"No problem, safe and sound!"
Satoru Gojo held the child who had just escaped danger and waved to the surrounding people with an easy, effortless posture.
The onlookers had been filled with worry, but seeing the child safe, they suddenly erupted into a burst of cheers. They hadn't expected this oddly dressed, white-haired youth to be so capable.
"Thank you so much!"
At that moment, a figure squeezed out from the crowd, coming before Satoru Gojo and bowing repeatedly in gratitude.
"Mama!"
Hearing the child's cry, Satoru Gojo handed the little kid back.
"It was nothing," Satoru Gojo said with a wave of his hand.
Amidst the mother's repeated thanks and the admiring gazes of the crowd, Satoru Gojo led a somewhat dazed Subaru Natsuki away from the scene.
After they had walked a certain distance, Subaru Natsuki stared blankly at his palms, the disappointment on his face beyond words.
"Subaru, you seem to be in a bad mood."
"Is it because you didn't successfully trigger any magic back there, and you're sulking because I stole the spotlight?"
Satoru Gojo leaned over slightly, looking at Subaru Natsuki with a grin from the side.
His words were like a dagger straight to Subaru's heart.
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about? Who would care about that kind of thing? That kind of thing... that kind of thing..."
Subaru Natsuki prepared to act like he didn't care, trying to force an explanation. But seeing Satoru Gojo's gaze—which looked like he was watching a comedy—and remembering Gojo's cool and flashy performance earlier, he couldn't keep it up.
"Ugh!" Subaru let out a groan and grabbed his head, then immediately bent forward into a sharp ninety-degree bow.
"Please, teach me!"
"Eh?"
"Didn't someone just say they didn't care?"
"Sumimasen! Just now, an evil spirit must have possessed me for me to say something like that."
"An evil spirit? If it's those, I'm actually quite good at exorcising them."
"What a stiff subject change! Gojo-san, please teach me!"
Subaru Natsuki stared at Satoru Gojo with incredibly eager eyes.
"Well, let's talk while we walk," Satoru Gojo shrugged.
"Satoru, did you just awaken your ability?"
"No, I've been training since I was a kid."
"What?"
"Then when you asked me earlier, why didn't you say you had superpowers?"
"You didn't ask me."
Satoru Gojo spread his hands with a look of pure innocence. This look, however, was enough to make one's teeth ache with annoyance.
Subaru Natsuki's mouth twitched. "Wait, you said you've been training since childhood. Are you one of those guys hidden in the city, like a superhero? Do you have a lineage from a Ninja Clan or something..."
"Something like that. But strictly speaking, I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer," Satoru Gojo said, holding up a finger with a hint of seriousness.
"A Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
"It's similar to an exorcist. I'm responsible for getting rid of evil spirits and such that ordinary people can't see."
"Wow, that sounds impressive. I didn't think there were actually evil spirits in the place where I lived..."
Subaru was excited. Whether it was the transport to another world or the special abilities Satoru possessed, it allowed him to witness a completely different reality.
"I know why you said you're the protagonist."
"Compared to a background extra like me who has nothing, you definitely need abilities to qualify."
After the excitement, Subaru had to face the cruel reality. Based on the current situation, Satoru Gojo came with his own powers, while his own arrival hadn't brought any special abilities. If no special event occurred, he might be an ordinary person for the rest of his life.
Thinking of this, having finally crossed into another world only to face this situation was truly frustrating.
Beside him, Satoru Gojo watched the kid alternate between excitement and depression, easily guessing what he was thinking.
"By the way, Satoru."
"What is your ability? Is it like summoning Shikigami or using talismans from legends?"
"Neither." Satoru Gojo wagged his finger.
"To put it simply, it's a power called a Cursed Technique."
"Sounds powerful."
"Can I see it?"
"Let's go find a place without people."
The two of them turned directly into a small alley at a street corner.
"It's actually simple; you can understand it in terms of attraction or repulsion."
In the empty alley, Satoru Gojo spoke to Subaru and then reached out his hand. Without any visible grand movements or light effects, a stone on the ground acted as if it were drawn by some force and flew straight into Satoru Gojo's hand.
"Is that how you saved that kid earlier?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Then... can I learn it?"
Subaru Natsuki looked at Satoru Gojo with burning eyes, his gaze full of expectation.
"Well."
"That's hard to say," Satoru Gojo tilted his head and smiled.
"It depends on whether you have the talent for it. Just like how some people are born tall with perfect proportions and are suited to be models, while others are born short and simply don't have that possibility."
The explanation was easy to understand, and Subaru Natsuki nodded in comprehension.
"Then do you see that talent in me? We're partners, after all; there should be something different about me, right?"
Satoru Gojo rubbed his chin.
Taking the protagonist as a student? Although he wasn't sure if the kid could learn Jujutsu, it seemed like it could be quite interesting if it were possible.
"I'll have to confirm that first..."
Just as Satoru Gojo was speaking, a set of footsteps rang out from the other end of the alley. Three figures slowly walked toward them, interrupting their conversation.
"Hey, if you don't want to die, hand over your valuables right now."
Subaru Natsuki looked at the newcomers with a strange expression.
The three men across from them were quite distinctive in appearance and build. The one in the middle was the one who threatened them for money. He was a rather thin youth, about the same height as Subaru Natsuki, with silver-grey hair and thin clothing. His features could be considered delicate, but his face was pierced with lip rings and tongue studs. When he spoke, he intentionally stuck out his tongue, looking quite sullen.
To his left was a burly, tall man, close to Satoru Gojo's height—roughly 1.8 or 1.9 meters. On the far right was a short guy.