Jujutsu Kaisen: I Have A Gardevoir

Akira quickened his pace of swallowing the hot dog, then took two big gulps of milk to help wash it down.

He then picked up the second hot dog, stuffing it into his mouth.

This time, he didn't perform the "Abyssal Maw" eating style, but changed his pace, slowly chewing—one bite of hot dog, one sip of milk.

Seeing this scene, the male butler's eyebrows moved slightly, but the noblewoman's expression remained unchanged, her smile unwavering.

The two quietly waited for Akira to finish his meal, watching as he ate an entire hot dog along with two packs of milk.

Akira knew this wouldn't work either. After throwing the trash into the convenience store's bin, he yawned and walked over.

"This madam, you've probably got the wrong person. I'm not your child—I have a mother."

"There is no need for such deliberate words, young master, the madam—"

The male butler couldn't help but interject but was stopped midway by a gesture from the noblewoman.

The noblewoman spoke, "I know you are angry at me, but there was no other way. Neither I nor your father have the strength to challenge tradition or challenge the rules. We are not Satoru Gojo."

Akira let out an "oh" and turned to leave.

The male butler moved, surpassing Akira, almost instantly appearing in front of him, blocking his path.

"Young master, the madam hasn't finished speaking yet."

His voice was gentle, not forgetting to bow politely. Whether in terms of strength or demeanor, he was far superior to the previous female butler.

Like the female butler, he was also a servant brought as part of the dowry, but with a higher status and more trust.

The noblewoman who had such a servant by her side could only be Akira's biological mother, the one and only matriarch of the Kamo household.

"Does her finishing or not have anything to do with me?" Akira raised an eyebrow, "Am I supposed to wait whenever someone speaks?"

"Young master—"

Once again, the male butler's words were interrupted by the noblewoman.

"I know you harbor resentment. After all, we were at fault first. Vent your anger however you please, but when it's over, come home. Some things can be erased, but some things cannot be undone, regardless of whether you acknowledge it or not."

Her words were graceful yet firm, a perfect mix of warmth and propriety, miles beyond the previous female butler.

To someone inexperienced in the ways of the world, this kind of gentle, layered approach might have really worked.

But unfortunately, Akira wasn't a fledgling just stepping into society. He had long recognized the true nature of this woman and wasn't buying it at all.

"Is that why you sent a bootlicker and a group of goons to embarrass themselves, serving as my punching bag?"

The overly blunt and crude language made the noblewoman's expression stiffen.

That was indeed her plan.

Strike while the iron is hot, then it weakens, and finally it exhausts itself.

The concept can be applied positively, but also negatively. Her thinking was to first send the "villain" of that year to take the beating, then she would follow up with a mother's warmth and gentle words, combining "strength with softness." No matter how much resentment Akira held, it should be mostly dissolved by then.

After all, unlike the Zen'in Clan, the Kamo family hadn't gone to the extreme with things (at least regarding Akira).

But she didn't expect her well-crafted plan to be seen through by Akira instantly.

"I admit, after beating some idiots, I do feel a bit better. But do you really think I can't tell why she's an idiot? Don't tell me she acted on her own. How long has she been with you? Longer than I've been alive, right? If it were really 'acting on her own,' would you have kept her until now? Are you insulting my intelligence, or your own?"

The smile on the noblewoman's face vanished.

Akira's words were harsh, but they were not wrong.

As the matriarch and someone pursuing power and position, of course, she needed all sorts of "talent" around her.

Someone like the male butler, who could represent authority, was necessary, but so were those like the female butler—small-minded people to do the dirty work.

Though the female butler had a lot of issues personality-wise, she was someone brought from the natal family, and her loyalty couldn't be questioned.

For this reason, she brought her along.

Since her husband had already said not to do unnecessary things, she couldn't touch anyone from the Kamo family. The only choice was to use her own people.

She had married into one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, so her background was already prestigious—coming from another Jujutsu noble family related to the Kamo clan, which they couldn't easily meddle in.

That was her true leverage—even her husband, who stood atop the power structure of the Jujutsu world, couldn't underestimate her.

She sighed, "Must mother and son come to this?"

"If you knew it would come to this, why did you do it in the first place?" Akira sighed as well. "Since you placed your interests above kinship, don't try playing the kinship card now. If I didn't have the strength I do now, if I didn't have these Pokémon by my side, would you still seek me out? Can you honestly say you have no thoughts about my 'Pokémon Manipulation'?"

The noblewoman again had no words.

Accustomed to the roundabout way of speaking prevalent in the Big Three Families, facing Akira's directness—straight to the heart—made her unsure of how to respond.

Furthermore, as a mother, she truly felt guilty about this matter.

Agreeing to send a child who hadn't inherited any Jujutsu away from home and away from the center of disputes wasn't inherently wrong.

But sending him to the countryside of Shikoku and then restricting his living expenses was unnecessary. If she truly had her child's best interest at heart, there were better options.

She could've sent him abroad, to a broader world, without needing to be so stingy with his allowance—the Kamo family wasn't short of money.

Ultimately, her choices were about maximizing her own interests and permanently concealing inconvenient facts.

Her appearance now was also due to seeing Akira's potential and the value of his "Pokémon Manipulation," and she wanted to have him under her control.

"You speak of interests, so let's discuss interests."

Seeing her intentions completely exposed, the noblewoman decided not to pretend anymore. Her expression became stern and serious.

"What do you want? I—"

"What I want, you cannot give." Akira interrupted mercilessly.

"Then why did you return? Why appear here?"

"To take revenge on those who wronged me, and to test certain attitudes. I am not like Gojo-sensei, who can endure things indefinitely. Whoever sets their sights on me, I will strike first. Here's my final warning—don't provoke me again."

"No matter what, young master, you are the madam's flesh and blood," the male butler spoke up.

Akira didn't look at him; instead, he looked at his mother. "My name is Akira, and I have only one mother—her name is Hayami."

Cold words, a cold gaze, like a knife stabbing into the noblewoman's heart, pushing her to the brink of an outburst.

Akira pretended not to notice. "That's all I have to say."

The male butler took a step forward, "Young master, please wait."

"Second time—once is forgivable, twice isn't." Akira finally shifted his gaze toward the butler, "Next time, face the consequences."

The male butler chuckled dismissively, "Sometimes, it isn't a bad thing to listen to those of us who are older."

"Third time." Akira held up three fingers.