Wasted potential

A/N: The first few paragraphs are Geto explaining Gojo's Cursed Technique for those who don't know. Even if that's almost no one.

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(Suguru Geto POV)

I quickly take Riko and Misato into the college and lead them to the Tombs of the Star Corridor. I can feel the battle take place from here. Despite my initial shock, which hasn't dissipated yet, I trust Gojo fully. He is, after all, the strongest. I have to admit that I never saw Satoru bleed, though. I never saw someone touch him even. He seemed untouchable in the truest sense of the word. And the reason for this is his Cursed Technique: Limitless.

At the base level, Limitless is an innate technique derived from the Gojo family. This technique grants its users nigh-absolute control over space through cursed energy manipulation at an atomic level, resulting in multiple subsequent results and methods within the overall ability. With the manipulation of space as just the base level of the technique, Limitless has two forms beyond this.

First, we have Infinity. Being the neutral form of the Limitless, the Infinity is commonly known as the ability to stop. However, this is a common misconception, as the true power of the Infinity is to slow things down. When something attempts to hit Satoru, the person or object in question instead hits the Infinity between himself and them. According to Satoru, this is the convergence of an infinite series and comes straight from the paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. Akin to the way Achilles will never catch the tortoise due to the potential, limitless amounts of finite space separating them or how the real number one will never touch the real number two due to the infinite amount of fractions that separate them, the opponent will never touch Satoru due to the Infinity between them. 

The assassin used Satoru's mental exhaustion when he didn't have the technique activated to attack, again proving how powerful it is. 

Then we have Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue. The reinforced version of the neutral limitless Blue is the byproduct of Satoru amplifying the Limitless and negative energy, producing a vacuum. Through these, Satoru creates a scenario where the world itself is forced to correct itself and fill in the negative space, causing all matter in the range of the commanded space to be pulled together.

"Haa ..."

I exhale and try to calm down my beating heart as we descend using the elevator. 

"Riko-sama," Misato says.

"This is as far as I go. Riko-sama, please ..."

Misato is interrupted by Riko, who embraces her with tears in her eyes. 

"Kuroi, I love you! I always have, and I always will!"

"Me too. I love you too!"

This entire situation is wrong. I can tell that she doesn't want to do this. She deserves to live the life she wishes, and I will make sure.

We walk through the Tombs of the Star Corridor halls in silence until we reach our destination.

"So this is-"

"Yeah. We're in Tengen-sama's territory now. This is the foundation of the nation's key barriers—the Main Hall of the Tombs of the Star. Once you descend the stairs, pass through the gate and continue to the base of the big tree. Then, you'll be inside the unique barrier that's separate from the barrier surrounding Jujutsu High. Only those invited can enter it. Tengen-sama will protect you until the assimilation. That ..."

"... or we can turn around and go back home with Kuroi-san."

I feel her confused gaze on me. 

"Huh?"

"When our teacher told us about this mission, he called the assimilation 'erasing'. He was trying to tell us to be aware of how heavy a sin that was. Our teacher may be a muscle-brain but often does roundabout things."

I turn to Amanai and smile. 

"Satoru and I already talked it over before we met you. We decided that should you decide not to go through with the assimilation, it would be off, and you wouldn't have to go through with it. We are the strongest. No matter what decision you make, we will guarantee your future."

"I have always been special since the day I was born. Everyone kept telling me that I was different. Being special was normal to me, and I've lived my life trying to avoid danger for the sake of this day. I don't really remember the day my mother and father died. I no longer feel sad or lonely about that. I figured everything would be fine, even if I was taken from everyone and assimilated. That no matter how hard it was, it would stop feeling sad and lonely one day. But ... but ... honestly ... I want to be with everyone longer!"

I smiled at seeing her finally express her feelings. 

"I want to go to all kinds of places with everyone. I want to see all kinds of things and do more!"

I stretch out my hand to her.

"Let's go home, Riko-chan."

"Yeah-"

*BANG*

A shot, a loud sound, blood ... and Riko falling to the ground. 

Everything happens in slow motion before I can even react and realise what's happening.

"Riko-chan?"

...

"Yare yare ... how sentimental. Can you believe the drama? *Sigh* anyway, that was all; you can go now."

...

The assassin.

"... Why are you here?"

"Hm? Why? ... Oh, that's what you mean. Because I killed Gojo Satoru, of course."

!!

Anger. I am overcome with pure outrage right now. This, this ... this monkey, dares!!!

A large portal appears behind me, and from it, my Special Grade and other Curses emerge at my beck and call. I will kill him and end his disgusting life. And avenge Riko-chan and Satoru if it's the last thing I do.

"Is that so? Die!"

I immediately send out my Rainbow Dragon curse attacking him with one of my strongest curses. The Rainbow Dragon smashes into him and they crash through the ground and buildings. I observe as the monkey simply responds by nonchalantly firing off several bullets at me. 

*Bang bang bang*

I block his shots with another curse and watch as my Rainbow Dragon pushes him further in, towards the tree and then crashes into the buildings. I follow and jump on a building, before entering. I desummon Rainbow Dragon again. As the smoke clears I see the assassin stand there without a hint of an injury. 

