"Eee—!!!"
The hum of the arrow leaving the string still lingered in the air.
That Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, which had only just finished forming, failed to let out even a complete roar before its core was pierced by that pink stream and it was reduced to dust.
Kama loosened her grip.
The Glazed Bow began to disintegrate from both ends, turning into fine particles of light that drifted upward from between her fingers.
A burst of applause rang out behind her.
It was attention-grabbing and, above all, quite irritating.
"Wow—"
An elongated, exaggerated exclamation followed immediately after.
"How— impressive~"
Kama turned around.
Within her rose-colored eyes was the reflection of a tall figure sauntering out from the mouth of the alley.
The man's posture was as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard. A Black Blindfold covered the upper half of his face, leaving only an exceptionally well-defined jawline and a currently upturned mouth visible.
"Oh~"
Kama tilted her head slightly, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Mr. Gojo certainly has a lot of free time on his hands."
She paused for a moment before leisurely adding the second half of her sentence.
"After following me for so long, have you finally decided to show yourself?"
Gojo Satoru let out a soft chuckle.
He cocked his head, and the eyes beneath the blindfold narrowed slightly.
The atmosphere stagnated for a brief moment.
Kama waited for him to continue.
Under normal circumstances, this would be the point where the opponent says something standard like "Who are you?" or "That move just now was interesting."
Then she would just have to fire an arrow at him.
But Gojo Satoru instead raised both hands and, with a "clap," cupped his own cheeks.
Then, he began to twist his body.
Surpassing the limits of human joints, he swayed left and right at eerie angles. His waist moved in tandem to draw wave-like curves, his entire being resembling a giant stick of fried dough.
"Wow~ Am I already this famous?"
His voice was so cloyingly sweet it could give someone diabetes.
"Even such a lovely miss knows who I am~"
Kama: "..."
She stared silently at the eyesore before her, a nearly vacant shadow appearing in her pupils.
For about half a second, she desperately wanted to kill this flashy man regardless of the consequences.
To hell with the Black Holy Grail and the mission.
But soon, her rationality returned.
She decided to give up on understanding him.
The cost-effectiveness of communicating with this person was clearly below zero; staying any longer would be a pure waste of life.
Kama simply turned around, stepping toward the other end of the alley.
Swish.
A white figure appeared out of thin air in front of her, blocking her path completely. His speed was so great that it didn't even stir a breeze.
Kama stopped in her tracks.
She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze climbing up his pitch-black Jujutsu High Uniform, grazing the collar, and fixing upon that Black Blindfold that looked bothersome no matter how she viewed it.
The corners of her mouth curved up.
The smile was there, but the trace of warmth in her eyes instantly plummeted below freezing.
"Mr. Gojo," she spoke slowly, every word seemingly rolled in syrup—saccharine yet seeping with danger, "what is the meaning of this?"
She took a small step forward.
The distance between them instantly closed to a dangerous range.
Gojo didn't move, still maintaining that loose, slouching posture.
Kama looked up at him, an action that made her a bit displeased.
"Could it be that you want to... to me..."
She deliberately elongated the end of her sentence, leaning her body forward as if to whisper in his ear.
The movement was full of a certain unspoken suggestiveness, usually enough to throw most men into disarray or at least cause a moment of hesitation.
Then she realized that even if she quietly stood on her tip-toes, there was still an infuriating height difference.
Kama froze.
She could feel Gojo's gaze falling on the top of her head through the blindfold, a gaze that was definitely laced with the amusement of someone watching a show.
...Fine.
Without changing her expression, she abandoned her original plan. Instead, using the tip of her index finger, she lightly traced across his abdomen through the black uniform.
Beneath the fabric, the contours of his muscles were clear and distinct. As her fingertip passed over, several abdominal muscles subconsciously tensed for a split second.
Gojo gave a "shoo" sound and took a small hop backward.
The movement was fast enough to leave an afterimage, instantly opening a two-meter gap, with his hands shielding his chest.
"Pfft."
Kama couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hehe~" She tilted her head, her eyes teasing. "Mr. Gojo... are you shy?"
Gojo: ...
This is a provocation, right?!
This is definitely a provocation!!
As Gojo, how could he possibly admit defeat?
Gojo moved.
Kama did not retreat.
She raised an eyebrow with interest, wanting to see what exactly he intended to do.
Then, when he was only one step away from her, Gojo suddenly reached out—
Slap.
One hand braced against the wall beside her ear.
The other hand followed immediately after, landing on the other side.
Kama was completely trapped between his arms and the wall.
This posture, when performed by Gojo, was exceptionally oppressive.
He leaned down slightly, the shadow he cast completely enveloping Kama.
Kama looked up.
From this angle, she could see his sharp jawline even more clearly.
That face was very close, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of sweets on Gojo.
"So,"
Gojo spoke.
His voice was lowered, devoid of the earlier exaggeration, replaced by a texture that was lethally sweet.
"Lovely miss..."
"Can you tell me—"
"Just what, exactly, are you?"
He tilted his head, leaning in a bit closer:
"I am quite curious, you see."
The alley fell silent for a moment.
Kama smiled.
"Oh?"
"Is that so?"
"Then Mr. Gojo..."
She elongated her tone, her voice rising at the end with a bewitching quality.
"Why don't you take off your blindfold,"
"And come,"
"See for yourself?"
The moment the words fell,
The arm Gojo had braced against the wall tensed imperceptibly.
Silence spread between the two.
In the distance, a crow called out once more before flapping its wings and flying away.
Kama waited patiently, wearing an expression of "I'm curious to see what you'll do."
In the end, it was Gojo who first broke the delicate atmosphere.
He quickly turned around, tilting his head back and laughing:
"Haha! I'm not the kind of pervert who would easily peep into a girl's privacy!"
He raised a hand and waved it, his tone returning to that exaggerated style, even more flighty than before.
"Honestly~ To actually doubt my character, that's too much! I am a respectable teacher, after all!"
Watching Gojo's antics, Kama began to find him a bit boring.
She let out a soft sigh.
"Mr. Gojo, if you really have nothing else to do, I'm leaving."
Upon hearing this, Gojo immediately made a large "X" with his arms in front of his chest.
"NONO! You can't do that!"
Kama stopped, and the chill she had been suppressing began to seep out in thin strands.
Gojo, facing the killing intent in Kama's gaze, wagged his finger.
"Whether it's to recruit some fresh blood for Jujutsu High,"
He spoke lightheartedly, "Or to prevent a mysterious and powerful beautiful girl like you from running around Tokyo and accidentally doing something dangerous—"
He paused and grinned.
"I have to keep you by my side~"
Kama's expression changed.
Something sharper and darker churned beneath the surface for a moment.
She slowly narrowed her eyes:
"Are you planning to..."
Gojo snapped his fingers.
"That's right!" He smiled brightly and announced in a booming voice:
"I am officially inviting you—"
"Imprison me?"
"To join Jujutsu High!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously.
They collided and echoed within the narrow alley.
The bright smile on Gojo's face froze.
Kama's narrowed eyes slowly widened, the dark emotions swirling within replaced by a field of question marks.
A gust of wind blew through the alley, swirling a few withered leaves before they silently settled.
Gojo: "..."
Kama: "..."
Their trains of thought hadn't aligned at all!