"Where's Satoshi?"
As they continued walking, Satoru suddenly realized that Satoshi was missing again. At some point, the person leading the group had changed to Yuki.
The moment Satoru's voice echoed, everyone noticed something was wrong.
Toji frowned. This place, the Tombs of the Star, really was strange. He had been watching Tengen the entire time, yet still fell into some sort of illusion without realizing it.
Was this Tengen's technique, or was it the fault of the Tombs of the Star itself?
Toji was completely puzzled. This place felt like it was made up of countless interlocking spaces, separating and shifting at will.
If not for Satoru's Six Eyes, they might not have noticed the change until much later.
"Satoshi is currently speaking privately with Lord Tengen. Please be patient and follow me to the tea room to rest."
Yuki's voice calmly reassured them.
"I believe after everything just now, everyone should understand that Tengen holds no hostility toward Satoshi. Whatever they need to discuss likely isn't something we should interfere with..."
Her reasoning sounded a bit weak, but when it came to enigmatic individuals like Tengen and Satoshi, it somehow felt appropriate.
After all, even if they did try to follow along, they probably wouldn't understand what was being discussed anyway.
And with Ryūjin Jakka now awakened, it was unlikely that Tengen could pose any threat to Satoshi.
So, Satoru and Toji didn't press further. They followed Yuki toward the tea room without issue.
As for Geto and Yuto, their job had ended with Jogo's birth. All that remained for them now was to wait.
After all, the true goal of this visit had always been for Tengen to meet Satoshi...
...
Inside a private tea room deep in the Tombs of the Star, Satoshi remained calm.
Though no one else was present, he held both Sode no Shirayuki and Ryūjin Jakka. He showed no concern at all.
While he had already demonstrated the Jōkaku Enjō (Fortress Blaze) technique earlier, Ryūjin Jakka still possessed other Shikai-level abilities.
With Ryūjin Jakka and Sode no Shirayuki in hand, Satoshi was confident he could raze this entire domain if needed.
And if Tengen intended to harm him, she wouldn't have waited this long to act.
Since the opportunity was here, he may as well take advantage of it. He was curious to see what Tengen wanted from this one-on-one meeting.
...
"Sit."
Tengen lounged comfortably on a rocking chair, making no effort to arrange a seat for Satoshi. She simply gestured for him to find his own.
Satoshi didn't mind in the slightest. He casually sat down at the tea table.
He had none of the reverence most sorcerers held toward Tengen. After all, he had seen her form in higher dimensions and long lost any awe for worldly appearances.
Even though she currently looked no less alluring than Yuki, he wasn't remotely interested.
"Lord Tengen, you seem very interested in me."
Satoshi rested his chin on both hands, eyes slightly narrowed as he glanced at the girl's soft features with a hint of amusement.
His true goal in coming here was to use Tengen as an experience pack. But if he could get some information or secrets out of her, all the better.
Tengen closed her eyes, gently rocking her chair, and replied softly.
"The Six Eyes of the Gojo clan, born with a Heavenly Restriction, able to forge Zanpakutō... Who wouldn't be curious?"
Satoshi shook his head.
"Then what about you, Lord Tengen? Aren't you the so-called omniscient and omnipotent?"
"Your lifespan far exceeds ours. If we're talking about who's more interesting, I'd say far more people are curious about you than about me..."
It was the truth.
While Six Eyes and the Limitless Technique were widely known in the jujutsu world, neither could compare to the legendary nature of Tengen's 'Immortality' technique.
After all, immortality remained one of the most coveted ideas among sorcerers.
The corners of Tengen's mouth curved into a playful smile from where she lay.
"Gojo Satoshi, am I really omniscient and omnipotent?"
"If I were, then why don't I know who you are? Why am I still curious about you?"
Satoshi didn't reply. He understood the hidden meaning behind her words but chose to stay silent.
Omniscient and omnipotent—those weren't necessarily good things in the world of Soul Reapers.
The Soul King, once considered all-knowing and all-powerful, was reduced to a wedge stabilizing the three realms.
Yhwach, another supposed omnipotent, was also broken down into a wedge—again, a stabilizer of the three realms.
So in the world of Bleach, being 'omniscient and omnipotent' was basically code for 'fated to be turned into furniture.'
And even though Jujutsu Kaisen and Bleach were different worlds, there was no need to set that kind of flag.
From her words, Satoshi already understood that Tengen had her suspicions.
She likely suspected he wasn't from this world.
But what did that matter?
Even if she knew, what could she do?
As long as he didn't admit it, her guesses would remain just that—guesses.
...
"What is my destiny?"
Tengen suddenly sat upright, her gaze sharp as it locked onto Satoshi.
In her eyes, Satoshi seemed truly omniscient.
He knew Yuki's technique. He knew Geto's identity and ability. He displayed knowledge beyond the current timeline.
Rumors had long existed in the Gojo clan—Satoshi was said to be "born with knowledge."
Though this claim was later suppressed, many elders in the clan still remembered it. And there was no way she, of all people, would miss that detail.
So, what exactly did this "child born with knowledge" know?
Did that knowledge include her?
Would her immortality end? Would her existence vanish in some future she couldn't foresee?
Tengen could no longer suppress her curiosity. She asked the question directly, giving Satoshi no time to prepare.
What kind of end awaits an immortal?
The idea was inherently contradictory... yet the question still haunted her.
...
"What is your destiny?"
Satoshi narrowed his eyes, meeting her gaze with a look of quiet complexity.
He felt that if Tengen truly knew what lay ahead for her... she probably wouldn't be so eager to find out.
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.