Chapter-251
The moment he grasped the other's hand, Zenin Kiyoshi felt an indescribable, faint coolness coursing through his body.
It's like waking up in the early morning in late autumn with a few drops of morning dew on your body; it makes you feel cool, but you don't dislike the feeling.
As the power of the incantation flowed throughout his body, Zenin Kiyoshi felt a faint light suddenly appear before his eyes. The light was somewhat like facing the sun directly, and even with his eyes closed, he felt that the light was intense and scorching.
He gently opened his eyes and saw a "scorching red sun" before him.
No, to be precise, it wasn't a blood-red sun, but a bizarre entity formed from a collection of extremely distorted human faces.
Zenin Kiyoshi didn't know how to describe this thing. It was like something that only existed deep in people's minds and consciousness. Everyone knew that this thing existed, but no one could say what it was.
It's everywhere, yet nowhere to be found, much like the flexible working hours some people talk about.
Looking at the thing in front of him, Zenin Kiyoshi let out a slight breath. The moment he made contact with it, he already understood what it was.
Although using the word "deity" to describe this thing might seem old-fashioned and cliché, Zenin Kiyoshi really didn't know what other word would be better besides "deity" at that moment.
This thing had no consciousness of its own. It just stood there quietly, doing nothing and saying nothing. It didn't even look at Zenin Kiyoshi, as if he didn't exist at all.
Zenin Kiyoshi didn't pay attention to the thing's reaction; he just stared at the [blood-red sun] in front of him, which was composed of countless distorted human faces.
A burning, stinging sensation came from my eyes. It wasn't a physical burning sensation, but a more fundamental, soul-crushing heat, much like how a person would naturally tremble when facing a venomous snake.
"I see... It seems to be much more complicated than I expected."
After a moment of silence, Zenin Kiyoshi suddenly began to mutter to himself in a low voice. His voice rippled through the void of the Innate Domain, trembling like a body of water shattered by a stone.
"Is this the World's Will that has been forcibly 'modified' over the past thousand years? Tsk, what a twisted and morbid setting. The relative balance between black and white, and the fact that both the Cursed Spirits and the Jujutsu Sorcerers are confined to this place."
The moment Zenin Kiyoshi uttered those words, those distorted faces suddenly turned to him, thousands of eyes snapped open, each reflecting a different scene.
A thousand years ago, during the golden age of sorcery; several hundred years ago, during the second Edo period, sorcery reached its second peak; and now, in modern times, a Six Eyes child is born...
The birth of the first nature spirit, humanity engulfed by flames and lava, the lamentation of forests after trees were felled, and the evil embryo conceived from human slaughter and war...
Everything seemed to be presented to that thing's eyes at this moment.
It's not just these things that are decades or even thousands of years old; there's even the scene of Master Tengen leading everyone into the secret chamber of the Star Religious Group. But... in all these scenes, there is no trace of myself!
Zenin Kiyoshi gazed at those scenes, carefully searching for places where he had once been.
Without exception, wherever I had been, nothing else would appear; the only thing that remained was a fluffy, white fog, like cotton.
However, the figure of "Zenin Kiyoshi" before his transmigration can be clearly reflected in this world.
Seeing all this, Zenin Kiyoshi already understood.
This world knows that it is not native, but rather a being from some other world. They cannot see through it, which is why the Cursed Spirits and Curse Users in the world of sorcery have not grown stronger over the years.
What cannot be measured in terms of increased power cannot be placed on the scales.
This is also why the strength of the "Black" side has not increased since he came to this world.
Although Zenin Kiyoshi's previous actions involved some sorcerers, their impact was not particularly significant, so this fleshy creature was not pursued for the time being.
But now, Zenin Kiyoshi wants to completely erase the [Star Plasma Vessel] curse from Tengen, which has fundamentally affected the balance of the magic world.
Although this thing has no self-awareness, its only duty is to eliminate this obvious "Trojan horse".
In that instant, the crimson sun contracted violently, and those faces suddenly let out a silent scream. The entire Innate Domain began to twist and deform, the ground turned into viscous blood plasma, and countless pale eyes cracked open in the sky.
Thick drops of blood slowly dripped from those eyeballs, gradually engulfing the entire world. Zenin Kiyoshi stared at the bloody liquid that had already reached his ankles, his face expressionless.
Although this thing has given me a high status, its actual strength is not particularly great. Moreover, what I am facing now is just a wisp of its remnant in Tengen and Riko's bodies, so there is nothing to fear.
Zenin Kiyoshi took a deep breath and stepped forward.
With each step Zenin Kiyoshi takes, a strange sense of dislocation arises in the entire spiritual space; his right foot sinks into the blood plasma, while his left foot stands on a mirror-like barrier.
It was Zenin Kiyoshi's extremely simple action that instantly tore apart the maintenance and stability of that mass of flesh and blood.
The next moment, the blood-red sun began to tremble violently and wildly. The distorted faces began to devour each other, and the pale eyes in the sky burst one after another, splashing not blood, but ancient Cursed Energy exuding a decaying aura.
That kind of Cursed Energy did not belong to any one person, nor was it simply a remnant of Cursed Energy; rather, it was a rotten Cursed Energy that was enough to make one nauseous just by looking at it.
As Zenin Kiyoshi made his move, the entire space began to slowly shatter, and cracks appeared one after another. But at that moment, Kenjaku in the cave suddenly opened her eyes. She looked in the direction where Zenin Kiyoshi was, with a slight smile on her lips.
"As expected, as expected... Zenin Kiyoshi, you really did go and touch those things, just as I predicted? But then again, it's impossible for a man like you not to touch those things."
Chapter-252
The sound of a clattering bell rang out, sounding somewhat abrupt and jarring in this deathly silent space.
Although her words sounded somewhat lighthearted and teasing, the underlying somberness in her tone was undeniable.
In the pitch-black cave, Kenjaku slightly raised his head, looked up at the sky, bit his lip slightly, and slowly said:
"Forming contracts, abiding by contracts, setting Binding Vows... all this messy stuff is like a computer program. Going against the logic of that kind of thing can cause the world to go awry, Zenin Kiyoshi..."
As she said this, a slightly sad smile suddenly appeared on Kenjaku's face. Her thoughts trembled slightly at this moment, as if she had traveled through the dark cave in front of her to memories from a thousand years ago.
"You may not necessarily be the one to bear this cost. When an anomaly occurs, the Balancing Mechanism will be triggered. As long as the final world balance can be restored, the method of restoration is not something you can choose or prepare for."
You may be strong enough to resist the abnormal effects of those Balancing Mechanisms, but what about the people around you?
Ultimately, sorcerers are essentially just a bunch of lunatics. How could something that draws its power from negative human emotions possibly be as "good" as you believe...?
Ultimately, it's nothing more than your own self-righteous packaging. Under the influence of that Balancing Mechanism, everything you've worked so hard to create will slowly be distorted by those things.
"At that time... will you really be able to bear that pain?"
As he said this, an indescribable sadness suddenly appeared on Kenjaku's face, as if he had returned to many years ago.
