"I would like to propose a binding vow."
"Huh?"
Both Hajime and Yue were speechless. They were currently in the final floor of the latter half of the infamous Great Orcus Labyrinth—dubbed by Hajime as the "Abyss." Satoru Gojo sat across them in the table where all three of them ate. Hajime was initially surprised that this man—Satoru Gojo—did not tie them up or cuff them whatsoever.
When presented with the question, Satoru simply replied matter-of-factly, "I told you, didn't I? There's no branch in time where you escaped from me." That boundless confidence and superficial arrogance irked Hajime for sure, but he needed to think twice before offending Satoru. Not only is his life at stake, but also Yue's life is at a knife's edge.
It's been a few days since the pair met the enigma that is Satoru Gojo. Even after carrying them and allowing both of them to rest and recover in the Maverick's lair beyond the Hydra's room, Satoru Gojo did not show any sign of wariness or cautiousness when around them. He was absolutely confident that nothing they do will work against him.
Even after all that, we owe him our lives. There's no doubt that he's done us more good than harm until now, Hajime thought with logic, that's why even after his initial suspicions and wariness, as well as the desire to kill Satoru Gojo, he more or less became accustomed to his presence and is trying to get into some give-or-take business relationship. Well, Satoru even went through the trouble of patching up and treating Hajime's near-dead body.
The same was true for Yue. Her concept of trust is only defined as "Hajime," so whatever Hajime wanted or desired, Yue will follow his wishes. She fully placed herself under his absolute belonging. Her life is Hajime's and so is her free will.
"What does that mean?" Hajime asked as he ate another piece of the Hydra's flesh. Both him and Yue were continuously getting stronger day by day and yet Satoru Gojo showed no signs of concern nor wariness once again. I'm sure he can see that my stats are rising... is it arrogance or just nonchalance? Hajime gave up trying to understand what goes on the head of this blue-eyed beauty.
Satoru Gojo was tall, charismatic, and exceptionally attractive—too attractive for any man, in fact. It'd make sense if someone mistook him for a female, too, mainly due to his facial features and flawless complexion. But what shattered Hajime's pride was that Satoru Gojo was in fact younger than him. Beauty and power—it's like Satoru Gojo had it all. And judging from his clothes bearing familiar brands back on Earth, he had no problems with money either.
Hajime was already aware of Satoru's circumstances of being randomly whisked away into the world of Tortus, but he still doubted if this man really was from the same Earth as him, or just a parallel one. Japan existed there, and so was the planet called Earth. But he had absolutely no knowledge of the jujutsu society that Satoru once spoke of. It's apparently a secret world of jujutsu that has been hidden from the public since ancient times, but Hajime still doubted its existence despite having a living proof in front of him—Satoru.
"Let's see..." Satoru began as he elegantly wiped off his mouth with a tissue. He's so pretty, and Hajime agrees with that. It seems his thoughts were apparent since Yue shot him a questioning glare, but Hajime steeled himself. "It is a tenet of Jujutsu. Don't worry, I've already validated that it's capable of being forged between vessels of both cursed-energy and mana, so it'll be fine." He said as he put aside his plate and smiled at both Hajime and Yue.
"Binding vows... they're pacts that create conditions or agreements between parties. They're essentially contracts that bound one's self or others with cursed energy... and in our case, both cursed energy and mana bound us. Both parties must agree to a particular set of conditions that benefit both parties, and the penalty of breaking the contract is... let's just say, very unpleasant. You wouldn't want to find out."
Satoru continued. "I'll swear not to direct any intent to kill to either of you, and you'll do the same to me. I'll protect you, and you'll bring me along to Japan as I help you guys find a way." Satoru was already aware that it's unlikely he'll be able to find a way home alone, since this world is a world of magic, and not only was he unable to contain mana, he was unable to manipulate even a speck of it.
He's capable of observing magic and understanding its flow with the Six Eyes, but manipulating it is another subject.
"How can I trust that you will keep your word?" Hajime frowned as he questioned.
