Gojo stood just outside the door.
From behind the wooden frame, he could hear Subaru's muffled shouting—rage spilling toward Crusch like an overflowing cup. His eyes remained closed, listening.
The door slammed open.
Subaru stormed out, anger burning across his face—until he stopped short.
"G-Gojo-sensei?"
There was hesitation in his voice. Surprise. Maybe even shame.
Is that... sadness in his eyes? Or anger? Both?
Satoru gave a small nod, hands in his pockets.
"I caught the important parts. Sounds like the Witch's Cult is attacking Roswaal's mansion and the village, right?"
Subaru's expression shifted. His eyes widened.
"T-Then... does this mean—?"
Gojo flashed his usual confident grin.
"Is that even a question, dude? What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't have my one and only student's back?"
Subaru froze. His smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
That's what he said last time... and what did I do?
I got him killed. Because of my weakness...
His fists clenched at his sides, brows narrowing into a storm of emotion—determination, guilt, fury.
I'll get stronger.
No matter what it takes.
I'll save Emilia. Rem. Ram. Gojo-sensei. Every last villager. No matter how many times I have to die to do it...
Gojo tilted his head slightly, noticing the shift.
"I like that look."
He smirked.
"You've already bounced back, huh? Just a day ago you were a total wreck."
Subaru met his eyes and gave a crooked smile, raising his fist.
"Heh... what kind of student would I be if I just sat there and gave up, right?"
Gojo chuckled, bumping his fist against Subaru's with a satisfying thud.
"Seems you actually can learn."
"H-Hey!" Subaru grumbled.
Rem giggled softly from nearby.
————————————————
A room in a quiet tavern.
Gojo lay flat on his back across a bed, staring at the ceiling, hands behind his head.
I'm still a little suspicious how Subaru got this information... But if it helps, I won't ask.
Rem sat nearby, concern in her voice.
"Then... Subaru, if what you're saying is true, we don't have much time."
Subaru frowned.
"If..?"
He shook his head, trying not to let the doubt sting.
Rem continued carefully.
"...Shall we return to Roswaal-sama's manor?"
Subaru folded his arms, considering, before slowly shaking his head.
"No. We wouldn't be able to kill them all..."
He looked over at Gojo.
"..Even with Gojo-sensei here..."
Gojo sat up with a curious smirk.
"Oh? You sure you're not underestimating me, dearest student?"
Subaru didn't answer right away. Just stared.
You wouldn't believe me if I told you, he thought.
Finally, he muttered.
"There aren't enough of us."
Gojo shrugged, leaning back casually.
"Well, if you say so."
Subaru's brows furrowed in frustration.
"What's Roswaal even doing right now?"
Rem answered without hesitation.
"Roswaal-sama is traveling. He was summoned to meet with officials in the domain. He won't return for several more days."
Subaru scoffed, folding his arms.
"So that explains why he's doing nothing about the cult attacking his own estate..."
While Subaru moved on quickly, Gojo didn't.
His smirk faded. Eyes narrowed.
Roswaal…
Every time his name comes up, something doesn't add up. If Subaru knows about the Witch's Cult already, then there's no way Roswaal doesn't.
And yet, he's conveniently gone?
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue sharply.
"We need reinforcements. The three of us aren't enough."
Gojo raised a brow, reclining slightly with casual mockery in his tone.
"So by that, you mean... asking the other royal candidates? You know, one of them's literally sitting right here?"
Subaru blinked, then lit up.
"Oh—right! Then maybe you could just... send Reinhard to handle them? He could wipe them out in minutes!"
Gojo's expression faltered, his gaze drifting to the corners of the room.
"Weeeell... funny thing. Reinhard mentioned he'd be just a little busy- said he's out of the capital for now."
My knight really has the worst damn timing.
He shrugged, then added.
"I could call on the Astrea Estate.. but they probably wouldn't make it in time."
Subaru nodded, gears turning in his head.
"No point then, how about—"
"Skip Priscilla Barielle." Gojo cut him off, tone blunt.
"From what I've seen, she wouldn't lift a finger unless it benefitted her directly. She's too self-absorbed—and definitely wouldn't stoop to helping someone she considers beneath her."
"S-Someone like me!?" Subaru snapped.
Gojo raised a hand casually.
"Just calling it like she'd say it. No offense."
He leaned back against the headboard again.
"Your best bet? Anastasia Hoshin. She's a merchant, and probably has a small army of mercenaries just waiting for an excuse to move."
He paused, then frowned.
"But... even then I dunnooo... Especially after that incident between you and her knight."
————————————————
Within the Capital...
Gojo licked his lips, knife and fork in hand as he casually dug into the food before him.
Damn, this stuff's amazing...
