Chapter 7 : Who Are You
Jiang Lai pulls his trench coat tighter, walking through the winter night, preparing to return to the inn to sleep and rest.
Just now, he used the fastest speed possible to slam his phone down, and the phone serving as a brick lived up to expectations by catching the gecko cursed spirit off guard and knocking it down.
This confirms that this phone can be used as a cursed tool, possessing the ability to strike cursed spirits.
Very good, phone-kun is still very reliable! Jiang Lai is very satisfied with this. Don't know if it has effectiveness against other techniques, like breaking through Limitless or blocking Sukuna's cursed energy attacks... if there's a chance in the future, he can try it.
However, at the moment, the cursed spirit before him wasn't exorcised and eliminated by this brick strike, it just temporarily lost resistance.
...Maybe as an ordinary person, he needs to hit it several more times to exorcise it? Or does he need something else?
Glimpsing the protagonist group at the entrance from his peripheral vision, Jiang Lai pauses slightly and changes his mind.
No, maybe he doesn't need to solve this himself this time. Since this is Itadori Yuji and the others' mission target, he can just give it to them.
This way, it's also a kind of different wordless "gift"? He curves his lips slightly, crossing his hands. It can also brush up some presence in the manga.
Therefore, Jiang Lai places the target cursed spirit that ordinary people can't see in the side flower arrangement decoration, slightly slowing his pace when leaving, leaving a trace in Itadori Yuji's field of vision, and when the other looks over, he smiles brightly at him.
Reviewing what happened not long ago, Jiang Lai replays it in his mind.
...Perfect image creation! He gives himself a thumbs up in his heart. The seemingly distant yet close attitude is just right, and it can also highlight that the giver of the "meeting gift" is himself.
This should probably allow the forum to have further evolution speculation, maybe it can make the world will add some skills to himself... otherwise ordinary people in this jujutsu world really easily get lunch boxes!! QAQ
Of course, tonight's operation actually has a certain degree of danger, that is Gojo Satoru coming to find him the next day.
In front of the Six Eyes, his current self would definitely have nowhere to hide, and dealing with the strongest in the jujutsu world wouldn't be easy. Jiang Lai doesn't want to meet the other party too early, as that would make the evolution upgrade path difficult.
But in order to have more scenes in the manga... this risk is also acceptable. Jiang Lai has been calmly weighing and analyzing in his heart. Gojo Satoru shouldn't come looking for him over such a small incident.
The other party was already very busy in the original work, and feels like he'd be even busier in this new series' worldview. Maybe the other party would have two or three points of interest in himself due to his students' descriptions, but this isn't enough to drive the other party to spend energy looking for people.
Jiang Lai walks forward, the snow under his feet making soft crunching sounds, snowflakes still falling brush past his hair and land on his shoulders before melting away.
Actually, what made him risk making this decision, the most crucial point is, Jiang Lai understands that Gojo Satoru who comes looking wouldn't kill him, but if he doesn't participate in the manga plot and never has corresponding abilities, in this world of survival of the fittest, he might die.
He doesn't want to get a lunch box in another world. He still wants to see his friends again, and go home.
Jiang Lai looks up at the gray sky, briefly emptying his mind.
Three seconds later, he produces a groundhog emoji in his heart:
How does it feel like he got the script for "How to Survive in the Jujutsu World"!
However, the current him has already evolved from the little white rabbit survival script of those days to the sharp-tongued evolution script... for no other reason than the third time's the charm!
The flow of time between the Jujutsu world and Detective Conan world is not the same, and the difference between the two varies, sometimes one flows fast while the other flows slow, with no pattern between them.
Now, by the time Jiang Lai in the Jujutsu world finishes dinner and returns to the inn to rest and sleep, nearly a week has passed on the Detective Conan world side.
Detective Conan world. Evening.
After work, Morofushi Hiromitsu walks down the road carrying a briefcase containing some unimportant but troublesome documents that require him to spend extra time completing.
Originally he planned to organize them at the office, but after everyone else left work, he felt bad about occupying such a large space with lights and electricity consumption. Since the documents could be taken out, he decided to go home, eat dinner, then work overtime in his study.
After the organization's destruction, the reinstated Morofushi Hiromitsu has great enthusiasm for work. Therefore, although slightly tired after a day of work, his mental state is still very good.
Passing by a convenience store ahead, Morofushi Hiromitsu habitually slows his pace, preparing to look at the store's posted latest stock notices.
Since learning that his friend Jiang Lai crossed into the new Jujutsu series, he developed this habit of always paying attention to the latest developments of this manga.
The new Jujutsu series manga isn't serialized in traditional manga magazines, currently updating irregularly on the official website.
