The so-called Reverse Cursed Technique.
It was a method of cursed energy manipulation.
Cursed energy itself was negative in nature. It could strengthen the body, but it could not regenerate it.
By multiplying negative cursed energy against itself, negative times negative became positive, transforming it into positive energy. That was how it achieved rapid regeneration of injured flesh and limbs.
Once mastered, as long as the user was not killed in a single decisive blow, and as long as their cursed energy was not completely depleted, they were practically impossible to kill.
And this technique was not limited to oneself alone.
Satoru Gojo understood better than anyone just how massive a boost this was for him.
But.
Now was not the time to dig into that.
There was still a "protagonist" waiting for him to explore.
Gojo stepped toward the boy in the tracksuit.
"Hey, newbie. Why are you just standing there? This place scare you stiff or something…?"
His tone carried a teasing edge as he spoke with a grin.
But before he could finish, the boy suddenly clenched his fists and pulled them tight to his sides.
Without caring that he was standing in the middle of a crowded plaza, he shouted excitedly.
"Is this what they call being summoned to another world?!"
His sudden outburst drew the attention of everyone around him.
Seeing this strangely dressed boy yelling in excitement, both humans and demi-humans instinctively took several steps back.
Like ordinary people giving space to someone who looked a little unhinged.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Just as the crowd pulled away, a burst of crisp applause rang out.
"Not bad, kid. You've got plenty of energy!"
Gojo clapped his hands, smiling brightly at Subaru Natsuki.
"Huh?"
Subaru did not think much about his own behavior or the reactions of the people around him.
But when he saw the tall, sharp-looking figure approaching him, dressed in a fitted uniform with white hair and sunglasses, he froze for a moment.
"Wait."
"You… your outfit."
Subaru looked Gojo up and down carefully, sounding uncertain.
"Isn't your getup way too weird?"
"Sunglasses with white hair? Don't tell me you were summoned to another world too?"
"Not bad. You've got a good eye."
Gojo pushed his sunglasses up slightly. His ice-blue eyes flashed in the sunlight, his tone casual and open. "Satoru Gojo. Same as you, an outsider who accidentally wandered into this strange world."
"Oh!!!"
"So it really is like the light novels say!"
"We're heroes, right? Teammates who'll save this world from the demon king?!"
Meeting someone with the same background the moment he arrived filled Subaru with excitement.
"Well, if you want to put it that way, I guess it's not wrong."
"But if we're being more accurate…"
"You're here to support me."
Gojo said it with a smile hidden behind his sunglasses.
"Support?"
Subaru blinked.
"Yeah. Support."
Gojo pointed at himself. "Protagonist."
Then he pointed at Subaru. "Supporting character."
"That's close enough to get the idea."
"I'm the supporting character?"
"Of course."
"Otherwise, why do you think I'd be here waiting for you?"
Gojo spoke with complete confidence, his expression sincere to the point of absurdity.
"So that's how it is."
Even if he was not the protagonist, this was still another world, not the dull, suffocating routine of modern life.
Being a supporting character here still sounded pretty exciting.
Under Gojo's explanation, Subaru did not dwell on the issue of roles for long and quickly accepted the setup.
"Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Subaru Natsuki. I'm seventeen."
"So what do we do now?"
"Do we stay here and wait for other teammates, or go fight monsters and level up?"
Subaru looked fired up.
Watching his enthusiasm, Gojo rubbed his chin, then suddenly leaned in closer.
"H-Hey, what is it?"
Gojo's sudden proximity made Subaru lean his head back slightly.
At such close range, Subaru could clearly see those blue eyes through the edge of the sunglasses, prettier than any gemstone.
"As my partner, did you feel anything different when you came here?"
"Like a skill panel popping up in your head, or the ability to pull stuff out of thin air?"
Gojo casually threw an arm around Subaru's shoulders, acting completely familiar.
"A panel? Superpowers?"
Subaru closed his eyes and thought hard for a while, but nothing came to mind.
All he could do was shake his head, disappointment creeping into his voice.
"Seems like… nothing at all."
"What about physical stuff? Stronger muscles, faster speed?"
Subaru waved his arms a bit, then sighed. "Doesn't seem like it."
"I see."
Gojo nodded thoughtfully, then patted his shoulder. "It's fine. You might just not have noticed yet, or maybe you haven't triggered the conditions."
"Yeah… that makes sense."
"Let's go!"
"Go where?"
"Are we starting our thrilling adventure now?"
"Taking low-level quests, grinding experience and gold to buy gear?"
"I'm pretty confident in my arm strength!"
"Of course not. To celebrate your arrival, we're going to eat desserts."
Gojo said it with a grin, wrapping an arm around Subaru's shoulders as he dragged him away, leaving Subaru staring in shock.
Before long, the two of them arrived at the cake shop Gojo had splurged at the day before.
Sitting at a small table inside, each of them had a plate of berry cake in front of them.
"Go on, try it. The cake here is really good."
"O-Oh."
Subaru picked up a small spoon, scooped a bite, and put it in his mouth.
His expression turned strange.
I mean, sure, he had already been transported to another world. At this point, what could he not accept?
But still… this was nothing like what he had imagined. Light novels did not go like this.
Seeing Subaru looking distracted, Gojo chuckled softly.
"Subaru, that's fine to call you, right?"
"Yeah, sure."
"By the way, before you came to this world, were you still in school?"
Subaru hesitated, then shook his head. "No. I took a break from high school and stayed home for personal reasons."
"Then we're kind of similar."
Gojo said with a smile. "I'm still studying at Jujutsu High."
"I was in Tokyo before that. What about you…"