Chapter 151

When summer vacation ended, Gojo Satoru returned to the vocational high school to continue his studies, and the white cat that had been almost glued to Hagoromo Kazuma disappeared without a trace.

In response to Ayako Sakami's surprise, Kazuma Hatori replied casually, "I've gone out to play and won't be back for a while."

He didn't care at all whether the excuse was clumsy or not—anyway, as long as he opened the favorability interface, the values ​​following the names of the Panxing Sect leadership and the three elders of the Imperial Family were all neatly -100, making it impossible to tell who was higher or lower.

However, as long as these people give him gold coins, Kazuma Hatake doesn't care about the favorability rating.

At most, he would open the Panxing Sect's management module every few days to make sure that his control over the religion was still 100%.

Nowadays, it is inconvenient for Kazuma Hatori to go out, but fortunately, the internet was relatively developed in 2006, allowing him to search for a lot of useful information online.

—For example, popular science about certain aspects of physiology.

He wasn't very sociable before, and his preferred game genre wasn't the kind of bishoujo games that focused on romance like Mikoshiba.

In addition, he had never been in a relationship and had no interest in it, so when he first faced Wu's gradual intrusion with his wicked intentions and little amusement, he had no power to resist at all.

That won't do!

Whenever he had free time, Kazuma Hatori would start cramming on the relevant knowledge.

The door to a new world finally opened slowly before this innocent high school boy, leaving him deeply shocked and enlightened.

In addition, Gojo Satoru also kept in constant contact with Hato Kazuma to share the progress of the [Natsuyu Suguru's corruption] incident.

Although Xia Youjie raised a small protest against the naming of the project, he had no say in the matter, given the odds of two against one.

Besides, isn't this quite fitting?

Without first showing a dark side, how can the enemy believe that he has turned evil to the point of becoming a curse master, defecting from the world of sorcery, and thus becoming someone who can be won over?

Xia Youjie hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself, and realizing he couldn't refute her, he could only remain silent.

However, they still polished the script very carefully and decided to start with the sister school exchange meeting.

Just after Gojo Satoru mastered the Reversal Technique and the powerful and wide-range [Hah], discussions about his promotion to a Special Grade Spellcaster began to be put on the agenda.

Therefore, during his exchanges with other schools, Xia Youjie inadvertently expressed his dissatisfaction at not being rated as a top-level sorcerer.

Later, after "accidentally" injuring his opponent in the battle, he "accidentally" compared the opponent to a really weak monkey.

In short, the level of sarcasm was so high that it almost escalated from a quarrel between the Kyoto school and the vocational high school into a brawl.

The reason they didn't manage to fight was that Gojo Satoru was the first to flick his finger and fire a [H], which directly plowed out a three-meter-deep trench that seemed to have no end.

The other side immediately became obedient.

However, the "problem" of Xia Youjie's abnormal mentality has become quite obvious to everyone—the plan has started smoothly.

As for the exchange meeting, the Tokyo school was naturally the biggest winner.

The contestants from Tokyo High School were not surprised at all by this.

Please, they have a top-tier mage trainee, a level 1 mage, and a healer who can reverse spells. How could they possibly lose with such a powerful lineup?

He's the [strongest] right now!

When Kazuma Hatori saw this part of the email, which suddenly shifted to praising himself, his eyes were full of smiles.

This is Wu taking credit for fulfilling the "prophecy" he made earlier.

The subsequent developments were predictable, and Xia Youjie officially became a problem child—specifically, he would write in his reports about his dissatisfaction with the higher-ups' disregard for non-family sorcerers, his dissatisfaction with the missions, and even began to question why sorcerers had to protect non-sorcerers.

Masamichi Yagami, their homeroom teacher and principal, was having a headache and started talking to him.

However, Xia Youjie behaved quite normally in front of Teacher Ye'e, without showing any of the bias reflected in the report.

The mission was completed perfectly, without harming any ordinary people—it seems that apart from reporting and grumbling a few words, he himself did not do anything that violated the rules of the sorcery world.

Night Moth Zhengdao wanted to use talk therapy but didn't know where to start, so he could only tell Xia Youjie to pay attention to his mental state and that he could come to him anytime if he had any problems.

