Future Yuji Itadori Joins the Chat Group

Geuse Awakens as Frozen Memories Gradually Thaw

Rui looked at Yuji Itadori in confusion. She had no idea what he meant.

Mistakes? Transformation?

What did any of that have to do with her?

Yuji Itadori saw the bewilderment in Rui's eyes and continued:

"You didn't choose how you were born. I was luckier than you because I always had people guiding me down the right path, while no one was there to guide you. That's why you ended up walking down the wrong path."

"The wrong... path?"

"Just as you said, the lives you've tasted ultimately belonged to other people. True happiness cannot be obtained through plunder. You have to create it with your own hands."

Yuji Itadori lowered his head and looked at his hands as memories of the past surged into his mind—

He soon raised his head again and looked directly into Rui's eyes.

"Although you've already gone down the wrong path, you still have a chance to turn back. As long as you return the names and memories you devoured, I can help you obtain a real body."

Rui stared at Yuji Itadori in disbelief.

Help her obtain a body? How could that possibly be done?

Had anyone else said such a thing, Rui would never have believed them.

However, Rui soon remembered that Yuji Itadori truly possessed power far beyond her imagination.

He could even touch other people's souls.

"Can you... really do it?"

Rui's gaze focused on Yuji Itadori's face.

His eyes were profound, yet incomparably sincere.

"Yeah. Please believe me. We can also form a Contract."

Yuji Itadori extended his hand toward Rui, without the slightest hint of hesitation in his eyes.

Ultimately, Rui was merely a child—a child who had strayed onto the wrong path because she had never been given a choice.

As adults, they had an obligation to guide children like her back onto the right path.

The key to giving Rui a body was Soul Transference.

At present, all Yuji Itadori could do was perform the most basic cutting and separation of souls.

However—

With the Chat Group, things were different.

The powers of an Isekai could help him accomplish it, especially with someone like Aqua around.

Giving Rui a real body was not impossible.

Rui tentatively reached out her hand, only to pull it back slightly.

No matter how she listened to his words, they sounded utterly unreal.

And yet...

For some reason, Rui felt that the Yuji Itadori before her could be trusted.

Even though, given their respective positions, the two of them should have been irreconcilable enemies.

At last, Rui made up her mind.

She took Yuji Itadori's hand and felt the warmth of his palm.

To Rui, nothing was more important than obtaining a real body.

She yearned for happiness—for happiness that truly belonged to her.

Meanwhile, in another room...

Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice stood by the door. Petelgeuse, who had likewise yet to awaken, lay on the bed beside them.

"Is this the person that Itadori fellow brought back?"

Beatrice frowned as she looked at Petelgeuse.

The commotion outside had been so great that Beatrice had emerged from the Forbidden Library to see what had happened—only to find Natsuki Subaru, Rem, and the others carrying Petelgeuse into the room.

Beatrice had never met this person before, but for some reason, she sensed something familiar about him.

"Yeah, it was Itadori-senpai."

Natsuki Subaru nodded.

"Itadori-senpai said this person seemed special, so he brought him back."

"Special... No matter who he is, he can't be more special than Itadori, Betty supposes."

Beatrice lightly folded her hands in front of her petite body.

She had not interacted much with Yuji Itadori, but everything he did was more astonishing than the last.

Especially exposing Roswaal's true identity.

Even Beatrice had never imagined that this Roswaal was the very same person she had known four hundred years ago.

And Petelgeuse before her...

He likewise emanated the aura of someone Beatrice had once known.

Although his appearance was entirely different, his aura was remarkably similar.

An answer had already begun to form in her heart, but Beatrice still could not be completely certain whether Petelgeuse was truly the person she had known.

No, there was one way to confirm it.

"Did you see his Gospel?"

Beatrice asked.

"His Gospel?"

Natsuki Subaru thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"I don't think so. Itadori-senpai might know something."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door, and Yuji Itadori entered the room.

Rui followed beside him—for the time being, she had decided to continue controlling this body.

