Chapter 174: Yuta Okkotsu: I Will Kill Itadori Yuji (Patreon)

"…"

Their eyes met in midair with Uchiha Ayato for less than half a second before Shiina Rikki stiffly looked away.

She lowered her head and pushed the glass of water in front of her toward Takamatsu Tomori, leaning her upper body forward until she was closer to her.

The message couldn't have been clearer:

Stay away.

Shiina Rikki wanted nothing to do with Uchiha Ayato.

Unfortunately, Uncle Ayato chose this exact moment to be a little bad at reading the room.

He didn't take the hint and walk away. Instead he stopped in the aisle not far from the two of them, and his gentle, smiling voice drifted down to them:

"We meet again, Miss Shiina."

"Working a part-time shift today too?"

Shiina Rikki: "!?"

Shock jolted through Shiina Rikki, and the hand resting on the edge of the table clenched.

She never imagined this guy's face could be so thick.

She had put up the most resistant posture she could, and he still strolled over like nothing was wrong to strike up a conversation?

Shiina Rikki wasn't someone who liked meddling in other people's business to begin with.

Even though Uchiha Ayato had already been stamped with the label "morally questionable" in her mind, as long as he didn't push himself into her face, she had no interest in playing the righteous hero, much less in pointing fingers at whoever happened to be at his side now.

Everyone had a road of their own to walk.

If the well water didn't mingle with the river water, that was better for everyone.

Besides, Tomori was right here.

For Shiina Rikki, Takamatsu Tomori was the top priority.

Tomori was delicate and easily startled by nature. She instinctively gripped her bag strap even when walking down the street, and the chaos all over Tokyo lately had left her feeling even less safe.

Rikki would never allow Tomori to be dragged into some bizarre tangle of relationships.

Looking at Uchiha Ayato's composed manner, the irritation in Rikki's chest swelled even more.

How could someone who juggled so many different girls so smoothly possibly fail to read the refusal written all over another person's face?

And if he could read it and still came over to say hello, then it had to be deliberate.

Rikki's gaze fell on Takamatsu Tomori's pretty face, full of confusion and unease.

Was it because of Tomori?

Of course. Tomori was so cute, and she looked so fragile and harmless. It made sense that she'd attract the attention of a shallow man like this.

The bastard. How dare he covet Tomori!

The thought sent a clot of foul air rising in Shiina Rikki's chest, and she immediately put on her battle face:

"…I'm on break right now."

"If you want to order, go find Senior Yamabuki at the counter."

Two short sentences, and the line was drawn in clear, bold strokes.

Anon Chihaya stood beside Uchiha Ayato, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.

She quietly drew in a breath, and the alarm bell in her heart rang on instinct.

Another very pretty girl.

Long straight black hair, and a striking beauty mark beneath her eye. She really was an eye-catching, cool-type beauty.

And besides…

Her gaze slid an inch down the uniform shirt, and the corners of Anon Chihaya's mouth drooped at once.

…She was way fuller than Anon was.

Tch. This woman looked like a tough one.

When did Ayarin get himself tangled up with yet another alley cat sneaking a taste?

But Anon quickly overturned her own suspicion.

The black-haired girl's eyes were full of wariness and annoyance, her words came with thorns attached, and her expression was so cold it was practically shedding frost. No way she was involved with Ayarin.

If it were an old romantic debt, there'd at least be some resentment or lingering attachment, right?

That was straight-up the look people give to suspicious characters.

Anon Chihaya blinked, and her gaze passed over Shiina Rikki to land on the gray-haired short-haired girl sitting deeper in the booth.

The girl wore a slightly oversized hoodie and was shrunk into the corner of the seat like a pillbug that had curled into a ball after being startled, both hands still clutching her glass.

…So tiny.

She looked a bit timid, and kind of adorable.

Still, Anon Chihaya's attention soon returned to Shiina Rikki.

Even if she didn't look like an alley cat sneaking a taste, that prickly attitude was far too abnormal.

The colder the exterior, the harder they hit in a fight!

