Chapter 95 : Geto and a Single Meeting
Hearing the name [Geto], Jiang Lai paused slightly, his heart becoming clear, and Shuuki's following sentence pressed the confirmation key on his speculation:
"Geto-sensei is a cursed spirit manipulator, and he's also a special grade sorcerer, so he's guarding the [door] at Heian-kyo's shrine altar. But there are really too many cursed spirits, so even so, he can't completely stop them..."
Geto's surname plus the cursed spirit manipulator setting, from the Jujutsu world's reincarnation setting perspective, this should be the thousand-year-ago Geto Suguru.
Jiang Lai extended his thinking. Additionally, he wondered if the Ten Shadows Technique youth beside him was still using the "Shuuki" name he'd casually given back then, or perhaps the other's real name from his parents was "Megumi."
Speaking of which, if viewed from actual Japanese history, commoners of this era didn't have surnames, only nobles had them in limited numbers.
But the Jujutsu world probably emphasized the concept of "return," creating fictional surnames, with most people having surnames like a thousand years later.
The mental wandering lasted only an instant. Jiang Lai quickly refocused, answering: "Let's go to the [door] now."
The healed jujutsu sorcerer returned to the battlefield, while Shuuki led Jiang Lai across the ruined Heian-kyo city toward the [door]'s location.
Along the way, Jiang Lai casually exorcised many cursed spirits with space techniques dancing at his fingertips.
However, with time pressing, he couldn't apply time techniques to each person individually, so he only restored a few who were near death. The rest were sent by people around them to the doctor who mastered reverse cursed technique output, that is, to the thousand-year-ago Ieiri Shoko.
When occasionally using time techniques, Jiang Lai again felt faint but perceptible fatigue. His heart couldn't help but ripple with waves.
If the previous healing brought fatigue, he could understand it, since Shuuki, who mastered Ten Shadows Technique, was an important character who would leave traces in historical trajectories.
But the several people he'd just healed were all passersby in the crowd, ordinary jujutsu sorcerers and civilians from a thousand years ago. Why would reversing their time also bring faint but clear fatigue?
Could it be viewed from a collective effect? Jiang Lai thought. The Gojo faction people in Heian-kyo city were originally going to be greatly reduced in this incident, and this tragedy as a whole was an event with major impact?
That might be the case. Jiang Lai briefly organized in his mind. But besides this, there might be other reasons.
The tragic scene of Heian-kyo before his eyes was like the Shibuya Incident from the original work, with countless casualties. When Gojo Satoru returned from guarding the [door] in the outskirts and saw this scene, he would definitely reach some emotional peak.
However, regardless, life was about individual beings before him. He couldn't let countless living people die just to emphasize the tragedy's severity.
Death wasn't simple numbers, but precise, heavy weights for each person.
Thoughts flowed through his mind as Jiang Lai's technique manipulation remained flawless. He extended space in parallel then contracted it, using the instant contraction force to protect the crowd while exorcising groups of cursed spirits in a wide area!
Heian-kyo city was severely damaged, making it almost impossible to recognize locations through surrounding building debris.
Shuuki released black and white Divine Dogs that ran ahead toward the shrine altar's direction.
Before approaching the shrine, they could already feel violent cursed energy fluctuations in the air. Countless cursed spirits continuously emerged from there, like swarming from a nest.
Having run through most of Heian-kyo city, Jiang Lai gradually understood Shuuki's words about "too many, too strong cursed spirits."
Logically, even in the thousand-year-ago peak cursed energy period, there shouldn't be so many special grade cursed spirits, as if they'd evolved en masse.
But this also explained why casualties were so severe in Heian-kyo despite having so many jujutsu sorcerers stationed there. The enemies were truly too powerful and appeared unexpectedly.
The outermost wall of the shrine area was half-collapsed, with ancient trees broken at the waist, their cuts remarkably clean as if affected by powerful cursed blades.
Jiang Lai's gaze fell on where the tree rings were exposed, keenly sensing this cursed energy residue was somewhat familiar.
Just then, a frog-shaped cursed spirit suddenly leaped out from behind the wall! Jiang Lai instinctively assumed an attacking stance, then noticed there was a person in the cursed spirit's mouth.
The white Divine Dog beside them barked once. Shuuki placed his hand on the Divine Dog's head, then hesitantly called out: "...Kugisaki?"
The frog cursed spirit opened its large mouth, and a brown-haired girl emerged, struggling free from inside the frog's mouth.
Since the Heian-kyo lacked multi-colored hair dyes, the thousand-year-ago Kugisaki Nobara had natural brown hair instead of the bright orange she dyed in modern times.
She leaped out of the frog cursed spirit's mouth, wiped her scattered hair, and looked up to speak.
