Birthday cake is youth's tombstone

"It was meant for drinking anyway."

Shoko shook her head and handed him the wineglass, not minding.

After clinking glasses with him, she sat down beside Yue Liusi.

"Come to think of it, this really isn't a suitable time for a birthday, is it? Sorry for troubling everyone..."

She spoke softly. She wasn't necessarily all that fond of lively gatherings, but so many people and so much goodwill really left her with mixed feelings.

This was what happened when the life she had long grown accustomed to changed.

The only difference was that she was happy about it.

"Don't worry. We're just using a little free time. It won't affect the actual operation."

His gaze shifted, settling on Megumi Fushiguro in the corner.

He was watching the lively crowd, the corners of his mouth rising by a single pixel.

Yue Liusi smiled.

"Besides... everyone's actually been pretty down. This is nice."

Before the gloom of the Shibuya Incident could lift, the Culling Game had followed on its heels, leaving everyone breathless and exhausted, both physically and mentally.

A party to unwind wasn't a bad idea.

"By the way, Maki and Mai..."

Shoko recalled Utahime's somewhat worried expression earlier. Neither sister had come today, either, and being perceptive, she immediately understood why.

The situation in the Zenin Clan had never been a secret.

"Don't worry."

Yue Liusi smiled faintly.

This was a Heavenly Tyrant, after all...

With Yue Liusi's assurance, Shoko felt considerably more at ease.

"Yue!"

Itadori came over carrying two plates of cake. Looking a little embarrassed, he handed one to him, then said,

"Um... I'd like Choso to try some of this too."

Choso was still guarding Tengen at the Tombs of the Star Corridor. Even with the Flying Thunder God Technique available, someone still had to stay there.

"No problem. Oh, bring a slice for Tengen too. We should treat the elderly well."

Yue Liusi smiled faintly. He was actually quite interested in meeting that old being who had lived so long.

The Tombs of the Star Corridor.

Yue Liusi abruptly appeared and looked around with some curiosity. Choso was standing guard nearby, and once Tengen noticed Yue Liusi's arrival, she appeared as well.

"Even this Barrier Technique can't stop your Cursed Technique. It truly is a sight to behol..."

Tengen sighed in admiration. Despite her mastery of Barrier Techniques, she hadn't even noticed Yue Liusi entering the barrier. Only after he appeared had she been able to react.

"Here. It's Shoko's birthday today."

Yue Liusi set down the cake and beckoned Choso over.

"Itadori asked me to bring this to you."

Hearing this, Choso looked deeply moved, his eyes even brimming with tears. His little brother had actually remembered him.

"Yu-ji-"

He picked up the cake, looking reluctant to eat it.

Meanwhile, Yue Liusi was talking to Tengen.

"Heh... I never thought I'd get to eat birthday cake again."

Tengen accepted the cake with a smile. Though she didn't need to obtain energy by eating, this had come from Yue Liusi.

"But this hardly warrants a special trip from you. Go on, what is it?"

Yue Liusi dispensed with the pleasantries and asked directly,

"How much do you know about Heavenly Restrictions?"

Tengen had suffered a tremendous setback because of a Heavenly Restriction, so presumably she knew a great deal about them.

Hearing this, Tengen paused briefly, then understood why Yue Liusi was asking.

"Is this about the Zenin sisters?"

Although she remained stationed in the Tombs of the Star Corridor, her barriers allowed her to know a great deal about what happened throughout Jujutsu Society, and even all of Japan.

Yue Liusi nodded.

Protecting the Zenin sisters wasn't difficult. With his current strength, it was easy, but Yue Liusi felt there wasn't much point in doing that.

If he could solve the problem with the Heavenly Restriction, he would have a living Heavenly Tyrant under his command.

Besides, he was also very curious about Mai's Construction Technique.

Terrifying mechanics were no match for Sukuna's raw stats.

But just because others were helpless didn't mean he couldn't do it.

After all, at their root, his powers belonged to a different system from jujutsu.

He could study it when the time came.

A little while later, Tengen had told Yue Liusi everything he wanted to know.

In the end, she still couldn't help reminding him,

"Throughout the history of Jujutsu Society, only a handful of people have been able to alter Heavenly Restrictions, and the success rate is frighteningly low. What's more, they have another Binding Vow-the Binding Vow that comes from being twins."

"There has never been a precedent for this in history, either."

Yue Liusi naturally knew this.

Wasn't this precisely why Maki Zenin had failed to obtain a body as powerful as Toji Fushiguro's?

Even Mai Zenin's own weakness was related to it.

Yue Liusi didn't continue discussing this with Tengen, instead asking her to teach him about Barrier Techniques.

The system had yet to give him anything like Sealing Jutsu.

Tengen naturally shared her knowledge freely.

To her, Yue Liusi's current strength had already reached an astonishing level, but that was secondary. More important was the speed of his growth.

So it was necessary to establish a good relationship with him. Besides...

Opportunities to teach a genius were rare. With her mastery of Barrier Techniques, she was sure to earn Yue Liusi's deep respect.

Yet after a while, she couldn't help falling silent.

Tengen looked at the small, autonomous barrier in Yue Liusi's hand, her gaze complicated.

"Your talent and reserves of cursed energy really are..."

Utterly terrifying...

Although what Yue Liusi could do at this level wasn't particularly useful yet, how long had it been? Had it even been five minutes?

How long had she studied?

What kind of joke was this?

His talent, combined with enough cursed energy for unlimited trial and error, had brought his rate of growth to a terrifying level.

"Thank you. I'll come learn from you again when I have time."

Yue Liusi was quite satisfied with the results. After nodding, he left the Tombs of the Star Corridor, leaving only a contemplative Tengen behind.

Night fell.

Quiet had returned to Shoko's home. The others had already cleaned everything up, and apart from the considerable amount of alcohol missing, nothing seemed to have changed.

Shoko stood on the balcony, one hand resting on the railing as she gazed into the distance.

Tokyo hadn't even been cleared of cursed spirits yet. Who knew how long it would take to recover? Everything within sight was dark.

Only a thin veil of moonlight fell.

Shoko's gaze was as gentle as the moon. Hearing a slight movement beside her, she didn't turn, merely murmuring,

"Birthday cake is youth's tombstone."

With this birthday over, she was already twenty-nine.

Sometimes, looking at the younger generation, she would think that she was already an adult, a senior to them.

So much had happened over those long years.

"An older girl is still a girl, isn't she?"

Yue Liusi didn't have any particular feelings about that.

What boy hadn't had two fantasies growing up?

Dreams of heroism and a tender embrace.

Being held in an older girl's arms and gently soothed was simply... ahem.