Chapter 39 : Could You Please Help Me Keep This With You
They brought Zenin Maki and Zenin Mai back to Tokyo Jujutsu High together. Gojo Satoru had sent a message to the pickup service beforehand, so the car that came to get them this time was a larger business vehicle.
After leaving the Zenin family area, Jiang Lai deconstructed and disappeared the fox mask from his face.
This action was somewhat sudden for the two little ones beside him. They stared wide-eyed in shock, somewhat at a loss.
Jiang Lai returned a gentle, ordinary smile: "This is how I normally look. I covered my face earlier at the Zenin family because I didn't really want to show it."
The two little ones instinctively looked away, then after a while secretly glanced back. It seemed they found seeing the "monster's" true appearance to be quite incredible.
Maki and Mai were still children and didn't know how to hide their gazes. Though they called it secretly glancing, their actions were very obvious. But Jiang Lai pretended not to notice, not wanting to pressure them, letting the two little ones look their fill.
They quickly walked out of the Zenin family's surrounding area and reached where the vehicle was parked.
The tension that Maki and Mai had been carrying relaxed after leaving the Zenin family and getting in the car, and drowsiness gradually overwhelmed them.
Geto Suguru noticed the two little ones' eyelids fighting each other but still trying to sit properly, and smiled gently, saying to them: "If you want to sleep, take a nap. The journey is still long, and we'll be sleeping and resting too, so you don't need to be formal."
"......Okay." The two little ones nodded, and under such friendly explanation, they also relaxed and leaned back in their seats.
Then Geto Suguru pulled out an eye mask from his backpack and tossed it to Gojo Satoru: "Yours."
"Oh, thanks Suguru!" Gojo Satoru naturally reached out to catch it, flipping it over several times: "Why is it pure black with no decoration at all?"
"It's for sleeping, what do you need so much decoration for?" Geto Suguru was somewhat speechless: "Plus for you, wearing this kind should be comfortable, right?"
"Actually no matter what kind, my eyes can see through it, but this kind does give less feedback information." Gojo Satoru casually replied, taking off his sunglasses and putting the eye mask on his face: "Sleep time, sleep time!"
Jiang Lai didn't need sleep and wasn't drowsy, but constantly maintaining thought and alertness would also cause mental fatigue.
Therefore, when everyone in the car was resting, he also closed his eyes to rest for a while.
After the vehicle had traveled halfway, Jiang Lai felt he had recovered enough and opened his eyes, looking down at his phone.
After becoming non-human, even the feelings of car sickness and eye strain had disappeared. Looking at his phone in the car caused no discomfort whatsoever.
At this time, there was still no countdown displayed in the upper right corner of his phone.
It should be about time by now, Jiang Lai estimated in his heart. If not today, then tomorrow.
During this free time, he opened the recent new series official website, planning to review everything once more from a god's perspective.
The additional updates were about the Zenin family events, continuing until the final scene: the two little ones beside the navy blue great demon, step by step walking out of the grand family buildings toward an empty but hopeful future.
From the manga, Jiang Lai learned that when they first arrived at the Zenin family, the distinctive figure outside the reception room was Zenin Naoya. After hearing there was a monster, he came to expose it, waiting there until they came out.
When the meeting ended, Jiang Lai had deliberately maintained his composure while walking out. Every movement was quite leisurely and mysterious like a great demon from beyond the world, with flowing talismans on his sleeves and haori hakama changing with each breath.
The crowd filing out of the meeting room formed a natural barrier, separating the standing Zenin Naoya. The blonde teenager's upturned eyes stared at the fox-masked figure, lips pressed straight.
So he had planned to cause trouble from that moment, Jiang Lai's thoughts wandered for a second. I thought it was during training when he saw me relaxing leisurely and got annoyed, then came to cause trouble.
The rest of the content was about the same as what Jiang Lai had experienced. Except for one point.
In the manga, during Jiang Lai's first night patrol, in another unknown building of the Zenin family, there were also people awake late at night.
In a room covered with talismans, several figures of unclear identity sat around a low wooden table, calmly conversing. Speech bubbles marked the content of their dialogue.
"......Six Eyes isn't carrying any extra items."
"What about the others?"
"No special objects either."
"Let's look again next time. Prophecies don't lie."
These few sentences were placed here ambiguously, appearing somewhat abrupt. For a moment, Jiang Lai mentally displayed a huge emoji: No riddle people on the Jujutsu Kaisen set please!.jpg
Although he often played riddle games himself, Jiang Lai didn't want to encounter other riddle people at all.
Rubbing his temple with one hand, he continued his calm analysis.
Though there were only scattered sentences here, the key elements could still be glimpsed. Obviously, these people's core focus was on Gojo Satoru, but not for himself.
The unidentified people seemed to be searching for something, and they firmly believed that what they were looking for was on or around Six Eyes.
