For the entire day that followed, they put their mission and destiny completely aside and enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content in Okinawa.
A bright, heartfelt smile never left the girl's face. Without anxiety or the crushing weight of destiny, she was wholly an ordinary fourteen-year-old girl again.
The happy hours flew by. Once their day of fun ended, the group passed through a dense, secluded forest and reached the boundary of the barrier established by Jujutsu High. Beyond it lay the only route to the Tombs of the Star Corridor.
The forest was silent. The barrier blocked out the vast majority of outside cursed energy, and nothing unusual had happened along the way. After days of frayed nerves, everyone unconsciously relaxed.
Satoru Gojo, who had maintained Limitless without a moment's pause for days, finally dropped his guard completely and deactivated it.
He gave a long stretch, his shoulders dropping loosely, and waved at Riko Amanai beside him, utterly exhausted.
"We're finally almost there. I'm never babysitting kids again. I'm exhausted."
The atmosphere was relaxed and peaceful. Suguru Geto withdrew his guarding cursed spirits, while Kuroi gently reassured the uneasy Riko beside her. Everyone thought they were absolutely safe inside the barrier.
Only Qingxiao felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest, and he stopped abruptly.
Something's wrong... did I forget something important?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when a sharp whistle suddenly erupted from the shadows behind them!
A pitch-black, razor-sharp Short Blade, without the slightest fluctuation of cursed energy, stabbed without warning toward a vital spot on Satoru Gojo's unguarded back.
It moved so fast that only an afterimage remained. There was no time to shout a warning.
In that split second, Qingxiao's body reacted faster than his mind. His wrist turned, and his palm closed around