By the sea

"In other worlds, the soul and the body might be two separate things, but the story of Jujutsu Kaisen explained that the soul and the body were one and the same.

So in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, even if a living creature dies, I should be able to revive it as long as I have enough cursed energy."

As he spoke, dark purple cursed energy began welling up in Yuanfang's arm, slowly flowing into the dead kitten's body like a gentle trickle.

Ten minutes later.

"Does it not work?"

Yuanfang's face was slightly pale, his eyes full of disappointment.

The cursed energy stored in his body should have been enough to cancel out the negative energy left after the kitten's death, producing positive energy and bringing it back to life.

But now his cursed energy felt close to running dry, and the kitten still showed no sign of reviving. He began to suspect his theory was wrong.

Perhaps this world was like the others after all, with the soul and the body being two separate things.

Once a creature died, its soul would leave its body. No matter how much cursed energy he had, all he could revive would probably be a soulless husk.

"Ah..."

Yuanfang sighed, ready to give up.

But just then, the little ball of fur in his hands suddenly twitched an ear.

"Meow~"

"Hahaha..."

When he saw the little kitten wake up and lick his finger, Yuanfang could no longer contain himself. He laughed like a child, all the tension draining away.

(Though he currently looked like a child anyway, that was beside the point.)

The looming deaths of Riko Amanai and Misato Kuroi no longer weighed on him.

He no longer had to agonize over whether to risk his life protecting them when Toji Fushiguro came to kill them, or turn a blind eye like a coward.

"Whew, looks like you're all right!"

Just then, Suguru Geto appeared. He looked puzzled by Yuanfang's laughter, but still breathed a sigh of relief.

He had stationed a cursed spirit near Yuanfang to quietly watch over him.

However, when he learned that his cursed spirit had suddenly been exorcised under mysterious circumstances, he immediately realized Yuanfang might be in grave danger and desperately wanted to rush to his aid.

Unfortunately, other ruthless assassins had kept him pinned down, preventing him from getting away until now.

Fortunately, despite arriving a little late, he found Yuanfang safe and sound, which eased some of his anxiety.

Otherwise, he truly dared not imagine how frantic and despairing Riko Amanai would become if anything happened to Yuanfang.

"Yeah, let's head back!"

Yuanfang had already noticed the cursed spirit Suguru Geto had stationed to protect him, so his arrival came as no surprise.

In high spirits, he smiled and nodded at Suguru Geto, then set off toward home with light steps.

Suguru Geto watched the small figure moving farther ahead, his eyes filled with emotions too complicated to put into words.

Although the traces of the cursed spirit lingering at the scene were extremely faint, almost gone, the remaining clues still suggested that its strength was not to be underestimated.

Yet this seemingly frail little kid had dealt with such a powerful cursed spirit all by himself.

And Yuanfang had emerged completely unscathed. It was truly inconceivable.

Clearly, there was far more to Yuanfang than met the eye.

He was about to say something, but ultimately held back. With a smile, he followed close behind Yuanfang.

Before long, the two returned home.

The house was now unrecognizable. Every window was shattered, and a massive hole had been smashed through the wall as though it had been hit by a shell. It no longer looked like a home at all.

Yuanfang had expected this, so he was not surprised.

Only after seeing that Yuanfang was filthy but apparently uninjured did Riko Amanai breathe a sigh of relief.

She rushed over and pulled him tightly into her arms, tears spilling uncontrollably like water through a broken dam.

"Kid, thank goodness you're all right!"

When she had heard Suguru Geto say that Yuanfang might be in danger, her heart had nearly broken.

She had wished she could sprout wings and fly straight to Yuanfang's side to save him.

"I'm just glad you're safe!"

Misato Kuroi was also deeply relieved. She rubbed Yuanfang's head, the worry in her eyes gone.

"Hahahahaha... Not bad, kid! You actually held out until Geto came to save you!"

Satoru Gojo lounged lazily on the sofa with his long legs propped high. Wearing a mischievous smile, he looked over at Yuanfang, his voice full of praise.

"This place isn't safe anymore. Where do you plan to go next?"

Suguru Geto knew Satoru Gojo had misunderstood and thought he had saved Yuanfang, but he offered no explanation as he asked Riko Amanai the question.

"Wherever the kid wants to go! Don't worry about any of this. With yours truly here, no one can hurt you!"

Though he was a little tired, Satoru Gojo was utterly confident that no one could hurt them as long as he was there.

Hearing Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo's words, Riko Amanai looked at the calm-faced Yuanfang in her arms, then at Misato Kuroi beside her.

She knew perfectly well that returning to Jujutsu High to wait was the wisest choice for both herself and the two of them.

Yet when she thought about never being able to see the outside world again, or see and spend time with those two, she still made a choice that went against her better judgment.

"I want to see the sea!"

The next day, they took a plane to the coast of Okinawa.

Wearing a pale blue-green swimsuit, Riko Amanai pulled Yuanfang up from his chair and ran toward the sea.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!"

She exclaimed in wonder, scooping up seawater with both hands and splashing Yuanfang.

Yuanfang was not actually a child. Though he had little desire to play with Riko Amanai, he knew she had little time left.

So a smile appeared on his face too, and he scooped up seawater to splash her back.

"I'm joining in too!"

Like an innocent child, Satoru Gojo joined them with a water gun in hand.

The beach soon rang with laughter and playful shouts.

Suguru Geto and Misato Kuroi discussed their current situation. Misato Kuroi was deeply puzzled by the assassination attempts from such a bunch of small fry.

She kept feeling that some plot they had failed to anticipate was hidden behind it all.

The day passed in a flash. Throughout it, Riko Amanai enjoyed herself to the fullest, seemingly forgetting everything else.

Riko Amanai and Yuanfang sat side by side on the beach, the sunset's glow falling over them like two exquisite sculptures.

"Kid, remember to eat properly and dress properly from now on. Stop always acting like a little grown-up!"

"Got it!"

Seeing Riko Amanai gaze out at the distant sea, her eyes filled with reluctance to leave, Yuanfang could not help feeling a pang of sympathy. For once, he did not argue with her.