Emerging from the bar, Sake let out a quiet sigh of relief; at least the fact that she had attended the fan support meeting hadn't been exposed. Soon, however, she couldn't help but say, "Young Master, revealing your identity so casually like that... what if..."
"Relax," Gojo waved a hand. "I can 'see' the loyalty overflowing from him."
It was likely related to the System's enhancements. His Six Eyes could accurately judge others' emotions—a different form of mind-reading. This method allowed him to verify the loyalty of his subordinates; catching moles was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
"Can't be helped. Sometimes having too much charm is a real headache." He tossed his white hair, looking quite fond of his own reflection.
Over time, the more Sarelo stayed with Satoru Gojo, the more his initial "Leader filter" shifted into the helpless resignation of an old father dealing with a bratty child.
Meanwhile, on the building across the street, a black-clad assassin who had been perched with a sniper rifle for nearly three hours rejoiced. He successfully captured a blind spot in the group's vision, adjusted his muzzle, and let a tiny, almost imperceptible red dot float onto the back of Gojo's head. For the past half month, he had been staking out this spot every day, rain or shine.
Ever since news of Kaiser hit the black market, how could he—Mexico's number one freelance assassin—pass up a walking fifty million dollars?
Unfortunately, for a long time, almost no one could pinpoint this person's tracks. Every time info leaked and people rushed over, they found the target had vanished like a ghost. He had used various channels to learn that Sarelo frequented this bar and took a bold gamble—betting that Kaiser might show up too.
As expected.
The tall stature, the face covered by a blindfold, and Sarelo's respectful attitude toward him... it had to be him. And even if it wasn't, so what? Better to kill a hundred innocent people than let one target slip away.
Ten seconds before he pulled the trigger, while he was fully focused on the scope...
In the distance, Satoru Gojo's body stiffened, and his smile vanished.
"What is it, Young Master?" Sake asked, puzzled.
"I have something to take care of." He glanced toward the opposite building as if casually. "Wait a moment, I'll be right back."
The assassin's hand, about to pull the trigger, trembled, and the bullet failed to fire. A gold-medal killer like him shouldn't have made such a mistake. But just a second ago, the man in the scope had suddenly turned his head, and the direction his blindfolded eyes were looking... seemed to be exactly where the assassin was hidden.
With rumors of Kaiser's strength flying everywhere, he genuinely thought for a split second that he had been exposed.
No, how is that possible? This was a sniper distance of eight hundred yards. How many people in the world could sense that?
"Fuck," the man hissed, quickly regaining his composure. He repositioned, trying to seize the chance to fire again.
However, when he looked through the scope this time, it was empty. Where was the target?! Not on the left, not on the right... It was as if he had vanished into thin air. A haunting chill crept in. Because he hesitated for that one second, he missed his golden opportunity.
"Are you kidding me..." Frustrated, he pulled out a cigarette to smoke, but halfway to his mouth, it was snatched away by a hand, followed by a friendly warning:
"Smoking is bad for your health, you know."
"Mind your own—"
The assassin's response died in his throat. He looked up to see the very person who had just been in his crosshairs. Satoru Gojo was squatting next to him, chin resting on one hand, greeting him like a friend he hadn't seen in years: "Hello?"
The assassin's blood froze. His scalp tingled, a chill raced up his spine to his brain, and his pupils dilated with sheer terror. He rolled away several meters and drew his handgun, aiming it at the youth.
"Don't be so nervous." Gojo spread his hands. "I just want to know... who sent you to kill me?"
He hadn't spent these years in vain. Ample combat experience had allowed him to successfully unlock most of the Limitless techniques. Through constant practice, he could use "Azure" to create powerful attraction, turning the distance between objects into "negative infinity," thereby achieving teleportation.
However, he was only proficient in short-range teleportation. If he tried to go from Mexico to Japan, he couldn't do it yet—or rather, the result might be "off." Like the time he miscalculated his position and accidentally teleported into the middle of the ocean.
Furthermore, the Cursed Technique Reversal "Red" and Hollow Technique "Purple" were mostly mastered. This was why he could easily crush the A-rank Ability User sent by the FBI. That guy had actually been somewhat similar to Toji Fushiguro, possessing a body with incredible explosive power.
But he was just a "budget" Toji at best.
Not to brag, but the A-rank Ability Users of this world were roughly at the level of a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit... though comparing people to Cursed Spirits was a bit rude. Thanks to them, he had also recently unlocked Reverse Cursed Technique and Domain Expansion, finally becoming "invincible" in the truest sense.
The assassin, gradually calming down, replied, "No one sent me. I decided this myself... because your head is worth fifty million." He sneered, "Who would have thought the legendary 'Black Emperor'... was a soft-skinned brat like you."
Gojo winced at the "Black Emperor" title. It was so chuunibyou... It was cool, sure, but even he felt a bit embarrassed. Over the years, his nicknames had been countless: "White Ghost," "Light of Mexico," "The FBI's Nightmare," and so on.
While he was cringing, the assassin seized the moment to bolt. But a second later, his throat was gripped, and his body was slammed hard against the building's water tank.
"Cough... cough..."
"Fifty million?" Gojo clicked his tongue, disappointed. "That's way too low. Is my life only worth that much?"
"Fifty million US dollars... isn't that enough?" Even in pain, the killer couldn't help but criticize the boy's ego.
"At least a hundred million—no, a hundred billion!" Gojo said seriously.
"Whatever... today is just my bad luck." Knowing he couldn't resist, the assassin lowered his head in a show of weakness. "Let's be friends. If you let me go this time... I promise to be at your service from now on."
"Do I look like the kind of 'good guy' who lets someone go after an assassination attempt?"
"You... you care about the civilians, don't you!" The assassin gasped for air. "I have a partner in this building. Once he finds out I'm dead... to avenge me, he might carry out a random terrorist attack. You wouldn't want... cough... these innocent people to die, would you?"
"..."
If he were telling the truth, Gojo might actually have hesitated. But whether it was the observation of the Six Eyes or the "guilt" radiating from the man, everything told him this "partner" simply didn't exist.
"If you don't believe me, just wait and see," the assassin blustered.
"I was going to let you die easily, but using something like that to threaten me is really crossing the line."
Gojo shook his head and slowly unwound his blindfold. His white hair tumbled down, revealing a face of peerless beauty. Beneath snow-colored lashes, those azure eyes were soul-snatching; even the assassin dazed for a second.
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than black... Purify that which is impure."
Gojo casually cast a "Veil" (Curtain). Its utility was incredibly high. The reason the FBI still didn't understand his ability was largely due to the concealment provided by the Veil.
"What are you talking about?!"
The boy's hands moved—ring and pinky fingers bent, middle finger resting on the index, thumb upright in a strange seal.
"Domain Expansion..."
The man's terror reached its peak. After Gojo released him, he immediately began to run like a madman. But what use was that?
"Infinite Void."
A massive black sphere expanded as Gojo spoke, swallowing the assassin into white light and nothingness, followed by absolute darkness.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!"
He floated in an endless space, screaming in a mental breakdown. Then, a giant eye like a black hole appeared behind him, and infinite, chaotic information was forced into his brain.
He could see nothing, feel nothing. Or rather... he could see everything and hear everything.
"Stay alive" "Stay alive" "Stay alive" "Stay alive" "Stay alive" "Stay alive"!!!
Concepts flooded his mind without end. Even though he knew everything, even though he was granted everything... he could do nothing.
The man stood frozen, his eyes no longer holding fear or any other emotion—only the void left after the soul shatters.
"Farewell, Mr. Anonymous Assassin."