Chapter 46: Three Methods
Yomi Isayama was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Satoru Gojo to dare to stubbornly oppose the higher-ups for her sake. Could it be that she was truly a rare genius?
It seemed to be true. After all, at her young age, she had already become the ace of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division. If that wasn't a genius, then what was?
Although she was deeply moved by Satoru Gojo's high evaluation, Yomi Isayama still turned it down.
"I'm terribly sorry, Senior Gojo. The people in the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division are very good to me. At the moment, I have no plans to change workplaces."
"Well, that's a shame then."
Satoru Gojo's mouth said it was a shame, but his facial expression held not the slightest trace of regret. Or rather, he had anticipated this from the very beginning, or perhaps he was just joking around just now.
In any case, Yomi Isayama couldn't see through this person named Satoru Gojo.
"Heading out first."
Satoru Gojo leaped, landing on top of a streetlight, and turned to look at Yomi Isayama briefly. "Later, if you change your mind, you can come to the school to find me anytime. I highly welcome Yomi-chan's arrival."
The moment the sentence finished, Satoru Gojo executed a few jumping movements, then vanished from the group's sight.
Noriyuki Izuna looked in the direction Satoru Gojo had left and couldn't help but comment, "This Senior Gojo is truly free and easy, isn't he?"
"After all, he is the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer."
Yomi Isayama said with a hint of admiration. Although she considered herself a genius, it was impossible for her to be like Satoru Gojo and become the strongest Exorcist.
The principle that there is always a heaven above a heaven was something she still understood.
In Tokyo, and even in Japan, Satoru Gojo was an anomaly born from nature.
"But speaking of which," Noriyuki Izuna saw Yomi Isayama's face full of admiration, felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart, and firmly shifted the topic. "A really massive commotion occurred here, didn't it?"
Yomi Isayama nodded, looking around at the entire street. Potholes were everywhere, as if it had been struck by missiles.
This wasn't something an ordinary yokai could accomplish.
"Can it be seen who did this?" Noriyuki Izuna asked.
Yomi Isayama shook her head. "I don't know, but powerful Yoki remains here. It should have been done by a Daiyokai."
"A Daiyokai." Noriyuki Izuna's brain whirled, a thought struck him, and he proposed, "How about we visit the Nura Clan? They are the local rulers here, so they should know something."
Yomi Isayama gripped the Katana sword in her hand tightly and began to ponder.
"We can go give it a try. What about you, Kagura? Do you have a suggestion?"
Kagura Tsuchimiya shook her head. "I don't. You guys just decide."
"Alright, then let's go to the Nura Clan to ask about the situation."
After everyone made the decision, they immediately moved toward the Nura Clan in Ukiyoe Town.
...
On the other side, inside Yumesaki's apartment.
Yumesaki brought Natsume and Nyanko-sensei back, pointed toward the sofa, and said, "Please sit freely. What would the two guests like to drink? Coffee or Coca-Cola?"
"Is there any alcohol?" Nyanko-sensei hopped onto the sofa, rolled over once, and adjusted to a comfortable position.
"That, I really don't have," Yumesaki said. "Personally, I don't really like drinking alcohol, so I don't stock any in the room. How about I prepare a bit for you instead?"
Yumesaki remembered that Nyanko-sensei was indeed a drunkard in the storyline, often going out to drink with yokai.
"Don't go to the trouble. Just give me a glass of Coca-Cola."
Yumesaki nodded, taking two bottles of cola from inside the refrigerator. One was tossed to Nyanko-sensei, and the other was tossed to Natsume.
"Continuing the topic from earlier, you want to form an alliance with me?"
Yumesaki also took a bottle of cold Coca-Cola, and while sitting down on the sofa, pulled the pop-tab and took a deep, refreshing gulp.
The happiness water of a homebody truly made a person addicted.
"Correct." Nyanko-sensei accepted the opened cola propped up by Natsume, licked it a few times, and said, "After all, Hagoromo Gitsune won't let us off. How about we unite together to face Hagoromo Gitsune?"
"Sure," Yumesaki agreed without a second thought.
Nyanko-sensei couldn't help but freeze for a moment. He agreed just like that?
He looked at Yumesaki with surprise for a brief second. He hadn't expected Yumesaki to agree so quickly. He originally thought he would have to waste a fair amount of words before being able to convince Yumesaki.
"What's wrong? Do you feel I agreed too easily?" Yumesaki looked toward Natsume and Nyanko-sensei with a smile that wasn't entirely a smile.
Natsume nodded. Yumesaki had agreed far too quickly, giving him an illusion as if he hadn't even exerted any effort yet, but the other side had already collapsed first.
"It feels a bit surreal."
Yumesaki smiled, took a sip of cola, and said, "If I say that I have a condition, will you feel much more realistic?"
Natsume thought seriously. It did indeed seem to be the case.
Nyanko-sensei tilted his head to look at Yumesaki. "What condition do you have?"
"Those yokai belong to me."
"Huh?" Nyanko-sensei was somewhat dazed. What kind of condition was this?
Yumesaki explained, "You've seen it too; I am collecting yokai. Therefore, after we form an alliance, if Hagoromo Gitsune's subordinates come to attack you, once you defeat this group of yokai, just hand those yokai over to me."
Speaking up to this point, he paused for a moment and spoke again, "Of course, I won't let you lose out either. If you encounter a yokai that can't be dealt with, you can let me know, and I'll be the one to come help you take care of it."
