Riko blinked, stunned by the sudden change in tone. Her face contorted in confusion, her eyebrows arching as she tried to process those words.
"Huh?" She murmured softly, her eyes turning to Geto in disbelief.
He maintained his impassive expression, just shrugged before continuing:
"When our teacher spoke about this mission, he called assimilation 'erasure'..." His voice, now more somber, spread through the vast environment.
Riko remained looking at him, still processing what he meant by that.
Geto no longer looked at her. His gaze was fixed ahead, his words coming out with the naturalness of someone who had already reflected on that subject more than he should have.
"...He was trying to warn us about the weight of this sin."
For a moment, his tone became lower, as if the words carried a burden of their own.
Then, a slight smile—small, almost imperceptible—appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Despite our teacher being air-headed, he says some things in a convoluted way."
Only then did he turn to face her.
Riko still had a surprised expression, as if she expected something more. As if she needed more.
And he gave it to her.
"Ryan, Satoru, and I talked about this last night..."
The answer hung in the air.
Riko felt a chill run down her spine.
She wasn't sure what to expect from that moment on.
But one thing she was sure of—she was getting closer and closer to her final choice.
That night…
The faint light of the lamp flickered on the ceiling, casting soft shadows. The silence was broken only by the sound of the wind against the windows and the soft rustling of fabrics as the three settled into the narrow space.
Geto took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Ryan. His voice, calm but laden with weight, broke the silence:
"We need to talk about Amanai's assimilation—"
"Yeah, it's not gonna happen."
Ryan cut him off without hesitation, his voice loaded with indifference, as if the discussion was already over before it even began.
Gojo chuckled, crossing his arms casually as he cast an amused glance.
"Yeah, we figured you'd say that..."
Ryan raised an eyebrow, staring at Gojo with a look of distrust, but Geto resumed the conversation without losing pace.
"We decided..." He paused briefly, as if pondering over the words, and then concluded, "That we are going to support Amanai... in whatever decision she makes."
A sigh escaped Ryan's lips, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He let out a slight smile of relief as he crossed his arms.
"Phew! Good thing... That way I won't have to kill you two."
The mood changed instantly. The air seemed to compress in the room for a brief moment.
The silence that followed was not comfortable.
Gojo leaned slightly forward, the gleam in his eyes making it clear that he hadn't misheard.
"What was that?" His voice carried a mixture of provocation and genuine curiosity.
Ryan shrugged, maintaining his relaxed expression.
"Nothing... I didn't say anything..."
Geto closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before moving forward.
"Well, since we agree, tomorrow we'll take Riko to Jujutsu school and let her make the decision herself." His voice was serene, but determined. "And if we have bigger problems... We are the strongest. We'll figure it out."
Ryan nodded, convinced.
But Gojo, always provocative, didn't miss the opportunity to poke.
"But hey, Ryan..." His tone was casual, but loaded with amusement. "What are you going to do if Riko wants to continue the assimilation, huh?"
Ryan chuckled, leaning against the wall. His gaze gained a mischievous glint as he raised a finger.
"She won't."
He tilted his head slightly, his confidence unwavering.
"After all... I'm pretty irresistible, don't you think?"
The memory of that conversation still lingered in Geto's mind. While still beside Riko in the monumental hall of the Star Corridor, the distant echo of Ryan's voice snatched a spontaneous thought from him.
"Wow... What a weird guy, huh..."
Riko, who had been immersed in her own thoughts, frowned and looked at him curiously.
"Who?"
Geto blinked, as if only then realizing that he had spoken aloud. He shook his head with a slight smile.
"No, it's nothing..."
But then his eyes returned to Riko, and his expression softened. He knew she carried a huge weight on her shoulders, but he also knew she wasn't alone.
"We are the strongest, Riko-chan." His voice came out firm, loaded with conviction. "No matter what you decide... Me, Gojo, and, of course, Ryan, we will guarantee your future."
She lowered her eyes. Her chest rose and fell slowly, as if trying to control something inside herself. Then, she took a deep breath, feeling her throat tighten.
"I..." Her voice was hesitant, almost a whisper.
She closed her eyes for a moment, her hands clenching on her skirt.
"I've always been special. Since the day I was born, people around me told me that."
Her tone was strange—a mixture of resignation and sadness.
"Being special has always been... normal for me. I've spent my whole life trying to avoid danger, always protected, always following a path already laid out for this day."
She paused for an instant, catching her breath.
"I don't remember the day my parents died very well... And when I think about it now, I don't feel sad, or lonely."
Her eyes glistened, not from the light around, but from the weight of the tears that were beginning to form.
"So I thought it would be okay... If they separated me from people and I was assimilated."
Her breath faltered.
"As difficult as it is... I thought that one day I would simply... stop feeling like this. Stop feeling sad and lonely."
But her voice failed. Her body trembled slightly, and the fists on her skirt clenched tightly.
