34 Gojo Satoru Does, In Fact, Care. (Probably?)
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
-Story Start-
To Satoru, the sight of two people freezing up in sheer awe from his peerless presence wasn't an unusual thing.
Even getting on guard and ready to engage Satoru at any moment was also the usual.
Both here and back in Japan.
The boy, had a fearful and perhaps awkward expression etched onto his face as he gazed at Satoru.
Whilst the elvish girl's defensive glare and combat readiness would have alerted just about anyone to equally get on guard and observe carefully.
Then, why would Satoru not pay any mind to the reactions of the duo of boy and girl in front of him as he continued his leisure walk in the wary duo's direction?
Well... Satoru isn't just anyone.
And...
He's confident everyone knows better than to try something.
However, he wouldn't exactly discourage it either.
He hasn't had the chance to scratch that itch in quite a while.
And so, for what felt like an eternity, Satoru's steps echoed closer and closer to the duo.
Not a word was exchanged, as he passed them by.
Naught but a glance Satoru threw at the boy through his shades.
Making but a momentary eye contact with Rudeus, sending a chill down his spine upon gazing at the rather invasive gaze of the Six Eyes.
A small curious thought crossed Satoru's mind as he noted his observation, 'That's a lot of mana.' His internal voice drawled out dully.
The mana capacity of the boy, was where his interest waned and he continued uninterruptedly in his stroll.
...Not before throwing a knowing smirk at the girl, whose stoic exterior was easily seen through by Satoru.
Her hand nervously hovered over her sheathed wand, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Much to their dismay, Satoru paused beside them.
He turned his head towards Sylphiette, his expression morphing into a smirk as he pointed at her hand, which had previously hovered above the wand.
Thanks to Satoru's pause, it was now held firmly in her grip, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.
With callous amusement, he inquired, his guard completely loose, "What kind of spell do you hope to cast in time when I'm this close?"
Sylphiette's countenance went into high alert at Satoru's words.
And she realized her mistake.
'...Damn it, I should have been cordial or neutral at best. For Lady Ariel's sake - I need to avoid conflict.'
Yet, despite her blunder and loyalty...
She turned to see the frozen figure of Rudeus, her once ironclad loyalty was met with the equal resistance brought upon by the mysterious emotion known as love, 'But, I have to help Rud-"
As she was caught in the momentary maelstrom of deciding which manner to respond to Satoru.
His words brought her back to reality.
Noticing a hint of her internal conflict, he threw her a bone as he tilted his head, "I'm just asking. You don't gotta interpret it as an invitation to a fight. Though if you want to, I wouldn't mind~!" He eccentrically added in the end, his battle lust hidden in plain sight.
Pointing haughtily at Rudeus, sending a shiver down his spine, Satoru added, "Hell, you can even team up with your buddy. I'm curious as to what spells someone with his mana capacity can use~!"
Though in the presence of her loved one, and mostly clouded in her judgment as a subsequent result of said presence - Satoru's words had reminded Sylphiette of the approach necessary to take when met with him.
One that Ariel had instructed both her and the other attendants to take.
On top of all the Gojo Satoru-related information, they were gathering and fed with.
One of the many Gojo Satoru-related information and methods to deal with him, she had to break.
Gojo Satoru largely disdains and disregards all forms of formality.
This, she had to disregard, due to being a guard and attendant of Asuran Royalty, after all.
She bowed low, adhering to standard etiquette when addressing someone of higher rank. "Nothing like that, Lord Gojo. I wish to be on amiable terms with you, and so does Lady Ariel. I am her attendant and bodyguard. To answer your inquiry - I am capable of omitting the chant in most magic spells."
Truth be told, this is one of the exceedingly rare times that Silent Fitts spoke more than one sentence.
But, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures.
Internally though, Sylphiette hoped, 'I hope this won't harm our standing with him...'
At her words, Satoru's expression was a paradoxical mix of indifference and intrigue, "I see..."
'Bodyguard of the Asuran Princess...' Satoru mused, an awkward expression took hold of his face.
...She hadn't had the chance to nag him back in the classroom that he entered and left unceremoniously.
That simple introspection was all he needed - He sure as hell ain't getting involved.
It'd have to be well worth his time and fun enough to warrant participation.
...Which it ain't, so no dice.
He waved her off as he turned around, deciding to continue on his way, "Well, if I've got any questions about Chantless Magic, I'll come knocking." His tone came out with a hint of indifference, lacking in his usual jovial tonality.