She didn't say anything, but simply raised her hand and activated a spell. As the space where Zenin Kiyoshi was located shattered, he also felt Kenjaku's familiar aura.
Zenin Kiyoshi gazed at the collapsed, blood-red space and suddenly caught a strange fluctuation of Cursed Energy amidst the flying fragments.
The familiar aura sent chills down his spine... In the shattered eyeballs, Zenin Kiyoshi saw the source of this Cursed Energy: the pale-faced Kenjaku from an abandoned shrine on the outskirts of Kyoto a thousand years ago!
The moment he saw the woman, Zenin Kiyoshi instinctively gasped softly:
"Kenjaku...?!"
The moment that figure appeared, Zenin Kiyoshi's pupils contracted sharply, and his spiritual body instantly returned to his physical body.
In the real world, his right hand was still clasped with Tsukumo Yuki's, and he could even feel the faint trembling of Tsukumo Yuki's body in his palm.
The somewhat complex barrier spells within the secret chamber were still in operation, but in Zenin Kiyoshi's eyes, chilling patterns suddenly appeared on the surface of those spells. To Zenin Kiyoshi, those patterns looked exactly like the eyes of Kenjaku, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
"What's wrong?"
Just as the power of the spell surged unconsciously within Zenin Kiyoshi, Tsukumo Yuki also keenly sensed Zenin Kiyoshi's abnormality. She opened her eyes and looked in the direction of Zenin Kiyoshi's gaze, but only saw an ordinary barrier spell.
Zenin Kiyoshi didn't answer the slightly confused question posed by Tsukumo Yuki immediately. Instead, he gently shook his head and then said:
"I'm just a little tired, but from now on, the curse of the Star Plasma Vessel and Master Tengen should have nothing to do with each other."
Hearing Zenin Kiyoshi's words, a look of astonishment appeared on Tsukumo Yuki's face. She looked at Zenin Kiyoshi, her voice full of confusion and doubt:
"That's it? But you didn't do anything the whole time! You just held my hand, closed your eyes, and remained silent for five minutes. And that's it?!"
Seeing the somewhat incredulous look on Tsukumo Yuki's face, Zenin Kiyoshi explained with a smile:
"Miss Yuki, don't be in such a hurry. Some things may seem difficult, but when you sit up, they're actually not that hard."
Just like when people forget their keys and call a locksmith to unlock the door, I've learned that locksmiths can actually open the door in just two or three minutes once they arrive.
If it's a door that's easy to open, these locksmiths can complete the job in just a few seconds. However, homeowners are usually unwilling to pay around 10,000 yen for such a job.
They feel that locksmiths earn money too easily, so locksmiths will consciously prolong the unlocking time, dawdling for half an hour or even an hour before pretending to work hard to open the door.
In this way, although it wastes some time, homeowners are more willing to pay.
Hearing Zenin Kiyoshi's words, which had absolutely no connection to what was happening before his eyes, Tsukumo Yuki became even more puzzled:
"But what does what you're saying have to do with lifting the curse on Master Tengen? I just felt you grab my hand, and then you said everything was settled. How exactly did you do it?"
Regarding Tsukumo Yuki's insistence on getting to the bottom of things, Zenin Kiyoshi simply shook his head slightly, then slowly said:
"It's hard to say, but it's similar to being a locksmith."
Hearing this, Tsukumo Yuki's curiosity was piqued even more, but just as she was about to ask more questions, Tengen's voice came over at that moment.
Her voice carried a deep sense of weariness and joy, but even more so, it reflected her worry and concern for Zenin Kiyoshi. Besides Zenin Kiyoshi, she was probably the only one who had seen those things.
"Kiyoshi… there are some things that might be dangerous if I tell you now. Xiaoqing thought of that, which is why she gave the example of the locksmith. Let Xiaoqing rest for a bit. Actually, the whole process is much more difficult than Xiaoqing described."
Hearing Tengen's words, Tsukumo Yuki's face clearly showed some anxiety. She looked at Zenin Kiyoshi, and couldn't help but raise her hands and place them on his shoulders, while asking him:
"Were you injured just now? Or did you run into some kind of problem?!"
At this moment, Tsukumo Yuki was clearly flustered. Her face was flushed and her voice was trembling, which was completely inconsistent with her previous dashing and open-minded image.
Zenin Kiyoshi gently shook his head, then said:
"It's nothing serious, I just saw some random things. By the way, Yuki... for the time being, you shouldn't go abroad. Stay at Jujutsu High, something's about to happen."
Chapter-253
About half a month has passed since I helped Tengen break the curse.
During this period, Zenin Kiyoshi was searching for clues to several suspicious points from that time.
First, why did Kenjaku's spells and figure appear in that place? Could it be that Kenjaku is also connected to those things in some way?
Secondly, the method I used to break the curse was actually not complicated, but it still had hidden dangers.
After conducting research with Tengen and Tsukumo Yuki, Zenin Kiyoshi discovered that the [Six Eyes] thing was not really related to the curse of the [Star Plasma Vessel].
To put it simply, a Six Eyes object is like a weight that can be placed on a balance scale at any time.
When humanity is weak, the "Six Eyes" are created to make humanity strong.
When the Cursed Spirits are weak, the Six Eyes disappears, thus balancing the power of both sides.
However, a very important problem arose during this process.
The reason why the scales are out of balance is because of the existence of Tengen. Her talent and the combination of the Immortality Technique make the scales between the Cursed Spirits and humans tip towards the human side.
To reconcile this, the Balancing Mechanism gave rise to the curse of the "Star Plasma Vessel".
This curse will cause the [Immortality Technique] to start from itself and form a reverse self-destruction.
However, the Balancing Mechanism cannot truly kill Tengen. After all, in order to balance the imbalance caused by Tengen's existence, the balancing force has given rise to many powerful Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
Unlike the short lifespan of humans, the lifespan of top-tier Cursed Spirits is almost infinite. As long as they are not killed by sorcerers, these Cursed Spirits with self-awareness will almost never perish.
This has led to the continuous expansion of the power of the Cursed Spirits, while the power of the curse on Tengen's side has become uncontrollable. In order to prevent Tengen from dying one day due to some accident, which would cause the Cursed Spirits to completely annihilate humanity.
The Balancing Mechanism gave birth to the Six Eyes, especially after the appearance of top-tier Cursed Spirits like the Prison Realm (contextual), the Six Eyes became an important factor in balancing the strength of both sides.
The reason why the probability of the [Six Eyes] and the [Star Plasma Vessel] being born is roughly the same is not because it is to protect any [Star Plasma Vessel], but simply because the appearance of the Star Plasma Vessel indicates that the Tengen technique may be coming to an end.
To avoid the collapse of balance caused by the end of the Tengen Technique, it was a coincidence that led Tengen to mistakenly believe that there was some connection between the [Six Eyes] and the [Star Plasma Vessel].
However, perhaps it was precisely for this reason that after Zenin Kiyoshi released his Six Eyes aura, he used the technique he and Tengen had developed to forcibly lock the source of the curse onto himself.
