[Supporting Character Popularity Supremacy System Binding Successful!]
Light blue script abruptly floated in the center of his vision, like a phantom image projected by someone's Forbidden Technique, carrying a somewhat cheap electronic texture.
Gojo Satoru blinked his eyes, which were hidden behind black Sunglasses, a flash of interest appearing in his gaze.
"Tsk."
He let out a light click of his tongue, filled with the characteristic nonchalance of a youth.
Gojo Satoru swirled the cold drink in his hand; the orange liquid traced a shallow curve against the transparent plastic cup, and cool condensation slid down the side, wetting his fair fingertips.
"Sorcerers these days really are a bit ignorant."
He drawled his words as if he were talking about something amusing.
"Huh?"
Geto Suguru, who was walking half a step ahead with a slight slouch, paused at the sound and slowly turned his head.
His long black hair rested on his shoulders, and the stray hairs on his forehead glinted slightly in the sunlight. His gaze toward the person behind him was full of confusion: "What are you suddenly talking about out of the blue?"
Gojo Satoru tilted his head back and took a massive gulp through the straw; the "glug-glug" sound of swallowing was exceptionally clear on the quiet street.
The icy sweetness slid down his throat, dispelling some of the afternoon heat.
Hearing Geto Suguru's question, he drained the rest of the drink. With a slight squeeze of his fingertips, the empty plastic cup was crushed with a "snap."
With a flick of his wrist, the flattened plastic cup flew out with a faint whistling sound, accurately crossing over ten meters to land in the depths of a roadside trash can with a "clatter."
"It's nothing," Gojo Satoru waved at Geto Suguru, his palm tracing a relaxed arc in the air, his tone still nonchalant. "Just some fellow who doesn't know his place used a strange Forbidden Technique on me."
He tilted his head slightly, and his tone finally held a hint of genuine dissatisfaction: "He even dared to call me a supporting character or something. It's really quite annoying."
Forbidden Technique? supporting character?
Geto Suguru frowned and scratched the back of his head, a strange expression appearing on his face.
Daring to make a move on Gojo Satoru—was that guy's head not quite right?
"Then he really picked the wrong opponent."
Geto Suguru shrugged, his tone carrying unconcealed trust.
He knew Gojo Satoru's strength all too well. Forget some unknown Forbidden Technique; even if a Special Grade Cursed Spirit came knocking, the only one who would suffer in the end would be the opponent.
After saying that, he couldn't be bothered to pay more attention to such a bizarre trifle. He turned back around and continued slouching toward the dessert shop ahead—after all, the original purpose of coming out for a stroll was to accompany Gojo Satoru to buy a limited-edition Strawberry Cake.
As for Gojo Satoru, he would worry about anyone before he worried about this guy.
"Let me see what gave you the courage to use me for an experiment."
He wasn't exactly angry; instead, he felt a surge of novel interest—after all, as his strength grew ever greater, the things he found interesting were becoming fewer and fewer.
However, just as he was preparing to get a bit serious and find this hiding coward to give him a good "education," the light blue text in front of him changed again, with new lines of script appearing one after another.
[Would you like to travel to the first world and carry out the Popularity Supremacy mission?]
[Popularity gained during this period can be used to exchange for any item from your original world or worlds you have traveled to.]
"Hmm?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow, his hand, which had been hanging casually, pausing. "Travel to another world?"
He took two steps forward, reaching the spot where Geto Suguru had just stood. His gaze swept over the shops on both sides of the street, his tone carrying a hint of playful laziness: "Sounds pretty good, though why does it feel like false advertising from a TV commercial?"
His fingertips brushed through the white hair by his ear; it felt soft and smooth. Gojo Satoru gave a great stretch, his bones letting out a faint "click," and his whole being exuded a relaxed vibe as if he hadn't quite woken up yet: "Well, whatever."
"I'll know once I try it."
He tilted his head, and the Rikugan behind his lenses flashed with a glimmer of keen interest, his tone carrying a hint of playful threat. "I hope it doesn't disappoint me. Otherwise, I'm going to spank you~"
As soon as he finished speaking, the light blue text in front of him flickered violently several times, as if in response to his words.
[Confirmation request received. Commencing travel to the first world... World confirmed... "Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World"... Commencing travel... Travel successful!]
The text before him flickered.
When his gaze finished reading all the content and moved away from the words 'Travel successful,' he suddenly realized that everything around him had changed.
Gojo Satoru stood somewhat blankly on a completely unfamiliar street, surrounded by European-style architecture he had never seen before, with the sounds of lively conversation reaching his ears.
In just an instant, everything had changed.
"Oh-ya?"
Faced with such an abrupt and startling change, Gojo Satoru regained his composure very quickly.
He looked at the surrounding environment and the figures coming and going on the street, then reached up to push the Sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.
"The details of the illusion are actually quite well done."
Gojo Satoru casually picked up a pebble from the ground and toyed with it.
The tactile sensation from his fingertips was terrifyingly realistic.
He dropped it and crushed it lightly with his toe; a crisp "crack" sound traveled up from the sole of his shoe.
"To be able to simulate such realistic touch and sound, it really is an interesting Forbidden Technique."
"And it's such a distinctive, magical world."
Gojo Satoru looked at the crowds coming and going on the street nearby. Among these pedestrians, besides humans, he even saw many beings with quite strange appearances, like beastmen from a fantasy novel.
In addition, there were many horse-drawn carriages and such on the road, but the ones pulling the carriages weren't horses, but rather some lizard-like creatures that looked about the size of horses.
Everything felt so novel.
Gojo Satoru, who had originally thought of just casually dealing with this so-called Forbidden Technique, now felt quite a bit more interest.
"Since it's an illusion, it can't possibly be perfect in every aspect."
Gojo Satoru flexed his wrists, preparing to have a good look around this peculiar illusion.
Like a tourist, he was full of desire to explore everything around him.
Soon.
He saw something familiar by the roadside.
It was a fruit stall by the road, and if he wasn't mistaken, the things on it were apples.
"There are apples even in this kind of other world? That's a bit too sloppy."