Why was it lacking?
Because he came across a profound revelation...
Back in the Holy Land Of Swords - He was sent countless letters from the nobility of every country seeking to hire him for whatever uninteresting politically related reason he was supposed to help with.
All letters that lacked the basic necessity of also serving Satoru's own self-interest besides mind-boggling levels of monetary compensation and useless titles.
All of which he can easily obtain himself without anyone's input.
But, the beauty of it was - That he ignored those letters without issue or extra nagging.
Not even one of those puffy old coots of the nobility even bothered going in person to try and convince him.
Besides sending other people to do the job for them; offering Satoru terms that he easily ignored, ran away from, or declined.
His favorite responses, however, are but two:
The first...
Exhibit A: Leave The Dumb Fucks Out To Dry.
-Flashback Start-
"Lord Gojo, are you certain you want our meeting place to discuss terms to be at the western frozen beach?" The Shirone Kingdom proxy questioned with an exceedingly dubious tone.
Folding his arms, his expression dead serious, Satoru nodded resolutely, "Mhm. It is only by reaching that place in your lonesome, that you can prove your mettle. I'll meet you there in four days. Should you be there in time, I'll discuss terms with you."
Note - The Western Frozen Beach is around four days away on horseback from civilization.
The proxy's eyes boggled, momentarily as he lost his cool, "F-Four days? I am but a B - Rank Adventurer... Such a feat would be-"
Extra Note - The path leading to the Western Frozen Beach isn't exactly safe, as it is teeming with Monsters rivaled only by those seen in the Demon Continent and certain areas in the Begarrit Continent.
Satoru shrugged, as he shook his head helplessly, "Guess that's all the Shirone Kingdom amounted to..."
Gritting his teeth, the proxy declared, "Fine... I'll see you there in four days."
...
It was four hellish days later, that the proxy reached the designated Western Frozen Beach.
To discover no sign of Satoru.
...It was safe to say, that further attempts of recruitment from the Shirone Kingdom arrived in letter form from that point onwards.
Thankfully - Satoru had not been in the Holy Land Of Swords to experience too many recruitment attempts.
-Flashback End-
The second...
Exhibit B: Send A Very Clear Message.
-Flashback Start-
Note: Due to constant and heavy discouragement from external forces this incredibly effective method of deterring recruitment attempts has been scrapped and used only once by Satoru.
Extra Note: Cough ALISTAIR Cough.
Extra Extra Note: It was fine as long as it was done to Asuran Nobles - Who oddly hadn't sent any actual proxies to recruit Satoru.
The bloodied and bruised face of a proxy from a country participating in the ongoing skirmishes in the Strife Zone was lying unconscious on the ground.
Satoru, meanwhile, the cause of the bloodied face was unhindered in his eating of a fruit skewer.
"...Was that really necessary?" Alistair's voice drawled out, his disappointment coming across once again.
Satoru glared at Alistair, as he pointed at the unconscious bug, "Oi... I was planning on ignoring him, but preaching about recruiting me to some dumbass war in the middle of nowhere as he invaded me in the restroom was where I drew the line."
Alistair didn't look wholly convinced, so Satoru continued, "You know Eris would've done worse for much less... Go nag her!"
Pinching his brow as he suppressed a migraine, Alistair responded, "Eris is a dumb brute. You're not. Think of the consequences."
Humming, Satoru gained a wicked grin, "Not at all~! YOU should be the one thinking about the consequences~!"
Raising an eyebrow, Alistair voiced his confusion, "What are yo-"
"ERISSSSSSSSS~!!!!!!!!! ALISTAIR CALLED YOU A-"
"NO DON'T!"
-Flashback End-
Now, how are these flashbacks related to Satoru's current revelation?
Because his revelation is...
Now that he is in a much safer, easily reachable, and literal nest filled with nobility and other personage of importance.
He's going to be approached much more frequently for one thing or another.
...You'd think they'd have learned their lesson from Satoru's obvious disdain and occasional violent responses.
...You'd be wrong.
Undeterred, is a surface conclusion as to the stance of most of those who attempt to recruit Satoru.
It makes one ponder...
Maybe, he should set a clearer example, one that goes against what Alistair suggests and stands for.
Nevertheless, the consequences of Satoru's more degrading responses to the recruitment attempts... Have yet to come.