Anon Chihaya casually looped her arm through Uchiha Ayato's, tilting her head with half curiosity and half probing, her tone especially bright:

"Ayarin, who's this?"

"Is she a friend of yours?"

"How come you've never mentioned her before?"

Uchiha Ayato let Anon cling to his side, without a trace of awkwardness on his face:

"I guess you could say we know each other."

"Miss Shiina is a friend of Saki and the others. She works part-time here."

He glanced at Rikki, the smile still on his face:

"Whenever I come here with them to watch a show, chances are Miss Shiina is on shift."

"We're not exactly close, but since we happened to run into each other, I figured saying hello was only basic courtesy."

The explanation was reasonable and airtight, with not a single flaw to pick at.

But to Shiina Rikki's ears, every word sounded like a deliberate attempt to get closer, and it made her temples throb with anger.

From a rational, objective standpoint, what Uchiha Ayato said was right. A simple greeting wouldn't cost her anything.

On a normal day, even if Shiina Rikki disliked Uchiha Ayato, she wouldn't have spoken to him harshly.

At most she'd have given a lukewarm reply, and she'd never have embarrassed someone to their face.

But today was different.

As Tomori's guard dog, Rikki couldn't be rational or objective whenever Tomori was around.

"Don't presume to get friendly with me."

Shiina Rikki looked straight into Uchiha Ayato's eyes, her brows full of disgust:

"I'm not Mutsumi, and I'm not Soyo Nagasaki. That frivolous act you use on them is completely useless on me."

"There's no need for us to chat about anything."

Hearing this, the smile on Anon Chihaya's face faded bit by bit, and the hand looped around Uchiha Ayato's arm tightened.

Huh?

What on earth was this person babbling about?

Wasn't she way too full of herself?

Ayarin had only greeted her politely. What was she making up in her head?

What gave her the idea that Ayarin had improper intentions toward her?

Slapping weird labels on people and lecturing them right to their faces… that was the most off-putting thing ever.

Don't you dare be rude to my husband!

The girl's protective streak surged up instantly.

She puffed out her cheeks, a fierce light blazing in her eyes:

"Miss Waitress…"

Just as Anon Chihaya was about to open fire in Uchiha Ayato's defense, a thin, trembling voice cut in and severed the argument that was about to erupt—

"Um…"

The voice came from the deepest corner of the booth.

The gray-haired girl, who had been hunching her shoulders as if she wanted to melt into the sofa back, had let go of the glass at some point.

Takamatsu Tomori lifted her head. Her pink eyes were brimming with a film of tears, and her gaze settled timidly on Uchiha Ayato's face.

Her lips trembled slightly, and her hands pressed awkwardly against the edge of the table.

"Excuse me…"

Takamatsu Tomori used up every last bit of her courage and asked softly:

"A-are you… a friend of Saki's?"

After the question left her mouth, her presence weakened again, as if she'd recalled something painful.

She shrank back all over again, frantically looking away, her voice growing quieter and quieter until it broke into a murmur that was almost a whimper:

"How is Saki…"

"Is she… doing all right lately?"

Right. Shiina Rikki might be Tomori's guard dog, but for Takamatsu Tomori, Togawa Sakiko was her unreachable first love.

And at the moment, it was obvious which of the two had the stronger pull.

Shiina Rikki: "???"

Tomori!?

Your servants were ready to fight to the death. Why has Your Majesty surrendered first?

On the other side, Anon Chihaya's attack stance froze in midair.

She blinked. She looked at Shiina Rikki's face, which wore the expression of a collapsing sky, then at the pitiful little girl across from her who seemed about to burst into tears, and most of the fire in her belly vanished for no good reason.

"Saki…"

Anon Chihaya muttered the name under her breath, then tilted her head toward Uchiha Ayato with a hint of suspicion.

These two reacted pretty strongly to the name of that blue-haired alley cat sneaking a taste.

Is there gossip?

Only now, as Takamatsu Tomori spoke, did Uchiha Ayato truly turn his attention to her.

He looked closer…

Whoa!

What enormous cursed energy!

