Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 206 Dinner Party

Those who are good at scheming are more likely to be hurt by them. Gojo Satoru was initially a little worried, but this person doesn't force others to do anything, and he is sincere to his friends. He does all this so that the people he cares about can have a better future. This makes it impossible for him to say anything bad about him.

So now he can only hope that this sincere heart will not be eroded by time.

Of course, as a partner and teacher, he would also be constantly mindful and offer reminders, just as he was protecting them, and they didn't want him to get hurt either.

"Let's go out for a get-together tonight?"

"Great! I haven't said hello to many people yet, and I miss everyone very much."

Seeing the smile that unconsciously appeared on Yue Ren's face as he said this, Gojo Satoru's lips also curled up noticeably.

"Speaking of which, what's with your magic and battle aura energy? My 'No Limits' technique doesn't seem to be working..."

'

Gojo Satoru recalled the problem from the battle just now. When facing the swordsman's sword skills, his "no limit" was not able to completely defend against it. Logically speaking, if it were just physical damage, it should not have been able to touch him at all.

"Well, actually..."

'

The two continued their conversation, and the warm sunlight streamed down the corridor. Unlike the perilous world of joblessness, this place remained peaceful.

As I stepped out of the teaching building, the evening breeze greeted me, carrying the warmth of early summer and the scent of earth.

A few students were still practicing on the other side of the playground, their running figures indistinct in the twilight. The tranquility of the scene made one feel sleepy.

Yue Ren took a deep breath and suddenly felt a little dazed.

In this otherworldly city, the air always carries an indescribable smell—the remnants of magic, the stench of monsters, and the stench of uncivilized behavior. These are things one must endure during an adventure.

In comparison, the fresh air in modern cities is much more comforting.

"What are you thinking about?" Gojo Satoru's voice came from the side.

"Where should we eat at this time?"

Yue Ren took out his phone.

"How's the barbecue? I remember that 'Yanzhen' restaurant in front of the station is still open, right?"

"Oh, that shop has expanded in the last two years. The owner also took over the shop next door. Now it can seat forty or fifty people."

Gojo Satoru had unconsciously begun to quicken his pace.

"Their thick-cut beef tongue"

"Don't rush, let me call someone first."

Yue Ren stopped Gojo Satoru, who was about to teleport away, and opened his phone's contact list to call everyone.

"Then I'll call Nanami and the others."

The sign for "Flame Array" glowed with a warm orange light in the twilight, making it visible from afar.

This shop has been open for almost twenty years. The storefront is not big, but the taste is really good. The owner is an uncle from Kyushu. The dipping sauce for the barbecue is a family recipe and is well-known in the sorcerer circle.

The store is much brighter after the expansion, and the window seats offer a view of the street. However, the most sought-after rooms are the tatami rooms, which require reservations three days in advance.

Gojo Satoru was clearly a regular customer. The moment he opened the door, the receptionist reflexively called out, "Mr. Gojo is here!" and then quickly ran to the kitchen to inform the boss.

"The usual seats." Gojo Satoru gestured, and the waiter nodded in understanding, leading them to the innermost part of the room.

The private room is large and can seat ten people. In the middle is a sunken grill table with a preheated iron plate that is glistening with oil.

Gojo Satoru took off his shoes and slumped onto the cushion, sinking into the backrest with his long legs stretched out, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Ah—I'm alive again."

Yue Ren sat down opposite him and picked up the menu on the table to flip through it.

The menu is new, but the dishes are almost exactly the same as they were two years ago, and even the location of the signature dishes hasn't changed.

His gaze lingered on the "thick-cut beef tongue" section for a moment, then he flipped to the drinks page, hesitated for half a second between beer and tea, and finally chose the latter.

"You're drinking oolong tea?" Gojo Satoru asked, as if he'd seen something unbelievable. "Weren't you the one who was fighting over the soft drink earlier?"

"It's probably because of the food habits there; it feels like my taste buds are ruined."

The Yue people had some complaints.

"There's something like strong liquor over there, with an alcohol content of about 70%. It tastes like lava, and the next day after drinking it, you feel like you've been run over by a truck."

I've encountered this situation before while gathering intelligence; in that context, it was impossible not to drink.

This resulted in a near-solo kill against him, a record that remains fresh in people's minds to this day.

Gojo Satoru chuckled to himself, surprised that this was the reason.

"6

You really went to an amazing place.

T

As they were speaking, the curtain was lifted.