He raised his eyes mid-bite—just in time to see the door swing open with a jingle of bells. Subaru stormed in, irritation written all over his face, Rem trailing behind him.
Subaru threw himself into the seat across from Gojo without a word.
Gojo chewed, swallowed, then smirked.
"Sooo... I'm guessing she said no, huh?"
Subaru scowled, slamming his hands on the table.
"No—worse. I tell them the literal Witch's Cult is mobilizing, and they act like I'm warning them about a summer drizzle!"
Gojo calmly raised his drink, took a sip, and only replied after setting it down again.
"To be fair... they're thinking tactically."
He gestured with a single finger.
"They have no real stake in protecting the people at the mansion. Sure, they'd prefer no one dies, but from a political perspective? Emilia dying knocks out a royal rival. It's strategic apathy."
He leaned back with a shrug.
"The only reason I thought they'd help is to publicly boast that they stopped the Witch Cult."
Subaru let out a sigh, slouching in the seat. His eyes shifted to Rem.
"Rem.. How'd it go with the knights?"
Rem hesitated, her posture stiffening slightly.
"As you asked, I reported the Witch's Cult's movements to the knight station under Roswaal-sama's name. But... they said they've already received several anonymous tips. None of them verifiable."
Gojo muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
"That's convenient..."
Subaru clenched his jaw, mind racing.
No army. No allies. No one willing to lift a finger... Then it'll happen again. T he village. The mansion. Rem... murdered. And that man in white—
His eyes snapped toward Gojo—
The memory surged back like a lightning strike.
The way he'd shoved Subaru aside without hesitation…
The explosion of blood, the sickening sound of tearing flesh—
and then—
Half of him. Gone.
The entire left side of his body, eviscerated, as if reality itself had turned on him.
He took a sharp breath, voice steady despite the turmoil in his mind.
"Then we go back. Before they attack. Get Emilia and Ram out... somewhere. I don't care where. Anywhere but there! If we leave now, we can reach the mansion by morning."
————————————————
Later...
The sun bled across the horizon, casting the sprawling plains in brilliant orange. The dragon carriage bumped along the dirt path, wind rustling the grass around them.
Subaru sat up front beside Rem, who held the reins with practiced grace.
Gojo lay sprawled in the back, hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the dusky sky.
Then—
"…Hmm?"
He sat up, eyes narrowing.
Something stirred in the distance—multiple presences. Unfamiliar. Watching.
His gaze locked forward.
Standing by the roadside was a man—green cloak, gray hair tucked under a green hat, smiling like they'd just run into an old friend.
Gojo tilted his head slightly.
"A friend of yours...?"
Subaru leaned forward, squinting.
"... Well.."
————————————————
The gentle chorus of nocturnal wildlife filled the quiet of the forest, a soft contrast to the crackle of the fire at the center of the small camp. Lantern light flickered against the canvas of tents, casting long shadows across the clearing.
This temporary refuge belonged to a small merchant caravan—led by a man named Otto Suwen.
Around the campfire sat Satoru Gojo, Subaru, Rem, and Otto himself, sharing warmth in the cool night air.
Otto broke the silence, voice tinged with unease.
"Are you sure it's wise to travel so late...? The roads can be... unpredictable after dark."
His eyes flicked toward the forest's edge, the fire's light not quite strong enough to reach its depths.
"You're welcome to stay the night. We have extra tents and food to spare."
Satoru remained still, seated with arms crossed, eyes closed as though in meditation. After a moment, he exhaled calmly and spoke.
"We might as well.."
His eyes opened, faintly glowing with their usual cool confidence.
"Even I'd prefer to sleep at night, and though I trust my senses... I don't make a habit of pushing my luck unnecessarily."
Subaru gave a small nod, his expression still tight with thought, but easing slightly at the offer.
Rem glanced toward him for reassurance before relaxing as well.
The fire crackled once more, casting warm light across their faces.
A moment of stillness.
The firelight danced across their faces, flickering gently as the group sat in relative silence.
Then, with a stretch and a soft yawn, Gojo stood up, his voice light but casual.
"Well, before this little talk turns into something serious, I'm gonna go chill for a bit."
Subaru glanced up from the flames, brow raised.
"Eh? Chill where?"
Gojo just offered a lazy wave over his shoulder, already turning away.
"Somewhere quieter. You'll manage without me, right?"
He wandered off without another word, footsteps slow and relaxed, until he reached the outer edge of the camp. There, just beyond the reach of the firelight, he stood—hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the treeline bathed in moonlight.
A breeze moved through the leaves. Stillness followed.
"Hm...?" he murmured.
There were footsteps behind him—soft, deliberate.
He didn't turn around, but he didn't need to. He felt the presence before he heard her voice.
