[Supporting Star System binding successful!]
Pale blue text suddenly floated in the center of his vision, like a projected illusion formed by a Cursed Technique, carrying a cheap, electronic sheen.
Satoru Gojo blinked behind his black sunglasses, a flicker of interest flashing through his eyes.
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue lightly, the sound casual in a way only a teenager could manage.
He shook the iced drink in his hand.
"Jujutsu Sorcerers these days really don't know their place, huh."
He dragged out the words, like he was commenting on something mildly amusing.
"Huh?"
Walking half a step ahead, Suguru Geto stopped and slowly turned his head.
He looked back at Gojo with clear confusion. "What are you suddenly rambling about?"
Gojo tilted his head back and took a long pull through the straw, the loud glug glug echoing down the quiet street.
The icy sweetness slid down his throat, washing away the lingering heat of the afternoon.
Hearing Geto's question, he simply lifted his hand and finished the rest of the drink in one go. With a slight squeeze of his fingers, the empty can crumpled with a sharp crack.
A casual flick of his wrist sent the flattened can flying. It cut through the air, crossed more than ten meters, and landed deep in a roadside trash bin with a solid clang.
"It's nothing." Gojo waved at Geto, his hand drawing an easy arc through the air, his tone still relaxed. "Just some idiot who doesn't know his limits tried using a weird Cursed Technique on me."
He tilted his head, a trace of genuine irritation finally creeping into his voice. "And he actually called me a supporting character or something. Kinda annoying, honestly."
Cursed Technique? Supporting character?
Geto frowned and scratched the back of his head, his expression turning strange.
Anyone who dared lay a hand on Satoru Gojo had to be out of their mind.
"Sounds like they picked the wrong target."
Geto shrugged, his tone filled with unshakable trust.
He knew Gojo's strength better than anyone. Forget some unknown technique. Even if a special-grade cursed spirit showed up, the one suffering in the end would never be Gojo.
With that, he couldn't be bothered to think about such a pointless issue anymore. He turned back around and continued toward the dessert shop ahead, shoulders slouched as usual. After all, the whole reason they were out was to buy a limited-edition strawberry cake for Gojo.
Worrying about Gojo was the last thing anyone needed to do.
"Let's see what gave you the guts to use me as a test subject."
He wasn't angry. If anything, he felt curious.
As his strength grew, things that could genuinely interest him had become rarer and rarer.
Just as he was about to get a little serious and dig out the coward hiding in the shadows to give them a proper lesson, the pale blue text shifted again. New lines appeared one after another.
[Would you like to travel to the first world and begin the popularity-first mission?]
[Popularity gained during the mission can be exchanged for any items from your original world or previously traveled worlds.]
"Hm?" Gojo raised an eyebrow. His loosely hanging hand paused. "Travel to another world?"
He took a few steps forward, stopping where Geto had been standing earlier. His gaze swept across the shops lining the street, his voice lazy and amused. "Sounds pretty nice, but it also feels like one of those fake TV commercials."
His fingers brushed through the white hair by his ear, soft and smooth to the touch. Gojo stretched deeply, his joints letting out a faint click, his whole body radiating the slackness of someone who hadn't slept enough.
"Well, whatever."
"Guess I'll try it and see."
He tilted his head. Behind the lenses, the Six Eyes gleamed with interest. His voice carried a teasing hint of threat. "You better not disappoint me. Otherwise, I'll spank you, you know~"
The moment the words left his mouth, the pale blue text flickered violently, as if responding.
[Confirmation received. Beginning first world transfer… World confirmed… Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World… Initiating transfer… Transfer complete!]
The text flashed.
By the time he finished reading and his gaze moved away from the words "transfer complete," he realized that everything around him had already changed.
Satoru Gojo stood dazed on a completely unfamiliar street. European-style buildings surrounded him, and lively chatter filled the air.
In the span of a single moment, everything had transformed.
"Oh?"
Faced with such sudden and shocking change, Gojo recovered almost instantly.
He surveyed his surroundings and the figures moving along the street, lifting a hand to push up his sunglasses.
"The details on this illusion are pretty solid."
He casually picked up a small stone from the ground and rolled it between his fingers.
The sensation was frighteningly real.
He dropped it and pressed down lightly with his foot. A crisp crack sounded beneath his sole.
"To simulate touch and sound this realistically… that's impressive."
"And a fantasy world with this much character, too."
Gojo looked toward the bustling street ahead. Among the pedestrians, there were not only humans. He spotted many figures with strange appearances, beings that looked just like the demi-humans from fantasy novels.
Beyond that, carriages moved along the road, but they weren't pulled by horses. Instead, large lizard-like creatures, roughly horse-sized, hauled them forward.
Everything felt fresh and unfamiliar.
What had started as a technique he planned to casually deal with had now captured far more of his interest.
"If it's an illusion, it can't possibly cover everything."
Gojo rolled his wrist, ready to take a proper stroll through this strange illusion.
Like a tourist, he felt an urge to explore everything around him.
Before long—
He spotted something familiar by the roadside.
A fruit stall.
And if his eyes weren't lying to him, the fruit piled on display were apples.
"Apples in an isekai world?" Gojo muttered. "That's… not very rigorous, is it?"