Yujin Itadori was the first to rush in. He was so excited that he didn't even take off his shoes properly. He almost tripped on the threshold with one foot, but was stopped by Megumi Fushiguro who grabbed him by the back of his collar.

But he didn't care at all; his eyes lit up like two stars the moment he saw the Yue people.

"Senior Yue Ren!!"

"Come and sit down."

Then came Kugizaki, Junpei, and Fushiguro, as well as a girl of similar age who was clinging to Fushiguro's arm. Judging from the girl's sweet expression, was she his girlfriend?

Holy crap, Fukuro is such a hidden talent! He hooked up with her so quickly? And judging from his expression, he's even pursuing her?

But why are you making that "this is troublesome" face, you wretched brat!

"This person is..."

"7

The Yue people spoke.

"Hello, Senior Yue Ren, my name is Kurisu Hana, and I'm Fushiguro-kun's girlfriend."

The girl smiled and bowed to the Yue man, making Fu Hei's face even darker.

"Hey, don't say things that could be misunderstood."

After a period of chaos, the Yue people finally understood what had happened.

It turns out that this girl named Kurusu Hana is a swimmer who "swims through death," and is the body of an ancient sorcerer who was punished by being marked.

However, the ancient sorcerer on her body is an anomaly, a righteous sorcerer named Angel. She doesn't want to kill anyone, and her ultimate goal in resurrecting is only to kill "Two-Faced Sukuna".

Although he was subjected to physical harm, he did not extinguish Kurusu Hana's consciousness, but instead chose to coexist with her, just like Itadori and Sukuna did in the beginning.

Therefore, she is considered an exception who transformed from an ordinary person into a sorcerer.

What's even more interesting is that she was actually raised as livestock by the cursed spirits when she was a child. The person who rescued her was Fuhei when she was young, which made her develop feelings for Fuhei similar to "hero saves damsel in distress".

Then, by chance, the two met again during their journey through death, thus continuing their destiny once more.

After the "Death Return" ended, the angel herself actually wanted to dissolve herself. After all, Sukuna was dead, so there was no point in her continuing to exist. However, Kurusu was reluctant to let her best friend, whom she had finally met, die like this.

After much pleading, the angel chose to sleep inside Kurusu Hana's body and generally doesn't come out.

The committee, considering the unstable elements inherent in the "angel" within her, could not leave her unattended, so they found her a guardian (actually a watchman).

And this person is Fu Hei, whom she insisted on. Now they are nominally classmates.

This is the positive side, and there is another person in a similar situation, known as the strongest four hundred years ago, Lu Ziyun.

His life's purpose is to challenge the strong, and the reason he signed the contract with the Punisher was to fight Sukuna.

However, Sukuna was defeated by Gojo Satoru, so he set his sights on Gojo Satoru. After the "Death Return Tour" ended, he challenged Gojo Satoru to a duel. After being defeated, he served as a "prisoner" to the academy's fighting force, preparing for the next challenge.

Actually, he also wanted to challenge the Yue people, but they left not long after the great battle, so he never had the chance.

Now that Yue Ren is back, he'll probably look for him after hearing the news.

After hearing all this, Yue Ren looked at Fu Hei with an expression of disappointment, which made the latter feel uneasy.

"Senior, could you please stop looking at me like that?"

Fu Hei shuddered.

"Young man, you have a special connection with us, cherish it!"

"Thank you, senior."

'

""

Kurusu was even happier, while Fushiguro remained silent.

In the end, he said nothing, only nodded to Okikoshi, and then quietly sat down next to Itsuji.

He was sitting in a position that placed Hu Zhang and Yue Ren within his sight with just a turn of his head.

This habit is exactly the same as it was two years ago; I always subconsciously put myself in a position to take care of my companions, but I can't neglect myself because of that.

Sometimes you have to be a little selfish, young man...

"I heard you can open up new domains now."

Fu Hei nodded, his expression unchanged, but the fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly.

It's like an instinctive reaction, similar to being called on by a teacher.

"Would you like to give me a chance to see it?"

'

"...That's not quite right, okay."

Ultimately, unable to resist Yue Ren's expression, Fu Hei also realized that although it was a domain, his level was not high enough to possibly injure his senior.

The senior probably wanted to give me some pointers.

The curtain was lifted again, and this time Maki, Panda, and Dog Roll entered.

Maki was dressed casually, her long hair was tied into a ponytail, and she had changed to a new pair of thin-rimmed glasses. She looked much more rugged than she had two years ago, and the familiar sharpness returned the moment she opened her mouth.

