Chapter 72: The "Betrayal" of the Four Special Grade Sorcerers
The light from the Cursed Techniques was dazzling. Purplish-black, red, and blue lights intertwined. Even people without Cursed Technique talent could perceive the colossal, almost materialized Cursed Energy.
The Sorcerers responsible for cordoning off the area looked at the dark, thunderous, cloud-covered sky—a scene of doomsday where angry gods fought each other. Large beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads.
"Every single one of them is a monster."
The Sorcerers who could fight at that level with Cursed Spirits were truly monsters among monsters. Sometimes, staff members of the Sorcerer Association needed a good mindset, otherwise, they could easily be overwhelmed. They often wondered if they, as weak Sorcerers, really needed to risk their lives when there were such powerful Sorcerers around.
Suddenly, the Sorcerers heard the roar of a motorcycle in the distance, and soon a blonde woman wearing a motorcycle helmet arrived at the scene. She was a tall, beautiful woman in her forties, wearing overalls and a high-neck, off-the-shoulder uniform. The muscles on her arms looked quite firm.
"Hello, please open the barricade and let me through."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, the road ahead is blocked."
Unexpectedly, the blonde woman took out her identification from her pocket and handed it over. It showed her ID card and credentials. The blonde woman winked at them.
"I can go in now, right?"
The Sorcerer guarding the entrance looked at the ID card the woman produced with surprise. The Sorcerer grade written on the credentials read "Special Grade."
"Special Grade?"
This person had been idle overseas, and few Sorcerers knew her. This time, she had been drafted by the Sorcerer Association.
Okkotsu Yuta slowly opened his eyes, looking at the completely scorched earth of the ruins before him. The tall buildings that once stood were now fragmented and smoking, as if they had been subjected to heavy bombing.
"Where is this?"
The stark contrast made Okkotsu Yuta unable to believe that this was the peaceful world he knew. Was this not the hospital? Why did it look so much like scorched ruins? Furthermore, Hikigaya Hachiman had given Okkotsu Yuta a large dose of stimulating drugs to wake him up, making his head feel heavy and his vision very blurred.
"Whoa, our Sleeping Prince is finally awake."
Gojo Satoru, who was severely suppressing Orimoto Rika with his Cursed Energy, noticed Okkotsu Yuta was awake and immediately joked.
Okkotsu Yuta focused his gaze on the strange man with white hair and blue eyes. His pupils involuntarily constricted.
"Rika?"
In Okkotsu Yuta's sight, a massive blue barrier covered the man's hand, and trapped within the barrier, unable to move, was Rika. Rika was covered in blood, bruised all over. The muscles in her hands were tightly strained as she resisted Gojo Satoru's attack, but it was futile. He knew how powerful his childhood friend was. No matter how absurd the Cursed Spirit, once it coveted Okkotsu Yuta's Cursed Energy and tried to rush him, Orimoto Rika could always kill those overestimating Cursed Spirits with a single slap.
But at this moment, Orimoto Rika's gaze was still intensely fixed on her lover, Okkotsu Yuta, showing truly deep affection.
"Yuta!"
Gojo Satoru was simply continuously releasing Cursed Energy, creating a pressure similar to a shockwave, relentlessly pressing down on Orimoto Rika, preventing her from moving.
Gojo Satoru's excessive Cursed Energy output covered an area of nearly thirty meters, unleashing Cursed Energy as if it were free. If Hayasaka Ai's total Cursed Energy after awakening her technique was considered, the amount of Cursed Energy Gojo Satoru mobilized every second would be enough for Hayasaka Ai to use for a month. This was why Orimoto Rika was only suppressed and unable to move. If it were any other Special Grade Cursed Spirit, it wouldn't last even twenty seconds before being completely crushed by this fierce Cursed Energy torrent.
Although the consumption was huge, Gojo Satoru had no alternative. Orimoto Rika, upon seeing Hikigaya Hachiman feeding Okkotsu Yuta some unknown medicine, immediately went berserk, acting as if she would eat people.
"Don't feed Yuta strange things!"
Orimoto Rika roared loudly, making Gojo Satoru and Hikigaya Hachiman look like great villains. If he could, Gojo Satoru would also like to construct a bloody spear, like Hikigaya Hachiman, and pin Orimoto Rika to the wall. But he couldn't, which is why he resorted to this continuous Cursed Energy output.
