Ch.49 Gojo Satoru, the Human Grease

If Akira was habitually thorough in his thinking, finding it hard to change his mindset even after Nanami's guidance, then Gojo Satoru was habitually a hands-off type. He skipped classes as a student, skipped work as an adult, and now, with someone like Akira willing to do the thinking, he didn't even bother to use his brain.

Because this guy, in order to maintain his invincibility, constantly has his brain's CPU running at full capacity, leaving very little leftover processing power. If he used it even a bit more, he'd have to consume large amounts of sugar.

This is beyond the realm of a mere sweet tooth—it's more like 100% peach juice or Lindy Harlaown1's coffee kind of bizarre territory.

Right after saying "I'll be careful," he immediately added, "Figuring out the principles and activation methods is your job too."

Akira couldn't help but laugh sarcastically. "This is for your own sake! Can't you put some effort into it?"

"Then why were you looking into that information?" Gojo shot back, a playful smile on his face.

"Because I was thinking about how I could actually give you a good beating," Akira's movements froze. His primary reason wasn't something he could say, so he had to use his backup excuse.

"Then why not give it a try?" Gojo cracked his knuckles. "If you can hurt me, I'd be very happy, you know."

"Are you a masochist or something? Do you need to get beaten up to learn your lesson?"

"Since graduating from Jujutsu High, I haven't even had the chance to get hurt. But with you, maybe it's possible."

"Definitely a masochist. Alright, I'll compile the information for you later. Make sure to read it. As for how I'm going to beat you… Heh, it'll be in a way you'd never expect."

"I'll look forward to it." The great demon king Gojo really deserved a beating. He threw a cool glance over his shoulder and started to walk away.

"Wait." Akira pointed at Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto in the distance. "What about their situation? Now that we understand Rika's nature, what about breaking the curse…? Actually, with how they're getting along now, is there really a need to break the curse? Wouldn't breaking it have some negative impact on Yuta—"

Before he could finish, a finger pressed against his lips. Gojo's face was suddenly much closer, and his voice dropped to a soft whisper.

"That's not for us to decide. Only they can make that choice—whether it's a curse or a relationship, whether it's a hindrance or a bond, our opinions don't matter."

"You can tell Yuta your analysis and predictions, but you can't make the decision for him. If we decide someone's fate for them just because it seems more reasonable or better, how are we different from those stubborn old geezers?"

"Akira, it's good to think things through and weigh your options. It's a good habit. But sometimes, you should try being a little more emotional—that's what youth is all about."

Akira: "…"

He had to admit, Gojo's words made a lot of sense.

He had pointed out another psychological issue Akira had, or rather a long-standing error in his way of thinking. It was a deeper insight than Nanami's "Do your part" advice.

Methodology and a transmigrator's foreknowledge—these were the two great advantages Akira always believed he had. They had indeed brought him many conveniences, earning him the respect and trust of everyone at Jujutsu High, but they had also sown a not-so-small seed of overconfidence.

What's an adult's approach to methodology? It's efficiency, optimization, and planning.

Foreknowledge was simply the most powerful crutch for this methodology.

Having transmigrated for sixteen years, Akira had always walked the "right" path. Just as Gojo's confidence in being "invincible" gradually led to his "arrogance," Akira had subconsciously developed a mindset of "I am right" and "No one understands Jujutsu Kaisen better than I do."

Take Yuta Okkotsu as an example.

Akira, of course, knew the method to break Rika's curse—Yuta needed to be willing to give his life for Rika, to die with her, in order to fulfill their promise and atone for his unintentional curse.

Yes, it wasn't Rika who cursed Yuta; it was Yuta who cursed Rika.

When Yuta saw Rika's corpse, his mind was filled with their promise to be together forever. Subconsciously, he activated his jujutsu bloodline, creating the special-grade vengeful cursed spirit.

If Rika chose to forgive Yuta, releasing him from his need for atonement, it would cancel out the cost of the curse, allowing her bound soul to ascend and be freed.

But Akira also knew that after breaking the curse, Yuta lost his special-grade status and was downgraded to Grade 4, having to work his way back up step by step.

This was because, although Rika's soul ascended, the "shell" of the cursed spirit Rika remained, becoming Yuta's jujutsu technique.

But this "shell" was vastly inferior to the current complete version of the special-grade vengeful cursed spirit. After all, cursed spirit Rika had the power to overturn the jujutsu world. No matter how you looked at it, post-curse Yuta seemed like he had been demoted.

And though cursed spirit Rika was born from Yuta's curse, the existence of the girl named Rika Orimoto was equally special.

When Rika was five, her mother suddenly died for unknown reasons.

Two days before she started elementary school, her father took her hiking, and they both went missing. A week later, only Rika was found near a shelter close to the mountaintop.

Rika's grandmother, who took her in, always believed that her son and daughter-in-law had been killed by Rika.

And Rika did have the ability to manipulate adults through her words and actions, consciously using her own unique traits.

Rika Orimoto might not be a jujutsu sorcerer, but she definitely wasn't normal.

Back when he read the manga, Akira had thought that it wasn't just Yuta who made Rika. The two had complemented each other, creating this unparalleled cursed spirit together.

Having covered power, let's talk about emotions.

Is letting go and ascending really the best ending for two people deeply in love?

The idea that love is about letting go rather than possession is something Akira never bought into.

As for race… do you think a guy who trains a Gardevoir would care about that?

So, deep down, Akira had always believed that keeping Rika as she was might actually be better.

It wasn't until Gojo pointed it out that Akira realized his idea of what was best might not be the same as what Yuta and Rika thought was best.

Some people value power; others don't.

Yuta Okkotsu, a kind-hearted boy at his core, was the latter. He never sought to be invincible.

And whether to let go or to hold on is also a personal choice. You may not agree, but you have no right to tell Yuta what he should do.

People often become what they despise without realizing it. Maybe those old stubborn fools once had a phase like Akira's too.

But no one was there to wake them up, while Akira had someone to do that for him.

From the change in Akira's expression, Gojo knew he had hit the mark, and he smugly said:

"So, how was it? Did I blow you away with my insight? I'm quite the competent teacher, aren't I?"

Akira's goodwill towards him instantly plummeted. He took two steps back in disdain:

"I'm not interested in men."

Two grown men acting like this? No way, bro, no thanks.

"Doesn't bother me. As long as I can see my own face, that's enough. Does anyone else look better than me?"

Gojo deliberately took off his sunglasses, giving a playful wink.

Akira felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

Damn it, Gojo the Greasy!

Someone, please take care of this monstrous existence!