Xia Youjie apologized to Teacher Ye'e in his heart, but continued to do things his own way.

These situations recurred repeatedly and worsened over the following year, paving the way for Xia Youjie's complete defection.

During this period, Xia Youjie also joined the ranks of top-tier spellcasters by relying on his unlimited number of spell spirit manipulation techniques and the absorption of the top-tier imaginary spell spirit [incarnation of Tamamo-no-Mae].

However, he was also placed on the list of those closely monitored by higher authorities.

—Or rather, it was the intention of a certain [adult].

………

A year later, in 2007, during a sweltering summer filled with the incessant chirping of cicadas.

"Give it a try."

As usual, Gojo Satoru, who had come to Pansei for the holiday, was wearing only a thin black short-sleeved shirt, his hands in his pockets, standing casually in the bedroom where the light bulbs had finally been replaced. Hagoromo Kazuma was about two meters away from him.

From Kazuma Hatori's perspective, Satoru did not use any palm prints that indicated the activation of the technique.

In his hand, he held an office pen in one hand and a crumpled piece of paper in the other—and then flung it at Gojo Satoru.

The crumpled paper gently hit its target and bounced to the ground, while the pen slowed down until it stopped in front of Gojo Satoru, where he caught it.

"Hmm, the automatic transmission works!"

The pen twirled lightly and deftly between his five fingers, making him appear exceptionally radiant.

"I also made some improvements. Now, [No Limit] can not only defend against the strength of the spell attack, but also assess the level of danger from the mass, speed and shape of the object flying towards it."

"Although we tried to include toxic substances in the screening, neither [No Lower Limit] nor [Six Eyes] can analyze chemical equations - so unfortunately, I still have to rely on myself to make the judgment in this regard."

Kazuma Hatori listened attentively to Satoru's explanation until the last sentence, which abruptly turned into a muttered complaint, made him burst out laughing.

“It’s alright,” Kazuma Hatake said. “No one can compare to you.”

The light, bouncing pen stopped, and Aohime, his eyes brimming with a joyful smile, looked towards Kazuma Hatori.

"Is that so? — Shouldn't I wait until I can master the simultaneous activation of multiple [Azure] and [Radiant] attacks, long-distance teleportation, and domain expansion before I can praise you like that?"

Gojo Satoru said with a smile, "Saying that now can only be considered a compliment."

He used the word "flattery," as if to emphasize that Kazuma Hatori had also become one of those clansmen in the Gojo family who only knew how to fawn over him.

But regardless of his expression or tone, Gojo Satoru maintained a relaxed and approachable demeanor, without showing any resistance or rejection.

Rather than a question, this statement sounds more like a couple deeply in love expressing their affection in various ways.

Because Gojo Satoru knew that Hatori Kazuma would definitely answer in this way—

"Even if you weren't a sorcerer, I would still think so."

See?

Gojo's smile deepened.

"What attracts me to enlightenment is definitely not powerful forces."

The true charm of enlightenment lies in its ability to remain steadfast in treating all life with equality, solemnity, and restraint, even amidst overwhelming power.

This brilliance is so dazzling and unshakable; it is the radiant glow of the soul's essence, which has never changed from beginning to end—whether it is the mature, reliable, and trustworthy Gojo-sensei, or the clever and lively high school student Satoru in his youth.

The unspoken words of Kazuma Hatori were conveyed clearly to Satoru Gojo through his determined and resolute expression.

It was so reassuring, letting him know that no matter what decision he made, he would always have Yizhen's support.

Gojo Satoru thought with immense pleasure.

However—before discussing anything formal, let's give this black Shiba Inu a little reward first.

"The groundwork has been laid, and Jay is now looking for the right opportunity."

When the not-so-long kiss ended, Gojo Satoru gently touched Hato Kazuma's forehead with his, their posture incredibly intimate.

It seems that Kazuma Hato did this to Satoru Gojo when he made a promise before, which is why the latter has always liked this gesture.

"Tsukumo Yuki... is the third Special Class besides me and Jeh. I came to the High School to look for him before."

