Chapter 173 : Destruction and Freedom
Jiang Lai looked at the content in the manga. He noticed that although Gojo Satoru had responded with coldness to what he had said at the time on the surface, in reality, he had still taken it to heart.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically mentioned it. Jiang Lai understood. This proved that Gojo Satoru was thinking about it.
This could be considered a gain. Jiang Lai exhaled. At least he had lifted a thin corner of this world's illusory mask.
In the manga, Okkotsu Yuta was slightly stunned upon hearing this, looking like he didn't understand Gojo Satoru's words.
He didn't know whether Gojo-sensei had truly encountered an unexpected person, or was using these words to metaphorically hint at something else.
However, before he could continue thinking further, Gojo Satoru spoke again.
"By the way, my next stop is Kyoto, Yuta."
The white-haired man stood at the edge of the rooftop, the wind lifting the corners of his clothes. He tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a perfect arc as he said this.
"I've never had the habit of giving advance notice before doing things, because I don't want to have any contact with those rotten oranges. However, facing a former good student, I can say a bit more~"
"......" Okkotsu Yuta paused. "Sensei?"
"I know that among the newly enrolled first-year students, there's a little guy who is the vessel for the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna." Gojo Satoru said. "I can roughly guess the reasons those rotten oranges are keeping him: they want to use Sukuna to deal with me."
"Those old geezers are truly rotting in the shadows day after day, decade after decade, pushing others to the front to do their dirty work. Well then, let them go ahead and try."
Gojo Satoru's light tone grew slightly heavy at the end. As he spoke softly, under the lighting effects, he carried a certain inexplicable sense of danger.
At this moment, Okkotsu Yuta finally realized the reason Gojo Satoru had informed him of his itinerary earlier. He pressed his lips into a straight line and said: "......I won't inform the higher-ups of your schedule."
"Oh my, Yuta, I'm specifically asking you to pass it along, so you can't refuse." Gojo Satoru waved his hand with a grin. "Let's set the time for this Sunday. It's a nice day."
Okkotsu Yuta remained silent. After a long while, he asked quietly: "Where in Kyoto, sensei?"
Gojo Satoru turned his face and answered: "All of Kyoto."
"......All of Kyoto?"
"Yes~ After all, I can completely do it. So I've decided to grant all of Kyoto a thorough freedom."
Okkotsu Yuta was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the meaning behind Gojo Satoru's words. He widened his eyes and unconsciously looked up, saying in shock: "Gojo-sensei!?"
"Very shocking, Yuta? Actually, it sounds quite nice, doesn't it?" Gojo Satoru still smiled. He leisurely raised his hand to lift his eye mask, strikingly revealing those brilliant Six Eyes, and said lightly: "This world: the living have no self."
His pure white eyelids lifted slightly, his lips curving into a perfect arc: "Rather than living in bondage, it's better to die free...... They will be honored to be granted the latter."
The words sounded cold and shocking, yet as the speaker nodded, he was like a noble holy child above a cathedral, bestowing grace upon all living beings.
Only at this moment did the aura belonging to the strongest cursed user truly manifest. Speaking of annihilating a city between words, as simple as overturning a basin of water.
The white-haired man took another step toward the edge of the rooftop, with almost half his body suspended outside.
This scene occupied an entire page of the manga. Against the background of the blue-green sky, he stood there, his demeanor as wanton as another blazing sun.
The final panel focused on those calm and distant blue eyes. A vast storm was churning and brewing in those sky-like pupils, about to drown countless buildings and living beings.
"......" Jiang Lai instinctively turned another page, but was prompted with [Already at the last page].
This manga update ended here.
Jiang Lai fell into brief silence. For a moment, he didn't know what words to use to describe this.
If it were in the real world, and Gojo Satoru laughingly said things like "going to destroy the world," Jiang Lai would only jokingly respond back, going along with something like "mature men need chuunibyou syndrome."
