Chapter 185 : The [Correct and Reverse] Tower
Although Okkotsu Yuta didn't understand the meaning of these words, through the voices coming through the phone, he could roughly guess that the conversation content was related to what happened on the island.
'Strongest cursed user', 'delusions'......
These were all very mind-elevating terms, so Okkotsu Yuta was silent for a second and wisely chose not to participate in this magical conversation between his teacher and senior, to avoid being teased into taking sides.
Okkotsu Yuta: I'll stand in the middle.jpg
"I'm so glad sensei and senpai are alright." Okkotsu Yuta's words were sincere.
Then he exhaled and said quietly and calmly: "I'm just sorry, I can't come to meet you right away because of some sudden events. I'm back in Tokyo now......"
The island environment was peaceful and quiet, the phone voice was clearly audible, and since jujutsu sorcerers had much better hearing than ordinary people, Gojo Satoru beside him could also clearly hear Okkotsu Yuta's voice on the other end.
He leaned forward with a rising tone: "It's fine! What reception do we need~ The strongest spicy teacher is right here, I can fly back with Lai. Or we could just charter a cruise ship, that would be nice too."
Jiang Lai: ......Worthy of being a true tycoon, talking about chartering cruise ships so casually!
The wild thoughts were just momentary. Jiang Lai quickly returned his attention to the key point in Okkotsu Yuta's earlier words: the other had mentioned sudden events.
What had happened in Tokyo that required urgently recalling the special-grade sorcerer Okkotsu Yuta?
Before he could ask, Gojo Satoru naturally continued with the next sentence: "What happened on Yuta's side? Do you need sensei's help? It's not those rotten oranges causing trouble again, is it?"
Having just emerged from the [Crossroads] Tower world, Gojo Satoru still carried sharp hostility toward the jujutsu higher-ups. Although he had been somewhat soothed and persuaded by Jiang Lai just now, it still hadn't completely dissipated.
"No, it's not really because of the higher-ups." Okkotsu Yuta paused and explained: "It involves a special-grade cursed spirit, so I came back."
Mentioning a special-grade cursed spirit, Jiang Lai understood why the jujutsu world would specifically notify Okkotsu Yuta.
Special-grade cursed spirits could basically only be dealt with by special-grade jujutsu sorcerers, and there were only a few special-grade jujutsu sorcerers in Japan's jujutsu world.
Among them: Gojo Satoru was on a mission abroad, Geto Suguru was a nominally defected cursed user, and Yuki Tsukumo was a free spirit who didn't take missions.
Looking at it this way, only Okkotsu Yuta was reliable and contactable as a special-grade sorcerer.
Although Okkotsu Yuta was young, his strength was formidable. Neither Jiang Lai nor Gojo Satoru was worried about him handling a special-grade cursed spirit.
However, Jiang Lai still asked one more question: "What special-grade cursed spirit is it?"
In his memory, those few special-grade cursed spirits (Hanami, Jogo, Dagon) should all be at Mount Fuji. Could it be that the [Window] had discovered special-grade cursed spirit auras around Mount Fuji?
However, the jujutsu world's higher-ups had long been colluding with the Supervisory Committee. Even if the [Window] had intelligence, they would suppress it for various reasons. Logically, they wouldn't easily expose the existence of those few special-grade cursed spirits guarding the [Displacement] Tower.
On the other end of the phone, Okkotsu Yuta clearly hesitated for a second before saying: "......This special-grade cursed spirit is somewhat strange. Actually, I didn't exorcise him, and I didn't even really fight him."
This kind of response surprised Jiang Lai somewhat. What cursed spirit could earn such an evaluation from the pure love warrior?
"That special-grade cursed spirit seems to know Itadori. He said he was Itadori Yuji's older brother."
Okkotsu Yuta said thoughtfully.
"I could see his attitude was sincere and he didn't seem to be lying. His intelligence was normal and he didn't seem to be randomly claiming relatives. Moreover, he indeed saved Itadori and the others at a critical moment without hesitation to harm himself...... Perhaps he and Itadori do have some relationship."
Speaking to this point, without waiting for Okkotsu Yuta to specify the name, Jiang Lai guessed who this was: the leader of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, the twin-tailed good big brother Choso!
Choso had once been recruited by Kenjaku, but later saw through Kenjaku's conspiracy and rebelled against the Supervisory Committee for his younger brother Itadori, withdrawing while severely injured and needing to rest and recover.
If the special-grade cursed spirit was Choso, Jiang Lai could understand why the higher-ups would recall Okkotsu Yuta.
The current Choso was already an enemy of the Supervisory Committee. If they could use Okkotsu's hand to kill him, it would certainly be a good thing.
When previously collecting fragment missions with Geto Suguru and Mahito, Jiang Lai had encountered Choso.
At that time, he had even chatted with the other for a bit, trying to pull him to their side and expand the united front against the Supervisory Committee.
At that time, Choso was still in his injury recovery period. He said he couldn't easily trust Jiang Lai and must verify first before believing that Jiang Lai indeed had a deeper relationship with Itadori.
Jiang Lai knew that words were useless, so he had let Choso leave at the time.
He had long known that he would meet Choso again in the future, but hadn't expected it to be precisely when he wasn't in Tokyo that the other went to find Itadori Yuji and alerted the jujutsu world's observation organization [Window], causing them to call Okkotsu Yuta back.
Gojo Satoru beside him patted Jiang Lai's shoulder and mouthed curiously: Another brother of Itadori? Could this also be your brother?
Jiang Lai's eyes went half-moon as he waved his hand and made a simple gesture, indicating that his 'big brother' and Choso's 'big brother' weren't the same concept.
