Ch.154 Father and Son

Akira's speech ended here.

He walked off the stage on his own, exiting the conference hall without waiting to see if anyone had questions or caring about the gazes of others.

Of course, only Akira didn't care.

In reality, Gardevoir had already unleashed her psychic powers, enveloping the entire conference hall.

While the people in the hall appeared unchanged on the surface, the turmoil in their hearts was dangerously malicious.

To be honest, Gardevoir deeply disliked this atmosphere. It was a world apart from the Tokyo Jujutsu High, where everyone was open and honest. But the more it was like this, the more patience was needed to discern the truth.

This was why she had come to Kyoto.

I am my master's last line of defense. No one can threaten him without getting past me. No one.

"That brat!!!"

"After his performance yesterday, I thought he might have some sense. Turns out he's just like Gojo Satoru at his core."

"How outrageous."

"Who does he think he is?"

"Is he trying to make an enemy of the entire jujutsu world?"

"Just some Pokémon."

"Does he really think becoming a Special Grade makes him Gojo Satoru?"

"Let's blacklist him! Let's unite and blacklist him!"

"Yes, let's unite. One person can't take on a Special Grade, but together, we're not afraid."

"As long as he doesn't have Gojo's all-around protection, a Special Grade isn't unbeatable."

"Exactly! He only became a Special Grade because of his Pokémon. He's not that strong himself—in my opinion, the Zenin family's 'Tsurugi' and 'Kukuru Unit' are enough. They've executed many curse users before."

"Naobito-sama—"

"Naobito-sama—please stand up for us."

"Hey, hey, your voices are too loud. This old man's ears are going deaf. Don't you feel thirsty after talking so much? How about some sake to calm your nerves?"

"Pfft."

Hearing this voice and the emotional response that clearly stood out from the others, Gardevoir couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Akira asked, adjusting Serperior's back and tail leaves toward the sun to make up for the lack of "photosynthesis" during the meeting. He turned to Gardevoir.

"Gardevoir, Gardevoir—" Gardevoir gestured repeatedly, relaying the reactions from the conference hall to Akira.

"Alright, alright."

Seeing her pouting, both serious and angry, Akira couldn't help but pinch her cheek.

"Don't eavesdrop out of spite. It'll only pollute your ears."

"Sha~ (I'm worried they'll harm you)."

"Even if they want to harm me, they won't discuss it in public. They'd have to close the doors and make sure no leaks happen. Do you really think those directors are stupid?

Don't be fooled by how loud they are now. If I—no, even if just you or Serperior went back, they'd shut up immediately. Did you see anyone stepping forward to be the first to act? Besides shouting about uniting, they're just egging on the Zenin family head, who has some history with me. Too bad, old man Naobito may look rough, but he's actually very shrewd."

Among the notable jujutsu sorcerers of the Zenin family, Akira only had some goodwill toward Zenin Naobito.

Without him in charge, neither Maki nor, earlier, Toji would have left the family so easily.

Despite his age, he was more open to new things than the younger conservatives.

Akira had noticed his gaze—there was curiosity, exploration, and even a hint of eagerness for battle, but no hostility or wariness.

Among the Big Three Families, aside from Gojo Satoru, he was the only "interesting" one.

In contrast, Akira's so-called father was not lacking in skill, cunning, or strength, but he lacked a certain human touch.

Even when his own son stood in front of the Jujutsu Union, making bold statements, he remained expressionless, stepping into the hallway to block the way, still showing no emotional fluctuation.

Ignoring the slight resemblance in their features, everyone would have thought they were strangers.

Akira also had no intention of getting closer to this father, who had already drawn a clear line. He simply acted as if he didn't see him and walked straight ahead.

The man remained as he was, as if he had just stepped out for some fresh air and to smoke a cigarette.

Only when they passed each other did the man exhale a puff of smoke and say, "You went a bit too far."

Akira chuckled. He hadn't planned to respond, but Gardevoir tugged at his sleeve, so he stopped and said in a low voice:

"If I didn't go that far, some people wouldn't know how to restrain themselves. I don't want to have to storm in later and have someone claim they didn't know."

"Why not wait for Gojo Satoru to return?"

"The pressure on him is already too great. I don't want to make him shoulder everything, as if Tokyo has no one else."

"Your situation is dangerous."

"It's been dangerous since the last time I came back. Do you think I'm afraid?"

"Your mother came to talk to me."

"Which mother?"

"Both of them. You're smart enough to guess their stance."

"Then you should also be able to guess mine. Do you think I'd fight a battle I'm not prepared for? Don't push me to the opposite side, Clan Head."

With that, Akira stepped forward again, leaving the shadow of the pillar and returning to the sunlight.

Behind him, the man extinguished his cigarette and said something seemingly unrelated: "I'll send Natsuko to Tokyo. After that, she'll have no ties to the Kamo family."

Akira didn't stop walking, but Gardevoir paused for a moment, clasping her hands together and bowing to the man before catching up with Akira.

The man, who had maintained a poker face even when his child spoke coldly to him, showed a rare trace of distress. His usual squinting eyes opened as he watched the retreating figures of the young man and girl, muttering with a sigh, "Who does he take after?"

On the other side, Akira's expression wasn't much better:

"Still the same, hedging his bets. What a sly old fox."

"Gardevoir, Gardevoir—"

Gardevoir tugged at Akira's sleeve again, clearly having a favorable impression of his father.

"Don't rush to defend him. Let's wait until we've seen Mom."

At this, Akira couldn't help but sigh.

He had told his mom not to go, but she went anyway.

This was her inherent nature, hard to change. While Akira was a bit displeased, he had anticipated it.

And his father's reaction… was interesting.

Are the higher-ups not united either?

If that's the case, should I adjust my approach? Maybe soften up after being tough?

No, I also need to consider the possibility that my father is playing me or that others are conspiring against him.

After all, his father openly speaking to him meant that his origins as a member of the Kamo family were now an open secret.

In that case, he'd throw out another bait and see if anyone took it.

But before that—

"Gardevoir… no, Serperior, you'll have to work a bit harder. Go find Mom. If you run into trouble, remember one thing: if you can fight, fight; if you can't, call for help. Your big brothers and sisters will come to your aid."