Then he'd continue listening to the other complain about various infuriating operations by the rotten oranges and the Supervisory Committee, or follow along as they pretended to plot how to destroy the world.
The premise of all this was that he knew the other had the ability but wouldn't actually go and annihilate the world.
Here, when Gojo Satoru curved his lips and said "they will be honored to be granted the latter (free death)," Jiang Lai had absolutely no mood for joking.
Because this time, the other not only had the ability, but also the resolve.
When these words could become reality, they were no longer something that could be treated as an amusing matter.
From the lighting and expression depicted in this manga, he could judge that what Gojo Satoru said was not false, but all true.
Gojo Satoru could indeed accomplish and planned to accomplish the annihilation of an entire city. The strongest, having broken free from the constraints of jujutsu world rules, could freely and wantonly unleash his full power.
Having become a cursed user, he didn't kill indiscriminately based on mood and personal grudges, but instead calmly followed certain principles he had determined for himself.
Although the results might be similar, there was a big difference due to different starting points.
If jujutsu sorcerers were all madmen, then this Gojo Satoru of the Crossroads Tower was definitely the most thoroughly mad, yet also the most eerily calm one.
From these fragmentary words, Jiang Lai could glimpse part of Gojo Satoru's thoughts in the Crossroads Tower world.
The Supervisory Committee here was too deeply rooted and too thorough, manipulating human hearts and lives like children playing with favorite toys.
Gojo Satoru had long seen through all of this, but no one believed these truths. Add to that what his friends had encountered......
Eternal life was a curse. If living would become suffering for oneself or others, then free death was a kind of grace.
Gojo Satoru was not a self-sacrificing saint. He granted grace while also taking the reward he wanted: cutting off the Supervisory Committee's feeding plan.
The places where he acted were most likely all targets the Supervisory Committee had already locked onto.
This was probably what the other was thinking. Jiang Lai analyzed. Although judgments of life and death shouldn't be decided by individuals.
The Crossroads Tower here had amplified some of Gojo Satoru's gray and obsessive thoughts. When those Six Eyes grew melancholic, the strongest cursed user's gloom would engulf the entire jujutsu world.
Besides this, there might be other intelligence he didn't know about. Jiang Lai continued thinking.
Gojo Satoru's choice of Kyoto should have a reason. Although his personality was free and casual, at crucial moments, his actions followed his own principles.
Regardless, this manga clearly revealed Gojo Satoru's next appearance location. Then he could go to Kyoto to find him.
Sighing lightly in his heart, Jiang Lai exited the manga official website and clicked into the Chinese forum, planning to see if there was more analysis and speculation inside.
【Ah ah, the Crossroads Tower is indeed a blade QAQ!! Family members who haven't caught up with the plot, run quickly, run ah: otherwise it'll be too late (stabbed and vomiting blood, collapsed on the ground.jpg)】
【From the words of God Lai in the Crossroads Tower world, he indeed hasn't truly lost his memory! He still remembers little Satoru!!
Those heartfelt words really made me cry to death, but unfortunately the true listener Gojo Satoru couldn't understand. He had all memories about God Lai blocked by the Crossroads Tower】
【Good grief, the "return" character in Jujutsu Kaisen really runs through everything. I originally thought the thousand-year reincarnation was the entirety of "return," but I didn't expect even the [missing each other] between God Lai and Gojo Satoru to be reincarnation!
You two, can't you have clear memories at the same time and treat each other honestly (shaking frantically) Quickly let me see the happy ending great reunion ah】
【Wuwu, Gojo kitty's "overly familiar" and "delusional," each sentence really becomes a knife stabbing into God Lai's heart. In the manga, God Lai's expression looks so sad......
Thinking about it, if my bestie talked to me like this one day, I'd definitely break down and cry on the spot 5555
Even if they had a falling out later, it would be better than never meeting in memories. At least the former would have genuine golden memories, while the latter: missing is missing forever......
