Chapter 53: Guiding Suguru Geto
The sliding door of the dance hall was pushed open, and Toho Hiroshi, Mei Mei, and Utahime walked in.
The 'curtain' outside had already fallen, and the general evacuation was complete.
Utahime looked at the messy dance hall, as if swept by a typhoon, and at Suguru Geto, who stood in place, his aura noticeably stronger yet more obscure. She gasped in surprise: "It's... over? Did you really exorcise the avatar of Tamamo-no-Mae by yourself?"
Mei Mei's gaze swept over the unsettlingly vast cursed energy residue remaining at the scene, as well as the abnormally violent Cursed Energy fluctuations on Suguru Geto that had just subsided, a flicker of deep thought in her eyes.
Toho Hiroshi walked over to Suguru Geto, his gaze calm: "It seems you succeeded."
Suguru Geto took a deep breath, suppressing the surging Cursed Energy within him and his even more turbulent emotions. He put on his usual, slightly weary, gentle smile again: "Ah, barely managed it. Good harvest."
He spoke lightly, not mentioning the domain clash, nor the 'Uzumaki' and the newly acquired Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
But Toho Hiroshi's Sharingan was incredibly sharp, having clearly perceived the thrilling domain collision in the hall just now and the ultimate strike condensed with immense Cursed Energy.
He didn't expose it, just nodded: "Mission accomplished, let's go back."
...On the way back to Tokyo, the atmosphere was somewhat silent.
On the Shinkansen train, Suguru Geto gazed out at the rapidly passing night scenery, remaining silent for a long time.
Toho Hiroshi sat opposite him, also silent.
"Toho."
After a long while, Suguru Geto suddenly spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "You say, we constantly exorcise Cursed Spirits and protect those Non-Sorcerers, is this path... truly correct?"
His question came suddenly, yet it seemed to have been suppressed for a long time.
"Cursed Spirits originate from human negative emotions. Non-Sorcerers create Cursed Spirits, and we are responsible for cleaning them up. It's like an endless cycle. And are those people we protect truly worth it? They are ignorant, greedy, jealous, and full of malice. Even more so than Cursed Spirits."
He recalled the ugly faces he had seen during previous missions, the attitude of The Higher-Ups during the Star Plasma Vessel Incident, and the complex stance of ordinary people, who both relied on and feared/rejected Jujutsu Sorcerers.
The increase in his power did not bring inner peace; instead, it made him see the despair and absurdity of this cycle more clearly.
Toho Hiroshi did not answer immediately.
He just quietly watched Suguru Geto, observing the almost overflowing confusion, weariness, and a barely noticeable, dangerous spark heading towards an extreme in his sworn friend's eyes.
The train bumped slightly, and the lights outside streaked past like fireflies.
Suddenly, Toho Hiroshi raised his hand and unceremoniously slapped Suguru Geto on the back of the head, neither too hard nor too soft.
With a'smack,' Suguru Geto was stunned, and Mei Mei and Utahime, who were pretending to look at the scenery nearby, were startled.
"Ouch! Toho, what are you doing?"
Suguru Geto clutched the back of his head, looking at Toho Hiroshi in astonishment, unable to maintain his profound expression.
"Waking you up."
Toho Hiroshi withdrew his hand, his tone still calm, but with an unquestionable force, "Don't go off on your own, getting caught up in trivialities and saying foolish things."
Suguru Geto opened his mouth, intending to retort.
But Toho Hiroshi didn't give him a chance and continued speaking, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Protecting the weak is never because they are perfect saints, nor is it because they are worthy."
"It's because it's necessary."
"Cursed Spirits originate from human negative emotions, that's right. But humans can also produce hope, courage, love, and sacrifice. The ugliness you see is real, but the small and precious kindness and beauty you protect are equally real."
"Riko's reborn smile is real, the sentiment represented by the ring Yuta gave Rika is real, the warm meals Tsumiki prepares every day are real, and the belief of juniors like Nanami and Haibara who strive to catch up to us is also real."
"We possess power not to judge who is worthy or not, but to defend the existence of these 'realities' in the face of curses."
"It's to give those who, despite being weak and flawed, still strive to live and emit a faint light, the chance and choice to continue their journey."
"This path has never been easy, and the cycle might be despairing, but this is the path we chose."
"If you feel tired, you can stop and rest; if you feel disgusted, you can complain. But don't easily deny the meaning of your journey so far, and don't exclude us, your companions."
"The title of the strongest has never been something one person carries alone."
After Toho Hiroshi finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the train car.
Utahime stared blankly at Toho Hiroshi, as if seeing him for the first time.
A hint of surprise flashed in Mei Mei's eyes, quickly turning into an amused smile.
Suguru Geto, however, fell completely silent. He lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his eyes, making his expression unreadable.
Only his tightly clenched, slightly trembling fists slowly relaxed.
After a while, he finally looked up, the gloomy aura on his face having dissipated considerably. Though still tired, his eyes held a newfound clarity.
He rubbed the still-aching back of his head and gave a bitter smile: "Got it. Thanks, Toho."
Although the road ahead remained shrouded in mist, and his inner struggles would not disappear just like that.
But at least at this moment, his sworn friend's merciless slap and clumsy yet firm words were like a strong light, temporarily dispelling the dense fog that had gathered in his heart, preventing him from immediately sliding into that dangerous abyss.
Toho Hiroshi withdrew his hand, his gaze returning to the rapidly passing night scenery outside the window, as if his words just now were merely a casual remark.
A subtle silence fell over the train car.
Utahime secretly glanced at Toho Hiroshi's stern profile, then at Suguru Geto, who was deep in thought, and instinctively leaned closer to Mei Mei, muttering softly, "I didn't expect Dongfang to be... quite the talker..."
Mei Mei's lips curved into a meaningful smile, and she replied in a voice only the two of them could hear: "When investing in a potential stock, you don't just look at combat power; mindset and vision are equally important. Now, it seems this potential stock has even more investment value."
Suguru Geto slowly leaned back against the seat, closed his eyes, and repeatedly chewed on Toho Hiroshi's words in his mind.
Protection is because it's necessary, not because it's worthy.
The title of the strongest is not something one person carries.
These words were like stones dropped into a deep pool, spreading ripples in his chaotic mind, temporarily dispelling the thick darkness that was almost drowning him.
Although the core conflict remained unresolved and the path ahead was still unclear, at least he felt he could breathe a little again.
The train sped on, the lights outside blurring into a continuous band of light... It was late at night when they returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
After parting ways with Mei Mei and Utahime, Toho Hiroshi and Suguru Geto walked side by side on the way back to their dorms.
The night wind was cool, ruffling Suguru Geto's bangs. The fatigue on his face was still evident, but the deathly gloom had dissipated considerably.
"That guy Gojo probably ran off somewhere to fool around again," Suguru Geto tried to break the silence with a light tone.
"Mm."
Toho Hiroshi responded, "He sent a message saying he found traces of a Special Grade Cursed Womb in Sendai and was going to try the Cream Kiku Fuku there."
Suguru Geto chuckled and shook his head: "That's just like him, always restless."
The two walked to the fork in the road leading to the dorm building.
Suguru Geto stopped and looked at Toho Hiroshi, his expression much more solemn: "Toho, thank you for today."
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