Facing an enemy with the Clone Cursed Technique, Satoru Gojo and Chinatsu knocked him flat with ease. It all happened so quickly that Riko Amanai, who had just been complaining about how unreliable they were, could only blink in disbelief.
"You two... were... this strong?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Riko Amanai blurted out her reaction. Neither Chinatsu nor Satoru Gojo answered. They simply turned toward her with expressions of pity for an idiot.
Riko Amanai pressed her lips together in embarrassment, folded her arms across her chest, and turned her head away with a haughty huff.
But no sooner had one problem been settled than another arose.
The maid and Suguru Geto had met up inside the Academy, but the maid knew he was much faster than she was, so she told him to go ahead and join the others.
Yet shortly after Suguru Geto agreed and sped off, the maid, now alone, was targeted by someone who intended to use her as a hostage against Chinatsu and the others.
It was a decent plan. Unfortunately, the gap between the two sides was far beyond anything a scheme could bridge. The moment the kidnappers contacted the group to negotiate, their threat was as good as gone.
A beach in Okinawa.
The rescued maid blinked in confusion, looking rather slow on the uptake.
After all, both her abduction and her rescue had happened far too suddenly.
After being knocked unconscious, she had groggily opened her eyes. Before her head had cleared enough to take in her surroundings, the door to the room where she was being held was kicked open, and the others rescued her.
Still dazed, as though her brain had crashed, her head dropped with a thunk! She let out a deep sigh and murmured forlornly, "I wish I could crawl into a hole..."
Beside her, Suguru Geto chuckled softly at those words. His eyes narrowed as he reassured her, "They caught you off guard, after all. And I share some of the blame, so don't take it too hard."
The two sat chatting on the beach, while Satoru Gojo and Riko Amanai ran around playing like children.
Anyone unaware of the circumstances might have mistaken them for siblings. Meanwhile, Chinatsu, who actually was related to him by blood, lay on a beach chair beneath a nearby parasol with her eyes closed.
"As expected of one of Jujutsu High's elite. She can stay alert and monitor her surroundings even with her eyes closed. How does she do it? Can the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes do that too?" the maid marveled as she watched Chinatsu lying on the chair, impressed despite not understanding.
"Uh, I think she's actually asleep."
"What???"
Three enormous question marks practically appeared above the maid's head. They hadn't even reached a safe area yet. Playing around to relax was one thing, but falling asleep was taking relaxation a little too far.
Suguru Geto could only give an awkward chuckle at the maid's surprise. She hadn't known Chinatsu for long, after all. Anyone who had known her longer was already used to it.
Suguru Geto lifted his head slightly to look at the sun overhead. Figuring it was about time, he stood and called to the two who were playing, "It's about time. We should get ready to head back."
At those words, Riko Amanai froze. The radiant smile she had worn just moments before faded as swiftly as the receding tide.
The perceptive Satoru Gojo noticed the change in Riko Amanai. He waved at Suguru Geto and said, "Let's go back tomorrow!"
As he spoke, he walked over to Suguru Geto. Once they were close, Suguru Geto quietly asked how he was holding up. He had been keeping Limitless Defense active ever since their escort mission began.
As he was now, he couldn't automate it around the clock. Maintaining Limitless Defense required conscious effort and drained a considerable amount of energy.
Satoru Gojo smiled faintly and patted Suguru Geto on the shoulder. "It's fine. If I can't handle it, I've still got you, don't I? Besides, my sister's here too. There's nothing to worry about."
Hearing Satoru Gojo's answer, Suguru Geto gave a faint smile, and his worries settled.
That was right. There was nothing to worry about.
The original plan had been to fly back to Jujutsu High before dusk that day, but plans could never keep up with change. With this unexpected extra time, Riko Amanai let herself enjoy everything to the fullest.
She rowed a boat, wandered through gardens and shopping streets, ate a steaming bowl of udon, and admired all kinds of fish at the aquarium.
Her smile was radiant, but as the sky slowly darkened, it faded visibly from her face.
The following morning.
With mixed feelings, the group boarded a plane and returned to the outskirts of Jujutsu High.
With every stone step they climbed toward Jujutsu High, their feelings grew more complicated, and the atmosphere gradually stiffened.
Sensing that tension, Riko Amanai pressed her lips together and mustered the courage to break it.
She pointed a finger straight at Satoru Gojo and pressed her other hand to her chest.
Lifting her chin slightly, she declared proudly, "Hmph! Hmph! I'm about to merge with Lord Tengen, you know! Once the merger is over, you'd better show me some respect!"
"Huh? Don't get ahead of yourself. Meet Tengen? The second I get you to Jujutsu High, I'm turning around and getting out of here!" Satoru Gojo clicked his tongue, folded his arms, and turned his head aside.
The atmosphere eased a little. After climbing one stone step after another, they finally entered the area covered by Jujutsu High's barrier.
With this barrier in place, any unregistered jujutsu sorcerer who entered would trigger Jujutsu High's alarm system.
Chinatsu, who had kept a low profile within the group for a while, turned her gaze toward her little brother, Satoru Gojo.
According to the original story, the Heavenly Tyrant, Toji Fushiguro, would appear behind Satoru Gojo next. His body had no cursed energy, allowing him to bypass the barrier, and he would drive the Soul Liberation Blade into Satoru Gojo from behind.
Before his awakening, Satoru Gojo had failed to stop Toji Fushiguro and had even been beaten half to death. Later, just as Riko Amanai resolved to live her own life, Toji Fushiguro shot her in the head.
Riko, this time, I...
Whoosh!!!
Chinatsu's thoughts were abruptly shattered. Her pupils trembled as she looked down, only to see a long, broad blade protruding from her body, having pierced her from behind.
"Hm?"
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