Competing with Yourself Is No Better Than Competing with Your Teacher
Toyama Akira had actually taken Gojo Satoru’s words to heart.
Originally, he had thought that the safest fallback was to die. If he was lucky, maybe he would transmigrate back to his original world like all those transmigrator predecessors.
If he was unlucky, at least he could die.
Although he had only just entered Jujutsu High, and all his classmates looked like lively, youthful teenagers, the terrifying nature of cursed spirits made it easy to imagine that the jujutsu world was surely filled with bloodshed and horror.
And the fact that this teacher named Gojo Satoru was trying to drag even a cowardly piece of trash like him into Jujutsu High with his cursed technique made it look like the jujutsu world really was as dark and dangerous as Gojo-sensei claimed.
Toyama Akira had always been inclined to imagine the worst when it came to possible dangers.
He was not merely afraid because of the terrifying cursed spirit right in front of him. He was also trying to escape the despair that might be lurking beneath the surface of this fear, which was only the tip of the iceberg.
A world with cursed spirits…… As long as people felt fear, cursed spirits would be born. No matter how he looked at it, it was just like a horror movie. The kind where the protagonist could die, the supporting cast could die, and even the villain might die.
Toyama Akira’s abbreviated conclusion: anyone was sure to die here.
Only the embodiments of horror in horror movies might survive unscathed, like the evil spirit in a ghost story, the shark in The Meg, or the disaster in a disaster movie……
Humans meant that they were not the kind of horrors that would make him afraid, but they also meant that they might be fellow human beings who would one day be swallowed by horror. Like the protagonists in those ghost stories who died one after another. First the students at Jujutsu High, then the undergraduates, then the graduate students. No matter how high they climbed, they would still die if they went on to earn a doctorate.
Toyama did not know what the people in this world thought. Gojo Satoru had said that ordinary people in this world could not actually see cursed spirits, so Toyama Akira could understand the dull obliviousness that allowed ordinary people to live here in peace. But these jujutsu sorcerers, Toyama Akira truly could not understand how they still had the courage to go on living.
They existed to exorcise cursed spirits. They saw terrifying things every day. They might be lucky enough to survive today, only to die tomorrow. Apart from the death that would inevitably arrive, there was nothing certain at all.
Fortunately, Gojo Satoru could not hear Toyama Akira’s thoughts. Otherwise, he would have heard the word [Death] scrolling endlessly through the boy’s mind like a barrage of comments.
Still, what Gojo Satoru had said did make him think.
This world already had something as ridiculous as cursed spirits. Then the existence of souls was perfectly plausible too……. If suicide really had a third possible outcome beyond [Death] and [Transmigrating Back], namely [Becoming a Soul and Encountering Even More Horror], then he really could not afford to die just like that.
So, until he found a way to make his soul vanish along with his body, he truly could not die on a whim.
A method to annihilate both body and soul……
Toyama Akira could have simply asked Gojo Satoru whether such a method existed. But after Gojo Satoru had stopped him from committing suicide three times in a row that day, he had finally realized that this white-haired young teacher did not seem to support his desire to die. He did not know why, though.
“……I think what Gojo-sensei said makes a lot of sense.”
If he could not die on a whim, then he really ought to make himself a little stronger.
When Gojo Satoru had blindfolded him like this earlier, Toyama Akira had discovered that it really could restrain his escape technique. Losing his sight made it difficult to visualize space. Although he could sense the surrounding space through the sound of the wind and physical contact, then preset a short, explorable spatial route in his mind, but being tied up as tightly as he was now placed even more restrictions on him.
Toyama Akira could not help sighing inwardly. He had always thought his ability was invincible, that he could escape anywhere he pleased.
After all, even Gojo-sensei’s supposedly incredibly powerful Limitless could not stop him.
Only today had he discovered that there were actually so many possible restrictions.
“It’s really great that Gojo-sensei tied me up today…..”
The boy lying on the hospital bed smiled with relief and gratitude.
Gojo Satoru: ……
When Gojo Satoru saw Fushiguro Megumi at the door, another speech bubble reading [What a scumbag] appearing above his head, the look of disgust on his face grew even more pronounced. The boy had even pulled out his phone to photograph the scene, seemingly planning to send it to the other Jujutsu High seniors.
Gojo Satoru: …….
Gojo Satoru calmly reached one hand behind him and accurately covered the boy’s mouth.
It was good that you had come to your senses now.
But it would have been even better if you had not come to your senses now.
Toyama Akira did not realize that a new boy had come to the infirmary until the restraints around his hands and feet and the bandages over his eyes had been removed.
After Gojo Satoru had frightened him with a look when he secretly used space to cut through one of the restraints on his hand, he had obediently stayed tied up on the bed. Only when Gojo loosened the restraints did he sit up again.
In any case, the boy had indeed been unconscious for an entire day after the cockroach cursed spirit training. His limbs were still weak, so Gojo Satoru had to go over and unwrap the bandages around his eyes. Then……
“Oh, your eyelashes are light-colored too.”
