Chapter 70: Nanami Kento

Nanami?

This outfit reminded Ryuji of someone.

Kento Nanami, the first-grade sorcerer from Jujutsu High.

His death was a regret for many anime fans.

Although Ryuji didn't hate such a person, if they were opponents, he wouldn't show any mercy.

"Are you going to fight?" he said calmly.

"..."

To be honest, Nanami was also quite helpless at the moment.

He had just gotten off work and was planning to grab something to eat, but hadn't expected to run into this situation.

Nanami had seen what had just happened, so he understood why Ryuji acted the way he did.

Not that it mattered whether he could take him on or not Nanami had no intention of helping, especially when it involved those pompous higher-ups.

Nanami sighed silently to himself.

"I hate overtime!" His words reflected his attitude perfectly.

The tension in the air immediately dissipated.

"So, do you have time to grab dinner later?" Ryuji asked.

"..."

Nanami didn't respond right away. Instead, he glanced at the crowd that had gathered, then looked back at Ryuji.

"What is a sorcerer to you?"

"They're trash," Ryuji answered without hesitation.

"?"

This response left Nanami momentarily stunned.

Eriri and Sayuri, who stood beside him, also looked confused. Was that the right answer?

Despite the tension, Nanami's usually stern expression broke into a smile after a moment of surprise.

"Exactly. Sorcerers are trash."

He finally found someone who shared his view.

"I look forward to having that meal."

"Haha."

Ryuji grinned and left with Sayuri and Eriri, who were still somewhat dazed.

As Nanami watched them leave, then glanced at the people who had taken their own lives, he decided not to interfere. Instead, he pulled out his phone.

"Hey, Nanami! Why are you calling me at this hour? Need help with a tough curse? Or perhaps the mighty Gojo should assist?" Gojo's laid-back, teasing voice came through the phone as soon as the call connected.

Gojo knew Nanami well, and he rarely called after working hours.

Nanami, who understood Gojo's personality, wasn't surprised and spoke calmly.

"You were talking about that genius sorcerer named Ryuji, right? I met him today."

"Oh?"

Nanami's words piqued Gojo's interest.

"What happened?"

"He used cursed speech to make several people sent by the higher-ups commit suicide."

"Whoa! Seriously?!"

Gojo was visibly shocked.

"Looks like the rotten higher-ups still haven't learned their lesson."

Even though Gojo had only informed the folks at Jujutsu High about Ryuji, it wasn't hard for the upper echelon to catch wind of it.

Gojo could easily understand just how eager those power-hungry individuals were to deal with Ryuji.

But they were far too naive!

Did they really think they could control someone that strong?

Gojo let out a sarcastic laugh at the thought.

"Those fools, corrupted by their own power, have completely forgotten that the most important thing for a sorcerer is strength!"

"Mr. Gojo!"

Hearing Gojo's excited tone over the phone, Nanami felt a bit helpless. As a teammate, Gojo was incredibly reliable. After all, the title of "strongest sorcerer" wasn't something Gojo gave himself it was a universal consensus.

But as a friend? His personality could be... difficult to handle.

"The important part of what I said is that Ryuji used a technique from the Inumaki family."

Gojo's excitement didn't seem to acknowledge that key detail.

"Also, when he used the technique, there were no major side effects, meaning he can reverse cursed energy."

Only through reversing cursed energy can one avoid the side effects of certain dangerous techniques.

"Does that mean he's similar to Yuta, who can mimic techniques?"

Gojo understood, but wasn't particularly concerned.

While it was rare for sorcerers to master multiple techniques, it wasn't unheard of.

"Don't worry, Nanami. I'm the strongest, after all!"

Even through the phone, Kento could imagine Gojo's confident grin as he said that.

But who could blame him? The Limitless technique combined with Six Eyes really was almost invincible.

"I see."

Given that, Nanami asked no further questions.

At that moment, Gojo asked, "So, Nanami, what do you think of this Ryuji kid?" Gojo knew Nanami was one of the few reliable sorcerers, so he was curious about his opinion.

"My opinion?"

Nanami was silent for a moment. Though he hadn't interacted with Ryuji much, he could sense the arrogance deep within him.

A kind of dominating presence. He was similar to Gojo, yet different in some ways.

But recalling Ryuji's blunt response about sorcerers being trash, Nanami suddenly smiled.

In truth, Nanami had asked that question to see how Ryuji viewed sorcerers and non-sorcerers.

"He looks like a reliable person."

"Oh? This is the first time I've heard you call someone reliable!"

Gojo sounded genuinely surprised.

"You're reliable too, Gojo-san... but only in battle."

Nanami's expression remained calm as he spoke.

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

Gojo wasn't offended; instead, he laughed heartily.

"Don't worry about the higher-ups, Nanami. I'll give them a proper warning!"

People who sat on their high horses would never let a slap to the face go unchallenged they would surely seek revenge.

Gojo had no problem giving them a much-needed reality check.

