Chapter 23 — Twenty-three Punch
"Oh! It really grew back!"
Yuji Itadori stared in shock at his left hand. After returning from the Eishu Juvenile Detention Center to Tokyo Jujutsu High, Shoko Ieiri—the school doctor—had secured his severed limb and then, using the Reverse Cursed Technique, effortlessly restored his arm to its original state. There wasn't even the slightest trace of where it had been reattached.
"If cursed energy is negative energy, then Reverse Cursed Technique is positive energy," Shoko Ieiri said casually, leaning back in her swivel chair with a nicotine-free lollipop between her teeth. "If you can master Reverse Cursed Technique, as long as the person is still alive, you can even regenerate missing body parts."
"That's amazing!" Yuji Itadori's eyes sparkled.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Saitama, who had been watching quietly from the side, suddenly asked, "You said it can regenerate missing body parts… is that really true?"
"Hm? It's true," Shoko Ieiri replied, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.
Saitama stared at her silently.
Saitama: "Any body part?"
Shoko Ieiri: "Any."
Saitama: "For example… something really small and thin. There's a lot of them. Could that be restored too?"
Shoko Ieiri fell silent for a moment. Her gaze slowly shifted to Saitama's bald head. The smooth scalp reflected the fluorescent lights on the treatment room ceiling, shining brightly without a single strand in sight.
"If you're talking about your hair, that's not possible. Reverse Cursed Technique can't treat baldness."
Saitama: "…"
Saitama's eyes slowly drifted from Shoko Ieiri's barely suppressed smile down to the floor. His voice carried a hint of despair. "I didn't even say anything about hair…"
At that moment, the door to the treatment room suddenly swung open. A silver-haired head wearing a blindfold peeked inside. Then the blindfolded man stepped in and greeted them enthusiastically with a wave.
"Hi, my adorable students!"
"Ah! Gojo-sensei!" Yuji Itadori froze. "Weren't you on a business trip?"
"I heard about the emergency and rushed back without stopping," Satoru Gojo said as he entered the room. Megumi Fushiguro followed behind him, his expression grave. "Unfortunately, I was still a step too late. Yuji, how's your arm?"
"Oh! Totally fine!" Yuji Itadori rolled up his sleeve and flexed his well-built arm for Gojo to see.
"A teacher who shows up late and acts like nothing happened," Nobara Kugisaki muttered under her breath.
"…" Gojo glanced at Nobara Kugisaki but said nothing. Instead, he turned to Saitama. "Saitama-kun, could you come with me for a moment? …Ah, Genos-kun, you don't need to come."
Gojo led Saitama out of the treatment room and down the hallway to a deserted corner before stopping.
"I've already heard the situation from Fushiguro," he said. "Although you were the one who exorcised the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, the credit must be recorded under Fushiguro's name. I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter. It's not about credit or anything. I only did it because I wanted to," Saitama replied. "But is Fushiguro okay? His face didn't look so good just now."
Gojo didn't respond immediately. He couldn't help recalling what Megumi Fushiguro had described to him earlier—what happened after the battle at the juvenile detention center had ended.
…
The "Curtain" was torn apart, and sunlight poured unobstructed into the juvenile detention center. At the same time, the ruins of the Second Dormitory building were fully exposed to the ordinary people outside the Curtain.
"Oh, everyone's over there!"
Saitama dusted off the debris and rubble clinging to him, then stepped down from the ruins and headed toward the others. But before he could get halfway there, an angry shout suddenly erupted from beyond the police cordon.
"What the hell did you do?!"
"Huh?" Saitama paused and turned his head.
Among the parents of the juvenile inmates being held back by the police, a well-dressed man in a suit shoved others aside roughly and strode forward with two bodyguards in tow.
"You're the one who caused the dormitory to collapse, aren't you?!" The man kicked aside the police tape and stormed up to Saitama, roaring in fury. "It's because of you that my son is dead!"
Saitama looked at the enraged man, completely bewildered. "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm the mayor of Fukuoka—Harada Shotaro!" the man shouted. "I'm the father of Harada Yusuke, who was crushed to death when the dormitory building you brought down collapsed!"
"You came to save people, didn't you? Then why is my son dead—but you're still alive?!"
Harada Shotaro's furious outburst left everyone stunned.
Wataru Takagi couldn't help but ask Juzo Megure, "What's going on with him? Is he really the mayor of Fukuoka?"
