20:30, Tokyo Jujutsu High
Shoko, who had finished her mission long ago, was treating Sakurada Niji's injuries.
"You can still move on your own. Looks like you showed some restraint." Shoko's tone was sharp.
Ever since Sakurada Niji had started developing his Cursed Technique, almost every practice session had left him injured badly enough to need her treatment.
"Well, I didn't know whether you'd make it back, Shoko~" Sakurada Niji rubbed his head, sounding somewhat apologetic.
"Thanks to you, my understanding of human muscles has skyrocketed. All right, try moving around."
Shoko stood, walked over to the window, and lit a cigarette.
"Phew~ Still, I never thought those higher-ups would send you to exorcise a special grade cursed spirit alone."
Shoko did not spell it out, but anyone with a brain could understand what she meant.
In recent years, Jujutsu Sorcerers from outside the established families who refused those families' overtures had often died on missions far beyond their abilities. This time, however, the higher-ups had not even tried to recruit Sakurada Niji, a young Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. They had chosen to eliminate him outright.
I wonder whether the Association's higher-ups really are that stupid, or whether Kenjaku is pulling the strings.
"Well~ At least this gave me a chance to test my strength."
Sakurada Niji slowly stood and moved his arms and legs.
"Your work is amazing, Shoko~" Sakurada Niji said coaxingly.
"Keep talking like Satoru, and I won't treat you anymore~"
"Never mind..."
"Back to business. How's the Star Plasma Vessel mission going?"
"They were supposed to come back tonight, but apparently something held them up. They even sent the first-years to help. They won't be back until tomorrow."
"I see... Shoko, keep your phone on tomorrow. I'll discuss the details with Geto," Sakurada Niji told her.
Shoko fell silent for a moment, recalling their earlier discussion about what to do if the Star Plasma Vessel refused assimilation.
"We might really end up fighting~ Well~ I'm in the back line anyway~" Shoko stubbed out her cigarette and tossed it into the trash.
"Well~ Mr. Yaga thinks the same thing~"
"Tomorrow, have a Barrier Technique ready at Mr. Yaga's place to conceal our presence and cursed energy."
"Okay~ I'm going back to bed, then."
"Yeah. Good night."
After Shoko left, Sakurada Niji picked up his phone and called Suguru Geto. The call connected a moment later.
"Hello? Geto?"
"Yeah, it's me. What's up?"
"There's something I need to tell you about Riko... That's the plan. Don't tell Satoru."
"Pfft... Haha... Got it. I won't let Satoru find out. Thanks for taking this so seriously, Niji."
"It's nothing... We all brought up the problem together. Of course we should do our best."
"All right, I'm hanging up. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Bye."
Everything's ready. It all comes down to tomorrow. I probably won't get any sleep tonight...
Whenever something important was coming up, he became too keyed up to sleep.
Escort day three, 15:00. Location: Jujutsu High, foot of Mount Enzan. The bounty on Star Plasma Vessel Riko Amanai had expired four hours earlier.
"Thanks for all your hard work, everyone. We're inside Jujutsu High's barrier now," Suguru Geto said.
Exhausted, Riko Amanai braced her hands on her knees.
"Does that mean we can relax for now?" She took the towel Kuroi offered her and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Yes~" Kuroi, her maid, also let down her guard.
Satoru Gojo remained where he was, his brow furrowed. He looked far from well.
"Satoru?"
Satoru Gojo looked up at Suguru Geto.
"Thank you. You really worked hard," Suguru Geto said sincerely.
Hearing that, Satoru Gojo lowered his guard and let out a long sigh, finally releasing the tension he had maintained for so long.
"I'm never babysitting kids again-" Satoru Gojo looked utterly relieved.
"Huh?!" Riko Amanai turned toward him indignantly.
Suddenly, with a wet shunk, a blade pierced Satoru Gojo's chest. A burly man in a tight black short-sleeved shirt stood behind him, his bulging muscles nearly bursting through the fabric. He was the one who had driven the blade through Satoru Gojo.
Everyone froze at the sight of Satoru Gojo's injury. His own pupils contracted in disbelief.
How is that possible?! We're... inside Jujutsu High's barrier! Suguru Geto looked equally incredulous.