"Okkotsu Yuta."
The sudden serious voice made Okkotsu Yuta instinctively stand up straight.
"Yes!"
"You see the current situation.
Orimoto Rika went berserk while you were unconscious. We need you to regain control of Orimoto Rika and stop her rampage."
The boy's appearance was exactly as Hikigaya Hachiman expected.
When he served as the Student Council Chairman in Shuchiin's first year, he had rich experience dealing with students.
Hikigaya Hachiman clearly knew what kind of contact method to use with what kind of student.
This Okkotsu Yuta, who was sure to join the Sorcerer Association as a Special Grade Sorcerer, was, to be honest, more timid than expected upon first meeting.
His deep dark circles, slouching posture, and overall lack of confidence gave people the impression that he would be easy to bully. This type of timid student needed to be slightly stricter with, letting him know what kind of trouble he caused so he would do his best to fix it.
Fortunately, those guys (the three dead Sorcerers) knew their limits and didn't provoke Okkotsu Yuta while he was awake. That was one less trouble for the Sorcerer Association. Hikigaya Hachiman had already shown their sincerity. If it were left to him, Okkotsu Yuta might not have even seen a Orimoto Rika with all her limbs intact.
Okkotsu Yuta's head was already heavy, and now it felt even heavier. He had a vague bad feeling. Could it be that all these apocalyptic scenes were caused by Rika?
Hikigaya Hachiman saw through his thoughts and nodded at him.
"Yes."
Before Okkotsu Yuta's heart could sink, Gojo Satoru's next words were a deadly blow, almost making Okkotsu Yuta faint again.
"If you don't stop Rika, you might have to pay a lot, a lot of money." Gojo Satoru spoke in a tone used to scare children. But he actually just wanted to bully Orimoto Rika, who had no concept of restraint.
In reality, most of the destroyed buildings were caused by Gojo Satoru.
"They could sell you, and I don't know if you could afford the compensation."
"But I don't know... if Rika will listen to me."
Long-term passive obedience made Okkotsu Yuta not overthink the background of the people in front of him. He was simply terrified by the destruction Orimoto Rika had caused. Rika had never caused such massive destruction before, and he had to pay a lot of money.
This made an ordinary high school student feel utterly dizzy.
"Don't scare him." Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head. Gojo Satoru really couldn't stop playing tricks for a moment.
"How would you know if you don't try? Besides, you're the only one who can do this."
"Isn't Orimoto Rika your girlfriend?" Hikigaya Hachiman said to Gojo Satoru, not giving Okkotsu Yuta time to think. "Remove the barrier. Let our protagonist do his thing."
"Wait." Okkotsu Yuta immediately became flustered and panicked.
"Alright." Gojo Satoru also didn't give Okkotsu Yuta time to think and replied to Hikigaya Hachiman. "Remember to protect me later, Hachiman. An enraged Cursed Spirit can be terrifying."
After saying that, Gojo Satoru chuckled and immediately removed the barrier. Orimoto Rika, freed from the barrier's suppression, could no longer restrain her anger.
"I'll kill you!!!" Orimoto Rika roared, wanting to tear Gojo Satoru to shreds.
"So terrifying." Gojo Satoru clapped his hands and instantly teleported next to Hikigaya Hachiman. " Hachiman-nii-chan is the strongest!"
Orimoto Rika raised her claw high and swung, missing, but her Cursed Energy destroyed a nearby dilapidated building.
Okkotsu Yuta, already trembling, felt his heart sink even further. So they were telling the truth. Rika's destructive power was indeed capable of destroying these high-rise buildings.
"Rika-chan!
Stop it right now, I'm angry."
As Orimoto Rika's boyfriend, he didn't even know how much money he would have to pay for this damage. It was very likely he would spend the rest of his life in prison, making Okkotsu Yuta feel that the world had turned completely dark.
The previously furious Orimoto Rika, who wanted to seek justice from Gojo Satoru, instantly looked completely terrified. She immediately leaped from the air back to the ground and circled around Okkotsu Yuta.
