gojo and Yuji stood facing each other.
On one side was the supreme genius who had yet to even discover the Reverse Cursed Technique.
On the other was the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer who had seen the end and returned.
The sun was still high, and the summer heat showed no sign of cooling down.
Gojo was the first to let the corners of his mouth lift. This time, there was nothing playful about it.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Yuji lowered both hands wordlessly. He didn't even put them in his pockets.
As if, from the very beginning, there was no need for such a thing.
Gojo's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
'Nice.'
It was a clear sign that Yuji wouldn't be holding back.
The moment he confirmed that sensation, all laughter completely vanished from Gojo Satoru's face.
In the next instant—the stone floor exploded.
Gojo moved first.