Chapter 7 — Seventh Punch
"Name?"
"Saitama."
"Age?"
"25."
"What's your occupation?"
"A hero for fun, though I'm currently preparing to get some kind of graduation certificate or whatever."
"So basically, a wannabe pursuing dreams on the surface, but in reality a jobless slacker?"
"…Uncle, do you have a grudge against me or something?"
Inside the interrogation room at the police station, Saitama and a middle-aged officer sat across from each other at a table, with a camera recording the scene. The officer held a notebook, jotting things down, while Saitama had handcuffs on his wrists.
The middle-aged officer suddenly asked, "Want some pork cutlet rice?"
Without hesitation, Saitama replied, "Yes!"
"After eating, you have to confess your crimes like those TV drama criminals who cry their eyes out after finishing a bowl of pork cutlet rice, okay?"
"…Uncle, even if you say that, there's nothing left for me to confess. Didn't I already tell you I'm a hero?"
Before Saitama could finish, the interrogation room door was knocked twice.
"Who is it? Don't you see I'm in the middle of an interrogation?"
The officer frowned and turned around, only to see the patrol officer who had brought Saitama in earlier standing awkwardly at the door, with two others behind him.
"Um… some people from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police are here. They said this person is an important witness and need to take him back…" the patrol officer said quietly. "This is—Department Chief Wataru Takagi from Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Special Investigations Division Three."
One of the two behind the patrol officer wore a suit uniform and had a serious expression—Takagi Wataru. The other was a silver-haired man with an black blindfold, who saw Saitama and casually raised his hand in greeting. "Yo."
…
Fifteen minutes later.
Takagi escorted Saitama and Gojo Satoru out of the Miyagi Prefectural Police Station. Only after stepping outside did he finally exhale.
"Coming all the way here to help, and for something like this…"
Since the last time he worked with Gojo, Takagi's former superior, Juzo Megure, had given him some basic knowledge about dealing with the Jujutsu world. While he still found these supernatural events hard to believe, Takagi now had a bit of understanding.
When Gojo contacted him to "rescue" someone, Takagi learned that the person who had been arrested as a suspect was the bald guy from the video he had seen earlier.
Takagi observed Saitama silently, thinking to himself: don't judge a person by appearances—
"Ah, you were staring at my head just now, weren't you?"
Saitama suddenly turned his head sharply, frowning at Takagi.
Takagi was startled and quickly looked away. "No, it's your imagination."
"…You definitely were."
Saitama looked displeased. Takagi immediately changed the subject. "Anyway, I hope you'll be more cautious in the future, and try to minimize incidents like this. I'm heading back to Tokyo now."
Takagi left in a hurry. Saitama watched his back disappear, feeling slightly disappointed.
Looks like no pork cutlet rice after all.
He then turned to Gojo.
"You didn't have to come along, did you?" Saitama asked. "Once I explained everything, the police would have let me go."
"Well… how should I put it? I didn't originally want to come, but the situation was a bit troublesome," Gojo said, running a hand through his hair, earning a slightly jealous look from Saitama. "It's not just about you, Saitama-kun. Although, your situation is definitely hilarious."
"…." Saitama's expression tightened.
"After you got arrested, Megumi called me. The Special Grade cursed object you were supposed to retrieve went missing. The higher-ups got wind of it, started shouting and panicking, insisting that a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer go there," Gojo said, spreading his hands helplessly. "So I really had no choice but to come."
"Oh, so next you're going to retrieve the fingers?" Saitama thought for a moment.
"Heh heh…"
Gojo raised a finger and shook it. Suddenly, his whole demeanor became light and airy, like a spring breeze. "No, Saitama-kun, you're the one going after the fingers. As for me, I'm going to buy Sendai's specialty—Kikusuian's Kikyufuku! I've wanted to try it for a long time. Since I'm here anyway, I might as well consider it a little sightseeing trip."
Suddenly, Gojo's phone vibrated. He made a "huh?" sound and pulled the device from the wide pocket of his uniform, holding it up to his ear.
"Megumi? What is it?" Gojo listened for a moment, nodded, and said, "I see. Hang in there, reinforcements are on the way."