"I'm sorry, it was my fault." Orimoto Rika's voice was trembling as she spoke. Seeing such a massive, sharp-toothed, sharp-clawed monster circling Okkotsu Yuta and cautiously apologizing was truly a jarring sight.
"Please don't be angry." As Orimoto Rika spoke, tears or large drops of sweat continuously dripped from her forehead. "Please don't hate Rika." Her serpentine tail wrapped around Okkotsu Yuta, very carefully.
"See? The power of money is the most effective." Gojo Satoru elbowed Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Orimoto Rika cautiously apologizing in front of Okkotsu Yuta. This subtle feeling was as ridiculous as watching a giant Ork bowing and scraping to a Grot.
Gojo Satoru smiled slightly as he looked at Okkotsu Yuta.
Sure enough, he was right.
Okkotsu Yuta could completely control Orimoto Rika.
"It's a shame for a talent like this to be ruined by those old geezers." Gojo Satoru extended an invitation to Hikigaya Hachiman. "Okkotsu Yuta is one of us. The three of us can definitely reform the Sorcerer Association."
With three Special Grade Sorcerers here, he didn't even know what the Sorcerer Association could say.
"The tide of the times is irreversible."
"There you go again." Hikigaya Hachiman even felt that Gojo Satoru was trying to revolutionise himself. The Sorcerer Association was a community of interests pushed by the ancient clans, led by the Three Great Families, to serve their established interests. The Gojo family was one of the Three Great Families.
"Instead of reforming, you might as well replace it." Although he was ashamed of the betrayal of Horus and his forces, if the goal was to be achieved quickly, force was indeed the fastest way.
But Gojo Satoru was a guy who disliked armed conflict.
"I stand by what I said: if you want to kill all those old geezers in the Sorcerer Association's higher-ups, I have no objection.
Or, you could establish a new organization and seize all the authority of the Sorcerer Association."
Hikigaya Hachiman thought of a particularly rebellious event: during the Imperial Civil War, his Blood Angels, the Dark Angels, and the Ultramarines legions had converged.
Robert Guilliman of the Ultramarines learned that the Imperium had been ignited by the Horus Heresy and came up with a particularly audacious idea: why not have the three legions form a Second Imperium?
At that time, the Imperium hadn't even fallen yet, and Robert Guilliman had already established the Second Imperium, even proposing that Sanguinius, the Primarch of the Blood Angels Legion, serve as the Regent of the Second Imperium.
Sanguinius naturally refused, but the "Lion" (Lion El'Jonson) finally agreed to become the Regent for the Second Imperium founded by Robert Guilliman.
It was so rebellious.
If Hikigaya Hachiman didn't know that the Ultramarines were absolutely loyalists, he would have thought the Ultramarines had betrayed the Imperium long ago. The time wasted on this Second Imperium was the reason why they didn't arrive at Terra earlier, even with the Warp being blocked by the Chaos Gods.
However, this was a point that could be referenced. After all, the Imperium at the time had many flaws, and Guilliman didn't want to completely copy the Emperor's design.
This was mainly because the Emperor held absolute, supreme power and micromanaged everything. His every command was truth. Therefore, some Primarchs were dissatisfied, disappointed, and even disgusted with the Emperor. And when these Primarchs, already dissatisfied with the Emperor, heard that Horus was rebelling, they naturally answered the call.
Therefore, using force is always the fastest way to achieve a goal, regardless of the time. It was just a matter of killing. Relying on "enlightenment" or "education," who knows how long that would take. Gojo Satoru was also an idealist.
Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly heard the sound of a motorcycle.
"Oh, you guys solved it?"
Appearing on the scene was a blonde woman Hikigaya Hachiman had never met before, but due to having seen the Kamo family's files on Special Grade Sorcerers, he was not surprised by her identity.
He was just curious why this Special Grade Sorcerer would appear here.
Tsukumo Yuki was the earliest Special Grade Sorcerer in the Sorcerer Association. She was already a Special Grade Sorcerer when Gojo Satoru was a student, and she was also Todo Aoi 's master. Hikigaya Hachiman was meeting her for the first time. She was tall with a large backside, and he thought he finally knew where Aoi Todo got his fetish from—it came from his master, Tsukumo Yuki.
A bone-white, snake-like mechanical Shikigami floated beside Tsukumo Yuki.
