Next Target, 400PS!!
Very Long Chapter [3400] Words!
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'Is this guy blind?'
"Cute, sure. But..."
His gaze swept over Eriri's chest. A look of pity crept into his eyes.
I don't know how she developed, but some middle schoolers have more to show.
"..."
Offended, Eriri bared her snaggletooth. She wanted to smack the awful guy standing in front of her.
"Alright, alright. Give me your Line. I'll send you the second volume's manuscript later, and you can create a few character designs for me."
"I know, I know!" She looked impatient. Still, Eriri pulled out her phone and added Kai's Line. "Make sure you send it quickly. I'm busy."
She obviously wanted to read the second volume as soon as possible, but her tsundere nature prevented her from just speaking honestly. She always had to throw in a few sharp remarks.
Fortunately, Kai came prepared.
"Sending it is no problem. But the second volume hasn't been published yet. If the plot leaks... well."
"Sawamura-san, you wouldn't want your identity exposed to anyone else, right?"
"..."
Hearing the threat again, Eriri fell speechless.
"Is that the only thing you know how to say?"
"Then let's word it differently. Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, you wouldn't—"
"Enough!"
This time, she raised a hand to cut him off before he could finish. "Just don't mention that name in front of me again."
Hearing the name Kashiwagi Eri out loud brought her a wave of inexplicable shame.
"I expect the character designs by this weekend."
"That soon?" Eriri frowned. Drawing wasn't a simple task, and it wasn't like she didn't have other commitments. "But I still have—"
"Kashiwagi Eri!"
"I get it! I'll give them to you, alright??"
Seeing him invoke the cursed name again, Eriri had no choice but to agree.
Watching his amused expression, Eriri decided she had never met someone with such a terrible personality. It was unfair. How could someone this awful write such a good novel?
God must be blind.
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Before the afternoon classes began, Kai sent the second volume's manuscript to Eriri via Line.
She wanted to reply with a snarky comment, but knowing he would likely just threaten her again, she silently accepted the file.
On the surface, Eriri was a model student. Even though she was dying to read it, she had to sit quietly and focus on her classes. Luckily, the afternoon schedule was light and would end soon.
Having set up a date with Yui for Saturday and a visit to Hitori Gotoh's house for Sunday, Kai packed up and headed home.
However, when he arrived outside his apartment building, he saw a sleek Maybach parked on the street.
What caught his attention was Sakiko Togawa standing right next to it. As he drew closer, the sound of an argument drifted over.
"How long are you going to keep up this nonsense?"
Sitting inside the car was Sakiko's grandfather, the current head of the Togawa family, Teiji Togawa.
Even though Teiji had allowed Sakiko to leave the family alongside Kiyotsugu, he had never stopped keeping tabs on her. As the sole heir to the Togawa family, her youthful rebellion meant nothing to him.
He assumed that after experiencing a few months of poverty, she would recognize the benefits of the Togawa family and come crawling back.
He didn't expect Sakiko to be this stubborn and actually settle down living on her own.
Not long ago, Teiji received news that Kiyotsugu had left by himself. While he didn't know the exact details, he never cared for his live-in son-in-law anyway.
Since the man was gone, his granddaughter had no reason to stay out here alone.
"I will return, but not now!" Sakiko replied after a brief silence.
She understood her grandfather's intentions, but there was someone here she couldn't leave behind.
"Not now? Then when? Don't tell me you've actually been bewitched by that pretty boy, exactly like your mother was!"
Clearly, Teiji had investigated Kai.
"KAI-KUN IS NOT A GIGOLO!"
She could tolerate other criticisms, but hearing her grandfather insult Kai made her manner turn sharp.
"You..."
Like mother, like daughter. Her mother dug her heels in for Kiyotsugu back then, and now Sakiko was pulling the exact same stunt.
"Ahem."
Kai was never one to shy away from trouble. He cleared his throat and walked right over.
"Kai-kun!"
Seeing him, Sakiko's face lit up. She hurried over and threw herself into his arms.
Having just experienced the sweetness of their new intimacy, she didn't want to leave his side for a single second.
"..."
Watching his defiant granddaughter act so obedient made Teiji's chest tighten. His face darkened as he glared at the boy.
"You actually had the nerve to show up."
Teiji's men had already noticed Kai approaching, but they hadn't intervened. Teiji wanted to see if the boy his granddaughter chose had the guts to face him.
"Just average, I guess."
Holding Sakiko with one arm, Kai looked at Teiji. "You must be Saki's grandfather. Perfect timing. I'm a bit short on cash lately. Care to cough up some pocket money?"
"..."
His tone practically had 'I'm the scumbag stealing your girl' written all over his face.
