Geto Suguru felt that all the cursed energy in his body had been drained, and his throat was sore, but the giant heart still resisted, refusing to be absorbed into a cursed spirit jade.
The next challenge was willpower and endurance. Whoever could hold out longer would be the winner.
To be honest, Geto Suguru wasn't particularly invested in rescuing reckless people like Konishi Hayami, who had wandered into danger and caused unnecessary trouble.
However, he wanted to help first-grade sorcerers Yukawa Ryu and Itō Kimiyo, who had risked their lives to save others. He also refused to fall behind Gojo Satoru. Subduing a special-grade cursed spirit was crucial for improving his own abilities, and an opportunity like this was rare.
The blue cursed energy continued pouring from Geto Suguru's palm. The heart's resistance weakened, its beats growing sluggish—it was reaching its limit.
"Geto, keep going!" Gojo Satoru's voice rang out from behind.
It was the last push Geto needed. The blue cursed energy finally overwhelmed the black and purple aura, forcing it to collapse.
At that moment, Kamo Chiya emerged from the rubble near the massive hole, stumbling toward the heart. His hand reached out to interrupt Geto's technique.
A cursed spirit manipulator's technique could not be interrupted. If it was, the backlash could be severe. Geto had no choice but to continue, completely focused.
A blur of motion cut between them.
Gojo Satoru, moving effortlessly, grabbed Kamo Chiya by the collar and yanked him back. His blue eyes, sharp and cold, sent a clear warning. Kamo Chiya barely had time to register the fear before he lost consciousness.
A bright light surged into the sky, illuminating the night.
Geto Suguru had succeeded.
A deep red curse jade formed from the ruins and floated into Geto's palm. He staggered slightly, exhausted.
"He actually pulled it off!" Gojo Satoru used Cursed Technique: Blue to instantly appear beside Geto. Peering over his shoulder at the red jade, he whistled. "Whoa, Geto! This curse jade is red? That's new!"
It was unusual. Curse jades were typically black, but this one had strange circular runes etched into its surface.
More importantly, the massive heart still hadn't disappeared. It continued to beat, its blood vessels still linked to the victims.
"Why is this thing still here?" Geto frowned.
Gojo stroked his chin and gestured to the connected people. "Maybe it's because their ties to the heart haven't been severed. Geto, you should absorb the Curse Spirit Jade and break the connection."
Geto hesitated.
"…Turn around. You staring at me makes it weird."
Gojo raised an eyebrow. "What, are you shy?"
Geto sighed. "Just look somewhere else, alright?"
Gojo put his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine! Not looking."
He turned around—though with Six Eyes, it didn't really matter.
The moment the crimson jade slid down Geto's throat, a flood of memories invaded his mind.
"Sakurako, the back door of the basement is the only way out of the realm. Don't get on that bus." Yukawa Ryu's voice echoed.
"My Lord, I can kill the escaped Yukawa Sakurako for you, but grant me power in return." That voice belonged to Kamo Noritoshi.
The vision shifted to Akiu Onsen Resort.
"Nakamura Tarō, if you kill Yukawa Sakurako, the gods will bless you," Kamo Noritoshi murmured, handing over a vial of red liquid.
The scene shifted again.
Kamo Noritoshi, standing before a massive heart, whispered reverently, "The white-haired boy is the Gojo heir, not someone to trifle with. If he disappears, the entire sorcerer world will descend upon us. It's better to avoid him for now."
Geto pushed through the memories, searching for the golden thread binding the heart to its hosts. The moment he severed it, the rush of memories stopped.
The heart let out a final, weak pulse—and then stilled.
Gojo grinned. "Well, that did the trick! Geto's stronger than ever."
Geto smirked. "Took you this long to figure that out?"
Kurosaki Ichigo dragged Conan over. "So, can we cut these blood vessels now?"
"Go ahead," Geto said, straightening up.
"Finally! These things are annoying." Kurosaki Ichigo took a step back, gripping his massive sword.
With a powerful swing, the blade tore through the remaining blood vessels, sending a shockwave through the air.
Boom.
The heart exploded, sending blood and debris everywhere. A massive trench stretched across the ruins, glowing eerily in the moonlight.
Everyone—except for Gojo, who remained spotless—was drenched.
Kamo Chiya and the other victims, despite being soaked in blood, were unharmed.
"Ahhh! Ichigo! Do you know how much trouble this is gonna cause?!" Gojo groaned, yanking off his sunglasses. "Mr. Yaga's totally gonna make me copy the Sorcerer's Code a thousand times for this mess!"
"Uh… my bad." Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "But hey, the Soul Reapers can probably cover for you."
Gojo shot him a look. "Oh, really? So, what's the excuse this time? A meteorite?"
Ichigo tilted his head, considering it. "Huh. That's actually not a bad idea."