Chapter 56 : Is it Lai
After agreeing to restart, Gojo Satoru asked: "So this is why those people from the Supervisory Committee were looking for you? They wanted to use your ability?" His eyebrows furrowed slightly, cold aura showing in his words.
Jiang Lai paused, reviewing in his mind, then answered: "More or less. But not only that."
He organized his thoughts slowly.
"Geto Suguru mentioned they divined a prophecy containing words like Six Eyes, Clock, and restart. From what Yuikawa did to me just now, their attitude toward [Clock] is utilization first, destroy if they can't utilize, and the decision to destroy is very quick."
"From this perspective, my help to their great cause is definitely far less than my destruction of their great cause. They fear me as a variable, so they're eager to find and eliminate me."
Gojo Satoru's expression was unclear. He shed his usual playful attitude, his voice low:
"...This time, they were able to find you because of me, right?"
According to the prophecy, the [Clock] that could reverse time and space would appear beside himself. They found the extraordinary Lai by following him.
If Lai hadn't formed connections, hadn't become acquainted with himself, Suguru and others, he wouldn't have faced any danger or paid any price.
"In such matters, what should be blamed isn't the fate of meeting, but those villains' schemes." Jiang Lai gently reassured, pausing for half a second before smiling, "However, to better deceive them, I might change my style after the restart."
Gojo Satoru tilted his head slightly.
Jiang Lai continued: "Returning to the prophecy issue, from current perspective, that part probably refers to: Satoru, you can use [Clock] to reverse time, restart the world and try again, and they don't want such an event to happen."
Gojo Satoru's eyebrows rose, his expression unrestrained: "Try again with advance preparation, I'll definitely drag those sewer rats out."
"That's right, you and the Supervisory Committee are definitely not on the same side, which is why they fear the strongest's rebirth." Jiang Lai blinked, "After all, only those who formed good connections possess memories of time reversal. They can't determine if the world has restarted."
"Information asymmetry is our advantage. After restarting, try not to expose this point first. Paralyze them on the surface while secretly investigating thoroughly to find their lair."
"Fine." Gojo Satoru made a reluctantly agreeing gesture, drawing out his tone, "Since you say so, I'll endure them for a while longer, until I uproot them completely and settle everything once and for all."
With these words, a chapter had concluded. At this moment, Gojo Satoru's heart was already burning with anticipation for the beautiful future after restart.
Both fell quiet for some time, together watching the last rays of sunset slowly dissipate at the horizon, stars dotting the sky above their heads.
Then Jiang Lai said: "Then let's begin the restart."
"How do we do it?" Gojo Satoru turned his head to ask.
Jiang Lai walked a few steps toward Gojo Satoru, standing before him with a gentle smile: "Come, extend your hand."
"..." Gojo Satoru raised his eyebrows slightly, obediently lifting his right hand while watching the black-haired, brown-eyed youth.
The figure in dark blue gently guided, having Gojo Satoru's fingertip rest on his left heart.
Surprise flashed in Gojo Satoru's eyes as he furrowed his brow, about to say something.
However, Jiang Lai spoke first: "The dial for reversing time is here. I'll guide you to infuse cursed energy and move the hands."
"Heart?" Gojo Satoru pressed his lips straight, his lashes like fans, "Why would it be here? This position is..."
"Don't worry, I'm an [Existence], different from your human life structure." Jiang Lai smiled, "The so-called heart is just symbolic."
Is that so, the so-called heart is merely symbolic?
Gojo Satoru's sky-blue eyes stared at the person before him. At this moment, the other's heart position was still shrouded in mist, vaguely showing flowing radiance like phosphorescence occasionally undulating in deep ocean.
Though unable to see what was there, Gojo Satoru could sense the heart's extraordinary nature.
He was silent for a long while, saying in a low voice: "You won't have any problems, right?"
"Didn't you just witness me getting stabbed through the neck? Even after being treated like that, I was fine." Jiang Lai's eyebrows curved, "So don't worry."
"..." Despite this, Gojo Satoru still felt some inexplicable restless unease in his heart. He took a deep breath, dispelling the excess emotions.
Jiang Lai pulled Gojo Satoru's hand, indicating again: "Come on, concentrate and infuse cursed energy."
After hesitating, Gojo Satoru placed his fingertip on the person's heart and slowly input powerful cursed energy inward. He focused intently, using the world's unique Six Eyes to look closely—
As cursed energy was infused, those drifting mists gradually dissipated somewhat, revealing a pitch-black, profound circular dial that defied description. Upon it, brilliantly golden hands were carved with complex runes.
With each breath, it seemed to pulse rhythmically like a heart, as if possessing life.
Jiang Lai guided gently: "Can you see it? Next, use your hand to turn it counterclockwise."
"Wait, how should I use my hand to—" Gojo Satoru's words suddenly cut off. In this instant, he suddenly understood something.
Six Eyes could see through supernatural objects within the body, but to truly touch it with his hand, he had to break through layers of obstructing flesh and blood.
Jiang Lai's eyebrows were gentle: "It's okay, Satoru. This is just a human-like body structure, don't feel psychological burden." He prepared his longitudinal technique in his mind.
"..." Gojo Satoru's perfect lips pressed into a straight line. He didn't want to perform such an action, but aside from this, there was no other way.
So he could only combine Jiang Lai's words to comfort himself that the other would be fine, that they would reunite the next day.
The white-haired youth exhaled, his fingertip covered with cursed energy, cutting into the chest incredibly smoothly. Warm blood slowly flowed from the wound, the utterly real scene of seemingly striking down a friend made his mind tremble.