Official announcements say that after accumulating several chapters, they'll also compile them into a separate magazine for physical sales (thinner than single volumes, in magazine format).
Compared to electronic versions, Morofushi Hiromitsu is more accustomed to handling physical documents, making it convenient for taking notes and circling analysis. Moreover, physical versions usually have more easter eggs and intelligence information than electronic versions.
At this moment, his gaze is attracted by the fluorescent-lit posting board, which has exaggerated colorful marker writing:
【"Jujutsu Kaisen [New Series]" ~ Latest collection volume arrived today☆! Includes mysterious insert pages with additional writing not published online, unmissable excitement!!】
A collection volume is out? Clearly until yesterday, the website updates still stopped at the first chapter... looks like there's a big release today. Morofushi Hiromitsu turns his foot and immediately heads toward the convenience store.
Business inside the store is good. Morofushi Hiromitsu queues up and buys a copy of "Jujutsu Kaisen [New Series]." He originally wanted to read it at home, but really worried about the situation in the other world, so he simply finds a nearby small restaurant to sit down, orders food, then starts unwrapping and reading.
The front content is the pilot and first chapter he's already read countless times. Morofushi Hiromitsu continues flipping backward.
After simple daily transitions, first-year students Itadori Yuji and others at Jujutsu High receive a new mission:
【Exorcise the cursed spirit Donogo that wanders in Tokyo's Changlin District (fictional Jujutsu city), becoming stronger and eating people at the end and beginning of each month.】
This cursed spirit supposedly originates from people's negative emotions about squandering money and delayed wages. The photo data shows a small winged purple gecko.
In the manga, Kugisaki Nobara even complains, "So small, does it really have any attack power?"
The auxiliary supervisor explains that they need to exorcise it while it currently has no attack power, otherwise it'll be troublesome when the month ends and begins.
This thing is normally very agile, making it very difficult to catch or exorcise. But they can't wait until the beginning or end of the month, as that would be more dangerous.
Morofushi Hiromitsu takes out his always-carried ballpoint pen, noting down the cursed spirit's name and characteristics. Then he flips backward.
Gojo-sensei was originally going to take them on the mission and provide some guidance, but due to sudden business, he decided to let the students go first while he comes the next day.
With the auxiliary supervisor's help, Itadori Yuji and the others finally lock onto the cursed spirit Donogo wandering this street area.
Then follows a thrilling encirclement battle. Despite their coordinated siege, they still let this thing escape. It seems particularly sensitive to jujutsu sorcerers' cursed energy, so it flees in advance before Itadori Yuji and others approach, moving swiftly and agilely.
Itadori Yuji follows behind with his 50 meters in 3 seconds speed, but doesn't notice at a downhill section and slips!
He shouts "careful" as he slides forward, with pedestrians ahead making the scene look very dangerous.
The person in the picture only shows a silhouette at this time, but you can see him agilely and precisely dodge! He even naturally extends his hand to help.
Itadori Yuji is steadied by this pull, catching his breath and standing firm while thanking him, looking up at the person beside him.
Also at this moment, the manga depicts the complete image of that person in Itadori's eyes.
The black-haired youth has a gentle expression, brown eyes calm as water, a few thin snowflakes fallen on his trench coat shoulders, then quietly shaken off with the motion of helping and withdrawing his hand. He lifts his eyelashes slightly, smiling brightly: "Snowy roads are slippery, watch your step."
Seeing this, Morofushi Hiromitsu's expression shows some surprise and joy: It's Jiang Lai!
He naturally recognizes his friend.
After the initial joy, Morofushi Hiromitsu also feels some worry: Don't know if Jiang Lai is involved in this cursed spirit Donogo incident... hopefully nothing happens.
He holds the pen with one hand, continuing to flip pages.
The next scene shifts to a sukiyaki restaurant, where Morofushi Hiromitsu immediately notices Jiang Lai appearing in the picture.
In the manga, exquisite food is placed on a solid wood table. To the side, a black and white outlined iris flower logo occupies an entire wall. At the square table, the black-haired youth lowers his eyes, wiping his fingers one by one with a wet napkin.
As if thinking of something interesting, his lips curve into an inconspicuous arc, the overhead light casting faint shadows on his face.
...This atmosphere? Morofushi Hiromitsu unconsciously pauses his pen tip.
Steam rises from the sukiyaki restaurant, making the background blurry. With one frame's background blur, the scene below shifts, turning to a train station after flipping the page.
Train station? Is this preparing to intersperse flashbacks for narration? Morofushi Hiromitsu reacts for half a second, continuing to focus his attention.