Because of the fog surrounding them, the Balancing Mechanism couldn't make an accurate judgment about itself, so for a while it was impossible to tell whether the human side or the Cursed Spirit side had become stronger.
Therefore, Zenin Kiyoshi's initial idea was to exploit a bug, but it was at this moment that this bug encountered problems...
After realizing that it was impossible to determine Zenin Kiyoshi's strength, the Balancing Mechanism actually started to judge based on the fact that Zenin Kiyoshi's strength was stronger than Tengen's.
This leads to the conclusion that... the human side's combat strength needs to be weakened to a certain extent.
However, due to the unclear nature of Zenin Kiyoshi's power, the Balancing Mechanism is currently in a state of chaotic equilibrium.
Add flour if there's too much water, add water if there's too much flour, but if you don't know how much flour there is, blindly adding water usually has terrible consequences.
However, this kind of common sense is completely incomprehensible to the Balancing Mechanism, which is similar to program code. It simply operates according to its own logic.
And now, the Balancing Mechanism is doing just that—it can't calculate Zenin Kiyoshi's strength, so it can only keep "adding fuel to the fire," constantly giving birth to stronger Cursed Spirits, until it "believes" that humans and Cursed Spirits have returned to balance.
However, the lifespan of the Cursed Spirits led the balancing system to abandon this approach, instead choosing to weaken the human side to balance the situation.
The problem is... it can never find that balance.
Because of Zenin Kiyoshi's "fog," it can never be calculated accurately.
Therefore, under such circumstances, anything could happen to humanity in the future.
Based on what Tengen said to himself, it's highly likely that the Balancing Mechanism will target those close to him before he can accurately assess his own strength.
Just like doing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, you know the values on both sides of the scale, but now there is an unknown x on the human side. If you want the scale to remain balanced, and you can't remove x, you can only test the numbers around x.
Using this method, the specific value of x can be continuously guessed.
Thinking about this, Zenin Kiyoshi felt a headache coming on. If that were the case, all the characters who had significant roles in the original work, from top-tier combatants like Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, and Tsukumo Yuki, to Assistant Managers like Ijichi Kiyotaka, could potentially be reassigned.
What's even more critical is that Zenin Kiyoshi has no idea how to change this situation or how to prepare in advance, since no one knows where that thing will start.
Perhaps the Balancing Mechanism has already begun to make Okkotsu Yuta dislike Orimoto Rika...
Or perhaps Geto Suguru's mind is gradually becoming gloomy, and his thoughts are becoming more extreme and biased...
And these things that lie hidden deep within their hearts, the most sensitive things, are difficult for even the most observant person to discover.
Zenin Kiyoshi sighed slightly, feeling a bit dizzy. There were just too many messy things on his mind, and he needed some time to sort them out and conduct further research.
However, it is clear that the first anomaly has already quietly occurred.
Half a month after arriving in Okinawa, Gojo Satoru has once again successfully explored the entire city of Okinawa. He is currently strolling down the street with an ice-cold Coke in his hand, looking quite cheerful.
Because he has no bottom line, even if it's drizzling, it doesn't affect him at all.
But at that very moment, Gojo Satoru suddenly felt a slight daze before his eyes, and then a voice that felt both familiar and unfamiliar rang in his ears:
"Gojo-sensei! What are you doing?! We should go!"
Chapter-254
Gojo-sensei?!
Is this someone calling me?
But I'm still a student!
Besides, I don't want to be a teacher! If I ended up like that weird old man, Principal Yaga, my life would be far too tragic!
Thinking of this, Gojo Satoru suddenly opened his eyes, only to find that the back of his neck was slightly sore.
His body moved instinctively; he raised his hand and lifted the blindfold over his face.
What came into view of Gojo Satoru was an honest-looking boy with short pink hair, a cool girl with short brown hair, and a sullen-faced, spiky-haired brat.
Even though he didn't know these people, his body unconsciously broke into a smile at that moment, and he uttered the names of the three people with a smile:
"Yuji, Kugisaki, Megumi~ Sorry to keep you waiting~ I was thinking of taking a nap, but I overslept~ Ugh~ This is so annoying~"
As a somewhat carefree laugh rang out, even Gojo Satoru himself felt a little strange. Why would he suddenly say such things, why would he suddenly become a teacher, and who exactly were those three brats in front of him?
However, Gojo Satoru knew very well that when the names "Yuji, Kugisaki, and Megumi" came out, he could even feel a lingering familiarity on his tongue, as if he had called them a thousand times.
But he didn't know them.
At least, Gojo Satoru could be certain that he didn't recognize them in his current state...
An extremely indescribable feeling instantly welled up in Gojo Satoru's heart. What was happening?!
Just as Gojo Satoru was feeling confused and puzzled, the three people in front of him began to speak.
Itadori Yuji scratched his head, grinned, and said to Gojo Satoru:
"Gojo-sensei, you're not staying up all night playing games again, are you? There haven't been any good games lately. That space robot game isn't very interesting. I have a game that might..."
Kugisaki Nobara rolled her eyes at Itadori, then said with a sarcastic expression:
"Definitely. This guy has definitely stayed up all night. Look at him, he can't even stand up straight. Also, you idiot, Itadori, don't lead the teacher astray, even though he's already somewhat beyond redemption."
Fushiguro Megumi sighed at Gojo Satoru and said with a look of disgust:
"...Don't delay the mission, let's get going. I need to go back and pick up Tsumiki from get out of class tonight."
Listening to the conversation between the three people in front of him, Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes were trembling slightly.
wrong...
None of them are correct...
He didn't recognize these people at all, but their tone of voice, expressions, and even the flow of their Cursed Energy were all strangely familiar to him. It was as if his body had even memorized the names of those familiar people.
All of this seemed to perfectly match the reaction he should have in his "memory," as if this were the "reality."
But the problem is... he has absolutely no memory of these things...
Am I still dreaming?
Gojo Satoru was somewhat unable to comprehend what was happening before him, but at that very moment, a flood of memories rushed into his mind.
Gojo Satoru's pupils suddenly contracted.
Those memories... no, to be precise, memories that had not yet happened, flooded into his mind like a tide.
The Tokyo Night Parade of a Hundred Demons incident in 2017.
On the battlefield where blood and fire intertwined, countless Cursed Spirits turned to ashes in the [Unlimited Void]. His own best friend, Geto Suguru, was killed by him, but his body disappeared without a trace.
On the playground of the Jujutsu High in 2018.
It was the first time Itadori Yuji had stood on the training field. The sunlight shone on his silly smile, and his pink hair was still covered with bits of grass. He looked at himself with a trusting smile on his face.
On a gloomy, rainy evening after the 2018 juvenile detention center incident.
Fushiguro Megumi stood before him, looking somewhat disheveled, her voice hoarse and dry:
"Gojo-sensei... I failed. It's my fault. If I had been just a little more careful, Itadori wouldn't have been so badly injured, and I wouldn't have been threatened by that Sukuna guy like that..."
In 2018, I first met Kugisaki Nobara at the train station, and first gave her the task of working in the abandoned building.
