Tokyo Singularity (10) - Apologize to her
Ha, why should I?
Why was I born here?
Zenji Maki bent down.
But the next second, a warm but calloused hand pressed against Zenin Maki's forehead, stopping her from apologizing.
"You're wrong, she doesn't need to apologize."
Fujimaru Ritsuka ignored Natsuyuki's outstretched hand and stood firmly in front of Zenin Maki. Her cold gaze was fixed on the being, who was even more corrupt than the ancient kings.
"On the contrary, you should be the one apologizing to her."
His tone was calm and unhurried, so much so that even a person over seventy could hear him clearly. Therefore, it naturally caused a huge uproar.
Zenji Maki suddenly raised her head.
Ignoring her mother's terrified gaze, she stared blankly at the straight-backed girl, and suddenly her nose stung with tears. A surge of emotions welled up in her eyes, but she didn't shed a tear; instead, a faint flame of hope suddenly ignited in her heart.
A subtle sigh escaped his lips as Gojou Satoru pressed his hand to his forehead, lamenting Fujimaru Ritsuka's useless kindness. After they left, those rotten oranges would surely vent all their anger on this innocent child.
Even the strongest can't change a family that has lasted for thousands of years... Should we just kill them all? Ah, but Jay will definitely stop him.
“This child will have a hard time later on.” Xia Youjie lowered his eyes. He couldn’t say that Fujimaru Ritsuka had done anything wrong, but it seemed that the Zenin family was destined to betray this kindness.
She might be hated in the future for extending a helping hand.
"...Me? Apologize to a woman??" Zenin Naoya was taken a beat slow to react after hearing the words, and asked incredulously.
His first reaction wasn't even to ask why he was being asked to apologize, but rather to question why he had to apologize to a woman. The powerful men behind him whispered amongst themselves, equally indignant, their words even more cutting than those of gossipy women.
Fujimaru Ritsuka stroked Zenin Maki's not-so-soft hair, sighing inwardly that this place was not suitable for a child. She knew that after they left, this child would not receive preferential treatment, but rather even more cruel oppression.
But is it just about watching?
Under the guise of doing what's best for her, are we really going to change nothing?
Do we really want her to bend over and say an apology that doesn't belong to her?
Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't do it.
She couldn't bear to extinguish the bright spark in Zenin Maki's eyes for a future that was already bleak and hopeless. She wanted to give the present and the future back to this child with limitless potential!
She thought to herself that the best solution was to take Zenjima Maki and her family away and let them live in a normal environment.
But Chaldea will not stay here forever, and it will be difficult for a frail mother and two girls to avoid being continued to be oppressed by this family.
Or, ask Leonardo da Vinci to send another Caster to make a magic workshop.
Suddenly, Ritsuka felt a pair of trembling hands interlock and grasp her fingertips. She lowered her head and whispered, "Are you scared?"
"No!"
Zenin Maki looked up at the girl, and for the first time, her eyes were clearly revealed—bright, stubborn, eyes that the Zenin family would not like.
"I should thank you, really, thank you so much!"
For once, Gojo Satoru wanted to say something, but seeing this scene and hearing the child's joyful words, he fell silent. He and Natsumi Yukichi were both utterly astonished and speechless.
What can they possibly say?
Those born with six eyes and those who manipulate spirits find it hard to understand the reaction of a desperate person seeing light in the mire. Because they stand too high; the arrogance of the strong blocks out both danger and their downward gaze.
In the silence, Fujimaru Ritsuka released Zenin Maki's hand and hid the child in Natsuyuki's shadow. She took another step forward, "What a pity, so this is how the Zenin family raises their children."
“Hmm…?” Zenin Naoya couldn’t understand her words.
"What I mean is, you not only lack manners, but you can't even understand the most basic human language. You pushed a child down and then forced her to apologize for a non-existent mistake, completely absolving yourself of any wrongdoing. Aren't you the one who's wrong?"
"I……!"
"Even a three-year-old knows that you should apologize when you do something wrong. Isn't there something wrong with the family education at this Zen monastery? Remember, even if it's a two-legged dragon judging you, you're the one who should apologize."
"you……!"
Critical hit.
Seeing Zenin Naoya pointing at her with trembling hands, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal, Fujimaru Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief and concluded with a sharp analogy.
"As for your concern about gender... if you were dying and the person who came to save you was a female doctor, would you refuse to let her treat you and choose not to live?"
A double critical hit.
"How can these be confused!" Zenji Naoya stammered for a long time, his tongue seemingly stuck, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal. Damn it, how dare this woman speak to him like that!
Why hasn't the person who informed his father come out yet! He didn't want to talk to this guy anymore!
Gojo Satoru suddenly spoke up, "Oh right, Jetsu, do you know if Shoko has ever treated any Zenin family members?"
Xia Youjie glanced at the thin girl out of the corner of his eye; her eyes burned with vitality. He thought he might understand why Fujimaru Ritsuka insisted on speaking up for her, and why Gojo Satoru chose to stand with Ritsuka.
