Chapter 11 (Patreon)

“Ragna… did you do this?”

Ragnar Kagenou didn’t bother hiding it.

“Yeah.”

He glanced at the others, then added in a calmer tone, “Still, the important part is that all of you are fine.”

His eyes shifted toward Riko.

“Don’t make that face. Amanai Riko is still alive.”

Suguru Geto lowered his gaze slightly.

“I just…”

He paused, his voice quiet.

“It felt like I couldn’t do anything.”

“Don’t think like that,” Ragnar said. “Didn’t you stop Toji Fushiguro from killing Amanai and the others?”

Satoru Gojo gave a small shrug from the side.

“Ragna’s right. In the end, things worked out, didn’t they?”

Ragnar let out a slow breath.

“Yeah. At least… nobody died.”

One year later.

August 2007.

Because Tengen’s merger with the Star Plasma Vessel, Amanai Riko, had failed the year before, Tengen began refusing to assimilate with any further Star Plasma Vessels.

The real Tengen had already drifted too far, something closer to nature itself than a human being.

What remained now—that ugly, finger-like thing called Tengen—was only a shell left behind to maintain the barrier.

As a result, the fate binding the Six Eyes user and Tengen had also begun to shift.

Still, there had been one good thing to come from it.

Through Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru’s recommendation, Ragnar Kagenou had entered Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Over the past year, Ragnar had become fairly familiar with the second-years.

Still, the people he was truly close to were only three: Shoko Ieiri, Satoru Gojo, and Suguru Geto.

Through his system, he could even track their locations.

Of course, there was also Amanai Riko, who was now attending a girls’ school.

Back then, she had angrily declared that she wanted to travel around more with Ragna, only for him to ignore her entirely while she sulked.

But when she suddenly jumped onto his back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and nearly strangled him on the spot, he had no choice but to agree to meet her once in a while.

Honestly…

Ragnar still considered her his first real friend.

Inside Tokyo Jujutsu High, Ragnar was sprawled lazily across a chair, basking in the afternoon sun.

“Ragna, what are you doing here?”

He turned toward the voice.

“Oh. It’s you, Shoko.”

She raised a brow. “What’s with that reaction? Don’t tell me you’re unhappy to see me.”

“Not really,” Ragnar said. “The weather’s too good today. It’d be a waste not to nap.”

Shoko stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

“Did you pick up bad habits from Gojo and Geto? How did you end up this lazy?”

“Hm? I could’ve sworn I heard somebody talking bad about me.”

Satoru Gojo strolled over, holding three cans of drinks in one hand. Without warning, he tossed one to Ragnar and one to Shoko.

“Whoa. Thanks,” Ragnar said.

Shoko caught hers as well, then looked at Gojo suspiciously.

“You actually brought drinks? That’s honestly shocking.”

Gojo popped open his can with a click.

“What kind of thing is that to say, Shoko?”

“The honest kind,” Shoko replied.

Ragnar took a sip. It was ice-cold.

Not bad.

Then Gojo turned to him.

“Ragna, there’s a mission overseas. Want to come with me?”

Ragnar glanced at him. “Oh? What kind of mission makes the strongest sorcerer alive ask for backup?”

Gojo grinned.

“I don’t mind you calling me the strongest. But Ragna… ever since that time, I haven’t actually seen you fight seriously.”

He looked straight at him through those small sunglasses.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re not weaker than I am.”

That was the first time Shoko had ever heard Gojo say something like that about anyone.

Ragnar immediately made a face.

“Come on. Don’t flatter me. I can’t even use Reverse Cursed Technique.”

Gojo tilted his head slightly.

“Can’t use it… or just haven’t seriously tried to learn it?”

Ragnar blinked.

What was with this guy today?

Gojo waved a hand dismissively.

“Whatever. The mission is to seal a special grade cursed tool—the Inverted Spear of Heaven. So? Coming?”

After hearing that, Ragnar gave him a long look.

Gojo had nearly been killed by that thing once.

Of course he wanted it erased from the world.

“Sure,” Ragnar said at last. “I’ve got nothing better to do anyway.”

Then he added, “By the way, where’s Geto? He’s not coming?”

Gojo hesitated for just a moment.

“Him? He’s been busy exorcising curses lately. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

Ragnar fell silent.

He remembered.

Suguru Geto was probably already heading toward defection.

It wasn’t as though Ragnar had never tried to talk to him about it.

But the result had been exactly what he expected.

Geto was still walking straight toward the answer he had chosen for himself.

And when Ragnar had once considered forcing him back, Geto hadn’t even bothered resisting. It was almost as if he were saying:

If you’re going to stop me, then do it.

