Days flew by, and three years arrived as scheduled.Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo had grown taller, his figure now imposing and outstanding—a vibrant, spirited young man.
Over these years, Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo and Kurosawa Jin consistently held the top two positions in the training camp, and their teamwork in group exercises became increasingly synchronized. After the annual elimination rounds, only eighteen remained from the original two hundred orphans on the island.
The victor is king; the loser is a bandit.The boss kept no useless people. These killers, meticulously trained at great cost, needed not only extreme loyalty to the organization but also rare, one-in-a-million qualities. Those who remained were destined to be the future pillars of the organization.
Tomorrow, the final code-name competition was set to begin.
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night, he wandered alone to the beach, watching the rolling waves and thinking about how to go easy on Kurosawa Jin tomorrow.
How could he make it look like he was struggling? If it ended in a draw, could they both get a code name?Ugh… this damn assessment was so annoying.
Footsteps sounded behind him—it was Kurosawa Jin. Although not as tall as Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo, his build was well-proportioned, with all the necessary muscles, and his long hair reached almost to his waist. The only constant was his cold demeanor and piercing gaze.Except when Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo teased him, he always seemed a little more lively.
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo continued staring at the waves. "I'm thinking about what to do tomorrow." He sighed, speaking without modesty, "Jin, you do know you can't beat me, right?"
Indeed, Kurosawa Jin had challenged him countless times over the years, but always failed.Even if Tequila, the instructor, personally intervened, through his Rikugan / Six Eyes that could see through everything, an opponent's movements would become incredibly slow.
Even in this different manga dimension, not fully acclimated, and without Limitless / Limitless Void unlocked yet, Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo wasn't technically the "strongest," but he was more than enough to tower over everyone else.
Kurosawa Jin had long accepted Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo's strength internally, but saying it aloud was another matter.
"It hasn't started yet. How do you know?" he said coldly.
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo shrugged.
Three years had passed, and they had changed a lot.The once-arrogant Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo had learned to laugh and play without restraint, and the once-bloodthirsty Kurosawa Jin, who had devalued friendship, had gradually begun to accept the word "friend."
Jin squatted beside him, picked up a seashell that reflected the moonlight in dazzling brilliance, and tossed it back into the sea with a soft plop.He said, "The strong prey on the weak, and the fittest survive. I still believe that. So if I'm ever killed by someone stronger, it wouldn't surprise me at all."
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo clicked his tongue, turning his head. "Always saying such stupid things… Are you really that careless with your life?"
The long-haired young man, usually taciturn, seemed ready at this moment to speak all the words he'd kept inside for three years. He revealed something he had never confided:
"When I was little, my parents abandoned me at the orphanage door. If the organization hadn't taken me in and trained me to be a killer, I would have died long ago." His gaze was calm. "To repay the organization, I must obtain a code name. Even if my hands are stained with blood, I will not hesitate."
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo remained silent.
Kurosawa Jin stood up and continued, "If I die… you can throw me into this sea, along with my Beretta."
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo knew he meant the Beretta Pico he had given him.
With that, Jin turned and left.'This brat… is he giving his last will and testament?' Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo thought fiercely.'Who wants to throw you into the sea? If the Conan world didn't have Gin, wouldn't that cause huge problems!'
They had spent three years together, competing and bickering day and night, and Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo couldn't bring himself to do it.No matter what, he believed Kurosawa Jin wouldn't die—at least not before the plot began.
Never mind, tomorrow he would find a way to persuade Tequila. If the code name had to fall to him, he would simply transfer it to Kurosawa Jin.Anyway, there was no rule against transferring a code name, right?
…
However, what Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo hadn't expected was that things turned out far better than he feared.
The imagined scene of the two fighting each other never came to pass. Because…
"You mean… we all passed the assessment?"
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo thought his ears were playing tricks on him.According to the dark practices of the Syndicate, shouldn't the final round be especially difficult and inhumane? He had expected a bloody battle.
Tequila's slightly wrinkled face wore a sheepish smile. "Originally, it wasn't this easy. But the organization was attacked by the FBI, and many internal members sacrificed themselves. We're very short-handed lately… so I made an exception with the boss. You dozen or so people don't need further assessment. You can be promoted directly to official members of the organization."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they exchanged glances, feeling very fortunate.
