Chapter 6: Tricked by Satoru Gojo!
Every time, Satoru Gojo was as excited as if he had discovered a new continent, meticulously recording and analyzing the data from each Spatial Fluctuation, but progress was slow.
This ability seemed to be deeply hidden within the core of the Sharingan, requiring stronger Cursed Energy and more precise control to access.
As for "Amaterasu," Toho Hiroshi strictly guarded his bottom line and refused to try it.
That previous experience was too profound; he instinctively felt that before fully mastering those eyes, using "Amaterasu" again would definitely lead to something terrifying.
Although Satoru Gojo was itching with curiosity, he didn't push too hard on this point, merely tempting him occasionally with phrases like, "Just let out a little bit, just a tiny speck."
Aside from the Hellish Special Training, Toho Hiroshi was also diligently studying the knowledge of this world.
He borrowed a large amount of foundational texts and historical materials about the Jujutsu World from Suguru Geto, eagerly absorbing the knowledge.
He learned about the grading system for Jujutsu Sorcerers: Grade 4 up to Special Grade, the corresponding grades for Cursed Spirits, and the power structure of the Jujutsu World—the conservative Higher-Ups, The Higher-Ups, and the vast influence of The Big Three Families: the Gojo Family, the Kamo Family, and the Zenin Family.
He also gained a deeper understanding of the "protect the weak" belief that Suguru Geto currently held, and the immense pressure borne by that conviction.
Occasionally, he would see a fleeting look of exhaustion and darkness on Suguru Geto's face after returning from exorcising a Cursed Spirit.
This gave Toho Hiroshi mixed feelings; he knew what the future held but was powerless to change it, and he didn't even know where the appearance of his "butterfly" would lead the future trajectory.
One afternoon, after just finishing Satoru Gojo's "special training," he sat resting on the edge of the hallway, bruised and swollen, watching Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto sparring on the distant training ground.
Yes, sparring.
Or rather, the two of them were destroying the training ground.
The azure glow of "Blue" and the dark red light of Cursed Spirit Manipulation intertwined and collided, unleashing astonishing energy fluctuations, yet Satoru Gojo precisely controlled them within the training ground's Barrier, preventing any leakage.
That effortless power, like a deity playing among mortals, left Toho Hiroshi deeply shaken.
"Pretty amazing, right?"
Shoko Ieiri's voice came from beside him.
She had walked over sometime earlier and handed Toho Hiroshi a can of chilled juice. "Those two are true monsters."
Toho Hiroshi took the juice, the cold sensation slightly easing the swelling and pain on his face. "Yeah, they exist on a completely different dimension."
"But you are also very special."
Shoko sat down next to him, lit a cigarette, and fixed her gaze on his eyes. "Your power is different from their'strength.' It's more extreme, and more dangerous. What does it feel like to you when you use those eyes?"
Toho Hiroshi fell silent for a moment, gently pressing his eye sockets. "Burning heat, pain, and a very deep, profound sense of emptiness. It feels like something important is being burned away along with it."
Shoko exhaled a smoke ring, her green eyes holding the calm scrutiny of a doctor. "That's a very apt description. My Reverse Cursed Technique cannot fully repair that 'emptiness'; it seems more like a depletion at the soul level. Over-relying on that power might incur a cost beyond your imagination."
Toho Hiroshi's heart tightened. Shoko's words confirmed his inner anxiety.
The Mangekyo Sharingan, a power that sees all things in the world yet is filled with curses, its use inevitably comes with the risk of blindness and mental erosion.
"Thank you for the warning, Ms. Shoko. I will be careful."
"Mm."
Shoko nodded and said no more.
She had only issued the warning out of her duty as a doctor; the choice was up to the other person.
Just then, the activity on the training ground ceased. Satoru Gojo seemed to have gotten bored, slinging his arm around Suguru Geto's neck and saying something while Suguru Geto tried helplessly to push him away.
Satoru Gojo caught sight of Toho Hiroshi in the hallway and immediately dragged Suguru Geto over in high spirits.
He asked boastfully, "Dongfang! Wasn't I cool just now!"
"Very cool."
Toho Hiroshi replied flatly.
"Haha! You have good taste!"
Satoru Gojo patted his shoulder in satisfaction, making Toho Hiroshi wince. "It's decided. As a reward, tomorrow I'll take you and Suguru out on a mission."
"A mission?"
Toho Hiroshi was stunned.
He was currently still under observation, so theoretically, he shouldn't be leaving Tokyo Jujutsu High freely.
"Yes, a simple Grade 2 Cursed Spirit elimination mission."
Suguru Geto explained, tidying the clothes Satoru Gojo had messed up. "Principal Yaga agreed. He believes your progress under Satoru's'special training' has been significant, and you can try observing actual combat in a controlled environment; this is also part of the assessment."
Satoru Gojo leaned closer to Toho Hiroshi, his sunglasses sliding down, his azure eyes twinkling with mischief. "Exactly! Plus, if you run into danger, maybe you'll accidentally unleash another fun ability! Excited?"
Toho Hiroshi looked at Satoru Gojo's brilliant smile, then glanced at Suguru Geto beside him, whose expression was calm but whose eyes held a hint of scrutiny. He understood that this so-called "simple mission" and "combat observation" was likely just another carefully designed test aimed at him.
His life at Tokyo Jujutsu High truly never had a moment of peace.
Yet, deep down, he also harbored a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of anticipation.
What would genuine combat be like?
And what kind of display would these eyes put on during a real fight?
He tightened his grip on the juice can; beads of condensed water silently slipped down the cold aluminum surface.
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."
... The next day, Toho Hiroshi followed Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto to a long-abandoned private hospital in the suburbs.
The eerie building stood isolated amidst the weeds, its broken windows like dark, hollow eyes, emitting a thick, ominous aura.
Even from a distance, Toho Hiroshi could feel the disturbing Residual Cursed Energy emanating from within, which was far more intense and malicious than what he had encountered with the Grade 1 Cursed Spirit previously.
"Hey, Satoru, this doesn't feel like a simple Grade 2."
Suguru Geto frowned slightly; his Cursed Spirit Manipulation made him more sensitive to Cursed Energy signatures.
"Relax, relax~"
Satoru Gojo waved his hand dismissively, yet a playful curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. "It's unavoidable for the 'Window' to make small mistakes sometimes. But isn't this more interesting? It's the perfect chance to give our 'newcomer' a decent taste of real combat."
Toho Hiroshi's heart clenched; the ominous feeling grew stronger.
Satoru Gojo lazily made a hand sign with his hands in his pockets.
"From darkness born, blacker than black, purify and exorcise all defilement and impurity."
The pitch-black "Curtain" rapidly descended from the sky, like an inverted bowl, completely enveloping the abandoned hospital.
But this time, the rule of the "Curtain" was not "No entry for ordinary people," but rather—
"The 'Curtain' is set to—entry only, no exit, until one side is completely annihilated."
Satoru Gojo pushed up his small sunglasses and gave Toho Hiroshi a brilliant but utterly cold smile. "Good luck, Dongfang. We'll be waiting outside for good news."
Toho Hiroshi's pupils contracted sharply: "Gojo-senpai! Wait!"
However, it was already too late.
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