"Weren't you supposed to go support the city gate? Why did you come here? Wait, what's this beside you?" The girl's voice was cheerful as her gaze fell on the navy-blue figure with mist covering his face, showing confusion and some wariness.
"...It's Gojo-sensei's friend." Shuuki paused, answering this way. "One of us."
"Gojo-sensei's friend?" The girl raised her delicate eyebrows, looking even more surprised.
Shuuki didn't explain further here, grasping the key point: "Where are you going?"
"Geto-sensei used cursed spirits to send out all the jujutsu sorcerers near the [door], including me." The girl exhaled, quickly explaining. "Two more guys suddenly showed up on scene. Geto-sensei judged the situation was dangerous, not something we could participate in, so he had us all evacuated first."
"...Two more guys?" Shuuki was somewhat surprised.
Jiang Lai, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke: "A four-armed man and a bob-cut youth with ice techniques, right?"
"Eh, how do you know?" The girl widened her eyes slightly, then said, "Those two are quite troublesome. I've heard of the King of Curses' reputation."
At this moment, Shuuki also understood who the additional two were: "Why would those two come here?!"
"I deduced it from the cursed energy residue." Jiang Lai first answered the thousand-year-ago Kugisaki Nobara's question, then said, "As for their reason for being here, probably because of a deal."
"...A deal?" The youth and girl didn't quite understand for a moment.
"This incident in Heian-kyo city isn't accidental, but man-made." Jiang Lai's expression focused as he spoke louder, "You should leave, evacuate the masses away from the shrine area, try to find the barrier's breaking point and let everyone evacuate."
The brown-haired girl and black-haired youth were stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted. In that lightning instant, they both understood some implicit content. At this moment, they didn't discuss further, both nodding in reply: "Alright."
Jiang Lai said no more and didn't linger. He used techniques to leap over the wall into the shrine area.
At the shrine's center was an open circular brick area, which was Heian-kyo city's altar.
The night's light was very dim, and with overwhelming cursed spirits blocking the moonlight, the visible range became extremely narrow. Jiang Lai squinted, using techniques to clear a path while looking into the distance.
After analyzing that the cursed blade residue cutting the trees came from Ryomen Sukuna, his brain began working rapidly.
He naturally never believed Ryomen Sukuna's previous words about simply staying in the outskirts to enjoy the show. Hearing about the other here now wasn't entirely unexpected.
However, he wasn't quite clear what Ryomen Sukuna's specific purpose for appearing here was... Could Kenjaku's (Brain-kun's) deal requirement be for Ryomen Sukuna to kill the thousand-year-ago Geto Suguru and bring back the corpse?
That couldn't be right. Such obvious maneuvering to occupy a body would attract too much attention, unlike the thousand-year-later modern chapter that caught people off guard.
Thoughts flowed in his heart, but Jiang Lai's speed didn't decrease at all. He quickly exorcised cursed spirits attacking from his sides, used space techniques to block flying cursed blade attacks in the air, then landed steadily at the altar's edge!
At the altar's center, a pitch-black rectangular [door] hung in mid-air like a black hole, with countless cursed spirits pouring out and running in all directions.
On the altar, the four-armed figure was exchanging attacks with a black-haired youth with a topknot.
The cursed spirit manipulator controlled and summoned special grade cursed spirits for continuous attacks, but they were almost all blocked by the guy covered in black markings.
The thousand-year-ago Ryomen Sukuna was formidably powerful. Historical records noted "he was someone countless jujutsu sorcerers combined couldn't kill."
Though the thousand-year-ago Geto Suguru was a special grade sorcerer, he was no match for the other, making the current situation somewhat dire.
Moreover, beside them, Uraume with strength surpassing first grade jujutsu sorcerers occasionally attacked with ice techniques.
After dodging Uraume's ice technique attack once more, Geto Suguru retreated half a step. Facing Ryomen Sukuna's crisscrossing sharp cursed blades, he summoned a cursed spirit to use as a meat shield in front of him.
But the cursed spirit wasn't hit by Sukuna's cursed blade attack. Because a space barrier more quickly blocked the attack in advance, cursed blades and air colliding with sharp friction sounds!
"Two against one is rather unfair." A voice rang out from the side.
"...?!" Geto turned his head to look, seeing a black-haired person with an unclear face walking slowly from the altar's edge.
Seeing the navy-blue figure, Uraume showed faint surprise, pausing before assuming an attacking stance.
Ryomen Sukuna on scene clicked his tongue, narrowed his crimson eyes, and drawled: "You bastard actually came here. I thought you'd reminisce with Six Eyes for a while."
So the other originally thought to delay him and Gojo? Jiang Lai raised an eyebrow slightly.
