Chapter 174: Chapter 171: Good Night, Good Afternoon, Good Morning
The night breeze carried the faint scent of burning. The once-bustling city now bore scars of battle, a stark contrast to its former liveliness. From the rooftop of a tall building, flickering flames could be seen rising across the city.
The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons was nearing its end. The sorcerers were now clearing the battlefield.
At Jujutsu High, Ijichi Shoko—the only one aside from Gojo who could heal others with Reversed Cursed Technique—worked tirelessly to treat the injured. Meanwhile, support staff coordinated efforts to help survivors, tally casualties, and assess the damage.
Yukinoshita Yukino and Hayashizaki stood on the rooftop, looking down at the devastated city, lost in thought.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. Then, with a sudden flicker, the city's power returned. Neon lights buzzed to life, casting a surreal glow over the wreckage.
A full moon peeked through the clouds, its cold light falling on Yukinoshita Yukino's face, highlighting the sadness in her expression.
Her dark blue eyes reflected the fire and smoke below. From Hayashizaki's angle, her profile looked as if she were crying.
"So many people died."
After a long silence, Yukinoshita Yukino finally spoke, breaking the stillness.
"This was something no one could have predicted. After all, no one saw this attack coming," Hayashizaki tried to comfort her.
"But what about the people who died right in front of me?" she shot back.
Now that the battle was over and the rush of adrenaline had faded, the memories of what had happened flooded her mind.
The innocent people killed by the cursed spirits and sorcerers. The ones who should have been saved. The ones who died because she was too weak.
Their twisted faces, filled with fear and despair, seemed to turn into dark hands rising from beneath her feet, grabbing her ankles, trying to drag her into an endless abyss of shadows.
"I should have saved them… If only I wasn't so weak…"
Yukinoshita Yukino turned around and looked up slightly, meeting Hayashizaki's eyes.
She bit her lower lip, her eyes glistening with tears. "Even in the final battle… you were the one who saved me again, Hayashizaki-kun."
"If you put it that way, you were never supposed to go through all this pain and suffering."
Watching the tears roll down her cheeks, leaving faint, wet streaks on her soft skin, Hayashizaki hesitated before saying, "It was my unexpected appearance that changed your life."
But Yukinoshita Yukino shook her head. "That's not an excuse for my weakness."
What was supposed to happen and what actually happened were two different things. The fact that she hadn't done her best—she couldn't accept that.
Especially when the cost was other people's lives.
What had already happened was an unchangeable fact. She didn't want to dwell on regrets from the past, but the thought of the same thing happening again in the future was unbearable.
"I want to get stronger," the black-haired girl said firmly.
She didn't want to feel powerless anymore. She didn't want to keep relying on him to save her. And more than anything, she didn't want to become a burden to him.
"Hayashizaki-kun, will you help me?"
This was the second time Yukinoshita Yukino had made a serious request of him.
Hayashizaki hesitated.
A sorcerer's potential was determined by their natural talent and abilities. Hard work only decided their lower limits.
So… did Yukinoshita Yukino have that kind of talent?
It was a harsh truth, but Hayashizaki's answer was no.
She was just an ordinary girl—stubborn, proud, and prone to overthinking. Because of a system's teleportation mishap, she ended up in a bizarre situation where they shared the same body, his soul bound to hers.
That was the only reason she had access to cursed energy and his techniques.
And with the system's subtle enhancements to her body over time, Yukinoshita Yukino had reached her current level of strength.
To be honest, the fact that she could grasp her own Domain Expansion was already a huge surprise for Hayashizaki. Even if it wasn't complete, as long as she could use it, she would eventually perfect it.
Even if she couldn't create an open-style domain like he could, it was still enough to make her a Special Grade Sorcerer.
That was probably the peak Hayashizaki had envisioned for Yukinoshita Yukino—the highest point she could reach.
But even that peak was far away. Who knew how long it would take for her to get there? And along the way, what hardships, regrets, and setbacks would she have to endure?
No one could say.
The long road of a sorcerer's journey was paved with mountains of corpses, and the path itself was bound to be filled with pain and cruelty.
Seeing Yukinoshita Yukino's face full of guilt, Hayashizaki found it hard to say anything that would discourage her further.
Ugh, this is so frustrating. I really want to beat up Sukuna again to vent.
…Huh?
Sukuna?
Sukuna's fingers!
A sudden idea flashed through Hayashizaki's mind. A brilliant plan started forming and taking shape.
Maybe… maybe this could actually work.
Yukinoshita Yukino noticed his sudden silence and panicked a little.
Did Hayashizaki-kun think she was too weak? Was her talent so bad that he didn't want to teach her anymore?
She blinked nervously, trying to read his expression. He was looking at her, but his gaze wasn't really focused on her at all.
His crimson eyes, as beautiful as red garnet, flickered with streams of glowing blue data.
He was talking to the system.
"Are you really sure about this?"
"If you're asking me that, it means my idea is actually possible, right?"
…
A small smirk appeared on Hayashizaki's lips.
