"How boring... Ever since Ryan left... the peace of our mission has been thrown to the wind..."
Geto let out a long sigh as he watched the elevator lights descend slowly, his reflection flickering on the polished metal. Beside him, Riko and Kuroi were visibly tense, as if each passing floor increased the weight of reality on their shoulders.
They were distressed. Not only by what was to come, but also by what had already happened.
Geto massaged his temples, feeling a slight headache forming. His thoughts were swirling.
"That bounty hunter... appeared exactly when Ryan left. Coincidence? No way in hell..."
He snorted, throwing his head back and staring at the elevator ceiling.
"And worse... He got past Satoru's Mugen."
That realization irritated him. Whoever it was, had planned everything in minute detail. From Kuroi's kidnapping to this damn departure of Ryan's. The mercenaries attracted by the reward were just another ingredient in this game.
"That bastard was clever... He waited for Satoru to go to Jujutsu School and relax, believing that it was safe here. And then, when Gojo finally deactivated the barrier, exhausted after abusing his own abilities... He made his move."
A well-set trap.
Riko, until then immersed in her own thoughts, finally broke the silence.
"Do you think Gojo can handle that man?" Her voice was hesitant, a mixture of hope and apprehension.
Geto smirked, crossing his arms.
"Of course he can." He closed his eyes for a moment before adding, with unwavering confidence, "After all, he's Satoru Gojo. He'll figure it out."
Riko looked away, biting her lower lip. She didn't seem as convinced as he was.
The elevator gave a slight jolt as it reached its destination, and a mechanical beep announced that the doors were opening.
The tunnel ahead was revealed—a long concrete corridor, lit only by a few dim lamps on the ceiling. The air there was heavy, humid.
Geto was the first to step out, stopping just ahead and turning to face the two.
"Right after this tunnel are the foundations of the barriers." His tone was firm, but calm. "It's there where Riko will assimilate with Master Tengen."
Riko took a hesitant step out of the elevator, observing the space around her. The environment carried a solemn aura, as if the walls whispered the secrets that resided there. But before she could move forward, she realized that Kuroi was not following her.
She turned, frowning.
"Kuroi... Aren't you coming?"
The woman stood firm where she was, and then bowed slightly in a respectful reverence.
"Riko-sama..." Her voice sounded low, trembling. "I'll stop here..."
Kuroi's eyes were watery. Her lips moved weakly, almost as if the words were being torn from her chest.
"Riko-sama... Please..."
Before Kuroi could say anything else, Riko ran to her, throwing herself into her arms.
The impact was soft, but charged with emotion. Riko's arms tightened around Kuroi with an intensity that almost suffocated her.
Tears began to flow without her realizing it.
"Kuroi, I love you!" Her voice broke in the middle of the sentence. "I've always loved you, and I will love you forever!"
The crying came strong, without resistance.
Kuroi felt her heart race.
She tried to hold back the tears, but it was useless.
"I love you too!"
Her hand slid through Riko's hair, an automatic gesture, as if wanting to calm her, as if wanting to memorize that feeling.
For Riko, Kuroi was more than a guardian. She was her family. The only one she had.
Kuroi was the mother Riko never could have.
Geto watched everything in silence. The scene before him was sweet, but also painful. Riko didn't deserve any of this. She didn't deserve to be hunted like an animal. She didn't deserve to be sacrificed for a cause greater than herself.
She was just a girl.
Riko sobbed, her shoulders trembling against Kuroi's chest.
But then, Kuroi took a deep breath and, gently, pushed Riko away slightly, wiping away her tears.
"Now go, Riko..." Her voice faltered. "You..."
She wanted to say something more. Something that might ease the pain growing in her chest. But the words remained trapped.
"Let's go."
Geto's voice interrupted the moment. Unlike usual, it was calm, almost careful.
Riko held Kuroi's hand for an instant, her eyes fixed on hers.
No words were spoken, but in that silence, an entire conversation took place.
And then, reluctantly, their hands parted.
Riko's steps were heavy as she walked away.
The urge to look back was almost uncontrollable.
But she didn't look.