"......" Gojo Satoru raised his eyebrows with an expression as if he understood yet also didn't understand.
If not for the black eye mask covering half his face, he might have made a [This circle is really chaotic] emoji expression.
Jiang Lai's attention returned to the phone call, thinking:
If it was just Choso's matter, Okkotsu Yuta should have finished handling it quickly. Why would he still be staying in Kyoto? Could he be watching over Choso just in case?
On the other end of the phone, Okkotsu Yuta seemed able to guess what Jiang Lai was thinking and continued explaining:
"The higher-ups aren't comfortable with the newly appeared special-grade cursed spirit. I need to cooperate with some acting. Besides that, there's another very important matter related to Itadori......"
He was silent for a moment here before saying: "I think we need senpai and sensei to come back before we can make a decision."
"What matter?" Gojo Satoru asked directly.
Since it involved students, Jiang Lai handed the phone to Gojo Satoru, letting him communicate directly with Okkotsu Yuta.
Okkotsu Yuta on the other end took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone calm as he narrated: "I'm carrying a map for finding the Four Guardian Towers. After returning to the country, when I was testing against Choso, the cursed aura activated the map."
"Itadori and the others were also nearby at the time, and that special symbol for the [Correct and Reverse] Tower lit up."
Without more detailed explanation, both Jiang Lai and Gojo Satoru could understand what this meant: in other words, the living [Correct and Reverse] Tower was among the first-year students!
Combining the tower's name with Okkotsu's more precise testing, they could pinpoint the exact carrier of the [Correct and Reverse] Tower: as he had just said, it was Itadori Yuji.
Hearing this news, Jiang Lai unconsciously fell silent for a second, strongly feeling in his heart: ......As expected! Every tower by the Supervisory Committee's Kenjaku had very twisted operations!!
Itadori Yuji wouldn't easily truly die because he was the vessel of the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. Placing the [Correct and Reverse] Tower on him was most appropriate.
Jiang Lai pondered. However, there was a small problem.
Logically, before Itadori Yuji was born, the Supervisory Committee already had the Sun Totem contract. The markings on Suguru's forehead had begun growing during middle school.
In other words, Itadori Yuji was the second-generation carrier of the [Correct and Reverse] Tower. Before him, there had been another.
It just wasn't clear who Kenjaku had placed this tower on before......
This intelligence detail might be useful or might not be. Jiang Lai kept it in mind for future exploration.
The current focus was Itadori Yuji...... A living tower. To break it, besides the caster's (Kenjaku's) active transfer, it seemed only death was feasible.
Hearing Okkotsu Yuta's words, Gojo Satoru held the phone with slightly lowered eyelids and replied: "I understand. We'll be back soon."
After hanging up, the originally light atmosphere on the small island became considerably more somber.
Gojo Satoru's face still wore a smile, but this smile appeared somewhat faint.
He returned the phone to Jiang Lai and after a long while, asked quietly: "Lai, can you still use space-time reversal now?"
Gojo Satoru knew that the Jiang Lai of the real world had long lost his time abilities. The scene of the clock shattering remained clearly piercing when recalled.
The scenes in the [Crossroads] Tower were only from the subconscious, ephemeral stars.
But he still couldn't help asking Lai.
"I can." Jiang Lai blinked, giving an affirmative reply. "Don't you remember? We also developed a domain combination."
Gojo Satoru was slightly stunned, his voice rising: "Really? I thought that was just a method for breaking through the illusion. Can you in the real world...... still expand that domain?"
"My power was somewhat restored by the great elder. Although it can't be as strong as in the [Crossroads] Tower, I can still use it."
"Oh! Then there's absolutely no problem. When the time comes, I'll try to input more cursed energy and you can bear less of the burden."
Gojo Satoru's demeanor immediately relaxed considerably. His lips curved up as he placed one hand on Jiang Lai's shoulder: "When we get back, we'll find a suitable hidden place that won't attract the Supervisory Committee's attention to expand the combination domain and secretly reverse just the tower on Itadori~"
This was indeed a method, but operating this way would mean simultaneously exposing the combination domain matter to Ryomen Sukuna.
Jiang Lai didn't think letting that Sukuna guy know too much was a good thing.
Bratty little brother knowing too much would be very annoying!
Additionally, the combination domain was a fusion of Gojo Satoru and Jiang Lai's techniques. If discovered, the Supervisory Committee could easily deduce that the two had already joined forces.
Jiang Lai had planned to expose this point last for a surprise attack.
But how to solve the matter of the tower on Itadori Yuji......
In a flash of lightning, Jiang Lai suddenly recalled events from a thousand years ago.
When destroying the [Door], he had carved a trace of space-time reversal into the divine status of Itadori Yuji's good-natured death!
At this time, perhaps he could use this to cleverly solve the problem of the living tower.
Without worrying about the bratty little brother knowing too much.
Thinking this, Jiang Lai's mood relaxed, his expression brightened, and he smiled: "Don't worry, I have another way to solve Itadori's matter."
"No need to open the combination domain. After all, on the surface we're still enemies. Remember, you're the strongest cursed user."
Gojo Satoru was silent for half a second, then: "......Why are we starting this meme again, Lai!!"
Normally, Gojo Satoru didn't actually mind various evaluations and memes. He was super thick-skinned and casual, daily provoking others to explode.
But for some reason, hearing his own meme from the mouth of Jiang Lai, who was both teacher and friend, was particularly embarrassing, making him uncomfortable all over.
Jiang Lai coughed and blinked his brown eyes lightly: "Sorry, I got carried away. I'm currently holding the amnesia villain script from the opposing side of the jujutsu world."