Under Yukinoshita Yukino's nervous gaze, he spoke with confidence.
"It's possible."
Not only possible—this might even make you the strongest.
Unlike last time, this time he gave a definite answer. Yukinoshita Yukino's face visibly brightened. Some of the regret in her eyes faded, replaced by excitement.
"Close your eyes," Hayashizaki said with a smile. "I have a gift for you."
Seeing the playful look on his face, Yukinoshita Yukino instinctively became wary. But after a moment, she felt she was just overthinking it.
So, she obediently closed her eyes.
After making sure she wasn't secretly peeking, Hayashizaki nodded in satisfaction.
What he was about to do was indeed a bit strange—something Yukinoshita shouldn't know about.
The anchor is set. Teleportation will begin in thirty seconds.
Thanks, for the first time, I actually find you reliable, System.
Hayashizaki smiled as he responded in his heart.
Then, he cut off one of his own fingers.
Although a new finger instantly regenerated under the effects of the Reverse Technique, the severed one still remained in his hand.
"Open your mouth."
Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been keeping her eyes tightly shut, was eagerly waiting for the "gift" Hayashizaki had promised her. Hearing this strange request, she didn't overthink it and slightly parted her lips.
Hayashizaki placed his severed finger into her mouth.
"Don't chew. Just swallow it."
At first, she felt a soft sensation on her tongue—it was as if Hayashizaki had simply put his own finger in her mouth. But soon, a metallic taste spread throughout her mouth.
By the time Yukinoshita Yukino realized something was wrong, she had already instinctively followed Hayashizaki's words and swallowed the finger.
"What did you just feed me?" The black-haired girl frowned and opened her eyes, looking at him.
Her navy-blue pupils suddenly shrank.
A golden light erupted from Hayashizaki's body, just like the moment he had arrived at the juvenile facility.
"Hayashizaki-kun?"
A strong sense of unease rushed over her. Without thinking, Yukinoshita Yukino reached out to him.
Hayashizaki gave her a gentle smile—the same kind of smile he had given her before.
"Get stronger. Strong enough that I won't have to leave you behind."
His body began to break apart, starting from his feet, dissolving into countless golden fragments that floated into the air.
"Hayashizaki-kun!? Wait—"
Her dazed expression instantly turned into sheer panic. She lunged forward, trying to grab him, but her hand passed straight through his chest.
"We'll meet again in your future, Yukinoshita."
His entire figure had now turned into golden light, drifting into the sky.
No matter how desperately Yukinoshita Yukino waved her hands, trying to grasp even a single speck of that light, nothing remained.
It was as if he had completely vanished from this world.
She took two unsteady steps back before her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the rooftop, staring blankly ahead.
"What… is this…?" she muttered weakly.
Before she could finish her sentence, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her ears.
No—this voice wasn't coming from around her. It was ringing directly in her mind!
Because she had already experienced telepathic communication with Hayashizaki before, Yukinoshita Yukino immediately realized what was happening.
Yukinoshita Yukino, you have successfully bonded with the "Strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer System."
This system will train you to become the strongest jujutsu sorcerer. Please complete the tasks assigned by the system and do not let down the expectations of Host Hayashizaki.
You received a gift from Hayashizaki.
The shop system has been activated.
The quest system has been activated.
New quests available:
Beginner Quest: Defeat a Grade 4 Curse – Reward: 500 points (Completed, pending collection).
Defeat 10 Grade 4 Curses – Reward: 1,000 points (Completed, pending collection).
Defeat…
Special Quest: Reach World Line 0/1,000,000 points.
A series of chimes echoed in her mind as a translucent, glowing blue window suddenly popped up in front of her. Yukinoshita Yukino was completely stunned.
…
A brilliant galaxy stretched high above, with colorful stars twinkling all around. Hayashizaki stood as if he were in the vastness of space itself. In front of him was an arched corridor, shimmering with dazzling rainbow-colored light.
"This really feels like the Bifröst… Don't tell me this leads to Asgard?"
Hayashizaki took in the breathtaking scenery around him with great interest, then stepped forward onto the corridor, walking toward an unseen destination in time.
As he moved forward, images slowly emerged on the glowing walls of the bridge. They played in reverse—memories of his time with Yukinoshita Yukino, rewinding from recent moments to the distant past.
"I want to become stronger. Hayashizaki-kun, will you help me?"
"Thanks to you, my vague dreams finally took shape. Hayashizaki-kun, would you be willing to help me?"
"I'm going to sleep now. Good night, Hayashizaki-kun."
"What are you doing at the Service Club…? Well, anyway, good afternoon, Hayashizaki-kun."
"Good morning, Hayashizaki-kun. Drinking so early in the morning, huh?"
Scene after scene flashed through the black-haired young man's eyes, as if they had just happened yesterday. For some reason, despite always having a calm heart, Hayashizaki felt a ripple stir deep inside him at that moment.
After a brief daze, he shook his head with a smile and kept moving forward, heading toward the beginning of time.
…
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