Rem, quiet as ever, stepped up beside him. She said nothing at first, simply stood beside him, looking toward the same distant woods.
The silence between them was not awkward—but unfamiliar.
After a few long seconds, Gojo tilted his head slightly, speaking without looking her way.
"Didn't expect company."
Rem's voice was soft, yet certain.
"You didn't seem like the type to wander off alone without a reason."
A short laugh escaped him, more breath than voice.
"I just like the night, in all honesty. Back where I came from, me and... my best friend would sometimes stay up to gaze at the stars. As if to just... escape reality?"
He trailed off, letting the quiet stretch a little.
"Funny, huh? Even when you've got power—real, terrifying power—it's still easier to lose yourself in the sky than deal with everything down here."
Rem was quiet for a moment, then said,
"I used to do the same. With my sister. We'd sometimes sneak out and sit on the roof of the mansion and just... watch the stars until we fell asleep. We didn't say much. It was just... peaceful."
Gojo's smile turned a touch more genuine, less forced.
"Guess it doesn't matter which world you're from. Peace is peace."
She glanced at him then, really looked—just for a second.
"Was your friend important to you?"
He hesitated, then nodded once.
"Yeah. More than I realized until it was too late."
Rem didn't press. Instead, she spoke gently.
"You seem like someone who's been through a lot. But... still keeps walking forward."
Gojo exhaled through his nose, a faint, wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"That's one way to put it. Or maybe I'm just too stubborn to sit still."
He paused, then looked at her for the first time during the conversation.
"What about you? Why follow me out here?"
She blinked, then returned her gaze to the horizon.
"I don't know," She admitted.
"Maybe... I just didn't want to be alone in my thoughts. Maybe I sensed you didn't either."
That caught him off guard. His smirk faded, replaced by something softer. Quieter.
They stood in silence again—but this time, it wasn't unfamiliar. It was comfortable. Muted understanding.
Then Gojo spoke, voice quieter than before.
"You know, Subaru's lucky. He's got people like you watching his back."
Rem's hands folded neatly in front of her, her expression unreadable, though her voice held warmth.
"He's precious to me. No matter how many times he falls... I want to be someone he can stand back up for."
Gojo nodded slowly.
"Sounds like love."
Rem didn't reply—but her silence said enough.
A breeze stirred the trees again.
"Well," Gojo said, stretching, his tone rising back to its usual casual pitch.
"That's enough brooding under the stars for me. I think I've hit my nightly limit."
Rem turned to follow, her steps light.
"You hide it well, but... you're kind, Gojo-san."
He gave her a sideways glance, one brow raised.
"Tch. Don't ruin my reputation!"
She smiled.
————————————————
The caravan pressed forward through the night, a dozen carriages in tow, wheels crunching over the worn dirt road. Lanterns swayed from the wagons, casting pale light across the passing trees and brush.
.. I guess we aren't waiting until morning then.
"It isn't ideal," Rem said softly, "But if we keep pushing through the night, we should enter the Mathers Domain by dawn."
She glanced toward Subaru, who nodded at her words.
"Subaru, you probably haven't noticed, but there's a map in your bag. Could you take it out and show it to me?"-
"Huh? A map?" Subaru blinked and leaned down, rummaging through the bag until he pulled out a crumpled, folded piece of paper. He tried to flatten it out on his lap but squinted in the dark. "Erk… it's too dark to read."
"Oh, right!"
He flicked open his old flip phone. A dim light shone from the tiny torch at the top.
"You still have that thing?" Gojo's voice suddenly rang out from the side, playful and too close. "Man, I forgot to bring mine when I crossed into this weird fantasy world.. or I lost it."
"GYAAH—!" Subaru yelped, the phone beam illuminating Gojo's grinning face like a ghost story's villain. "What the hell!? Where did you come from!?"
"Climbed out of the back. Ran up here. Now I'm hanging on for dear life," Gojo said, legs dangling precariously off the edge of the moving wagon. He smirked. "Good cardio."
Subaru muttered a laugh. "You're gonna give me a heart attack someday…"
Rem, meanwhile, tilted her head curiously, her blue eyes narrowing at the phone.
"What… is that, Subaru?"
"This? Just a little piece of tech from back home. It's called a cellphone. Not much use here except for the light—and it's almost dead…"
Still, he held it up over the map, casting just enough glow for Rem to examine their route.
"Just a bit more this way," she said, tracing a line with her finger. "We should be able to see Flugel's Tree soon. Once we pass that, we'll be within the Mathers domain."
Gojo's brow furrowed, gaze turning toward the horizon.
"You don't mean that absurdly massive tree stretching into the clouds, do you?"
Subaru let out a tired sigh. "..What do you think?"
