60 Chapter 59

Ieiri Shoko entered the treatment room with Zoro, carrying a variety of medical equipment, talismans, and bottles of medicine whose purposes were unclear. She then sent Gojo and Geto out of the building and slammed the door shut.

Even Toji, Zoro's father, was firmly sent out of the treatment room on the grounds that his presence would be a hindrance. The decisiveness of her action left Toji with no room to argue, though unlike Gojo and Geto, he wasn't expelled from the building but waited outside the treatment room.

"..."

Staggering slightly, Toji sat down on a chair placed in front of the infirmary, with Megumi and Tsumiki tucked under his arms.

It had been a long time since he felt dizzy. With trembling hands, Toji took out Zoro's Vivre Card, which he had been too afraid to check earlier.

Zoro's Vivre Card had shrunk to about half its original size, as if singed by fire. However, it was gradually returning to its original size, indicating that Zoro's injuries were healing.

"Haah..."

Only then did Toji let out a sigh he had been holding back. Coming here was the right decision. Zoro was recovering.

Megumi tugged at Toji's sleeve, shaking it. Earlier, when Shoko took Zoro away, Megumi had thrown a tantrum, crying not to take his brother, but now seemed somewhat calmed down by Tsumiki, though his eyes were still brimming with tears.

"Papa, brother?"

"He's gone in to get treated."

"Treated?"

"Yeah. He'll hurt less after."

"I don't like brother being hurt..."

To Megumi's tearful voice, Toji murmured softly, "Me neither."

I should have protected him.

I didn't want him to be hurt.

I didn't want him to be in a place he disliked.

Being a father, yet unable to properly do anything for his child, always making things harder for him.

Now, too, he just sat there, holding onto a piece of paper.

Feeling powerless, and again, because of his powerlessness, Toji found it hard to bear himself.

'If only I could create barriers around our residence like those Zenin bastards.'

If only I had cursed energy, or even better, if I were just an ordinary non-sorcerer with no ties to this messed-up world.

None of this would have happened.

Because I am your father.

Because I am me...

Toji turned his head. At the end of the corridor, he saw the grim-faced male sorcerer he had seen earlier.

'What was his name?'

He couldn't quite remember. It wasn't strange. Toji wasn't good at remembering men's names. More accurately, he didn't bother to.

"I have no intention of fighting."

Yaga Masamichi spoke calmly to Toji. Toji, ready to spring into action at any moment, tensely smiled.

"Then, get rid of those first."

Pointing towards the corner of the ceiling, Toji indicated where Yaga had secretly hidden numerous combat-ready cursed corpses.

Yaga, after pondering what to say, spoke honestly.

"Knowing who you are, a minimum level of defense was necessary. After all, I am a teacher here. But again, I had no intention of fighting."

This guy knew Toji was a sorcerer killer. It meant he had considerable experience and knew well the state of the sorcery world.

Ready to summon the armory curse at any moment, Toji remained taut as a drawn string.

Tsumiki clutched Toji's collar tightly. Toji slightly shifted his position to completely shield Megumi and Tsumiki from Yaga's view. Although he didn't sense hostility from the other party, it seemed to make the children feel more secure.

"I don't plan to make the first move either."

In the past, he would have eliminated anything that annoyed him, whether they were cursed corpses or humans, but now was not the time. Zoro was receiving treatment from a reverse curse technician affiliated with the school, and with Megumi and Tsumiki behind him, there was nothing to gain from clashing with someone from the school.

"I will compensate."

"There's no need for that. This matter was directly requested by Master Tengen to the school."

"Tengen...?"

Why, and how does that person know about Zoro?

Catching on to Toji's confusion, Yaga shook his head.

"I don't know the details either."

What Yaga had been told over the phone was to modify the barrier to allow the people waiting outside into the school and to provide treatment if there was anyone injured among the guests. And...

"Master Tengen has expressed a desire to meet your eldest son next summer."

"Next summer?"

"Yes."

Toji couldn't understand why Tengen would want to see Zoro, especially specifying next summer. From his expression, it seemed Yaga didn't know the reason either.

"And Master Tengen said that Zoro-kun could be protected at the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College."

Toji's scar twitched at the corner of his mouth, prompting Yaga to quickly add,

"It's protection, not enrollment. Unlike other students, Zoro-kun won't be sent on missions. And if the family wishes, you may also come to the school. It's an offer, not coercion."

"That might be the case now."

If they accept the school's protection now, Zoro would surely be enrolled in the school by the time he turns 15. He would live as a sorcerer rather than a non-sorcerer.

At least he would be safe. Tengen's barrier techniques are said to be the best in Japan, so a terrible incident like encountering a special grade curse while shopping at a department store wouldn't happen.

The question is how Tengen knows about Zoro and whether Tengen wants Zoro to become a sorcerer.

Regardless of these questions, Toji had his answer ready.

"That's for him to decide."

Who he meets and what he does in the future is entirely up to Zoro. It's not something Toji can promise on Zoro's behalf.

"The priority is the child's recovery. I understand that. But please consider it positively."

"I told you. It's not for me to decide."

Sensing the rejection in his tone, Yaga took a step back. After all, Tengen had only asked him to convey the message, not to enforce it if refused.

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask. The exorcism of the special grade curse at the Tokyo department store today... Was it done by your son?"

Toji looked at Yaga with an expressionless face. Yaga felt a chill run through his body, intuitively understanding that it was best to keep as hidden as possible the fact that Mei Mei had reported this to the Jujutsu High.

If this man knew about Mei Mei, her safety couldn't be guaranteed.

Yaga spoke cautiously,

"The incident has been reported to the Headquarters. The assistant supervisor who went to the scene was associated with the Zenin family."

Though it was Mei Mei who reported to the school, it was the assistant supervisor Sato Honoka who reported to the Headquarters.

No one knew that Sato Honoka was the illegitimate child of a sorcerer from the Zenin family. If they had known earlier, the Gojo family wouldn't have remained silent since the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College is where Gojo Satoru attends. They would have been furious, thinking the Zenin family had placed a spy on Satoru.

'...I never thought they'd conduct an on-site investigation and send a preliminary report to the Headquarters right away.'

—Exorcism of the special grade curse at the Tokyo department store. Exorcised by Zenin Zoro. Male. 5 years old.

Though just a few words long, it was enough to cause an uproar at the Jujutsu Headquarters. A mere 5-year-old exorcised a special grade curse? And a Zenin at that?

Such immense talent, whose child is he, is he from the main or branch family of Zenin, how can a 5-year-old kill a special grade, was some trick used, is he not human but a curse.

Yaga felt as if he could already hear what they would say. Being under the Zenin name might keep them from crossing certain lines, given the family's influence.

'By now, the Zenin family must be thoroughly searching for male children bearing the Zen'in surname.'

If he's from the main family, the clan would already know, so they're likely searching the branch families.

Yaga didn't know why Toji bore the Zenin surname, why he left Zenin to work as a sorcerer killer, or whether he was from the main or branch family. He simply assumed that since Zoro was a Zenin, his father Toji must be one as well.

'The father and son don't look much alike for a father-son relationship.'

At that point, Yaga stopped his train of thought. It was best not to delve deeper. Sorcerers' family affairs were often complicated and touchy. Mistakenly provoking someone could lead to a bad end, especially with the Three Great Families.

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