Becoming the Only One They Need

But when Satoru Gojo heard Tan Man say that the gun aimed at the back of his head might pierce Limitless, a flicker of panic did pass through his heart.

Had anyone else made that baseless claim, Satoru Gojo would have simply thought they were an idiot and dismissed it without a second thought.

But the speaker was Tan Man Zenin, who had utterly defeated him nine years ago and had done so again today, nine years later.

Whether Satoru Gojo consciously admitted it or not, until he truly defeated Tan Man, a sense of helplessness toward him would always linger in his heart, even fear.

In the end, however, the anger and frustration stirred up by another crushing defeat won out, completely overwhelming that fear.

I'm Satoru Gojo, damn it!

When Satoru Gojo rose up to resist and reached to seize Tan Man's gun barrel, his hand unexpectedly closed on empty air.

Surprised, Satoru Gojo looked up at Tan Man, only to see him standing with both hands in his pockets, making no move to hold a gun.

Tan Man looked down at Satoru Gojo and said, "Did you have a nightmare, upperclassman? So, did I pass?"

Only then did Tan Man completely dispel the Black Flame summoned by Scorching Great Hell, allowing Masamichi Yaga and Suguru Geto outside to see what was happening within.

Masamichi Yaga and Suguru Geto stared in shock at the disheveled Satoru Gojo kneeling on the ground.

Although Masamichi Yaga's advance warning had given Suguru Geto some idea of what to expect, seeing the actual outcome still made him mutter, "Seriously?"

Suguru Geto had genuinely never seen Satoru Gojo in such a sorry state. It was so shocking that, for a moment, he overlooked Tan Man, the one who had defeated him.

Even Masamichi Yaga, who knew quite a bit about Tan Man, felt his heart churn after witnessing the result. It seemed that Tan Man, whom the Three Great Families had dubbed the Demon King, truly possessed the strength to match.

Satoru Gojo also realized that the gun-wielding Tan Man he had just seen might have been an illusion.

So much so that he no longer even dared be certain whether he was still trapped in an illusion.

Satoru Gojo felt unbearably frustrated. He had never managed to fully unleash his power, and fighting Tan Man had felt like punching cotton, just as it had in their battle nine years ago.

In his anger, Gojo raised a finger and pointed it at Tan Man's head.

Looking at Satoru Gojo's gesture, Tan Man could clearly tell that it was not the opening stance for Blue, but the gesture for Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.

Yet Tan Man continued to look down at Satoru Gojo calmly and spoke in an even tone.

"Upperclassman, I think that fight already proved I'm qualified to enroll at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Are you planning to kill me here now?"

Suguru Geto recognized Satoru Gojo's gesture as Cursed Technique Reversal: Red, which he had used before but had yet to master. Although Geto did not know exactly what had happened, using Red at that distance could really kill someone.

"Satoru, stop!" Suguru Geto shouted.

Masamichi Yaga also bellowed at Satoru Gojo, "Stop!"

Satoru Gojo circulated his cursed energy, staring fixedly into Tan Man's Golden Eyes, which seemed to see through everything. He utterly despised the way Tan Man looked at him, but ultimately abandoned the idea of unleashing Red.

Tan Man's expression never changed from beginning to end. He had always known that Satoru Gojo, for all his apparent arrogance and disregard for others, still bore countless invisible shackles.

Although Satoru Gojo gave up on unleashing Red at Tan Man, staring into his eyes made him feel as though Tan Man was mocking him with his gaze.

As if he were saying, I knew all along you wouldn't dare.

"Tch."

Masamichi Yaga rushed over, put Satoru Gojo in a headlock, and angrily berated him.

"What the hell were you trying to do just now?!"

Satoru Gojo complained, "I didn't actually do anything reckless!"

"What do you mean, you didn't do anything reckless?!"

Satoru Gojo protested indignantly, "This guy was obviously the one who did all of this! It wasn't me! That's not fair! Why aren't you giving him a lecture?!"

Beside them, Tan Man greeted Suguru Geto calmly, with a touch of respect.

"You must be Suguru Geto, my upperclassman. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Tan Man Zenin."

Suguru Geto looked at the hand Tan Man offered him and froze for a moment.

How does he know me?

Seemingly reading Suguru Geto's expression, Tan Man explained with a smile.

"Oh, sorry. Before coming here, I familiarized myself a little with the current situation at Tokyo Jujutsu High."

"Hello."

After a moment's hesitation, Suguru Geto shook Tan Man's hand.

Looking at the boy before him, whose Golden Eyes gleamed, Suguru Geto felt something he could not quite put into words.

Suguru Geto felt that some terrifying nature had to be hiding beneath Tan Man's humble exterior.

After shaking hands with Suguru Geto, Tan Man turned to Masamichi Yaga and spoke apologetically.

"Mr. Yaga, I'll cover all the damage done here. If you need to contact a company to handle the repairs, I know a few good landscaping companies."

Having said that, Tan Man changed the subject and asked a question.

"So, does this mean I've passed the entrance test?"

"You passed," Masamichi Yaga answered.

At the same time, Satoru Gojo, like a cat with its fur standing on end, firmly voiced his objection.

"He failed!"

Masamichi Yaga tightened his grip in displeasure and snapped back.

"Idiot, I'm the one who decides!"

Despite knowing Satoru Gojo all too well, Suguru Geto could not help sighing before resuming his wary scrutiny of Tan Man.

"All right, Mr. Yaga. If there's nothing else, I'll head back first to take care of things and make arrangements for my work."

Masamichi Yaga did not refuse Tan Man's request. He knew Tan Man's current position in the Zenin Clan. As the leader of Hei, he would indeed need to arrange his work before coming to study at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Masamichi Yaga could tell that Tan Man and Satoru Gojo were two different kinds of people. Unlike the immature Satoru Gojo, Tan Man was far more mature in his conduct, despite being two years younger.

Thus, Masamichi Yaga could understand why the Zenin Clan had entrusted him with such great responsibility at a young age. There was just one other matter that concerned him greatly.

"Wait a moment, Tan Man. Because this idiot interrupted earlier, there are still a few things I haven't confirmed with you." Masamichi Yaga paused before continuing, "Normally, the focus of the entrance test isn't testing your strength. What's most important is confirming this with you: after joining Jujutsu High and studying here, what do you want to do?"

Tan Man nodded slightly at the question, then gave his answer, enunciating every word.

"I want to be needed by everyone, in a way that only I can fulfill."

The expressions of all three changed visibly upon hearing Tan Man's answer.