Would You Die for Your Senior?

Mei Mei suppressed the strange, indefinable feeling in her heart and changed the subject. "Did that cursed spirit's domain ability hit you just now?"

"It did."

Tsukasa Hatayama admitted it readily and analyzed the situation calmly. "Its domain is a little tricky. Once activated, it forcibly crushes other people's hearts."

"Jujutsu High has records of this kind of domain. Mr. Yaga mentioned it in class, too. It generally targets whoever has the strongest cursed energy first."

"Luckily, I held out with Reverse Cursed Technique before that happened. Otherwise, the moment I went down, you might have been next."

As he analyzed it, Tsukasa Hatayama's desire to develop a domain grew stronger. Its guaranteed-hit, guaranteed-kill effect was simply too difficult to defend against.

In any case, he had no interest in learning a weakling's domain. That sort of domain was a dime a dozen among the Three Great Families, and using one would hardly impress anyone.

He was also close to grasping his Maximum Technique. He should be able to perfect and wield it by next January at the latest, and he believed its cosmos-like darkness would inspire fear.

Listening beside him, Mei Mei had a few doubts, but his final words of concern kept her from asking.

While the two talked, the Heart God in the distance was already seething. It had tried countless times, only to fail every single time.

Against that monster, the domain beneath its feet was nothing more than decoration. If the targeting hadn't been compulsory, it would have killed the human girl first.

Pregnant woman with the stitches on your head, I regret not listening to you. If I could choose again, I'd behave myself and find somewhere to hide.

It hated this... running into a freak who was immune to its domain.

In contrast to its inward regrets, the two opposite it remained utterly composed. They helped each other up, treating it as though it didn't exist.

Tsukasa Hatayama rolled his neck and quietly reminded her, "Did you notice the heart above the cursed spirit's navel?"

Mei Mei looked over. The heart at the cursed spirit's navel had turned black and rotten.

She withdrew her gaze. "Our earlier fight cost it one life. Looks like our guess was right."

"Next, we need to finish this quickly, preferably exorcising it in one shot. And to do that, we'll have to return to plan B."

Tsukasa Hatayama's expression froze, and he asked weakly, "I'm fine with plan B, but could you please not say that embarrassing code phrase?"

"No!"

Mei Mei refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Fine. It's not like this is our first time using plan B." Tsukasa Hatayama sighed helplessly and bent down with practiced familiarity.

Mei Mei smiled slyly and playfully lifted Tsukasa Hatayama's chin. His bashful gaze met her teasing eyes.

Holding his chin up like a queen, she gently stroked his smooth cheek and asked in a sultry, melting voice, "Would you die for your senior?"

"I... I... I would."

Tsukasa Hatayama's face instantly flushed red. He desperately wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it. That line sounded far too much like a Hikaru Genji grooming scheme.

"Aw, what a good junior."

Mei Mei responded with satisfaction, elegantly released his chin, then circled behind him with a perfectly serious expression, making herself as inconspicuous as possible.

Tsukasa Hatayama bashfully patted his burning cheeks and tried his best to forget that embarrassing scene. Once he had calmed down, he sent a slash of sword energy at the cursed spirit.

Although the Heart God had lost its head, it barely managed to dodge by sensing cursed energy.

"Black Flash."

But just as it steadied itself, a soft voice drifted from behind it. A fist wrapped in black-and-red sparks punched straight through its abdomen.

After that heavy blow, the beating heart on the Heart God's left arm slowly turned black and rotten.

Tsukasa Hatayama coolly pulled his fist out of its abdomen. With his hand stained in purple blood, he grabbed the Heart God's smooth neck stump, spun, and hurled it upward.

He threw it straight toward a circling crow. Below, Mei Mei formed a seal with one hand and smiled elegantly. "Black Bird Manipulation: Divine Wind."

The circling crow suddenly cast aside its cursed energy limits, heedless of its own life. It soared into the Heart God like a comet, trading its life to smash the Heart God's body apart.

Watching from below, Tsukasa Hatayama smiled faintly and twirled his blade. He turned his back and sheathed it with consummate elegance, nobility radiating from his entire figure.

The plan B his senior had mentioned was simply him providing support while she finished the enemy off.

There were also plans A and C.

Plan A meant he worked alone while she relaxed behind him. Plan C meant... if they couldn't win, they turned around and ran.

And for each of these three plans, Mei Mei had prepared an embarrassing code phrase laden with implications.

For plan A, she would press her forehead intimately against his and ask, "What am I to you?"

For plan C, she would suddenly grab his hand and say, "It's getting chilly, and night is coming. Your senior needs to go home and save money. Hurry, hurry, hurry..."

Ever since she had mastered the secret of Black Bird Manipulation, missions with her had mostly involved teamwork. He rarely cleared them alone anymore.

Over time, their coordination had become seamless...

As half of its right arm fell, the last remaining heart on it gradually blackened and rotted. The Special Grade specified-disease cursed spirit, the Heart God, was dead and exorcised.

Without cursed energy to sustain it, the domain barrier shattered like a mirror. The two landed steadily, stretching as they breathed in the fresh air.

In the sunset's afterglow, two figures walked side by side, receding into the distance. Yet behind them, amid the hospital ruins, a pair of beautiful eyes hidden in the shadows revealed obsession and madness.

"Tsukasa... Hatayama. What a perfect body. You're what I've spent my whole life pursuing. You're even more perfect than Suguru Geto!"

"Endless cursed energy, a physique to rival the Heavenly Restriction Tyrant, a cursed technique that changes at will, unparalleled talent for jujutsu, and eyes that can kill gods..."

"So incredibly perfect. I want you so badly. I want to eat your brain. I want to possess your body. My Tsukasa, aaah~~"

December 7.

A Maybach slowly stopped outside a luxurious mansion. Three doors opened, and three handsome men in suits stepped out.

All three were tall and lean, their demeanors cool, refined, and noble. In their well-fitted suits, they looked more like models than actual models did.

The guests arriving for the banquet couldn't take their eyes off the three, admiring their striking figures.

Suguru Geto glanced at everyone with a warm smile, then leaned toward Satoru Gojo's ear, still smiling. "Satoru, everyone coming to your birthday banquet is wearing a kimono, but you made Tsukasa and me wear suits with you..."

Satoru Gojo swept a contemptuous glance over the crowd and replied dismissively, "They're all old fossils. What would they know about keeping up with the times? Besides, it's my birthday. I want to play The Matrix."

"And right now, you're my lackey. Think before you talk to your boss. Don't make people think you're my boss."

"Look at Tsukasa. He's been in character as my lackey since we got out of the car. Learn from him, or how am I supposed to take you out and show you the world?"

Suguru Geto's expression darkened. He suddenly wanted to strangle Satoru right there, but considering it was Satoru's birthday, he pretended nothing had happened.

"Come on. Follow your boss inside and let's meet these old bastards. Putting on airs in front of me? They're clearly showing me no respect!"

As he spoke, Satoru Gojo took off his sunglasses, arranged his delicate features into a vicious expression, and swaggered into the mansion with his two lackeys.

That vicious gang-leader aura, coupled with his fierce, don't-mess-with-me expression, frightened the banquet guests into shrinking off to the side.