Return.
The moment Satoru Gojo spoke the command in his mind, Betty's voice suddenly disappeared.
If he hadn't still been holding her hand, he might have thought she had vanished entirely.
And just like when he had first arrived in that world, there was no fluctuation, no warning, no grand phenomenon.
Everything remained calm.
Ordinary.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
One moment they were still inside a room of the Astrea Family estate.
The next, they were standing on a tree-lined path.
A gentle breeze drifted past, rustling the leaves overhead with a soft whisper.
Everything around them looked perfectly normal, like an ordinary peaceful afternoon.
And that normality was exactly what made it feel so different.
For someone who had already experienced it once, Gojo found it surprising but not impossible to accept.
Betty, however, was another story.
A Great Spirit from another world who had spent four hundred years shut away in the Forbidden Library.
Faced with what had just happened, she froze completely.
She stood beside Gojo like a statue, staring blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings.
The wind brushed through her hair, but she seemed incapable of noticing.
Silence stretched on.
Finding her reaction amusing, Gojo simply watched without interrupting.
Several moments later, Betty suddenly shuddered and snapped back to reality.
"W-What is going on?!"
"Where... where are we right now?"
She looked up at Gojo, shock written all over her face.
"This is my hometown."
"The hometown of Jujutsu Sorcerers."
"You wanted to experience what a Domain really feels like, right? Here you'll have plenty of opportunities."
"And I can introduce you to some Cursed Spirits that are a little similar to you."
"Besides that, whether it's food, entertainment, or just everyday conveniences, this world is far more advanced than Lugunica."
Gojo knew she wouldn't be able to process everything immediately.
So he began giving her a simple explanation.
Compared to the way the system had dumped him into another world without warning, Betty's treatment was luxurious.
Back then, he had been forced to figure everything out alone.
At least Betty had someone guiding her.
Even in a completely unfamiliar world, she didn't need to panic.
After listening to his explanation, Betty reached up and patted her cheeks.
Apparently she was trying to determine whether she was dreaming.
Then she suddenly grabbed Gojo's hand and bit down on it.
Gojo sighed and allowed it.
Fortunately, she wasn't actually trying to hurt him.
She was just testing reality.
After confirming he wasn't joking, Betty hesitated before speaking.
"So according to what you're saying..."
"This is another world?"
"Exactly."
"You got it."
"A world without magic."
"No witches."
"No Divine Protections."
"The world I grew up in."
"Actually, Subaru came from a world like this too."
"His world is pretty similar to ours. The main difference is that it's set a decade or two later, and a few locations are slightly different."
Betty rubbed her face.
The information was difficult to accept.
Honestly, anyone would have struggled to believe it.
Seeing her reaction, Gojo decided to drop another bombshell.
"Come to think of it, there's something you probably don't know."
"The Great Sage from four hundred years ago was most likely from a world similar to ours."
"The writing he left on the giant tree was recognizable to both Subaru and me. It was written using the language from our countries."
"And many of the foods and local specialties he introduced to Kararagi still exist in our world today."
Betty stared at him.
One revelation after another was completely shattering her worldview.
"Don't tell me the Witch came from your world too."
"That part, I have no idea."
"I've never met a Witch, and I've never heard any evidence that would prove it."
As he spoke, Gojo noticed a vending machine further down the path and began leading Betty toward it.
"I know this is a lot to take in."
"But don't worry."
"You'll get used to it eventually."
"And we're not abandoning your world forever."
"We're just staying here for a while."
"Think of it as a vacation. Doesn't that make it easier?"
Betty pursed her lips.
"It's not like I'm nervous."
"I've been perfectly calm the whole time."
"I'm just surprised."
The usual tsundere response.
"Of course. Betty is the calmest person ever. Something this small would never make her nervous."
Gojo teased her like a child.
Leading her up to the vending machine, he stopped.
"What is this?"
Betty tilted her head as she examined the strange object.
"It contains drinks. Juice, milk, things like that."
"If you want one, you put money in and buy it."
"It's a machine designed to make life easier."
"A machine..."
She repeated the unfamiliar word quietly.
"What do you want? Orange juice, apple juice..."
Gojo paused.
"Actually, never mind. I'll choose."
"You already have juice in your world."
"Better to try something completely new."
"Assuming I still have enough coins."
He dug through his pockets.
Even after being transported to another world, he'd carefully kept his phone and the few coins he had left.
Back when he didn't know if he could ever return, they had been precious reminders of home.
After searching for a moment, he found several coins and inserted them into the machine.
Then he selected a can of cola for Betty.
Clunk.
The can dropped into the collection tray.
The sudden noise startled her.
Before Gojo could laugh, Betty immediately turned away and refused to give him the opportunity.
"What a rude machine."
Gojo fought back a smile.
He bent down, retrieved the ice-cold can, and before Betty could react, pressed it against her cheek.