"Did you listen to a word I said?" Satoru shot back, causing Hajime to flinch. It's not about trusting me, because if I fail to fulfill my end of the contract, I'll be the one punished. You'll understand it once we form the contract, so let's get to it."
Hajime was still a bit skeptical. Just because he's loosened up around Satoru, it did not mean that he's comfortable. Mentally heaving a sigh, Hajime agreed. A virtual image of chains tying his heart and Satoru's emerged on Hajime's mind, and he felt an intrinsic understanding of their contracts as they carefully put their own conditions in.
Once that was finished, the imaginary chains were locked before vanishing.
"See?" Satoru teased with a smile. He was right, Hajime now understood the nature of their binding vow.
"Hajime?" Yue beside him looked up, a slight look of anxiety in his face. Hajime also saw the chains binding Yue so all three of them were in agreement now, and there's no escaping that contract unless all parties concerned agree to its annulment.
Hajime smiled. "It's fine, Yue." He looked up, facing Satoru's smiling face with a stern expression. "I look forward to working with you."
"Same here."
......
...
...
Hajime was currently in the outdoor bath, alone, seeking some quiet time to reflect on everything Satoru had shared. He now believed and trusted Satoru somewhat; the level of trust Satoru had shown by revealing such sensitive information had forged a strong link between them.
As Hajime was lost in deep thought, he sensed a presence behind him.
"...Yue. I told you I wanted to bathe alone." Hajime's voice was calm but firm.
Yue didn't respond. She simply stepped into the water beside him, wrapped in nothing but a towel.
"At least cover yourself. There are plenty of towels in this house." Hajime's tone was exasperated.
"I want you to look," Yue replied, her voice soft yet insistent.
"..." Hajime was at a loss for words. Her unexpected reply left him more flustered than before. His body reacted instinctively, betraying his attempts at restraint.
"See? Hajime, don't you want to look?" Yue's pleading voice chipped away at his resolve. His breathing grew ragged as his desire battled with his reason.
"U-Umm, Yue. I'm not sure I..." Hajime stammered, trying to find a way out.
"...Am I not pretty enough?" Yue's voice was tinged with genuine sadness and insecurity, making Hajime realize how deeply her feelings ran.
"Not at all. Trust me, you're really pretty. There's no way I'd ever think you're ugly!" Hajime's voice grew louder, nearly shouting, as he tried to reassure her. He realized too late how heated he had become. Yue's expression remained seductive; her earlier confidence undiminished.
"Hajime..." Yue whispered, stepping closer.
"Yue..." Hajime responded, his defenses crumbling.
Thus marked the night of freedom, love, and the end of two V-cards.
"They're too fucking loud..." The Sentinel of Limitless muttered, sitting elegantly atop the roof, cringing at the loud clapping noises and moans that filled the air.
••
Two months passed.
All that time were spent in the depths of the Orcus Labyrinth by Satoru Gojo, Hajime Nagumo, and Yue. Much time among those were spent by Hajime and Yue training, while Satoru focused more on learning about the world of Tortus. Thankfully, just as the magic circle at the chamber of Oscar Orcus—the owner of the Labyrinth—had said, this whole floor with perfect living conditions were granted to the conquerors.
Furthermore, the magic circle provided whoever stepped on it knowledge and insight on the power of Creation Magic, one of the seven Ancient Magics from the Age of Gods. Hajime's affinity for it was strong, while Yue's was weak, and Satoru had none. Having no ability to use mana meant the magic circle denied his existence and nearly burst apart had Satoru not stepped down immediately.
But the most shocking part was the news contained within the magic circle. Anyone can trigger it, and an illusory image of Oscar Orcus will show itself to convey his last message. The gods of this world were deranged and psychopathic. They used the world as their plaything, used the lives like pieces in a board game.
Mavericks, or in real name, Liberators, was an organization that existed in the past. Their goal was to kill the Mad God Ehit, and put an end to his influence in Tortus. They created the seven trials to test anyone worthy enough to inherit their legacy and reward them with their Ancient Magic should they pass the tests.
