Chapter 74

When Zoro woke up, warmth enveloped his body, as if someone had been hugging him until just a moment ago.

For the first time in a while, Zoro woke up early and watched the sunrise from the window of their lodging.

As he watched the red sun rise from the black sea, Tsumiki woke up behind him, looking tousled.

Zoro turned to Tsumiki, who smiled sleepily.

"Ah, it's brother... Did you have a good dream?"

"...Yeah."

Indeed, it was a good dream.

...

Back in Tokyo, Zoro bought white flowers. Knowing where Zoro was going with the flowers, Toji kept silent.

Since Zoro couldn't be sent off alone, Toji, as before, drove him to the cemetery.

"...!"

At the entrance to the cemetery, Toji, leading Zoro, caught a glimpse of Chie's grave in the distance and abruptly stopped.

Gasping for breath, Toji covered his face with his palms, turning away from the tombstone, and managed to utter.

"Sorry."

...Sorry.

He thought he had gotten much better.

He thought he was really okay now.

But the moment he saw that person's tombstone, all that complacency shattered instantly.

"...Next time."

Next time, I'll definitely go with you. Toji sincerely promised.

Without reprimanding him, Zoro simply nodded calmly.

"Okay."

Wait here.

Leaving Toji behind, Zoro walked on. Finding a place with water and a bucket, he scooped up water with the bucket and brought it over. After wandering among several tombstones, Zoro finally stopped in front of Chie's grave.

He poured the water he had brought over the tombstone, washing it clean. Then, Zoro placed the modest bouquet of flowers he had brought in front of Chie's grave.

"..."

For a while, Zoro said nothing. Then, suddenly, he spoke.

"Yesterday, I saw mother in my dream."

Whether it was a dream, a memory, or if he really met Chie, he wasn't sure.

Zoro's intuition came last. As soon as the question of "how?" arose, something came to mind.

'A curse, or a spell.'

Like the Devil Fruits, a power unique to this world that makes the impossible possible.

It seemed like Chie had used it.

It might have been someone else who cursed Zoro, but if that were the case, there would be no reason for Chie to appear in his dreams. If the intent had been to harm, Zoro would have noticed it long ago.

'Whether it was a curse or a spell, I don't really care.'

"..."

But if the person he met in his dream was really Chie, there was something Zoro wanted to say.

Chie had said a lot about being grateful and sorry in the dream. While the former could be understood, the latter couldn't just be overlooked.

"There's nothing for mother to be sorry about."

Whatever she did, whatever happened.

Chie doesn't need to apologize to Zoro.

"Because I was okay."

The world changed, life completely transformed, and he became a baby, but it wasn't bad. It was comfortable enough and filled with love.

Chie and Toji made it so.

Things were tough after Chie died and Toji left, but now, it's okay. Toji has returned, Megumi is growing up well, and though not by blood, he even has a younger sister now.

Things will only get better from here.

As for being happy... honestly, I'm not sure. But I can assure you that I'm not unhappy.

"So if you're staying because of me, you don't have to."

Whether it's because you're sorry, worried, or because you love me.

You can leave now.

"I'm strong, and I'll get even stronger."

I'll become the undisputed strongest in this world. I won't lose to anyone, I'll protect what I want to protect, and cut down what I wish to cut.

You don't have to worry anymore. You can rest in peace.

I'm really okay.

"Thank you. I love you."

Zoro closed his eyes and placed his palms together in front of his chest, praying for the peace and enlightenment of the person who loved him and whom he loved.

"..."

The sound of waves could be heard. Just as footprints left on the sand are washed away, something quietly departed.

After that day, Zoro no longer dreamed.

...

"...? What's with you? Did you manifest a spell?"

Your energy seems a bit diminished. Gojo Satoru, meeting Zoro again after a long time at Jujutsu High, frowned upon seeing him.

Gojo took off his sunglasses and closely inspected Zoro with his Six Eyes. After scrutinizing him from up close, he exclaimed, "Ah, it wasn't energy but a curse so weak it could almost be mistaken for energy. Whatever it was, it's completely lifted now."

"What?!"

Toji was startled and hugged Zoro tightly.

"You should have told me from the start if the kid had a curse! What's the use of having those great Six Eyes?!"

"It resembled his energy, both in type and nature, and they were mixed together. If I can mistake a curse for energy, it means the curse was incomplete, weak, and barely a curse at all. It wouldn't have any effect on an ordinary non-sorcerer anyway. You should ease up on the overprotection."

Well, if the person cursed had actively succumbed to it, it might have been a different story. But even then, it couldn't have had a long-term impact. At most, it would have affected them once or twice. That's what Gojo thought.

Toji murmured palely, "What kind of curse was it..."

