The venue moved to the school plaza. Since it was a school specifically established to train Jujutsu Sorcerers, the plaza was even larger than those at ordinary schools. Combined with the barrier covering the entire school, its durability far exceeded anything in the outside world.
Kinji Hakari and Yuki Tsukumo stood about fifty meters apart. They didn't start immediately but began to warm up.
The other students ran to sit on the large outer steps, preparing to watch this top-tier clash of the jujutsu world. Gojo Satoru had once introduced Kinji Hakari, saying himself that if Hakari was in peak condition, even a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer would be no match for him. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsukumo was a recognized Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer in the jujutsu world. This was, without question, a battle of Special Grades.
Before this, although they had a general understanding of the concept of "Special Grade" because of Gojo Satoru, this was the first time they would witness such a direct battle.
Gojo Satoru stood beside the warming-up Kinji Hakari and laughed. "Your juniors are all watching, so don't embarrass me. It's just Yuki Tsukumo—give her a real thrashing!"
Kinji Hakari couldn't keep a straight face. "Gojo-sensei, do you actually know what you're saying?" I'm one of the King of Curses' people! You're cheering for the enemy, you know that?
Gojo Satoru suddenly said, "Kinji, you will definitely become a Jujutsu Sorcerer who stands by my side in the future. I have never doubted that."
The topic shift was abrupt, but Kinji Hakari understood Gojo Satoru's meaning in an instant.
He fell into silence, recalling the time he spent with Gojo Satoru. Gojo Satoru might not be a good teacher, but he was certainly a good friend because he wasn't influenced by worldly conventions. He would support you unconditionally, even if you went against the mainstream of society.
He would stand up for you, protect your freedom, and endure unseen pressures on your behalf. In front of you, he was always grinning, as if he could lightheartedly hold up the sky for you even if it were falling.
Kinji Hakari respected Gojo Satoru more than anyone else; there was absolutely no lie in that.
In the past, he would have responded firmly to Gojo Satoru, saying: Me too, Gojo-sensei, please let me become your strength!
But now, he could never say it. He pressed down on his legs and said softly:
"Gojo-sensei, I cannot lie to you… and it's not because of a Binding Vow. I have seen the light—a light guided by Mahito. I was supposed to wander in the deepest darkness, where even a tiny bit of starlight would have been enough comfort, but now a massive beam of light is shining upon me… I can't go back."
"What's all this about light? Hakari, are you still in your chuunibyou phase?" Gojo Satoru said with a chuckle.
"Let's just say that's it." Kinji Hakari began doing chest expansions. His voice sounded slightly strained due to the exercise as he said, "The jujutsu world is already decrepit; that's a reality even you admit, Gojo-sensei. In the future, you will lead our juniors to change all this, and I believe in that too. But even so, it won't last long. After you die, Gojo-sensei, how long can the future you lead actually endure? I can't help but be pessimistic about that future."
"I remember you being a very optimistic kid," Gojo Satoru said.
"Reality forced me to change," Kinji Hakari said flatly. "Just as I once firmly believed you would bring me justice, I didn't resist immediately when the jujutsu world came to arrest me. When I was hiding in that abandoned parking lot, I also firmly believed my wanted notice would be revoked before long. But until Mahito came to find me, until I officially joined Mahito's camp, the justice the jujutsu world was supposed to give me still hadn't been realized."
Kinji Hakari didn't mean to blame Gojo Satoru. On the contrary, the more he interacted with this jujutsu world and understood how the mainstream rejected him, the more he could feel Gojo Satoru's care and the more he cherished his kindness.
Gojo Satoru was already among the few standing at the very top of the jujutsu world, yet he couldn't protect the student he favored, leaving Kinji Hakari saddled with an unjust wanted notice.
Of course, because Kinji Hakari was no pushover and because of Gojo Satoru's pressure, the wanted notice was effectively meaningless.
But having a wanted notice versus not having one are two different concepts. Gojo Satoru had failed in his duty.
"I once promised you that all the injustice you encountered would be cleared away by me." Gojo Satoru's smile vanished, and he said seriously, "I still haven't changed my promise, as long as you return to my side."