Sakiko didn't mind. Instead, she laughed and lightly smacked his chest. She knew his light novel was bringing in plenty of money—he was just saying this to vent her frustration for her.
A woman in love only has eyes for her man. She didn't suspect a thing.
Teiji, already up there in years, felt his heart skip a beat at the bold audacity.
"Boy, do you know who I am? Daring to speak to me like that."
"I know. Head of the Togawa family. Just drop ten or twenty million for me to play around with. Otherwise, I'll have to go bully your granddaughter later."
"Stop it, don't say that."
Sakiko spoke up first, but her feigned reprimand didn't sound angry at all. If anything, she sounded expectant.
"..."
'Can't you see he's purposely trying to piss me off?'
"Do you realize that with a single word, I can make you disappear from this world?"
Teiji felt this boy lacked a basic understanding of what a conglomerate was. The Togawa family was a top-tier major player in Japan. An ordinary person couldn't just mess with them.
Before Kai could react, Sakiko stepped up to defend him.
"If you dare hurt Kai-kun, I won't live either!"
"..."
Can't you tell I'm just trying to scare him?
In reality, since Sakiko was the sole heir, the family would eventually need to recruit a live-in son-in-law anyway. If they cared about matching social status, Kiyotsugu would never have entered the Togawa household to begin with.
Teiji just wanted Kai to recognize reality so he would know who was in charge once he joined the family.
But seeing his granddaughter already wrapped around the boy's finger before they were even married... her mother had never been this cheap.
"My, my, looks like a lively assembly."
Just as Teiji was fuming, an arrogant casual voice split the tension.
Having nowhere else to vent his anger, Teiji didn't even look at the newcomer.
"Didn't I say to keep unrelated people away? Kick him out!"
"Kick me out? Sorry, but there isn't a single place in this world I can't go."
The voice remained playful. A slender figure with white hair and a blindfold strolled forward, his posture giving off an accustomed arrogance.
"Hmm?"
Noticing the look, Kai tilted his head.
Satoru Gojo. The Honored One!
There was no mistaking that style and attitude. The Strongest Sorcerer of the Modern era.
While surprising, it wasn't entirely unexpected. After dealing with the Spider Woman and seeing the Veil appear in the sky, Kai knew this world shared the Jujutsu Kaisen setting. Gojo's existence remained a given.
With Jujutsu High's intelligence network, finding him made sense. He just didn't expect Gojo to show up personally.
"Who are you?"
Seeing the man remain entirely unfazed although surrounded by bodyguards, Teiji frowned. He had attended countless elite gatherings, but he had no memory of this young man.
"You don't know me?" Gojo scratched his head, looking troubled. "And here I thought the Jujutsu society recently started releasing information about sorcerers to the public."
It couldn't be helped. The new wave of Cursed Spirits was getting weirder. Ordinary people could see them now.
In the past, Curses were invisible to the common world, making cover-ups easy. But with more people witnessing them firsthand, the secret was impossible to keep.
To prevent mass panic, the higher-ups decided to slowly reveal the existence of Sorcerers. Since Cursed Energy fed on human fear, letting people know there were specialists handling the monsters gave a sense of security, which in turn kept the Curses from becoming stronger.
"Jujutsu Sorcerer!"
Teiji's eyes narrowed.
He had indeed received classified intelligence recently. A group of beings existing above all rules.
At first, he thought it was a joke. Weren't conglomerates the only ones above the rules? But the information was verified by families even stronger than the Togawa—like the Shinomiya family with their hundred-trillion-yen assets, and the Suzuki family.
If those top conglomerates recognized it, Teiji had to believe it. He just hadn't had time to review the files properly before rushing over to find Sakiko.
"You're a Jujutsu Sorcerer?" Teiji asked, still somewhat skeptical.
Gojo didn't care. A normal person's doubt meant nothing.
He slowly lifted his blindfold, disclosing a sliver of an azure eye.
"Remember my name: Satoru Gojo. For an average person, speaking this much with me is already a great honor."
As the first possessor of the Six Eyes in four hundred years, the strongest of the modern era, Gojo possessed a heart of invincibility. He didn't need to care about anyone's opinion, and no rules could bind him.
He was the rule...
"Satoru Gojo!" Teiji hadn't read the full report, but he remembered the briefing.
The modern era's strongest sorcerer remained heavily emphasized on the very first page.
Do not provoke. Do not offend!!
The warnings were severe. If he provoked this man, the Togawa family would become the enemy of every major conglomerate overnight.
<><><><><><><><>
Even Teiji Togawa had to consider the future of the Togawa family.
"Mr. Gojo, I mean no offense, it's just..."
"Alright, alright!" Gojo waved him off, refusing to listen to the excuse. "I have zero interest in you."
"..."