"Oi oi, don't be so impatient," he says with a self-righteous grin on his face. 

"How did you get into the-"

*Whoosh*

I don't get to ask my questions as he suddenly appears before me. I wasn't expecting that and immediately summoned a curse to block his attack. His fist punches the curse, giving me enough time to-

*BOOM*

"Ugh..."

I fall to the ground, feeling the sudden pain on my face. I get up as fast as I can but when I look to the front ... he's gone. Where is he? He has no Cursed Energy, making it impossible for me to feel him and tell where he is. I move around and am ready to summon another Cursed Spirit at any moment when my senses warn me about something. I turn around, summoning several curses to attack .. but nothing. 

"I could have sworn-"

*Bang*

I feel pain again and his powerful hand grips the back of my head. I summon several Cursed Spirits to attack but he just slashes his blade at them, killing them. 

*Shing*

"Kaaaah!"

He stabs me in the stomach with his blade, causing me to almost black out from the pain. 

"I planned to let you live today since you're a Cursed Spirit user. Had you been a Shikigami user, I would have killed you without thinking, but a Cursed Spirits user is different. Something has come to my attention, however, assuring me that killing you would in fact not release all your Cursed Spirits. So goodbye."

"RAAAH!"

I shout in fury and summon the Rainbow Dragon again. This time, he doesn't just take the attack and instead moves back. His speed is hateful and is getting on my nerves. He is so fast, that he is capable of running up the walls while dodging the Rainbow Dragon. I open more and more portals, sending out hundreds of smaller Grade 4 Spirits and shooting them towards him. The assassin reaches the ceiling and I see his arrogant grin still in place. But what worries me is what he does next. He suddenly changes direction and instead of running away from the Rainbow Dragon, he speeds towards it. 

"Now!"

The Rainbow Dragon opens his maw and the monkey shoots right into it, being swallowed and hopefully ...

!!!

*Schuiuiiing*

I see a blade sticking out of the Rainbow Dragon's body and twirling from the top to the bottom, like a corkscrew. Then the assassin reappears, having cut apart the Rainbow Dragon with seeming ease. The Rainbow Dragon has the toughest hide there is, this shouldn't be possible. I send out more and more Cursed Spirits to attack him, but he simply flashes his arm and sword through the air, cutting them all apart, no matter the speed and no matter the power of the spirits. What is that sword?

*BOOOM*

He lands before me, as the small building platform falls to the depts. 

"Cursed Spirit manipulation ... so much potential and you're wasting it. How embarrassing."

Suddenly, the monkey gets caught inside a Domain by Kuchisake-Onna, my Imaginary Vengeful Spirit. This locks him into a Binding Vow that can't be broken until he answers her question. The world turns blue and time seemingly stops. 

"Hey, am ... am ... am I ... pretty?"

"..."

"..."

"No."

A pair of scissors suddenly appears in her hands and larger forms of the blades instantly appear ready to sheer off his limbs. However, the damned cursed spirit which is wrapped around him, gives him the small Cursed Weapon again. He deflects all the blades with incredible speed that surprises me and breaks the technique. 

However, it is over for him.

"It's over ... for you."

I hold my hand out to his Cursed Spirit and pull it towards me. Curse Manipulation. It's a technique that lets me absorb cursed spirits that have surrendered and freely manipulate them. If there's roughly a two-grade difference between our levels, I skip making them submit and absorb them unconditionally. His Cursed Spirit may have a unique ability, but it's not powerful in itself. I can absorb it and that will lock down his armoury. Then, I'll just brute-force him to-

*Clang*

"What?!" the process is suddenly interrupted by something. 

I see him grin, throw his small Cursed Tool into the air and take out another one from the Cursed Inventory. He takes out a wakizashi and then slashes it across my body several times, drawing blood. Then he jumps into the air, catches his smaller Cursed Tool and kicks me back. 

*BOOOOOM*

...

"That wasn't a bad plan you had there. But you made a mistake."

"Wh-what?" I say as blood flows out of my mouth. 

"You thought this was a Cursed Spirit because it looks like one and has the Cursed Energy of one as well. But, the truth is ... it's not a Cursed Spirit. It's a Cursed Tool."

"What?!"

"Heh, you did good. I could have killed you sooner, but I wanted to get rid of as many Cursed Spirits you had. Honestly, if done right, you could have become such a powerful and annoying Sorcerer in the future, but you wasted your potential. Why didn't you use your arrogant friend, the Six Eyes to capture more Special Grade Cursed Spirits? Pride has nothing to do with a successful Sorcerer. It's what killed not just you, but your friend as well."

I see. I wasn't even a threat to him in the first place. He wasn't certain whether or not, killing me would set all the Cursed Spirits free, which I absorbed, so he bided his time, playing around with me and killing all the Cursed Spirits I sent out to kill him. I played right into his hands. How embarrassing ...

"Farewell, Sorcerer."

... to die to a monkey like that. 

*Shing*

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Yes, Suguru Geto is dead.