Kazuma Hagoromo was unfamiliar with the name. "Did you persuade him to defect?"

[The patriarch] is the person who came to persuade Xia Youjie?

"...No! If she were to offer advice like that, she'd be the first one labeled a curse master," Gojo Satoru chuckled. "She just introduced him to her goal of eradicating cursed spirits and reassured him that Tengen was currently very stable."

Because Xia Youjie deliberately "revealed" that part of the trigger for his descent into darkness was the death of [Astrop Body] Tian Lizi.

—Although Riko herself is still quite lively and energetic.

When he visited the Fushiguro family a while ago, he seemed to have become particularly close to Tsumiki.

"However, who knows if Tianyuan is really stable now? It could be a smokescreen released by the higher-ups to keep things under wraps for ordinary sorcerers."

Gojo Satoru shrugged, clearly indicating his distrust of the higher-ups.

"Overall, the conversation went well, and Jay can now take the final step. However..."

When he said the last two words, he hesitated for a moment, and his beautiful blue eyes seemed unsure of where to focus, instead staring at a slightly dark stain on the wall.

"only?"

Kazuma Hatori turned his head slightly, not urging him to stop daydreaming.

"Although Jay only worked hard for a year, I was always thinking about it."

Gojo Satoru spoke slowly, enunciating each word very clearly.

"Ultimately, the reason why we need to do this, and the reason why Genon can turn to the dark side and defect, is based on the fact that the higher-ups in the sorcery world cannot be trusted."

According to the subtle hints that Ichijin had given them before, the corrupt and conservative Directorate had long been infiltrated and had been quietly eliminating dissidents for many years. It was no longer a power structure that existed to protect non-magicians.

Even compared to non-family-affiliated sorcerers who work themselves to the bone for a monthly salary, sorcerers belonging to the three starter families are not only not forced to take on missions, but can also receive a huge appearance fee when they are asked to provide support.

"The current system is too outdated and cannot be sustained."

Gojo Satoru looked up, and his usually bright, misty blue eyes seemed to ignite with an even more fervent and resolute belief in the candlelight.

"If we want to completely overturn this status quo and rebuild a new order, we lack more and stronger partners."

"I've made up my mind. After I graduate from junior college..."

"I want to become a teacher."

The fact that this decision came from Gojo Satoru did not surprise Hatake Kazuma.

He has always been shining brightly, gradually moving towards his 28-year-old self.

Even though he didn't get much support in the last game, he remained steadfast and never wavered in his determination.

—And he had already seen Gojo back then, the reliable, kind, responsible, and always trustworthy teacher.

"Judging from what happened with Jie, the higher-ups... including the Gojo family, definitely won't agree with my idea,"

When Gojo Satoru, who was continuing to explain to Kazuma, got to this point, he was only annoyed for a moment before regaining his fighting spirit.

"Therefore, I will launch a bottom-up reform to reset the entire world of sorcery."

This was the ideal he had finally decided on after much deliberation.

However, Gojo Satoru, who had just been confident that he would definitely get Isshin's support, became a little uneasy after saying those words.

Putting aside the issue of Teacher Moth, even he wasn't sure if he was suited to be a teacher...

"--OK,"

Not long after, Gojo Satoru received a response from the other party.

Even those dark eyes, always focused on him and filled with a gentle smile, didn't show the slightest hint of disapproval.

"Then I'll help you from the top down."

— Not only did Kazuma Hatori not object, he also planned to support him in his own way.

Gojo Satoru almost let his overly bright smile slip out due to the overwhelming joy welling up inside him.

He coughed twice before trying to keep his composure.

"Hey—aren't you worried I'll mess this up?"

"Even as a teacher, Wu is the best."

"So certain?"

"So certain."

This time, before Gojo Satoru could make a move, Hato Kazuma took the initiative to kiss him, demanding his [reward].

"..."

"…………"

After a moment, rustling sounds came from inside the bedchamber, accompanied by hushed complaints and accusations.

"That's it? That's it? Don't you think the atmosphere is just right?"

“.

"Speak up quickly."

"We're not... cough, we're not adults yet."

“…”