......Why? Jiang Lai's gaze focused on that last sentence. Because of a prophecy?
The Jujutsu Kaisen world cared about prophecies? Jiang Lai raised an eyebrow slightly. He just didn't know whose prophecy it was and what the specific content was.
Since it was related to Six Eyes, he should try to pay more attention to information related to Gojo Satoru afterward.
He filed this clue away in his heart.
Then Jiang Lai opened the new series forum, planning to see netizens' thoughts.
【Naoya the pig appeared! Who would have thought that Zenin Naoya would actually plan to cause trouble for God Lai hahaha. Could this wave of only fighting high-end matches not be Jogo but Naoya? (dog head)】
【God Lai in the Zenin family dungeon was so handsome woo woo woo! Lightly resolving Naoya, the scene of the book touching his forehead and pushing him into the copper bells was too elegant! I've watched it no less than five times!! Mysterious great demon Lai Lai's charm is off the charts!】
【Although, but, a scene randomly popped into my head (dying of laughter) Gojo Satoru: Protest, I want to protest! Why is bonking the pig so light but bonking me so heavy!】
【Because Naoya's brain can't withstand any more hitting probably (merciless). Speaking of which, Naoya pig started staring at God Lai again afterward. I wonder if it's because he's unconvinced and wants to eliminate him, or if his hidden strength-worshipping fetish acted up again but he doesn't want to say it xs】
【God Lai is really so elegant and gentle. The later scenes with the two little ones Maki and Mai were like a healing anime... My heart melted. Being able to walk out in the end was so beautiful. A bright future ahead, shake off that damn Zenin family, charge toward your own future!】
【This Zenin dungeon was indeed very healing, like making up for the original work's tragedy. However, there was also a very horrifying scene inside → (image) This scene of several people sitting around talking, I always feel they're discussing something very important】
【Just these few lines of dialogue, too vague! I can only read that it's related to 5t5... My heart is pounding, so scared QAQ don't hurt my Toru!!】
【Grass, what kind of nickname is Toru hahaha, then Geto Suguru is You'er, Gojo Lai is Lai'er (so weird.jpg)
Objectively analyzing, their target probably isn't Gojo Satoru, but they want to find an item through Gojo Satoru. The reason is that some unknown prophecy pointed out that clues are around Gojo Satoru, so they'll pay extra attention to Gojo Satoru.
Maybe this time the Zenin family's request to arrange Gojo and Geto for the mission was also to observe whether there were things they were looking for.
By the way, although this scene appeared at the Zenin family, these few people aren't necessarily from the Zenin family. The scene didn't show their faces or clothing.
Additionally, there's another point: they said "special objects" in their dialogue, which is unclear. Most likely they themselves don't know the specific characteristics of what they're looking for, so they can only broadly and generally pay attention to all unusual items.】
【I agree with upstairs, and also supplement a guess:
These people focus on [objects], but is there a possibility that the prophecy actually refers to a person? But they all think it's an object (pure speculation, after all I don't know the specific content of the prophecy haha)
Speaking of this, I remember another point: the special term mentioned before seems to only be [clock]. Could the prophecy mention a clock referring to God Lai haha.
Anyway, let me randomly guess that God Lai is [Disney's escaped clock spirit] (not) and then that fox that recognized Lai Lai in the main story is a magical identification device or part of Lai Lai or something (starting to talk nonsense)】
【Upstairs combining serious and non-serious analysis is killing me, are you seriously analyzing or just meming】
【......Mind blown, I didn't think of so much woo woo! Good thing I have you, my external brains!】
【I also come completely brainless, every time I read manga my attention is just on 1234 wives hahaha! Speaking of which, the art style has been so warm lately, I've already put this new series in my healing manga recommendations】
【? Upstairs don't trick people in to kill them…】
The later content revolved around whether the new series was healing or delivering knives. Jiang Lai roughly browsed through it, then focused his attention back on the analysts' speculations above.
The first person's analysis was about the same as Jiang Lai's own. The second person's seemingly joking viewpoint actually gave him some unexpected inspiration.
Indeed, manga sometimes used this kind of misleading information: prophecies appearing with names similar to objects, but actually referring not to special objects but to certain characters.
Thinking of this, Jiang Lai also recalled the second analyst's final speculation in the forum.
Could it be related to himself?
He pondered for a few seconds, then pulled himself out of his thoughts.
Forget it, set it aside for now. How exactly it was, he'd wait until he saw the so-called complete prophecy text later.
After several people returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High, they first settled the two little girls.
Principal Yaga had a stern expression, first criticizing Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru's behavior of "abducting" children from large families, then getting so angry at the two problem children's laughing retorts that his forehead veins bulged.
However, at the end, Principal Yaga lightly added a few more words.