[Never having met] is the most painful type of BE for me】
【Back when they reunited in modern times, when God Lai didn't remember Gojo Satoru and Gojo Satoru's expression was blank, that scene made me cry for so long. This time the scene is reversed, and I got stabbed again:
One-eyed cat, how can you stab people twice with the same knife! No martial ethics!】
【Speaking of stabbing people twice with the same knife, the Christmas part is the same too......
The 5t5 in the Crossroads Tower doesn't remember God Lai, but subconsciously still stubbornly remembers a "see you tomorrow" promise, a Christmas wait.
He's waiting for a shadow that doesn't exist in this world.】
【Family members, think positively: although Gojo lost his memory, he subconsciously still remembers God Lai, so even though he became a cursed user who could act wantonly, he still devoted patience to God Lai. Even when his sore spot was touched, he ultimately didn't attack!!
I knew it, this earth-moving father-son relationship cannot be erased by anything!】
【Dying of laughter, that earth-moving father-son relationship meme makes me go from wanting to cry to laughing every time I see it. Stop spamming this meme 2333】
【Speaking of which, cursed user Gojo Satoru...... this is really playing big. With Gojo Satoru becoming a cursed user, what's the jujutsu world even playing at? Everyone should just go home, wash up, sleep, and wait to die (merciless)
To be honest, I've long wanted to see Gojo Satoru blast those rotten oranges and happily destroy the higher-ups】
【Upstairs, if you look at what 5t5 said, things aren't that simple. Because of the Supervisory Committee, the people who truly deserve to die can't die.
The rotten oranges are like cockroaches, always crawling in dark places. Kill one and there are more, or they even revive after death...... endless.
Gojo Satoru isn't happily massacring, he's been driven insane
And looking at the manga, Gojo Satoru's attitude after hearing about Suguru and Shoko, I blindly guess these two in the Crossroads Tower are probably also very unfortunate.
Based on previous plot speculation, the Satoru here was probably screwed over by Kurisu Yuikawa during high school, then Suguru probably became an undying tool of the Supervisory Committee. I can't guess about others but they probably also had bad encounters...... In any case, this wave really shattered 5t5's mentality.】
【Grass ah, using cockroaches as an example, I can understand Gojo Satoru's mentality.
If my house had unkillable cockroaches crawling everywhere, and my beloved things were all ruined, I'd go crazy too. I'd go completely crazy and directly tear down my house!!
Nobody live: (loud voice)】
【So Gojo Satoru wants to go crazy and destroy the world? Suddenly I understand】
【Suddenly understand +10086】
【Although but, Gojo in that final scene was really so handsome! The Six Eyes are too beautiful 555, thanks again for the new series' full-color drawing!
Gojo Satoru also mentioned God Lai in his words. He indeed still remembers God Lai (although he calls him delusional hahaha)!
This time going to Kyoto, I wonder if 5t5 can encounter God Lai.
I think after Yuta delivers the message, the jujutsu world will definitely evacuate people from Kyoto city. Then God Lai can also hear the information and go find Satoru.
Satoru probably plans to directly annihilate the city? I wonder if God Lai will stop him. Although all this is illusion from the Crossroads Tower, if Gojo Satoru really acts, it feels like his mentality would be different......
And actually, the more you do, the more you integrate into this world, right? If he becomes even crazier, wouldn't it be even harder for God Lai to bring Gojo Satoru out of the Crossroads Tower?】
Reading this, Jiang Lai's mood paused. He squinted slightly, lowering his long eyelashes.
The Crossroads Tower didn't just create an if-world based on memories, but also amplified certain gray extreme thoughts.
Such a woven net was indeed easier to trap a person. Because maintaining stability and calmness all the time was obviously not as easy as acting wantonly.
The more one did, the more one would integrate into this world. In a confused state of mind, it would become even harder to distinguish the truth and falsehood of the world.
