98 Chapter 96

Japanese high schools typically have three vacations a year: about a month of summer break from late July to late August, about two weeks of winter break from the end of December to early January, and spring break from the end of March to early April.

However, in the jujutsu world, where overwork is the norm and neither the Basic Act on Education nor the Labor Standards Act applies, such breaks didn't exist.

Regardless of the New Year or the fact that the year-end is Japan's typical resting period, students and teachers at Jujutsu High had to work.

Thus, on January 1st, Toji went to work at Jujutsu High. Zoro, Tsumiki, and Megumi followed him there.

As the classroom door slid open with a tired expression, Geto spotted the three siblings, Zoro, Tsumiki, and Megumi, seated inside.

It had become almost as common to see these faces as his own classmates, prompting Geto to smile and wave.

"Hey. Hello, kids."

"Hello, Mr. Geto!"

"Good morning."

"Suguru."

Zoro, seated, gave a slight nod of his head. As Geto took his seat, he looked at Zoro and spoke.

"I've been thinking about this for a while, but you know, calling someone by their name without permission isn't good, Zoro. It's fine with me, but given Japanese culture, most people would find it very uncomfortable."

Even Zoro sometimes called his father Toji. Toji didn't mind and would reply, "Why do you call me that, my marimo?" but Geto was shocked when he first heard it.

Zoro blinked, as if hearing something unexpected.

"Does it bother you?"

"Not to that extent, but..."

"Then it's fine."

Zoro was somewhat aware of the social nuances. Contrary to Geto's expectation, Zoro rarely called people by their names. The reason was simple.

"I'm bad at remembering names."

"...Did the gorilla teacher only teach fighting?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Tap, tap. Suguru, with faint dark circles under his eyes, waited for his classmates while tapping on the desk with his fingers.

Zoro closely observed Suguru's face and asked, "What's wrong?"

"..."

"You look tired."

Geto was about to say it was nothing, but the moment he saw Zoro's face, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

After all, Zoro had been the starting point of the worries that had dominated Geto's mind for the past few days.

Suguru Geto was born and raised in a non-jujutsu sorcerer family.

His parents and grandparents were not sorcerers, and not even those with awakened abilities were among them. Not just his blood relatives, but also his friends, teachers, and neighbors were all non-sorcerers.

This meant that there was no one to explain or teach him for a long time.

About the world that Geto sees, about the Curses he faces, about the powers and abilities he possesses.

And even about the existence of Suguru Geto himself.

His parents loved Geto, but they could never fully understand him, so there was always a certain distance.

Geto tried several times to explain to his parents what he saw and fought against, but every time, seeing their faces filled with worry and anxiety, he eventually stopped.

Seeing this, his parents looked at Geto with a relieved expression.

So, Geto had no choice but to keep questioning himself.

What he was doing and whether it was the right thing to do.

...Though the answer had to come from himself in the end.

Then, in his third year of middle school, Geto finally met other sorcerers and learned about the world of jujutsu. He realized what his identity and the unconsciously collected Curses meant.

He had been helping non-sorcerers as a sorcerer.

He wasn't wrong or unique.

Non-sorcerers cannot kill Curses. Only sorcerers like Geto can. Without sorcery, non-sorcerers are defenselessly subject to curses.

In the face of curses, non-sorcerers are helpless victims.

Therefore, Geto decided to collect Curses as a strong sorcerer, to protect the weaker non-sorcerers.

Because killing Curses is impossible without a sorcerer.

Because it's something only the strong can do.

If the strong act for the weak, and more of the weak survive as a result, surely a better world can be built.

Just as Suguru Geto has done so far.

But now, two non-sorcerers who were neither ignorant nor powerless against curses appeared, completely contrary to what he had thought until now.

Zenin Zoro and Zenin Toji.

If non-sorcerers can also become strong enough to kill curses,

Then Geto, and sorcerers, are not fighting for the weak.

Even Zenin Toji, who is currently on the side of the sorcerers, is clearly closer to being a villain. He has killed many sorcerers in the past.

Death is not rare in the world of sorcery. While there hasn't been death around Geto yet, he has frequently heard of others dying.

Is it for such people that sorcerers die fighting, in such a vain manner?

Protecting non-sorcerers wearing the guise of weakness, only to perish so futilely?

His head hurt. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.

During the year-end, when Geto returned home after a long time, he thought about discussing this issue with his parents but decided against it. They had difficulty accepting him being a sorcerer. Such a conversation would only make them pale.

Shoko would probably tell him not to talk nonsense, and perhaps only Teacher Yaga would listen seriously, but he hesitated.

However, one thing was certain.

"I absolutely can't tell Gojo."