Thus, much to the nervous and wary duo's relief, Satoru's loud steps began to grow less and less audible as he made his way toward the city.
Sylphiette, breathed a sigh of relief as she quickly and concernedly turned to the more uneasy Rudeus.
She gently touched his face with her gloved hand, "Rudy? Are you okay?"
His eyes widened momentarily and he turned to look at Sylphiette.
She inquired, the warmth and concern in her voice was palpable, "Do you have a history with Gojo Satoru? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Seeing Sylphiette's reaction, Rudeus chastised himself internally, '...How can I be so pathetic?'
He shook his head and slapped himself to collect himself.
Giving her an awkward smile, he answered, "It's nothing like that. It's just me being pathetic. Gojo had done nothing to me. At least... Directly." His expression turned hurtful at the end of his response.
Caressing his face with her hand, Sylphiette empathized with him, "Oh Rudy... Do you want to talk to me about it? I promise I'll do anything and everything I can to help you get over it... Even if it means to challenge Gojo Satoru." Her voice was a mix of concern and determination.
Once again, Rudeus was taken aback by the depth of Sylphiette's concern for him.
Which only fuelled his motivation and desire to grow stronger and better himself.
At least, for her.
He smiled warmly at her, his voice both warm and vulnerable "Yes... I'll tell you about it. It's related to how my... Illness appeared."
With that, he began to recount the untold tale of his adventures with Dead End.
This time, delving in-depth into the nature of his relationship with Eris Formerly Boreas Greyrat.
...And how that close bond came to an abrupt and torturous end.
--------------------------
"Hmm..." Satoru hummed as he was contemplating an issue of vital importance.
He was in a state of unparalleled concentration.
His brows furrowed.
His eyes narrowed.
His hand held his chin from falling as he was too distracted to keep it afloat.
Truly... The conundrum that had managed to elude Gojo Satoru himself was...
"...Can I suggest getting the Beef Roast?" The stall owner suggested with a sweatdrop.
Indeed, the issue as old as time and the folly of all men who are given a myriad of options and free will:
What Do I Get For Lunch?
Satoru, for once in a while, was no exception to this ancient issue.
...Much to the dismay of the clogged line in the food stall that had built up thanks to Satoru's indecisiveness when it came to what sustenance would go down his throat.
The patience of the person standing behind Satoru has already worn thin, "Yeah, get the roast already! You're holding up the line!"
At that, Satoru quickly turned around and barked, his face twisted in faux rage, "OI! DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"
Giving the man behind Satoru a good scare as he backpedaled.
Having said his piece, Satoru, now internally pleased, turned back to the now-concerned stall owner with a contrastingly easygoing smile, as if he didn't just unload his nonexistent anger issues on the poor sod behind him, "Get me one serving of that Red Venison Stew!" He pointed at the steaming clay pot beside the owner.
The owner, getting whiplash from Satoru's eccentric mood swing, blinked for a moment and nodded absentmindedly as he moved to pour him the stew.
As he was doing that, Satoru's shaded eyes gazed to his left, as if peering into the far distance.
A momentary thought passed him by and he sighed, his voice came out reluctant, "Make that two."
--------------------------
Sharia's Central Veterinary Clinic:
A large building is also constructed with Magic Resistant brick.
It has a collection of small barns and stables at its sides - Large enough to hold a hundred steeds and similarly sized animals.
The central place where all manners of pets, mounts, and other animals are nursed and taken care of.
Usually, most issues can be solved with Healing Magic and Detoxification Magic.
Unfortunately, the services involving said magic are, for the most part - Painfully expensive.
Although in Sharia this statistic is rather skewed - The fact remains...
Magic users are scarce - Especially those apt in Healing and Barrier Arts.
Out of the general population of the Human World, just 5% are born with the innate ability to wield mana, the essence of magic.
Among them, only a small fraction, 1 in 20, possess the skill to harness it effectively and train to become mages.
Remarkably, a mere 1% of those individuals have the potential to become advanced magicians in just one element.
It is for this reason, that the Sword Arts are a more favorable and rewarding path to pursue.
Talent dictated at birth isn't as much of a stopping point for a man of the sword as it is for a man of the staff.
It is also because of this scarcity of available mages - That services involving them are mind-bogglingly expensive and yet a blessing to have regardless.
Especially expensive for the average man.
Using such expensive services - On a household pet or mount no less, would to some be an utter waste.