That’ll be your choice.

Honestly…

Why were jujutsu sorcerers all this stubborn?

And why were they all such a pain to deal with?

It nearly pissed Ragnar off to death.

Dragging his thoughts back to the present, he asked, “So it’s just the two of us going overseas for this?”

“That’s right,” Gojo said easily.

“Then when do we leave?”

“Now.”

Ragnar stared at him.

“...You’re not even going to give me time to prepare?”

Gojo blinked. “Prepare what?”

“That’s not the point. Who asks someone to go abroad like they’re asking them to grab lunch? Just because we’re close doesn’t mean you can skip basic human process.”

Gojo shrugged.

Ragnar let out a sigh.

“Fine. Whatever. Then I’ll at least go pack some clothes—”

“Why?” Gojo cut in. “Can’t your cursed technique store stuff?”

“That’s not—”

“If you need anything, just buy it when we get there.”

Gojo turned and started walking away.

“I’ll wait for you at Tokyo International Airport.”

And with that, he left.

Shoko watched him go, then looked back at Ragnar with open amusement.

“Well. Looks like our resident deadbeat finally has something to do.”

Ragnar narrowed his eyes. “Want me to take you with us?”

“No thanks. Spare me.” Shoko answered without the slightest hesitation. “A mission involving you two sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.”

A perfectly rational response.

Then, as if she had just remembered something, she said, “Oh, right. When you get back, I’ll treat you to mapo tofu.”

Ragnar froze.

Then his expression changed immediately.

“...Wait.”

Shoko smiled.

Ragnar pointed at her like she had just revealed herself as the final boss.

“Those are dangerous words. Don’t casually raise death flags for me.”

He straightened up at once.

“No. Absolutely not. Stop right there. That place’s mapo tofu is insane. I’m not going.”

Shoko looked at him with a grin.

“Eh? How do you already know which place I meant?”

Ragnar gave her a flat look.

“I saw through you a long time ago.”

He jabbed a finger in accusation.

“It’s definitely that Chinese restaurant—Kōshū Ensaikan!”

Shoko laughed.

“You really do know it.”

Then she smiled even more brightly.

“But too bad. You’re still going with me.”

“Huh?!”

Ignoring Ragnar’s despair completely, Shoko waved a hand.

“Just remember. Don’t forget.”

“It’s over…” Ragnar muttered. “Maybe I should just flee Japan.”

He paused.

“Like Yuki Tsukumo.”

Then he shook his head.

“No, forget it. That’s not realistic.”

He let out a miserable sigh.

“Mapo tofu… that place is ridiculously spicy.”

He stared off into the distance like a man who had already seen hell.

“I don’t have a masochistic streak, so why do I have to suffer through that kind of torture with her?”

Tokyo International Airport

“Over here, Ragna!”

Ragnar spotted the white-haired show-off in the crowd immediately.

Then again, he wasn’t exactly subtle either.

With his blond hair and the kind of presence that made people look twice, he stood out just as much.

Really, they had no right to judge each other.

Walking over, Ragnar asked, “Did you buy the tickets?”

Gojo adjusted his round sunglasses with a confident grin.

“Of course. Let’s go.”

The plane took off.

Far into the sky.

Smoothly.

Without them.

Ragnar stared in silence.

Then he slowly turned his head.

“...Why am I not on that plane?”

Gojo went stiff.

Then he scratched his cheek and laughed awkwardly.

“Ah. My bad. Honest mistake.”

It turned out that while boarding, Gojo had gone the wrong way.

And because Ragnar had followed him for exactly long enough to realize something was wrong, the two of them had successfully missed their scheduled flight.

Ragnar looked at him with dead eyes.

“You are unbelievably unreliable in everyday life.”

This time, while waiting for the next flight, Ragnar kept a very close watch on him.

No matter what happened, he was not about to let Gojo casually lead them off course again.

An hour later, the two of them finally boarded the plane without incident.

After settling into his seat, Ragnar glanced sideways.

“So? Any curse users on board?”

Gojo leaned back lazily.

“Ragna, I think you’re being a little too cautious.”

“Going on a mission with you,” Ragnar replied, “I’d say caution is the bare minimum.”

Gojo laughed.

“Fair enough.”

Then, after a brief pause, he activated the Six Eyes and casually swept his gaze across the cabin.

“...No.”

Ragnar frowned slightly.

“Ragna… oh no.”

That uneasy feeling in his chest hadn’t gone away.

And with Gojo beside him, that feeling only got worse.

For some reason…

He had a very bad feeling about this trip.