Toji chuckled dryly. Being asked about his preference in women as the first question upon meeting was neither appropriate nor pleasant.
Had a man asked such a question at their first meeting, fists might have flown, but Toji, who tended to be quite gentle with women, asked for the reason behind it.
"Why do you ask that question?"
"I believe that a person's sexual preference reflects everything about them."
It was a thought fitting for a sorcerer.
"While I did ask about women, it doesn't really matter if it's men or anyone else. So, what's your preference?"
The image of a woman clearly formed in Toji's mind. In fact, it was a face that hadn't left his mind since he was first asked about his preference.
"..."
She had petulant black hair and a smile like a piece of sunshine.
He had never considered it as a preference.
But he definitely couldn't say it wasn't his preference.
Tanaka Chie was someone Zenin Toji couldn't help but love.
In every way, from one to ten.
So, if asked about his preference, the only response Toji could give was,
"She's gone now."
Preference or whatever, the only woman he could love as a partner was Chie.
...And Chie was dead.
"Is that so? Unexpected."
With that, Tsukumo no longer pursued Toji's preference.
Then, glancing briefly at Zoro, she said to Toji,
"Zenin Toji. I have something to discuss with you. Shall we talk outside for a moment?"
...
'Flatly rejected.'
At Tsukumo Yuki's suggestion to research the curseless phenomenon of a person with zero cursed energy, Zenin Toji displayed his displeasure and firmly refused.
'Well, it's not unexpected.'
It was natural for anyone, sorcerer or non-sorcerer, to dislike being experimented on with their body, so Tsukumo wasn't too disappointed.
Clunk! Thud.
A can of cola rolled out of the vending machine. She picked it up, opened it, and took a drink.
Tsukumo's gaze shifted toward the corridor Toji had just left through.
After rejecting her experiment proposal, Toji had reluctantly left, repeatedly glancing back at where Zoro was, clearly not wanting to leave. The menacing warning that he wouldn't let anything happen to the kids was a bonus.
'It's a pity. I wanted to talk more with him.'
Toji, the curseless phenomenon, had flatly rejected the experiment proposal and left, and the ones rumored to soon rise to special grade sorcerer status, Gojo and Geto, were also out on a mission.
It might have seemed like a wasted trip to come all the way to the Jujutsu High, but Tsukumo didn't feel that way at all.
'I've met a remarkable child.'
She secretly smiled and turned back to Zoro.
"Do you want me to get you something too?"
"Alcohol."
"Sorry, your father said he wouldn't let it slide if I did anything harmful to you guys."
Besides, it's not like a school vending machine would sell alcohol.
Instead of alcohol, Tsukumo picked out a can of orange juice and handed it to Zoro. He looked slightly disappointed but opened it and drank it down.
She sat down beside Zoro, smiling at the sight of the children sleeping soundly.
"Is this one, your sibling?"
"Yeah."
"Cute."
Especially the boy, who was the spitting image of Zenin Toji. Except for the spiky hair.
"Zenin-kun, what's your type in women?"
"I don't have one."
Zoro was indifferent to matters of sexuality, both in his past and present life. It wasn't out of aversion or bad feelings; he simply had no interest.
Tsukumo tilted her head, uncertain whether he truly had no preference or if he was too young to understand the question.
So, she decided to ask a slightly different question.
"Is there anyone outside of your family or friends you want to meet? Someone you find interesting."
Someone interesting. Zoro mentioned the first person that came to mind.
"A swordsman."
"A swordsman? Why?"
"I want to fight them."
Although Toji was quite skilled with a sword, he wasn't a swordsman. In this world, there were indeed people who wielded real swords, but most could hardly be called swordsmen due to their lack of skill, merely brigands at best.
Tsukumo Yuki laughed heartily.
"That's interesting. I know a few sorcerers who use swords, should I introduce you?"
"Are they swordsmen?"
"Uh, no. More sorcerers than anything. Most use swords to channel cursed energy or as a tool when they can't use techniques."
The most swordsman-like sorcerer she could think of was probably Kusakabe. Tsukumo murmured.
Zoro turned his head away, showing disinterest.
"Never mind, then."
Of course, being a sorcerer doesn't mean one can't be a swordsman. In his previous life, there were often swordsmen who also had Devil Fruit powers.
But from Tsukumo's explanation, it seemed like their identity as sorcerers was much stronger than as swordsmen.
'Their fighting style would be more focused on sorcery than swordsmanship.'
From Zoro's perspective, it was understandably disappointing. A world nearly devoid of swordsmen. Sensing his feelings, she spoke calmly.
"Swordsmanship isn't looked down upon in the sorcery world. In fact, among sorcerers who use Cursed Tools, those who wield sword types are the most common. However, there's a limit to how strong you can become with swordsmanship alone, not just for non-sorcerers but also for sorcerers. It's because you can't infinitely strengthen a Cursed Tool with cursed energy. If too much is imbued, the tool can't withstand it and will break."
"You and your father are quite unique cases," Tsukumo added. It seemed like the ceiling for becoming stronger through swordsmanship in this world was much lower compared to his previous life.
'But isn't it the essence of a swordsman to cut through and leap over such limits?'
Insurmountable foes, bitter and desperate defeats, and the painful limits felt every time the path forward is blocked.
Roronoa Zoro overcame all these hardships to finally reach the pinnacle as a swordsman.
Zoro shook his head after a moment of thought.
'Not everyone can be like me.'
He had talent, continuously worked hard, and was also lucky. While effort is up to the individual, talent and luck are different matters.
...Even Kuina was frustrated that she was born a woman.
"If only I had been born a man."
Stirring up old memories, Zoro's expression turned sullen.
He was aware that people are born with different types and magnitudes of talents. Even if two people have the same talent and put in the same effort, it doesn't mean they'll achieve the same results.
But still…
'I really hate it.'
The notions of wishing to have been born a man, saying that biological differences meant she couldn't beat him, that there are limits to how much physical strength or cursed energy can enhance a weapon.
For Zoro, who lived his life without once making excuses for his defeats or weaknesses, all of it was nothing but excuses.
Tsukumo chuckled at Zoro's grumpy face.
"You seem quite displeased."
"I really hate those kinds of excuses."
"Is that so? But many sorcerers make those excuses."
Lacking in cursed energy, not inheriting powerful techniques, not being born into the Gojo family, being from a non-sorcerer family with no knowledge of the sorcery world, encountering a strong cursed spirit too early in life.
Many sorcerers voice their reasons for not becoming stronger as they fall behind and die.
Tsukumo Yuki understood them.
She knew all too well how shitty the fate you're born with can be.
That's why she wanted to change it.
"Sending sorcerers to hunt cursed spirits as they appear… That's the current policy of Jujutsu High. But I think there's a fundamental limit to that approach."
All that does is pile up the ashes of exorcised cursed spirits and the corpses of sorcerers.
Even though she was criticized for not fulfilling her duties as a special grade sorcerer, her focus on research activities abroad all had a reason.
Tsukumo Yuki spoke earnestly.
"I don't want to hunt cursed spirits; I want to create a world where cursed spirits are not born at all."
Zoro listened silently to her words.
"Do you think it's impossible?"
"No."
There's nothing impossible in this world. And Tsukumo Yuki seemed to sincerely believe in her goal and was making efforts to achieve it.
Just as many pirates spoke of their dreams in his previous life.
It's not polite to criticize someone else's dreams, no matter how absurd they might seem. Being someone who harbored dreams and ambitions as foolishly big and vast as Luffy's, Zoro had no intention of mocking or denying Tsukumo's dream.
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