When Kugisaki Nobara's nail pierced the forehead of the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, the lively and adorable girl turned slightly back and gave him a victory sign.
All his memories were crystal clear at that moment. Gojo Satoru was absolutely certain that what was appearing in his mind was not a hallucination or a dream, but a real event that had actually happened to him!
But why can't I remember anything at all?!
"hateful!"
Gojo Satoru suddenly pressed his temples, his face contorted slightly. Those memories were too real, so real that he couldn't tell which world was the real one.
The moment Gojo Satoru displayed this posture, the three little ones rushed over, slightly flustered. Itadori even hugged Gojo Satoru's waist, wanting to rush him to the hospital.
"Teacher?! Please don't die! Kugisaki didn't mean to get that white shirt dirty!"
Itadori looked at Gojo Satoru in alarm, but the words he uttered made Gojo Satoru momentarily lose his composure.
"Hey! You idiot, Itadori! How could you say such irresponsible things? It was clearly the three of us who got it dirty together!?!"
Kugisaki's expression changed as well, seemingly taken aback by Itadori's stupidity.
Fushiguro Megumi, seeing that Gojo Satoru was no longer in trouble, silently retracted her legs, which had already started moving, and then frowned at Gojo Satoru and said:
"Recently, I've heard a lot of stories about middle-aged men in their twenties and late thirties suddenly dying while playing games. They're clearly in their thirties, but they still think they're around eighteen, and end up dying in front of their computers..."
"Mr. Gojo, you need to pay attention to this."
The personalities of the three people in front of him were like three-dimensional images displayed in his mind. Gojo Satoru felt that they were both too real and too unreal for a moment.
Feeling the words and encouragement from the three little ones beside him, Gojo Satoru shook his head slightly. The next moment, he took a deep breath, then raised his head. In his bright eyes, a chaotic light was flashing.
"I..."
His voice was so hoarse it didn't sound like his own.
"I think I had a very long dream, a dream so long that I felt like I had forgotten who I was."
Chapter-255
"Dreams? Do sorcerers dream too?"
Hearing Gojo Satoru's somewhat hoarse voice, Itadori asked his question with some curiosity.
In response, Kugisaki slapped Itadori on the back of the head, then said with a helpless expression:
"What are you talking about, you idiot? A sorcerer is just someone who knows sorcery, not some non-human being. Isn't it perfectly normal for them to dream? I can't stand you, you muscle-bound moron!"
Megumi glanced at Gojo Satoru, her brows furrowing slightly, and then asked:
"Gojo-sensei, your voice is so hoarse! Would you like some water?"
Before Gojo Satoru could say anything about Megumi's concern, Kugisaki pointed to Itadori, who was walking over with a water bottle not far away, and said to Megumi in a teasing tone:
"Megumi~ If you want to be kind to someone, you should prepare what you need before asking, instead of asking if they need it. That's called 'false concern'~"
So that's why you're not as popular with girls as Itadori. Look at that guy, he's already coming over with water.
Hearing Kugisaki's words, Megumi turned her head and saw Itadori walking over with three bottles of water.
Looking at the drink that Itadori handed her, Megumi didn't know how to refute Kugisaki for a moment.
Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru took the water Itadori handed him, took a small sip, and then said softly:
"Ah~ you're alive again. You're so considerate, Yuji~"
Hearing Gojo Satoru's praise, Itadori scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly, saying:
"Hey, Gojo-sensei, you're being a bit more polite than usual today. Did you have a nightmare? I heard my grandpa say that if someone who is usually difficult to get along with suddenly becomes easy to get along with after waking up, then that person must have had a really terrible nightmare."
Itadori's words plunged the atmosphere into silence once more. Kugisaki and Megumi looked at Itadori with utter bewilderment and astonishment, their eyes converging on one thought:
"Itadori?! How can you say something like 'difficult to get along with' so bluntly here?"
Seeing this, both men looked at Itadori with the eyes of someone looking at a sinner. Itadori, realizing this, immediately clasped his hands together and apologized to Gojo Satoru:
"Sorry, teacher! I didn't mean you were difficult to get along with, I was just giving an example!"
However, Gojo Satoru was not angry at Itadori's words at the moment; he was still processing the various memories in his mind.
Those various memories were simply too unbelievable for Gojo Satoru now, even to the point of being somewhat terrifying.
Geto defected? And before defecting, he killed everyone in an entire village, including his own parents?!
No! That could never happen!
Geto Suguru knew himself better than anyone else. If any sorcerer in the world were to become a Curse User, Gojo Satoru wouldn't be surprised, but Geto Suguru was the only one who was absolutely impossible to become a Curse User!
Although that guy liked to keep his weird bangs and liked to lecture me with grand theories and righteous arguments, it was this guy who changed my view of ordinary humans and my view of strength and weakness.
If even someone like that can turn into a madman, then Gojo Satoru really doesn't think there are any good people left in this world.
However... the memories in his mind were so clear and real that Gojo Satoru had no choice but to believe that it was something that had happened in the past.
Through the investigation conducted by the Assistant Manager, it was found that Geto killed the villagers in a fit of rage because of two girls who had been beaten and humiliated by ordinary villagers. In this case, Geto's rampage seems to make sense. If I were in that situation, I would definitely make the same choice!
How could someone with Geto's personality go on a killing spree? It must have been those guys who provoked him, it must have been those villagers who caused it, or is it possible that there was a problem with Geto's spell?
After all, since [Cursed Spirit Manipulation] is a technique for controlling spirits, it's understandable that problems might suddenly arise, isn't it?
Every technique carries the risk of going out of control, especially rare and dangerous ones. It would be too cruel to eliminate Geto for such a reason.
Geto should be given a chance to reform. Even if he needs to be punished, the truth of the matter should be thoroughly investigated...
Gojo Satoru felt that his mind was in complete chaos, so chaotic that he was almost unable to think straight.
But it happened. When he confronted Geto Suguru, who told him with a pained expression that he had been living in agony ever since Zenin Kiyoshi died, he couldn't refute a single word.
Yes... ever since Xiaoqing died in the incident involving Master Tengen, Geto seems to have become a different person...
Wait... Xiaoqing is dead? When did that happen?!
Master Tengen, Okinawa, Star Plasma Vessel, the Cursed Riot...
As his memories became jumbled, Gojo Satoru began to have some doubts about why Zenin Kiyoshi had died. But in his memory, it was no wonder that Zenin Kiyoshi had indeed died!
Geto Suguru's decline seemed to begin around that time.
However, because of Xiaoqing's death, he became less attentive to the outside world and thus failed to notice Geto Suguru's changes.
However... Geto was clearly the gentlest and most open-minded person among all the college students. Even after Xiaoqing died, Geto was still able to comfort the others and help them get out of those shadows sooner.
A jumble of memories and painful emotions pierced Gojo Satoru's mind like a tangled mess. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the water bottle, but the cold touch could not calm the restlessness in his heart.
He looked up at the buildings above the station, and every ray of sunlight he caught with his Six Eyes stung his nerves.
I exhaled deeply, the cool water flowing down my throat, but the images in my mind became even clearer.