"Since this is the first time meeting the two gentlemen, let me introduce myself." Tsukumo Yuki got off her motorcycle and chuckled. "My name is Tsukumo Yuki, and I'm a freelance Sorcerer."
Gojo Satoru was not particularly fond of this newcomer because half of the distorted belief held by Suguru Geto—that all ordinary people should die and that a world only for Sorcerers should be created—was provided by this blonde woman.
"What are you doing here?"
Although Okkotsu Yuta saw a smiling older sister arrive, he noticed the change in their expressions.
"Don't be nervous, Gojo. I just got off the plane at the airport, and those old geezers clamored for me to come take a look."
Tsukumo Yuki was a freelance Sorcerer, meaning she was the same type of Sorcerer as Mei Mei, accepting hire. However, Tsukumo Yuki had always been idle and never accepted assignments from the Sorcerer Association.
Today, she suddenly appeared here, which was quite unprecedented.
"I didn't expect to see such an interesting thing returning to the country." Tsukumo Yuki smiled and said, "Are you the new Special Grade? You feel so strong."
Tsukumo Yuki was very outgoing. Even though it was their first meeting, she wasn't distant at all.
"You're dating a Cursed Spirit, amazing, boy."
"The only woman Yuta loves is me!" Orimoto Rika angrily answered for Okkotsu Yuta.
But with Tsukumo Yuki's appearance, a sudden loud commotion erupted in the sky. It was the sound of helicopters. Gojo Satoru frowned when he saw the symbols painted on the two helicopters.
"The Sorcerer Association's direct unit."
Soon, two transport helicopters landed on the scorched ruins. Many cold-faced, robot-like Sorcerers disembarked from them. They were all wearing specific uniforms, and the armor-like material outside was a costly defensive Cursed Tool.
Leading them was a bald man with many scar-like marks on his head. His eyes were cold, and his expression was full of arrogance.
"Gojo Satoru and 'The Emperor's Cleaner,' you've done well. The Sorcerer Association will now take custody of the Special Grade Cursed User, Okkotsu Yuta."
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Gojo Satoru.
'You don't seek them, but they come to you to demand custody.'
Of course, the bald man's tone also made Hachiman feel displeased. Hikigaya Hachiman now understood why Tsukumo Yuki had been called by the Sorcerer Association—she was called to back up these Sorcerer Association direct unit members.
Only a Special Grade could deal with a Special Grade.
"Okkotsu Yuta, I am here to declare the Sorcerer Association's judgment on you. Your reckless use of Cursed Spirit power has resulted in over 40 casualties, causing significant socio-economic property damage and a serious social impact.
You are now to be arrested and brought to justice."
Okkotsu Yuta's face immediately turned panicked, and his entire body trembled when he heard that these fierce-looking people were here for him.
'They are really overestimating themselves.'
Although Tsukumo Yuki's Cursed Technique was unknown, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't think she could easily suppress Orimoto Rika like Gojo Satoru and himself could.
"Wait, isn't this the Sorcerer Association's negligence? How dare you pass the buck?"
Gojo Satoru was also a little angry. It was clearly the Sorcerer Association's negligence that provoked Okkotsu Yuta. Shouldn't the casualties caused during this period be entirely the Sorcerer Association's responsibility?
"I don't know what you are talking about, Gojo Satoru. Mind your position. Okkotsu Yuta is now the culprit of the entire Sorcerer Association."
One of the people dispatched by the Sorcerer Association (Nishida Koji) turned into a Cursed Spirit and killed over forty ordinary people. This caused a severely negative impact and could only be blamed on Okkotsu Yuta.
"Even if he is a culprit, who says I can't protect him?" Gojo Satoru's temper immediately flared up.
"Where did you come from?" Hikigaya Hachiman retorted. "According to your authority, you can't speak to us on behalf of your superiors, can you?"
This statement left the bald captain quite speechless, but it was true.
The Emperor's Cleaner was special, and this bald man couldn't afford to provoke him. So, he showed a look of helplessness, pulled out a small box from his pocket, and threw it onto the ground.
This was a projection Cursed Technique that transmitted the scene of a specific coordinate in real-time.