Apparently, Megumi Fushiguro had already found Sukuna's finger. But the fingers were currently with two high school sophomores, who planned to unseal them tonight. Megumi and an informant were already on their way to the school.
Gojo patted Saitama on the shoulder and waved. "That's your cue, Saitama-kun. Go on ahead. I'll buy the treats and join you shortly. Won't be long."
"This is way too irresponsible," Saitama couldn't help but complain.
"Not irresponsible," Gojo said with a small smile, raising a finger and shaking it. "It's because I trust you, Saitama-kun. Think of it as returning a favor."
Saitama turned toward Sugisawa Third High School. "Returning a favor for pulling me out of the police station early."
---
Everything was about to collapse.
Blood smeared Megumi Fushiguro's left eye. He strained his right eye to make out the scene.
After Saitama had been arrested, Megumi had entered the school to check the storage box for Sukuna's fingers, only to find it empty.
Following the residual cursed energy, he located a student named Itadori Yuji. With his help, he pinpointed two Sukuna fingers. But by this time, the fingers had already attracted a large number of wandering curses in the school.
In a life-or-death moment, ordinary student Itadori Yuji swallowed Sukuna's finger himself, hoping to gain cursed energy and a chance to fight the curses. Yet, this allowed Sukuna's dual consciousness to take over his body. With a single motion, he instantly annihilated the two Cursed Spirits that Megumi and Yuji had just struggled against.
As the curses continued to attack, Megumi, battered and nearly immobilized, watched helplessly as Sukuna, controlling Yuji's body, tore open Yuji's hoodie and stepped onto the rooftop stairs. From above, he shouted into the night wind, surveying the city lights, as if he were once again the master of the world.
The most vicious and evil King of Curses had returned. It was the worst possible scenario. And Megumi could do nothing.
"What a wonderful era," Sukuna's dual consciousness laughed. "Humans are weak as ants. After a thousand years, I can once again feel the thrill of slaughter…"
Megumi gritted his teeth, trying to summon his shikigami. "Divine Dog…"
Even as he spoke, his hands trembled. The shikigami hadn't yet taken form and was already faltering.
Then, suddenly, Sukuna disappeared from the rooftop. Megumi didn't even question where he went—he could feel a blade-like intent heading straight for him, aimed to cut him in two.
Crap, too fast, there's no time…
Megumi's fingers twitched, thinking he was doomed. But at that moment, he heard a voice, like a hallucination: "Ah, found it, Uni…"
"…?"
In the blink of an eye, Megumi found himself suspended in the air, transported to the opposite end of the rooftop. Someone had carried him as if he were a sack, pressing his wounded abdomen against their shoulder.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white cape billowing in the wind. The arm carrying him wore a bright yellow sleeve and comically oversized red gloves.
Megumi turned his head in shock and saw a bald head.
It was Saitama—the same man who had been arrested as a suspicious character earlier that afternoon.
"You okay?" Saitama set Megumi down. "That was pretty dangerous just now."
"I'm… fine…"
Megumi's mind was blank with shock.
Was it an illusion? The murderous intent he had felt when Sukuna vanished should have been real, meaning Sukuna had already attacked him.
So Saitama had rescued him from Sukuna's attack?
The man who looked like a joke, even mispronounced Sukuna's name?
Could this be a coincidence, or…
Also…
"The 'Uni' just now—was that me?" Megumi asked instinctively.
"Ah, that…" Saitama hesitated, looking guilty, eyes fixed on the ground. "I kinda… messed up."
Questions swirled through Megumi's mind, making it almost impossible to think. Glancing back, he saw Sukuna's dual consciousness still standing ominously, arms poised to strike in the direction Megumi had been just moments ago.
Moonlight reflected off Sukuna's crimson eyes.
"You… who are you?"
Saitama stepped forward, cape fluttering in the wind.
"I'm Saitama, a hero for fun," he said thoughtfully, then added, "Currently a Jujutsu High trainee, not yet enrolled."
He raised his leg, walking slowly with a "tap tap tap" toward Sukuna, stopping about five or six meters away.
Saitama tilted his head at Sukuna. "Hey kid, why are you half-naked?"