All the memories were so vivid: Geto's back as he stood in a pool of blood, his appearance at dusk as he bid farewell, and... finally, in the dark alley, Geto Suguru, whom he killed with his own hands...
"ha..."
He suddenly let out a long breath and ran his fingers through his hair.
"What a terrible dream! All sorts of things, it's so annoying!"
Chapter-256
"Gojo-sensei?"
Itadori's slightly worried voice pulled him back to reality:
"Are you alright? You look terrible, even worse than when I eat something bad."
Kugisaki also dropped her joking expression at this moment, and frowned deeply as she said:
"Gojo-sensei, I've never seen anyone have a nightmare like this before. Are you really okay?"
Fushiguro Megumi silently took the bottle that was almost crushed from Gojo Satoru's hand, unscrewed a new bottle of water, and handed it to him.
"Have some water. You look quite disheveled. What happened?"
Feeling the concern of the three people in front of him, Gojo Satoru's annoyance subsided slightly. He looked at the three of them, then let out a slight sigh and said:
"I'm sorry to have worried you. I just dreamt about some things from the past. By the way, Megumi, do you still remember the name Zenin Kiyoshi?"
Gojo Satoru took a sip of water and asked Fushiguro Megumi his question. Although the memories in his mind were so real, he still had some doubts about the reality of the world he was in.
He remembered that not long ago he was still a junior college student, and everything was still in Okinawa, but why did it suddenly become like this?
There was no memory lost, but something felt very strange, a peculiar, indescribable sense of unease lingering within.
Regarding Gojo Satoru's question, Fushiguro Megumi paused for a moment, then shook his head and slowly said:
"I only have a vague impression of him. It seems like I heard his name when I was a child, and I think he picked me up once. But I can't remember anything else. He seems to have been a student of mine before I went to Jujutsu High, and he got along well with the other teachers, right?"
Fushiguro Megumi's words startled Gojo Satoru, as if he had been transported back to that time when everyone was still a boy...
"Yes! You remember correctly, Xiaoqing. He was the most popular student in my year, and his strength was in no way inferior to mine. We often sparred back then, but most of the time it ended in my defeat..."
Hearing Gojo Satoru's words, Itadori said with some surprise:
"How is that possible?! You must be kidding me! Someone as strong as you, Gojo-sensei, actually lost to someone your own age?! Doesn't that mean if he were alive today, he would definitely be even stronger than you, sir?!"
Seeing Itadori's foolish behavior, Kugisaki felt her heart race with anger. She reached out and pinched Itadori's ear hard, then roared:
"What's wrong with your brain?! Why do you always ask such nonsensical questions?! Shut up! You're not allowed to speak unless I tell you to, or I'll pull your school uniform up to your head!"
Seeing Kugisaki's fierce gaze, Itadori shrank back slightly and muttered something under his breath:
"Ugh~ Kugisaki is so scary!"
As for Itadori's question, Gojo Satoru slowly replied:
"Yeah, Yuji, you're right. If that guy were really alive now, he wouldn't be the strongest. He's a super handsome guy, and he's better at talking and charming girls than I am."
"Let me tell you, those teachers you met the other day—Mei Mei, Utahime, Shoko...—all of them really liked or even admired Zenin Kiyoshi back then."
Kugisaki was most interested in this kind of news. When she heard the names of Mei Mei, the Songstress, and Shoko, her mouth opened so wide in shock that it could almost swallow a whole goose egg.
"Liar! How could those three people possibly..."
Before Kugisaki could finish speaking, Gojo Satoru nodded vigorously, his face full of certainty:
"Although it may seem impossible to you to say this now, believe me, Kugisaki, at that time, Xiaoqing's personal charm had completely won over everyone in our college."
Whether it was that idiot Geto Suguru, Principal Yaga, or even the current head of your Zenin family, they all strongly advocated for Xiaoqing to become the leader of the new generation of sorcerers back then...
When talking about the Zenin Kiyoshi incident, Gojo Satoru's expression became excited, as if he were talking about his own affairs.
No, even when Gojo Satoru was talking about his achievements, he never showed such a proud expression.
But the more Itadori listened to Gojo Satoru's words, the more uneasy he felt. He asked Gojo Satoru:
"If that Zenin Kiyoshi was so powerful, why did it die? Does such a terrifying Cursed Spirit really exist in this world?"
Itadori's voice was slightly hoarse, as if he was still immersed in the shadow of the Cursed Spirit from the juvenile detention center incident.
Kugisaki and Megumi Fushiguro remained silent about this, because they were among those defeated by that damned Cursed Spirit.
In fact, if Itadori hadn't given Sukuna control of his body in the end, the three of them would probably have all died there.
Thinking of how Itadori was tortured by Sukuna, and hearing Itadori say that his wrists and fingers were cut off by the Cursed Spirit, everyone felt as if every cell in their body was hallucinating.
And it was at this time that...
"Zenin Kiyoshi..."
Fushiguro Megumi suddenly spoke, addressing the somewhat haggard-looking Gojo Satoru:
"She sacrificed herself ten years ago to protect Amanai Riko and Master Tengen from the [Star Plasma Vessel], right?"
Gojo Satoru abruptly looked up, his Six Eyes narrowing sharply behind his sunglasses. Only those who participated in the mission back then would know this detail. How old was Megumi then? There was no way he could know such a thing, and Jinichi would never have told Megumi something like this...
Something's not right here! It seems there's definitely something wrong with the world I'm in!
If I can find a flaw in this question, I might be able to go back to my college days!
Where did you hear that from?
Fushiguro Megumi was stunned by the sudden oppressive aura emanating from Gojo Satoru, and instinctively took a half-step back:
"Yes... a long time ago, Mei Mei mentioned it when he was drunk. He said that was the person he regretted not being able to save the most."
Kugisaki and Itadori held their breath.
They had never seen Gojo Satoru with such an expression—as if someone had plunged the sharpest knife in the world into his heart and then cruelly turned the handle.
"Really? Mei Mei has never drunk alcohol before, because Xiaoqing said she doesn't look good when she drinks..."
Chapter-257
Gojo Satoru's voice was somewhat low. He shook his head, feeling that his mind was still somewhat confused.
My memories are all jumbled up. How did I end up feeling so dizzy after taking a nap?
Kugisaki looked at Gojo Satoru, bent down slightly, patted the back of Gojo Satoru's hand, and then muttered:
"Gojo-sensei, if you are sick, it would be best to rest. Although the three of us are not particularly strong, ordinary Grade 2 Cursed Spirits are not a problem for us."
Since you're not feeling well, you should go and rest. Don't try to be brave here. Your hand is burning hot, it's quite alarming. My grandma always said that if someone's hand is burning hot, they must have a fever of over 39 degrees Celsius.
Hearing Kugisaki's words, Itadori's expression changed in surprise. He quickly squatted down and placed the back of his hand on Gojo Satoru's head. After feeling the other's astonishing body temperature, he anxiously said:
"Teacher! Your head is burning hot. Although Kugisaki's method is a bit strange, your head is really hot. If you have a fever, I'll carry you to the hospital!"
