You...

Ryosuke stood still for a moment, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Then, he let out a long sigh.

"Phew… that was close. Never thought I'd be such a good actor."

He ran a hand through his messy hair, a nervous smile lingering on his lips. He replayed the scene from just moments ago in his mind—feigning exhaustion, playing the courageous underdog barely holding his ground against a much stronger opponent. But now that it was over, a sliver of doubt crept in.

What if Geto had seen through his act? What if he'd just decided to play along with his own game?

"Eh, whatever," he muttered, shrugging.

Suddenly, the world around him began to shift. The smoldering ruins, the gaping craters, the shattered stone spires—all of it vanished. Fissures sealed themselves shut, debris reassembled, and within moments, the landscape was restored to its original state. It was as if no battle had ever taken place.

But that wasn't all. Around Ryosuke, ghostly shapes began to materialize—curses that had attacked him earlier, now reforming after being dispelled.

Ryosuke folded his arms, his expression darkening slightly.

"Geto, you've been keeping close tabs on your inventory," he said with a sigh. "Not surprising, considering what you're planning."

In front of him, he could tell there were no Special Grade curses left—just one Semi-Special Grade, while the rest were mostly Grade 1 and lower, with a significant number at the lowest rank.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe I should've raised the stakes a little," he mused.

He could have ended it all right then and there—taken out Geto, removed the obstacle for good, and claimed everything Geto possessed. But something had held him back, and he knew exactly why.

"No," he murmured to himself. "It's not time yet."

The temptation to take everything in one move was strong, but Ryosuke knew that impatience could cost him dearly. Acting too soon would ruin the game.

It was risky, of course. Going up against a sorcerer as experienced as Geto was never a walk in the park.

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "You could've died, you idiot."

But deep down, he knew it wasn't just his caution holding him back—it was the thrill. His heart was still pounding, every muscle tense from walking such a fine line.

Geto wasn't like other opponents. He was cunning, and above all, powerful. One misstep, and the duel could've turned into an all-out battlefield.

Still, this wasn't a defeat. Not even close. Ryosuke had tested his limits, pushed his techniques, and confirmed a truth he'd been avoiding for too long.

"I'm really strong," he said aloud, almost startled by his own words.

His aunt had always said it, with that half-serious, half-mocking tone of hers—his potential was immense. But today, he'd seen it for himself. Even holding back, even pretending, he had stood toe-to-toe with Geto. And that was no small feat.

The only ones who could still give him a real fight were monsters like Satoru or Sukuna.

He clenched his fists, a faint smile lighting up his face.

"When I've perfected my CT… When I finally have the guts to use full Overhaul…" He let the sentence hang, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

That day, he would have no doubts left. He wouldn't just be number one among sorcerers—he'd be number one, period. The kind of person who defied the very laws of the world.

From the tattered inside pocket of his coat, he pulled out a small, glowing pearl. With a sly grin, Ryosuke held it up in front of him.

"Sorry, Geto, but your toys are going to be a lot more useful to me than they ever were to you."

Instantly, an invisible force began pulling the curses toward the pearl. The creatures screamed in rage and agony, struggling futilely against the overwhelming pull. One by one, they were absorbed into the pearl, their forms disintegrating in bursts of shadowy light.

When it was over, Ryosuke inspected the pearl, turning it slowly between his fingers.

"Only Semi-Grade 1 and above, huh? Yeah, that'll do just fine."

He hesitated for a moment, his mind racing at the thought of starting the extraction process for his chimera right then and there. But he held back, gripping the pearl tightly in his fist.

"Not yet," he muttered under his breath. "Patience. The longer I wait, the better the result."

Carefully, he stashed the pearl back into his pocket and turned to leave. But just as he was about to step away, a thought hit him like a bolt of lightning.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, smacking his forehead. "Mechamaru!"

With a measured stride, Ryosuke walked over to the curtain. He placed a hand on the ethereal fabric, and immediately, it dissipated, evaporating into the air like mist blown away by the wind.

On the other side stood Mechamaru, frozen in an awkwardly stiff posture.

Ryosuke crossed his arms and snapped his fingers, the sharp sound echoing in the stillness.

"Well? Anybody home?" he called out, a smirk tugging at his lips.

At his words, Mechamaru slowly turned its head toward him.

"Insulting," the machine growled in a mechanical voice. "Leaving me behind like that—it's as if you're saying I'm… a burden."

Ryosuke rolled his eyes, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"But that's exactly what you are, Mechamaru. A big, massive burden."

The tension in the air hung heavy as Ryosuke's words landed. Mechamaru let out a high-pitched whine, but before it could respond, Ryosuke stepped closer, resting a hand on the robot's metallic shoulder. Lowering his voice slightly, he added:

"Come on, stop sulking, Kokichi. Take me to your hideout. I'll make you a little less… useless. Well, to a degree."

A heavy silence followed Ryosuke's declaration. Mechamaru remained still.

Ryosuke shoved his hands into his pockets, his usual nonchalant smile still in place. Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, he pivoted slightly on his heels, glancing over his shoulder.

"Oh, by the way," he said casually, "you're finally going to see the sunlight."

The words sent a faint tremor through Mechamaru's metal plates, but the machine didn't respond. Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, his amused grin widening, and then turned fully, striding ahead with confident steps.

He came to a stop, scanning the area around them. "Well… our assistant got killed. Nice, huh? But hey, we've still got the car." He shot a questioning glance at Mechamaru. "You know how to drive, right?"

This time, Mechamaru let out a peculiar sound, somewhere between a mechanical groan and a frustrated sigh. "Why… why are you doing this?" it finally asked. "Why would you do this for… me?"

Ryosuke froze mid-step. For a moment, silence reclaimed its place, broken only by the distant whistling of the wind. Then, slowly, he turned back to Mechamaru, an enigmatic smile spreading across his face.

"Because I feel like it, that's why," he said with a tone that was almost carefree. "Do I need a reason to help a friend?"

TO BE CONTINUED!

Next Chapter: Rumors (1)