Chapter 154 - I Just Have to Be Responsible for My Student to the End
"Eh, eh?!
Emiya-san, this, this is Tengen-sama, are we really going to...?!"
Ijichi, standing beside Emiya, panicked before the other party had even reacted.
He had never seen the true appearance of Tengen before, of course. One needed at least the rank of a Technical College Principal to apply to enter the Star Corridor Temple; he, a mere Auxiliary Manager, was far too low-ranked.
But even if he hadn't seen him, the Curtains used by Auxiliary Managers like him rely on Tengen's large-scale barrier support to achieve their current ideal effect. Otherwise, how could their own Barrier Techniques cover such an extent anytime, anywhere?
As an ordinary person in the Jujutsu world, he was calm and rational enough to know clearly: what are the odds that someone who can easily appear inside the Technical College and dare to call himself Tengen is a fake?
He also understood Tengen's status in the Jujutsu world; this is the pillar in the literal sense of the word. Didn't people like Principal Gakuganji also directly call him 'Tengen-sama'?
Looking at himself, a humble and insignificant person, even though many times he was just following orders from above and it wasn't his fault at all, he would still be pressured into a sweat by the Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Especially when facing adults like Gojo Satoru, whose behavior is illogical, and Nanami Kento, who is stern and reserved, he really has to apologize profusely ('sumimasen, sumimasen') the moment he spots anything amiss.
So... is he really going to oppose Tengen?!
"It's alright, this has nothing to do with you; it's just my own decision.
If you can, just go notify Principal Yaga. That will put you more at ease."
Fortunately, Emiya was not the type to act arbitrarily like Gojo Satoru. With his words, the heart that Ijichi felt was floating in mid-air immediately dropped back into his stomach.
"I... I understand, Emiya-san!
Gomen nasai, Tengen-sama!"
Regardless of whether the situation was right or wrong, simply apologizing profusely without arguing was the safest bet!
After bowing deeply to Tengen, Ijichi immediately ran out of the room at the fastest speed of his life, leaving the intimate space to the two of them.
Tengen only glanced at the direction Ijichi had left before refocusing all its attention on Emiya.
"You cannot deal with the problem on her body. The fact that the Special Grade Cursed Object hasn't caused issues yet can only mean that the mastermind has done something else. You don't even understand what kind of situation this is.
It would be the best option for both you and her to let me take her away. Are you determined to act rashly?"
It seems that the emotional intelligence of these ancient sorcerers is generally not very high.
Perhaps it was because, at that time, the existence of Jujutsu Sorcerers was more widely known, and Cursed Spirits were more active than in the modern era, so they were often revered as deities by ordinary people.
Just like the mighty King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna.
Under such humble offerings, even the gentlest person could inevitably develop a sense of superiority, leading to significant differences in modern communication.
Nowadays, Grade 1 and Grade 4 sorcerers merely differ in seniority and authority, but in the distant past, the strong could completely control the lives and deaths of the weak.
There are situations where most problems could be solved just by laying the facts on the table, yet this creature insists on saying it cannot trust him and adopts a condescending attitude, claiming it is for his own good.
In that case, Emiya has no choice but to teach this person how to communicate properly first.
As an outsider, Emiya can still maintain respect for a figure like Tengen, who has protected the Jujutsu world for nearly a thousand years, but only on the premise that the entity also respects him.
Didn't Tengen just say so itself? Its current form is merely a phenomenon of a barrier composite, meaning there won't be any problem no matter what happens, right?
"All I know is that she is my student's sister and a patient he asked me to look after.
If you can't explain everything clearly, what reason do I have to let you simply take her away?"
It seems the correct choice is not always the right one. If Emiya were to just hand Fushiguro Tsumiki over like this, his own burden would be eased, and hardly anyone in the Jujutsu world would consider Tengen wrong.
Even if the entity temporarily decided to use Fushiguro Tsumiki as a Star Plasma Vessel, there would be no dissenting voices in the entire Jujutsu world, except for Megumi Fushiguro himself.
When a person becomes important to a certain degree, it seems their minor mistakes can be excused.
But even if it's just for Megumi Fushiguro, Emiya must fulfill his responsibility to the very end... even if the entity now says it wants to treat Tsumiki, Emiya needs to stand by and guard her to truly feel at ease.
"What a pity. So, you won't listen to reason, outsider."
The moment the words fell, the broad hand beneath Tengen's white robe simultaneously jutted out two fingers and waved outward. An invisible barrier instantly partitioned Emiya's location.
"The one who won't listen to reason is clearly you, you fellow!!!"
Since the other party had already made the first move, Emiya naturally had no more reservations.
The previous event had already proven that barriers are something that will likewise be erased by Rule Breaker. Thus, he did not rashly project any high-power weapon in the ward, but instead skillfully wrapped a chain around the short dagger's hilt and quickly hurled it out.
Bang—!
The barrier covering Emiya's front was destroyed and shattered the instant it made contact with the blade, but the dagger still missed Tengen's position, embedding itself directly into the wall on the other side.
"...What?"
Emiya would not believe that he would miss such a simple throw; his distance from the entity was clearly less than twenty meters.
"Your Cursed Tool needs physical contact with the Cursed Technique to take effect, correct? But a barrier is not as shallow as it appears to the naked eye, outsider.
The moment the technique formed, the space you are in was already distorted. Such a monochromatic attack cannot defeat me.
Do not forget where you are."
Truly profound Barrier Techniques may not possess much offensive capability, but as a defense, they are an almost unsolvable existence.
As long as there are enough anchor points, Tengen can shift the barrier's location without limit. Unfortunately, the entire Technical College grounds are almost entirely nodes under its control.
He could have thrown Emiya into an unmanned corner just now, but he didn't do so, only to make the other party realize this point.
"Is that so? A barrier that can move freely?
Then I just need to make sure you can't use it!!!"
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