The light in the hall shifted, the golden dust motes seeming to celebrate the quiet rebirth taking place. With their new, unremarkable faces, Amanai Riko and Kuroi looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. The fear was gone, replaced by a tentative, dizzying sense of possibility.
"We'll handle their relocation and documentation," Ieiri Shoko said, her practical tone grounding the moment. "A quiet town, far from any major spiritual landmarks. They'll need to learn to live without drawing attention, even from low-level curses."
Geto Suguru nodded. "It's the least we can do." He looked at the two girls, his usual sardonic expression softened. "Live well. That's the only revenge that matters against a world that wanted to use you up."
With final, grateful bows that felt both awkward and profound, Amanai Riko and Kuroi were led away by Shoko, who would use her connections to begin weaving them into the fabric of the non-sorcerer world.
That left Geto, Kamo, and the recovering Nanami and Haibara in the vast, echoing hall. The weight of the last few days settled upon them, a mix of exhaustion and restless energy.
Geto turned to Kamo, his eyes sharp. "You let Toji go. You made a deal with him." It wasn't an accusation, but a demand for the parameters of this new, uncertain game.
"I redirected him," Kamo corrected calmly. "He's a singular asset. Wasting him would be poor resource management. He'll be more useful alive, believing he's operating with a shred of freedom, than as a corpse or a mindless puppet. For now."
"And the spear?" Geto pressed, his gaze dropping to the *Inverted Spear of Heaven* now casually held in Kamo's hand.
Kamo lifted it, examining the blade that had pierced the inviolable. "A key," he said simply. "Proof that no defense is absolute. A reminder. And," he added, a glint in his eye, "an excellent research subject. The principles behind its nullification could be… extrapolated."
The ambition in his voice was quietly terrifying. Geto understood then that Kamo's goals were not merely personal strength or clan advantage. He was thinking in terms of systemic change, of rewriting the fundamental tools of their world.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Itsuki," Geto said, his voice low.
"The only game worth playing," Kamo replied, his gaze drifting toward the inner sanctum where Tengen was completing the merger with the replica. "The old board is rotten. It's time to build a new one."
He glanced at Nanami and Haibara. "You two should return to the school. Report that the mission was a success, with casualties but objectives secured. Keep the details vague. Let Yaga-sensei handle the higher-ups."
Nanami, ever professional, gave a stiff nod. Haibara looked like he wanted to ask a dozen questions but thought better of it.
As they departed, Geto and Kamo were left alone in the silent grandeur of the Hoshigami hall. The aftermath of violence and the scent of change hung heavy in the air.
"Satoru will be insufferable," Geto said finally, a weary smile touching his lips.
"He already is," Kamo agreed. "But his new level of power is a necessary variable. A deterrent. It gives us time."
"Time for what?"
Kamo Itsuki looked at his friend, his ally in this nascent conspiracy. "Time to learn. To prepare. Tengen will teach me barriers. This spear will teach me deconstruction. And the sample I took from Toji…" He didn't finish the thought, but the implication was clear: he would attempt to reverse-engineer the pinnacle of physical prowess.
"We're first-year students," Geto said, though it sounded less like a reminder and more like a marvel.
"We are the future," Kamo stated, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "And the future starts now. Let's go home. There's work to do."
They walked out of the Hoshigami Estate together, leaving behind the site of a sacrifice that never was, an assassination that succeeded only in fiction, and a battle that had birthed a god and a scientist-king. The sun was setting, casting long shadows ahead of them—shadows they intended to step into and reshape. The Star Plasma Vessel incident was over. But for Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, and Kamo Itsuki, the real story was just beginning.
Geto Suguru studied the fierce, unwavering determination in the girls' eyes. He sighed, the sound laced with a reluctant respect. "You have the talent. But this path is one of constant battle. After finally gaining your freedom, you would choose this?"
"We are choosing not to be powerless ever again," Amanai Riko said, her voice steady despite the moisture in her eyes. "We will take our destiny into our own hands."
Geto shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips as he glanced at Kamo. "I'm just a student myself. It's not my place to teach you."
Following his look, the two girls turned and bowed in unison to Kamo Itsuki. "Please!"
Ieiri Shoko interjected with pragmatic clarity. "Why not just enroll them in Jujutsu High? Anyone with the talent can attend."
Kamo's eyes gleamed with immediate calculation. He gave a confident nod. "The Kamo Clan's influence will handle their new identities. Consider their enrollment done."
Relief and gratitude broke across Amanai and Kuroi's faces. "Thank you so much!"
With the matter settled, the group began to disperse. Only Kamo Itsuki remained behind at the Hoshigami Estate. Tengen's offer to teach him Barrier Technique was an opportunity he would not miss. He understood that mastering barriers was the direct path to unraveling the deeper mystery of Domain Expansion. He intended to conquer both.
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