In the station, bustling crowds crisscross and wander. At the picture's center, a blue long-haired youth with suture lines on his face leans alone against a support pillar.
It's that guy! Morofushi Hiromitsu unconsciously frowns. He's caught up on the series these past few days and recognizes this as the special grade cursed spirit Mahito from the original "Jujutsu Kaisen"!
A guy with a terrible personality who's also very troublesome... Morofushi Hiromitsu draws a dangerous triangle symbol beside it with his pen.
Mahito in the manga is currently staring intently at something, his casual smile seeming to tighten slightly, with a thought bubble behind him showing: "...?"
His blue-gray heterochromatic eyes look straight ahead, and behind the overlapping thought bubbles appear distorted writing: "...Human?...Cursed spirit?...Strange."
Morofushi Hiromitsu's heart pauses: Who is he seeing?
Combined with this plot's development, he vaguely has some guesses in his heart, yet feels those guesses are incredible.
The crowd moving like tide weaves simple lines, and in the deliberately depicted dark tones of the picture, a beautiful semi-transparent feather accessory sways lightly in the panel, at the same frequency as its owner's walking pace.
One, two, three times.
The feather sways, steps advance.
"..." Mahito steadies his body, tilting his head slightly, focusing intently on the approaching figure.
Among the surrounding simple line crowd, gradually pulling back from the feather necklace, revealing the heavily inked black-haired person stepping forward.
...It really is Jiang Lai!! Morofushi Hiromitsu grips the manga volume, slightly widening his blue eyes.
This picture is depicted with extreme impact, using a kind of diagonal overhead angle from above, also exaggeratedly using curved effects to highlight the center!
The black-haired youth with one hand in his pocket walks this way, his brown eyes seemingly concealing sharpness after deepening, looking up remotely across the bustling crowd.
In the manga, Mahito's smile restrains somewhat, his slightly lowered hand seeming to instinctively prepare for something, the atmosphere suddenly becoming tense!
However, the black-haired youth's raised eyes don't look toward him, just silently pass by. As if treating him as nothing, seemingly not taking him to heart.
He walks forward with a normal expression.
Clearly the scene has brewed a stormy confrontational atmosphere, yet it completely dissolves in the subsequent complete indifference and plainness, catching people off guard!
Mahito in the manga also pauses in expression, seemingly not expecting such a scene.
In the divided equal images, the black-haired youth and Mahito pass each other. In the brief few frames, neither makes any special moves.
They silently separate just like that.
"..." Morofushi Hiromitsu stares directly at the manga volume in his hands. After seeing Jiang Lai distance himself, his tense body finally relaxes.
However, his mood remains somewhat complex: Part is relief. Seeing friend Jiang Lai's such steady acting when facing danger, he's also somewhat reassured.
And the other part of his mood...
Morofushi Hiromitsu puts down his pen, supporting his forehead with one hand.
How to put it. This framing, this lighting, these effects.
Jiang Lai, did you bind some strange filter?! So this is the behind-the-scenes boost for our friend's rise to hidden organization BOSS back then??
...Though, cough, it seems quite useful.
Morofushi Hiromitsu pauses for a moment, finally gripping his pen and marking a few notes beside it, then drawing a smiling face.
After this flashback ends, the next manga page returns to the sukiyaki restaurant. However, this time the camera returns to the protagonist.
Itadori Yuji greets the black-haired youth getting up to leave.
Meeting the kind person who helped him again by such coincidence makes this youth's expression bright and cheerful, with even a few small flowers drawn beside him for manga atmosphere effect.
Morofushi Hiromitsu is also infected by this atmosphere. Looking at the pink-haired youth in the manga and his friend's smiles, he can't help but curve his lips.
(Though his friend's looking back with a smile has a kind of... well, mysteriously elegant danger? Maybe he hasn't recovered from that train station flashback plot atmosphere yet.)
He flips to the next page, his lips still carrying that faint arc from before, until he sees the full-page image at the end.
The cursed spirit Donogo suddenly appears in the beautiful flower arrangement decoration!
Morofushi Hiromitsu's smile freezes.
...How is this possible?! How was this done?! Why is it such a coincidence??
His current shock is no less than the protagonist group in the manga, his pen-holding hand suddenly tightening!
"..." After three seconds of silence, Morofushi Hiromitsu relaxes his straightened back and laughs softly.
Forget it, no matter how Jiang Lai did it, as long as he's fine.
Also, hmm... no wonder in the previous scene, Jiang Lai was wiping his fingers with a wet napkin. Turns out he just finished placing a cursed spirit?
Morofushi Hiromitsu discovers the key point! .jpg
On the other side of the Detective Conan world.
