บท 65: Chapter 64
Zoro frowned. Zenin, Zenin. That name crops up in everything they do. It was inevitable since Zoro, Toji, and Megumi bore that surname.
"Gojo, Zenin, Kamo, and many other old folks from the upper echelons are clamoring to see you. The official reason is to investigate the unregistered Special Grade curse that appeared that day, but the real intent is likely to probe whether you're a sorcerer and what your techniques are."
Of course, Zoro wasn't a sorcerer. Despite hopes raised by the news of defeating a Special Grade curse, the amount of cursed energy Zoro exhibited was as minuscule as any non-sorcerer's.
'It does seem like he leaks less cursed energy for a non-sorcerer.'
Despite Gojo's words being infuriating, Zoro's cursed energy didn't leak out at all.
'Either he controls his emotions well, or he doesn't feel them strongly to begin with.'
Both were common among sorcerers.
Megumi, who had been vigorously trying to hit Satoru covered by Mugen, gasped for breath and scurried back to his brother's side, wearing a dejected expression.
"I couldn't hit him..."
"It's okay."
Zoro stroked Megumi's hair and hid him behind Toji. Megumi quietly retreated behind Toji's legs but still sneakily glanced at Zoro. Gojo tilted his head, observing.
'He's the restraining type.'
...It was somewhat disappointing.
"—Zoro won't meet them."
Toji stepped forward in front of Zoro, shielding him behind his back, and declared in a cold voice.
"I have no intention of letting him meet them. Never."
The aversion, misunderstanding, and malice he had suffered throughout his childhood — he had no intention of exposing Zoro to that.
Gojo tilted his head at Toji's dry statement.
"But you'll have to explain at some point, won't you? If you don't want to be treated like that head priest. Either you or the kid. One of you has to go."
"Why don't you go and explain then? What are you doing with those good eyes of yours?"
"That's bothersome..."
Normally, he would have replied with a flippant, "Hah, why should I? I don't want to." But the situation was different now. A member of the Gojo family had caused trouble for them first, and technically, the cause of the incident traced back to Satoru recklessly seeking them out.
Satoru ruffled his hair, recalling a conversation he once had with Suguru.
"If I've done something wrong, of course, I should apologize, Satoru. And then take actions to make amends."
"Hmph, like that makes the mistake disappear."
"That's not it. But there's a big difference between someone who apologizes and reflects on their wrongdoing and someone who doesn't. Recognizing one's fault is the first step to not repeating that mistake."
"You once threw a repenting head priest to the side as well."
Caring for the weak is tiresome.
But it's not like you can completely ignore them either.
These folks aren't exactly the weak either.
"I'll help out this one time."
Gojo Satoru decided to make an exception this time, though the thought of facing those rotten oranges made his face scrunch up already.
"But I can't stop anything regarding Tengen. He's too influential."
Zoro looked at Toji.
"It seems like there are a lot of things I don't know."
"...You don't need to worry about it. I'll take care of everything."
Zoro had done his part by defending Tsumiki and Megumi against the Special Grade curse and getting up safely. Once Gojo tells them Zoro is a non-sorcerer and Toji makes a scene, the things those people spew will change.
Whether it's the upper echelons or the Zenin.
Once those folks change their tune, then it'll be okay to tell Zoro.
Now it's Toji's turn to step up.
"Don't do anything rash."
"And you're one to talk?"
Toji pressed down on Zoro's head.
"Please, be more careful with yourself, will you?"
Zoro was about to retort but swallowed his words upon hearing Toji's voice shaking with unease.
"Can you leave us and go by yourself?"
Toji hesitated. He couldn't take the kids with him. He couldn't show his children what he did as a sorcerer killer.
But leaving them behind wasn't an option either, especially right after all the chaos that ensued the last time he was briefly away from them. Even within the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College's barriers, where there may not be curses but plenty of sorcerers, and it's hard to say the college is an ally.
Toji glanced at Gojo Satoru.
Still, he wanted to kill him.
But it was also true that, in the current situation, he was the one from whom the most could be extracted.