"You didn't even tell me you were coming back. I thought you'd died out there."

Her words were harsh, but as she spoke, she walked over to Yue Ren and ruffled his hair hard.

Now she is the undisputed head of the Zen family, a veritable strong woman, and has matured considerably.

Dog Roll, with Panda following behind.

The former made a "long time no see" gesture to the Vietnamese, while the latter waved normally.

Dog Scroll is now a genuine Level 1 mage, considered a backbone of the school, while Panda... well, he's practically become a mascot now.

Without the constraints of higher-ups, Principal Nightmoth's self-disciplined skeletons can openly go out and operate, making them a special force within the academy.

Just as Yue Ren was about to send a message to Qi Hai, the curtain was lifted from the outside.

Nanami Kento walked in with a stoop, his suit jacket draped over his arm and his tie half-loose, clearly a working man who had just finished get off work and rushed over from the office.

His face wore an expression of resignation, as if to say, "Why did I agree to come? But I'm here now, so I might as well make the best of it." However, that expression softened slightly when he saw Yue Ren.

"Nanami-senpai."

When facing this person, Yue Ren's attitude was much more proper than when he faced Gojo Satoru.

"Long time no see, Mr. Yue."

As I passed by, I patted the Yue man on the shoulder very lightly.

My energy and spirit are much better than they were two years ago, but I have quite a few dark circles under my eyes, so it seems I've been working a lot of overtime.

"Yes, this way, Nanami-senpai."

In the next half hour, many more people arrived, including Tsukumo, Otsuko, and Ms. Shoko, all of whom were close friends. The principal did not come because he had work to do.

"That's good, everyone is safe and sound."

Panda's words acted like a switch, instantly easing the previously somewhat reserved atmosphere.

Yue Ren picked up the menu from the table and, under everyone's gaze, opened it and placed it on the table.

"It's on me, all the meat you can eat."

"Yay!"

The younger children immediately crowded around, their heads huddled together, chattering away as they announced the names of the dishes.

Itadori ordered three servings of thick-cut beef tongue, Kugizaki ordered pork belly and chicken thigh, and Fushiguro silently wrote down several plates of vegetables on the menu, but Kugizaki snatched the pen from the side and forcibly added a serving of diaphragm.

Maki immediately ordered, "One of each kind," while Dog Roll typed on his phone, "No offal." Panda added, "Give me the offal..."

Gojo Satoru didn't participate in grabbing the menu. He leaned back in his chair, watching the group of students making a ruckus, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

Nanami sipped his tea quietly, occasionally responding to the calls that came to him. Although he preferred quiet, he didn't dislike the noise at this moment.

Yi Gu still looked weak and timid, but everyone knew that this was just his true self when facing his companions.

Shoko, unusually, ordered a bottle of good wine and, along with Kugizaki, Maki, and Tsukumo, started rambling on and on.

While dealing with Kugizaki, Kurusu was secretly getting Fushiguro drunk?

Good heavens, they've already planned this?

Plates of grilled meat were served one after another, and the food on the hot plate was changed repeatedly.

As the most experienced member, Nanami took charge of the barbecue, and was initially extremely busy.

The two dogs, Tiger Stick and Panda, engaged in a silent battle for the grilled meat. Their chopsticks clashed above the grill at a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive, ultimately ending with each taking half.

Dog Roll ate quietly, but at a fast pace, the empty plate in front of him increasing steadily, occasionally letting out a satisfied "salmon" sound.

I never expected him to be such a foodie.

As a semi-chef, Nanami ate with great restraint, chewing each bite with utmost care, as if performing some kind of ritual. However, due to the considerable amount of alcohol she had consumed, she appeared to be in a state of restrained relaxation.

That's fine.

As the barbecue progressed, the atmosphere shifted from initial excitement to a slightly tipsy, relaxed state.

The charcoal fire was still crackling, but the frequency of turning the meat had clearly decreased.

The younger ones huddled together and started chatting about all sorts of trivial things that had happened at the college in the past two years.

For example, the new first-year student who learned to cast an ice spell ended up freezing his own lunch; Principal Nocturne's potted plant was smashed by a new student; and Gojo-sensei once forgot his luggage at the station while on a business trip and didn't change his clothes for three days, which led to Shoko criticizing him for a whole week...

As Yue Ren listened to these trivial daily occurrences, the smile on his lips never faded.

Gathering with family and friends is perhaps the happiest thing in the world. If it's to protect this moment, then the strength in our hands has meaning.