He was exactly as the intelligence reports described—domineering and arrogant. When had Teiji ever been treated like this? But remembering the stark warnings in the files, he swallowed his pride and remained silent.
Non-sorcerers are monkeys.
While this elitist mindset originally stemmed from clans like the Zen'in, many Jujutsu Sorcerers secretly agreed. To them, sorcerers were human, and everyone else was a lesser species. Gojo had matured over the years—if this were his student days, he probably would have been throwing the word "monkey" around right now.
"So, it's you?"
His gaze shifted, slowly zeroing in on Kai. The Azure Eyes—the Six Eyes—had already captured the flow of Cursed Energy running through Kai's body.
"Fascinating. Are all Wild Sorcerers this impressive nowadays? With Cursed Energy like that, you easily qualify as a Special Grade!"
"What do you want?"
Before Kai could react, Sakiko stepped in front of him. Seeing the growing amusement in Gojo's eyes, she instinctively moved to shield her boyfriend, worried this stranger might try to hurt him.
"Saki!" Teiji panicked. When did his granddaughter become so hopelessly blinded by love?
"Don't worry."
Kai wasn't going to stand there in silence. Even facing Satoru Gojo, the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, he was confident he could hold his own. Before today, he might have fallen short. But with the power of the Dual Kamui Mangekyou Sharingan he just acquired, he had enough to stand his ground against Gojo without losing.
That look? The Six Eyes granted Gojo microscopic observation skills. Even knowing his identity, this kid still had the courage to look at him like that. Did he actually think he could win?
"Hahaha! Interesting! I definitely made the right choice coming here today. Your eyes are fascinating."
Gojo chuckled, then offered Sakiko a reassuring wave.
"Relax, little girl. I don't plan on hurting your boyfriend."
His tone was drastically different from how he addressed Teiji. But then again, her boyfriend was a fellow sorcerer.
"But I have to ask," Gojo continued. "Do you know who your boyfriend really is?"
Teiji stalled at the question. 'What special identity could this poor boy possibly have?'
Before he was able to process it, Sakiko answered with resolute certainty.
"I know. Kai-kun is a Jujutsu Sorcerer!"
"???"
Nobody was more confused than Teiji.
'Wait, you knew? If you knew something like that, why didn't you say so earlier?? If I knew you were dating a sorcerer, I wouldn't have wasted my breath playing the overbearing patriarch!'
Talk about digging a pit for your own grandfather...
"FASCINATING!"
Sakiko's reaction made Gojo laugh. If she already knew, things were much simpler. He tilted his head at Kai.
"Well? Want to have a private chat?"
Certain matters weren't meant for mundane ears.
"Sure."
Gojo clearly didn't come here to start a fight. And even if he did, Kai wasn't afraid. He gave Sakiko a reassuring glance before following Gojo toward a secluded area.
"Saki..." Watching his granddaughter stare anxiously after them, Teiji spoke in a complex tone. "You could have mentioned that detail a bit earlier."
"?"
Sakiko looked back, not quite grasping his meaning.
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"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue!"
Once they were out of earshot, Gojo suddenly spun around. With a swipe of his wrist, an orb of condensed azure energy shot straight at Kai.
"Hmm?"
Surprised by the sudden attack, Kai narrowed his eyes. The scythe-like patterns of his Mangekyou Sharingan began to spin.
In the next instant, Gojo's attack phased right through Kai's body, leaving him unharmed.
Intangibility?
Amusement flashed in Gojo's eyes. It was just a probe, nowhere near his full strength. But a defensive ability like that meant raw power was useless against him.
Noticing Kai's glare turning hostile, Gojo raised his hands in surrender.
"My bad, my bad!"
"Your attitude just piqued my curiosity. I wanted to see what kind of trick gave you the nerve to stand up to me."
The Six Eyes were unrivaled in gathering intel. Usually, a single glance was enough for Gojo to dissect an opponent's Cursed Technique. Yet, looking at Kai, he drew a blank.
"Is that so?"
People walked over the weak. Kai was never one to take a hit without hitting back, even if the man standing across from him held the title of the modern era's strongest.
"In that case, I hope you don't mind if I test whether the 'Strongest Sorcerer' actually lives up to the hype."
"Oh??"
The bold challenge didn't offend Gojo—it only stimulated his excitement.
"Be my guest. If you think you can reach me, give it a shot!"
Gojo spread his arms wide, inviting the attack. He had no intention of dodging.
His confidence stemmed from the Gojo clan's inherited technique: the Limitless. It was a unique ability that could only be used by someone possessing the Six Eyes, and the primary reason Gojo was recognized as the Strongest.
