Suzuki Makoto stepped through the spatiotemporal tunnel. After the familiar falling sensation, he reappeared on that same rock.
As he surveyed his surroundings, he paused. Before him was a mound of earth with a small shrine on top, enshrining a sword.
The man didn't rush to explore but immediately began to silently wish to return.
A spatiotemporal vortex appeared once more, and after stepping through it, he found himself in the lush forest beside the Butterfly Mansion.
However, after all this commotion, Suzuki Makoto suddenly felt a pang of hunger. It was clear that opening such a vortex required his own physical stamina.
"What are you doing, coming and going like that?"
A familiar voice spoke up. Suzuki Makoto smiled.
The only person who could stand behind him without him noticing was his master.
"Master, I'm back."
"Mm, it's good you're back. It seems you've gained quite a lot from your trip this time."
Ida Kojuro's gaze fell on the sword at Suzuki Makoto's waist, and a look of relief crossed his face.
"Master, have you been waiting here for me all this time?"
"Only for about a month. I was originally thinking of opening a rift and going over myself, but I found there were no worthy opponents there at all, so I decided to leave it for you to handle. After all, that thing you carry seems to be able to turn the calamities of other worlds into good fortune that feeds back to you."
As Suzuki Makoto listened, he felt something was off. Did this mean his master could see the system he possessed?
"Master, can you see that... system on me?"
"Is it called a 'System'? I'm not too sure. After all, when you crossed over, you had that thing with you. It was too dangerous, so I hacked most of it away. Only the parts that are beneficial to you should be left."
Ida Kojuro rubbed his chin, revealing a rather explosive piece of history.
"Wait, wait, wait—Master, are you saying you knew from the very beginning that I came from another world, and that I had this system with me when I arrived? Is that why you came and adopted me, and then proceeded to give the system a full-body amputation from the neck down?"
Suzuki Makoto was completely stunned.
So, becoming Ida Kojuro's apprentice wasn't a stroke of luck, but rather Ida Kojuro had sniffed him out and come looking for him?
"Actually, I originally came to kill you."
The man laughed and scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"After all, our world often gets strange things coming into it, so I usually just come over and cut them down once I sense them. I didn't expect a person to cross over this time. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
After hesitating, I only cut away that so-called system that came with you and then started monitoring you."
"Later, I found that you were indeed a good kid. Although you could be surprisingly lazy at times, you were fundamentally kind-hearted and willing to help others. Coupled with your outstanding talent, that's when I decided to reveal myself and start teaching you the sword."
Suzuki Makoto broke out in a cold sweat. So, all those times he habitually slacked off were also seen by his master.
He fell silent, unsure of how to continue the conversation for a moment.
"That system of yours, what exactly is it?"
It was Ida Kojuro who broke the silence first, looking genuinely interested.
"It's probably something that issues quests, and completing them gives rewards, usually weapons or physical enhancements—Of course, I'm not too sure either, I've just heard of similar things before."
Suzuki Makoto presented his sword. Ida Kojuro took it, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it back.
"Truly a work of divine skill. With this sword, even an ordinary human warrior would stand a fighting chance against those demons."
Ida Kojuro had very consciously excluded himself from the category of 'ordinary human'.
"However, these quests... I imagine they aren't all about saving the world and helping people, are they?"
"That's right—so is that why you cut off those parts, Master?"
Suzuki Makoto had an epiphany. No wonder his master had attacked first.
It seemed his system might have been two-faced, capable of issuing quests to both save and destroy the world.
It made sense when he thought about it. If killing demons could grant awakenings, there was no reason killing humans couldn't. It wasn't impossible that after seeing a vicious demon kill people, the system might have given him a quest to kill a hundred men in order to gain the power to slay demons.
"I believe so. But it shouldn't have that capability anymore. If before you were controlled by it, having to obey it to gain power, now it simply serves you, realizing your thoughts."
Ida Kojuro laughed heartily. He was quite confident in the precision of his swordsmanship.
The man now understood completely. No wonder he could control the spatiotemporal vortex at will, only consuming his stamina to do so. This was the reason.
But then why was he inexplicably teleported away after cutting down the Sukuna demon?
Suzuki Makoto fell into deep thought. At that time, what he was thinking was...
Ah—it was something like, "If only I could encounter some other immortal guys, but weaker ones so I can get some practice in"...
So that's what "realizing your thoughts" meant?!
"Thank you, Master."
"Thank your own heart. Otherwise, I would have long since deemed you an evil fiend and eliminated you along with it."
Suzuki Makoto still bowed solemnly.
Putting himself in his master's shoes, would he, upon discovering a soul from another realm arriving in his world with something of ambiguous morality, choose to only eliminate the evil and give the person a chance to live?
A person who possesses a sharp weapon but has no murderous intent can be called a gentleman.
Just then, Suzuki Makoto felt a sudden pulling force. He turned to see another spatiotemporal vortex. He quickly willed it to close, but it wouldn't.
"Wait a moment. This old man and my disciple haven't finished talking yet."
Ida Kojuro drew his longsword half an inch from its sheath. The vortex instantly quieted down, though it didn't disappear. The anxious feeling it emitted was palpable even to Suzuki Makoto.
"Master, is this—"
"It should be the remaining part of that system you mentioned. Perhaps you originally came to this world just to complete a mission, and only after finishing it would it take you where you needed to go. It just wasn't functioning properly. Only now, after you've returned from a new world again, has it finally started to operate normally."
Ida Kojuro didn't crudely slash the vortex away. Instead, his expression gradually became serious.
"I can feel it. The world on the other side is also a world on the brink of catastrophe. Your system wants you to go there because it hopes you can save that world too."
____
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