Day one of the mission.
Soujun and the others arrived outside the apartment complex where the Star Plasma Vessel was being kept. The first thing Gojo did was run straight to a vending machine and buy himself a drink.
Geto followed along. He bought two bottles.
The two strolled back toward Soujun, looking less like sorcerers on a mission and more like tourists on a trip.
"Something's off." Soujun caught the tossed bottle, shaded his eyes with a hand, and peered up toward the building.
Before his words were even finished—
Boom!
A thunderous blast erupted from one of the windows.
All three snapped their heads up—
Soujun clearly saw the glass shatter from the shockwave, the frame buckling, the balcony blasted off, shards flying outward, and then thick smoke billowing into the air.
Through the smoke, a figure dropped in freefall: a middle-schooler in sailor uniform, braided hair with a headband. Soujun, having read the file, recognized her instantly—Amanai Riko, their target.
Gojo and Geto only saw a tiny black dot.
The Six Eyes could read cursed energy in detail, but in terms of pure vision, Soujun didn't think his Star Eyes were any worse.
"!"
"?"
As the figure dropped halfway down the building, Gojo and Geto exchanged a glance, nodding once.
"Yeah."
No mistake. That was the vessel.
"I'll check inside." Soujun signaled, black light flickering under his clothes. His body twisted, turned half-ethereal, and in the next instant he reappeared at the window—where he planted a kick into a masked Q agent and sent him tumbling out.
One look was enough to know he wasn't friendly.
Geto moved in perfect sync, summoning a manta-like flying curse to swoop upward and catch Riko midair.
"Ahhh—!"
A panicked scream drifted from above. The Q member Soujun had kicked out plummeted toward the ground.
Geto summoned another curse, a bloated mass of flesh studded with human heads.
The grotesque creature caught the falling agent in a crushing embrace, half-absorbing him into its body. Mouths muttered in chorus: "Come on, give us a kiss… just one…"
Grotesque as it looked, there was almost a twisted romance to it.
Soujun stepped into the living room, helping up a collapsed maid. She jolted awake. When she saw the ID he held up, she let out a breath of relief and immediately scanned the room.
"Miss… where is Miss Riko…?"
Geto floated in from outside, cradling the unconscious Amanai Riko.
The maid rushed forward, guiding her onto the sofa. Once she saw there was no serious harm, she finally exhaled fully.
"I am Kuroi Misato, assigned caretaker of the Star Plasma Vessel." Regaining her composure, she bowed slightly. "It's fortunate you arrived in time."
…
Meanwhile, Gojo had encountered a knife-throwing curse user.
A rain of blades shot toward him—only to freeze midair, locked in place inches away, always infinitely close, never striking.
Gojo swatted him aside without effort.
When the three regrouped, they learned this was supposedly Q's strongest fighter. The captured members, realizing this, collapsed into despair.
…
By the first morning, Q's top combatant was gone. The organization unraveled.
Events so far matched Soujun's memory, but he doubted things would stay so easy. The butterfly had only just flapped its wings—the storm was still coming.
At least, for now, they had successfully made contact with Amanai Riko.
Geto prodded her lightly. No response. He sighed. "If only Shoko were here. She's the only one who can use Reversed Cursed Technique."
"Should we take her to a doctor?" Gojo suggested.
"Heh…" Soujun chuckled.
The others turned to him.
Soujun stepped forward, brushing them aside. He pressed a finger to Riko's forehead with complete confidence. "Leave it to me. I know a bit of medicine myself."
Scarlet light flared at his fingertip. Tendrils sprouted from Riko's face, writhing erratically before snapping off and vanishing into nothing.
"Uh, maybe the hospital's better?" Geto hurried forward, trying to stop him.
Kuroi Misato quickly stepped between them, shielding Riko.
Gojo scooped her up. "Yeah, let's just take her—"
"She's fine," Soujun interrupted, pointing.
The others turned—and saw Riko's eyelids flutter open.
Still groggy, the first thing she saw was a white-haired man in sunglasses holding her princess-style. She glanced down at herself, then back up.
"ORA!"
She smacked Gojo across the face, leaping from his arms and pointing at him. "How dare you try to kill me, you bastard! You die first!"
A vein pulsed on Gojo's forehead.
"Pfft—"
"Kukuku—"
Soujun and Geto both covered their mouths, shoulders shaking.
"Riko-chan, calm down. We're not the ones who attacked you," Geto coaxed with a smile.
"Lies!" Riko jabbed a finger at him. "Weird-bangs guy! Total scammer face! No way you're a good person."
Geto froze, his grin only widening as his eyes narrowed. He and Gojo grabbed one of her arms each, trying to restrain her.
"Riko-chan…" Soujun cut in, struggling not to burst out laughing.
"Ahh! Terrifying! Scary-eye guy!" she shouted at him.
One by one, she roasted them all.
Soujun blinked, then smiled faintly. The kid was sharp-tongued, but also cool. He turned to Misato. "Perhaps you should give us the proper introductions."
…
"Miss!!"
"Kuroi!!"
The two embraced, finally calming Riko down.
"This brat's feistier than expected." Gojo rubbed his cheek.
"I was worried she'd be gloomy over assimilation, wondering how we'd even talk to her," Geto admitted.
"Hmph! What a lowly assumption!" Riko shot them a thumbs-up.
"Listen well: Master Tengen is me! And I am Master Tengen!"
The three exchanged a look, covering their faces.
Great. A chunibyo.
"By the way, why'd you call her 'Tenri'?" Gojo asked Soujun.
"Nickname."
"Why not 'Amanai,' 'Riko,' or maybe 'Naiko'?"
"'Amanai' is too formal, 'Riko' too familiar. 'Naiko'? That sounds like I'm taking liberties."
"Fair enough. She's definitely the type with no friends, though. Makes it easier to send her off when the time comes." Geto quipped in a faux schoolgirl voice.
The three bantered while Riko kept rambling in the background: "When I assimilate, I become Master Tengen, Master Tengen becomes me! You must honor me as you would him!"
Suddenly she raised her voice:
"At that time, my thoughts! My heart! My soul! Will live on forever!"
Her face flushed. "You'd better listen well!"
"And I talk normally at school, you know!"
She swung to Soujun. "And you—what kind of narcissist are you?!"
"Ah—" Riko gasped. "School!!"
The three stiffened.
As expected—
"Kuroi, what time is it?!"
"Still morning, but… school hours are—"
"Silence! If I say I'm going, then I'm going!"
So much for the plan of escorting her straight back.
…
Meanwhile, across the city, atop a skyscraper, two men stood at a window overlooking the skyline.
"Looks like it's begun." The man in a sharp suit spoke softly. "The Time Vessel Association spares no expense—I can vouch for that."
He turned to his companion. "So, Zen'in. Aren't you going to join the assassination attempt?"
The other was tall and muscular, dressed casually, slippers on his feet.
"I'm not Zen'in anymore. Married into another family." He turned his scarred face, a jagged mark running straight down his cheek. "Heh. The name's Fushiguro now."
"I'll take the job."
"Then it's yours, sorcerer killer."
__________________________________________________________
To read 15 more advanced chapters and support me, go to:
patreon.com/ArchSovereign