Such funds are better reserved for a true emergency.
Fortunately, there are rudimentary methods to treat a sickness or wound, applicable for both men, animals, and monsters.
Ointments, specific foods, and other organic or non-magic related treatments.
This clinic answers all those concerns:
Equipped with a small team of Vets, whose knowledge of species of pets, mounts, and animals is enough to write an encyclopedia of their own.
Most importantly, equipped with a duo of Healing and Detoxification magic users respectively, they provided their services to those with heavier pockets, willing to pay a hefty sum to treat their pets.
Or those who were attached enough to their pet that they'd pay a loan to treat it...
It was in one of those stables, that a girl sat on a bed of wheat.
Her hands held the injured right hindleg of her horse, as she applied ointment at the noticeable laceration.
The horse huffed in pain, yet it endured and obediently received treatment from his owner.
"Oof, this place reeks. Figures I'd find you in a place like this. Did you stink it up~?" A familiar arrogant and amused tone of voice grabbed the girl's attention as she turned her head towards the new arrival that stood at the entrance to the stables.
The girl sighed as she confirmed the figure leaning on the door as he held his nose due to the smell wasn't a figure of her imagination.
Her voice came out weak and pained, completely ignoring his rude insinuation, "...How is it that you decide to find me at the worst times, Gojo?"
Still holding his nose, his voice sounded strange and muffled, "The first time was an honest mistake. Besides, you got your payback for that time." He easily admitted with a shrug.
She rolled her eyes at that.
Satoru questioned, "Did you just get here? I noticed your Mana signature only a couple of hours ago."
She nodded, "Yeah, but I had to rush here, Sable got hurt due to me failing to block a Treant's surprise attack. I managed to mitigate most of the damage though..." Her voice held a hint of contempt.
Satoru's face cringed, as his voice faux lamented, "...Can you really do nothing properly on your own?"
She glared weakly at Satoru, "I took care of those children on my own very well!"
Shaking his head in disappointment, Satoru ignored her weak argument to press on, "Did you lose your money or something? Why are you just not paying for the Healers to do this for you?"
Scoffing, Nina replied, "Quit being so pampered! Us having Ave back home is just that, a blessing. It'll be a waste of coin to heal something that can easily be treated normally."
Satoru waved her off, "Blah, blah whatever you say. If you want to waste your time and nurse your horse for a couple of days, suit yourself. Take this before I go."
He moved his hand, and out of the door, a bowl of steaming stew slowly floated towards Nina.
Whose expression turned surprised, as she sheepishly held out her hands to grab the floating stew that gently lowered towards her.
She blinked a couple of times and gazed at Satoru, her tone came out touched and her eyes glazed, "You bought this for me?"
A thin line formed on Satoru's face as he responded mechanically as he held out his hand, "No. Give me my Adventurer Card back."
--------------------------
Time trickled by slowly and agonizedly.
As it always did for Nanahoshi.
Yet, Time is indifferent to all, so trickle by it did.
And soon, the designated time for lunch break came to an end.
Having finished eating her own meal that one of the staff had delivered to her, she finally decided to continue her routine experiments.
Of course, the ensuing experiments were done at a very sluggish and distracted pace in comparison to Nanahoshi's regular expertise.
Why?
Well, there are countless reasons.
Which are ultimately summarized with the mentioning of a name - Gojo Satoru.
His revelations and appearance were enough to drain her whole energy and cause a migraine of noticeable proportions.
It took her a couple of hours to digest what he had told her.
And the conclusions were varied.
But the most important one, was something that was made clear and all the more impactful when she gave it some thought.
...Because the time to actually think when Gojo Satoru is in the close vicinity is a scarce resource.
Gojo Satoru was a glimmer of hope for her.
He was not a disappointment.
She...
She was not alone in her efforts to get back home.
That conclusion was enough to pause her self-destructive trajectory.
It was enough to bring her relief and to tears.
At the rate she was going...
She truly was... Losing her mind.
While Rudeus was an initial disappointment, he was still from Japan.
A breath of fresh air.
Yet, he only proved to momentarily slow down her spiraling madness.
Failure, but they were making steady progress, she told him.
Lies, all lies.
To hide the gnawing at her very psyche.
There was no progress.
Beyond that, Rudeus was different - He had no intention of going back to Japan.
She was still alone.
But now?
