Chapter 225 : The Accelerated Decisive Battle Process
After the group confirmed their common goal, they began exchanging effective intelligence.
Because Amanai Riko was initially brought here after being anesthetized and had never left the Supervisory Committee's detention area since then, she wasn't clear about her specific location.
However, she also had her own observational details.
"This should be underground, the air temperature is relatively low year-round. Everything I've seen has been artificial lighting, not natural light." Amanai Riko said, "I rarely see outsiders here, but there are a few people who visit frequently."
"First, there's that woman with suture marks on her forehead. She's always been weaving some kind of fine net. This net is wrapped around my room, and seems to have some special protective effect."
Jiang Lai searched his memories for related information. He remembered intelligence from a thousand years ago: Brain-kun had taken away a certain shrine maiden, and that shrine maiden's bloodline could weave ropes that could bind everything.
This "bind everything" naturally included [Existence]. During the Heian-kyo period, Ryomen Sukuna had once been trapped by this thing.
Human lifespans couldn't possibly last a thousand years. Brain-kun had most likely been continuously observing and controlling descendants with shrine maiden bloodlines, then seizing their bodies for its own use at the right moment.
"Second, there's a certain middle-aged man with bound black hair. From bits and pieces of conversation, he seems to be from the Kamo family."
At this point, Gojo Satoru interjected: "Describe this person's appearance in more detail. I have some impression of the Big Three Families' people."
Hearing Gojo Satoru's words, Amanai Riko tilted her head, trying hard to recall: "He looks somewhat old, with wrinkles concentrated on his face. His hairstyle is a topknot bound at the crown of his head. His eyes are rather narrow and long, he's not tall, and wears a bronze-colored bracelet on his wrist."
As Amanai Riko narrated, Gojo Satoru's blue eyes narrowed slightly. Upon hearing the final keyword, he nodded and said: "Oh! This person sounds like the current head of the Kamo family."
"The Kamo family head?" Jiang Lai was slightly stunned.
"Right. Although I don't particularly like various social occasions, because I'm now managing the Gojo family, I also meet with the heads of the Kamo and Zenin families."
Gojo Satoru shrugged. "That guy always has a stern face, acting all righteous and impartial, but I know he's not the upstanding person he appears to be on the surface."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't discriminate against and oppress his concubine while also making her son his legitimate heir. Picking on women and children, his conduct isn't fair or just at all."
Gojo Satoru said, "Logically, these should be their family secrets, but among the Big Three Families, nobody can hide anything from anyone else, so everyone knows a thing or two."
Jiang Lai thought, recalling the original plot.
In the original work, the Kamo family had already been bought by Brain-kun during the Culling Game. Brain-kun had become the head of the Kamo family.
Now in this new series, although Brain-kun hadn't become the Kamo family head, it appeared they had established contact with the Kamo family early on and had been secretly colluding all along.
Amanai Riko exhaled, then continued: "Besides them, I sometimes see one other person." At this point, she paused slightly, appearing somewhat hesitant. "That person gives me the impression... I'm not sure whether he's good or bad."
Hearing this description, Jiang Lai's eyelid twitched. He couldn't help but have a certain name guess rise in his heart:
"He uses a jade hairpin to bind his black hair and has a pair of narrow, light blue-green eyes."
Indeed! Large words flashed through Jiang Lai's mind. It's Gojo Kyufuin!
Jiang Lai's attitude toward this person was still very complicated.
Previously at the ball, Gojo Kyufuin had helped him and subtly provided related intelligence.
But in Amanai Riko's past narrative just now, she mentioned that [Birth] had once said "I have been disappointed before."
And the friend who had formed a bond with [Birth] a thousand years ago was Gojo Kyufuin. So the person who had disappointed [Birth] was most likely Kyufuin.
From this perspective, now all of the Big Three Families had close connections with the Supervisory Committee: the Kamo family head, the Zenin family's agreement, and the Gojo family's third elder. The Supervisory Committee had already controlled the Big Three Families.
Jiang Lai's mood was heavy, but he didn't actively say much on the surface, just quietly listening to Amanai Riko's following words.
"This person has always been friendly toward me, and he brings me magazines, newspapers, novels, and manga from outside for me when I'm trapped in my room. Sometimes he also brings me some very aged ancient books." Amanai Riko slowly said, "The bookshelf in my room is filled with books and magazines he brought."
"Because of the outside materials he brings, I'm not completely cut off from society and have learned somewhat about things from newspapers and magazines."
"Mm..." Gojo Satoru had already heard from Amanai Riko's description who this person was. He rested one hand on his chin and said, "This guy's name is Gojo Kyufuin, the third elder of the Gojo family. Don't trust him too much, this guy is unpredictable."
