[Although Tengen had given you a clear and unequivocal answer at the bottom of the Tombs of the Star Corridor, and her inhuman body had shown signs of yielding, you did not simply trust her.]
[In the vast mire of lies, curses, and concealment that was Jujutsu Society, misplaced trust often meant eternal ruin.]
[You left the Tombs of the Star Corridor along the long wooden staircase, yet even after setting foot on the surface grounds of Jujutsu High again, you could still feel the oppressive weight of that thousand-year-old barrier clinging to your skin.]
[Instead of staying inside Jujutsu High to rest, you headed straight out of the barrier's range and silently concealed yourself deep in the mountains some distance from the school.]
[The night wind struck your face with the damp chill peculiar to mountain forests. You stopped at a high vantage point with an unobstructed view and looked down at Jujutsu High, shrouded in darkness.]
[Tengen's concession was certainly part of the plan, but you could not suppress your doubts.]
[To a being who had lived for a thousand years, sacrificing one or two innocent lives to achieve what she called a "closed loop of fate" was nothing more than insignificant dust in the long river of history.]
[You worried that even with Riko Amanai safely protected by Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto in Okinawa, Tengen might secretly accept the flesh and blood of a backup star plasma vessel behind everyone's backs after your confrontation.]
[At this distance, you could clearly sense any abnormal fluctuations in Jujutsu High's barrier. If Tengen dared make any underhanded move, you could storm back into the Tombs of the Star Corridor at any moment with utmost ferocity.]
[This state of tense vigilance continued until the following day.]
[Only when a glaring