He raised his eyebrows, agreeing with Gojo Satoru, and said in a very gentle tone, "Of course I understand, Satoru. Didn't she stop us from having dinner the other day because she was treating the Zen temple fan? If you ask me, why don't we just put up a sign next time that says, 'No Zen temple residents or dogs allowed'?"
The final critical hit.
Zenji Naoya's face began to turn pale. If Gojo Satoru really did that, his high status in the family would be ruined. No sorcerer could do without highly specialized reversal spells.
Just as he had thought, when it came to matters that truly threatened their interests, apologizing to women seemed to have become commonplace.
"Young Master." A man dressed in elite attire walked up behind Zenji Naoya and whispered in his ear, "Give them a hard time and apologize."
Yes. Apologize. It's not a big deal. With these voices filling his ears, Zenin Naoya never expected that the first to turn against him would be his own clansmen who usually fawned over him.
He glanced around, feeling betrayed, and despairingly discovered that almost everyone wanted him to apologize.
Just like Zenin Maki just now.
"You, all of you!"
Zenin Naoya jumped up and shouted defiantly, "Why should I apologize to such an ignorant and useless woman!" He selectively ignored the strongest DKs who truly threatened their interests and turned his attention to Fujimaru Ritsuka, who was the first to speak.
A puzzled Fujimaru Ritsuka: "..."
She felt absolutely nothing, and even wanted to laugh. Suddenly, she understood Mr. Gojo's subtle expression.
Gojo Satoru blinked, unconsciously rubbing his hair, even pulling out a few strands. You call the person who directed others to defeat him utterly useless?
Xia Youjie's small eyes widened suddenly. Having witnessed the fight that morning, he was already silently mourning for the wooden structure of the Zen Temple's house for a second.
The words had barely left his mouth when Zenji Naoya suddenly felt a chill, like needles pricking his skin. He looked around, but saw no one suspicious. He opened his mouth, seemingly engrossed in his ramblings, about to unleash another outrageous statement.
Xia Youjie couldn't stand it any longer and was about to summon a cursed spirit to physically silence him. But a long, thin, dark sword moved even faster than him.
The cold tip of the sword swept past the surrounding guards, lifting Zenin Naoya's chin and pressing it against his vulnerable neck.
"You piece of trash, say that again?" A deep female voice, accompanied by the clashing sound of armor, slammed into Zenji Naoya's ears.
Zenji Naoya stood frozen in place, his body trembling, his lips moving but unable to utter a single word. Having been pampered and adored since childhood, he had never witnessed anything like this—his life held in the hands of a woman.
The people around were frozen in place like stone statues, no one choosing to risk their lives for this young master and provoke a powerful figure.
"Hmm? Speak up!" The impatient female voice rang out again. She pressed the tip of her sword down a little, and blood seeped from her neck, making Zenji Naoya forget to breathe, like a death warrant.
"Apologize to her!"
She really dared to kill him... How could she dare to kill someone from the Zen temple?!
"I...I...!" The boy's weak and humiliating murmur broke the deathly silence of the front yard.
Those around him seemed to come alive suddenly. Some offered comfort, others wept with anxiety, and still others bowed deeply to Gojo Satoru, begging him for help in saving the young master.
No one dared to approach the armored youth, and those who tried to get close to Fujimaru Ritsuka were stopped by Natsuyuki.
Gojo Satoru, who had been asked for a favor, covered the back of his head with his hands and scoffed, "Hey, what does this have to do with me?"
"The people I invited got talked about by this guy. You should be grateful I didn't make amends." He turned his head, his Azure Eyes coldly staring at the people pleading for mercy.
"Make whoever offended apologize. Of course, whether or not to forgive them is another matter."
And so, gazes, filled with either resentment or pleading, focused on Fujimaru Ritsuka. Zenin Naoya, his neck stiff, hesitated for a second, two seconds, three seconds… finally uttering an apology in a barely audible voice:
"I'm...I'm sorry! I've already apologized, okay?"
Ritsuka blinked, a surprise smile curving her lips. She stepped forward, patted Jeanne Alter's shoulder, and said gently, "Alter, alright, we still have important things to do."
"...Tsk."
Jeanne Alter reluctantly put away her gun, glared fiercely at Zenji Naoya, and then continued to guard Ritsuka's side in her spirit form.
With his life no longer threatened, Zenin Naoya seemed to have regained his composure. Although he shuddered slightly upon seeing Jeanne Alter suddenly disappear, he quickly pointed his gun at Fujimaru Ritsuka again and launched into a tirade: "Don't think you can fool me, you woman..."
The next moment, he suddenly fell silent. Not because of Gojo Satoru's irritated and cold gaze, but because he saw Fujimaru Ritsuka turn her head and glance at him calmly and composedly.
“Alter,” she said, “calm down. We can’t disturb those who are not strong enough to take refuge.”
A note from the author:
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