Ancient Magic of the Age of Gods is a group of seven powerful magical Skills that worked as the origin and basis for all existing magical concepts in Tortus. Every existing form of magic in Tortus is in some form a degraded version of these Ancient Magics. Each one of the seven magic governs over one core concept aspect of existence and could be granted to anyone that managed to conquer any of the seven Great Labyrinths of Tortus that were created by the seven members of the Liberators who were the original possessors of them.
They used the rest of that day to explore the rest of the floor. The rooms were a variety. A library, a workshop, an open bath, a bedroom, etcetera. Hajime went to the workshop, eagerly checking out cool stuff that was the stuff of dreams for otakus, while Yue was there for Hajime.
Back to the present. While certain issues about Satoru's displeasure whenever his two other friends would have sex, the rest of the time were well-spent for Hajime and Yue. Satoru, though, had it worse. He was forced to cook for the two since they had no culinary talent so to speak, and the two didn't even know the basics of chores.
Even though Satoru lived more luxuriously than Hajime, the former was more knowledgeable about managing a household. If you'd ask Satoru, it felt like gaining two new younger siblings.
Aside from the downsides of the two months, Satoru would battle against Hajime and Yue in a one against two. Their whining about how unfair things were aside, their powers blossomed tremendously. Hajime's technical precision skyrocketed, along with his strength and arsenal. Yue's magical abilities and magical capacity also vastly increased. They went a long way, and they at least were thankful.
Satoru, while prioritizing the pursuit of knowledge and common sense on Tortus, did not neglect his training. He's hit a ceiling recently since the reverse cursed technique still left much to be explored, but his current power level is still above both Hajime's and Yue's combined, so he was assured of the status quo.
He didn't feel the need to rush.
And now, it was time to go. Satoru didn't change much appearance-wise. He had a whole wardrobe of clothes stashed in his innate void, so maintaining his pursuit of fashion was of no difficulty. The Six Eyes allowed him to access his innate domain even if he still does not have a domain expansion, which is really convenient.
Satoru wore a plain black button-up polo combined with black trousers and black work shoes. He also had a silverly fashion necklace, a Lange & Sohne watch, and a pair of sunglasses. Yue's, meanwhile, consists of a frilly white dress shirt and a black mini skirt with frills. She also wears a white coat with a blue lining as well as a short pair of boots and knee-high socks.
Hajime meanwhile, was the very definition of cringe.
For real. Hajime's adventure outfit consists of a black coat with crimson-colored lining, coupled with a gray blazer and a white shirt underneath it, along with a cravat terminated by a ring tied around his neck. He wears black pants that have gun holsters attached to them, as well as knee-long black boots. His appearance is now fully like an anime character, something he is painfully aware of.
He had an arm missing from before so he made an artificial arm made of azantium, the hardest ore in Tortus, and an artificial eye made of divinity stone to compensate for his lost body parts. By that logic, why not purge your entire body and make it entirely cyborg? Satoru thought. Since it was his choice, Satoru couldn't really stop him. His appearance is the kind that might have spouted cliched lines like, "Be still, my sealed left arm!"
As Hajime began activating the magic circle on the third floor, Hajime quietly spoke.
"Yue... Satoru... my weapons and our powers are probably considered heresy to the Holy Church. I doubt they or the various human kingdoms are going to just let us roam free."
"Sure." "Yeah."
"They'll ask us to give up our artifacts or try and force us to help them in their war."
"Sure." "Yeah."
"If it was just humans we had to deal with, it wouldn't be a huge problem, but those crazy gods pulling everyone's strings are probably gonna be after us too."
"Sure." "Yeah."
"We might end up making the entire world our enemy. No matter how many lives we have, it might not be enough to come out unscathed."
"Sure." "Yeah."
"It'll be fine. I'm the strongest, after all." "So what?" Hajime smiled at his friends' unconcerned responses. After a moment, he took a deep breath, then spoke aloud his hopes and convictions to carve them into his soul.
"I'll protect Yue, Yue will protect me, and Satoru will protect us. As long as we watch each other's backs, we'll be stronger than anyone. We'll beat down anyone who stands against us and bust our way out of this shitty world!"
"Yes, sir~." "Yeah!"