A commotion broke out among the crowd; they didn't have high hopes for Satoru Gojo.
"Quiet."
Tequila barked a single word, and the area fell instantly silent.
Gojo's finger lightly brushed the trigger, feeling its subtle tension. He then adjusted his grip to the one he remembered being most comfortable.
However, Tequila noticed a glaring detail.
"What? Are you not using the scope?"
"No need."
Gojo replied while aligning his aim. To the others, it sounded as if he had given up and started slacking off. The onlookers were stunned, including Kurosawa Jin.
"You—"
Before Jin could finish his sentence, a crisp gunshot rang out. The bullet sliced through the air. Before the bystanders could even blink, the distant bullseye shuddered, revealing a pinpoint strike.
"400 yards! Direct bullseye!" the marker shouted.
Gojo didn't hesitate for a second. His body and the firearm seemed to have merged into one. After aiming again, the bullet hissed out, nearly overlapping the trajectory of the previous shot—another direct bullseye.
The crowd stood dumbfounded; time seemed to freeze at that moment.
"Not just Taijutsu... is he a monster at sniping too?"
"Damn... what kind of rock did this guy crawl out from under?"
"Terrifying..."
"He didn't even use the scope. Are you kidding me?!"
"I've trained for two years and my limit is barely over two hundred yards. Life is so unfair."
Tequila began to applaud.
"Very good."
A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He recalled Vermouth's mysterious whisper.
[The Boss said that child would be the biggest surprise you've ever seen.]
It turned out to be true...
In less than fifteen minutes, there were five identical bullet holes on the target, tightly clustered together. The mood of the members shifted from shock to awe, and from awe to numbness.
Comparison is the thief of joy...
Gojo said nonchalantly, "Well?"
Kurosawa Jin's heart was a whirlpool of emotions. He knew the winner of this match had been decided. He even caught a faint inkling—Satoru Gojo hadn't used his full strength.
Despite his frustration, he looked Gojo straight in the eye and admitted it.
"You win again."
He appeared calm, but a certain fiery light flickered in his eyes.
"But this is only temporary," Jin's voice was full of certainty. "You are strong, but I will work hard to become stronger than you."
"Ha, you've got spirit."
Gojo grinned and replied, "Sure, I'll be waiting." Before Jin could speak, he added, "Though it's impossible. Small fry should have the self-awareness of small fry."
The crowd collectively gasped.
"He... he called Kurosawa 'small fry'."
"So scary..."
"Didn't they say they were close?"
"If I said that, my head would be separated from my shoulders by now."
"So it's true then; Kurosawa didn't even lift a hand."
Kurosawa Jin clenched his fists. Damn, why do I feel like I'm getting used to this brat's mockery...
Absolutely not. [Just you wait. Once I reach a level stronger than you, I'll make sure you wear a sign around your neck that says 'I am small fry' for the rest of your life... Wait, what am I thinking? I should probably just shoot him.]
"Your duel was excellent. Although Jin lost, he proved his strength as well. And on this island, that is the most important thing," Tequila said slowly, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the crowd. Those he looked at lowered their heads in fear. "You all know what happens to those without strength in the upcoming elimination matches. Remember—do not be idle."
After a stern lecture and some "encouragement" to work hard so they might one day catch the Boss's eye and become the next generation of the Organization, he dismissed them.
Toward Kurosawa Jin and Satoru Gojo, Tequila's attitude was far warmer. He even gave them two additional prizes to encourage their progress.
"This is..."
"A Beretta 92FS?"
Gojo looked at the small, familiar-looking pistol in his hand. He immediately associated it with Jin—no, Gin's signature weapon. Wasn't it this model?
It was entirely black, lightweight, had a good grip, and was very easy to conceal. The pistol had smooth lines and no unnecessary decorations—exquisite and classic.
"No, it's a Beretta Pico."
Kurosawa Jin gave him a look as if he were a moron. "The Beretta 92FS is sized for adults; it's not suitable for us yet. This Beretta Pico is a sub-compact semi-automatic. It's more than enough for self-defense when concealed."
His fluent introduction made it clear he was already well-acquainted with firearms.
"I see. That's the first time I've heard you speak such a long sentence."
"Tch. Falling at the hands of someone who knows nothing about guns is truly..."
Kurosawa Jin received a MAD DOG PANTHER—a lethal dagger commonly used by mercenaries. It had top-tier blade toughness and radiated an elegant aura.
Although he acted indifferent, Gojo caught a fleeting, irrepressible look of admiration in his eyes when he looked at the Beretta. However, Jin quickly forced himself to look away and started walking toward the indoor training base.
He planned to put in another two hours of extra training.
"Hey, Kurosawa!"
Then he heard that unreasonably strong and annoying guy speak.
"I say, do you really like this gun?"
The blonde youth paused, stubborn as ever. "It's nothing special. It's not as convenient as a dagger. Who would like it?"
[Please, you couldn't help but look at it three times.]
"As it happens, I think the dagger is better. Why don't we trade?"
Gojo leaned in, opening his wide "bling-bling" eyes that were hard to refuse. Every word chipped away at Jin's mental defenses. "Guns are a pain to use. If you run out of ammo, isn't it just scrap metal? Personally, I prefer close-quarters combat with a dagger."
"..."
"What do you say?"
"...I don't care."
By the time Kurosawa Jin cleared his head, he was the new owner of the Beretta. Seeing Gojo's fingers nimbly twirling the dagger—the MAD DOG PANTHER seemingly coming to life in his hand—one couldn't help but feel that this boy could master anything with ease.
Jin wasn't an idiot. As the winner's prize, the Beretta was clearly more valuable and useful than the dagger. Not to mention it carried the attention of the instructor and possibly the Boss himself... Gojo couldn't have missed that.
Yet, he had traded it away so easily.
Jin didn't want to admit that the other guy might have actually noticed his love for guns and acted accordingly. That realization gave him an uncomfortable feeling.
Perhaps it's just because Gojo grew up wealthy and has no concept of money?
But at the same time, a strange sensation he had never felt before touched his heart. Maybe this arrogant, impolite brat isn't as annoying as he seems. He's... barely tolerable.
[Impression Points from story character Kurosawa Jin increased by 500. Judgment: Friendly.]
The system message popped into Gojo's brain.
Nice. Good harvest. He hadn't even expected to gain points here. He had clearly overestimated the difficulty of "conquering" little Gin-pyon.
"Hey, Gojo. Want to train together?"
Without warning, the invitation slipped out of Jin's mouth.
"Eh?" The white-haired boy said, surprised. "You're actually inviting me?"
"...If you're not coming, forget it."
"I'm coming! Why wouldn't I go?" This time, the arrogance faded from Gojo's face, replaced by a genuine, pure smile belonging to someone his age.
"Then let's go."
For some reason, Kurosawa Jin felt a bit happy too. At least until Gojo's next sentence.
"If I don't go, how can I witness the pathetic sight of you failing miserably against me again? Hey! Don't hit me!"
A familiar scene played out once more.