To kill Riko Amanai, the star plasma vessel, the Time Vessel Association had not only hired Toji Fushiguro but also posted a thirty-million bounty on the Black Market. Anyone who killed Riko Amanai could claim that hefty reward.
Of course, Toji Fushiguro's fee was far more than a mere thirty million. He pointed out that she had two Six Eyes Divine Children protecting her. Thirty million would not cut it. They would have to pay more.
"Are you still not going to act? If they complete the assassination before you do, you won't get that increased bounty."
"What's the rush? They have two Six Eyes Divine Children over there. The Six Eyes, which only appear once every few centuries, and the invincible Limitless. If those two stay beside the star plasma vessel in good mental condition, no one can get past them and kill her."
Despite the Time Vessel Association member urging him on over the phone, Toji Fushiguro simply sat quietly in a snack shop on the street, eating takoyaki while watching the shop's live feed from the Casino.
"No one can kill her? Not even you?"
"Well, that's not necessarily true~"
An inscrutable smile appeared on Toji Fushiguro's face. By any normal standard, the Limitless Defense of Limitless was absurdly broken. Ninety percent of methods could not breach it, but that still left ten percent that could.
First, Domain Expansion.
A domain was the ultimate expression of jujutsu. It could create a special barrier that enclosed both the user and their enemy, forming an arena the enemy could not escape and giving the user an advantage in battle.
Within the domain, its caster received an all-attribute boost buff, and attacks imbued into the domain gained a [Guaranteed Hit] effect. Its priority ranked above Limitless Defense, allowing it to breach that defense.
Second, Domain Amplification.
This was an extremely unusual application that shrank a domain until it covered only the surface of the user's body, taking a form akin to armor or a protective shield.
At the cost of being unable to use their innate cursed technique, the user gained the [Guaranteed Hit] effect of a standard domain, relying purely on cursed energy to throw punches and fire blasts.
Third, cursed tools.
Jujutsu Society had all kinds of jujutsu, and the same was true of cursed tools. A tiny number of them possessed utterly outrageous effects. As luck would have it, Toji Fushiguro happened to own just such a tool, one capable of breaching Limitless Defense.
The Inverted Spear of Heaven!
For that reason, Toji Fushiguro was not worried about being unable to handle Satoru Gojo and Chinatsu. Still, just to be safe, he chose to stall, letting the Jujutsu Sorcerers drawn by the bounty wear the pair down as much as possible. He intended to act only at the very last moment.
Meanwhile.
As soon as Chinatsu and Satoru Gojo took Riko Amanai outside, they encountered Jujutsu Sorcerers who had come for the bounty. Most were small fry who had never gone through a proper training system, with strength ranging from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
More than differences in strength, the greatest difference was actually their perspective.
"Thirty million on legs. Are that guy and girl hired bodyguards? They're so young. Looks like Jujutsu Society doesn't care all that much about this so-called star plasma vessel. Thirty million just for killing a little girl who doesn't even know jujutsu. This'll be easy!"
The man who said this wore something like a cloth bread sack over his head. He gathered strength in his legs, waiting for a chance to strike first and knock either Chinatsu or Satoru Gojo unconscious with a surprise attack.
Just then, the maid named Misato Kuroi appeared behind him, carrying a thick, long broom handle.
"You're someone the Time Vessel Association hired, aren't you? Q's people dress much more strangely. Though that sack on your head is plenty strange, too."
The maid watched the Jujutsu Sorcerer before her with a grave expression. She was not a Jujutsu Sorcerer herself; her family merely had ties to Jujutsu Society. One of the services her family had contracted to provide was raising the "star plasma vessel."
Originally, she had felt nothing but disdain for this family business. But after meeting Riko Amanai as a young child, her heart had softened, and she had chosen to raise Riko herself and protect her as best she could.
"A non-sorcerer? If you're going to fight, then fight. Don't waste my time," the Jujutsu Sorcerer replied leisurely as he looked at the maid.
The maid's gaze sharpened, and she charged toward him with the broom handle in hand. She was not slow, but by a Jujutsu Sorcerer's standards, she was hardly fast.
Yet while her speed was nothing impressive, her fighting skills surpassed his expectations.
After closing the distance, she twisted aside to dodge his punch, then raised the broom handle and swung it straight at his head.
Although he blocked the blow with his raised arm, the maid showed not the slightest hint of panic. She twisted aside again, evading another punch.
After dodging his attack, she spun the broom handle around and struck him directly in the crotch.
Thud!!!
The Jujutsu Sorcerer's body shuddered, and a large spray of saliva burst from his mouth. Beneath the cloth sack, his face contorted in agony, and his body went limp as he sank to his knees.
"Don't you dare take anything from the young lady. She has nothing left for you to take. You bastards... do you think I won't kill you?!"
The maid's face burned with anger. She had been beside Riko since the girl was little, watching her grow up. To her, Riko was someone truly special.
She was already suffering over the fact that she would soon never see Riko again. Now, faced with people trying to kill her, that tangled mix of emotions burned like fire.
Arriving late, Suguru Geto could not help raising his hands and applauding the maid at the sight. He truly had not expected a non-sorcerer maid to be so skilled at cursed technique.
"Where's Riko?"
"Those two already took her away."
"Then there's nothing to worry about. Take a moment to calm down, and let's go meet up with them."
The two looked up ahead. Identical copies of the man the maid had fought had now appeared in front of and behind Satoru Gojo and Chinatsu.
Clone Cursed Technique!
It could create clones with the same combat strength as the original, and the user's main consciousness could switch freely between them. As long as even one clone remained alive, he could remain undying.
It was quite a good cursed technique. The Jujutsu Sorcerer using it was just rather lousy.
Neither of them seemed remotely flustered by being surrounded from both sides. Satoru Gojo and Chinatsu even had enough leisure to chat and joke about their current predicament.
Meanwhile, Riko Amanai, whom they were carrying like a little chick, blinked blankly. Though she said nothing aloud, she was frantically ranting at the pair in her mind.
Take this seriously... would you two please take this seriously?!
Before you continue