HRU: Chapter 144/145

Chapter 144: I Get a Headache When I Think of Tengen

"I'm your girlfriend. I stayed by your side when you were injured and unconscious. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Yuki's face was full of smiles, and her tone still carried the same casual charm as before.

Satoshi immediately felt a headache coming on. Hadn't he already won the bet before and made her promise not to bring this up again?

No matter how you looked at it, Yuki really shouldn't be staying at the Yorozuya.

"Satoshi, you're awake!"

The sudden appearance of Satoru interrupted Satoshi's thoughts before he could press the issue further.

"Satoru, you're out?"

At the final stage of Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai, although he had remained conscious on the surface, in truth he had been fighting purely on instinct.

He didn't even know whose arms he had collapsed into or who had arrived to support him at the scene. He had no memory of what had happened afterward.

Now, seeing that Satoru had emerged from his retreat, a twinge of guilt stirred within him. Satoru was supposed to be focused on mastering Blue right now.

Did the emergency message he'd sent through his Zanpakutō interrupt Satoru's training?

Satoru sensed Satoshi's emotional fluctuations. As twins, their bond allowed him to understand Satoshi's thoughts with ease.

He smiled and said softly, "I've already mastered the basics of the technique. Once you've recovered, I can teach you some of the theory behind it. Wasn't that what you wanted to learn?"

Satoshi's eyes lit up with surprise. He hadn't expected Satoru to master it so quickly. Then again, it made perfect sense. Satoru was the most gifted sorcerer of this era. He couldn't be measured by ordinary standards.

So, this was the key to learning Shunpo?

A moment later, Shunichi and Toji also entered the room. Yuki tactfully stood up and returned to her own room.

"Toji, what's going on with this Yuki? Why is she staying at the Yorozuya?"

As soon as Yuki left, Satoshi voiced the question that had been bothering him.

Hearing that, Shunichi and Satoru both froze slightly. Something didn't feel right.

Judging from Satoshi's tone, the relationship between him and Yuki didn't seem as close as they'd been led to believe.

But previously, Yuki had clearly claimed to be Satoshi's girlfriend—and Toji had confirmed it as well.

The two of them turned toward Toji, waiting for his explanation.

"Yuki is Lord Tengen's envoy."

"She's the Star Plasma Vessel."

"She's powerful. Stronger than both of you right now."

Toji laid down three simple facts, then said nothing more.

"Okay, but why did you just go along with her saying she's Satoshi's girlfriend? Satoru narrowed his eyes, and Satoshi's body visibly stiffened at the reminder."

Toji frowned. "We didn't know where the curse user who attacked Satoshi came from, nor whether they would return. In that situation, why wouldn't we let someone like Yuki stay to protect him?"

A hint of irritation flashed across Toji's face.

"Besides, I never said Yuki was Satoshi's girlfriend. You're the ones who jumped to that conclusion."

"You went along with it!" Satoru shot back, displeased as he recalled the earlier exchange.

Toji rolled his eyes. "If I was weaker than her, there'd be no point in playing along. I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm the strongest. From a protection standpoint, having one more person on our side can only help."

Satoshi let out a silent sigh. He hadn't expected Yuki to have such a background.

He had known Yuki's identity from the original story, but he hadn't imagined she'd show up here, as Tengen's personal envoy.

If that was the case, then Toji had good reason to let her stay.

But the problem wasn't her identity. It was Yuki's attitude.

He could only hope this "girlfriend" label hadn't spread beyond the Yorozuya…

But the moment that hope surfaced, Satoru's next words shattered it completely.

"Actually, because of all the confusion you two caused, the entire Tokyo jujutsu community now thinks you and Yuki are an item."

"Even the Tsukumo clan of Kyoto has sent formal greetings to the Gojo clan."

Toji crossed his arms, his expression flat. "Gossip doesn't matter. Safety comes first. And wasn't it the Gojo clan themselves who took the lead in spreading it?"

Satoru fell silent. It was true. Without their clan fanning the flames, the rumor wouldn't have spread like wildfire through Tokyo's jujutsu world.

From a public standpoint, Satoshi and Yuki were a good match. The only jarring factor was their age difference.

Seeing Satoru speechless, Satoshi realized things had spiraled out of his control.

He'd only been unconscious for a couple of days, and somehow Yuki had become his "girlfriend" and the entire jujutsu world believed it.

He didn't dislike Yuki, but he definitely felt like he'd been railroaded into something he hadn't agreed to.

Is this what she was aiming for?

But... would a girl really go that far?

Does she truly have feelings for me?

Satoshi felt he needed to have a proper conversation with Yuki.

And as Tengen's envoy, he still didn't know what her mission was, or what Tengen's intentions were for involving her with him.

Even as a reincarnator, Satoshi couldn't disregard the role Tengen had played in shaping the modern sorcery world.

Without Tengen, the balance that currently existed in the jujutsu world might never have formed.

But the very thought of meeting Tengen made Satoshi uncomfortable.

That strange figure with a square head and multiple eyes… was hard to stomach.

If he really had to meet Tengen face to face, he would need to mentally prepare himself first.

"Satoshi, you just woke up. Get some rest."

Seeing that he was clearly agitated, Satoru and the others chose to leave and give him some space.

"Toji, can you call Yuki for me? I have something to ask her."

A glint of amusement appeared in Toji's eyes as he nodded. He was curious to see what would unfold between Yuki and Satoshi.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 145: Can't Star Plasma Vessels Fall in Love?

While waiting for Yuki, Satoshi was deep in thought about his future plans.