Someone needed to brake the speeding train on the tracks to prevent this train from going further and further on the wrong path. This time in Kyoto might be the key to determining this predicament.
Jiang Lai understood in his heart. He gripped his phone that looked like a book.
He had to stop Gojo Satoru's calmly insane actions.
But before that, he first needed to find a way to try to understand what the other truly thought in this world.
Jiang Lai looked toward the nearby Tokyo Jujutsu High. Between the overlapping tree shadows, the familiar building complex could be vaguely seen.
It was time to explore within the high school. He thought.
……
The outer barrier wouldn't stop Jiang Lai. He moved nimbly using spatial techniques, advancing through mid-air and silently landing within the high school.
On the training ground were several familiar figures: Itadori Yuji, Fushiguro Megumi, and Kugisaki Nobara were conducting physical training, with the supervising teacher standing beside them being none other than Nanami Kento.
As expected, same as his guess. Jiang Lai thought. In Gojo Satoru's absence, it was Nanami Kento serving as teacher.
At this moment, their training had just reached its end, entering a mid-session break.
They sat on the steps beside the training ground. After gulping down some water and catching their breath, they began casually chatting.
Jiang Lai restrained his cursed energy aura, almost becoming one with the nearby forest.
His keen senses allowed him to hear their conversation clearly even across this distance.
"What did those guys want you for earlier?" Kugisaki Nobara propped her head with one hand, asking the pink-haired boy beside her.
Itadori Yuji scratched his cheek and said: "Ah...... they said they found several new fingers, but this time they didn't directly make me eat them, just told me to be prepared."
"You've already eaten fifteen fingers, right?" Fushiguro Megumi said quietly. "How many more did they find?"
"Seems like four." Itadori Yuji blinked. "That way, there's only one more needed to complete the set. Sounds pretty good."
Jiang Lai in the forest listened, analyzing in his heart.
The jujutsu world's higher-ups most likely wanted to save those four fingers and feed them all to Itadori Yuji at once at a special moment, summoning Ryomen Sukuna.
Speaking of which, the jujutsu higher-ups' ability to collect fingers this quickly must have help from the Supervisory Committee behind the scenes. A world where rotten oranges and brain-kun colluded with each other.
Itadori Yuji had already eaten fifteen fingers. If these four were added, that would be nineteen...... very close to complete form.
In the original work, the battle between Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna took place with nineteen fingers.
Could it be the same here?
"What's good about completing it...... you'll be executed then, idiot!" Kugisaki Nobara raised her hand and hit Itadori Yuji hard, exhaling.
"I hope the last one is never found: ah, but that seems troublesome too. And who knows if those guys will make Okkotsu-senpai carry out the execution."
"Probably so." Itadori Yuji showed some hesitation. "But the executioner might not be Okkotsu-senpai......"
"They had conflicting opinions inside at the time, loudly arguing with each other. I heard a few sentences about how killing two birds with one stone would be better: seems like they want to make Sukuna and the strongest cursed user fight?"
Mentioning "strongest cursed user," everyone's expressions changed.
Jiang Lai, who had been quietly listening, also paused: As expected, the jujutsu higher-ups wanted to use Ryomen Sukuna to deal with Gojo Satoru!
Those four fingers they were hoarding were probably meant to summon Sukuna to deal with Gojo.
Kugisaki Nobara rested one hand on her chin: "I've seen his wanted photo. Honestly, he looks quite handsome! But the other party is an enemy after all...... Speaking of which, between him and Sukuna, who's stronger?"
"Don't know." Itadori Yuji shook his head, then paused and said: "But when I ate the fifteenth finger outside last time, Sukuna came out. After that ended, Okkotsu-senpai told me that it was actually Gojo-san passing by who controlled Sukuna."
"Huh?!" Kugisaki Nobara showed a surprised expression. "You never mentioned this!"