It manipulated space at an atomic level. Any attack directed at Gojo would slow down infinitely as it approached him until it stopped completely. In theory, with Limitless active, Gojo was immune to all forms of damage.
Furthermore, Limitless granted him various spatial manipulation abilities, including high-speed teleportation.
Gojo maintained his teasing smirk as he watched Kai.
"Perfect. Show me where all that confidence comes from."
"Watch closely, then."
Kai had always known Gojo was arrogant, but seeing it in person made him want to punch that smug face even more.
The Mangekyou pattern whirled slowly in his eyes.
'An Ocular Jujutsu like the Six Eyes?' While Gojo looked relaxed, his mind was racing to analyze the threat. He didn't know the exact mechanics behind Kai's crimson eyes, but they were definitely dangerous.
"Kamui!"
Kai didn't bluff. He believed in striking hard to establish dominance. Reborn into this world, he refused to bow to anyone. So what if Gojo was the strongest? Armed with Kamui—another spatial ability—Kai wasn't intimidated by the Limitless.
"Hmm?"
The moment Kamui activated, Gojo sensed the shift.
Danger...
A thrill ran down his spine. It had been years since he last felt threatened. Even facing multiple Special Grade Curses didn't trigger this kind of alarm.
Interesting!
"Subarashii!"
Driven by his pride as the strongest, Gojo held his ground. His grin only grew wider.
Vwoom!
The surrounding space warped. Kamui's gravitational pull twisted the fundamental fabric of reality, tearing through the infinite space generated by the Limitless.
Kai aimed straight for Gojo's heart.
Gojo watched as his infallible defense was shredded like wet paper. The space over his chest began to spiral inward.
Swish!
In a fraction of a second, Gojo vanished from his spot.
He reappeared a few yards behind Kai, his right sleeve hanging empty. He managed to dodge the fatal strike to his heart, but it cost him an arm.
"An attack that targets space itself?"
No wonder Limitless failed to block it. This technique was more broken than Cursed Tools, designed to bypass barriers. At least tool-based attacks had a trajectory. Kamui manifested instantly without warning. A moment's lapse in focus meant certain death.
"That was close. If that hit my heart, even I would be in trouble."
Despite missing a limb, Gojo sounded as casual as ever.
He activated his Reverse Cursed Technique. Flesh and bone knit together rapidly at the stump, and within seconds, a brand-new arm sprouted into existence.
"Phew."
Gojo exhaled a breath of stale air.
Regenerating an entire limb took a toll, even for him. This was the most severe injury he had sustained since claiming the title of the strongest. Sure, he had underestimated the boy, but it proved how lethal Kai's technique truly was.
"So, do you have to stay rooted in place when you activate that ability?" Gojo asked, noticing Kai hadn't moved an inch.
"I can afford to miss a thousand times, can't I?"
Kai replied coolly, glancing at the regenerated arm. As expected of Reverse Cursed Technique. With that kind of healing, the stamina drain from using the Mangekyou meant nothing.
Got it... The Mangekyou Sharingan retained its base copying capabilities. By observing the flow of Cursed Energy during Gojo's regeneration, Kai mapped out the process. Even without a system reward, he could replicate the Reverse Cursed Technique with enough practice.
"Haha! Fair point."
Gojo chuckled, unaware that his signature healing technique had just been stolen.
Factoring in Kai's intangibility, he didn't need to move. He could just stand there and spam space-warping attacks. Facing an opponent like that would strike fear into anyone.
If given enough time to grow... even Gojo couldn't guarantee a victory without relying on Domain Expansion. And who was to say this kid wouldn't develop a Domain of his own?
"Let's end the test here!"
He didn't come to start a war. Having satisfied his curiosity and uncovered the source of Kai's confidence, Gojo offered a proposition.
"Join Jujutsu High. Surrounding yourself with average people will only stunt your growth. We can provide you with proper orthodox Jujutsu training."
Kai didn't doubt the claim. Gojo played the fool, but he was a capable teacher. Besides, Jujutsu High had other experienced instructors.
"Tempting," Kai crossed his arms. "But I refuse."
Are you kidding? Jujutsu High was great, but the heroine density there was abysmal compared to normal high school. Transferring would cripple his system progression. Kai knew where his priorities lay.
"Oh?"
The instant rejection caught Gojo off guard.
"Not even going to think about it? You might not fully understand what we offer."
"No need. A bird in a cage, no matter how well-fed, is still just a caged bird. It will never become an eagle soaring through the sky."
"..."
The response silenced Gojo. He stared at Kai for a long moment before bursting into laughter.
"HAHAHA! INTERESTING! I FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE OLD GEEZERS HATE ME SO MUCH."
So this was what confidence looked like from the outside. Looking at the boy, Gojo couldn't help but see a reflection of his younger self.
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