Even compared with Mutsumi, she was only slightly behind.

Was this the clingy girl who throws around "for the rest of my life" at every turn?

I'm scared.

Uchiha Ayato clicked his tongue inwardly.

Then he withdrew his appraising gaze and met Takamatsu Tomori's misty eyes with a calm expression:

"Saki, huh…"

"She's doing pretty well. You don't need to worry about her at all."

"She eats well and sleeps soundly."

"Every morning, rain or shine, she sets aside four hours for exercise, and in the afternoon she spends another two hours practicing. Her schedule is incredibly regular, and she's perfectly healthy."

Hearing this, Shiina Rikki couldn't hold back a cold snort.

"Is that so?"

She gave a cold laugh and folded her arms:

"Then her life sounds awfully comfortable."

"She casually smashes everyone's hard work to pieces, dusts herself off and leaves…"

"And now she's off living a peaceful life without feeling the slightest guilt?"

The words had barely left her mouth when the sneer on Shiina Rikki's face suddenly froze.

Wait.

Something was very wrong.

There was far too much information in what he'd just said.

Four hours of exercise in the morning, two hours of piano in the afternoon.

He knew exactly what time she got up, how well she ate, how soundly she slept…

A routine that detailed wasn't intelligence an ordinary friend could have. Only someone living under the same roof from morning till night could rattle off details like that.

Could it be…

Togawa Sakiko was living with this man?

Then what about Wakaba Mutsumi?

What about Soyo Nagasaki?

All three of them had hung around this man before.

Were they all living together?

That…

That probably wasn't legal, was it?

At this moment, Shiina Rikki suddenly realized that her former bandmates getting together with Uchiha Ayato and forming some kind of oddball band seemed like the best possible outcome already.

They weren't throwing girls' band parties at home, were they?

For a moment Rikki felt almost dizzy, and she looked at Uchiha Ayato as if he were an inexplicable, unknown creature.

Takamatsu Tomori's mind, on the other hand, didn't wind through nearly as many twists as Rikki's.

When she heard the words "Saki is doing pretty well," she let out a small sigh of relief.

But right after that, more disappointment washed over her like a tide.

So Saki was living well.

She lived a regular life, practiced earnestly, and worked hard to step toward the future.

Saki had already moved forward.

Only she…

Only the helpless her, the her who couldn't even sing a single song properly, was still standing in place clutching shattered memories, left alone in that evening of pouring rain and unable to walk out of it.

Takamatsu Tomori lowered her head even further.

Uchiha Ayato glanced at the girl's drooping shoulders and said offhandedly:

"If you really want to see her, why not just call and ask her out?"

Takamatsu Tomori snapped her head up, her pupils full of bewilderment.

"She can face you openly now. She won't turn and run like she used to."

Meeting both their gazes, Uchiha Ayato spoke candidly:

"Finding a chance to lay out what happened and talk it through would actually be good."

"As for what happened with CRYCHIC, everyone had their own hardships, if you look into it. There's no need to keep hiding in your own world and guessing."

Takamatsu Tomori bit her lower lip.

Look for Saki…

And talk it through?

Could she really do that?

The one Saki had scolded to her face in the rehearsal room as the one who "needed practice the most" was her.

Could someone as clumsy as her really deserve to stand in front of the now dazzling Saki?

Takamatsu Tomori's eyes wavered, and she sank into agonized hesitation.

Seeing Takamatsu Tomori lost in thought, Shiina Rikki cried out in alarm inside.

Damn it.

Tomori was actually seriously considering the suggestion.

Had that idiot Tomori already forgotten how much those harsh words Togawa Sakiko threw out on that rainy day had stung?

How could a couple of casual coaxing lines from this man make her waver again?

Uchiha Ayato had no intention of staying here as a relationship counselor.

He'd said what needed to be said. The rest of the choice was in their hands.

Uchiha Ayato patted Anon Chihaya on the shoulder:

"Let's go, Anon. We'll sit over there."

"Huh? We're leaving already?"