"Understood."

Nanami nodded and hung up the phone.

After taking one last look at the crowd, he left.

He had no particular thoughts about the higher-ups' lackeys. After all, they had threatened someone's family. Did they really expect to be let off easily?

If it had been him, he wouldn't have gone as far, but he definitely would've taught them a lesson.

"Hey!"

On the way back, Eriri's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't know how to ask.

"Do you want to know who that person was?"

"Yeah!"

Eriri nodded immediately.

"His name is Nanami, and he's a first-grade sorcerer. Pretty strong too!"

In the sorcery world, there are only a few special-grade sorcerers, so a first-grade sorcerer is already considered top-tier.

Thinking about Nanami, Ryuji found it amusing. Nanami had originally been a sorcerer but had quit due to a friend's death, choosing instead to become a regular office worker. But here in Japan, being a corporate drone wasn't any better those who understood knew that people were worked to the bone.

Not even mules were treated that badly.

In the end, Nanami had returned to being a sorcerer one who hated overtime and dreamed of spending time in the sun on a beach.

Yet, in the end, he still didn't get to go on that vacation! It was truly a tragic ending.

"I see," Eriri said, not thinking too much of it.

But Sayuri, walking beside her, had a more conflicted expression.

"So, curses really do exist?"

"Sayuri, haven't you heard of them before?" Ryuji asked curiously. The Sawamura family was relatively affluent, so it seemed odd that she hadn't heard of sorcerers.

"When I was younger, my family mentioned it a bit, but I moved out when I got married."

Although Sayuri came from a well-off family, she wasn't the head of it, and after her marriage, she moved away.

At the time, she thought it was just a story her family told. After all, she'd never seen anything firsthand.

But now, she had.

"So, why do they call us 'monkeys'?" Sayuri, being more mature than her daughter, could sense something.

"Exactly," Ryuji admitted with a nod under her questioning gaze.

"Non-sorcerers aren't considered human. Not all sorcerers are reliable."

"But Ryuji-kun is the best!" Eriri chimed in without hesitation. After everything that had happened, she saw Ryuji in a completely new light, he was practically glowing in her eyes.

"..."

Seeing her daughter gaze at Ryuji with such admiration, Sayuri could only shake her head. It was clear her daughter had already set her sights on him, whether she approved or not.

But wasn't that a good thing?

Sayuri wasn't the type to use her daughter to get close to someone, but it couldn't hurt that her daughter was interested in someone capable.

While Ryuji felt relaxed, there were others who weren't so pleased.

------

The upper echelons of the sorcery world were holding a meeting.

Suddenly...

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open.

Before any of the higher-ups could express their anger, they stopped short when they saw Gojo.

There was no helping it dealing with someone as unpredictable as Gojo was beyond their capabilities.

"What are you doing here, Gojo?" one of them asked, though he knew full well they were no match for him. Still, they had to maintain their pride.

"Yo!"

Gojo waved nonchalantly, completely ignoring their glares.

He greeted them with a bright smile plastered on his face.

"I heard you guys tried to contact Ryuji."

"..."

The higher-ups, who had been ready to question him, suddenly fell silent.

They had only recently learned about a genius sorcerer and wondered if they could use him to keep Gojo in check. That was why they had planned to bring him in and control him, using him as a weapon against Gojo.

Gojo didn't care whether they answered or not. He continued, "Well, there's no need for that anymore because all the people you sent after him are dead."

"Gojo Satoru!"

What did he mean by that?

Although Gojo had always been audacious, he'd never gone so far as to tear down the facade like this.

Now, wasn't this just a blatant slap in their faces?

The higher-ups, who hadn't yet received the news, naturally assumed that Ryuji had killed their subordinates.

"I'm here."

Gojo turned to face the first person who dared to speak up, an evil smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"So, are you planning to fight me?"

"..."

Seeing that Gojo was about to unleash a technique, the anger in the room instantly dissipated, and the crowd fell into a tense silence.

Fight him?

Forget it!

Gojo didn't even need to do much. With just one rotation of his domain expansion, he could easily blow this entire place to smithereens.

"Ha! What a bunch of spineless cowards!" Gojo chuckled to himself.

He already knew what these people were like, so their reactions didn't surprise him at all. If there had been any viable replacements, he would have taken care of them long ago.

"All right, I'm not here to waste my time on you idiots."

He casually adjusted his sleeves and declared, "I'm here to warn all of you: stay away from that kid. I'm letting this go for now, but if you make a move again, I'll kill every last one of you."

The way he said such terrifying words in the most nonchalant tone was classic Gojo Satoru.

"Let's go."

Without waiting for a response, Gojo turned on his heel and walked out, not caring what the higher-ups thought.

"..."

They were furious but helpless. They had no choice but to take Gojo's threats seriously, at least for now.

However, it was clear that if they ever got the chance, these people wouldn't hesitate to strike back at the first opportunity.