Nanahoshi felt like she'd be fine to fail even a thousand further experiments.
As long, as she hadn't failed alone.
What if even with the addition of Gojo Satoru's help, they'd never succeed in getting back home?
It seemed Nanahoshi wasn't wholly convinced of Gojo Satoru's confident claim of being able to figure a method back if one such method exists.
But she wanted to believe him, there was a charm to such unadulterated confidence, she mused.
And if it all went wrong regardless...
The grim thought crossed her mind and received an equally grim response.
'But if it all went wrong regardless... Then at least I won't be losing my mind alone.' Nanahoshi confirmed to herself, the weight of her uncertainty pressing heavily upon her thoughts.
Human beings thrive on social connection.
When left psychologically isolated for too long, their internal well-being can suffer, leading to deterioration and even madness.
While having a purpose or goal can provide temporary relief, it merely postpones the inevitable.
Eventually, the mind can only endure solitude for so long before it begins to fray.
This vulnerability underscores the fragility of human existence.
Nanahoshi is no exception.
No, she is the example.
However, despite Nanahoshi's internal musings and confirmation of her status of - "No longer alone".
She finds herself... Ironically, Alone.
As Nanahoshi continued her routine experiments, the absence of her new "Partner," who had promised to be there on time, added to her distraction.
She meticulously yet slowly drew diagrams, her thoughts wandering between her research and the recent encounter with Gojo Satoru and the lingering, burning questions she still held in her mind.
The problem, in essence, placed in layman's terms - Is that he's bloody late.
As a couple of minutes crawled by, a knocking was heard on the door to Nanahoshi's Research Room, signaling the interruption of her silent contemplation.
Her masked face lifted to gaze at the door with thinly veiled excitement, only for it to die down as she recognized the pattern.
With her excitement dying down as quickly as it came, her voice drawled out, "Enter."
Entering her room was the familiar figure of Rudeus Greyrat.
"Good afternoon, Nanahoshi-san." Rudeus greeted in Japanese.
A comforting gesture from Rudeus that she is truly thankful for.
Nodding, she gestured at the usual seat she prepared for him, "Give me a minute to complete these."
He tilted his head, internally curious, 'Strange... She always has them ready for me when I get here. More importantly though...'
His eyes scanned the room, noticing that the table held a pair of cups, a teapot, and two chairs.
Being the shut-in researcher that she is, Nanahoshi rarely bothered with cleaning anything up.
Rudeus sat down, inquiring, "Did someone come by?" He pointed at the teacups whilst Nanahoshi sat on the ground drawing.
The conclusion was, in actuality, pretty obvious.
As no one visits Nanahoshi for anything longer than a minute besides him.
A fact he found difficult to accept.
Without pausing, Nanahoshi replied, "Gojo Satoru is from Japan. He'll be joining us from now on."
Before Rudeus could express his opinion or reaction to that utterly dreadful revelation from Nanahoshi.
She continued her tone a mix of tired and pleading as she sighed, pausing in her drawing, "Look. I don't really know what kind of problem you have with Gojo-san, but please, try to ignore it when both of you are here. His goal aligns with my own. We both want to get back home. And I'm asking from his angle as well... Losing you would be detrimental to both myself and him."
Rudeus blinked at the unusually long plead from Nanahoshi, only for her to add one last sentence with a more serious tone, "Of course, I'm not asking you to do this for free. If it's too troublesome, I'll tutor you myself in Summoning Magic."
Nanahoshi's eyes narrowed, 'If it comes to it, I can tutor him, and Gojo-san will be researching in my stead. It's most efficient that way. Or... Even a chance to speak with that man.'
Little did Nanahoshi know, that Rudeus no longer had a reason to help her.
His needing to learn about the Teleportation Incident and Summoning Magic was but a circumstantial endeavor.
...But Rudeus doesn't need any self-interest-related reason to help Nanahoshi.
She was a poor fellow Japanese girl, stuck in a world she never wanted to be in.
A world she hated.
Giving a weak yet reassuring smile, Rudeus nodded at Nanahoshi, "Don't worry. Regardless of Gojo-san, I'll help you. I'll try my best to get along with him." He promised sincerely.
The self-loathing part of Rudeus, snarked at him, 'He hadn't done anything bad to me anyway. It's all... Me being pathetic.'
Eris had already moved on.
And it just so happened to be, Gojo Satoru.
A painful coincidence.