"I know." Amanai Riko nodded, pursing her lips straight. "I won't truly trust anyone from the Supervisory Committee."
"Of course~ If he brings you things, just accept them openly. After all, you can't shortchange yourself." Gojo Satoru immediately followed up with a grinning remark.
Jiang Lai beside them suddenly interjected: "May I boldly ask, when did he start coming to find you? Can you still remember the specific dates when he visited you?"
This question was somewhat difficult to answer. Amanai Riko tried hard to recall, murmuring: "It seems... the first meeting was after I had been here for a year. The time judgment might not be accurate, I judge based on surrounding temperature changes."
"When I saw him, it should have been the second summer."
"...In other words, when he first came to find you, it was already after [Birth] had given you their power and fallen into slumber?"
Amanai Riko gave an affirmative reply: "Yes." After pausing, she said, "Why ask this? Does that person know Sister Iris?"
"..." Jiang Lai was silent for a moment, then directly told her the facts: "Kyufuin has lived for a thousand years. During the Heian-kyo period a thousand years ago, he knew and was acquainted with [Birth]."
A trace of confusion flashed through Amanai Riko's eyes, then she widened them: "Could it be that the person Sister Iris mentioned who disappointed them was this Gojo Kyufuin?!"
"I can't be certain." Jiang Lai shook his head. "I don't know what specifically happened in those years. The only ones who know the truth might be [Birth] and Kyufuin, the two parties involved."
"The timing of his coming to find you has two possibilities." Jiang Lai analyzed. "If we think positively, it's that he knew after [Birth] fell asleep and came to care for you, the person who inherited the power."
"If we think negatively, it's that after he learned [Birth] was unconscious and couldn't remind you, he came here to gain your trust in order to use your power."
"..." Amanai Riko didn't speak. Her eyelids lowered, and her fingers involuntarily gripped the corner of her sleeve.
Perhaps it was because Gojo Kyufuin had left her with a very good impression, and now she had to face the fact that he might have ulterior motives.
The air was quiet for a moment, then Amanai Riko said again: "You just asked me when exactly he came to find me. But in this underground place without a calendar, I can't give a precise answer."
At this point, the turquoise kingfisher that had been quietly perched on Amanai Riko's shoulder chirped once and flew into the air. Its wings and tail flashed with light, drawing several shaped arcs in the darkness.
Jiang Lai's gaze fell on it. After being stunned for a moment, he realized that the kingfisher was giving him time hints.
The turquoise kingfisher released cursed energy, extending the duration of the light points. Jiang Lai looked at the several dates appearing in the darkness and opened his phone to check his memos.
From his memos, he found those days:
One was the date of fragment fluctuations at Satozakura High School, and another was the fluctuation date of his, Geto Suguru's, and Mahito's fragment mission.
In other words, the days Gojo Kyufuin came to find Amanai Riko coincidentally matched the days of fragment fluctuations!
Or to put it another way, it was precisely because Gojo Kyufuin came to find Amanai Riko that the fragments fluctuated.
Jiang Lai narrowed his eyes, settling his thoughts, and said: "When he came to find you, did he do anything special?"
"No. He just came to chat briefly with me, gently showing some concern, then left the books he brought." Amanai Riko paused slightly, then continued: "However, he seems to always carry a folding fan of unknown material."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai connected all the previous clues and formed a hypothesis in his mind.
The fragments scattered throughout the world were [Origin]'s divine status fragments, and [Existence] beings had mutual resonance with each other.
The folding fan in Gojo Kyufuin's hand was suspected to be related to [Birth], and Amanai Riko was [Birth]'s current container. So when the two combined, it might be able to remotely stir up [Birth]'s aura, thereby causing [Origin]'s fragments to surface.
This seemed very possible!
Jiang Lai didn't keep this speculation to himself. After organizing it in his mind, he calmly told Amanai Riko and Gojo Satoru before him.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
The first to break the silence was Gojo Satoru. He tilted his head slightly and said: "So this means... this trip to Mount Shichi was also guided by that Kyufuin?"
"But if this guy is a core member of the Supervisory Committee, he must have known Kuroi Misato's true situation long ago. Did he deliberately guide us there to break the seal?"
Jiang Lai's brown eyes deepened slightly as he pursed his lips: "Because of that folding fan, he should know about the Little Sheep disguise, and thus know that you and I have been in contact all along."
"But he didn't inform the Supervisory Committee... From rational analysis and intuitive speculation, I don't think he's completely loyal to the Supervisory Committee."
"This behavior of his..." Jiang Lai raised his eyes, the words slipping from his lips: "I think it might be to stir up conflicts and accelerate the decisive battle process."
"The current peace and monotony bore him." Jiang Lai's eyelids fluttered. "Or perhaps he regrets certain past decisions and plans to change things."