As a faint fragrance drifted through the mist and brushed against his back, Satoru Gojo instinctively turned off the screen and leaned back as if guilty of something, causing the high stool to wobble precariously.
Kobe Suzuo steadied the stool and leaned forward just as Satoru Gojo's back stiffened, snatching the phone from his hands.
As he moved, the undried droplets of water from his hair dripped onto Satoru Gojo's neck, making his hair stand on end, his soft silver-white hair bristling slightly like a startled animal.
He watched Kobe Suzuo wipe his hair, then held the phone in one hand and thought for two seconds before successfully unlocking the screen.
That rare skin CG, extorted from Merlin, was enlarged and prominently displayed on the homepage.
Kobe Suzuo raised an eyebrow and gave him a playful glance, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing as the corners of his eyes upturned with a smile.
He was wearing a bathrobe and walked barefoot around the bar, sitting down on the leather sofa. Propping his chin in his hand, he toyed with Satoru Gojo's phone and spoke with effortless ease:
Are you interested in this, Satoru-kun?
Kobe Suzuo chuckled, waving his phone at Satoru Gojo.
Satoru Gojo covered his neck with one hand and his ears with the other, his face turning red from his forehead to his fingertips.
He jumped down from the barstool and rushed up to Kobe Suzuo, his brain seemingly scrambled by something, as his first reaction was actually to complain.
Merlin lied to me!
Where was the shyness he promised? The hesitation? The nervousness? This was not what he had imagined.
Kobe Suzuo paused, the mental preparation he had worked so hard to build almost collapsed.
Merlin's brain worked at high speed, successfully grasping Satoru Gojo's logic:
Negative. I am sincere in my dealings with others; the error in the conclusion stems from the limitations of artificial intelligence. This cannot be considered deception.
Satoru Gojo's eyes widened, his gaze landing with absolute clarity:
But you really did mislead me! Suzuo is clearly very open! You wicked artificial intelligence.
Kobe Suzuo adjusted his collar and nonchalantly uncrossed his legs.
Merlin adamantly refused to let the word "evil" be pinned on him: "Can it be the same in front of you as it is in front of others? If you keep this up, the one being tormented will be.."
Kobe Suzuo interrupted the AI that was exposing his past: "Fine, it's Merlin's fault. I'll scold it later."
Merlin: Heh, you foolish ruler.
Satoru Gojo was satisfied and quickly brought the topic back, stating bluntly, "I want to see Suzuo's tattoo."
Before Kobe Suzuo could answer, he repeated like a broken record, "See the tattoo, see the tattoo."
Merlin was heartbroken and determined to play dead to the very end.
Kobe Suzuo grabbed Satoru Gojo, who was about to circle around him, maintained a forced, dignified smile.
“Let's eat cake first, Satoru, or else the day will be over.”
That kind of thing doesn't matter, I want to see Suzuo's crest first..
Satoru Gojo was halfway through his sentence when he was frightened into silence by Kobe Suzuo, whose smile had grown increasingly sinister. Knowing when to back down, he flashed a sweet smile at Kobe Suzuo:
I'm super—looking forward to the cake made by Suzuo's own hands!
Kobe Suzuo sighed and returned the phone to Satoru Gojo.
Forget it, forget it.
He turned to his side and unfastened his belt, lifting his shirt to reveal half of his body. The matching trousers of his bathrobe were clearly ill-fitting, hanging loosely on his hips and perfectly exposing the entire tattoo pattern.
The tattoo was slightly smaller than Satoru Gojo had imagined; a single palm spread wide could cover it entirely.
At the same time, Satoru Gojo also confirmed one thing.
The pattern's flow indeed shared certain similarities with those Cursed Tools of the Kobe Family.
“Progressing too quickly isn't necessarily a good thing, either.”
As Kobe Suzuo spoke, she turned and walked into the kitchen, bringing out a seven-inch strawberry cake from the refrigerator.
The cream was smooth and the piping was exquisite, with bright red strawberries of uniform size decorating the top. Its faint, sweet aroma was identical to the scent on Kobe Suzuo today.
He has been marinated in cream desserts for the past two days.
“I originally intended to give it to you at midnight, but I am indeed not good at cooking. I rushed to finish it and ended up being late; I am sorry.”
Kobe Suzuo truly felt apologetic; he had thought he might lack a talent for cooking, but he had no idea his talent in this area was so poor.
As a first birthday gift for Satoru Gojo, it was truly an insult to his image.
Satoru Gojo blinked, his nose twitching like a kitten's, momentarily setting aside his tattoos and everything else.
This is actually quite good. Suzuo was acting so scary, I thought it was some kind of dark cuisine.
There was no birthday song, no candle-blowing ceremony.
Kobe Suzuo didn't mention it; Satoru Gojo simply hadn't remembered.
He picked up the dessert fork Kobe Suzuo had prepared, speared a strawberry, popped it into his mouth; his brain felt as if it had been running for three days and three nights before suddenly going "boom."
Satoru Gojo cut through the cream layer; the soft chiffon cake and the bright red jam layer looked exceptionally harmonious.
He cut another large piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
That taste was so sweet it was bitter, with a texture and flavor like burnt charcoal from overbaked flour, combined with the intense, multiplied tartness unique to plant fruits.
As a dessert, it was truly incredible.
Kobe Suzuo's gaze toward Satoru Gojo had already reached the level of being moved.