A slap in the face by the hands of fate, even.
But, it is by no means a reason to hate Gojo Satoru and be petty towards him.
Rudeus detested the fact that he felt like doing just that.
Nanahoshi nodded her grateful masked visage as she silently took back her quill and continued her sketching.
Once more, enveloping the two of them in that familiar yet comfortable silence.
A couple of minutes pass by, just as Nanahoshi is moments away from completing her diagrams.
The door leading to the room suddenly slammed open, causing Nanahoshi's and Rudeus's eyes to seek the new arrival and source of the loud entrance.
It was...
"Shizuka-chan~! I'm here~!" The cheerful voice of Satoru reverberated through the Research room.
"You're late. And don't call me by my first name. We're not that close." Nanahoshi stated evenly.
Satoru pointed at her, goofily adding, "Yet~!"
He quickly tore off his gaze from Nanahoshi and turned to look at the sour expression of Rudeus.
Tilting his head, he recognized that face.
'The one from earlier on the way to the city...' Satoru quickly realized.
'If he's here that means...'
Satoru's steps echoed as he began his approach towards Rudeus.
Arriving before the silent and trepid Rudeus, Satoru's prior smirk, was a thin line of contemplation, his tone was even, "So you're the reincarnate..."
With a complete disregard for any personal space, Satoru's face came dangerously close to Rudeus's, as he gently lowered his shades, revealing the Six Eyes once more.
Their invasive gaze pierced Rudeus once more, as he began to back away slowly, awkwardly trying to introduce himself as a method of distracting the uncomfortable and unwarranted invasion of his personal space, "It's nice to meet you?"
Satoru's face was the picture of concentration as he quickly interrupted Rudeus's introduction, "Shut up, Mana Wimp. I'm checking for Cursed Energy."
Physically recoiling at the rather blunt nickname given to him due to his first impressions.
Rudeus obliged and only directed a pleading gaze at Nanahoshi as he stood there.
A look that practically screamed for help.
Unfortunately for him, Nanahoshi was more interested in the latter part of Satoru's words, "Cursed Energy?" She mused aloud, questions already forming in her mind.
'Should I just blow this guy away?' The thought crossed Rudeus's mind before he shelved it.
He hadn't done anything too excessive, yet.
A few awkward, and heavily uncomfortable moments pass by, and eventually, Satoru withdraws his face.
His expression was contemplative and unmoving as he juggled with the newfound discovery, 'Interesting... separate from the giant pool of mana, deep inside his gut - A solid pool of Cursed Energy. Though minuscule and lacking in any form of innate technique. He'd be a 4th Grade Sorceror at best. Just like Nanahoshi, his Cursed Energy isn't leaking, despite not being a Sorceror.'
'But more importantly, the owner of that Cursed Energy...'
Rudeus sighed in relief at the ending of that awkward and invasive probing, and voiced out, "Did you find what you were look-"
He was rudely interrupted once more, much to his dismay and bubbling frustration.
"Pfft - BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Satoru suddenly burst out into a burst of mad laughter as he barely held onto his belly and head with his hands.
Causing both Rudeus and Nanahoshi to back away from the literal madman.
'Did he just... Look at me and just start laughing?' Rudeus thought in utter exasperation.
His polite smile twisted into a cracked smile once more as he tried to be patient with Satoru.
Rudeus reassured himself, drawing from past experiences of adversity and bullying.
He reminded himself that he had faced more degrading and annoying situations in the past, reassuring himself that this current challenge was manageable.
This was nothing when compared to those.
He shouldn't be quick to judge.
Satoru laughed and laughed, for nearly a minute, until his laughter died down to a couple of giggles, and he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.
Raising an eyebrow and glaring weakly at Satoru, Rudeus asked his smile now being a thin line on his face, "So, What was so funny?"
Satoru, still giggling, pointed at Rudeus, a smirk reforming on his face, his tone a mix of sheer amusement and intrigue, "That of all those that were transported by that weird Mana... You were the one reincarnated~!"
Rudeus's face paled in realization at Satoru's words, yet he continued, "W-What's so funny about that?"
Nanahoshi's eyes widened at Satoru's words and she turned to Rudeus, "You were also there when we got transported? Are you..."
Satoru cut her off, shaking his head in amusement, answering both their questions at once, he bluntly responded, as he met her eyes with his own, "No, he's not your reincarnated boyfriend, don't be delusional."
