"Yuji, how do you view yourself?" Satoru Gojo leaned back in his seat as he assessed his student's state.
Ever since Shibuya, there was something off with the boy, which was an obvious thing to notice.
He was bright, as bright as Suguru when his ideals were still as strong as iron, before they were torn apart by that one mission. That one day.
The room they sat in was a break room used for resting after training. It was decorated in a traditional Japanese sense, something that even to the modern age, sorcerers could not move on from.
"Sensei..." Yuji's lips thinned as he turned his gaze upwards, eyes slightly lidded as he stared at Gojo. "...What is a sorcerer?"
Gojo contemplated the question, many interpretations have sprung over the centuries of its history, from the Heian era, to the Edo period, and all the way to the modern age.
Its meaning has been ever changing, set by the standards of the society in which it has resided in.
"...That isn't for me to decide." Propping an arm over his chin, Gojo held a neutral expression as his gaze remained fixed on Yuji. "Neither is it for the higher-ups, or others to decide for you. Do you understand?"
Yuji's gaze turned away from him, as he leaned back to stare at the ceiling.
"It's just that... how do I explain this." The student of The Strongest brought a hand to the left side of his lips, caressing the scar that had formed during the worst incident in his life. "Being a sorcerer, it's like a..."
"A marathon?" Gojo finished the words for him, taking in the sight of a metaphorical light bulb clicking in Yuji's head.
"Yeah... something like that." Yuji snapped his fingers as his eyes slightly widened, swinging his hand back and forth as thoughts naturally came to him. "I trained, prepared, and fought to prepare for the marathon, but..."
"It's never ending," Gojo remarked, once again reading the exact thoughts of the boy.
The light in the room dimmed, as a silence found itself invasive in their conversation. The room started to darken, the celestial body of the sun finally setting in horizon
Finally deciding to break it, Yuji's mouth cracked open, "I think it's more like a machine."
Gojo perked up at this, eyes glowing in the darkness as the word "machine" piqued his interest. "Yes? Go on."
"If you really think about it, aren't sorcerers just like cogs?" When Yuji first realized what it truly meant to be a sorcerer, it happened in the shattered remains of Shibuya. "We constantly exorcise cursed spirits, everyday. It won't ever end, no matter what we do, more and more cursed spirits will be born. We will keep exorcising them until... we rust away."
Gojo let out a low breath as he moved back into a slouching position, mulling over his words. "I guess you're right, hm?"
HIs student lowered his gaze as he connected his hands and placed his elbows on his knees, hunching over with his down.
Reading his body language, Gojo stood up and approached Yuji. Step by step, the creaking of the floor could be heard as he loomed over him.
"... Like I said, that's not for me to decide," with a sigh, he placed a hand on his shoulder as he closed his eyes. "But if that's the way you want to live... contemplate it thoroughly, and tell yourself if you truly wish to live like that." His eyes held a subtle glow, a solemn look that Yuji had rarely ever seen in the man. "Working tirelessly everyday, to rust as a cog for a system such as Jujutsu Society... I've said this a million times to Megumi before, but be more selfish. There is nothing wrong with that."
YOU ARE READING
Throughout Heaven and Terra (Arknights x Jujutsu Kaisen)
General Fiction"You were magnificent, Satoru Gojo. I will never forget you for as long as I live." Satoru Gojo laid there, bisected in half, as if the universe itself had severed any hope of defeating the demon in front of him. Though, he still held hope in his st...