"Eek!"
She jumped in surprise.
This time, Gojo burst out laughing without mercy.
Naturally, Betty responded by delivering a thorough lesson with her tiny fists.
After the playful scuffle ended, Gojo taught her how to open the can.
Betty cautiously took a sip.
Then another.
"Huh."
"What a strange feeling."
As expected, someone trying cola for the first time wasn't prepared for the carbonation.
But Betty shared Gojo's sweet tooth.
This was the same girl who would secretly eat mayonnaise.
Her adaptability was beyond question.
After the initial shock, she quickly fell in love with the drink modern society referred to as liquid happiness.
Soon she was happily sipping away.
"Hic."
Even a Spirit couldn't escape the effects of carbonation.
The tiny hiccup made Betty blush slightly.
It wasn't exactly ladylike.
"So what are we doing now?"
"You lived here, right?"
"You should know."
"Of course."
Gojo looked toward the distant scenery, a smile appearing on his face.
"First, I'm going to say hello to some people."
"I don't know exactly how much time has passed, but judging from the situation, it's definitely been a while since I disappeared."
"My sudden absence probably worried a lot of people."
"And made a few others very happy."
"Honestly, I kind of want to see the expressions on their faces when I suddenly show up."
"Then let's go."
Betty shrugged.
"If some troublesome Divine Protection gives you problems, you can always ask nicely."
"Maybe I'll lend you my power."
Gojo poked her forehead.
"You're getting a little carried away."
"What if this world doesn't have Mana?"
"Then I'll use Cursed Energy."
"You really are optimistic."
"Though you're not wrong."
"Come on."
"I'll show you around properly later."
With that, Gojo led Betty down the path toward a traditional-looking building in the distance.
When he'd first been transported away, he had been inside Jujutsu High.
At the time, he and Suguru Geto had just returned from a mission and were reporting in.
Then everything happened.
Now that he was back, he had no money and his phone was dead.
The easiest solution was obvious.
Find his beloved teacher, Masamichi Yaga.
Report that he was alive.
Borrow a phone.
And contact the Gojo Family.
If anyone had been worried during his disappearance, it was definitely them.
Yaga and Geto cared because of personal bonds.
The Gojo Family cared for that reason too.
But there were also interests involved.
His disappearance had probably thrown the entire family into chaos.
After all, even throughout the Gojo Family's thousand-year history, people born with both the Six Eyes and the Limitless Cursed Technique were exceedingly rare.
His importance was beyond question.
Holding Betty's hand, he walked for only a few minutes before reaching the building.
Before they even approached the entrance, Betty frowned and looked toward a certain corner.
She sensed something watching them.
"No need to worry."
"It's one of my teacher's cursed corpses."
"Cursed corpse? What's that?"
Another unfamiliar term.
"It's kind of like how Echidna created you and Puck."
"Though ordinary cursed corpses aren't remotely comparable to either of you."
"They're much weaker and far less intelligent."
"You can think of them as artificial lifeforms."
As Gojo was explaining, the front door suddenly opened.
A large figure stepped outside.
He wore clothing similar to Gojo's.
His hair was cropped short, and a thick beard framed his face.
He looked every bit as stern as ever.
The moment Gojo saw him, he grinned and waved.
"Long time no see, Teacher."
"Miss me?"
Masamichi Yaga showed no visible reaction.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward Betty.
Clearly, he had already noticed the unusual presence surrounding her.
"Come inside."
Rather than asking questions immediately, Yaga stepped aside.
"Let's go."
Still holding Betty's hand, Gojo walked into the building.
The lights weren't on, yet the room remained bright.
The interior was almost empty.
Rather than a place for relaxation, it felt more like a meditation room.
Only a few cushions rested atop the tatami floor.
"What would you like to drink?"
"I only have tea."
Yaga looked at them calmly.
Gojo knew perfectly well that question wasn't directed at him.
As his teacher, Yaga already knew his preferences.
"Betty, let me introduce you."
"This is Masamichi Yaga, my teacher."
"And this is Betty."
"My partner."
"Calling her my little sister wouldn't be wrong either."
"Betty's only brother is Puck."
Betty snorted and immediately corrected him.
"What kind of tea is it?"
"It won't taste weird like that drink earlier, right?"
The cola experience was still fresh in her memory.
There was far too much about this world she had yet to understand.
"No."
"Just ordinary tea."
"Pretty cheap tea, actually."
"Teacher Yaga is the kind of person who's stingy enough not to buy expensive tea even for guests."
"I see."
"Then I'll pass."
Yaga listened to the two of them banter, including Gojo's deliberately irritating comments.
Yet his expression remained unchanged.
Since Betty wasn't interested, he didn't insist.
"Then have some senbei."
The moment he finished speaking, a swaying figure approached from the side carrying a tray.
Several senbei were neatly arranged on it.
"Hey, Panda."
"Long time no see."