Chapter 88: Decisions and Variables
When Rin finished speaking, the air in the Star Plasma Cult meeting room seemed to freeze instantly.
The executives looked at each other, their faces filled with incredulous shock; they knew Rin's attitude all too well.
Ever since Suguru Geto proposed the plan, he had never truly 'agreed' with it; previously, he had at most cooperated by executing peripheral tasks or stepping in at critical moments to delay the enemy.
As for 'killing,' especially targeting a boy like Yuta Okkotsu who hadn't yet fully matured, no one had imagined he would volunteer for it.
In the previously agreed-upon division of labor, Rin was only supposed to hold back Satoru Gojo during the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons to create an opportunity for infiltrating Tokyo Jujutsu High; the task of killing and seizing the Cursed Spirit was supposed to be Suguru Geto's responsibility.
But now, Rin had volunteered to do it himself, without a hint of hesitation in his tone.
Someone instinctively wanted to speak up to dissuade him, but swallowed their words the moment they met Rin's gaze; his eyes were too sharp.
There was not a shred of wavering in his pitch-black eyes, as if he had already made all the preparations and had even considered the consequences of the killing.
Everyone present knew that Rin was a man of his word; if he decided to do something, he would definitely do it. This had never changed since the day he joined the Star Plasma Cult.
In other words, he was truly prepared to kill Yuta Okkotsu.
No one knew that before saying those words, countless thoughts had raced through Rin's mind.
It wasn't that he hadn't seen Yuta Okkotsu before; during that chance encounter in the shopping street, the boy had timidity in his eyes, yet was exceptionally firm when protecting others, looking just like he himself had when he first awakened his Cursed Energy.
But so what? Yuta Okkotsu had nothing to do with him; they were just two parallel lines that had intersected once by chance, and there would be no intersection in the future.
But Suguru Geto was different.
It was Suguru Geto who pulled him out of the mud, taught him to control his Cursed Energy, and gave him a 'home.'
It was Suguru Geto who remembered all his preferences and would have Manami prepare the dorayaki he loved whenever he was injured during training.
To Rin, Suguru Geto was a mentor, family, and the only person he wanted to protect in this perilous world.
Using the life of a stranger to trade for the life of the person he wanted to protect—in Rin's view, this 'deal' couldn't be more worth it.
He didn't care about whether Yuta Okkotsu lived or died, didn't care if Tokyo Jujutsu High would go crazy because of it, and cared even less about how the Jujutsu World would judge him. From the moment he decided to protect Suguru Geto, he had already cast 'right and wrong' and 'good and evil' to the back of his mind.
As long as Suguru Geto could live, he didn't care if his hands were stained with blood or if he were wanted by the entire Jujutsu World.
The silence in the meeting room continued. The executives looked at Rin's firm profile and suddenly understood that this always taciturn boy had long since placed Suguru Geto's safety above everything else in his own life.
And this plan surrounding Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto became even more unpredictable because of Rin's active involvement.
''Great!'' Negi was the first to speak up excitedly, his voice full of agitation:
''Rin is currently the strongest combatant in our Star Plasma Cult! Not only does he have his own Domain, but he can also control a Special Grade Cursed Spirit capable of expanding its own Domain. Dealing with Yuta Okkotsu, it's impossible to lose!''
His words instantly ignited the atmosphere in the meeting room, and the other executives chimed in one after another. To them, Rin taking action himself meant the plan to 'take down Yuta and seize Rika Orimoto' was almost guaranteed.
After all, Rin's strength was obvious to everyone; before he had even mastered his Domain, not even Mei Mei or Aoi Todo were his match.
Dealing with Yuta, who hadn't fully mastered his power, was a sure thing.
Just as everyone was about to finalize this arrangement, an abrupt voice suddenly rang out, interrupting all discussion:
''No.''
The voice was familiar and firm. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and it was actually Suguru Geto.
Rin's gaze instantly locked onto Suguru Geto's face, his pupils contracting slightly.
He clearly caught a trace of faint panic in the depths of Suguru Geto's eyes—an emotion he had never seen in Suguru Geto before.
Why? This was clearly the optimal arrangement at the moment; why would Suguru Geto refuse?
Negi was also stunned, quickly stepping forward and urging him with an eager tone:
''Lord Geto, this really is the best arrangement at the moment!
With Rin's strength, taking down Yuta is absolutely no problem!
And think about it, if you aren't on-site in Tokyo to host the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons,' Gojo might very well sense something is wrong. If he discovers our true target is Yuta ahead of time, all our previous preparations will be for nothing!''
The other executives chimed in, helping to analyze the situation, trying to make Suguru Geto change his mind.
But Suguru Geto only kept his head lowered, his long hair hanging down on both sides of his cheeks, obscuring his expression. No one knew what he was thinking.
The atmosphere in the meeting room sank again. No one could understand why Suguru Geto would insist on refusing in the face of such a solid plan.
After a long while, Suguru Geto finally raised his head slowly, his tone carrying an unquestionable decisiveness:
''No, the matter with Yuta must be handled by me personally.''
He turned his gaze to Rin, his tone softening slightly, yet still firm:
''Rin, you must stay behind to deal with Gojo.
Only you can hold him back for long enough; otherwise, even I wouldn't be able to stall until the plan is completed right under his nose.''
This explanation was too far-fetched; everyone present could hear it.
Given Suguru Geto's strength, plus the cover of thousands of Cursed Spirits, even if he couldn't hold off Gojo for too long, it wouldn't be this exaggerated.
But no one dared to refute him. Suguru Geto's tone carried a near-stubborn persistence that made it impossible to refuse.
Rin looked at Suguru Geto, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally sighed softly:
''Then so be it.''
He shifted the topic and proposed a new suggestion:
''There's no need to send any more Cursed Spirits to Kyoto; I'll go and take care of it alone.''
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned again, their faces full of confusion.
According to the original plan, Rin's primary task was to hold back Gojo in Tokyo. If he went to Kyoto first, even if he resolved it quickly, he wouldn't have time to rush back to intercept Gojo. Wasn't this putting the cart before the horse?