NOVEL NEXT Chapter 227
Chapter 227 – Chapter 36 – Who Are You?
“So, as a thank you, could you just die for me?”
Mild words came from the man with the bun in front of him, yet they sent a chill up Hachiman Hikigaya’s spine, freezing his body and immobilizing him.
Jubosu wore an ambiguous smile, exuding a poisonous air like a venomous snake.
This wasn’t an ally; this was an enemy!
Though he stood there with his hands in his pockets, he exerted far more pressure on Hachiman Hikigaya than a Gargoyle Curse Spirit had, surpassing even that Octopus Curse Spirit from Shibukya.
Hachiman laughed bitterly, not even having the will to resist.
He never expected to die at the hands of a curse spirit, only to be killed by an unexpected jujutsu sorcerer instead.
What bad luck.
Seeing that Hachiman gave up resistance without a fight, Jubosu raised a brow in surprise: “Very few are willing to surrender so easily like you. Are you really a student of Kōtetsu?”
“Not exactly.” Hachiman shrugged, “I’m afraid of pain. Please, make it quick.”
“No problem.”
Jubosu smiled and nodded, about to move when he suddenly changed expression as if sensing something.
His smile became distorted and grotesque.
Why is Satoru Gojo here?!
“It’s your lucky day,” Jubosu gritted through his teeth as a black vortex appeared behind him.
A withered hand emerged from the vortex, grabbed his collar, and pulled him in. The vortex slowly closed, and the man’s figure disappeared.
Unaware of what happened, Hachiman held his breath until moments later, a figure descended from the sky.
“Hey, looks like you’re fine. That’s great,” a familiar flirtatious voice chimed over the dead-eyed boy.
The latter blinked, then sighed deeply before lifting his head, looking at the white-haired man who fell from the sky: “Mr. Gojo, you really came just in time.”
“There was a man earlier…”
Hachiman was about to explain the mysterious man who appeared and then vanished when he was cut off.
“I know.”
Satoru Gojo’s voice was unusually deep.
As he landed, he first picked up Yoshino Junpei lying in the old hall and handed him to Hachiman, then patted his shoulder, “Let’s go down now. Iijichi and the others are already coming.”
“Got it.”
The emotionally sensitive dead-eyed teenager keenly felt that something was amiss with this man.
Without further words, he took the unconscious Yoshino Junpei and left.
After waving them goodbye, Gojo turned around, his face darkening, pulling off the eyepatch to reveal six eyes glimmering blue.
Every trace around them was seen through by those eyes.
“So, who are you?” he looked at the cursed energy residue he’d known before, whispering faintly.
…
When Hachiman carried Junpei Yoshino down the green stone steps to the familiar village road, a black sedan appeared in his sight.
The car stopped in front of him. Iijichi Kiyotaka quickly opened the door, taking unconscious Junpei Yoshino from him: “What happened to Yoshino?”
“Has been injured and is knocked out but should be fine. Probably just a couple of broken ribs…” said Hachiman tiredly.
Iijichi Kiyotaka put Junpei in the back seat of the car: “I’ll take you to Kōtetsu right away for Miss Inaba to treat you both.”
“I didn’t expect you’d show up too,” Hachiman said with surprise when he saw the black-haired girl, seeing how Gojo was accompanied by someone else for the first time.
“Mr. Gojo met us midway through,” Yukinoshita Yukino explained, “It’s good you’re alive.”
“Is that so? Then we really were fortunate.”
Hachiman muttered. If it were just Yukinoshita alone, chances are she wouldn’t have driven off the mysterious man.
Of course, Gojo didn’t need assistance from them. Everyone left him behind to head back.
On their journey, Hachiman told Iijichi and Yukinoshita about the mysterious man and how Gojo had frightened him off.
“You’re sure the technique used was Manipulative Curse Spirit Control Eight?”
Hearing the technique, Iijichi tightened his grip on the steering wheel, nearly swerving into the ditch.
“What? He mentioned that the Curse Spirit seemed to be absorbed and swallowed like a light ball,” Hachiman, puzzled, asked, “Why is this troubling?”
Iijichi swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady but still revealing tremors: “It’s not just the technique. From your description of that man, combined with this technique, only one person fits these traits.”
“Yūji Gatō, one of Japan’s four Special Grade jujutsu sorcerers in the past, but he fled during his third year of Kōtetsu. He masterminded the first night parade of a hundred demons in Shibukya. But on that day, Yūji Gatō was killed by first-year student, Ōji Uta, at Kōtetsu.”
“If Gatō is still alive… then maybe the second night parade of a hundred demons in Shibukya recently was his doing.”
Some speculations remained unspoken by Iijichi.
The death of Yūji Gatō was confirmed by Mr. Gojo, and the body was disposed of by Gojo. Yet if he is alive, could it mean that Gojo might have betrayed and become a jujutsu sorcerer?
Such a theory is too shocking, so Iijichi kept the thought buried deep.
When the dead-eyed boy in the passenger seat heard that the night parade might be Gatō’s doing, he clutched his fist tightly.
Yesterday, they were plotting to interrogate the enemy from the 88th bridge for information about the night parade. Now, they knew the culprit’s name.
Special Grade… huh?
It seems he must also raise his strength to reach that level soon. At least, he needs to master a fully developed domain.
While she’s already proficient in the ritual art techniques, she still lacks the barrier art.
With Kōtetsu’s knowledge, an enclosed Exorcising Ritual Box should be feasible.
As for the open domain mastered by Lin Qi, it’s beyond what this Yukinoshita can contemplate now.
Unlike Yukinoshita with her long-term plans, Hachiman thought more short-term.
“Ah, after treating my injuries, I must return to handle cultural festival matters,” the dead-eyed boy despondently considered the duties he had as a Cultural Festival Committee member after being a jujutsu sorcerer.
“At least, it’s just a backlog of one day; I should manage fine catching up.”
“What are you talking about?” Yukinoshita looked at him in surprise, “You and Junpei have been trapped in a barrier for two days. Count on recovery time and you’d need three at minimum.”
“Huh?”
Hachiman was stunned.
…
That noisy summer:
(End of Translation)