Soon, eight window-like screens appeared around everyone. These screens did not show the figures of the Sorcerers behind them, only vague silhouettes. The people behind these eight screens were the higher-ups of the Sorcerer Association.
"Gojo Satoru, mind your attitude. Don't forget that we are going to execute Okkotsu Yuta."
"Okkotsu Yuta has already caused such serious destruction to society, and you still intend to shelter him?"
"Orimoto Rika was completely out of control for 48 minutes. The compensation for the damage caused every second is calculated in the hundreds of millions."
Okkotsu Yuta's face instantly turned pale when he heard this terrifying number. As for speaking to Hikigaya Hachiman, the higher-up of the Sorcerer Association was not as aggressive.
"Your Excellency, this is an internal matter of our Sorcerer Association. Please refrain from intervening."
"After the Okkotsu Yuta incident is resolved, the Higher-ups will confer upon you the title of Special Grade Sorcerer."
The Sorcerer Association wanted to kill Okkotsu Yuta simply because they felt he was a very unstable factor that, once triggered, would destroy the entire Sorcery world. Only Gojo Satoru and Tsukumo Yuki in the entire Sorcerer Association could handle the Curse Queen. No matter how many other Sorcerers there were, they would only die.
The only thing the Sorcerer Association could do was to kill Okkotsu Yuta before he fully matured.
"Do you think I care about such a thing?"
They were actually offering him such a pie-in-the-sky promise. Hilarious. Don't offer it if you can't deliver. Hikigaya Hachiman was once a Legion Champion, who had countless honors accompany him throughout his life. He truly disdained possessing the title of "Strongest in a rural area."
Hearing this, the old Sorcerers felt they couldn't even maintain their dignity.
These old men, who were usually very corrupt and bad-tempered, coughed awkwardly, which was an unusual reaction, and didn't say much more.
The truth was that two of the ten members of the Sorcerer Association's Higher-ups who had spoken disrespectfully to Hikigaya Hachiman were found dead in their homes that very night.
Since then, the old geezers in the Sorcerer Association all knew.
Gojo Satoru always made threats but never acted on them, while Hikigaya Hachiman was the type who was dangerous and didn't talk much, sending you straight to your seven-day funeral.
"In short, Yuki, assist Kishida in recovering Okkotsu Yuta."
But unexpectedly, Tsukumo Yuki, who had been observing and seemed to be watching a joke from the side, shook her head faster than a rattle drum at this moment. She flat-out refused.
"No, I can't do it!
I don't want to get involved in your internal matters."
Tsukumo Yuki's tone was full of helplessness. She truly didn't want to join this drama.
"I'm a free agent; I don't stand on any side." From the special attitude of those old geezers toward the stern-faced young man, Tsukumo Yuki knew that the handsome young man was definitely not someone to mess with.
One Gojo Satoru was already difficult enough. Did these old geezers think she had three heads and six arms to fight another powerhouse of unknown background?
After saying that, Tsukumo Yuki put her helmet back on and left immediately. But she didn't forget to say to Hikigaya Hachiman, "Don't forget to tell me next time what kind of woman you like."
"Hahaha." Gojo Satoru laughed a few times when he saw that the trump card prepared by the old geezers had also refused the Sorcerer Association.
"I will stand on Okkotsu Yuta's side. If you want to touch him, come and try. I will kill all of you."
Not a single one of the three Special Grade Sorcerers associated with the Sorcerer Association obeyed the orders of the Sorcerer Association—it was a complete abandonment.
The betrayal of the three Special Grade Sorcerers proved just how poorly these old geezers behaved normally. When they truly needed people, not a single person followed their orders.
Counting Okkotsu Yuta, that made four Special Grade Sorcerers.
Gojo Satoru then announced Okkotsu Yuta's allegiance.
"Okkotsu Yuta will be taken into custody by us at the Tokyo Jujutsu High School. Don't bother yourselves."
Hikigaya Hachiman then said to the confused Okkotsu Yuta, "Jujutsu High is a school. There, you will learn how to use this power that belongs to you."
The Sorcerer Association, knowing that they had lost the advantage, quickly left, as the transport helicopters came and went in a hurry.
The Sorcerer Association's direct unit was the armed force actually controlled by the higher-ups. Losing them here would be a huge loss.
"That felt great!" Gojo Satoru couldn't help but stretch.