She and Geto continued through the tunnel, the small lamps on the ceiling casting distorted shadows on their silhouettes. The corridor seemed endless, and the silence between the two was dense, charged with unspoken emotions.
The only thing guiding them was the faint light at the end of the path.
When they finally reached the end, Riko broke the silence, her voice filled with surprise and a little nervousness.
"So... This is it..."
"Yes." Geto looked around, his posture firm. "We are in Tengen-sama's territory. This is the foundation of the country's main barriers, the main hall of the Star Corridor."
Riko's eyes fixed on the environment in front of her.
The feeling that her life was about to change forever intensified.
The immensity of the main hall of the Star Corridor revealed itself before them like a monument to eternity, sculpted in the depths of the earth. The space was colossal, vast enough to make anyone feel small before its grandeur. The rocky walls, tinged with a rusty hue, rose like ancestral ramparts, the weight of centuries impregnated in every crack.
The light that filled the environment did not come from torches or lamps, but from an invisible source—a flickering glow that seeped through hidden crevices, casting restless shadows across the stone floor.
In the center, a monumental structure dominated the scene. An immense pillar of ancient wood, twisted and worn by time, stood like the beating heart of that sacred domain. Thick Shinto ropes snaked around it, fastened in meticulous turns, as if sealing an ancient and unbreakable power.
Around the pillar, a small settlement spread out. Simple buildings, with metal roofs, rested like ants in the shadow of a giant. The construction looked like a giant spiral.
The air was dense. An uneasy balance between the sacred and the profane. The silence that reigned there was not empty, but charged—as if every stone, every shadow, whispered stories of broken promises and sealed fates.
And there, at the epicenter of that place, was Riko Amanai.
Her eyes wandered around the environment, but there was no curiosity in her gaze—only a melancholic sorrow. The weight of reality fell upon her, the future closing in around her like the walls of that underground domain.
Beside her, Geto walked with his hands in his pockets, his expression neutral. His voice, when it was heard, came almost mechanical, as if he were just fulfilling a protocol.
"As soon as you go up the stairs, pass through the gate and continue to the base of the big tree."
Riko barely reacted.
"There, you will be inside the special barrier, separate from the barrier around Jujutsu School..." Geto's voice was emotionless, as if he were reciting an instruction manual. "Only those who are invited can enter. Tengen-sama will protect you until the assimilation."
She remained silent. Her eyes were downcast, her body slightly tense.
Geto cast a discreet glance at her and sighed.
He already knew that expression. The silence of someone who was still digesting a fate that could no longer be avoided.
Deciding to break that heavy atmosphere, his voice took on a slightly carefree tone, loaded with sarcasm:
"Or that... Or we go back home with Kuroi-san, and you make your relationship with weirdo Ryan official."
_______________
Hey everyone! Hope you're all doing well! ^^
Things are certainly heating up for Ryan – feels like a big confrontation is just around the corner, doesn't it?
I wanted to reach out with an honest update about the story and its future. As you know, writing this is a labor of love for me. It began as a passion, but also with the hope that it could eventually help support me financially, allowing me to dedicate more time to bringing you new chapters. Unfortunately, the support through Patreon, while deeply appreciated, hasn't yet grown enough to make that sustainable. Coupled with increasing demands from my primary job, I'm finding it harder to keep up the current pace, and I might even need to seek out extra work soon.
Because of this, I'll have to adjust our posting frequency and slow things down a bit. I know this might be disappointing, and I truly wish things were different.
However, I want to make one thing crystal clear: My promise to you is that this story will be completed. Finishing Ryan's adventure and sharing it with you remains incredibly important to me. Even if it takes longer, transitioning back into more of a beloved hobby than a source of income, I am dedicated to seeing it through. Your readership and encouragement have been the fuel keeping me going, and I can't thank you enough for being part of this journey!
If you'd like to help me bridge the gap and potentially allow me to keep dedicating more consistent time to writing, visiting my Patreon would mean so much. Your support, no matter the size, directly helps sustain this creative endeavor. <3
Find me here:
patreon.com/ErisNoSeraph