"Because it involved the strongest cursed user, I didn't want to cause trouble for Okkotsu-senpai, so I didn't say much." Itadori Yuji touched his nose. "But before Okkotsu-senpai left school this time, he said the previous matter could be told to people at the high school, so I told you guys."
Fushiguro Megumi's gaze fell to the ground. He was silent for a moment, then said quietly: "The strongest cursed user...... actually, before, we all called him Gojo-sensei."
"Ah, really? Is that true?" Kugisaki Nobara was stunned again. "He was actually a teacher?!"
Nanami Kento sat beside them, facing forward, and spoke calmly: "Yes, Gojo-san was previously a teacher at Jujutsu High."
"After he left, the jujutsu higher-ups implemented an information blockade policy, so you newer students wouldn't know his previous identity."
"Due to binding vows, we cannot actively inform you: but since you students brought it up first this time, I can follow along and speak."
"......What's with that?" Kugisaki Nobara rested one hand on her knee, her brow furrowing. "What's there to hide about this information?"
"Perhaps they want to completely separate the strongest cursed user from the jujutsu world." Nanami Kento adjusted his nose-pinching glasses, clearly pointing out.
"When a person stands on the opposing side, all their past achievements are erased. After we who experienced it are gone, what later people will know are only words like the most evil, most cold-hearted cursed user."
The air was quiet for a moment. Itadori Yuji was first to break the silence, asking: "If Gojo-san was previously a high school teacher, why did he leave?"
"......Many things happened." Nanami Kento sighed lightly, his gaze falling ahead. "In the winter of 2017, the high school once suffered a cursed spirit massacre: the caster was Geto."
"The other special-grade cursed user, Geto Suguru?" Kugisaki Nobara recalled. "I remember seeing him on the wanted list before."
"Yes." Nanami Kento nodded. "I wasn't at the high school at the time. But I heard from second-year students who were at school that Geto-san's massacre didn't seem to be of his own volition."
"Uh, not of his own volition? Can a special-grade cursed user be coerced or controlled?"
"I'm not clear about that." Nanami Kento shook his head. "I only know that before that, Gojo-san had met with Geto-san. This was also used by the jujutsu world's higher-ups as evidence of Gojo's betrayal and collusion with cursed users."
"But I think, no matter what, neither Gojo-san nor Geto-san would attack the high school."
Nanami Kento exhaled and continued: "Moreover, present at the time was their classmate, Ieiri-san."
"Ieiri-san's facial scar was inflicted by a special cursed spirit among the cursed spirit group. That kind of cursed spirit's wounds cannot be healed by reverse cursed technique."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai's expression showed a trace of shock.
If it was like this...... Geto Suguru at the time must have been extremely devastated, being controlled to attack the high school of his youthful memories, to attack his former classmates, and he didn't even have the freedom to die.
That special cursed spirit might not have been accidental, but deliberately placed by the Supervisory Committee to mess with his mentality.
Just like in the original work when Ryomen Sukuna controlled Fushiguro Megumi's body to kill Fushiguro Tsumiki.
Originally, Geto Suguru's psychological defenses were already shaky. After such manipulation, he would pretty much collapse, and after collapse, the Supervisory Committee could control him more easily.
Incidentally, such operations would also mess with Gojo Satoru's mentality.
This Crossroads Tower was really good at amplifying negative emotions. Jiang Lai remained silent. No wonder he would say such things to Okkotsu Yuta.
"So that strongest cursed user, could he actually be a good person??" Kugisaki Nobara showed somewhat suspicious eyes.
"There are rarely pure good and evil in the world, but Gojo-san's actions wouldn't be completely based on emotion. I didn't fully understand this statement before, and even misunderstood Gojo-senpai due to some things......"
Speaking here, Nanami Kento sighed quietly.
"I've always felt very sorry about past events. But the current Gojo-san is indeed different from before."
Nanami Kento paused, finally giving his students advice: "If you encounter him, please try to stay away. No one can pull back a strongest who is calmly going insane."