With the blade still through him, Satoru Gojo turned his head slightly to look at the burly man behind him.
"Have I... seen you before?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm the same way. I don't remember men's names~" the man in black replied flippantly.
The next instant, Satoru Gojo unleashed Blue behind him. The insect-shaped cursed spirit Suguru Geto summoned also charged forward, catching the man who had been "knocked away" in its jaws and slamming him into the ground a short distance away.
"Satoru!" Suguru Geto hurried toward him to check his injuries.
"I'm fine~" Satoru Gojo slowly straightened, casually stopping Suguru Geto as he approached.
"My technique didn't activate in time, but it missed my organs. Then I reinforced myself with cursed energy, so the blade didn't damage anything else."
"It's like sticking a safety pin through a knitted sweater. I'm really fine," Satoru Gojo said, seriously summing up his injuries.
He turned toward the burly man in black and addressed Suguru Geto behind him.
"Don't worry about me. Protect Amanai first. He... is mine," Satoru Gojo said firmly.
"Get to Master Tengen first." Satoru Gojo began loosening up his exhausted body.
Suguru Geto looked at Satoru Gojo's resolute expression, then at the anxious Riko Amanai and Kuroi beside him, and made his decision.
"Be careful, Satoru!" Suguru Geto turned away after speaking.
Then he told the two nervous women, "Let's go!"
Meet up with Niji first! Head to Mr. Yaga's classroom!
Suguru Geto summoned a cursed spirit to carry them both and hurried toward Masamichi Yaga's location.
Inside Jujutsu High, Masamichi Yaga's classroom
"Shoko, are you ready?" Sakurada Niji asked Shoko, who was busy beside him.
"Yes, but Master Tengen's Barrier Technique is powerful. I'm afraid we can't hide this for long."
"That's enough," Sakurada Niji replied.
"This really is reckless... Those old fossils will accuse me of egging my students on again," Masamichi Yaga said from the side.
Boom!
A loud crash came from the courtyard outside. Sakurada Niji hurried out and saw three people dismounting from Rainbow Dragon.
"Niji! Is everything ready?" Suguru Geto asked urgently.
"Yes! Get them over here!"
Suguru Geto scooped up Riko and rushed inside.
Sakurada Niji pulled the bewildered maid Kuroi over.
"It's up to you now. Hurry!"
A few minutes later-
A swarm of fly heads suddenly appeared inside Jujutsu High, and Masamichi Yaga took his cursed corpses out to exorcise them.
Has it started? We're running out of time...
"How much longer?" Sakurada Niji urged.
"Almost done..." Kuroi fumbled frantically.
"Shoko! Once you get my message, go straight to the foot of Mount Enzan and find Satoru. If there's no message, don't go."
"Okay," Shoko replied.
"How could that..." Suguru Geto could not believe Satoru Gojo might lose.
"Nothing is impossible. Prepare for the worst."
"Done!" Kuroi suddenly said.
"Geto! We're going to the Tombs of the Star Corridor!"
15:07, foot of Mount Enzan
The elegant, traditional Japanese buildings had been reduced to flat ground. Satoru Gojo stood at the center, trapped amid a mass of fly heads.
Countless fly heads swarmed through the air, completely disrupting the Six Eyes' perception of cursed energy. Satoru Gojo could no longer sense where the man in black was.
Suddenly, something occurred to Satoru Gojo, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
No! His target is-Riko!
The instant Satoru Gojo turned his head, the man in black appeared behind him with a strange dagger in hand and thrust it at his body.
Although Satoru Gojo recognized the danger in that instant, his body's trust in Limitless kept him from instinctively dodging.
The moment the dagger touched Limitless, Satoru Gojo's Cursed Technique was nullified. The strange dagger tore straight through his Inviolability and plunged into his neck.
Satoru Gojo froze. He had never encountered anything capable of breaking through Limitless, nor had he ever guarded against it.
By the time he reacted, his body could no longer evade the attack.
The man in black delivered his follow-up strikes in an instant, finishing by driving a short blade into Satoru Gojo's head.
He pulled out the short blade, released the breath he had been holding, and flicked the blood from its edge, muttering, "Finally... I'm getting a little of my touch back..."
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