Merlin: "Suzuo, just for the fact that Satoru Gojo can swallow the cake you made, I am willing to vote for him."
Kobe Suzuo ignored the glib Merlin and, just as Satoru Gojo was about to stubbornly attempt a third bite, she swiftly snatched the plate away.
You should have already received my feelings. Once I've tidied up a bit, Sug and Nobara Iori and the others should already be downstairs waiting for you.
Satoru Gojo, whose worldview had been shattered, could barely process it: "What?"
Kobe Suzuo affectionately stroked the white hair, "I can't actually only give you this on your birthday. The one below is the main event."
Satoru, Happy Birthday.
Chapter 84: That Big Villain
At 7:00 PM on December 28th, Tengen boarded a flight to the overseas laboratory.
The main figures traveling with him included Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo, Semi-Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Cai Ming, a seven-member Grade 1 Cursed Spirit squad primarily composed of Chiba Clan members, six ordinary staff members.
Finally, after various considerations, Kobe Suzuo himself boarded the plane.
At nine in the evening, the Jujutsu Director's Department issued a public announcement: Kobe Suzuo had taken Tengen hostage to threaten the Elders, harboring ulterior motives and malicious intentions..
In short, for the sake of peace, stability, the greater good, Kobe Suzuo has been removed from his position.
At 9:15 PM, the flight carrying Tengen and Kobe Suzuo was attacked by an unknown assailant. The fuselage was damaged, causing it to descend rapidly from its cruising altitude and crash into the Pacific Ocean.
At 9:30, the Secretary-General of the Jujutsu Director's Department confirmed that Kobe Suzuo's positioning signal had disappeared, the status of the accompanying personnel remained unknown.
However, the effects of Kobe Suzuo's Cursed Technique still persist, all [Contracts] signed with it remain valid.
The Director's Department convened an overnight meeting with the Elders Council.
The Kobe Faction, led by the teaching staff of Tokyo Jujutsu High; the Neutral Faction, led by the Gojo Clan and Zenin Naobito; and the Reformist Faction (Conservative Faction), led by the Zenin Clan and Kammo Clan Elders.
Before the three factions could reach a conclusion, certain Elders had already impatiently issued a death warrant to Kobe Suzuo.
Watching from far away overseas, Kobe Suzuo shook his head repeatedly, mourning for two seconds for the despairing Jujutsu World.
“How has this thing survived for a thousand years without being eliminated?”
Kobe Suzuo sat in the leather chair, elegantly swirling the wine glass in her hand. "I don't understand. Is there really no capable, emerging organization that can overthrow them?"
Well, Jujutsu Sorcerers are just that kind of existence; you can't expect a character like Sugawara no Michizane to suddenly emerge from a rabble.
Kobe Suzuo let out an ambiguous, mocking laugh. "You seem quite nostalgic."
“How could you think that? I have absolutely no connection to those big shots; if anyone, it would be Tengen and him who might know each other.”
Kobe Suzuo did not respond again, his pitch-black eyes gazing out the window.
The research institute's location was not remote, but it was a certain distance away from the most bustling city center. From this height, one could see the neon lights on the distant horizon, looking like falling stars.
He flipped his wrist, the red wine in the glass spilled onto the floor, spreading across the carpet like a stain of blood, as the aroma of the wine filled the air.
How revolting.
Kobe Suzuo stood up and casually tossed the empty glass aside, which unfortunately landed off the thick carpet; after a crisp sound, the glass shattered into several scattered shards.
Oh my, why did we get angry in the middle of our conversation?
Through the receiver, the man's voice was elegant and laced with laughter, yet it was as sticky and cold as honeyed magic, carrying a chilling, ghostly aura.
If it weren't for our opposing positions, I would be very willing to become friends with you, Suzuo.
Ah, calling you so intimately seems a bit inappropriate. I'm truly envious; I also wish I could be as close to you as Six Eyes is.. After all, you are so very interesting.
Kammo Heiji's finger holding the phone twitched, nearly pressing the end call button.
He stealthily observed Big Boss Kobe's expression, doing his best to minimize his presence, holding his phone at just the right position, following Kobe Suzuo to the window with a hunched back and a bowed waist.
I will never again look down on those secretary lapdogs around Mr. Suzuo.
Kammo Heiji was breaking into a cold sweat; if it really came to him having to experience this position, he wanted to kneel down more than anyone.
“Enough, you're just a loser!”
Kobe Suzuo curled her lips into a cold sneer. "With your trump cards exhausted and driven to a dead end, instead of wasting time provoking me, you'd better think about what you're going to do next."
Haha, it seems so.
That voice, a man's voice that Kammo Heiji was incredibly familiar with, laughed, showing no sign of anger as he calmly recounted the setbacks he had faced over the past six months.
After tonight, every usable person I have planted within the Elders Council will be purged; the funding chains of several cults that have been painstakingly operated over the years will be frozen by the police; and more than half of those hidden Cursed Tools and Cursed Spirits will be exposed.
Tengen has revealed all of the thousand-year-old plans to you. Your family's Cursed Tools have also locked onto my Cursed Energy, making it exponentially harder to escape.
The child you worked so hard to create was stolen by you, the King of Curses, who you went through countless hardships to resurrect, is now under your control.
The child you worked so hard to create was stolen by you, the King of Curses, whom you painstakingly resurrected, is now under your control.