Though her head was full of question marks, Anon Chihaya obediently moved along with the pull of his hand.

The two of them crossed several empty tables and reached a booth on the opposite side.

The moment her rear touched the cushion, Anon Chihaya couldn't wait to lean over.

She propped her chin on both hands, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Uchiha Ayato, and lowered her voice:

"Hey, hey, Ayarin!"

"What was all that about?"

"Listening to you and those two girls just now, I got the feeling there's some huge piece of gossip hidden in there!"

"Quitting the band, hardships…"

"What happened to them before?"

Uchiha Ayato gave her an amused look and said:

"It's nothing major. Just a few girls having a falling-out."

"Those two used to be in the same band as Saki, Mutsumi, and Soyo."

"Later the band broke up for certain reasons. They parted on awkward terms, and their relationships ended up pretty strained."

Anon Chihaya nodded, enlightened:

"So they're former bandmates…"

"Wait, are bands really such heavy things?"

"Not necessarily."

Uchiha Ayato flipped idly through the menu:

"Saying all that today was me taking the chance to play matchmaker, to see if I could get them talking and stop living with baggage on their backs."

He couldn't really let things follow the original messy trajectory, with this pink-haired puppy and a stray kitten watching forlornly from below the stage while CRYCHIC had its grand reconciliation of the century, could he?

Just imagining such an awkward scene gave him a headache.

Some old accounts are better settled as early as possible, for everyone's sake.

The sooner these leftover problems from history were cleared out, the fewer detours little Chihaya would have to take when she formed her own band later.

The shadows of the past will not be allowed to hurt little Chihaya!

"Well, I did take that upon myself, though."

Uchiha Ayato collected his thoughts and turned to Anon Chihaya, asking in a half-joking tone:

"Do you think I'm being too fussy now, and meddling in other people's business?"

"Of course not!"

Anon Chihaya shook her head right away, her tone unusually earnest:

"Ayarin has always been a really, really good person. I know that better than anyone!"

She paused, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents, revealing her pointed little canines as she leaned a little closer to him:

"If anything…"

"An Ayarin who thinks about other people like this looks even more charming to me."

*

Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward.

Kasumigaseki.

Special grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu descended the steps of the wooden corridor one by one, the jacket of his pure white Jujutsu High uniform swaying gently with each stride, the black sword bag slung diagonally across his back pressing against his spine.

He crossed the final threshold. Before him lay a dim hall ringed by layers of paper screens.

Dozens of white candles burned silently behind the screens, stretching the silhouettes of several aged figures sitting cross-legged into long, twisted shapes.

This was Jujutsu Headquarters.

"Thank you for your trouble, Okkotsu."

From behind the screen directly ahead came an old, hoarse voice:

"That you obeyed the Higher-Ups' summons and returned to the country at once, at such a critical moment, shows your loyalty to the order of the Jujutsu World and your consideration for it."

From behind the screen on the right came another low voice of agreement:

"Tokyo could erupt into crisis at any moment now, and it is precisely special grade sorcerers who are needed to steady people's hearts."

"That you have returned safely is a great fortune for the Jujutsu World."

Yuta Okkotsu stopped five paces from the screens, his gaze calmly sweeping over the row of flickering candlelight.

"Let's skip the meaningless pleasantries, gentlemen."

"I came straight from Haneda Airport, and it wasn't to listen to irrelevant compliments."

"Why not put the real reason you urgently called me back on the table?"

The shadows behind several screens wavered, apparently not expecting the young man to show so little courtesy.

The eldest of the Higher-Ups coughed, and his voice grew heavy:

"Since you are so impatient, we shall speak plainly."

"Though you did not witness the tragedy in Shibuya with your own eyes, the materials we sent you should have shown you something of it."

"Thanks to that Lord's mercy, order has been temporarily restored in Tokyo, but you must understand how badly the situation has deteriorated."

"Gojo Satoru was sealed by a Special Grade Cursed Object, and the Higher-Ups have named him a co-principal in this rebellion and permanently expelled him from the Jujutsu World."

