Bab 151: Chapter 140
If there is a hell, it would be right here where Toji stands.
Carrying the fallen Zoro and sprinting towards Jujutsu High at full speed, Toji felt a dreadful sense of déjà vu he never wanted to experience again.
The terrible premonition of looming disaster. The terror of ice water filling his veins. The fear that nothing he did could change anything.
...It was the same feeling he had when he heard Chie had been in an accident.
The difference was, back then, Toji had gone to find Chie in the hospital, and now, Zoro was on his back.
Maybe, just maybe, Toji could still save Zoro.
Or conversely, he might also be able to kill him.
'It must be the former.'
When have you ever been able to save anything? A voice in Toji's mind mocked him.
Toji ignored the voice. Now was not the time to think about that. The most urgent thing was to get Zoro to the medical facility in Jujutsu High where Shoko was waiting.
Rushing with all the speed, Toji arrived at the medical facility, where Shoko had already cleared the room, ready to receive them based on the news from Geto.
"Zoro...!"
Seeing Zoro's usually vibrant form turned purple drained Shoko's face of color. Although Zoro often got hurt, she had never seen him in such a critical condition.
Toji laid Zoro down on an empty bed and commanded in a tone devoid of emotion.
"Treat him."
Shoko quickly suppressed her emotions and started examining him. Unusually, there was no external trauma, but...
'A potent poison has spread throughout his body.'
It wasn't just any toxin, but one crafted from a curse, meaning there was no antidote.
'An ordinary person would have died within minutes.'
The poison was lethal not just because of its effects but because of the severe pain it caused, likely leading to shock death. However, Zoro's tolerance for pain was second to none, infuriatingly so to onlookers.
Ieiri bit her lip.
'If it had been localized, I could have amputated to stop the spread of the poison.'
Zoro would have thrashed about after waking, but she was a doctor. Above all, a patient's life comes first. With the poison spread from head to toe, normally, one would just wait to die.
Of course, 'normal' was never a word that suited Zoro.
Thump, thump.
The clear sound of a heartbeat. Though faster than usual, Zoro's heart was still beating strongly. It seemed to shout that such a condition wouldn't kill him.
"His vitality is really something…"
Murmuring, Ieiri poured antiseptic over Zoro's skin in bulk, washing off any remaining toxins. Then, she placed her hand on Zoro's forehead.
'The poison has already spread to all organs.'
In that case, she had no choice but to treat the brain first, the most vital for life. The heart seemed relatively fine.
'I can't use anesthesia.'
The interaction between the drug and the poison was unknown, and while waiting for the medication to disperse, the poison could spread further.
Shoko inwardly apologized to Zoro and poured a reverse technique aimed at his brain.
Boom!
Sweat formed on Ieiri's forehead. Treating someone poisoned with a reverse technique was several times more complicated than typical physical treatments. It required identifying and eliminating the poison specifically.
Honestly, Shoko herself didn't know if she could do it before she tried. But she couldn't just let Zoro die.
'...It's working.'
Ieiri realized reflexively why she was able to do it: because Zoro got hurt so often, she had become adept at how to apply the reverse technique on him. Ridiculously so.
Feeling her energy draining rapidly, Ieiri clenched her teeth.
'If he dies after all this, he won't get off easily.'
A few days ago, they had made a lunch bet with the first years, and Zoro and Shoko had lost. If Zoro were to die, Shoko would have to pay for the meal alone.
The infirmary cleaning that Zoro sometimes helped with would now have to be done by her alone. She would have one less person to bring in curses for experiments.
The number of deceased would increase again, and Shoko would likely be tasked with examining the bodies of sorcerers once more. She might even have to handle the body of someone she knew.
That was, admittedly, a pretty tiring job.
Zoro had been a colleague who significantly eased those burdens.
But, beyond all, she didn't want to watch someone die right in front of her.
Ieiri Shoko had seen too much of that already.
Her energy continued to drop, and the output of the reverse technique weakened. Yet, Shoko did not remove her hands from Zoro's head.