Ryomen Sukuna didn't know he originally planned to have long-haired Gojo return to Heian-kyo, probably thinking the two would reminisce on the spot after their long separation, thus not noticing Heian-kyo city's incident.
Hearing [Six Eyes], a keyword related to his close friend, Geto Suguru's narrow eyes focused as his gaze flowed, temporarily unable to determine if that person was friend or foe.
After all, "reminiscing" had more than one implication, especially coming from Ryomen Sukuna's mouth.
But immediately after, the next second, his wavering speculation was confirmed in one direction.
He saw Ryomen Sukuna suddenly launch a preemptive strike when caught off guard, his attacks suddenly escalating in intensity. The navy-blue figure moved nimbly, dodging the foremost blade while flicking his fingers to counterattack with powerful space slashes!
Uraume also used ice techniques the next moment, with Geto Suguru quickly controlling special grade cursed spirits to respond!
A two-versus-two battle immediately began!
Explosion and whooshing sounds continued without pause, with flames, ice crystals, cursed blades and other mixed techniques interweaving. Under several people's continuous cursed energy bombardment, the altar scattered stone fragments, revealing the original ground beneath.
Even nearby cursed spirits were affected, being exorcised amid wails.
Only that black hole-like [door] hanging in mid-air remained completely unaffected. Cursed energy attacks directed at it were silently dissolved and devoured.
Jiang Lai struck without mercy, not restraining his attacks since the other side was also ruthless with every move.
He wasn't worried about this battle's aftermath. After all, not long ago, he'd used space techniques to carry the token Shuuki gave him to long-haired Gojo in the outskirts. Once the other resolved that door of unknown authenticity in the outskirts, he would quickly return.
Then their battle would become three versus two, and when Six Eyes arrived on scene, the scales would tip to one side.
Thinking this, Jiang Lai again swung his sleeve, sending out a condensed powerful space fan.
The space fan carrying heavy cursed energy was like a rising tsunami wave. Ryomen Sukuna raised his arm to block it, sliding dozens of meters away under the shockwave, retreating into the battle between Geto Suguru and Uraume near the [door].
The knocked-back Ryomen Sukuna clicked his tongue, raised his hand to make hand signs as if to deploy domain [Malevolent Kitchen].
Jiang Lai immediately became alert, similarly gathering his aura and putting his hands together, preparing to use his own domain to break the other's domain.
However, the next second, the other didn't deploy Malevolent Kitchen as expected, but instead suddenly changed his action, attacking to the side with extreme speed and viciousness!
Ryomen Sukuna violently pushed the topknot youth who was also preparing to respond with a domain toward the [door] not far behind!
This action was unexpected, and no one reacted in time!
Geto Suguru, hit hard in the chest, coughed up blood. He narrowed his fox-like eyes, quickly adjusting his form in mid-air, preparing to summon cursed spirits again to counterattack and defend.
But before he could adjust himself, curse markings around the [door] suddenly lit up, and ropes extended from the [door] tightly wrapped around his wrists and neck, pulling hard!
"!??"
Geto Suguru never expected the [door] to operate like this. The ropes of unknown material couldn't be broken free from or destroyed. In his shock, he was violently pulled into the black hole-like [door]!
Jiang Lai, rushing over with full techniques in a few steps, couldn't stop it either, watching as the other was pulled in by the ropes.
...Why did the [door] have these things besides transferring cursed spirits?! What was this situation?!
Jiang Lai stared wide-eyed at the [door] hanging in mid-air, Ryomen Sukuna's laughter echoing in his ears.
The other laughed heartily, watching Jiang Lai with considerable interest: "Not bad, not bad. That expression of yours is quite watchable. Speaking of which, didn't you want to know the content of my deal with a certain guy? This was it."
...The deal content was to push Geto Suguru into the [door]??
Jiang Lai's mind went blank for an instant, his eyes wide as he stared at the pitch-black [door] before him.
At such close distance, he finally instinctively sensed something unusual.
Some strange power surrounded the [door], coating every cursed spirit pouring out from it, thus greatly enhancing their strength.
Though this power wasn't very familiar, he could instinctively sense that this [door]... had some [Existence] power.
Jiang Lai's heart stopped.
Among known [Existence], the only power he wasn't familiar with was one: the [Death] good side's divine status that he'd never seen, from the thousand-year-ago early death, probably currently in Brain-kun's hands.
Similar to the future special grade cursed object Ryomen Sukuna's fingers, divine status and divine status fragments also had natural power to attract cursed spirits.
However, divine status carrying world power wasn't something anyone could randomly devour and use. Ordinary cursed spirits and humans using it alone would only explode and die.
But [doors], things originating from the world, were different.
So... Brain-kun was using the good side of [Death]'s divine status as some kind of energy source, then directly installing it on the [door]??