Satoru then turned to meet Rudeus's eyes with his own, his expression turning more amused, "And, pfft. It's just, that maybe you were the only one reincarnated because your body from Japan was too heavy to transport so it was more efficient to just take your soul! Couple that with the contrasting image I have of you... Pfft BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" He roared out into laughter once more.
Completely disregarding the grim expression on Rudeus's face and his balled fists.
Nanahoshi turned her head to glance at the lowered and discouraged head of Rudeus.
"Damn it." She whispered.
Then, she directed a piercing glare at Satoru as she lowered her mask, her expression serious and her voice came out cold, "Gojo-san. Please stop this. It's utterly immature and ungrateful. He's our biggest ally in getting back. Do you want us to lose him? Apologize this instant."
Satoru's laughter slowly died down, as he directed a questioning look at Nanahoshi, his amused state still intact and undettered by Nanahoshi's coldness, "Now is he?"
She nodded resolutely, "He is. Vitally so."
Satoru huffed, as he shrugged, "Well, if you say so." He leaned on the wall as he continued, "But I'm not apologizing to him."
Nanahoshi frowned, "Why?"
Scoffing, Satoru responded, a haughty smile on his face, "Why should I? Just because you said so?"
Sighing, Nanahoshi's frown deepened and she mumbled, "I just told you why... You truly are a brat."
Shaking his head, Satoru replied with an arrogant smile on his face unbothered by her comments, "Really, I see no reason to apologize. You probably don't remember what he looked like back in Japan, but I do."
Giggling, Satoru pointed at the downtrodden Rudeus who raised his head at Satoru's mention, "Let's just say, he's lost a few pounds. Pfft... And unlike you, it seems like he's made the most of this opportunity."
"...Excuse me?" Nanahoshi couldn't wrap her head around Satoru's lack of sensitivity.
Of all things, her life in this world could be described as - Opportunity is the last thing to call it.
There was nothing "Opportune" to be done here.
Getting back is all she has to do.
Satoru tilted his head at Rudeus, "So I don't see why I shouldn't make fun of your prior loser state. It's all in the past, isn't it? Or are you still a loser? And that monstrous mana pool is just there for decoration?"
Gojo Satoru respects the strong.
Whether they were weak or pathetic in the past, is of no consequence to a man keen on living in the present.
...Besides using the embarrassing past as a way to mess around with the formerly weak.
However, whether Rudeus is actually strong remains to be seen.
Rudeus blinked, his opinion of Satoru adjusting ever so slightly as he granted him a small, yet weak smile, "I've still got a long way to go... But I love this life, it's a lot better than my life back in Japan."
Satoru gave a simple thumbs up at Rudeus, before turning to Nanahoshi, "See? He's got the right idea. Don't get all whiny, everything's fine." He waved her off.
Satoru mumbled, "Guess that leaves the boyfriend to be found. Figure he could also be a reincarnate?"
The mention of her boyfriend had caught Nanahoshi's attention as she frowned, "I... Don't know. Would you be able to notice him?"
Folding his arms, Satoru replied, "It'd be pretty draining if he's a reincarnate like this guy." He pointed at Rudeus.
"Why?" Rudeus pointed at himself.
Elaborating, Satoru evenly stated, "Because, you had a giant pool of mana I had to dig through with my eyes before noticing the minuscule pool of Cursed Energy that confirmed your prior identity. Shizuka-chan, lacking that bloated pool of mana or any mana at all was much easier to find... What do I call you, Mana Wimp?" He pointed at Rudeus as he scratched his chin.
'He doesn't know my name... But, if he is with Eris...' Anxiety crawled once more into Rudeus's mind.
Nanahoshi deadpanned, "You continuously mention "Cursed Energy" as if we are supposed to know what that means..."
"I'll be getting to that soon, but for now to put it bluntly it's an energy source in our world. Similar to mana in this one, but fundamentally different. It's how I do what I do." Satoru curtly answered back.
'...It doesn't matter. Me and Eris. We're done. I hope she's happy with her decision. I have Sylphy now.' Rudeus clenched his fist and resolved himself once more.
Lifting his gaze, emerald green met ocean blue, as he introduced himself, "My name is Rudeus Greyrat. It is nice to meet you, Gojo-san." He bowed lightly as he spoke his introduction in Japanese.
At that, Satoru was caught completely off guard and his jaw dropped ever so slightly.