Gojo had not noticed before. Like Okkotsu when he had first arrived, the boy had a deeply shadowed, gloomy look beneath his long bangs. His hair at the back was even longer than Okkotsu’s, with much of it brushing his collar. Occasionally, all Gojo could notice was the unusual light color of the eyes glimpsed beneath those bangs, seemingly gray-green.
It was only when he leaned in to remove the bandages that Gojo Satoru noticed that the boy’s eyelashes were also a pale, almost white color.
If anyone familiar with the circumstances had been present, they probably would have complained, [You’ve been around this guy for so long, and you just bandaged his eyes a moment ago, yet you’re only noticing this now? You really don’t pay enough attention to him, do you?]
But hearing this, the boy soon raised his head in confusion. “Hm? What do you mean, [too]?”
Then the boy saw Gojo Satoru’s face up close, no longer hidden behind bandages or sunglasses, and his eyes suddenly widened. He exclaimed in utter disbelief, “Gojo-sensei’s eyelashes are white?!”
“Hm……? Gojo-sensei, your eyes are blue……! Are you mixed-race?”
Gojo Satoru: ……
His knuckles cracked.
He had been the one to bring up the subject, but for some reason, he felt incredibly irritated.
Toyama Akira actually had a slight problem with looking at people.
That sounded rather abnormal, but considering that everything about him was abnormal, it still seemed fairly normal.
As mentioned earlier, he was somewhat afraid of Gojo Satoru. From the moment they met, Gojo had radiated the aura of an [extraordinarily strong, handsome, decisive] trendy social butterfly, so Toyama Akira had been a little afraid of him from the start. After being frightened countless times afterward, he became even less willing to look at him.
Usually, he only remembered that Gojo was a very tall white-haired man, along with the vague impression that [he was probably as handsome as a model].
The former allowed him to pick Gojo Satoru out of a crowd. The latter reminded him not to walk around outside with Gojo Satoru.
Toyama Akira felt that someone like Gojo Satoru would probably be the kind of otherworldly expert in a movie who occasionally appeared to give the protagonist’s group a useful power-up whenever they ran into trouble. The only difference was that people like that in movies were generally white-haired old men, while Gojo Satoru was a white-haired short-haired old…… young man.
He always saved people upon appearing, and always got banned whenever the fighting started.
And now, the boy standing at the infirmary door……
“Hello……?”
Toyama Akira quickly matched him to a type in his mind.
He felt like the cool, stoic second male lead in a shonen manga who was guaranteed to be incredibly reliable.
Gojo Satoru: ……
Gojo Satoru had no idea how things had ended up like this. He had just reorganized his expression and was preparing to introduce his two [adopted sons] to each other when……
“Oh, so this is that sorcerer you brought back earlier. Is he going to live with me and Tsumiki from now on?”
This was Fushiguro Megumi, whose face clearly said [What a scumbag], whose hands were rapidly sending the photos and gossip on his phone without looking, and who was still moving the conversation forward with blunt efficiency.
“……Yes, you’re Fushiguro, right? I heard Gojo-sensei mention you before. Hello, my name is Toyama Akira. I’m sorry I can’t greet you properly right now, um, my legs are still a little weak. I’ll buy you a meal next time.”
This was Toyama Akira, who had somehow recovered his normal social template and now looked unbelievably normal.
Gojo Satoru: ……
Gojo Satoru looked at Fushiguro Megumi, who had shot him a scumbag look when the boy mentioned that [his legs were still weak].
Then he looked at the boy, who had swept his bangs back to expose a clean, clear face that looked impossibly normal.
Gojo Satoru: ……
These two were both so normal that he seemed to be the only abnormal freak here……!
“……All right, then. You’ve both skipped Gojo-sensei’s carefully prepared introduction segment, so let’s get down to business!”
Gojo Satoru’s other adopted son, Fushiguro Megumi, possessed an exceptionally rare genius technique. Gojo Satoru had planned to recruit him into Jujutsu High, but compared with Toyama Akira’s process of crying, kneeling, and threatening to hang himself……. things had gone much more smoothly with Fushiguro.
Toyama Akira had been able to enroll early because he had dropped out of school, while Fushiguro Megumi had been attending middle school at an ordinary school. He was also close to graduating and would soon enter Jujutsu High as Toyama Akira’s junior.
So the reason Gojo Satoru had called Fushiguro Megumi back was……
“To set an example for your junior!!”
Gojo Satoru pulled over the still stern-faced Fushiguro Megumi and repeatedly slapped his shoulder with his large palm.
Toyama Akira: ……
Generally speaking, seniors were supposed to set an example for their juniors. Having a junior set an example for him should, no matter how one looked at it, make any normal person feel……
“That’s great.”
Humiliated……. right?
