Under the pretext of "experiencing mortal pleasures and team building," Gojo Satoru forcibly dragged Geto Suguru and Nagi out of Jujutsu High to a noisy arcade in Shinjuku. The dazzling neon signs intertwined with chaotic electronic sound effects, and the air was filled with the faint scent of candy and air conditioning, creating a boisterous universe completely distinct from the world of Jujutsu.
"Watch Ore-sama dominate this place!"
Gojo rubbed his fists together in front of a fighting game cabinet. His azure Six Eyes scanned the screen excitedly, as if intending to see through it completely.
However, things developed somewhat unexpectedly. Gojo's Six Eyes could precisely capture every pixel movement of the game character and calculate the hitboxes of every frame. Theoretically, his reaction speed was enough to make him invincible. But—
"K.O!"
The word "Defeat" appeared on the screen once again. Gojo looked in disbelief at Nagi, who was operating the joystick next to him with an expressionless face.
"Hey! Nagi! You definitely cheated just now, didn't you?!"
Gojo pointed at Nagi and shouted, drawing sideways glances from several passersby. "How could Ore-sama's inputs be wrong?! That ultimate move just now definitely should have hit!"
Nagi calmly inserted a coin, preparing for the next round, his tone flat: "I didn't. It was your own mistake."
Only he knew that in that decisive instant just now, he had utilized a microscopic, imperceptible "Xu" force field precisely on the tip of Gojo's finger as it pressed the button, causing a millisecond-level delay. This wasn't malicious; it was more like a silent "payback" for Gojo's usual arrogance, as well as an unconventional test of his own force field control precision.
Geto Suguru watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Although he couldn't see through everything like the Six Eyes, he understood the "mischievousness" that occasionally surfaced beneath Nagi's calm exterior, and he was happy to see Satoru eat humble pie.
"Satoru, it seems you aren't omnipotent after all," he added gently, twisting the knife.
"Impossible! Again!"
Just then, a lazy voice drifted over: "I could hear your voice from a mile away, Gojo. Where are you embarrassing yourself now?"
The three turned around to see Ieiri Shoko standing behind them at some point, hands in her jacket pockets, a newly unwrapped lollipop in her mouth, and a casual smile on her face.
"Shoko! You came at just the right time!"
Gojo acted like he had found a witness. "Come be the judge! Nagi definitely used his Cursed Technique to cheat!"
Shoko walked over slowly, glanced at the win-loss record on the screen, then looked at the calm Nagi and the stomping Gojo. She said with a lack of interest, "So? Where's the evidence? Are there times when even the Six Eyes can't see through things?"
"It's just that feeling! Just when I was about to press down, it suddenly slowed for a second! It definitely has to be Nagi's 'Xu'!"
Shoko ignored him and looked at Nagi instead. "And you? Anything to say?"
Nagi met her gaze and answered calmly, "My force field control isn't proficient yet; sometimes it leaks slightly."
This explanation was impeccable. He neither admitted to intentional interference nor ruled out the possibility of an "accident," perfectly fitting his usual rigorous image.
Shoko's gaze lingered on Nagi's face for two seconds before she suddenly scoffed, patting Gojo on the shoulder. "Alright, if you can't handle losing, don't play. Maybe your gaming skills are just trash?"
"Hah?! How could Ore-sama be trash!"
Shoko ignored the frantic Gojo, her attention drawn to the Taiko no Tatsujin machine nearby. After watching for a while, she suddenly lifted her chin toward Nagi.
"Hey, Mujin-kun, go try that."
Nagi: "...?"
"Go try it." Shoko's tone carried an unquestionable mindset of wanting to watch a show.
Nagi walked silently to the Taiko no Tatsujin machine. The music started, and the drumbeats fell.
Crimson Eyes: Micro-activation! Not used for combat, but to maximally enhance dynamic vision and rhythm capture.
Cursed Technique Reversal: Shun: Flash (Micro-manipulation Version)! Not used for movement, but applying a pulsed force field to his wrists and drumsticks to eliminate all unnecessary muscle tremors and air resistance, making every strike precise, stable, and efficient to the extreme!
