Inumaki watched as Makima shot forward at an astonishing speed, leaving behind a burst of dust and debris. Something was wrong.
Without a second thought, the sorcerer quickly descended into the building. What he found froze him in place: the area was completely destroyed. Collapsed walls, cracked floors, and at the center of the chaos, Yuta Okkotsu lay unconscious on the ground.
His eyes filled with worry. He rushed to his friend's side, dodging the concrete rubble that blocked his path. He knelt down to check if Yuta was still breathing. Fortunately, Yuta was alive, but his condition was far from good.
Inumaki didn't have time to think about answers. Carefully, he hoisted Yuta onto his shoulders, ensuring he wouldn't cause him further harm. He had to get him out of there before anything else happened.
Back to the confrontation, Makima tilted her head, observing him with interest and caution. "What do you mean by that?"
Geto didn't avert his gaze, his eyes shining with determination as he took a slow step forward. "Our ideals, though they may differ, both seek to change this rotten system. The sorcerer society is broken, and you and I both know it."
Makima let out a faint smile, her tone cold but curious. "Interesting. Do you really think we're that alike? I think our methods are different."
Geto tilted his head, pondering before responding with calculated calm. "It's not about methods, but about understanding that this system, as it is, doesn't work. Maybe we're not the same, but our desires aren't that far apart… or am I wrong?"
Makima let out a small laugh. "Believe me, you don't know what I desire," she said, one of her golden chains emerging from her body. "But tell me, what's your goal?"
Geto didn't look away from the golden chain slithering out of Makima's body, glowing with a disquieting intensity. "My goal…" he murmured, his tone calm but laden with conviction. He lowered his hands completely, adopting a more open stance, as if willing to share his truth without reservation.
"Imagine it, Zenin. A world without non-sorcerers. Without them, curses would vanish. Cursed energy wouldn't be a poison but a tool. We, the sorcerers, would live without the burden of protecting those who don't even understand the danger they pose. No more useless sacrifices, no more injustices… just a natural balance."
Makima watched him, narrowing her eyes as if evaluating his words, but she didn't interrupt.
"That's why I want to eradicate non-sorcerers. Not out of hatred, but out of necessity. This system is broken, and the 'monkeys,' as I call them, are the root of the problem. They generate the curses, the conflicts, and we pay the price with our lives."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Does that seem so different from what you desire? In the end, we both want to change this failed system, even if our methods are… unique."
Makima let out a soft, almost amused laugh as she wrapped the chain around her hand. "An interesting dream, Geto. But you still haven't convinced me that your means are enough to achieve it."
Geto couldn't help but frown at Makima's words. Her attitude was unsettling, calculating, as if she was always three steps ahead.
Makima had turned her back on him, slowly coiling the golden chain around her hand as her tone remained cold and distant. "It would be bad to eradicate humans..." she murmured calmly, letting her words hang in the air.
Geto tilted his head, confused by the ambiguity of her comment. Before he could respond, Makima let out a slight chuckle, as if enjoying his confusion. "But I only see a traumatized idiot…" she added without looking back, her words cutting into Geto like a knife.
He didn't react, his face remained calm, but his hands clenched tightly.
"I won't say it's foolish," Makima continued, now turning to face him, "but it doesn't benefit me at all. In fact, it only harms me."
Geto watched her intently, feeling that every word was part of a game he didn't fully understand yet.
Makima smiled, but it wasn't kind. "Still, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."
Suddenly, several golden chains emerged from the ground beneath Geto's feet, shooting upward with lethal speed. He managed to leap away just in time, putting several buildings between himself and the chains as they pierced the spot where he'd been standing.
From a distance, Makima watched him, seemingly calm but with a spark of frustration in her eyes. "What a shame… I'd really like to have someone like you in my arsenal," she said, as if her little trap had been merely a test.
Geto frowned as he landed on the rooftop of a nearby building. "It's a pity you don't fully understand, Zenin…" he said, his tone a mix of irritation and defiance. "But I'll tell you this: I will declare war on the sorcerers. If I win, will you join my cause?"
Makima tilted her head slightly, as if considering his words, but what she said next was decisive. "If you declare war on them, you declare war on me."
Geto blinked, surprised. Was she loyal to the sorcerers? Or to Gojo? The idea confused him even more. "Why?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Makima smiled, and this time her expression was more dangerous. "I have a very beneficial deal with them. I don't think it's in your best interest to fight me. Even if it doesn't seem like it, I have several tricks up my sleeve… and more yet to discover."
Geto was about to reply, but suddenly he had to dodge an attack that forced him to leap to another building. He glanced back at where he'd been and saw a massive crater in the roof. At the center, a female figure stood firmly.
He recognized her instantly. "Tsukumo…" he murmured, a mix of astonishment and annoyance.
Tsukumo Yuki looked at him, serious but not without a hint of concern. "Girl, leave this place," she said, addressing Makima. "I called Satoru Gojo. Your mission is canceled. You can't handle this."
Makima blinked, surprised, as she tried to understand where this woman had come from. "Gojo?" she repeated, frowning slightly. Things were starting to get more complicated than she had anticipated.
Gojo, who had entered the curtain moments earlier, immediately noticed the presence of his old friend. "Suguru..." he murmured, with a mix of astonishment and sorrow. From his position, he observed how Geto unleashed curses at his students. He couldn't understand what he was trying to achieve with this.
However, something else caught his attention: Makima. His student was handling herself surprisingly well. What struck him the most was the way she faced the curses. From a distance, she destroyed them without touching them. She cut and pierced them with a precision he had never seen from her. "That's new," he thought, equally intrigued and concerned.
When they reached the interior of the building, something else unsettled him. He felt an energy that was far too familiar. "What?" he murmured as his Six Eyes intensely analyzed the flow of cursed energy in the area. He couldn't believe it: the signature was unmistakable. It was Rika's cursed energy.
The discovery left him in shock, but he had no time to process it. Suddenly, Makima shot forward at an impressive speed. Her movements were as precise as they were quick. Gojo frowned as he recognized the pattern. "The Projection Technique?" he pondered. Every step and movement mirrored that technique exactly.
"Is she capable of acquiring techniques and the energy of others?" he wondered, trying to piece things together. "Could she also use his? This doesn't make sense."
From his position, he watched as Makima ended up beside Geto. It looked like they were exchanging words, but Gojo couldn't hear them. He considered using cursed energy to amplify his hearing but quickly dismissed the idea. "If I do that, Makima will notice. I can't risk it."
He opted to find another vantage point and soon spotted Yuki Tsukumo, who was also observing the encounter. Gojo appeared at her side quickly, startling Yuki with his sudden arrival.
"Quick, you have to intervene," Gojo said seriously. "Tell Makima her mission is canceled. And that I'm on my way."
Yuki nodded, still taken aback by the urgency in Gojo's voice. Without wasting any time, she headed toward the place where Makima and Geto were.
Gojo stayed back, observing with a furrowed brow. His mind was racing with questions. Makima had demonstrated abilities she had never revealed to him. Geto was there for some reason.
"What do you want, Suguru...? And what the hell is Makima doing? Why did she hide all this?"
The tension in the air was palpable, and Gojo couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was just the beginning of something far more dangerous.