Welcome home

"Bang!"

A gunshot shattered the beautiful scene like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

Riko Amanai fell to the ground, and the smile on Suguru Geto's face froze in an instant.

"Lady Riko!"

Misato Kuroi's eyes went wide, unable to believe what had just happened before her.

"All right, thanks for the hard work! Break it up, everyone!"

Toji Fushiguro's tone was utterly casual, as though he had done something of no consequence.

"Why are you here?"

Suguru Geto felt some anger, but even more confusion.

He refused to believe that the invincible Satoru Gojo had lost to this man. There had to be some other explanation.

"What do you mean, why? Oh, that's what you mean..."

Toji Fushiguro looked puzzled, then seemed to realize what Geto meant. A cruel smile curled his lips as he prepared to reveal that Satoru Gojo was dead.

"Die!"

Unfortunately, before he could finish, Misato Kuroi, already beside herself with rage, charged at him like an enraged lioness.

"Watch out!"

Suguru Geto immediately sensed trouble and prepared to stop Misato Kuroi.

"Thud!"

Before he could act, a figure suddenly appeared behind Misato Kuroi like a ghost and knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck.

The one who had struck was none other than Yuanfang... His expression was utterly calm as he scooped up the unconscious Misato Kuroi and quickly ran off into the distance.

Seeing this, Suguru Geto breathed a sigh of relief. He did not want another person to die before his eyes.

"Heh... Interesting brat!"

Toji Fushiguro chuckled and did not pursue him. His mission was already complete, and as long as the others did not get in his way, he had no reason to attack them.

He turned to Suguru Geto and said:

"I killed Satoru Gojo!"

Suguru Geto flew into a rage, summoning shikigami to attack Toji Fushiguro.

The two immediately clashed like sworn enemies meeting face-to-face.

As Yuanfang fled into the distance, the sounds of fighting behind him made him pick up his pace even more. As though an evil spirit were chasing him, all he wanted was to escape this place as quickly as possible.

Some time later.

Suguru Geto lay alone amid the rubble, his face ashen, as though the flame of life had been extinguished. He looked utterly devastated.

"Are you all right?"

"Why don't you look sad at all?"

Seeing the small figure standing before him, Suguru Geto was filled with confusion.

He knew Yuanfang's circumstances well and knew that Yuanfang was close to Riko Amanai and the others, like family.

Yet Riko Amanai was dead, and this brat's face remained calm, as though he were a robot without any emotions.

"This world holds endless possibilities. Death isn't necessarily the end!"

After saying this, Yuanfang continued without waiting for Suguru Geto to reply:

"Don't look like that. Satoru Gojo isn't dead. I'm heading home now. Sorry for the trouble, but please ask him to bring Riko's body back!"

"Tap... tap..."

Hearing the footsteps of the others from Jujutsu High arriving to help, Yuanfang turned and left without lingering.

"Death isn't the end?"

Learning that Satoru Gojo was alive eased Suguru Geto's heart a little. At the same time, he could not help turning Yuanfang's words over in his mind.

The sun slowly sank, like a weary traveler gradually leaving the earth behind.

Standing at the villa's entrance and gazing up at the setting sun, Yuanfang turned to look at the road before him.

A figure in a bloodstained black Jujutsu High uniform was slowly approaching, carrying a girl in his arms.

His silver hair shone in the sunlight, and his sky-blue eyes were like a deep ocean, with a trace of guilt showing in them.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault. Give her to me!"

Yuanfang did not blame Satoru Gojo, because he had known all along that things would turn out this way.

After taking Riko Amanai into his small arms, Yuanfang wore a faint smile, gentle as a passing spring breeze.

"Welcome home!"

Watching the small figure turn and leave, Satoru Gojo was overwhelmed by complicated emotions.

Yuanfang did not care how Satoru Gojo felt. Once inside, he quickly carried Riko Amanai into an ice room.

He gently laid her on a rectangular block of ice.

He had asked Misato Kuroi to prepare this room long ago, all in anticipation of this day.

"Rest well. When you wake up again, you'll be able to do whatever you want. No one will ever stop you again!"

After saying these words to Riko Amanai's body, he promptly opened the door and left.

Once he had closed the door, he looked at Misato Kuroi, still lying in the living room, rubbed his head lightly, then headed outside.

Time passed in silence.

"Lady Riko!"

Misato Kuroi finally woke up on the bed, her eyes widening in terror as she cried out.

Finding herself in the living room, she looked bewildered, unable to tell whether what she had just experienced had been a dream or reality.

"Riko really is dead, but don't start grieving yet. She still has a chance to come back to life!"

Hearing Yuanfang say that Riko was dead but could be revived, Misato Kuroi forced back the tears about to spill from her eyes. Her gaze filled with confusion.

Yuanfang did not explain further. He merely pointed at the dead bird on the table.

"Watch!"

Following his gesture, Misato Kuroi saw the dead bird on the table.

Blackish-purple cursed energy suddenly surged from Yuanfang's body and poured into the bird like a tide.

Seconds ticked by. Suddenly, the bird that had been lying motionless on the table began flapping its wings and flew out the window.

Misato Kuroi's jaw dropped in shock. How had he done that?

She looked at Yuanfang, desperate to hear his explanation.

"This is my cursed technique. I can channel negative energy into dead creatures, making the negative energy inside them collide with mine to produce positive energy and bring them back to life!"

"Then... then... that means you can bring Riko back to life!"

Hearing Yuanfang's explanation, Misato Kuroi was both shocked and excited.

She had never imagined Yuanfang possessed such an ability and felt incredibly grateful that she had saved him back then.

"Don't get too excited. I'm still too young. I don't have enough cursed energy in my body to revive Riko!"

"That's all right. As long as Lady Riko can come back to life, I'll wait however long it takes!"

Misato Kuroi's heart had been filled with despair just moments before. Now that she had hope, she was willing to wait no matter how long it took.

"All right, then. Riko is in the cold storage room. You can go see her!"

Having reassured Misato Kuroi, Yuanfang felt at ease.

Otherwise, if Misato Kuroi developed any mental problems, he would have no idea how to deal with them.