Chapter 41: Here It Comes, Here It Comes

In the forest that had become a mess from their battle, only the sound of a phone ringing, urging its owner to answer, remained. A subtle awkwardness spread through the scene.

The one feeling most awkward was Gojo Satoru.

From a distance, he stared at Hayashizaki, who was mumbling into his phone, not knowing whether to put down the hands he had prepared to form seals and activate his domain.

Using cursed energy to damage the the brain, then healing it with reverse cursed technique to achieve the effect of curing [Technique Burnout].

A stroke of genius, full of creativity and imagination, a godlike move that would make everyone in the Jujutsu world exclaim, "That's impossible!" lost its chance to shine because of an unexpected phone call.

What is Ryoumen Sukuna up to!?

"What's going on? Calling for backup?"

Gojo Satoru shouted toward Hayashizaki.

Hayashizaki ignored him, casually waving his hand to tell him not to bother.

[What... what should I do?] Yukinoshita Yukino asked in a panic, instinctively turning to Hayashizaki for guidance.

"Weren't you mentally prepared for this before you reported it?"

Hayashizaki looked at her, dumbfounded.

He remembered her determined expression at the time, thinking she had steeled herself, but now she seemed scared?

[But... aren't the people from the Jujutsu world here to help cover it up?] The girl voiced her hesitation.

Hayashizaki raised an eyebrow, indicating he understood.

Before the arrival of the people from the Jujutsu High, Yukinoshita Yukino believed that to properly handle the poor victim's body, there was no better option than reporting it, and she had prepared to bear the responsibility for her kindness.

However, once Ijichi Kiyotaka appeared and explained that they specialized in this kind of cleanup, covering up the existence of curses from the ordinary world, it gave Yukinoshita Yukino an escape route.

When faced with a dead-end situation, people summon the courage to charge forward, but once there's a way out, that courage dissolves like a bubble, easily popped.

"Want me to answer it for you?"

Hayashizaki offered.

[...I'll leave it to you then.] After hesitating for a moment, Yukinoshita Yukino finally agreed.

Facing her sister might still give her some confidence, but when it came to facing her mother, she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. It was the result of years of being suppressed at home.

[Don't say anything weird.] She reminded him at the end.

"Relax, I guarantee your mom won't notice a single flaw."

Just before the call was about to be disconnected, Hayashizaki pressed the answer button.

"Hello, mom..."

The first sentence exposed everything!!!

She usually just calls her 'Mother,' she wouldn't use such an affectionate term! 

In her mind, Yukinoshita Yukino covered her face in despair. 

Parasite! Every time I want to trust you a little, you start betraying my trust! 

If I had known this would happen, it would've been better to endure my mother's interrogation myself. At least her impression of me wouldn't be so strange now.

"..."

After a brief, eerie silence on the other end of the line, a mature woman's hesitant voice finally came through: 

"Yukino, where are you right now?"

It was her mother's voice, as calm and serious as always, with a hint of something else mixed in this time. 

The family must have already learned that I witnessed the crime scene. After all, when I reported it to the police, I specifically mentioned I was the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family. There's no way they wouldn't inform my father, a politician.

Yukinoshita Yukino calmed herself down, trying to gauge her mother's attitude toward the event from her tone. 

"Hurry up already, how much longer are you going to take?"

Gojo Satoru looked annoyed. 

Although he could've easily ignored whatever Hayashizaki was planning and just attacked him, his pride as the 'strongest' wouldn't let him act like a villain. 

At the core of it, Gojo Satoru didn't think he could lose, so whatever Hayashizaki did didn't really matter. 

Just as he was about to walk closer to see what Hayashizaki was up to, the other guy suddenly waved his hand. 

An invisible slash hit the impenetrable barrier created by the Infinity Technique, making Gojo stop in his tracks. A deep trench was carved into the ground in front of him. 

"So mysterious."

Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he watched him make a phone call. 

"Yukino?"

Hearing no response from her daughter, Yukino's mother's tone grew even more serious. 

Just hearing her call her name made Yukinoshita Yukino shudder instinctively. Luckily, Hayashizaki was in control of her body at the moment, or she probably would've dropped her phone from the shock.

Hayashizaki didn't rush to respond. He closed his eyes, composed his emotions, and then spoke with a trembling voice:

"...I-I'm at the police station."

"We're in the car now, your father and I, we'll be there soon..."

Before Yukinoshita's mother could finish her sentence, Hayashizaki interrupted her. 

"Mom, someone died... there was so much blood..." 

He recalled the scene when Yukinoshita Yukino first saw the bodies of civilians slaughtered by the cursed spirit, trying hard to replicate the girl's emotional state at that moment. 

"Yukino, what happened?"

When she heard her daughter crying over the phone, Yukinoshita's mother instinctively felt a tightness in her chest. She had been pulled out by her husband suddenly, only knowing that something bad had possibly happened to her youngest daughter, but not the full details. 

"It seems like Yukino witnessed a murder scene..." 

A middle-aged man's voice, probably Yukinoshita Yukino's father, came through the phone as he spoke to her mother. 

"What!?" 

Yukinoshita Yukino had almost never heard her mother lose her composure like this. Stunned, she then heard her mother anxiously ask, 

"Yukino, you're not hurt, are you?" 

Meanwhile, Hayashizaki continued his performance. He seemed to have completely immersed himself in the role, even managing to squeeze out four tears. Paired with Yukinoshita Yukino's cute face, it looked quite convincing—if you ignored the black marks on his face and the extra pair of eyes. 

"I'm fine, but... that person..." 

Hayashizaki spoke in a tearful voice, sniffling now and then, mimicking the way someone would involuntarily leak snot after crying. 

"It's okay, Yukino, your father and I are on our way. Just wait a little while at the police station, alright?" 

Yukinoshita's mother softened her tone, gently comforting her youngest daughter. 

"Mm... I understand." 

After the call ended, the frightened expression on Hayashizaki's face vanished instantly. He pocketed the phone and casually said, 

"Done."

[Mom actually believed it...] 

"What do you mean 'believed'? I was just acting out your state at the time." 

[...So what are you planning to do now? Once Mom and Dad get here, won't you be completely exposed?] 

Just the thought of her parents seeing her as a sneaky liar made Yukinoshita Yukino feel like her whole life was about to fall apart. 

"We've still got people here, don't we?" 

Hayashizaki nodded toward Gojo Satoru, who was casually standing nearby, observing the situation. 

He then boldly walked over to Gojo Satoru and said, 

"Hey, you heard everything just now, right? Can you have Jujutsu High cover for us a bit?" 

Hayashizaki's performance had completely caught Gojo Satoru off guard. 

Asking Jujutsu High for help? Did this guy forget who he was? 

The most powerful king of curses in history? A heartless demon who does whatever he wants, kills without hesitation, and is feared by all? 

Gojo Satoru was at a loss for words. 

Was this really what Ryoumen Sukuna was like? 

…

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