The morning sunlight pierced through the city's buildings, casting mottled shadows on the walls of the old residential building.
Rin walked in front, his steps somewhat hesitant. This was the place where the original owner had lived for over a decade, and it was also his first "home" after transmigrating. Returning now to retrieve his things, he felt a strange sense of melancholy.
Geto Suguru followed a few paces behind him. The hood of his black jacket was pulled low, obscuring most of his face and revealing only his softly defined jawline.
His gaze swept over the passing residents, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing against his cuffs as he spoke in a calm tone:
"We've arrived? I'll wait for you nearby to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."
Rin nodded and pointed to a five-story building ahead:
"The window on the far right of the third floor. I'll climb in from there and be out in a moment."
The original owner's home was on the third floor, and the window had no security bars. To skip class easily, the original owner had often used the window to enter and exit, which saved the trouble of finding keys.
Geto Suguru gave a grunt of acknowledgment and turned to disappear into the nearby alley. His black figure quickly merged into the shadows, as if becoming one with the darkness.
Rin took a deep breath and walked quickly to the foot of the building.
He looked up at the third-floor window, confirmed that no one was paying attention, and took a few steps back before running and jumping. His current physical fitness was far beyond that of an ordinary person; he easily grabbed the second-floor windowsill, then used the momentum to leap up, landing steadily on the third-floor ledge.
The window was slightly ajar. Rin pushed it open gently, and a scent mixed with dust and old books wafted over him.
He climbed into the room and closed the window behind him. His gaze swept across the entire room; it was a small bedroom of about a dozen square meters. A single bed was placed against the wall, with a stack of well-worn military magazines piled at the head of the bed. On the desk, a few pens and an unfinished workbook were scattered about.
Most conspicuous of all were the four walls of the room, which were almost completely covered with posters of various firearms and military weapons.
There were black sniper rifles, heavy Tank treads, and even a poster of a fighter jet stamped with a military emblem. The edges of the posters were curled, clearly having been up for a long time.
"So the original owner liked these."
Rin muttered to himself, reaching out to brush the edges of the posters. His fingertips touched the rough paper, and he felt as if he could sense the longing the original owner had once felt while staring at them.
He didn't linger for long, walking to the desk and opening the drawer. Inside were the original owner's ID card, a few old photos, and some loose change kept in a tin box.
He put the ID card and change into his pocket and picked up the photos. Most of them were pictures of the original owner with his mother. The woman in the photos smiled gently, holding the young original owner, with the Ferris wheel of an amusement park in the background.
Rin paused, his fingertips gently stroking the figures in the photos. The original owner's mother had passed away from illness many years ago, which was one of the reasons the original owner had become withdrawn and frequently bullied.
"Ma'am, I will help him live a good life," Rin said softly, carefully placing the photos into his inner jacket pocket, right against his chest.
Afterward, he rummaged for a few pieces of clothing the original owner often wore and stuffed them into an old backpack.
Having done that, his gaze fell on the corner of the desk, where a small piggy bank sat, containing the change the original owner had saved up.
Rin hesitated for a moment, then took out the bank card Geto Suguru had given him yesterday from his pocket, wrapped it in an envelope, and placed it in the most prominent spot on the desk.
After finishing all this, Rin put on his backpack and took one last look at the bedroom. The firearms on the posters were still striking, and the workbook on the desk remained open, as if the original owner had only stepped out for a moment and would return soon.
He sighed softly, turned, and walked toward the window, preparing to leave.
But just as he jumped down from the window and prepared to leave, a lazy voice suddenly rang out from behind him, carrying a hint of mockery:
"I originally wanted to come over and learn a bit about you, but I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that I'd run into you just as you were heading out."
Rin's body froze instantly, his heart contracting violently. He could never mistake this voice!
He turned around slowly to see a figure in a black jacket wearing white bandages leaning against the wall of the corridor, a nonchalant smile hanging on his lips. It was none other than Jujutsu High's Gojo Satoru!
Gojo Satoru raised a hand and gently pulled down the bandage from his forehead. His azure Rikugan shimmered with an eerie light in the sunlight. His gaze landed on Rin with a hint of inquiry:
"Hello there! Student Rin, I might have to trouble you to come with me. I still have many questions to ask you regarding what happened at the school yesterday."
Rin's brain worked rapidly. How could Gojo Satoru have found this place? Although he had considered that people from Jujutsu High might investigate the original owner's information, he hadn't expected Gojo Satoru to come here personally.
He subconsciously clenched his fists, his fingertips cold. "Why should I go with you?"
"Because you are a key figure in yesterday's incident."
Gojo Satoru chuckled and took a step forward. A faint ripple of Cursed Energy emanated from him; the power was gentle yet carried an irresistible sense of oppression, causing Rin to tense up instinctively.
"Don't worry, I mean no harm. I just want to ask you about the situation."
Just then, a black figure suddenly emerged from the shadows at the entrance of the corridor. Geto Suguru's voice carried a hint of flippancy:
"Satoru, you can't go around doing things like taking people away by force against their will."
Gojo Satoru turned his head to look at Geto Suguru. The smile on his lips remained unchanged, but his eyes grew colder. "Suguru, long time no see. I thought you would hide for a bit longer, but I didn't expect you to show yourself so soon."
Geto Suguru walked to Rin's side and raised a hand to shield him, black Cursed Energy gathering in his palm. His gaze was fixed intently on Gojo Satoru. "He is the person I am looking for. You cannot take him away."
"Oh?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, a flash of sharp light passing through his Rikugan.
"The person you're looking for? Suguru, you aren't trying to pull him into your 'Star Plasma Vessel Society', are you? Using Cursed Spirits to slaughter ordinary students, then recruiting newly awakened Jujutsu Sorcerers—your methods are still as'special' as ever."
"Everything I do is to build a world with only Jujutsu Sorcerers."
Geto Suguru's tone was firm, his eyes carrying a hint of fanaticism. "Unlike you guys, still working for those 'monkeys'."
"'Monkeys'?" Gojo Satoru's tone deepened.
"You haven't changed at all." He took a step forward, the Cursed Energy fluctuations around him suddenly intensifying: "But today, this child must come with me. I won't let him become a part of your evil plan."
Standing behind Geto Suguru, Rin could clearly feel the tense, confrontational atmosphere between the two.
The Sharingan silently rotated in his eyes. Gojo Satoru's strength was far above Geto Suguru's; if a fight really broke out, Geto Suguru would be no match at all.
Yet, there was no panic on Geto Suguru's face.
Gojo Satoru's previously nonchalant smile completely vanished. The white bandages moved without wind, their edges slightly lifting to reveal a hint of azure glow—a sign that his Rikugan was about to be fully unleashed.
...
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