"However, code-named members are limited… Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo, Kurosawa Jin, Bruce, and Shimizu Xia, the four of you come over. As for the rest, the organization's helicopter will arrive shortly to take you to where you need to go."
Thinking he wouldn't have to fight his good brother, Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo felt very happy. But Kurosawa Jin, for some reason, looked very displeased.Uh… maybe anyone who thought they were about to die, confessed long-buried thoughts like "my bank card password is xxx" right before death, and then realized they weren't going to die after all, would feel a bit awkward.
Kurosawa Jin's face was as dark as a pot bottom, and Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo said meaningfully, "If I die, you can throw me into… Ouch!"Before he could finish, Jin pinched him hard.
They walked toward Tequila, accompanied by Bruce, a tall man with close-cropped hair, a pointed chin, and plain features. Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo hadn't noticed him much before.
"Wait for me, Gojo-sama!"
Shimizu Xia ran over, her face flushed with excitement.Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo had been teasing the workaholic and only then realized that the girl he had casually saved a few years ago also qualified to become a code-named member.
She had now grown into a graceful, charming young woman, but it would be a huge mistake to underestimate her. A closer look revealed a faint murderous aura in her brows—even when smiling, she was not to be trifled with. Her Japanese sword skills were superb and instantly lethal.
He hadn't expected that the girl who cried helplessly when bullied years ago had grown so much.
"Yo, Shimizu."
They weren't strangers anymore, and Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo raised a hand in greeting.He was quite puzzled. A few casual words and comfort offered years ago had actually motivated her to survive—it was incredible.
Did he have a talent for psychology?Alas, if intelligence were a crime, he was beyond redemption.If he ended up living in the Conan world, he might as well become a psychologist—perhaps saving countless lost souls.
Seeing him so distracted, Kurosawa Jin habitually sighed.
Tequila looked at the four in front of him with satisfaction, silently evaluating them.
"First place, Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo."
He was taller than when he first arrived, and his appearance was even more striking. Designated 'the biggest surprise' personally by that gentleman, the facts proved it. In close combat or at a distance, his strength was unquestionable. His future was simply Limitless / Limitless Void… but his brilliance was too obvious, and his personality extremely arrogant—a drawback.
"Second place, Kurosawa Jin."
Next was this cold, long-haired young man. His individual strength was outstanding; he was the only one who could spar with Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo. Meticulous, cautious, extremely loyal to the organization, and excellent in all aspects—a rare talent. Though not as strong as Gojo, he had the potential of a gold-medal assassin.
"Third place, Bruce."
This European young man was skilled with shotguns and rifles. His strength rivaled Kurosawa Jin's, but his gloomy personality and lack of cooperation required refinement.
"Fourth place, Shimizu Xia."
This young girl had climbed from being a bullied bottom-tier member a few years ago to the top four. Her arduous journey spoke for itself. Due to her strong admiration for Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo, she possessed incredible willpower. She wasn't outstanding yet, but her potential was immense.
Tequila had witnessed their excellence over the years. These talents would surely give the FBI and CIA types a massive headache. These people were the glorious future of the organization!
Tequila's enthusiastic gaze made the three uneasy, but after his assessment, he said:
"From the training records over the past few years, the four of you are the most outstanding. I reported this to the boss, and he allows you to have liquor code names. As for what they will be, the boss will decide. Congratulations, you are now core members of the organization. After meeting the boss and receiving your code names, you no longer need to call me 'instructor'; just call me Tequila."
Core members? This meant they had successfully infiltrated the Syndicate.They had been trained since childhood, brainwashed thoroughly, and were known inside and out. Compared to mid-joining members, there was no chance they would betray the boss.
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo thought: Although… I'm already thinking about how to sabotage the Syndicate.
Not long after, these elites, having survived the cruel struggle, boarded the organization's helicopter, embarking on a journey to an unknown destination.Perhaps assassination missions awaited, or undercover work in rival organizations…
As for Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo, he was about to meet "that gentleman"—Karasuma Renya—who seemed to know his background well.
Although the system had automatically arranged a reasonable identity for him in this world, he still didn't know his origin, his parents, or why he had been sent to the training camp.Everything was unknown.
It didn't matter. As long as he met that man—Karasuma Renya—he would find the answers.