"Tch."
Satoru Gojo snorted, glaring unhappily at Utahime Iori's back as he enunciated every word. "You ungrateful weakling, Utahime. I was the one who saved you, so why did you only mention Geto?!"
"Because Geto's hotter than you!"
Utahime Iori pulled a cute, playful face at Satoru Gojo, as though telling the scumbag that he was just as ugly as her grimace.
"Shallow woman! You're not even fit to carry Waka Inoue's shoes!" Satoru Gojo angrily took off his sunglasses and pulled a face right back, refusing to be outdone.
Waka Inoue was a famous pinup goddess in Sakura Country, both sexy and innocent, and Satoru Gojo's favorite female celebrity in private.
He liked her so much that she was his phone wallpaper and the subject of the posters on his dorm room walls. In short, she was a teenage boy's goddess for reasons both wholesome and decidedly less so.
"Satoru Gojo!"
Utahime Iori's chest heaved. The comparison had clearly struck a nerve, and she angrily rushed up to Satoru Gojo, pulling faces to mock him.
For a moment, it was as though someone had pressed a button in their brains. They frantically pulled faces at each other while mercilessly trading insults.
Only two of those insults sounded remotely civil: prematurely aged white-haired geezer, and flat-chested woman trying to act young...
Shoko Ieiri wisely backed away, then lit the slim cigarette between her lips and quietly watched the two wage their heated, point-blank battle.
While they argued furiously, spittle flying everywhere, the scene a few meters ahead was so sweet that those involved did not even realize it.
Tsukasa Hatayama still held Mei Mei in an intimate bridal carry, the fragrance drifting from his senior's soft body lingering around his nose.
With her arms around his neck, Mei Mei gazed dazedly at the younger boy holding her, her thoughts drifting back to their time working together.
Back then, they had unintentionally held and embraced each other while exorcising curses and cursed spirits.
Yet, for some reason, today felt different.
Her heart was beating fast, just like the inexplicable flutter she had felt when she touched his cheek in the dorm.
Tsukasa Hatayama's earlobes reddened slightly. His crimson eyes shifted away as he asked, "Mei Mei, were you hurt when you landed?"
"If you were, I can heal you. I know Reverse Cursed Technique, after all."
His voice gradually brought Mei Mei back to her senses. Her sensuous red lips curved into a genuine smile, and she suddenly reached out to cup his cheek before giving it a gentle pinch.
"It's been a month since I last saw you. Looks like you've put on some weight, little junior."
Tsukasa Hatayama's fair face instantly turned bright red, and even his neck was not spared. He feigned composure. "My mom's cooking was probably just too good. I didn't keep my appetite in check at home."
"Really?"
Mei Mei did not stop pinching his cheek. Instead, she escalated from one hand to two, finding a roundabout way to keep taking liberties with him.
As she kneaded his cheeks, she said meaningfully, "Now that you mention it, I'd like to try your mother's cooking too. Will you take me home for a taste next time?"
Delight bloomed in Tsukasa Hatayama's heart. His face as red as the sunset, he nodded. "Sure, as long as you don't mind my home."
Mei Mei gently chided him. "Are you silly, little junior? I'm going to try your mother's cooking, not inspect your house."
Tsukasa Hatayama lowered his eyes without answering. I'm worried the house is too big. You might be so stunned when you arrive that you won't be able to speak.
Little did he know that Mei Mei interpreted his downcast eyes in an entirely different, unfortunate way: she thought his family was poor.
As everyone knew, children who adored their mothers to that extent usually came from single-parent families.
And her junior seemed so mature despite his young age. Surely losing his father was what had made him grow up so quickly.
Perhaps he had enrolled at Jujutsu High to earn money and support his family, only to meet a woman like her who loved hoarding money...
It seemed she could no longer make arbitrary deductions from his pay, or her conscience would suffer. Instead, she needed to take good care of him and let him and his mother enjoy life.
Yes, that's what I'll do!
Noon.
Tokyo Jujutsu High.
The four who had returned from the outskirts of Arakawa sat obediently in their seats.
Masamichi Yaga sat upright on a small stool, his imposing, muscular frame subjecting it to a weight it should never have had to bear.
Reading the follow-up report submitted by the Assistant Supervisor, Masamichi Yaga wore a rare, gratified smile.
The moment he put the report down, he first gave an approving look to Tsukasa Hatayama, who was absorbed in studying.
Then came Geto and Satoru, followed by Shoko Ieiri, who was wearing sunglasses and blindly looking and feeling around. Though she looked rather silly, she was somehow incredibly cute.
To see Geto and Satoru use a Curtain on a mission within his lifetime-this burly teacher almost wanted to cry.
Whenever Geto and Satoru went on a mission, they treated Curtains as practically optional. Geto was an exception, of course, since he was the responsible one of the pair.
As for Satoru... the less said, the better. Whether he lowered a Curtain depended entirely on his mood.
Fortunately, Tsukasa had accompanied them this time. Otherwise, they would have had to fool the public with another gas explosion story to keep widespread panic from generating a massive number of curses.
"You did an excellent job on this mission, but in the future, avoid destroying buildings unless absolutely necessary. We have to pay compensation for all of that."