Looking at the students in front of him who didn't treat him like an outsider at all, Gojo Satoru smiled. Although these two guys were a bit disrespectful to their elders and their behavior just now lacked a sense of boundaries, it felt pretty good to be cared for.
Although... Kugisaki's concern was somewhat superficial; she was just saying it. If I were to ask Kugisaki to buy me medicine or make an appointment at the hospital now, she would probably find it troublesome.
It was just a polite greeting, like that between ordinary friends; she wouldn't delve into it or observe it closely.
The reason is simple: she doesn't care about herself, and of course... she doesn't need the other person to care about her either.
However, it seems that the boy Itadori is genuinely concerned about me. Even if I fainted right now and Itadori carried me to the hospital, I reckon he would agree without batting an eye.
What a stupid brat...
However, this might also be why he was willing to confront the Higher-Ups even after Sukuna swallowed the finger, just to protect the child.
After all, I seem to remember that Xiaoqing also ate Sukuna's finger back then, and was also tortured terribly by those Higher-Ups...
Huh? Sukuna's Finger?!
No, weren't about five of Sukuna's fingers completely destroyed after Xiaoqing's death?
That means that even if Itadori ate all the remaining Sukuna fingers in the world, he would only have the strength of 15 Sukuna fingers.
As for himself, the level of fifteen Sukuna fingers posed no threat whatsoever.
No, even if it's twenty fingers, it doesn't matter. Gojo Satoru believes he is the strongest.
His thoughts shifted rapidly, and he suddenly forgot where he had noticed something was wrong.
Or rather, they simply forgot that something was wrong.
Gently pushing away Itadori's hand, which was still resting on his forehead, Gojo Satoru said with a smile:
"You idiot Yuji, because each person's spell is different, there will be many different changes in their own situation. Some people are cold-blooded, some people will be favored by certain animals, and some people will have changes in their appearance."
For example, some people have fair skin, and some people make flowers bloom automatically when they pass by. For me, because I'm constantly running a "no-holds-barred" activity, my brain and body get a little hot.
Hearing this, Itadori nodded slightly, then continued curiously:
"Teacher, is that Zenin Kiyoshi really as popular as you say? If I could meet him, I would really like to see what kind of person he is."
Hearing Itadori's words, Gojo Satoru shook his head slightly, then said:
"Just an ordinary person, nothing special. Okay, let's go. Halloween is in a couple of days. What are you guys planning to do? Are you going to cosplay? Or are you just going shopping?"
Itadori chuckled and scratched his head, then said:
"I'll definitely go for a stroll. Cosplay and stuff is something only handsome guys do. I'm just an ordinary person, so I'll pass."
Kugisaki chuckled and patted Itadori's head upon hearing this, then said:
"So you're free that day? Come with me and help me carry some things. The small town I used to live in was a very poor and remote place; there wasn't even a coffee shop."
"I've finally made it to Tokyo, and it's even Halloween, a holiday our small town never celebrates! I'm going to go on a shopping spree!"
Hearing Kugisaki's words, Itadori pointed to his face, looking reluctant, and said:
"Huh? Me? But I wanted to see Centipede 3 that day, and there was also a Halloween special version of World War Z..."
Before Itadori could finish speaking, Kugisaki glared at him fiercely, forcing him to swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Fushiguro Megumi looked at Kugisaki with a helpless expression, and then said:
"Itadori has already bought the tickets for that day. You can wait for him a little while, or watch it with him. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to Itadori."
"Tch! I know this stuff even without you telling me, you idiot. I even bought three tickets so we can go see it together. By the way, Mr. Gojo, you're an adult, so can you reimburse me for your share?"
Looking at Kugisaki, who was holding out his palm to him and offering to reimburse him for his movie ticket, Gojo Satoru was somewhat speechless.
"You're not only forcing me to go to the movies, but you also want me to reimburse your ticket prices? Fine, you're my students after all. Go ahead, but I won't be able to go with you then. I have plans for that night."
Seeing the stack of cash that Gojo Satoru had given her, Kugisaki's eyes practically lit up, but her gossipy nature forced her to suppress her excitement. She instinctively asked Gojo Satoru:
"Huh?! Teacher, did you already have a date that night? Who was it with? A woman? Was it your hidden girlfriend? Or do you actually already have a child and a wife, and you're just keeping it a secret to maintain your image?"
Gojo Satoru smacked Kugisaki on the head, then said irritably:
"What are you thinking, you idiot? I'm going to find Xiaoqing and the others. I've been with them every year before, and I don't want to be an exception this year."
Upon hearing this, Kugisaki and the other two fell silent, looking at Gojo Satoru with a complex expression in their eyes.
Chapter-258
Seeing Gojo Satoru's expression, Kugisaki slightly lowered the ticket in his hand, then asked Gojo Satoru:
"Teacher, do you know the time I bought the ticket?"
Taken aback by Kugisaki's sudden question, Gojo Satoru looked at Kugisaki and instinctively answered:
"How could I possibly know about such things? Six Eyes just makes it easier for him to see the flow of Cursed Energy than ordinary people, it's not some kind of superpower like X-ray vision~"
At this point, Gojo Satoru even had the mood to make a joke with Kugisaki.
But Kugisaki, upon hearing Gojo Satoru's reply, smiled slightly and then said:
"In that case, teacher, don't you think it's a bit too cruel of you to refuse your lovely students' invitation without even knowing the time?"
Listening to Kugisaki's words, Gojo Satoru knew that she must have some bad ideas in mind again.
But what Kugisaki said made sense. It was indeed a bit inappropriate to refuse them without even knowing the time. Moreover, judging from Kugisaki and Megumi's expressions, they probably knew in advance what movie Itadori wanted to see and had prepared a surprise for them to go to the movies together.
Wouldn't it be a bit too disappointing to not go because of non-essential reasons?
Gojo Satoru still remembered something Zenin Kiyoshi had told him when they were in school:
"Often, if you don't want to go, you should consider the effort and dedication of others. If you feel that the effort and dedication of the person who invited you is worth overcoming your dissatisfaction, then try not to be a spoilsport."
Although he said those words himself, Gojo Satoru had to admit that Zenin Kiyoshi's approach did have some merit...
But was this really something Zenin Kiyoshi said a long time ago?
Why do I always feel like these words were said to me by Zenin Kiyoshi just two days ago?
This strange feeling has returned. Is it because I've been too lonely lately?
Or is it because of various things that are urging and making you impatient?
I find myself increasingly missing my school days. Every detail feels like it happened just a few days ago. Sigh... If only I had been stronger back then, if only I had read more books, Xiaoqing probably wouldn't have died...
Gojo Satoru lay on the table, feeling as if scenes from the past were playing out like a movie. Those memories of Zenin Kiyoshi seemed to have been wiped clean at this moment, and those voices and smiles that he thought he would never see again were extremely clear at this moment.
However, more than ten years have passed, and people always have to move forward. Even after Toji disappeared, wasn't Megumi raised safely by herself?
But... where did you go, Toji? I've searched almost all of Japan but haven't found any trace of him.