"But... But..."
Her face contorted as tears finally broke through the barriers she was trying to erect.
"I want..."
She swallowed hard, her shoulders shaking.
"I want to spend more time with the people I love! I want to marry and start a family with Ryan!"
The words came out like a scream trapped for too long inside her.
She sobbed, wiping her face hastily, as if trying to erase her own vulnerability.
"I want to go to many places with everyone... I want to be a little more spoiled by him... Experience more about love..."
She squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
"I... I don't want this to end now!"
Her voice echoed through the sacred hall, resonating between the ancestral walls, filling the space with something stronger than any ritual or tradition: a genuine desire to live.
Geto watched her for an instant.
And then smiled.
A sincere smile, loaded with relief and something deeper... Something that only those who carry the burden of choice are capable of understanding.
He held out his hand.
A simple gesture, but full of meaning.
"Let's go home, Riko-chan."
Riko blinked, surprised, her cry still caught in her throat.
She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.
And then, as if that were the first time she had truly decided something for herself, a soft smile formed on her lips.
"Let's go!"
She held out her hand, finding his.
And then—
Bang!
A cold sound echoed through the cave... a dry noise, reverberating off the cold stone walls, carried by the suffocating silence of the place. It was almost imperceptible, subtle as a whisper of death approaching.
Geto was still smiling. He still only saw Riko in front of him, the emotional girl, with watery eyes, extending her trembling hand to find his.
The bullet...
The cold metal tore through the air like an inevitable sentence, destined to silence the dreams of that sweet girl. The trajectory was perfect, precise, accurate—her fate had already been decided. Death was a millisecond away from materializing.
Until—
Reality distorted. Like a muffled rumble in the fabric of the world, time twisted grotesquely. The bullet faltered in the air, before being pulled back, reversing its trajectory as if the very concept of cause and effect was being challenged.
Riko was still trying to wipe away her tears as she spoke, her voice trembling, filled with emotion:
"I want to go to many places with everyone... I want to be a little more spoiled by him... Experience more about love... I... I don't want this to end now!"
She cried out, her soul bare before the universe, declaring in desperation her purest and simplest desire: to live.
Geto smiled. Not only for her choice, but for the strength that Riko demonstrated in wanting to exist. In wanting to have a future.
He held out his hand to her, in a sincere, almost paternal gesture, and murmured:
"Let's go home... Riko-chan..."
She blinked, wiping away her tears hastily, trying to control the sob caught in her throat. A soft smile began to form on her lips. A smile of relief. Of hope.
"Let's go!" She said, her sweet voice still choked with crying.
Bang!
The report exploded through the environment, a metallic thunder echoing violently off the rocky walls.
Riko cringed in an instinctive reflex, ducking with her hands over her head. The shock took over her body even before her mind processed what had happened.
Geto reacted in an instant, his body moving automatically. He jumped in front of Riko, raising his arms protectively while, with a single movement, he opened a black rift behind him—curses emerging from the darkness, roaring in response to the attack.
His sharp eyes scanned the tunnel entrance. The darkness within seemed denser, more threatening.
"WHO'S THERE!?" His voice echoed, loaded with authority and fury.
Tranquil footsteps followed, a calm and carefree rhythm, breaking the silence charged with tension.
A male voice emerged from the darkness, filled with curiosity and a slight amusement:
"Damn... I wasn't expecting that... Who would have the power to hit a bullet mid-flight?"
The man's silhouette emerged from the shadows, his identity still hidden by the darkness of the tunnel. But he soon received his answer.
"Someone in the right place at the right time..."
The voice came loaded with mockery and confidence, as if fate itself had bent to allow that moment.
Geto turned his head to the side, his eyes widening slightly.
"Ryan!? You're back!?"
Ryan approached, his steps firm and unhurried. His gaze swept the place with evident irritation.
"I'm a little late... But it seems I arrived just in time... That idiot Gojo should have explained earlier that there were longer passages in this damn labyrinth."
Riko, still protected behind Geto, looked at the scene with wide eyes, her mind trying to keep up with what was happening.
The voice from the tunnel sounded again, loaded with nonchalance.
"Ahh! So it's you? Damn, you dealt with the men I hired quickly... Ha, actually I think they were just incompetent..."
Ryan narrowed his eyes, his expression hardening. A slight twitch appeared in his eyebrow as he absorbed the man's words.
"Good thing you admit you planned that... Now I'm going to kill you without needing to question anything."
The man finally stepped out of the darkness, his face being illuminated by the faint light that filled the cave.
"You think you're too good, kid... Be careful not to break your face..."
But then, Ryan froze.
His chest pounded hard, a icy wave running through his body.
His eyes widened, his face losing all sarcastic expression. For an instant, time seemed to stop, and his mind refused to accept what he saw.
His mouth opened slightly, and without realizing it, his voice came out in a broken whisper.
"U-UNCLE!?"
_______________
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