Juzo Megure nodded gravely. "That's correct. Among the five people trapped in the Second Dormitory of the juvenile detention center this time was his son, Harada Yusuke."
"Harada Yusuke is seventeen years old and was serving time at the Eishu Juvenile Detention Center for intentional homicide. Between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, he murdered four women between the ages of fifteen and twenty, disposed of their bodies, and was eventually arrested in Tokyo after attempting another crime."
"In plain terms," Megure continued, "Harada Yusuke took advantage of the fact that Japan does not impose the death penalty, as well as the fact that he was a minor at the time of his crimes, to leisurely serve his sentence in a juvenile facility."
While Megure and Wataru Takagi were speaking, Harada Shotaro continued to hurl abuse at Saitama.
"The people you were supposed to rescue are dead, and you still have the nerve to shamelessly show up in front of the parents?"
"How do you even have the face to keep living?!" He was spitting with rage, like a demon incarnate.
"This is too much…" Takagi was stunned. "Only his son's life counts as a life? Do other people's lives not matter? We need to stop him…"
But before the police could step in, Megumi Fushiguro suddenly walked forward, placing himself between Harada Shotaro and Saitama.
"Mayor Harada Shotaro of Fukuoka," Megumi Fushiguro said calmly, looking straight at him, "based on the scene, your son had already died before we arrived at the detention center to conduct the rescue."
Harada Shotaro lifted his head, his expression twisting for a brief moment. "So just because you tell me my son was already dead before the sorcerers arrived, I'm supposed to swallow it quietly?"
A vicious glint appeared in his eyes. "I want that baldy to pay the price. I want him to commit seppuku to atone for my son's death."
In that instant, Megumi understood. Harada Shotaro didn't care about the truth. He simply wanted someone to be buried alongside his son. And once the Curtain had been torn down and everyone saw Saitama standing amid the collapsed dormitory, he had become the perfect target.
The other parents outside the police line had also learned that their children had died. Compared to Harada Shotaro, however, they merely stood where they were, sobbing. And precisely because of that, their tears felt far more real.
Yet Harada Shotaro didn't hesitate to exploit them. He strode over to the other parents and took a deep breath.
"It must be because this baldy collapsed the dormitory that everyone inside died!" he shouted maliciously. "He must take responsibility for the failed rescue! If he knew he was incompetent and chose not to act, letting someone stronger handle it instead, this wouldn't have happened! If you can't do it, let someone stronger do it!"
"If this baldy hadn't destroyed the dormitory, at least your children's bodies could have been brought out!"
"With this kind of rescue, he might as well go home and commit seppuku!"
"Come on, parents!" he urged viciously. "Let him hear your voices!"
"My child is dead too…" Under Harada Shotaro's incitement, one parent wiped away tears, looking at Saitama with uncertainty. "He's the one who collapsed the dormitory, right? If it hadn't fallen, maybe my child could have been saved… I also want him to atone!"
"When police fail to rescue hostages, they apologize, don't they? Why doesn't he apologize?" another parent said.
"He must have killed our children! Officer, you must arrest him!"
"After apologizing, he should quit this line of work!"
"…I curse you! If it weren't for you, my son would definitely have been rescued!"
"…"
When he heard the words "I curse you," Megumi's fist clenched tightly at his side. As a jujutsu sorcerer, he knew exactly what those words meant. A chill ran down his spine.
After confirming that all the juvenile inmates had died, Saitama had remained behind alone to exorcise the curse for the safety of the surrounding area. The being inside the detention center had been a Special Grade Cursed Spirit—highly likely to leave its birthplace and roam freely.
If not for Saitama, everyone in the surrounding area—including the mayor of Fukuoka and the other parents—would have faced the danger of being attacked. Saitama's words—"If jujutsu sorcerers all run away, then who will stand between cursed spirits and ordinary people?"—still echoed in his ears. Yet the people he protected not only failed to appreciate it, but now misunderstood him to such an extent.
Is this… what humans are like?
Amid the rising voices of the other parents, Harada Shotaro displayed his politician's flair, shouting slogans as if at a rally.
"Listen to the voices of the parents! Hurry and atone for our sons' deaths! This is the will of the people!"