Given Toji's physical condition and abilities, naturally no one would think that he would have any accidents or risks. However, there is one important thing: why did Toji leave without saying a word?
Even though his wife and children were crying their eyes out, he showed no sign of wanting to come back.
I have never even seen a handwritten letter.
If others acted this way, Gojo Satoru would at most just curse them, saying they had no moral bottom line.
But after Xiaoqing's death, Toji never appeared again, which is really strange...
Damn it... I feel like I'm close enough to the truth, but I'm just one step away from breaking through it. What have I forgotten that's making me more and more confused?
Gojo Satoru covered his eyes again, and just as he slightly closed them, a familiar voice rang out once more:
"Is the movie on Saturday at 3 pm? You should be free then, since that's a rare day off."
Kugisaki suddenly slammed the ticket on the table, a smile on his face:
"But if you're going to bring back souvenirs, remember to stroll around the streets a lot. I've heard from many people that there are rip-offs who overcharge tourists here."
At this point, she pointed to the teacher's coat hanging on the back of the chair:
"We packed a lot of snacks in those bags beforehand. Oh, by the way, Yuji ate all of your pistachios by himself. I originally bought quite a few."
Hearing Kugisaki's words, Itadori scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, and then said:
"At that time, I thought you were just using the teacher's clothes to store things. I never imagined that you would actually use them like this."
Hearing Itadori's words, Kugisaki's expression darkened, though she maintained a smile. Then she roared:
"Idiot! If you can't speak properly, then shut up! Pink-haired idiot!"
Gojo Satoru stared blankly at the three students. He watched Itadori stuff popcorn into his backpack, Fushiguro silently grab an extra jacket, and Kugisaki's eyes reflected the appointment times of various hospitals.
"Although Six Eyes cannot see through ordinary dust..."
The most powerful sorcerer finally smiled, and this time it was a genuine smile, devoid of the indifference and aloofness of the past.
"My eyes can now seem to see things that are more important."
Upon hearing this, Itadori leaned closer and asked curiously:
"Teacher, what is that?"
When asked about Itadori's question, Gojo Satoru glanced at the movie ticket and casually mentioned some plot details to brush it off.
As night fell, Gojo Satoru lay in his teacher's apartment. He opened his eyes and turned on his smartphone, but for some reason, he subconsciously opened it like a flip phone.
"Huh? Why am I still using the old way to unlock my phone?"
Gojo Satoru stared at his phone. The pale blue light from the phone shone in the dimly lit room, illuminating his fair face and making him appear somewhat cold.
He scrolled through his phone, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar names, and felt a strange unease in his heart.
I opened my social media accounts, but no one had sent me any messages; they were all empty.
Besides the work group chat and the tasks assigned to him by Principal Yaga...
Gojo Satoru remembered that if it were in the past, let alone this long period of time, even if it were just a short while, his phone would be bombarded with messages from Geto Suguru and Zenin Kiyoshi.
Especially Geto Suguru, who seems reserved but is actually a super-shareable idiot. He often wants to share even a strange tree with me.
But nowadays, mobile phones have nothing on them...
Chapter-259
"Huh? You're asking me what time of day I hate the most?"
Gojo Satoru was lying in bed at that moment, and a question he had once asked Zenin Kiyoshi floated into his mind.
He still remembered how Zenin Kiyoshi had answered him.
"I hate the time of day in the evening, specifically the period after the sun has set, when the sky is gray but not completely dark yet."
As for why, it's actually related to an experience I had in the past.
Well, that day it was around one or two in the afternoon. I was planning to take a nap, but I was worried that someone might call me after I took a nap, so I turned on my phone alarm and turned the message and call volume up to the maximum before I went to sleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up, the room was almost completely dark, though not completely dark, just dim.
My head was spinning, and I instinctively picked up my phone. I glanced at the time; it was already around 6 PM. There wasn't a single message on my phone. The only notification was an advertisement from the telecommunications company...
Well, although I'm not particularly dependent on others, at that moment, looking at the dim and gloomy scene outside the window, I felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness wash over me, and a frightening panic gripped my heart.
It was from that time on that Gojo Satoru, like Zenin Kiyoshi, began to dislike the gloomy sky after he overslept during his afternoon nap.
The memories in his mind were so clear that Gojo Satoru looked at his phone and felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
This is clearly my home, the home I've lived in for three or four years, so why does it feel so jarring today?
I feel like something's not right, but I just can't quite put my finger on it.
Feeling stifled, he glanced at his phone, but still no messages came in. The three pinned chat windows on his social media were labeled with the IDs "Xiaoqing [Zhenglun Edition]", "Geto Weird Bangs", and "Shoko Idiot".
However, one chat log was stuck ten years ago, and the profile picture was grayed out and never lit up again.
Another chat took place a year ago. Although they didn't talk much, he had sent Geto Suguru many messages since Geto Suguru defected from the Jujutsu High, wanting to find out what Geto Suguru was really thinking.
Gojo Satoru looked through his messages and realized he had sent so many messages, almost spamming the screen, and made countless phone calls, but Geto didn't reply to any of them. However, the guy hadn't deleted them either.
Gojo Satoru knew this guy had seen his message, because when he graduated years ago, that bastard Geto Suguru sent him one:
"Happy graduation, Satoru... If possible, I really hope to take a graduation photo with you and Shoko and the others..."
After sending this message, no matter how many messages Gojo Satoru sent to Geto Suguru, the other party did not reply.
However, Gojo knew that Geto had read every single one of his messages, and that every New Year, he would wish himself a Happy New Year.
Gojo Satoru felt extremely uncomfortable about Geto Suguru's behavior.
Just like not deleting someone from your friends list after a breakup, if you really don't want to stay immersed in pain and unable to move on, then be ruthless and delete them. What kind of person are you to keep doing this?
However, every time he saw the messages from Geto Suguru, Gojo Satoru couldn't bring himself to delete him as a friend.
On the morning before Geto's accident, Mei Mei was still clamoring for Geto to bring him back some local specialties to eat. Although he was impatient, he still patiently found several shops for him and even took pictures of the specialties he bought.
Everything was so ordinary. There were no warnings or anything unusual that day, but Geto left forever. There was no farewell, no solemn ceremony, nothing at all. He just left like that.
I eventually found the local specialties myself, right under my bed in my dorm room. Besides the specialties, there wasn't even a letter left inside.
Whenever he thinks of this, Gojo Satoru feels a tightness in his chest.
Those desserts were delicious and very sweet, but that was the only time that Gojo Satoru felt that even sweet things tasted so bitter.
Thinking back on those things now, Gojo Satoru felt a lump in his throat and his eyes welled up with tears.
After closing the chat interface with Geto Suguru, he looked at the chat history with Zenin Kiyoshi once again.
Those records are from ten years ago. Everything in them, even if you change your equipment, will be copied from beginning to end, and you're not allowed to delete a single thing.
As he flipped through the grayed-out profile picture, Gojo felt a surge of intense sorrow. He curled up, wrapped the blanket around his head, and the words Zenin Kiyoshi often said to him and Geto echoed in his mind.
