Chapter 177 - 178
At the training field of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Kiriya’s shadow clone was putting Yuta through close-combat drills, while Maki sparred with Panda and Inumaki.
Everyone was busy.
Gojo sat nearby with one leg crossed over the other, his eyes covered as usual, watching his students pour their sweat into training.
"Ah, youth."
Ring! Ring!
His phone suddenly rang.
Gojo pulled it out and saw an unfamiliar number.
Curious, he answered.
"Hello, Gojo Satoru speaking. Who’s this?"
"Yo, Satoru. It’s been a while."
The painfully familiar voice on the other end made Gojo sit upright at once.
"Geto?" He spoke the name cautiously.
"It’s me. What, you don’t recognize my voice anymore?"
Geto chuckled.
"Of course I recognize it. That’s exactly why I’m surprised."
Gojo kept his tone casual.
"What’s this? Calling to admit you were wrong and turn over a new leaf?"
"...You really haven’t changed, Satoru. You still love making jokes that aren’t remotely funny."
Geto reclined comfortably in his seat.
"I’m only calling to inform you of something."
"What?"
Gojo’s brow slowly furrowed.
"Three days from now, at sunset, I’ll be holding a Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
Geto’s voice remained warm and relaxed.
"The locations will be Shinjuku, that great melting pot of cursed energy, and Kyoto, the heartland of traditional jujutsu."
"I’ll release nearly a thousand curses in each city."
"What do you think? Sounds entertaining, doesn’t it?"
A chill passed through Gojo’s entire body.
"Do you understand what you’re saying, Geto?"
His hand tightened around the phone until the casing began to creak.
"Millions of people live in those cities."
"Then come and stop me."
Geto leisurely sipped his tea.
"We’ll see which is stronger—my Night Parade or the students of Jujutsu High."
"...I’ll arrest you myself and put an end to all of this."
Gojo’s voice was utterly resolute.
Silence lingered on the other end for a moment.
Then Geto spoke softly.
"I’ll tell you the same thing I always do, Satoru."
"If you think you can, then try."
The call ended.
...
Geto lowered his phone and looked around the spacious meeting room.
"That’s the situation."
He raised his voice.
"Three days from now, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons begins."
"My friends, let us give this decaying jujutsu world a performance it will never forget."
A cheer rose from those gathered before him.
Among them were Mimiko, a black-haired schoolgirl, Nanako, a fashionable blonde; and Larue, a shirtless young man with pink heart-shaped markings across his chest.
"Mimiko, since we still have time, let’s get crepes from that place on Takeshita Street," Nanako suddenly said, brightening at something on her phone.
"It has amazing reviews."
"Yeah! I’ve seen that shop too. Everything looks delicious."
Mimiko nodded eagerly.
"Hmph. Children really are children," Larue remarked. "Even your interests are childish."
"What did you say?"
Nanako glared at him, looking more adorable than threatening.
"You want to fight?"
"Haha. Gladly."
Larue stared back without yielding.
Just as the two sides seemed ready to start a brawl, Geto sighed.
"Nanako, Larue, families should get along."
The two snorted at each other and walked off in opposite directions.
"My, my. They’re still children."
Geto turned toward Miguel with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry you had to see that."
"Hahaha! A noisy family is a happy family."
Miguel waved it off.
"Honestly, I’m more surprised by you, Geto."
"Oh? Why?"
"I expected you to march straight into Jujutsu High and announce the Night Parade in front of everyone."
Miguel raised a thumb.
"Then you’d walk away in style while they stood there furious and powerless to stop you."
"That would’ve been the perfect entrance."
"I originally planned to do exactly that."
Geto looked faintly regretful.
"Unfortunately, Jujutsu High is rather dangerous these days."
"If I went there in person, the final battle might begin ahead of schedule."
"Even I can’t guarantee I’d escape unharmed if I had to face both Satoru and that boy."
Miguel paused.
"That boy is really that strong?"
"Stronger than you imagine."
A nostalgic look entered Geto’s eyes.
"His martial arts are almost beyond comprehension."
"Well, now I’m curious."
Miguel smiled with interest.
"I’d like to see him fight sometime."
"You’ll get the opportunity."
Geto rested his chin against one hand.
"He’ll most likely remain behind to guard Yuta Okkotsu."
"This time, I intend to capture both him and Rika Orimoto."
"Hahaha. Ambitious."
Miguel took a long drink of cola.
"Try not to get yourself killed."
"That won’t happen."
Meaning filled Geto’s gaze.
"I’ve prepared thoroughly this time."
"And I have a very special gift waiting for him."
"I’m sure he’ll love it."
...
At Tokyo Jujutsu High, Principal Masamichi Yaga immediately summoned the teachers and their strongest students after learning that Geto intended to launch a Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Kiriya was naturally present.
He was officially a student of Jujutsu High now, and no one in the room was more enthusiastic about hunting curses than he was.
Leaving him out would have made no sense.
After Gojo briefly explained the situation, the meeting room fell into a heavy silence.
"Two cities, with nearly a thousand curses released in each?"
Takuma Ino scratched his head and drew a sharp breath.
"That number is ridiculous. Could he be bluffing?"
"Reports over the past several years have shown a noticeable decline in the overall number of recorded cursed spirits."
Ijichi adjusted his glasses.
"Considering that Geto possesses Cursed Spirit Manipulation and has the Star Religious Group supporting him, two thousand curses is likely a realistic estimate."
Ino immediately fell silent.
Kiriya clicked his tongue in amazement.
Geto had already lost more than a thousand curses during their battle. Maximum: Uzumaki had probably consumed another one or two thousand.
And yet he could still field an army of this size.
Just how many cursed spirits had the man absorbed over the past decade?
"The enemy’s numbers are enormous, but most of the curses will probably be below Grade 2," Yaga said.
"As for the curse users supporting him, I doubt there will be more than a few dozen."
"In terms of overall combat strength, we still hold the advantage."
His expression hardened.
"But we cannot afford to become complacent."
"The battles will take place in heavily populated urban areas. A single mistake could turn the streets into rivers of blood."
Yaga looked around the room.
"Contact every available graduate."
"Request assistance from the Three Great Sorcerer Families and the Ainu Jujutsu Society."
He slammed one hand onto the table.
"This time, we will exorcise the curse known as Suguru Geto once and for all."
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