Ijichi did not answer. Even when Satoru Gojo was not present, he would not say a single bad word, even if it was true.

  Satoru Gojo really had incredible luck to have such a diligent and long-suffering assistant.

  “Either way, come in and sit down,” Akira said. “I’ll get something to eat. Tea or coffee? If you don’t mind, stay for a simple meal. It’s rare to have time like this, so get some proper rest. Only after resting can you deal with someone’s bullying.”

  Used to being pushed around and overworked, Ijichi was almost moved to tears by such kindness. “Th-thank you, Akira.”

  It made Akira shiver just watching. How much unfair Benefits had this man suffered? Satoru Gojo, you were absolutely the source of all evil.

  After they sat down, Kiyotaka Ijichi finally handed over the document folder he had been clutching. “This is the information on Q that Gojo-san asked me to deliver to Nanami-san. Akira is also involved in the mission, so you can take a look first.”

  “Then I won’t hold back,” Akira said, nodding as he took it and opened it quickly.

  As a veteran assistant, Ijichi’s professional ability was beyond doubt. The materials were neatly organized, including investigation reports from Shoko Ieiri, documents from Tokyo Jujutsu High ten years ago, and internal police files.

  It was just the content and conclusions of the reports that made him pause.

  “Well, I’m sure of it now,” Akira said. “Gojo the demon king really is the source of all evil.”

  Based on the materials compiled by Kiyotaka Ijichi, the Q Curse User Organization has two high-level Curse User. One uses the codename Kron and is very likely a long-range curse killer, while the other is known as the strongest combatant, named Bale. He was the same person bound and defeated by Satoru Gojo ten years ago.

  When the gap in strength is too large, casualties are actually rare. Kento Nanami and Akira suppressing Tokyo Base was like that, and Satoru Gojo crushing Q Curse User Organization ten years ago followed the same pattern. They captured the Q Curse User Organization elites with little effort, and after that it was no longer Satoru Gojo’s business, leaving the matter to the so-called professionals and their professional procedures.

  Here, “professional” meant being imprisoned for ten years, then earning sentence reductions through good behavior or credited service, which led to release before the full term was served. Reading this, Akira was completely stunned, since someone skilled at curse killing could not possibly have clean hands. The one labeled as the strongest fighter must have shed plenty of blood as well.

  Only ten years? Was this a joke? Even Satoru Gojo’s bad jokes were ten times better than this. Yet reality was exactly this absurd, as Akira looked at the section on murder charges and saw a simple line stating that there was no solid evidence.

  Of course there was no evidence. When a Jujutsu Sorcerer kills someone, what evidence would be left behind? If I had Gardevoir use Psychic Power to kill, there would be no proof either, and judging Jujutsu Sorcerer by mundane law was ridiculous beyond words.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Raising the issue high and then setting it down lightly meant there was clearly something fishy. Anyone with eyes could see that. Akira clicked his tongue and said, “I was going to leave some people a bit of face, but now it seems I was too naive. If Teacher Gojo had just killed them instead of capturing them, it would have been better.”

  “Do not say things like that so casually. It is dangerous,” Kento Nanami said calmly. “Kiyotaka Ijichi-san, the student is immature. Please do not take it to heart.”

  The clock hands passed five, and the disciplined Kento Nanami returned home. He took the file from Akira while nodding to Kiyotaka Ijichi. As an Assistant Supervisor, Kiyotaka Ijichi’s duties included not only assistance but also supervision, monitoring the words and actions of Jujutsu Sorcerer and reporting to higher authorities.

  Satoru Gojo had been right to call him a punching bag caught in the middle, and that also matched Kiyotaka Ijichi’s gentle nature. With a mild smile, he said, “I only delivered the materials as Teacher Gojo requested. I did not hear anything.”

  Kento Nanami nodded slightly and sat down to read the documents in detail. After a careful look, he spoke again, “I see. It is normal for you to think that way.”

  The intelligence showed that after finally being released, Kron and Bale had not repented at all. Instead, they regrouped and planned revenge. Since they could not defeat Satoru Gojo ten years ago and stood even less of a chance now, they chose a roundabout approach by targeting the people he cared about.

  Satoru Gojo cared most about his students, so they went after the students. As a result, the third-year students who were fully entering social practice suffered, being attacked during an off-campus assignment. The interns not only failed the mission but were seriously injured as well.

  “Judging the past only from the outcome is not appropriate,” Kento Nanami said. “But dismissing everything just because it is only a possibility is also unacceptable, especially when lives are involved. That would push you further away from the basic standards of being human.”

  Akira knew very well that this could not really be blamed on Satoru Gojo. Still, it was like hesitating over a choice and then regretting it later when things went badly, always thinking about how it could have been different. Kento Nanami could accept reality calmly, and on that point, Akira felt inferior to him.

  Even after living two lives and being older in total years, Akira still had many shortcomings. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “If backtracking is not appropriate, then what about dealing with confirmed evil acts by Curse User right now?”

  “I will handle them,” Kento Nanami answered without hesitation. “Jujutsu Sorcerer are scum, and Curse User who abandon basic humanity are worse than scum.”

  “You said ‘I,’ not ‘we’?” Akira narrowed his eyes.

  “Yes,” Kento Nanami replied evenly. “It is not about excluding you from the mission. It is just that killing is not something you need to deal with so early.”

  “Because I am a minor and you are an adult?” Akira asked.

  “Exactly,” Kento Nanami said. “I have a duty to prioritize your well-being. If adults leave everything to minors, then what use are adults at all?”

  Akira smiled slightly. It was another sharp line, worthy of him. Then he said, “What if I tell you that this time, a minor can do something an adult cannot?”

  “Oh?” Kento Nanami raised an eyebrow, his face showing curiosity but no doubt or disdain.

  This was probably a shared trait among people connected to Tokyo Jujutsu High. They stood on the side of adults to protect minors, yet never looked down on them. Akira did not answer immediately and instead turned to Kiyotaka Ijichi.

  “If my guess is right, before assigning this mission to Nanami-san and me, Teacher Gojo already took action,” Akira said. “It is just that the result was…”

  “Very bad,” Kiyotaka Ijichi admitted frankly. “Teacher Gojo once found a possible hideout, but every time he arrived, it was empty. Our investigation was not as thorough back then as it is now.”

  Akira let out a quiet snort. It was obvious that there was a mole in the higher ranks, leaking information and hiding key intelligence. Satoru Gojo’s long-standing reputation of being invincible had also made him careless, charging in before fully understanding the situation, assuming no one could oppose him.