Toji's target wasn't just to nip the tail of this incident; he had to find the real mastermind behind it.
'It's definitely not that simple incident Gojo mentioned.'
An attack due to a grudge against the Zenin clan?
Impossible. There must be someone bigger behind this.
Though Toji was a non-sorcerer with zero cursed energy, he was not ignorant about curses. The charm he found in Zoro's dance was clearly one of the special grade cursed object Sukuna's fingers.
'There's no way a mere head priest could have orchestrated its theft alone.'
To find and deal with that real mastermind, Toji had to cooperate with the young master of the Gojo clan.
Annoyingly.
"Let's make a binding vow."
"...?"
"Hah?"
"To protect our kids until I return to the Metropolitan Curse Technical College. In return, I'll place a binding vow not to hold the Gojo clan responsible for this matter."
Given the Gojo clan's admiration for their young master, any traitor who falls out of his favor won't die a peaceful death. With the sorcerer community's eyes on this matter, handling Gojo Satoru now could make Toji a target in the sorcerer world.
'Then, it's better to leave the handling of the Gojo clan and the upper echelons to the young master.'
That way, Toji could go after the real mastermind.
Gojo Satoru lifted his sunglasses to reveal his Six Eyes.
"Why should I accept your proposal?"
"Don't accept it then. It's your loss, not mine, brat."
Then he could just kill the young master, the upper echelons, and the Zenin clan. It might take more time and effort, but Toji was confident he could do it. Afterward, he could take the kids and flee overseas, or something.
Having crossed Toji after touching Zoro, there was no line they shouldn't have crossed in his eyes.
Gojo stuck out his lips.
"I feel like I'm at a loss here."
"You'd do well to listen to dad," Zoro advised quietly.
If it were merely blind rage, it might have been different, but right now, Toji was coldly and rationally planning to kill everyone involved in this case based on cold logic. If the vow, or whatever it was, wasn't accepted, the white-haired guy in front of him would end up the same way.
'Unless I stop him,'
But it was clear blood would be spilled otherwise. And Zoro had no intention of stopping him. There was no reason to protect those who attacked him and his family.
Gojo instinctively rubbed his neck, feeling a prick. What was that feeling just now?
"Alright."
Lucky him, Zoro thought to himself. That guy just dodged death.
"So, I'll protect these three until you return, and you won't touch any Gojo clan members or property as long as the condition is met. Is that the deal?"
"Yeah. Be ready if you break it."
"As if I'm stupid enough to break a vow made with someone else."
Gojo grumbled.
Breaking a vow made on one's own ability just ends with the loss of the boosted effect from the vow, but breaking a vow made with someone else doesn't end so comfortably. Because you never know what you might lose, a vow made with someone else must absolutely be kept.
As soon as the vow was made, Toji turned towards Zoro.
"Don't go anywhere from here, stay with the kids. Answer the phone if I call."
"Where are you going, Papa?"
"There are some things I need to stomp on."
"What does 'stomp on' mean, Mister?"
At Tsumiki's innocent question, Zoro answered instead.
"Beat them up."
"Ah. Beat them up?"
"...Yeah."
It wasn't really something that could be summed up with 'beat them up.'
Zoro looked intently at Toji.
"Don't get hurt."
"I won't."
"Don't get too carried away."
"It's those guys who need to."
"I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about dad."
Rampaging swallowed by murderous intent might lead to regret once that murderous intent fades.
Zoro glared.
"Don't run away again."
If he dared say something like I don't belong with you or the young master will be fine without me and didn't return, he wouldn't let it slide.
Toji grasped Zoro's hand tightly.
"I will come back."
It was different now. He had people to kill and wrongs to right, so leaving was just temporary. His place was here.
...Besides, if he pulled that kind of stunt again, he was pretty sure either his arm or leg would end up broken by Zoro's hand upon his return.
Toji hugged Zoro, Tsumiki, and Megumi each in turn, then left the Metropolitan Curse Technical College like the wind.
This was the beginning of what would later be called the sorcerer killer's great purge of the sorcerer community.
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