Satoru Gojo, who had been expecting praise, let his face fall and pursed his lips in utter exasperation. Wasn't it just one lousy Western-style house?
At worst, I could buy it with my pocket money and then destroy it.
Suguru Geto noticed the movement of his lips and thoughtfully took out the gum Tsukasa had given him from his uniform pocket, using it to soothe Satoru Gojo.
Masamichi Yaga pretended not to see and said slowly, "Geto, Satoru, Master Tengen has two specifically assigned tasks for you."
"Tengen?"
The two frowned in unison. They had learned a fair amount at Jujutsu High about that old monster who had lived from a thousand years ago to the present.
The school library held Tengen's Ancient Treatise, which she had written herself. It described a handful of her adventures and her own Cursed Technique.
Satoru Gojo asked without the slightest respect, "What tasks? Don't tell me she's taken a liking to Geto and me and wants us to go play house with her in the Tombs of the Star Corridor?"
Masamichi Yaga's mouth twitched. Closing his eyes to spare himself the irritation, he said, "Master Tengen has entrusted you with two tasks. The first concerns the star plasma vessel, the person compatible with Master Tengen."
"You will serve as that star plasma vessel girl's bodyguards. The second... is her erasure."
Satoru Gojo's white brows knitted tightly. Baffled, he turned to the solemn-faced Suguru Geto. "Has Tengen gone senile? She wants us to protect the star plasma brat, so why erase her too?"
Suguru Geto remained solemn and did not explain. After Tsukasa had mentioned Tengen's Ancient Treatise last time, he had gone to the school library alone to consult it.
And the erasure recorded there meant...
"Erasure means assimilation."
Masamichi Yaga spoke, then patiently explained, "Master Tengen possesses the Immortality Technique, but she is not ageless. Once she has aged beyond a certain point, her technique needs to reconstruct her body."
"And that body requires the star plasma vessel herself."
Suguru Geto added, "If she reaches that stage without assimilating, Tengen's will ceases to exist, and she becomes a cursed spirit-a monster."
"And without Tengen at Jujutsu High, the barriers around Jujutsu Society's bases will disappear. Not only will defense and missions become impossible, but in the worst case, Tengen could become humanity's enemy."
"That's why Tengen must assimilate with a star plasma vessel every five hundred years. As long as her body is renewed, none of that will happen."
"I get it."
Satoru Gojo nodded, seeming to understand without quite understanding, and said earnestly, "Evolving into MetalGreymon is fine, but becoming SkullGreymon would be disastrous, so she needs to start over from Botamon."
Suguru Geto and Masamichi Yaga's mouths twitched in unison. They were somewhat impressed by his thought process and how he had managed to explain it with such an accessible analogy.
Masamichi Yaga cleared his throat a few times, then continued after his beloved student's bizarre remark. "That Star Plasma Girl's location has been exposed. Those looking for an opportunity to kill her fall into roughly two groups."
As he spoke, he turned the XP tablet on the lectern around, displaying a group photo full of flamboyant poses.
"Q, a group of curse users who hope Master Tengen will lose control so they can overthrow the current Jujutsu Society."
Tsukasa Hatayama, who had been absorbed in studying, looked up at the screen. The posed photo reminded him of Zhang Yida, making the corners of his mouth lift slightly.
Going by the original story, this Q Organization seemed to be weak by more than just a little.
"The other group seeking to kill her is a religious organization that worships Master Tengen-the Time Vessel Association, also known as the 'Vessel of Time Society.'"
Masamichi Yaga switched images again, displaying a pinkish-purple background bearing an intricate, interwoven pattern that resembled a brain.
Clenching his fists and striking a pose, Masamichi Yaga declared with burning passion, "Master Tengen and the star plasma vessel will assimilate under the full moon in two days."
"You two must not only protect that girl until then, but also deliver her safely to Master Tengen!"
"Uh..."
Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto covered their eyes, unable to bear the sight. This middle-aged man's hot-blooded enthusiasm made them want to dig a hole and bury themselves in it.
Suguru Geto shook his head, then turned to his silent close friend. "Tsukasa, do you want to come guard the star plasma vessel with us?"
Tsukasa Hatayama shook his head. "No. Sending all three of Jujutsu High's strongest would be a bit excessive. I've got something important to do over the next two days, so I won't join you."
"What important thing?"
Satoru Gojo leaned over curiously to ask, only to be greeted by a guiding fist of love and peace from Teacher Yaga.
"Tsukasa has university entrance exams tomorrow and the day after! Do you think everyone wants to be illiterate like you?!"
Suguru Geto was startled. No wonder his close friend had spent the past six months buried in his studies. He had planned out his life well in advance.
Smiling, he patted Tsukasa Hatayama's shoulder. "Once we're done with the star plasma vessel mission, you'll have to help me study. I want to go to university too!"
"Sure."
As Tsukasa Hatayama spoke, he took three pitch-black little spheres from his uniform pocket. They looked somewhat like the ones he had used to imprison cursed spirits last time.
"Help me give these three things to the star plasma vessel. If she has a maid or someone like that with her, give her one too."
Suguru Geto nodded and took them without thinking much of it, weighing them in his hand. They were as light as if they contained nothing but a feather, with no heft at all.
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