[Supporting Character Popularity Supremacy System successfully bound!]
Pale blue script abruptly hovered in the center of his vision, looking like a phantom projected by some technique, carrying a hint of cheap electronic quality.
Satoru Gojo blinked his eyes, which were obscured by black sunglasses, and a flash of interest flickered within them.
"Tch."
He let out a light click of his tongue, carrying the characteristic nonchalance of a youth.
Satoru Gojo swirled the iced drink in his hand. The orange liquid traced a shallow arc against the transparent plastic cup, and cold condensation slid down the sides, dampening his fair fingertips.
"Jujutsu sorcerers these days are really quite disrespectful."
He drew out his words as if he had encountered something amusing.
"Huh?"
Suguru Geto, who was walking half a step ahead with his back slightly hunched, paused and slowly turned his head.
His long black hair rested on his shoulders, and the stray hairs on his forehead shimmered slightly in the sunlight. His gaze toward the person behind him was filled with confusion. "What are you suddenly rambling about?"
Satoru Gojo tilted his head back and took a large gulp from the straw. The sound of "glug-glug" swallowing was exceptionally clear on the quiet street.
The icy sweetness slid down his throat, dispelling some of the afternoon heat.
Hearing Suguru Geto's question, he finished the rest of his drink in one breath. He applied slight pressure with his fingertips, and the empty plastic cup collapsed with a "snap."
With a flick of his wrist, the flattened cup flew out with a faint whistling sound, accurately covering a distance of over ten meters before hitting the bottom of a roadside trash can with a "clatter."
"It's nothing," Satoru Gojo waved at Suguru Geto, his palm tracing a relaxed arc in the air, his tone still casual. "Just some guy who doesn't know his place using a strange technique on me."
He tilted his head slightly, a hint of genuine dissatisfaction finally appearing in his voice. "Calling me a supporting character or something—it's actually quite annoying."
A technique? A supporting character?
Suguru Geto frowned and scratched the back of his head, a peculiar expression appearing on his face.
Anyone brave enough to attack Satoru Gojo must have something wrong with their head.
"Then they've certainly picked the wrong opponent," Suguru Geto shrugged, his tone carrying unconcealed confidence.
He knew Satoru Gojo's strength all too well. Forget some unknown technique; even if a Special Grade cursed spirit came knocking, the only one who would suffer in the end would be the opponent.
After saying this, he didn't bother to dwell on such a bizarre trifle. He turned back around and continued toward the dessert shop—after all, the original purpose of their outing was to accompany Satoru Gojo to buy a limited-edition strawberry cake.
As for Satoru Gojo, Suguru would worry about anyone before worrying about that guy.
"Let me see just what gave you the courage to use me for an experiment."
Satoru Gojo wasn't exactly angry; rather, he felt a spark of novel interest. After all, as his strength grew, the things he found interesting became fewer and fewer.
However, just as he was prepared to get serious and find this hiding coward to give them a proper "education," the pale blue text before his eyes changed again. New lines of text surfaced one after another.
[Would you like to travel to the first world and carry out the Popularity Supremacy mission?]
[The popularity points gained during this period can be used to exchange for any item from your own world or the worlds you have traveled to.]
"Hmm?" Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow, his hand which had been hanging casually at his side pausing. "Travel to another world?"
He took two steps forward, reaching the spot where Suguru Geto had just stood. His gaze swept over the shops on both sides of the street, his tone carrying a playful laziness. "Sounds quite nice, though it feels like false advertising from a TV commercial."
His fingertips brushed through his snow-white hair, which felt soft and smooth. Satoru Gojo stretched lazily, his bones making a slight "crack" sound, his entire being exuding a relaxed, half-awake vibe. "Well, whatever."
"I'll know once I try it."
He tilted his head, and the Six Eyes behind his lenses flashed with an interested light. His tone carried a playful threat. "I hope you won't disappoint me. Otherwise, I'll have to give you a spanking~"
As soon as he finished speaking, the pale blue text flickered violently, as if responding to his words.
[Confirmation request received. Commencing travel to the first world... Target world determined... "Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-"... Commencing travel... Travel successful!]
The text before his eyes flickered.
When his gaze finished reading the content and moved away from the words "Travel successful," he was shocked to find that everything around him had changed.
Satoru Gojo stood somewhat blankly on a completely unfamiliar street. The surroundings were filled with European-style architecture he had never seen before, and the sound of lively conversation reached his ears.
In just an instant, everything had transformed.
"Oh my?"
Faced with such an abrupt and startling change, Satoru Gojo quickly regained his composure.
He looked at the surrounding environment and the figures walking to and fro on the street, then reached up to push the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.
"The details of this illusion are quite well done."
Satoru Gojo casually picked up a pebble from the ground and toyed with it.
The tactile sensation from his fingertips was frighteningly realistic.
He dropped it and crushed it lightly with his toe; a crisp "crack" echoed from under his shoe.
"To be able to simulate such realistic touch and sound—this really is an interesting technique."
"A world of such distinct fantasy."
Satoru Gojo looked at the crowd passing by on the street. Among the pedestrians, in addition to humans, he even saw many beings with strange appearances, like the beastmen from fantasy novels.
Furthermore, there were many carriages traveling the road, but they weren't pulled by horses; they were pulled by lizard-like creatures that were roughly the size of horses.
Everything looked incredibly novel.
Satoru Gojo, who had originally intended to simply deal with this so-called technique, now found himself much more interested.
"Since it's an illusion, it can't possibly be perfect in every aspect."
Satoru Gojo loosened his wrists, preparing to take a good walk through this peculiar illusion.
Like a tourist, he was filled with a desire to explore everything around him.
Soon, he saw something familiar at the side of the road.
It was a roadside fruit stall, and if he wasn't mistaken, the items on it were clearly apples.
"Are there apples in this kind of different world? That's really a bit too uncreative."