Although the black-haired, brown-eyed youth's expression was gentle and his eyes calm, he could also sense the dark blue figure's slight trembling as he suppressed pain. So he tried to keep his hand movements as steady as possible, reducing unnecessary harm.
Gojo Satoru's hand entered the left heart, reaching that layer of mysterious black dial, his index finger touching the golden hand. He steadied his cursed energy and turned it counterclockwise—
"Click."
Like a mechanical sensation carrying enormous resistance, Gojo Satoru concentrated his thoughts, increasing cursed energy to turn the hand counterclockwise one notch. The black dial beneath the golden hand undulated like surging tides.
Gojo Satoru's heart pounded like drums, rare nervousness flowing through his body. He didn't understand whether this involuntary tension was some sixth sense unease about his friend or eager anticipation for the restart of the past.
"...How many notches should I turn counterclockwise?" Gojo Satoru tried to maintain a steady voice as he asked.
"Try until you can no longer move it forward." Jiang Lai smiled gently.
Gojo Satoru exhaled again, steadying his heart, staring at the dial, concentrating all his power in an instant at his fingertip, turning the hand counterclockwise.
"Click. Click. Click—"
The golden hand was pushed backward notch by notch under external force, the unknown runes carved upon it bursting with dazzling light under cursed energy entanglement and collision. Gojo Satoru half-closed his sky-blue eyes, not giving up an inch under the enormous resistance.
The subsequent black dial began slowly dripping pure black liquid like melting as the hand turned counterclockwise. Unknown power swept up powerful shockwaves, everything around began to distort.
Gojo Satoru could barely distinguish whether the warm liquid flowing out was his friend's blood or the liquefied dial, black and red liquids blending together, inseparable.
In the tremor, that pool of mixed liquid seemed to come alive, wriggling and condensing on the ground.
Jiang Lai glimpsed the liquid on the ground from the corner of his eye, and in an instant, a certain scene from his past flashed through his mind—
In the main timeline, in the small alley, the mysterious unknown black liquid fox cursed spirit in the clouds that surrounded him, speaking haltingly like a young beast expressing hunger.
...Was this fox cursed spirit born from the karma of reversing time, emerging from his own body?
So that's why the other would cry "hungry" at him, and could accurately recognize him as [Clock]? This was also why Geto Suguru hadn't formed a master-servant contract with it, more like friends?
Then this Möbius strip had also achieved closure.
Since it was born from [Clock]'s karma, the liquid cursed spirit fox might have a diluted ability to reverse time.
For instance, it could specifically reverse certain parts of certain people bit by bit, equivalent to gradually eating away bindings.
As the counterclockwise movement of the hand, the drilling pain that violated the world's operating rules gradually numbed, a smile crossed his eyes, and Jiang Lai softly left a sentence:
"I promised Suguru-kun before to return him a gift—then I'll trouble Satoru to help deliver it."
Gojo Satoru vaguely heard Jiang Lai's message. He had too many questions to ask, but time was limited, and thousands of words ultimately became one sentence:
"Hey, Lai, I said, you promised we'd reunite, you won't break your word, right?" He still couldn't help but confirm once more.
The golden hand's carved runes grew brighter, unbearable light expanded boundlessly, Six Eyes filled with white light twisting and devouring everything—
"...Lai!! You promised!! Lai!" Without hearing a reply, Gojo Satoru instinctively raised his voice, shouting loudly in the endless white light, "You can't—"
"I remember." A familiar voice like a gentle breeze brushed past his ear in an instant, "See you tomorrow."
[Longitudinal-Time Reversal].
Golden patterns and white light expanded until even Six Eyes were blinded, no longer providing any information feedback.
So except for the sound of hands turning backward, there was no other sound in the world.
After a brief moment, Gojo Satoru's blue eyes lifted, Six Eyes beginning to provide information feedback again.
The scene before his eyes had completely changed.
Checkered ceiling, wooden wardrobe, dessert posters, huge floor-to-ceiling window—this was the Jujutsu High dormitory.
Gojo Satoru sprang up from bed like a carp. The glass window reflected his high school face, he pinched his own cheek, it hurt quite a bit.
...Had they really flowed back?
He immediately grabbed his phone from the bedside table. The current time was 2006, the day after returning from the Star Plasma Vessel mission.
Gojo Satoru stared at his phone for two or three seconds, organizing his thoughts in this brief moment.
Then he noticed the black liquid fox curled up sleeping on his blanket.
Gojo Satoru: "..."
His form froze.
A few seconds later, Gojo Satoru got up and put on clothes, picking up his sunglasses to wear.
He had wanted to carry the liquid fox out, but after thinking for a moment, he left the fox on the blanket and strode out of the dormitory alone.
Just as he stepped out, the door next to him also opened, and the young man with the bun hairstyle walked out from beside him.
The two looked at each other across the space, seeing their friend's young face again made them feel dazed for a moment.
"...Suguru, you really have the same weird bangs day after day. But now you're not as theatrical yet."
"...Right, you've changed a lot, switching from sunglasses to bandages, don't you find that thing troublesome to wrap around."
After instinctively complaining, the two quickly reacted.
"You...?!"
"You too—"
Without needing to say more, they could understand that the other was a second playthrough player.
"Ah... really just as Lai said, those who formed good connections would have memories of time reversal." Gojo Satoru scratched the back of his head with one hand, walking out with swaying steps.
At this moment, his heart relaxed slightly. Since this statement was correct, then Lai's "see you tomorrow" was also true.
"Lai?" Geto Suguru's body stiffened for a second, his gaze somewhat complex, "...Was it Lai who did it?"