Seeing Saitama standing motionless, he snorted coldly. A ferocious expression flashed across his face as he lowered his voice and instructed the two bodyguards beside him:
"Go restrain that baldy! Cripple him in secret so he can never work again. That'll be my revenge for my son!"
The two bodyguards in black had clearly been prepared. They immediately lunged at Saitama, who had been standing there in silence the whole time.
"Sensei, leave it to me!"
Genos moved to rush forward, but Saitama suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
The bodyguards closed in on Saitama in an instant. At that very moment, both men secretly slid thin blades out from their sleeves, hiding them between their fingers as they thrust toward Saitama's abdomen.
Thud! Thud!
Two crisp knocking sounds rang out. The two bodyguards in black instantly collapsed to the ground, foam spilling from their mouths. Huge lumps swelled on their heads, and the blades scattered across the ground. Saitama stood where he was, completely unharmed, his fist still raised. Smoke curled faintly from his dirty red glove.
"What?" Harada Shotaro was horrified. The bodyguards he had hired were former assassins—top-tier fighters. And yet this baldy knocked them out with a single punch?
"Shut up, old man!" Saitama said darkly as he stepped forward, his dust-covered cape billowing behind him. "Keep yapping and I'll pluck all your hair out!"
"Eek!" Harada Shotaro stared in disbelief at the two unconscious bodyguards. He stumbled backward and fell to the ground, his legs giving out. "You… not only did you collapse the building and kill my son, you even beat up my bodyguards? Aren't you supposed to be part of the rescue team? How dare you attack ordinary people?"
"So what if I beat up your bodyguards? And yes, I collapsed that building—so what? Your son was already dead before that!"
Saitama raised his hand and pointed rapidly at the other parents in the distance. "And you, and you, and you… your sons are the same! If you have complaints, go tell the cursed spirit!"
"C-Cursed spirit? What's that?" one parent stammered.
"Why are you asking me?!" Saitama barked back instantly, clearly having no intention of explaining.
The parent froze. "Huh?"
"Why should I have to apologize or quit this job?" Saitama continued shouting.
"But everyone wants you to apologize…" a parent said timidly.
"Who cares what you want?!" Veins bulged on Saitama's bald head as his voice grew louder. "I do what I do because I want to do it! It's self-satisfaction, plain and simple! I'm not going to apologize just because you want me to!"
"Listen up! I don't save people for your gratitude! And I won't quit just because you hate me! If you want to curse me, go ahead and curse me! I don't care what you think of me! You bunch of baldies!"
"Y-You're the bald one…"
"Shut up, baldy!"
…
Back to the present.
Satoru Gojo watched Saitama's calm expression and fell into thought.
Saitama didn't act for anyone's understanding or praise. He was a hero purely out of personal interest. No matter how others— even those he protected—judged him, his core would never change.
At the thought, an old figure surfaced in Gojo's mind.
His former best friend. The companion he once respected the most. Yet when faced with the same ugliness of ordinary humanity, that person had chosen a different path from Saitama—a twisted one.
Among the billions in the world, there would only ever be one Saitama. The road he walked was destined to be lonely, solitary—and lofty. That was why he was so strong.
A trace of regret and melancholy rose in Gojo's heart.
If that person had endured just a little longer… if he had persisted until now and met Saitama… would his fate have been different?
"As for the matter with the Mayor of Fukuoka."
Snapping back to reality, Gojo spoke. "Tokyo Jujutsu High will handle it and make that old man shut up. We're fairly experienced at controlling public opinion. Think of it like the Ministry of Magic from Harry Potter."
"Ah…" Saitama scratched his head, thinking for a moment. "Oh, that thing. Doesn't matter. I don't really need it."
"…" Gojo stared at Saitama in silence for a few seconds. Then he suddenly shifted into a soft, chibi-like form—like a fluffy white teddy bear—waving his hand cutely. "Then let's go have lunch! I'm treating everyone today. I ordered takeout from Café Poirot. It should be arriving soon."
Saitama paused, then his expression instantly turned serious. "No time to waste. Let's call everyone right now!"
The two of them took a few steps back toward the treatment room.
"I even ordered the squid ink pasta you had last time, Saitama-kun," Gojo said excitedly, hands in his pockets.
Saitama abruptly stopped walking. A throbbing vein mark popped up on his bald head, signaling his irritation. "…"
----
Sorry for the late update, I've been busy the whole day. Why? Because of this! Check out Demon Slayer: The Lost Zoro