This recent ambush by Kenjaku had been dangerously close.

Because Kenjaku hadn't targeted young Satoru in the original timeline, Satoshi had never taken him seriously. But after this encounter, he realized he could no longer afford to be so careless.

Kenjaku's goal had been crystal clear—his Zanpakutō.

Since gaining recognition for creating Zanpakutō, it was inevitable he would draw attention. It was only natural for someone like Kenjaku to covet such a power.

He had to admit, Kenjaku's taste was impeccable. The moment he laid eyes on Ryūjin Jakka, he wanted it for himself.

If not for the system's restriction on transferring ownership, once Ryūjin Jakka fell into Kenjaku's hands, that old bastard would basically become invincible.

Satoshi could only be thankful he survived. Had he failed, not only would he be unable to change Satoru's fate, he would have died before doing anything significant.

Fortunately, Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai awakened at the critical moment. Its full release proved incredibly powerful. If Kenjaku were to attack again, as long as he held some trump cards in reserve, Sode no Shirayuki might just be able to handle him.

Currently, the only one in the jujutsu world who could rival Sode no Shirayuki might be Toji, whose physical prowess was at its peak.

Satoru had already mastered Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, and Satoshi was confident he could make rapid progress in Shunpo next.

This time, he was determined to master Shunpo. The art of instantaneous movement was always useful. If you couldn't win, then the next best thing was to escape quickly.

He had only been caught this time because of his poor mastery of Hohō.

If he had been more proficient, he would have fled the moment something felt off.

This battle against Kenjaku made Satoshi painfully aware of his current shortcomings.

There was no such thing as a truly omnipotent fighter in the world. Still, he had the system, and he had mastered Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kidō.

So why not become as all-rounded as possible?

Thinking of Itadori Kaori, whose body was now under Kenjaku's control, Satoshi's eyes narrowed slightly.

Since Kenjaku dared to attack him, he had no choice but to respond in kind. Otherwise, it would make him seem like someone easily manipulated.

Now that Kenjaku was using Itadori Kaori's body, he was most likely living with her family.

While Satoshi didn't know the exact location, he remembered Itadori Yuji would eventually study in Sendai. That likely meant the Itadori family resided there.

Kenjaku, if you won't let me live in peace, then don't expect a quiet life for yourself either.

Although he couldn't defeat Kenjaku just yet, after this attack, he wouldn't let Kenjaku or his host family off easy.

He might even interfere with the birth of Itadori Yuji. Let's see how Kenjaku's grand plans go without a proper vessel.

A cold gleam flashed in Satoshi's eyes. He hadn't retaliated yet, and already Kenjaku had made a move. This clearly showed their current level of strength wasn't enough to be a deterrent.

In the future, he, Satoru, and Toji all needed to continue growing stronger.

Letting others attack you whenever they please… that was just pathetic.

I need to raise my compatibility with Ryūjin Jakka as fast as possible. I have to unlock its Bankai soon.

While Satoshi was thinking, Yuki stepped into the room.

Seeing this tall, stunning woman, Satoshi felt a bit helpless. Still, there was an inexplicable sense of pride in being associated with someone so beautiful.

But he needed to understand Yuki's intentions and what Tengen had sent her here to do.

"Sit down."

Satoshi adjusted his posture and motioned for Yuki to take a seat.

Yuki smiled and sat down quietly, unusually well-behaved. It was almost like the person who had boldly called herself his girlfriend before was someone else entirely.

"Miss Yuki, I'm now your so-called 'boyfriend' in name only. Tell me, what did Lord Tengen send you here for? Surely it wasn't just to fall in love with me?"

Yuki cleared her throat, about to answer, but Satoshi's next words cut her off.

"Do Star Plasma Vessels even have the freedom to fall in love?"

Satoshi spoke calmly. His face showed no emotion, and his tone remained level.

Yuki had known Satoshi was mature for his age, but now faced with his composed demeanor, she found herself unsure how to respond.

Was this what he truly meant?

Even she didn't know how to answer him.

"Even if I'm the Star Plasma Vessel, shouldn't I still have the right to fall in love?"

She mumbled quietly, unsure of herself.

"Oh? When you finally assimilate with Lord Tengen, will it be you or Lord Tengen who's in love with me?"

Satoshi gave her a sidelong glance. He wanted to know if she truly understood what the process of assimilation meant.

The way Yuki's expression darkened told him everything he needed to know. She understood.

"Since you already know the outcome, then isn't it a little inappropriate to go around calling yourself my girlfriend?"

Though Satoshi's words were calm, they carried a chill. Yuki's emotions wavered under his steady gaze.

She was the Star Plasma Vessel, yes. But she also had her own thoughts and emotions.

She was an individual, not someone born solely to be absorbed by Tengen.

Tengen had indeed sacrificed greatly for jujutsu society, but why did it always have to be her who made the ultimate sacrifice?

At the end of the day, she was still just a teenage girl. Her body might seem mature, but her heart wasn't ready for such burdens.

She had finally gathered the courage to express her feelings, only to be met with a cold interrogation.

Did being the Star Plasma Vessel mean she wasn't allowed to fall in love?

She was still just a girl. She still wanted a normal life, a relationship… Even if she was destined to fuse with Tengen one day, couldn't she enjoy the years she had left as herself?

"Young Master Satoshi… my actions seem to have troubled you. I'll clarify things."

Her voice was colder now. Yuki was still a powerful sorcerer and the Star Plasma Vessel but she had her own pride too.

(To be continued.)