"Shoko!"
Arriving belatedly, Geto hugged Ieiri from behind and pulled her away from Zoro's bed.
"Let go, Geto."
"Shoko, you're out of energy."
Without being a possessor of the Six Eyes, it was impossible to keep running the reverse technique to this extent and still have energy left. Continuing would only strain her body.
Ieiri knew that well but glared back at Geto as she clenched her teeth.
"I've only detoxified his brain so far."
Although the poison in the brain had been cleanly removed, other organs were still rampaging with toxins. If left untreated, the poison would soon spread back to the brain.
Ieiri shrugged Geto off and reached out to Zoro again, but she was too depleted to use the reverse technique.
"Shoko…"
When the reverse technique failed to activate, she bit her lip and turned to the unusually quiet Toji.
"I'll try to make an antidote."
"..."
"If I study the poison, maybe—"
"How long will that take?"
Toji's dry question made Ieiri want to bite her tongue.
The man before her wasn't just physically exceptional; he was also unusually perceptive and intelligent. If it were only his physical abilities, he wouldn't have been recognized as a top expert in the underworld for so long.
Toji wasn't obtuse enough not to notice the stark reality that there was no other way to save his dying son.
Unable to provide an answer, Toji turned away from Shoko and looked back at Zoro.
He didn't want to coerce Shoko into saving him. It wouldn't work that way; he had already tried once before.
Toji bent over Zoro.
He gently caressed Zoro's hair, now stained in places with purple. Not roughly as usual, but gently, as if touching him too hard might cause harm.
With a calm demeanor, as if nothing was wrong, he called his son by his nickname.
"Marimo."
Normally, he would expect a disgusted response, "I'm not a marimo," but all he heard now was labored breathing. He had just called him that a moment ago.
"Dad…?"
It was the first time Zoro had called Toji "Dad" instead of "Father," or simply "Toji."
Toji's fist clenched tightly. Blood dripped from his clenched hand.
'I don't need it.'
Titles are irrelevant. Politeness, decency—none of it mattered when it came to his son. It didn't matter if Zoro considered him unworthy of being a father, if he treated him like trash, or just a tool.
All that truly mattered was his survival.
If only you live, if only you do well.
Toji whispered into Zoro's ear with a trembling voice.
"I told you… son."
I can't bear it a second time.
Do anything, but please, take care of yourself.
If you're not there, I can't even pretend everything is fine.
Dreams, goals, daily life.
Everything has been set up by you.
His green eyes clouded and then cleared again. He gently stroked Zoro's head.
'If you lose your way, I'll have to come find you.'
Like always.
After all, I can't let you go on your own.
…No matter where you end up.
Ieiri, busy preparing tools, noticed a strange determination in Toji's face and turned pale.
'That man, surely not.'
Geto sensed an unfamiliar presence and suddenly turned around. Someone knocked on the infirmary door. Geto opened it cautiously.
A sorcerer Toji had never seen before stood there, dressed in traditional garb with a long beard, adorned with the emblem of Tombs of the Star.
"I come from Tombs of the Star."
"This is an infirmary, and there's a patient here. If it's about the vessel, talk to me."
Geto spoke firmly, but the sorcerer shook his head.
"I have a matter to discuss with Zenin Zoro."
Toji's indifferent gaze met the sorcerer. The intensity of his stare made the man step back, sweating profusely.
"Uh, I'm not here to reproach him about the vessel matter. His Highness Tengen is concerned for his welfare. Here, this…"
The sorcerer trembled as he pulled something out from his clothing. It was clearly a talisman.
"It's a one-time use talisman that temporarily increases the bearer's energy capacity."
Shoko's expression changed as she quickly took it. With it, she could use the reverse technique a bit longer.
"In return, His Highness Tengen wishes to meet him personally and hear something directly from him…"
Toji's eyes narrowed. Geto also looked puzzled and asked.
"His Highness wants to hear something from Zoro?"
"Yes, yes. He wants to hear 'his original name'…"
That's what His Highness Tengen said.
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