Okinawa.
A day later.
The location of the mission is in Okinawa—a prefecture made up of many islands.
The duo of Satoru and Suguru reached their destination in the afternoon and took a car towards Riko Amanai's home.
"Hey, Suguru," Satoru called out as he stared at the rapidly blurring houses.
"Hmm?" Suguru turned to Satoru.
"Must the merger really happen?"
Suguru stared at Satoru in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, must that girl, Amanai, sacrifice herself?" Satoru asked.
Suguru was silent for a while before he sighed. "It's inevitable... for the stability of the Jujutsu world, she must merge."
Satoru didn't talk again; instead, he stared outside through the window in silence.
...
Renchoku Girls' Junior High.
The car stopped in front of the middle school, and Suguru and Satoru stepped out just in time for the school bell to ring.
The students flooded outside, and the two saw their target.
She had black hair, which she braided; black eyes that shone with energy; and a wide, pure smile. She wore a sailor uniform—white with a black collar and a blue tie.
Satoru and Suguru, standing at the school gates, soon caught the attention of the middle schoolers. One was a handsome black-haired man, while the other, though blindfolded, still couldn't hide his handsomeness.
Amidst the gazes, Suguru and Satoru walked towards Riko.
"Are you Riko?" Suguru asked.
"Eh?" Riko, who had been talking to her friends, froze, turned, and stared at the two in surprise.
"Wow! Riko, are these your brothers?! They're so handsome!"
"Big brother, what's your name?!"
"Can I get your Line?!"
Satoru, who was surrounded by girls, found himself sweating slightly.
Are middle schoolers these days so feisty?
"Enough! Enough!" Riko waved her hand, trying to silence her classmates, but seeing her actions weren't doing anything, she grabbed the hands of Satoru and Suguru and ran away, leaving behind her shouting classmates.
"Hey! Riko, where are you going?!"
"We haven't gotten his Line number yet?!"
....
After running for minutes, Riko let go of their hands and rested her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
After steadying her breath, Riko turned to the two, staring at them curiously. Now that she had a good look at them, she had to admit they were indeed handsome.
"Must you make a scene like that?" Riko asked with annoyance. "By the way, who are you two?"
"You don't know us, but you dragged us here? Aren't you afraid we'll kidnap you?" Satoru asked.
"Hmph, of course I'm cautious!" Riko said as she puffed up her chest and pointed at a camera across the street. "My school is close by. I know which places are safe."
"We're sorcerers from Tokyo Jujutsu High—Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru. We're here to protect you and escort you back to Tokyo," Suguru said.
"Oh... so the day has really arrived..." Riko said. "...Well, I knew you guys would come eventually. Let's go, then; my house is this way."
While they walked, Satoru turned and looked at her.
"You're taking this pretty well," Satoru said.
"What? It's not like it'll change anything if I cry about it, right?" Riko said, staring at Satoru like she was looking at an idiot.
The trio finally reached Riko's house, and just as her hand reached the doorknob, Riko froze.
"Hey, since I'll be merged, can I enjoy these last days? I mean, I still have a fast-track race to finish and to say goodbye to my friends," Riko said, her voice low and her emotions hard to detect.
"Of course!" Satoru placed his hand on her shoulder. "And if you want, you can even not merge with Tengen."
"Hmph, why wouldn't I?" Riko snorted, pushed Satoru's hand away, and puffed up her chest. "I'm the Star Plasma Vessel; of course I'll merge!"
After saying those words, Riko pushed the door open and entered the house, leaving Satoru and Suguru outside.
Suguru walked up to Satoru. "Satoru, the merging must happen—it's for the betterment of the Jujutsu world."
"Hmm, I know," Satoru nodded and walked inside the house.
Inside the house, a woman in her late twenties or early thirties, with tied short black hair, wearing a black long-sleeved top with a knee-length white skirt and a white apron tied around her waist, stood and smiled at Satoru and Suguru.
"You must be the two sorcerers assigned to Riko-sama. My name is Kuroi Misato," Kuroi said as she bowed slightly.
"Mhm, take care of us."
.....
The remaining two days became a blur.
Riko carried the two around Okinawa, introducing them to places, with Kuroi tagging along. After participating in the fast-track race, the four went to a beach.
"Waa!!" Riko yawned as she stretched and then turned to the trio behind her with a wide smile. "Come on! Let's go!"
"Riko-sama, wait!" Kuroi called out as she pursued the laughing Riko towards the water.
"She's still a middle schooler," Satoru said as he watched Riko play with Kuroi.
Suguru didn't answer; he had spent two days with Riko. Though small, it still made him question the decision of making her a Star Plasma Vessel.
"Hu? Is there anything wrong?" Suguru asked as he noticed Satoru staring at a side of the beach.
"Nothing," Satoru shook his head as he headed towards Riko and Kuroi. "Come on, let's go."
Suguru blinked in confusion, but he still followed Satoru. Unknown to him, where Satoru had looked, three hidden cursed users had become a blood pool mixed with flesh.
....
"Hey, that's cheating!" Riko shouted as she watched her water bullet being stopped by a cursed spirit belonging to Suguru.
"What cheating? You just have poor aim," Suguru said as he pointed his water gun at Riko, rapidly firing multiple shots at her.
Kuroi and Satoru sat on the yellow sand, watching Suguru and Riko.
"I still don't think she should merge," Satoru said.
Kuroi turned and stared at Satoru in surprise; she hadn't expected such words from a sorcerer.
"What can we do? It's crucial for the Jujutsu world, isn't it?" Kuroi said with a bitter smile as she turned and stared at Riko. "Riko-sama must be putting up a strong front. I know deep down that she'll be sad."
Satoru's eyes flickered, but just as he was about to speak, he paused and stared at the side.
He's here? Satoru raised an eyebrow and stood up, turning to Kuroi. "Tell Suguru to evacuate everyone and take Riko away from here."
Before the stunned Kuroi could reply, Satoru had vanished.
Toji, who had just arrived and was watching the duo play, saw Satoru vanish, and he immediately felt a gaze at his back and noticed the sky getting black.
Swoosh!
A "dagger" with a two-pronged jitte-like blade cut through the air and struck Satoru, who hovered in the air, only to be rebounded and sent back even faster than it was thrown.
Boom!
The dust cloud reached the sky, followed by a fierce gale.
Satoru stared at the thick dust cloud, his blindfold slowly falling, revealing his piercing azure eyes.
"I've been waiting for you—Toji Fushiguro."
...
A/N:
[Ding!]
[New chat group mission!]
[Name of the mission: Your choice!]
[Description: Dear readers, the administrator (Author-kun), in regard to the journey you've embarked on together with him, has decided to gift you a chance—a chance to select a new member of the chat group!]
[Objective: Comment the character you want. The character with the highest votes, likes, or comments wins.]
Likes/comments = 1 point respectively.
1 power stone = 2 points respectively.