"How would I know? It's already been lifted."

"Useless guy."

"Hey?!"

Listening to their bickering, Zoro thought to himself.

'So it was a curse placed by Chie, after all.'

Since it's been lifted, she must have truly left for good now.

...That was a relief.

Within Toji's embrace, Zoro, who had been quietly contemplating, was turned to face him directly.

"Have you experienced anything strange recently?"

"I let her go."

"Let go? What. Who?"

"Chie."

Toji's arms, which had been tenderly wrapped around Zoro's back, froze. Gojo, unaware of the situation, just blinked.

"Who's Chie?"

Zoro didn't answer Gojo's question. Now wasn't the time for that.

Unlike him, Toji wasn't okay yet.

He didn't want to reopen wounds, but he had to explain. Zoro spoke calmly.

"Death is just that, death."

"..."

"If she's lingering where she shouldn't be, then she should be let go."

"..."

"So, I let her go."

"Wow, Zoro, you lifted a curse? You're like a real sorcerer."

"Shut up."

Can't he see the situation? Or is he pretending not to know?

I'll have to cut him down later. Zoro glanced briefly at Gojo.

Toji remained silent, motionless. However, Zoro could tell that inside Toji's usually expressionless face, a storm of intense emotions was raging.

Reason and emotion don't always move in the same direction. Even if reason clearly dictates that a curse should be lifted, accepting it emotionally is another matter.

Toji might resent not being told about such a significant act, or he might have wished that even if it was a curse, it hadn't been lifted.

Accepting the death of a loved one is always hard.

Especially for Toji, who still couldn't properly face Chie's grave.

Zoro sighed inwardly.

'Maybe it's better to keep some distance today.'

Being close might just make Toji angry.

Knowing how annoying it can be to be reminded of what he's lost, Zoro was about to quietly slip away from Toji.

That is, he would have, if Toji hadn't grabbed his arm.

"So that's what happened."

So it did. Toji repeated those words for a while.

"Your body is..."

"It's fine."

After all, even if it was a curse, Chie wouldn't have left something that would harm Zoro.

"When did you lift it?"

"I don't know. ...Probably the day I went to the grave."

"Right. You did well."

Not sure if it was just lip service, Toji, closely observing Zoro who was watching him, gave a bitter smile.

That Chie had left a curse, and Zoro had lifted it... was indeed a shock to Toji as well. But he didn't want to blame Zoro for it.

'He just did what had to be done.'

Although Zoro said his body was fine, a curse is still a curse. If it could be lifted, then it was better to do so.

Of course, towards Chie too.

"..."

What kind of curse it was, how it was lifted, whether he really met Chie, if she had any messages for him...

There were mountains of questions Toji wanted to ask, but he found himself unable to ask any.

Afraid that knowing more would make it impossible to let go.

'I have to let go.'

Both Toji and Chie.

It was already too late, but now was the time to do so.

Being stuck in the past only serves as a hindrance to those moving forward.

If Zoro was the one who sent Chie off, Toji felt he could rest easy. She must be in a good place now. Although that means he would never meet her again, being doomed to hell himself, it was enough.

In a low, trembling voice, Toji said,

"Thank you for sending your mother off properly."

Toji slightly bowed his head. Zoro, looking up at Toji from within his embrace, gently wiped away the tears hidden beneath Toji's black hair with his hand.

"Hey, gorilla, are you crying?"

Despite Gojo's incredulous question, Zoro didn't respond, continuing to wipe Toji's tears.

They remained that way for a long while.

Eventually, Toji raised his head with a composed face, and Zoro turned to face Gojo, who was still dumbfounded. Then, Zoro drew his sword from his waist.

"Now it's your turn. I'll give you a good slash."

"??? Why?"

"Not knowing why... never mind, just come here."

"No way, ew, no! I might get caught by a gorilla, but I'm not getting caught by a tiny moss ball like you!"

Toji laughed shortly and then stood up smoothly.

"You know you get caught by me."

"Uh..."

"Brace yourself. Today's training is going to be rough."

Geto, who had gone out to look for Gojo, witnessed from the forest Toji suddenly appearing in a flash and Gojo running away with his eyebrows fluttering in the wind.

Their eyes met as Toji sat on a tree branch. Reading Toji's lethal intent, Geto understood the message loud and clear.

'If you interfere, you'll end up like him.'

Geto quietly closed his eyes, thinking,

'I didn't see anything.'

I didn't see a thing.

I should go back and write up a mission report. Spotting Geto turning away, Gojo called out in desperation.

"Getoouuuu, help meee!"

Geto ignored Gojo's cries and went back to the dormitory, just as Gojo had abandoned Geto to be beaten by Toji and ran away before.

After all, close friends tend to resemble each other.

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