It might have been stubbornness. It was impossible for Geto to tell his close friend, whom he had repeatedly lectured about protecting the weak, that he now had doubts about that very belief, especially not someone other than himself.

Feeling already surpassed in strength, losing his convictions seemed like he could no longer stand as an equal friend beside Gojo.

"Hey, Zoro."

"What?"

Caught off guard by his own call, Geto felt a moment of regret, but Zoro was already waiting for him to continue. Just as Geto was about to speak,

Bang!

The classroom door burst open. Gojo stood at the doorway, puffing his cheeks and making a V sign.

"I, have arrived!"

"..."

As always, he had a knack for breaking the tension. Geto turned to Gojo with a sour look.

Shoko entered the classroom behind Gojo, who was blocking the door, by lightly jumping over Gojo's long legs.

"Hello, Geto. And you guys too."

"Hello, Ieiri-san. Gojo-san."

"Yo."

Although there were already assigned seats, Gojo deliberately pulled an empty desk and chair to sit between Geto and Zoro. Gojo, peering at Geto's face, tilted his head.

"Geto, you look particularly tired today. What happened?"

"I just didn't sleep well. Don't worry about it."

"Ah, had a sexy dream or something?"

"...Ha-ha, Satoru."

Geto realized his hand was already grabbing Gojo's collar. When did you get there, my right hand? Good job.

Geto, who had smoothly slammed Gojo's face onto the desk by pulling his collar, was expertly ignored by Ieiri. Here they go again, these trash.

Of course, Gojo, who had his Limitless on, lifted his head from the desk without a speck of dust on him.

"Too bad! Didn't hurt a bit!"

"Zoro, could you teach me how to break through the Limitless?"

It seemed like making a mukbap (rice in soup) out of this guy would be satisfying. Maybe I should steal that weird cursed tool from the gorilla's armory. Geto seriously considered it.

Gojo jumped up.

"Ah, that's cheating! If anyone's going to teach it, it should be me first!"

"I was the first to ask, Satoru."

"Where did that come from! You might have asked first, but who was attacked first?! I even asked Toji-sensei first!"

"Then learn it from that gorilla."

"No way! I think this guy does it better."

"Too bad. I asked Zoro first."

"Yaaah! No way!"

Zoro, silently listening to their argument, let it in one ear and out the other. Neither he nor Toji had said anything about teaching them Haki, yet here they were fighting among themselves.

Megumi, playing with the paper rabbit Tsumiki had folded for his birthday, covered his ears with his tiny hands.

"It's loud."

"It'll quiet down soon."

Yaga is coming. Sensing his approach, Zoro looked towards the door.

"Be quiet."

As if aged three years over the holiday, Yaga entered the classroom with a look that commanded silence. Geto and Ieiri wisely kept their thoughts to themselves, but Gojo blurted out without care.

"Wow, Yaga-sensei looks even older. It's not easy to look older with that face."

Yaga clenched his fist but ultimately didn't smack Gojo on the head, knowing he would just defend with his Limitless.

"Satoru, today you're assigned a solo mission with the assistant director."

"Eh, why?"

"I wanted to go with Suguru." Gojo grumbled. Yaga hesitated for a moment before saying,

"Satoru, because you've become a special-grade sorcerer."

"Really, sensei?"

"Yes."

At the upper management meeting held at the end of the year, Gojo Satoru's promotion to special-grade was finally decided.

With this, Gojo became one of the only two special-grade sorcerers. Since the other special-grade sorcerer, Tsukumo Yuki, had gone overseas and disappeared without a trace, effectively, Gojo Satoru was the only special-grade sorcerer.

Gojo wasn't particularly surprised. He knew it.

"Only now? Those oldies are as slow as turtles."

Despite all the fuss about whether he truly mastered the reverse technique, whether he could produce output worthy of a special-grade sorcerer, and all sorts of other nonsense.

Especially the opposition from the Zenin was fierce. Well, it's to be expected from a family that has been enemies for hundreds of years.

"The Zenin family was the most upset when I was born, and now that Gojo Satoru has reached special-grade at 16, it must be something they could never accept."

"And they couldn't accept that the one leading them out of sorcerers was a non-sorcerer who had left the house."

After all, they were a bunch of morons, the Zenin family. Even giving them a pink diamond, they would throw it away saying it's not transparent. Gojo harshly criticized the Zenin family in his mind.

Geto cautiously raised his hand.

"If Satoru is going on a solo mission, does that mean I'm on a solo mission too?"

"No, Geto, today you will be on a mission with another person."

"Who?"

Yaga hesitated for a moment. Then, he pointed at Zoro.

Blink, blink.

Geto and Zoro blinked in surprise. A moment later, both shouted in unison.

"What?!"

"Huh?"

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