He blinked once, twice.
He processed the information at lightning speed.
"Huh... How did you do it?" Satoru wondered, his tone genuinely curious.
Nanahoshi, having noticed that this conversation was not ending any time soon, lowered herself and continued drawing diagrams, "Call me when you're done talking nonsense..." She tiredly voiced out.
An uneasy chill went down Rudeus's spine, as he smiled awkwardly, "How did I do... What?"
"How did you manage to tame that dragon?"
Rudeus was now thoroughly confused, "Dragon? What dragon? I didn't tame a drag-"
Satoru cut him off and waved, "Ya know, Eris. I mean with how she kept talking about you, I'd expected the rumored Rudeus to be... A God or something." Satoru shrugged.
"Though I figured she was just exaggerating, some of your achievements from the records that Nina flaunted in my face weren't half bad... I think."
'I have yet to fight a Red Dragon myself, but if they're anything like the ones around here, it's nothing much.' Satoru thought lazily.
Satoru's simple and perhaps surface-level sentences didn't seem like much.
But they sent Rudeus into another internal emotional rollercoaster.
He was so confused.
The minuscule hope of Eris's potential miscommunication died a horrid death at the hands of the rumors of her involvement with Gojo Satoru.
Yet...
Rudeus's voice came out like a whisper, "...I, don't understand? Aren't you and Eris lovers?"
Blinking, Satoru digested that information, "Huh? Nah, there's no wa-"
A look of realization took hold of his expression, as he smirked and waved with his hand, "Oh... I see what you mean." He giggled, "Those were just rumors. Eris-chan was being rather cold, so I had to tease her a bit~"
A crack echoed in Rudeus' mental state at Satoru's words.
Continuing Satoru elaborated, scratching his head as he mentioned the prospect of Eris, "Besides the times where she incessantly tossed herself at me for a sword fight. The only times she was even remotely talkative was when it came to talking about either training or you."
The crack resonated once more.
Satoru mocked with that haughty smirk of his, "Rudeus can do this! Rudeus did that! We traveled together for years! Blah blah..."
'...Wait a minute.'
Satoru's expression hardened a moment later as his Six Eyes pierced through Rudeus.
A realization crossed him at the mention of Eris.
He bluntly questioned, nay, stated, as his eyes narrowed, "You a lolicon?"
To Be Continued!
-Fun Facts Of The Story-
(Instead of Omakes that I have no energy in writing right now :P, I'll be providing a section for small canon fun facts in the story)
(1) Satoru only has two items from Japan in tact with him as of this point of the story, and they are:
His oval shades.
And... The most masculine pair of Hello Kitty underwear.
This is canon, deal with it.
(2) The 2nd Grade Curse that Suguru and Satoru are sent to exorcise at the start of the story was actually in Rudeus's neighborhood - Mostly generated from the negativity of Rudeus and his family members. (Yes, they were that bad).
(3) The most intense, overwhelming, and flashy fight of the fic will be depicted in an alternate timeline that will not occur. But I will still write it, don't worry. And there are other flashy fights calm your horses lmao.
That's about it for now!
-Author Note Start-
Greetings my lovely, handsome, hot, enticing readers!
No, I am not trying to suck up to you.
If I did, I would have posted this chapter earlier (lmao).
Anywho, I hope you guys have enjoyed the chapter and that it met your expectations in terms of quality and stuff.
I do hope I've managed to nail the character's right.
I truly admire authors who somehow manage to write good characters and keep track of a lot of them.
I really have no idea how Gege and even the man himself Oda for example does it.
Maybe it's because he has over a thousand chapters...
That's an idea!
Now, regarding the length of the chapter - I've decided that if a chapter for this fic takes me longer than 3 weeks to post, I'll make it exceedingly longer than usual like now.
Otherwise, the story wouldn't be moving anywhere lol.
And... That still means the Ten Shadows Fic has priority - So yup.
As for Gojo and Rudeus's dynamic in this fic - You can see it beginning to form, but I wouldn't place high hopes for it.
You'll see what I mean later on.
We've still got a little time before some serious action and or tension is set to arrive, so meanwhile enjoy the goofy time I guess :P
And as always - The conclusion for this chapter is the usual - Gojo is a little shit.
Anyways! Most importantly! Did I portray Teen Gojo well in this chapter?! As this is the most critical part of the fic! Woohoo! Feedback! Yes!