"And the bomb he privately sheltered has, as expected, pushed all of Tokyo into the abyss."

The voice behind the left screen was filled with loathing and severity:

"The Higher-Ups have formally revoked Itadori Yuji's stay of execution. He must be executed immediately."

"After careful deliberation, the Higher-Ups have entrusted this execution to you, Yuta Okkotsu."

Yuta Okkotsu stood in the darkness the candlelight could not reach and raised a hand to adjust the black sword strap on his shoulder:

"I know."

"After all, your notice went out before I even landed."

"The entire Jujutsu World already knows I'm going to kill Itadori Yuji."

The old man in the center spoke again, his words carrying a measure of probing and scrutiny:

"This is not merely a mission. It is also a test of you."

"Everyone knows it was your arrogant teacher who acted willfully and forcibly preserved Sukuna's vessel."

"You were also a student Gojo Satoru raised with his own hands, and in the eyes of outsiders, you two have always been close as teacher and pupil."

"Although the Higher-Ups have appointed you, everyone present harbors doubts about your position."

"We cannot help but suspect that after returning to Tokyo, you might secretly contact the remaining accomplices and shield that scourge."

"There's no need to worry."

Yuta Okkotsu lifted his head, meeting the scrutinizing gazes cast from behind the screens, and said:

"Even if Itadori Yuji himself is innocent, as long as Sukuna resides in his body, he is an uncontrollable calamity."

"I have no objection to executing him."

"I am willing to establish a Binding Vow."

"That way you'll know I will follow your orders, won't you?"

The several shadows behind the screens seemed to relax, and whispered exchanges spread in faint rustles.

But before the Higher-Ups could voice any sign of relief, Yuta Okkotsu's voice rose again:

"However, speaking of positions and suspicion, there's a question I've had all along…"

"Another special grade sorcerer, Uchiha Ayato, seems to have chosen to stand by and do nothing about the situation at Jujutsu High. Do the Higher-Ups harbor no suspicion or wariness toward him at all?"

The moment the words fell, the hall, which had been full of whispers, went silent.

The shadows behind the screens stiffened in place, and for a long while no one made a sound.

Awkwardness spread through the air. After a while, someone sharply sucked in a breath, his voice full of the fury and panic of having a fig leaf torn away to his face:

"Insolent!"

"Yuta Okkotsu, how dare you spout nonsense here!"

"Don't try to drag us all down together!"

Another aged, shrill voice followed immediately:

"Who do you think you are?"

"You are merely a student of Jujutsu High under the Higher-Ups' jurisdiction. Even with the Special Grade title, you must act within the framework of the Jujutsu World's laws!"

"That Lord acts according to grand considerations beyond measure. That he resides in Tokyo is already the greatest fortune of all Japan!"

"He is he, and you are you!"

"The two of you are as far apart as heaven and mud. Recognize your own identity and standing!"

Listening to the near-panicked rebukes from behind the screens, a flicker of mockery crossed the depths of Yuta Okkotsu's eyes.

So that's how it is.

The lofty Higher-Ups, when facing a power they could not control, were no different from commoners begging for protection on the street.

The only reason they could boss him around was that he was still willing to remain inside the cage of their rules.

"I understand."

Yuta Okkotsu didn't keep stepping on the old men's sore spot. He bowed his head obediently:

"I will kill Itadori Yuji with my own hands."

A faint ripple of cursed energy became an invisible chain, flashed through the air, and was branded deep into the rules of the world.

The Binding Vow was made.

The elders behind the screens finally let out a long breath of foul air, their stately airs restored:

"Very good…"

"Since you have established a Binding Vow, the Higher-Ups acknowledge your sincerity."

"Go. Bring back the head of that cursed spawn as soon as possible."

Yuta Okkotsu did not leave right away. He straightened his collar and added calmly:

"Before I set out to hunt down Itadori Yuji, I'm going to see Uchiha Ayato."

"As the executioner, I should confirm a few details with him in person before I act."

"It's also to make sure the execution doesn't accidentally provoke him and bring unnecessary disaster. Isn't that right?"