The scene he just witnessed made him feel immensely satisfied. He laughed every time he thought of the Sorcerer Association's old geezers being angry but dare not to speak, and quickly vanishing. Every time, those old geezers ruined his mood.
Now that they were the ones with the bad mood, Gojo Satoru was happy.
A cheerful Gojo Satoru looked to be in a very good mood. He enthusiastically put his arm around Okkotsu Yuta.
"Now you know, with our Hachiman-nii-chan here, no one dares to touch you."
Okkotsu Yuta couldn't quite endure Gojo Satoru's enthusiasm, feeling like he was about to be strangled.
"Gojo-sensei, it's too tight."
After the tense episode, Okkotsu Yuta also knew that these two harbored no ill will towards him and even wanted to teach him how to control this power. Most importantly, Okkotsu Yuta wouldn't have to compensate for the damage Orimoto Rika caused. Thus, he was very grateful to them. Okkotsu Yuta thought silently as he looked at Hikigaya Hachiman and Gojo Satoru, "They are really good people."
"Ah, sorry." Gojo Satoru proposed to Hikigaya Hachiman, "Yuta-kun, Hachiman, let's go get some late-night food!"
"I know a really good place."
"No thanks."
"Don't be so awkward. Let's go together."
" Hachiman-nii-chan, my treat."
"Don't call me such a silly name." Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head, but in the end, he couldn't resist Gojo Satoru's enthusiasm and was taken away by him.
Finally, the three arrived at a storefront. Okkotsu Yuta, still a good, obedient student, immediately pointed out, "Gojo-sensei, isn't this an Izakaya? I'm not old enough to drink."
"No, this is not an Izakaya. I always bring my students here to eat."
"The grilled food here is exceptional." Gojo Satoru pushed Okkotsu Yuta and Hikigaya Hachiman inside from behind.
The shop wasn't large, with only a dozen tables, but the small restaurant's business was excellent. Both the connected seats and separate tables were basically full. Hikigaya Hachiman saw many office workers, some students in school uniforms, and even family groups of three. It was a small restaurant full of life and should not be an Izakaya.
Among the customers, there was even a short, red-haired girl who looked like a small potato. One couldn't tell if she was even in high school. She was with her two friends.
Of course, Hikigaya Hachiman also saw a familiar figure, which surprised him because, given her young lady status, she didn't seem like the type to visit such a small restaurant.
Gojo Satoru noticed the Owner coming and greeted her, "Owner, three of us. Do you still have a private room?" Gojo Satoru clearly looked like a regular customer.
The Owner's face lit up when she saw Gojo Satoru, but after hearing what he said, she quickly showed an apologetic expression. "I'm very sorry, Gojo-sensei.
There are too many customers tonight. Forget about private rooms; even the main hall is full."
"I see." Gojo Satoru's smile froze, but he suddenly thought of something and said, "We can share a table."
"But it seems there are no gentlemen dining alone." Gojo Satoru had three gentlemen, so naturally, they couldn't be recommended to sit next to female customers, right?
"My apologies." Gojo Satoru sighed upon hearing this. He said to Hikigaya Hachiman and Okkotsu Yuta, "Then it seems we can't eat here today. Let's try another place."
"Wait, I know the customer at that table." Hikigaya Hachiman didn't want the hassle. Sharing a table was best, but if they couldn't, it was no big deal. He pointed to a brown-haired girl sitting alone in the corner, staring blankly at her phone, not interested in the generous amount of food she had ordered.
"Owner, can you help us ask if we can share a table with her?" Hikigaya Hachiman's words made Gojo Satoru and Okkotsu Yuta look over. They saw a very beautiful brown-haired girl, though for some reason, she looked very sad.
As for Gojo Satoru, he thought that if this girl's Cursed Technique had awakened, she would definitely be a good Sorcerer prospect.
Her distorted Cursed Energy was quite rich.
The Owner nodded after hearing him and went to ask Hikigaya Hachiman. The girl was quite surprised to hear someone wanted to share a table. She looked up and saw Hikigaya Hachiman waving at her. Since she knew him, although slightly surprised, she quickly agreed.
"Thank you, Nagasaki-san." Hikigaya Hachiman thanked Nagasaki Soyo.
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