These words were sincere; Kinji Hakari could tell. But he didn't look back, only saying flatly:
"America was beautiful before the collapse of the Soviet Union—so beautiful that people today can't even imagine it. Their blue-collar workers could support a family of six just by working in a factory. They had the most comprehensive medical security, no one worried about their future, and their union systems weren't corrupt; everyone united their strength to speak for their group. It seemed as if the world would be this beautiful forever."
Kinji Hakari moved to his next set of warm-up exercises, but his voice didn't stop. As he exercised, he said:
"But since the collapse of the Soviet Union, everything changed. America officially became the world hegemon. It started wars, it wantonly insulted other nations, it—"
"—made promises freely only to tear up the contracts the next month. Its perfect union system instantly turned into a monopolistic business, making everyone who joined miserable. It's like a greedy dragon, unscrupulously breathing out a flood to drown the world, including the saint."
Kinji Hakari straightened his arms, stretching his lower back:
"I believe that if I were truly turned back by you, the jujutsu world would be ecstatic. They would agree to any promise, even if it meant coming before me personally to kneel and beg for my forgiveness—I'm willing to believe they could do it… But if Mahito is destroyed, I also believe they would immediately turn on me. They would return the humiliation they suffered a hundredfold, treating me like a chamber pot in the night—foul and disposable."
Gojo Satoru couldn't refute him, because even he felt that what Kinji Hakari said was the inevitable future. Gojo Satoru sighed. "Then, what exactly did the King of Curses promise you?"
"He didn't promise anything," Kinji Hakari smiled.
"Nothing?"
"Right, nothing at all."
"He promised you nothing, yet you're so loyal to him?" Gojo Satoru asked in disbelief. "I never knew something was wrong with your head too."
"Mahito… he is a good person," Kinji Hakari said slowly.
"A good person? He's a Cursed Spirit!" Gojo Satoru emphasized. "I know the King of Curses has more human touch than a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Since his appearance, I haven't heard from anyone else that he's gone out of his way to harm people. Although he's allied with Curse Users, the truth is that the Curse Users allied with him have also stopped their harmful activities. The whole world seems to only have those newly born Cursed Spirits left; it's peaceful and quiet. I don't doubt for a second that he's a 'good person.'"
After a pause, Gojo Satoru said solemnly, "But in the end, he is not human! As a Cursed Spirit, no matter how 'good' he is, he cannot become the king of humans. Human society must ultimately be ruled by humans; that is the bottom line. And the King of Curses… has crossed that line."
This was the real reason Gojo Satoru had always shown hostility toward the King of Curses. He knew clearly that this wasn't a matter of good versus evil, but a matter of racial stance. As a human, it was impossible to accept a Cursed Spirit as one's king.
As the only advanced species on this planet, humans have grown accustomed to being its masters. How could they welcome another advanced species to rule over them? Gojo Satoru simply couldn't imagine such a future.
If there was even a possibility of that—the King of Curses had to die.
This had nothing to do with whether Mahito was a good person or not. Being a good person didn't change the fact that humans should completely eliminate him, prevent such incidents from happening again, and remain eternally vigilant, never relaxing.
"Are humans really fit to rule humans?" Kinji Hakari suddenly asked.
Gojo Satoru frowned. "Do you know what you're saying, Hakari?"
"Gojo-sensei, do you know how many people die in Tokyo every year?" Hakari asked, but without waiting for Gojo Satoru's answer, he answered himself. "Excluding missing persons, the confirmed number exceeds 110,000. On average, more than 300 people die every day, and the number is rising every year. According to data analysis, the number of deaths in Japan will reach its peak in 2039, with the death toll climbing to 1.67 million per year."
Gojo Satoru was silent.
Kinji Hakari said slowly, "The first piece of knowledge everyone who attends Jujutsu High memorizes is the number of people killed by Cursed Spirits every year… I remember it being ten thousand? Or fifty thousand? These are counted among the missing persons, meaning they aren't in those confirmed death statistics."
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSim
Next Bonus Chapter at 300 Powerstones.