Chapter 176 : Traveling Companion
The black-haired youth in navy blue kimono had a bright arc on his face, his voice gentle and clear as he boldly and honestly extended an unexpected invitation.
The warm light swaying in from the window danced in those brown eyes, as if candlelight leaped within, silently spreading to burn everything.
The world seemed somewhat ethereal in these eyes.
Gojo Satoru's form paused. The black eye mask covered half his face, hiding his expression along with it.
Jiang Lai watched the other, while those Six Eyes beneath the eye mask also watched Jiang Lai.
The melodious instrumental music in the dessert shop still echoed around the beams and pillars, the second hand of the wall clock still jumped grid by grid.
Yet time seemed to gradually slow down, slow enough that the steam from freshly baked small cakes gathered hazily below, and the leisurely strolling pigeons outside the floor-to-ceiling window seemed like ivory sculptures.
At this moment, only their mutual gaze remained.
Their distance was so close yet so far, deep friendship and illusory strangeness intertwined together.
On that beach covered and sealed by the Crossroads Tower, countless beautiful shells carrying memories glittered.
Their lovely shells sparkled through the sand bit by bit, and memories occasionally flashed with one or two unclear yet familiar threads.
After a brief silence, the white-haired man suddenly laughed heartily, his unrestrained laughter vibrating his chest and even drawing the attention of diners at nearby tables.
This abrupt laughter shattered the strange atmosphere just now, and everything around began operating again.
Servers distributed steaming small cakes into plates, white pigeons outside the window spread their wings and soared into the clouds.
After a while, Gojo Satoru contained his laughter, assuming a posture as if about to speak.
Jiang Lai stood calmly in place. He said no more, his brown eyes resting on his friend.
He had extended the invitation to express an attitude. Whether the other agreed or not was the other's business. Jiang Lai didn't invest excessive expectations in this.
Actually, Jiang Lai didn't think Gojo Satoru would directly agree.
After all, the other was calmly going mad, obsessed with the plan to annihilate Kyoto. Extra people would likely become unplanned variables.
Who knew if there were hidden conspiracies behind proactive invitations? In this world, trust was an incredibly precious and scarce thing.
Jiang Lai understood this point, so even if Gojo Satoru refused again, he would understand.
After laughing, Gojo Satoru slightly composed his expression, his voice carrying magnetism as he murmured thoughtfully:
"Ah...... not a bad suggestion. Madman and madman, that does sound quite suitable."
He nodded: "Then let's travel together."
He actually agreed?!
This reply left Jiang Lai somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the other to agree to the invitation so directly and decisively, without even more probing. Of course, this was a good thing.
Jiang Lai's mood brightened considerably, a smile lifting the corners of his eyes.
He had come here to find Gojo Satoru. Being able to accompany him with reasonable justification would facilitate subsequent operations.
At least after teaming up, during temporary cooperation, he wouldn't need to worry about the other teleporting away again and disappearing without a trace.
Gojo Satoru seemed to casually drop that line about traveling together, then strode out of the dessert shop.
At this moment, Jiang Lai was still somewhat slow to react, his movements delayed by two or three beats before he stepped outside.
When leaving the dessert shop, Jiang Lai momentarily didn't see Gojo Satoru in the crowd ahead.
He thought the other's words about traveling together were just a joke so he'd teleported away, then his peripheral vision caught the white-haired man leaning against the wall beside the entrance.
Gojo Satoru lounged there lazily, playing with a lollipop in his hand.
Seeing Jiang Lai emerge from the dessert shop, he stopped twirling the candy, peeled off the wrapper, popped it in his mouth, stood up straight and said: "Let's go."
Jiang Lai moved to his side and asked: "Where are we going now?"
Gojo Satoru pondered: "Hmm......good question. What do you think?"
Jiang Lai wasn't sure if this was the other treating him as a companion and asking his opinion, or still being guarded and not revealing his whereabouts.
He didn't bother distinguishing between these, speaking honestly according to his heart: "Anywhere is fine, I'll just follow you."
The white-haired man sucked on his lollipop, considering leisurely: "From Tokyo to Kyoto isn't that far. There are still a few days until Sunday, so let's walk there slowly. I know quite a few good dessert shops along the way."
Speaking to this point, Gojo Satoru tilted his head slightly: "Do I still need to treat you?"
Jiang Lai said sincerely: "I can go without eating too."
His current external state was human. After his power was restored by [Origin], many characteristics of [Existence] had also recovered. He could achieve no physiological needs without switching to cursed spirit form.
Jiang Lai didn't specifically hide this point. He hadn't concealed his specialness in front of Gojo Satoru.
Gojo Satoru's eyebrows rose slightly under his eye mask: "You can go without eating?"
Jiang Lai looked natural and smiled: "Without sleeping too. Just think of me as wind, as clouds."
Every time he spoke without concealment, Jiang Lai held small hope that the other might remember.
Gojo Satoru rested one hand on his chin, then tapped his right palm with his left hand, drawing out his tone cheerfully:
"Oh~ not bad, not bad. It's even more like something from a light novel. Mm...... heavenly mysterious creature assisting the demon king to destroy the world or something!"