Natsume raised a hand and asked, "May I ask a little question? What do you want these yokai for?"
Seeing Natsume raise his hand, Yumesaki couldn't help but comment, "Are you an elementary school student? You can just speak without having to raise your hand."
Then Yumesaki spoke again, "Actually, I have two friends who happen to be highly interested in creatures of the yokai species. They want to use yokai as experimental materials to research yokai power."
"I feel bad about acting against ordinary yokai, but if it's yokai under Hagoromo Gitsune's command, then there's no problem."
Natsume didn't understand. "Why is there no problem with Hagoromo Gitsune's subordinates? Is it because Hagoromo Gitsune is our enemy?"
"There is also a reason in that area."
"The meaning of 'there is also' is that the main reason isn't this."
"Yes," Yumesaki nodded, looking at Natsume with an appreciative gaze.
Natsume asked out of curiosity, "Then what is the main reason?"
"Naturally, because Hagoromo Gitsune's subordinates have all killed humans."
Yumesaki said calmly, "Although I am no king of benevolence who exalts humans above all else and believes foreign races must all die, I am still a human. I don't abuse yokai, but I also don't allow yokai to abuse humans."
"In my view, as long as a yokai has abused humans, unless there is an pardonable reason, dying is considered well-deserved."
"Since they're going to die anyway, using them as experimental materials can be considered making use of useless garbage, wouldn't you say?"
Natsume: ...
Incredible. This reasoning was something he completely hadn't expected.
But he didn't oppose it. Soft-hearted though he was, he wouldn't beg for mercy on behalf of yokai who had killed humans for no reason.
Nyanko-sensei said, "Then it's a deal."
Natsume had no objections, so he had even less of an objection.
Just as humans could kill each other for all sorts of reasons, yokai also frequently slaughtered one another over various matters, and their cruel methods were often far worse than humans'.
All Nyanko-sensei cared about was Natsume, as well as the Book of Friends.
Other matters, he didn't care at all. He even hoped Hagoromo Gitsune's subordinates would all die off completely, so that no one would scramble for the Book of Friends with him.
Once Natsume died of old age, the Book of Friends would naturally become his.
Seeing that Natsume and Nyanko-sensei had both agreed, Yumesaki smiled, extended a fist, and bumped it once against Nyanko-sensei's paw. "Then it's a deal."
"Then we have a deal." Nyanko-sensei smiled just like a fox. To be able to pull an expert like Yumesaki in, he held more confidence in facing Hagoromo Gitsune.
The loss suffered today had been remembered by him. Sooner or later, it would be returned. He was exactly that kind of scheming yokai.
"That..."
Right at this moment, Natsume suddenly spoke up, glancing at Yumesaki. He seemed to want to ask something, yet didn't know how to open his mouth.
Seeing him wear a conflicted expression, Yumesaki said with a smile, "Just say whatever you want to say. After all, we are already allies now."
Hearing this, Natsume knew Yumesaki was reassuring him. A warm current couldn't help but surface in his heart, leaving him somewhat moved.
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, finally gathered his courage, and said, "Mr. Yumesaki, I want to become strong. I don't know if you could train me and make me strong."
"Natsume?" Nyanko-sensei looked toward Natsume in surprise. He hadn't expected Natsume to actually take the initiative to want to become strong.
He quickly realized that perhaps today's battle had stimulated Natsume, causing him to generate this kind of thought.
In reality, it was indeed so.
Today, Natsume had watched Nyanko-sensei get beaten by Tsuchigumo until his entire body bled, and he deeply hated his own weakness.
If he could also be just like his grandmother, Reiko Natsume, possessing powerful strength, able to defeat yokai, he wouldn't have to watch with his own eyes as Nyanko-sensei was almost beaten to death.
Then, seeing the two Shikigami under Yumesaki's hand casually defeat Tsuchigumo...
He developed the thought of asking Yumesaki for guidance.
"You want to become strong." Yumesaki took another sip of cola and tossed the empty bottle into the trash can.
"Yes." Natsume lowered his head, both hands gripping his knees desperately, his fingertips turning pale from overexertion. "I want to become strong. I beg you to help me, Mr. Yumesaki."
"Sure," Yumesaki agreed.
This voice fell into Natsume's ears like a sound from heaven.
"Really?" Surprised and overjoyed, he abruptly looked up toward Yumesaki.
"Of course, we are allies after all." Yumesaki held up three fingers and said, "I have three methods here to become strong."
"Three?" Natsume opened his eyes wide. To think there were this many. He hadn't expected Mr. Yumesaki to be truly mysterious and powerful.
"The first method: eating a Devil Fruit."
"Huh?"
The expression on Natsume's face instantly stiffened. Although he was a countryside youth, he had still read the manga One Piece.
After all, that was a national-level manga.
"Please wait a moment." Natsume raised one hand, stopping Yumesaki who was planning to continue his words, while massaging the nerves at his temples. He said, "Mr. Yumesaki, is the Devil Fruit you mentioned the Devil Fruit I'm thinking of?"
"Correct."
"The Devil Fruit from the world of One Piece?"
"Yes."
"But isn't One Piece a manga?" Natsume's facial features twitched, crumbling a little. "Mr. Yumesaki, did you misunderstand something? Devil Fruits are just fictional items created in a manga. They absolutely don't don't don't don't don't..."
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