Gojo gave a low whistle, but his eyes suddenly narrowed.
"… Something is.."
Subaru swiftly spoke. "Wait… Where's the merchant who was driving beside us?"
Otto, riding a few carriages back, overheard. "Natsuki? What are you talking about? We're the only ones this far forward. No one else was riding next to you.."
Gojo pulled himself along, landing in the back of the carriage, eyes narrowed.
"Should probably look up, you guys-"
Then, without warning, Subaru's light caught something above them.
An eye.
A colossal, golden eye, peering down from the sky with silent malice.
Subaru's breath hitched. Gojo's expression flattened.
"…Shit."
The sky screamed.
Not a voice—a vibration, deep and raw, shaking the air itself. Mist exploded outward from the eye's direction, a blast of pressure and fog that hit like a tidal wave.
Subaru was thrown from his feet, tumbling backward across the wooden carriage bed.
"What the hell—!?"
Rem launched into motion without hesitation, catching Subaru mid-air and yanking him down with her. The force of the wind ripped through their surroundings, uplifting chunks of the ground and rattling wagons before they collapsed into the suffocating white mist.
Gojo's hair whipped wildly in the gale. His hands were already rising, fingers poised in preparation.
Gojo stared up into the dense white fog, hair whipping violently in the wind, his cerulean eyes sharpening with focused clarity.
A grin slowly tugged at the edge of his lips.
Massive, unmistakable…
A floating, nightmarish behemoth. A whale—no, the White Whale, its massive form veiled behind clouds of churning mist, like a ghost summoned from the sky itself.
The fog poured from its body in endless plumes, blanketing the ground and swallowing the stars above.
"Ahh… that's right." Gojo's grin widened as his fingers flexed outward. "It's my prey~"
He tilted his head.
"Hides pretty damn well, though…"
"D-Do you see the White Whale!?" Subaru's voice cracked through the roaring wind, his hands dug deep into the wood of the wagon, trying not to get flung into the air.
Rem, struggling to keep her footing, eyes wild and darting, shook her head.
"I can't see anything in this fog… It's too dark!"
"Damn it! And we just found transportation too!"
Then, it roared again.
A scream that wasn't sound, but pressure.
It hit them like a tremor in the soul, deep and primal—forceful enough to rattle bones and shake the carriages' wheels off the earth for a moment.
Gojo's expression dropped.
"These things really aren't helping at the dead of night…"
He reached up, calmly removing his sunglasses, letting them slide down to hang from his collar.
And then he saw it.
The jaws.
Massive, gaping, lined with teeth the size of trees—parting through the mist just in time for Subaru's body to be ripped loose by the sheer gale, flung directly toward the monster's open maw.
"SUBARU!!"
Rem screamed, her voice cracking into desperation.
SWOOSH-
Gojo raised a single hand.
"Blue."
A translucent sphere of force erupted from his palm—dense and glowing azure, like a fragment of his very gaze. It shimmered in the air and then snapped, pulling Subaru backward with impossible force in an instant-
Subaru's eyes widened—his body flung back like a ragdoll, but then caught midair. Gojo's hand gripped his tightly when he was pulled within arms reach and yanked him back to safety.
"Yo," Gojo said coolly, with a grin.
Before Subaru could even exhale in relief—
"REM!!"
He screamed again—this time in awe, fear, and disbelief.
She had already jumped. Purposefully, however.
A streak of blue and white launched from the carriage, her spiked flail spinning midair before latching into the side of the whale's massive head with a sickening THUNK-!
The creature screeched—less in pain, more in irritation—as the chain tightened and Rem yanked herself forward, the gleam of her horn flickering at her forehead.
Her weapon tore free with a trail of dark blood.
Then she twisted in the air, flipping backward off the whale's body and landing back onto the carriage's roof—her boots skidding with friction, weapon ready again.
Gojo was still, processing everything in milliseconds.
Calculating. Every outcome. Every angle. Every consequence.
He looked at Subaru, gaze deadly serious.
"You should probably hold on."
"Huh—WAI—"
WHUMP.
Gojo threw him. With casual brutality, he flung Subaru backward across the length of the wagon, where he hit the other side with a grunt—but safe.
And then—
BOOM!
Gojo launched off the ground.
His figure blurred, purple coat whipping, streaking through the air like a comet with a grin carved into his face and death in his eyes.
"GOJO-SENSEI!!" Subaru shouted from the floor of the carriage.
In the distance, the White Whale roared again—its massive form peeling from the fog like a continent drifting through clouds.
Satoru hummed to himself mid-air.
"…When they said 'White Whale,' I thought it was just a nickname…"
He smirked.
"…Guess I forgot this was a fantasy world."