"You're the one who's been causing one problem after another lately, aren't you?!"

Beatrice pouted slightly, her petal-like eyes focusing on Yuji Itadori's face with unconcealed curiosity.

"Long time no see, Betty."

Yuji Itadori nodded slightly in greeting.

"What exactly is going on with you?"

"I formed a Contract with Rui. She's one of us now."

Yuji Itadori explained.

After forming the Contract, Rui returned all the memories and names she had previously devoured.

Across the world, people gradually began to remember those whose existences had been forgotten. Those who had lost their memories recalled everything they had forgotten, while some who had fallen into slumber gradually awakened.

"Huh? She's... on our side now too?"

Natsuki Subaru was somewhat surprised. Although he had never directly interacted with Rui before, the Sin Archbishops had been their enemies and had even appeared intent on killing them.

And now one of them had become their ally?

Still, Natsuki Subaru trusted Yuji Itadori's decision. Whatever he chose to do, he must have had his reasons.

Beatrice's gaze landed on Rui's face, and she frowned. However, she soon shook her head and pointed at Petelgeuse.

"Betty was asking about this person. Who is he?"

"He is Petelgeuse, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. But while fighting him, I noticed something strange about his soul."

"Something strange about his soul?"

Beatrice looked at Yuji Itadori in confusion.

"Aside from the things known as Witch Factors, his soul was bound by something else."

Yuji Itadori explained.

"Something else?"

Beatrice understood even less.

"The best way to describe it would be a shell wrapped around his original soul. In theory, it would turn someone into a completely different person."

Yuji Itadori's gaze also fell upon Petelgeuse beside them.

Perhaps it was precisely because his soul had been altered that Petelgeuse had become the madman he was now.

However, Yuji Itadori did not know what kind of person he had originally been.

"He seemed to know Emilia, and he also called out another name—Fortuna. That's why I brought him back, along with his Gospel."

Yuji Itadori took out Petelgeuse's Gospel and handed it to Beatrice.

Judging by Beatrice's reaction, Yuji Itadori had already guessed that she might know something.

When Beatrice saw the Gospel, the expression on her face changed.

The corners of her lips trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes gradually reddened.

Beatrice was now certain that Petelgeuse was the person she had known.

Yuji Itadori clearly saw the change in her expression.

"Is he someone you know, Betty?"

Beatrice took a deep breath and steadied her breathing, struggling to restrain her emotions. Only after several seconds did she speak.

"His name is Geuse. He's someone Betty used to know... but Betty hasn't seen him in a very long time."

Although she was doing her utmost to control herself, Beatrice's voice was still trembling.

At that moment, Petelgeuse—the person Beatrice called Geuse—slowly opened his eyes. However, he was currently using a woman's body.

"Where... is this? What happened?"

"Geuse! Is that really you, Geuse?!"

Beatrice hurried to his side and questioned him in an extremely anxious voice.

"Be... Betty?"

A confused yet gentle voice emerged from Geuse's mouth, entirely unlike the being known as Petelgeuse.

"It really is you! Geuse!"

The emotions she had suppressed for so long finally became impossible to contain, and Beatrice burst into tears.

She had thought she would never again see anyone she had once known.

Then, not long ago, she had learned Roswaal's true identity—

And now, at this very moment, Geuse had appeared before her.

Four hundred years ago, Geuse had been Beatrice's etiquette teacher and one of the most important people in her life.

However—

After the Great Forest was completely frozen one day, Geuse vanished without a trace.

"Betty... Betty!"

After seeing Beatrice, Geuse's vision also gradually blurred with tears.

"What in the world happened?!"

Murky memories churned endlessly through his mind, causing his head to feel as though it were splitting apart, yet he still forced himself to remember.

He remembered... another faction of the Witch Cult had suddenly attacked the forest. Their target had been Emilia...

He and Fortuna had fought desperately to stop them. First came Regulus, the Sin Archbishop of Greed, and then...

Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory.

What happened after that?

His memories ended there. No matter how hard he tried, Geuse could not recall anything else.