The notes on the screen fell like a rainstorm, yet Nagi's operation was as calm as a precision machine.
Perfect!
Perfect!
Perfect!
The combo count rose insanely, the rhythm never faltering, carrying a kind of cold, suffocating beauty. The final score broke the machine's record, drawing exclamations from several young people nearby.
Gojo watched, dumbfounded, then became even more convinced. "See! He definitely used his ability! How could a normal person be that accurate!"
Geto Suguru shook his head with a smile. "Maybe Mujin just has a good sense of rhythm?"
Shoko bit on her lollipop and commented vaguely, "Mmm, suitable for some delicate surgical assistance work." It was unclear if she was sincere or teasing.
At this moment, Geto pointed to the basketball machine in the corner. "Want to try that? The kind that relies purely on physical ability."
Gojo immediately perked up. "Okay! Watch Ore-sama show off this time!"
The result was predictable—relying on the Limitless technique's control over space, the basketballs Gojo threw had a near 100% hit rate. He even deliberately made the balls trace arcs in the air that violated the laws of physics. Geto shook his head watching it but couldn't help laughing.
When Nagi tried shooting, although he didn't use his technique, his precise control still resulted in an astonishingly high hit rate. Shoko had obtained a bag of potato chips from somewhere and commented while eating, "You guys take even playing games so seriously."
In the end, Gojo held a huge pile of tickets and went triumphantly to the counter to pick a prize. He had originally set his sights on a giant rainbow unicorn plushie, but Shoko beat him to it, using a portion of the tickets to exchange for a slightly ugly-looking Rilakkuma.
"Hey! Shoko! Ore-sama had eyes on that!"
"First come, first served."
Shoko held the Rilakkuma, expressionlessly crunching the lollipop in her mouth.
On the way back to Jujutsu High, Gojo was still chattering endlessly about the gaming record earlier. Geto Suguru responded good-naturedly, occasionally teasing him. As they passed a dessert shop, Gojo suddenly stopped, his eyes shining as he stared at the new product display in the window.
"Wait! Ore-sama wants to buy Kikufuku! This shop has the Zunda Cream flavor as a limited edition!"
Without waiting for the others to respond, he rushed into the store like the wind.
A few minutes later, Gojo came out holding several exquisite paper bags. He couldn't wait to unwrap one and stuff it into his mouth, narrowing his eyes in bliss. He spoke indistinctly, "Do you guys want to taste some too? My treat!"
Geto declined politely, while Shoko took a matcha-flavored one directly from his bag. Nagi hesitated for a moment, then accepted the plain cream Kikufuku Gojo handed him, tasting it in small bites. The sweet and rich cream melted in his mouth; it was a flavor he rarely experienced.
The evening train traveled slowly carrying the afterglow of the setting sun, the carriage filled with the aroma of sweets. Gojo continued to argue about the arcade while eating his daifuku, Geto shook his head smiling, and Shoko leaned against the window pretending to sleep, holding the ugly-cute Rilakkuma. Nagi looked at the urban scenery flashing by outside the window, the noisy voices of his companions in his ears, and a strange, faint sense of calm wrapped around him.
This kind of daily noise... didn't seem too bad. He subconsciously touched his pocket, which still contained a few lemon candies Shoko had "thrown" to him earlier, claiming they were "too sweet and not tasty."
When the train arrived at the station and the four of them walked slowly back along the path leading to Jujutsu High, Gojo suddenly draped his arms around Nagi and Geto's shoulders, announcing loudly: "Next time, we're going to Karaoke! Ore-sama will let you witness what a King of Singers looks like!"
Geto smiled wryly. "Spare me."
Shoko yawned. "I'll remember to bring earplugs."
Nagi didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth seemed to raise by a single pixel.
The twilight stretched their shadows long. Four Sorcerers with vastly different personalities seemed just like ordinary high school students in this moment, enjoying a rare leisure time. In the distance, the ancient buildings of Jujutsu High stood silently in the mountain forest, reminding them of the other world outside their ordinary daily life—but at least for this moment, let them be ordinary young people for a while.