Jiang Lai: "......"
For a moment he didn't know what to complain about. By the way, heavenly mysterious creatures assist heroes, not demon kings!
The white-haired man who compared himself to a demon king slowly added: "Though it might not be destroying the world, but saving the world or something. After all, the world is rotten enough already."
"You still have such universal thoughts?"
"Not universal, just personal." Gojo Satoru curved his lips, murmuring casually: "When it involves the world, the reason is simply because I'm capable of it."
Gojo Satoru nodded slightly without any particular movement, yet his gestures carried the grand aura of the strongest.
Like a white eagle spreading wings or snow leopard flicking its tail, casual actions carried the shocking presence of a fierce beast.
He had no interest in saving all living beings. The "destroying the world" and "saving the world" in his words were simply because his choices would cause such results.
Gojo Satoru crunched through his lollipop in a few bites. After finishing it, he pulled out another piece of candy, looking quite leisurely.
Jiang Lai was in a good mood, so he said offhandedly: "Since we're partners, shouldn't there be a share for everyone? Don't I get any candy?"
"There's one more piece." Gojo Satoru reached into his pocket and pulled out: "Ginger candy."
"Never mind then." Jiang Lai retracted his hand at lightning speed.
"Just teasing you, it's milk candy." Gojo Satoru chuckled in his throat and tossed the candy to Jiang Lai.
Jiang Lai caught the candy the other threw and looked down. It really was milk candy. The packaging was exquisite and pretty, from a famous brand.
......Come to think of it, someone like Gojo Satoru who was obsessed with sweets, how could he carry around ginger candy with its spicy flavor? Jiang Lai thought to himself.
Speaking of which, even with amnesia, he could still precisely target his dietary weaknesses. In a sense, the Six Eyes' intuition was terrifyingly accurate.
Jiang Lai put away that piece of candy.
The two continued walking forward. After a quiet stretch, Gojo Satoru suddenly said leisurely: "As expected, it's still a bit hard to get used to."
"What?"
"Not quite used to having someone walking alongside me." Gojo Satoru said with a grin: "There were several moments where I almost fired a [Purple] at you~"
Jiang Lai: "......" What kind of threatening implication is this.jpg
He glanced at the white-haired man beside him, thinking: Perhaps the other wasn't reading between the lines, but speaking honestly.
Usually, Gojo Satoru wouldn't engage in cryptic operations. Due to his strength and personality, he'd always spoken directly according to his mood.
"But don't worry, I wouldn't actually fire it." Gojo Satoru raised his fingertip, brewing and surging with some dormant powerful force, then instantly contained it when he curled his finger: "I'm already very skilled at controlling power."
"However, even if I did fire it, you could block it, right?" The white-haired man tilted his head. The Six Eyes under his eye mask had already discerned Jiang Lai's powerful strength.
"I could, yes." Jiang Lai stopped and said seriously: "But I'm used to being unguarded around you, so I might not be able to block it perfectly."
"......"
To these overly familiar words, Gojo Satoru didn't respond. He turned his face, facing forward again.
After half a second, like casual conversation or light self-talk, he said:
"......After all, it's quite unexpected. To think I could still encounter a traveling companion."
Jiang Lai opened his mouth. He originally wanted to say something, but saw that Gojo Satoru didn't need additional response. So he swallowed his words and walked silently beside Gojo Satoru.
He only added in his heart: You never lack traveling companions.
So whether burdens or honors, there are people to bear and share them with you.
The vast world encompasses all things. Whether gods, divine children, or ordinary people, all can have a place to rest.
It was also at this moment that Jiang Lai suddenly had thoughts about a previous question.
Regarding the Kyoto incident, he'd been thinking about how to avoid the spiral of madness that came with both winning and losing.
He originally thought of directly stopping the conflict. But this wouldn't work well.
A thousand years ago when facing the Six Eyes and Ryomen Sukuna, Jiang Lai had used spatial techniques to construct a transparent cat box, trapping and isolating the two to avoid battle.
But that was during his peak period, and both Six Eyes and Sukuna were in their youth, so he could perfectly avoid war.
He obviously couldn't do that now, so he must participate in battle. This was precisely what originally gave Jiang Lai headaches. He worried his abilities couldn't overpower either one and couldn't control the situation.
But now, he thought: Actually, after truly entering the battlefield, he might not be unable to control the situation.
Though his power indeed lacked a trace of edge due to having no killing intent, there was no need to pursue that edge.
His position, his power source was protection. Having an extra measure of gentleness because of protection - softness never represented fragility, and overcoming hardness with softness was also an eternal principle.
Jiang Lai's heart cleared of clouds and brightened somewhat.
It was also at this moment that Gojo Satoru beside him spoke again: "From here to the next dessert shop, there's about an hour's walk."
Jiang Lai turned his head, somewhat surprised by this statement. He was about to say that at their speed, if they used techniques, they could reach Kyoto directly in an hour, going to one dessert shop wouldn't take so long.
Then he heard Gojo Satoru's next sentence.
"Since we're just idle anyway...... why don't you tell me about the stories from your delusions during this time."