Pan-Star Cult!
At those three words, Suguru Geto's expression turned ice-cold.
That scum?
"Nanako, Mimiko, wait here for me. I've got something to take care of."
With that, he rose slowly and turned to Toji. "Watch them for me. I'll be right back."
Toji Fushiguro glanced at Nanako and Mimiko.
His cold gaze and the scar on his lip gave him a menacing air, scaring the two girls into huddling together.
Tsumiki quickly stepped in front of them. "Dad! You're freaking them out!"
Toji scratched his head, exasperated. "My face is just like this—what can I do?"
…
A few Pan-Star Cult members strolled down the street, oblivious to Suguru Geto tailing them.
Soon, they arrived at the cult's headquarters.
On a stage bathed in spotlights, senior cult official Shigeru Sonoda was delivering a fervent speech.
Below, a dense crowd of cultists cheered and clapped like they were high on drugs.
Hidden at the back of the crowd, Suguru couldn't care less about what they were cheering for.
The scene triggered memories of the Star Plasma Vessel mission.
If Riko Amanai had died, these people would probably be clapping around her corpse, celebrating, right?
Just imagining it made Suguru feel sick to his stomach.
"Ignorance makes fools; knowing the world's truth yet choosing folly and dogma—that's irredeemable scum."
Sawa Gojo's words echoed in Suguru's mind.
Suddenly, he laughed.
His unrestrained laughter drowned out the crowd's applause, cheers, and Sonoda's speech.
Step by step, Suguru ascended the stage, snatching the microphone from a stunned Shigeru Sonoda.
"Ahem! So, I'm just here to announce one thing: as of now, the Pan-Star Cult is officially disbanded. Who's in favor? Who's against?"
"I'm against!"
Sonoda bellowed furiously. "Who the hell are you? Who let you up here?"
"That guy's wearing Jujutsu High's uniform—he's a student from the school!"
"Jujutsu High students can't attack non-sorcerers, right?"
"Get lost! This is Pan-Star Cult business—nothing to do with Jujutsu High!"
A tidal wave of curses and whispers surged toward him.
Suguru scratched his ear, face blank. "Well, then… Daruma!"
Boom!!!
A Daruma tumbler crashed down, instantly flattening the unprepared Sonoda into a pulp.
Blood splattered, sparking chaos in the crowd.
"You… you dare kill a non-sorcerer?! Aren't you afraid the jujutsu world will hunt you down?"
Suguru paused. "You've got a point!"
The crowd barely relaxed before he continued, "So, I can't leave any witnesses!"
"Sandworm: Earth Burial Swallow!"
Boom—
A massive sandworm devoured over a hundred people in one gulp, silencing them before they could scream.
After this, Suguru, who'd been wearing a constant frown lately, finally cracked a rare smile.
That felt good.
Sensing faintly, he noticed someone still lingering in the headquarters' backyard.
Following the aura, Suguru discovered an underground cage.
Inside, a child huddled, his face marred by extensive burn scars.
At the sight of Suguru, the boy shrank back in fear.
"Riku!"
Suguru turned to see a pink-haired girl, about fifteen or sixteen, staring at him nervously.
"A sorcerer? Isn't the Pan-Star Cult all normies?"
Under Suguru's questioning, the girl explained.
Her name was Manami Suguta, and the scarred boy was Riku Neruki.
Both were sorcerers secretly trained by the Pan-Star Cult.
Hiring sorcerers was too costly, even for a wealthy group like the cult, so they decided to raise their own enforcers.
Manami's technique, "Backlight," was a gentle healing ability similar to Reverse Cursed Technique, though less potent.
Riku's technique, "Blast Firefly," was a highly dangerous flame-explosion attack.
During a training mishap, he'd not only scarred his face but injured several cult officials, landing him in the cage.
Manami, a fellow sorcerer, was the only one who'd cared for him during this time.
Looking at Riku, who was around Nanako and Mimiko's age, Suguru kicked the cage apart.
"Those scum got off too easy!"
Suguru reached out, but Riku flinched, cowering and scooting back.
"Don't be scared."
Suguru placed a hand on Riku's head, ruffling his hair. Reverse Cursed Technique activated, healing his wounds instantly.
The burn scars, partially healed already, couldn't be fully erased.
"The Pan-Star Cult is gone. From now on, you're with me."
Manami and Riku exchanged a glance, then silently followed Suguru's lead.
Afterward, Suguru swept through the entire cult headquarters.
He wasn't greedy, but free money was free money.
Besides, he now had four kids to raise—why not take the cult's dirty cash?
Beyond wealth, Suguru found some jujutsu world intel, including a stack of hired sorcerer profiles that caught his eye.
"South African sorcerer, Miguel."
"European sorcerer, Larue."
"Special cursed tool that disrupts techniques, Black Rope."
The foreign sorcerers didn't interest Suguru much, but the Black Rope was intriguing.
He recalled Mimiko's technique, "Rope-Bound Doll," which seemed compatible with it—a perfect gift for his "second daughter."
Plus, the Black Rope's "technique-disrupting" property might even break the Limitless Technique, giving Sawa and Satoru a little shock.