"You two idiots, didn't you pay attention to Ash's warning at the beginning when you were watching Pokémon?"
Viewers, please ensure your room is well-lit. Watching in a dimly lit environment can damage your eyesight!
Ah~ so remember to turn on the lights next time. Why create this kind of idiotic atmosphere?
At that time, Geto Suguru and I were playing games. We called the sudden light switch on by Zenin Kiyoshi, which instantly shocked our eyes, "old woman behavior."
After Zenin Kiyoshi's death, it seems that no one has ever spoken of themselves and others in that way again.
Ugh... Damn it, why is it that I can't forget scenes that seemed so ordinary before, even decades after they ended?
Damn it, damn it!
Why am I the only one left out of the original three people?!
You two bastards! Didn't we agree that if we ever get married, we'd smash cakes at each other's weddings?
Didn't we agree that even when we're old and toothless, we should still call out each other's most embarrassing nicknames in front of all the younger generation at family gatherings and tease each other about their embarrassing moments from back then?
Why... why are you all dead? Why are you two bastards leaving me little by little?
Don't let me forget your voices, your appearances, your habits...
But... time is passing. Geto is alright, but Xiaoqing, I'm almost forgetting your voice... Why didn't I save more videos of you back then? Damn it...
Why do people forget these things? Why is it that the first thing we forget about someone is their voice?
Chapter-260
Opening the chat history, the last chat history looks like this.
"Are you going to eat later? Geto and I want to go eat that Chinese food place, what about you?"
"Oh? But I'd like to try their desserts and main courses! I heard they have red bean ice cream over rice! (✧◡✧)"
"Sorry, Geto just said we don't eat pig swill! (#^.^#)"
"Huh?! What did that bastard say?! [○･｀Д´･○]"
"I am Geto Suguru. The previous sentence was said by Zenin Kiyoshi himself. Besides, you're the bastard. ^_^"
"Alright, come over here in a bit. Don't worry about whether I'm Geto Suguru or Zenin Kiyoshi. We've already bought the ice cream rice bowl you wanted. We've been waiting in line for ages. It's at the usual Chinese restaurant, next to our usual spot (our seat was taken)."
The post ended with a picture of a restaurant, where three hot, dark-skinned women from Shibuya were sitting in their usual spot. No wonder the two of them didn't bother to talk to anyone else.
You know, Geto is very particular about where he sits when he eats, and the three of them had paid the owner some money to reserve that spot for them in advance.
Gojo Satoru looked at the messages, a slight smile on his face.
He still remembers that when he arrived, those two bastards, Zenin Kiyoshi and Geto Suguru, used the cheapest ordinary milk popsicles sold in the supermarket to cover the steaming rice, and then told him that this was ice cream rice, which they had independently developed.
Looking at the ice cream melting on the rice, Gojo Satoru almost couldn't suppress his negative emotions and nearly achieved the "[Unlimited Void]" directly.
But under the coaxing of those two bastards, I don't know if I was bewitched, but I actually ate two bites later, and then... I spent the whole day in the toilet.
Thinking back to that day, Gojo Satoru felt that although he had been messed with badly, he was also genuinely happy. Those two bastards hadn't just watched him suffer from diarrhea; at least they had prepared hot water and medicine for him.
He had originally planned to take revenge on the two of them later, but... he really didn't expect that Xiaoqing would die the next night because of Master Tengen's matter.
His desire for revenge was dashed at that moment.
It was at this moment that he suddenly remembered a sentence.
"The person who truly wants to leave simply chooses a sunny afternoon, puts on their most worn coat, goes out the door, and never comes back."
Zenin Kiyoshi and Geto Suguru are exactly the same; these two bastards say goodbye in the same way.
Even if it's just to give yourself some buffer time, or even just to take some time to say goodbye properly, are those two bastards really that stingy?
Don't you two even have time to say goodbye?
Thinking of this, Gojo Satoru felt a little breathless.
He didn't delete any of the photos or chat logs, nor did he have the courage to look at them again. They were left there, and even a casual glance at them would make his heart clench.
An indescribable pain and loneliness enveloped Gojo Satoru at this moment, along with the spreading night outside the window.
However, at that moment, the phone that Gojo Satoru had turned off and placed aside suddenly lit up. As the phone vibrated, Gojo Satoru opened his eyes and glanced at the caller ID with his slightly reddened eyes.
"Shoko idiot..."
Seeing the caller ID on his phone, Gojo Satoru calmed himself down, then spoke a couple of sentences into the air to make sure his voice sounded normal before answering the call.
The moment the call connected, before Shoko could even speak, Gojo Satoru yawned and preemptively said:
"Sorry~ Sorry~ I was taking a nap, so I only heard your call then. I'm so sorry I answered so late~ But I hope you won't mind such a small mistake, Shoko~"
Gojo Satoru felt that his voice sounded no different from usual, still slightly teasing with a hint of a smile, but the voice on the other end sounded unusually calm and helpless.
"Really? It's rare to see you sleep for so long, you idiot. Get up, stop resting. I've heard from your students that you haven't been feeling well lately."
That pink-haired kid looked very nervous and told me that he had searched for information about my symptoms on Google, saying that I had some kind of terminal illness, and kept begging me to come and check on my condition as soon as possible.
So... after that brat's relentless nagging and efforts, I finished dissecting [Haibara's] body and came to find you. Oh, and after Haibara died, you should also try to check on Nanami when you have time; you know her personality..."
Listening to what Shoko was saying, Gojo Satoru felt his mood sink even lower.
Haibara Yu died two days ago because the high school gave him incorrect mission information.
It was clearly agreed that only a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit existed, and with Haibara's strength, there wouldn't be any problem at all.
Even before leaving, Haibara patiently approached each of her seniors, asking them what local specialties they wanted from that place.
After Kiyoshi's death, Haibara Yu almost became like Zenin Kiyoshi, also shining a light for everyone.
Unfortunately, Haibara Yu is Haibara Yu; he is a gentle candlelight, a unique Haibara Yu.
And Zenin Kiyoshi will always be Zenin Kiyoshi, the bright and gentle moonlight, the warm and exuberant sunlight, and the unique Zenin Kiyoshi.
Therefore, in any case, neither of them will be a substitute for the other; they are people who cannot be homogenized or categorized.
Therefore, Zenin Kiyoshi can never be Haibara Yu, and similarly, Haibara Yu can never replace Zenin Kiyoshi.
During the mission, the original Grade 1 Cursed Spirit turned into two Special Grade Cursed Spirits, so Haibara died in battle. Her body was cut in half and was already starting to smell when it was found.
When Nanami learned about this, she went completely mad, slumped to the ground in a daze for a long time, and then went to the morgue alone. She looked at Haibara Yu's body and remained silent for a long while.
He didn't cry, but after leaving the morgue, he chose to leave the college and give up his identity as a sorcerer.
In his words:
"Zenin Kiyoshi and Haibara are both dead. If people like them are gone, who am I supposed to protect? Who am I supposed to safeguard? I'm exhausted. Let me rest..."