"Ahhh!" High school student Komura Rina throws herself on her bedroom bed and rolls several times, excitedly calling her friend, "Akiko! Akiko! Did you see today's update?"
"My new favorite is so handsome...!!" Komura Rina lies on her back on the bed, covering her face with one hand, her voice raised.
"The indifferent aura at the train station was absolutely amazing! Completely ignoring Mahito's intense gaze, and the gift-giving at the sukiyaki restaurant was also so handsome woo woo!! Such an elegant meeting gift!!"
"Didn't expect him to give Itadori and the others the cursed spirit Donogo. Looking at the previous plot, this cursed spirit was clearly super hard to catch!"
Komura Rina says in one breath, "Don't know how he made his move either. The manga only showed the scene after he left where Itadori and the others saw it nestled in the flower basket... sigh, I thought I could see my new favorite's technique."
Taking a deep breath, Komura Rina continues excitedly: "Speaking of which, does my new favorite know Gojo-sensei? I feel like he knows Itadori and the others are Gojo's students!! This gift-giving thing has mysterious deep meaning. He definitely deliberately didn't exorcise it and placed it for them to see..."
On the other end of the phone, Kadoya Akiko says: "I just finished reading the manga. The plot parts related to the new character have many points worth exploring, very interesting."
Her tone is as calm as always, but someone familiar like Komura Rina can hear the hidden interest in her words.
"Come come come, let's video chat!" Komura Rina immediately sits up from the bed like a carp, her eyes shining, "I want to tell you so much more!!"
Zhonghua Forum. Latest chapter focused discussion thread.
【The official website actually updated three chapters at once today! I heard Japan released a magazine volume with additional writing, but we can't buy it here temporarily QAQ】
【Haha watching the protagonist group collectively catch this flying gecko is really funny, gives me a feeling of catching chickens and cats! (Not implying anything about Gojo-sensei xs)】
【That Gojo Lai appeared again at the beginning! When dodging, he didn't forget to help our Itadori and remind him to be careful in the snow, feels a bit gentle (shy)】
【Cough, gentle is indeed gentle... but combined with that weird opening at the airport, there's a kind of dangerous feeling like a fierce beast smiling...】
【And the manga deliberately highlighted his speed, before actively making a move he completely didn't let the slipping Itadori touch him! What kind of bullet-dodging speed is this (dog head)】
【I love this type! Really love this kind of mysterious and handsome character! I unilaterally declare he's my new wife!】
【Laugh to death, it's only been a few chapters, why is the poster above already claiming wives so early hahaha (tactical lean back)】
【Grass grass grass family members!! Look quickly! When the new character separated from Itadori and the others, Sukuna opened his eyes then! (enlarged screenshot.jpg)... This is terrifying upon reflection!!】
【??? Good guy, although Sukuna comes out from time to time before, this, this scene feels a bit, that, (gesturing) did Sukuna sense the new character before opening his eyes?】
【No way, could the new character have something special? Surely they don't know each other? Dazed cat.jpg】
【Did you guys not finish reading? There's also Mahito in the later flashback scene hh, and Mahito's inner thoughts were actually uncertain about the new character's human or cursed spirit identity, feels like a point worth deep digging.】
【Cursed spirit? Human? No, how can this be uncertain!? (panicked)】
【Sukuna and Mahito both appeared, such great treatment, the new character isn't from the cursed spirit side, right? Woo woo, Gojo-sensei! Gojo-sensei quickly come suppress the scene!!】
【Probably not from the cursed spirit side... he even gave Itadori and the others the mission target. I think the new character is like Yuki, that kind of casual jujutsu world big shot who helps the juniors when passing by in a good mood.】
【Uh, honestly, compared to helping, that placement and smile afterward, plus the atmosphere, feels more like dark provocation... I mean, aimed not at Itadori and the others, but at Gojo Satoru behind them.】
【Friends, isn't the most crucial point for solving the case who he was calling at the very beginning?】
【Foreshadowing hh, who knows】
【Currently still unclear about this Gojo Lai's position, but feels like he's probably a big shot (pondering)】
【Above poster, remove "feels like," he's obviously a big shot!!!】
【One-click urge for updates! One-click urge for updates! Every second I can't see the next chapter, there are so many Sukunas crawling on me!! QWQ】
【Grass, poster above be careful tonight the old man crosses dimensions to find you】
【Are there any fellow fans in Japan! Please please want to see the additional writing in the physical version! Does it reveal any information about the new character?】
...
The entire evening in the Detective Conan world is lively, with intense discussions and bold speculations about the latest chapters' plot and new character.
At this time, in a Jujutsu world inn.
Topic focus Jiang Lai (sleeping soundly and dreaming): ZZZ...