Capítulo 61: Chapter 34. The Curtain Falls
The cool, refreshing autumn wind swept across my face as I stood at the entrance of the hospital where Tsumiki was being treated. The ember at the tip of my cigarette crackled softly. I took a deep drag, letting the bitter tobacco smoke fill my lungs. As I casually exhaled, watching the smoke slowly dissipate into the air, I reflected on how my desire to smoke had waned as the date of the Shibuya incident approached.
At that moment, Satoru emerged from the hospital and came to stand beside me. He slightly tilted his head back, gazing at the sky.
"Magumi will be grateful to you," he said in a quiet but confident voice.
"I hope so," I replied.
A silence settled between us.
After ten years in Japan, I still marveled at how warm yet fresh an October evening could be, creating the perfect blend of coolness and comfort. The cool breeze mingled with the day's accumulated warmth from the concrete, offering a sense of absolute comfort whether you were in a sweater or a T-shirt.
Lost in these sensations, I considered that the best thanks Magumi could offer would be his decision not to summon Mahoraga, knowing his sister Tsumiki awaited him—healthy and unharmed. I was almost certain of it. The realization that you have someone to protect can awaken a primal survival instinct, even in those previously prepared to sacrifice themselves. Love is undoubtedly a potent poison, yet one we are all too willing to drink.
Satoru fixed me with a piercing gaze, his eyes, unobscured by any bandage, searching for an answer in mine.
"I have a question," he stated, his voice calm but serious.
"I'm all ears," I responded, meeting his gaze.
"Why have you decided to save Tsumiki now?" he asked, his expression unreadable.
"Are you sure you want to hear the answer to that particular question?" My reply held no mockery, instead offering a friendly smile, an invitation to an honest dialogue.
His response was a pregnant silence and a look that was indecipherable, even to me.
"I suspected that the event in Shibuya and Tsumiki's strange condition might be connected," I sighed, deciding to respond. "I hope I'm wrong, but my intuition rarely lets me down."
"Where do such assumptions come from?" Satoru asked, shifting his gaze away.
"It's not your fault," I replied, taking a long drag instead of giving a direct answer.
"I wasn't asking about that," he grumbled, frowning.
"It's anyone but Suguru Geto," I stated plainly, exhaling smoke.
"And that's it?" Surprisingly, Satoru kept his emotions in check.
"A curse manipulating souls, a pseudo-Geto, Tsumiki's strange connection to something unknown..." I started to explain, deciding it was best to lay everything out now rather than face the consequences of his anger later. "Everything points to one source — the soul, and one variable — Shibuya."
"You had only assumptions, no proof," Satoru spoke evenly and calmly. "And yet, you decided to carry out a ritual that could have cost an innocent girl her life if something went wrong... You're either lying or you've lost your mind."
"It's not that I want to risk the lives of innocent people — quite the opposite, I really don't. But someone has to remain strong so that others don't have to," I paused, taking a long, contemplative drag from my cigarette.
"If not us, then who?" Satoru let out a slight chuckle. "You've changed."
"Have I?"
"Before, you broke the rules; now, you simply ignore them," he replied with a smile. "That change comes with time when you realize that you can achieve much more by not adhering to the rules that others have established."
"Perhaps I really have gone mad," I sighed in response.
"To everyone else, that may be true, but to me, you've become what you were always meant to be," Satoru answered.
"Everything is constantly changing... and it sucks," I snorted.
Silence fell between us again.
Perhaps my last statement was quite hypocritical, given that I belong to that very trio of people who dedicated themselves to changing the world. However, people are inherently complex. On one hand, I wanted life to be good and happy; on the other, I didn't want to change, to become more detached and ruthless, which was necessary in my situation. Fortunately, or unfortunately, life sorted everything out on its own, and I sincerely believe that this is the right path because, in the end, there are two possible outcomes: everything will end well and someone will suffer, or everything will end poorly and someone will suffer.
"You know, Suguru was a great guy, despite everything that happened," Satoru suddenly said.
"However, sometimes the dream does not justify the means," I interjected during Satoru's brief pause.
"Yes," he nodded. "There are days when I wonder what it would have been like if Suguru had been reasonable in his actions. What if, instead of embarking on his mad scheme to exterminate all of humanity, he had chosen a different path... Perhaps then not only I, but many other Sorcerers would have supported him."
"Revolution always comes with pain, so I doubt much would have changed," I shook my head. "Perhaps the only no-lose scenario is to set yourself an impossible goal from the start, one that doesn't require sacrificing anything or compromising your own desires."
"Are you taking a shot at Yuki?" Satoru smirked at me.
"If she wants to pursue that, let her. Who am I to forbid or judge?" I tossed the cigarette butt into the bin and continued. "However, in what she does, the norm is not normal."
"I think that's exactly where it all started for Suguru," Satoru replied.
"I'm not about to sacrifice all of humanity for my own benefit," I stated firmly, shaking my head. "If I fail, then so be it."
"And all the sacrifices would be in vain?" the white-haired man asked.
"No, all sacrifices are for a chance," I affirmed.
Satoru looked at me, his gaze sharpening.
"How heartless and selfish," he said. His voice didn't convey condemnation but rather a sadness about the inevitability of the choices we have to make.
I didn't reply. My silence was the answer.
"I won't stand in your way," he began, his words measured and calm as if he wasn't just stating a decision but making a vow. "Act as you see fit. But remember, you are not Suguru. And if I see that you have chosen the same path as he did, I will not hold back."
His words were both a warning and an acknowledgment of my freedom to act—a delicate balance for someone like Satoru, who always maintained control over the situation. It was as if he was giving me room to maneuver while simultaneously setting boundaries I should not cross.
"Are you blessing me?" I asked him in surprise.
"You don't need my blessing," Satoru shook his head. "I'm simply saying that the path you're walking won't be as lonely. After all, among all my students, only you are cold-blooded and ruthless enough to make certain sacrifices."
What could I say? I, the man who had decided to sacrifice the queen in the form of Satoru Gojo, was now hearing acknowledgment of my actions from him. Each word he spoke resonated deeply in my heart, as now, I wasn't just allowing ordinary people to die, but I was also deciding not to interfere with the sealing of the only person who understood me…
How could I respond to such words? In my heart, each found an echo, touching what I long considered untouchable. I, who had decided to sacrifice the king represented by Satoru Gojo, suddenly found in his words something resembling acknowledgment of my actions. Such realization was staggering.
His words left a deep mark, for now, my decision extended beyond merely accepting the deaths of ordinary people—it also involved the fate of the only person who, it seemed, truly understood me. To allow the sealing of Satoru Gojo was to lose not just an ally or a friend but someone who embraced my dream, despite its consequences.
At that moment, words seemed superfluous. All I could do was meet his gaze, trying to convey everything in silence. My decision might have seemed heartless and selfish, but deep down, I knew that every step I took was guided not just by reason but also by heart. And this path, as thorny as it was, demanded that I be ready for everything…
But was I ready?
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