"What I'm criticizing is your recklessness in doing whatever you want, not your actions in rescuing people from dire situations." Principal Yaga exhaled, holding back for a few seconds before speaking: "......I didn't expect you would also pay attention to these things. Anyway, well done. Keeping this initial intention is also quite good."
"Ah? Principal Yaga? Is this a compliment?" Gojo Satoru raised his hand high: "No good, Principal Yaga, your compliment has no skill at all. Quickly study from a rainbow flattery encyclopedia."
"Don't make things difficult for Principal Yaga, Satoru. Look, Principal Yaga's black face has turned red from holding back." Geto Suguru smiled with squinted fox eyes.
Principal Yaga held his forehead again, waving his hand and shouting: "Enough, enough! You few quickly get going and write your mission reports!"
"Ah, don't want to write..."
Ignoring the two problem teenagers' wails, Principal Yaga turned around, giving the two bewildered Maki and Mai one cursed corpse each as gifts, then said steadily:
"Welcome gifts. From now on, Jujutsu High is your home. Shoko will take you to the dormitories later. If you have problems in the future and don't come to me, you can also find Shoko. She's generally at school."
"......Thank you." The two little ones politely accepted the gifts and thanked him.
Although everyone at Jujutsu High was very friendly, Zenin Maki and Mai suddenly coming to a strange place still felt instinctively nervous.
Like imprinting syndrome, they blinked and instinctively looked for the navy blue great demon's figure.
Jiang Lai stood not far away, noticing the two little ones' gazes, and showed a gentle smile in response.
"......" This time Maki and Mai didn't quickly look away. They also returned with an upward curve.
Watching the warm scene in the distance, Jiang Lai sighed softly in his heart. Unfortunately, he couldn't continue accompanying them as they grew up.
Just when he had returned to Jujutsu High, he had looked down at his phone again: as he had guessed, the countdown appeared in the upper right corner of his phone.
About half an hour remained until the space-time jump.
Thoughts flowed through Jiang Lai's mind.
Indeed, because Toji becoming a spirit form in the future and not knowing him was an established fact, it couldn't be changed. He had to completely avoid the Star Plasma Vessel incident.
The breeze stirred, swaying the pagoda tree wooden pendant at his waist. Jiang Lai focused his attention on this item.
At this moment in the past timeline, if Fushiguro Toji was still alive, this pendant should be empty, right?
But on that future day, Fushiguro Toji's soul would reside in this item, meeting him in the rental apartment at Asazawa Apartments.
This was a Möbius strip: for everything to proceed smoothly in the future, his past self at this moment should ensure that Toji's soul resided within it.
Toji's spirit form's lingering seemed related to the Regulatory Committee, but why he resided in the pendant to rest and recover was an unclear doubt. Now this mystery was solved.
Jiang Lai untied the red cord, removing the pagoda tree wooden pendant from his waist and holding it steady in his palm.
So he needed to make this pendant appear at the Star Plasma Vessel incident scene, probably to attract Toji's lingering unconscious drifting soul to float into here and rest.
On the other side, Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, who had finished listening to Principal Yaga's lecture, complained "writing mission reports is really annoying" but still had bright expressions on their faces.
Glancing at the navy blue figure standing by the forest, Gojo Satoru strode over with his long legs, laughing and saying:
"By the way, Lai! You also went on the mission with us, so you must understand the process well. Why don't you help us write the mission report!"
Jiang Lai (smiling): "Sorry, I'm illiterate."
Gojo Satoru: "?"
Gojo Satoru: "......Hey hey, at least come up with a more serious excuse!! Are you treating me like a child?!"
"Long-term perfunctory, intermittent serious." Jiang Lai raised his book with one hand to half-cover his lips, smiling: "Don't think about it, write your own mission report."
Gojo Satoru rolled his eyes dramatically.
Then Jiang Lai added: "I'm leaving soon. This time I'm telling you in advance, so it's not leaving without saying goodbye."
Hearing this, Gojo Satoru was obviously stunned for a second: "You're leaving?"
"Yes." Jiang Lai nodded in reply.
"Why? You were the one who suggested bringing the two kids back, and now you're just walking away?" Gojo Satoru's eyebrows rose high.
"Lending a hand when passing by, no need to force deeper bonds." Jiang Lai replied calmly. He blinked, then continued: "Besides, they're at Jujutsu High, don't they still have you all?"
Gojo Satoru hummed and grumbled: "I see, you just came to play. Every time you get bored you leave, not leaving a trace behind..."
"No, this time I have to give you something." Jiang Lai extended his hand, five fingers spread, palm up, revealing the pagoda tree wooden pendant within.
Gojo Satoru's gaze fell on this, his form slightly pausing, obviously having an impression of it: "Isn't this the item you've been wearing at your waist since I first met you as a child?"
"Mm, yes." Jiang Lai curved his lips slightly, his tone gentle: "Could you please help me keep this with you?"