As his thoughts gradually cleared, Geuse struggled to control his body and tried to get out of bed.

"Emilia! Emilia! Where is Emilia?!"

His voice had grown somewhat hoarse from anxiety.

"Emilia is safe."

At that moment, Yuji Itadori walked over to Geuse and answered in a calm voice.

"You are...? No, I feel like I've seen you before!"

Geuse widened his eyes as he looked at Yuji Itadori.

He should never have met him before.

Yet when his consciousness had been sinking and darkness had enveloped him, he seemed to have seen Yuji Itadori.

It had been an encounter between their souls.

"My name is Yuji Itadori. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Forgive my rudeness. I completely forgot to introduce myself... My name is Geuse."

Geuse spoke to Yuji Itadori with great politeness, but confusion soon appeared on his face.

"May I ask what exactly happened?"

"Itadori-senpai was the one who brought you back."

Natsuki Subaru added from beside them.

"Brought me back?"

"It looks like he doesn't possess any of the memories that came afterward."

Rui stood in front of Yuji Itadori, staring intently at Geuse.

"After he became Sloth, his memories were severed as a result. Memories shape a person and are an important part of the soul. Because his soul became that of another person, his memories changed as well."

"Memories? The soul? I'm sorry... I still can't understand..."

Seeing the confusion in Geuse's eyes, Yuji Itadori told him some of what he knew.

"I... I became Petelgeuse, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth?!"

Geuse's voice trembled as though he found it impossible to believe.

"I do remember being forced to use the Sloth Factor to fight Regulus... But why did things turn out this way?"

"We know what happened."

Rui spoke.

"You were brainwashed by that woman named Pandora. That's why you became like this."

Rui had been born within the Corridor of Memories. The souls of the dead were cleansed there, leaving only their memories behind to form Books of the Dead.

That was why Rui knew what had happened in the past.

"How could that be...?"

Geuse's voice trembled as his hazy memories gradually aligned with what she had said.

He seemed to have already realized something.

After becoming the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, he must have done some truly terrible things.

"You know Emilia. What is your relationship with her?"

Natsuki Subaru asked curiously.

"I... suppose I'm something like Emilia's foster father."

"Her foster father?"

"That's right... I raised Emilia together with her aunt, Fortuna. Is Fortuna here as well?"

Geuse asked anxiously.

"Fortuna is already—"

Before Rui could finish, Yuji Itadori gently patted her shoulder. She looked confused but did not continue.

"We haven't seen Fortuna. Perhaps she's somewhere else."

Yuji Itadori already had a vague idea of the answer.

However, there was no need to tell him for now.

He could tell that both Emilia and Fortuna were extremely important to Geuse.

"I see... I'm sorry to trouble you, but if you receive any news about Fortuna, please be sure to tell me! I would be extremely grateful!"

"Yeah, of course."

Yuji Itadori nodded.

"And... is Emilia here right now?"

Geuse immediately asked.

"May I go see her now?"

"Okay! I'll go get her right away!"

Natsuki Subaru nodded and immediately prepared to leave the room to call Emilia.

"Wait, Subaru. I'll come with you—Rui, you come too."

Yuji Itadori said.

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T/N: While I was retranslating this fic to change the "Senior" to "Senpapi" and Subaru's chat group name to "Witch of Envy's Runaway Fugitive", the program I used to extract terms picked up a typo from the author, which resulted in Subaru's name being mistranslated as Envious Witch Seeking Partner. I've ran it back to fix it.

I've also changed Louis' name to Rui to stay consistent with the wiki.

If there are any other mistranslation that I missed, do tell me.

BTW, I can't publish new fic on this account since I've ran into the 20 book limit. I've created a new account SwiftInSwiftOut, which has nothing yet, but hopefully we'll change that soon.

If you have book recommendations, again, do tell me - I might be interested to translate.

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Shilling time!

Members of my [email protected]/quickinquickout can read advanced chapters on quick-tl(dot)com—and even customize translated terms to match their preferred names and terminology!