Gojo Satoru: ……
“Fortunately, Fushiguro is already reliable and strong. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how someone as useless, cowardly, incompetent, and short-lived as me could possibly offer any guidance to my junior.” After hearing Gojo Satoru’s heavily embellished and disparaging introduction to Fushiguro Megumi’s achievements, the boy sighed sincerely.
Gojo Satoru: ……
At least act humiliated.
At least let yourself be provoked!
Is it really healthy to have such an accurate understanding of yourself?!
And why did you add [short-lived] to the list of adjectives?
Give up on your [Annihilate Both Body and Soul] plan already!
Gojo Satoru endured in silence, his face expressionless.
Fushiguro Megumi only felt the hand on his shoulder stiffen in midair for several seconds before slamming down again with tremendous force and gripping his shoulder.
“Cough…… cough, cough.”
Fushiguro Megumi, who had been jolted several times by the slaps: ……?
Calling Megumi back as a comparison point had been the original plan, back when Gojo had not yet fully understood Toyama Akira’s personality.
Now, although circumstances had changed, Megumi had already come all this way, so Gojo Satoru could only brace himself and continue testing out his earlier provocation plan.
“Megumi is younger than you, and he’s already a grade 2 sorcerer, you know?”
Gojo Satoru had previously explained the sorcerer ranking system to the boy. Although advancement was based on recommendations, the recommended sorcerer still had to complete exorcism missions of a difficulty appropriate to the proposed rank. It was like being nominated for a scholarship, which still required the submission of relevant materials. So Fushiguro Megumi had indeed completed many high-difficulty exorcism missions to receive this rank. Therefore……
“That must have been hard.” Toyama Akira could not help sighing.
Gojo Satoru pressed down on Fushiguro Megumi’s shoulder and nodded, his gaze encouraging as he waited for the boy’s inspired response.
“He’s being sent out to do child labor at such a young age. The adults here really are rather useless.”
Gojo Satoru: ……
Only after Toyama Akira finished sighing did he notice Gojo Satoru’s silent expression. He quickly waved his hands and tried to patch things up. “Ah, ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that Gojo-sensei was useless.”
Gojo Satoru: ……
“Um, I mean, I don’t consider Gojo-sensei a (useful) adult……”
Gojo Satoru: ……
Delete the word in parentheses, and……
Don’t read the parentheses out loud either!!
“That doesn’t sound right…… I mean, Gojo-sensei is technically a person……”
Gojo Satoru quickly covered the boy’s mouth before he himself could lose control.
“So,” Gojo Satoru said through clenched teeth, smiling darkly, “Akira, how about you try getting yourself ranked as a grade 1 sorcerer?”
Toyama Akira, who had just established his first great ambition, “to survive”: ……?
“As long as I’m willing to keep living, that should be enough. Don’t set your standards too high, Sensei.”
Gojo Satoru: ……
Gojo Satoru continued to endure.
He failed.
“You really are the worst class I’ve ever taught.”
Toyama Akira could not help cheerfully replying, “That’s pretty good.”
……?
“Gojo-sensei has only taught two classes. I’m still in the top three.”
Gojo Satoru: ……
Sorry for only having taught two classes!
“A grade 1 sorcerer sounds cooler, doesn’t it? The current grade 1 sorcerers are only……”
Toyama Akira looked up with clear, innocent eyes. “Then why don’t you go get yourself a senior teacher position, Sensei? Is it because that doesn’t sound cool?”
Gojo Satoru: ……
“You get paid for every mission, you know? As long as you take missions, you can……”
The boy answered honestly, “I’m not short on money, Sensei. I just used all of it to buy a term life insurance policy.”
Gojo Satoru: ……
“In any case, since Megumi has come back with a grade 1 sorcerer rating, you’ll go on missions with me too…… all right?”
Toyama Akira: ……
As expected, after going around in so many circles, the whole point had been to take him out on a mission to fight cursed spirits.
He knew perfectly well that Toyama Akira was afraid to fight cursed spirits…… Why not roll himself instead of rolling Toyama!
And why did that final “all right?” sound like there was absolutely no room for negotiation?
Toyama Akira: ……
Actually, Toyama Akira had already sensed a hint of Gojo Satoru’s intentions when Gojo first began praising Fushiguro Megumi.
He had worked so hard to change the subject and had even tried all sorts of ways to make his teacher happy, but in the end……
The boy wiped his face, then finally raised his head with solemn determination.
“Could you make the Yan Kingdom map a little longer, Gojo-sensei?”
Gojo Satoru: ……
I think your Yan Kingdom map is pretty short.
“You don’t want to go?” Gojo Satoru tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“This isn’t about whether I want to go or not. A person’s subjective initiative is always constrained by objective conditions. After all, not everyone is as resolute as the outstanding Fushiguro-kun raised by the exceptionally outstanding Gojo-sensei, so I’m sure that the exceptionally broad-minded Gojo-sensei will be able to……”
The boy’s head was suddenly pressed down.
“……Can I say I don’t want to go?”
The extended Yan Kingdom map suddenly flattened out.
“No.”
The dagger was finally revealed.