A/N

This might be a little late because it's almost my midterms. On another note, I've posted a companion fic for this one (mainly special chapters/omake). I have a google form that you can suggest any plot you want to (it's in my ao3 update since I find it hard to post a link here) and I'll try my best to write it.

Not beta-ed beware of wild grammatical errors jumping from the bushes.

2006 August 11

"Remember what we talked about?"

Emi pulled the hem of the overly tight uniform Shoko lent her this morning; she needed to ask her for another one. These clothes were way too small. "Of course, I do. Who wouldn't be? In employment terms, I was demoted when I was supposed to be promoted," she crossed her legs in a lackadaisical manner, resting her back on the sofa.

In 2001, after they fought with a curse much more powerful than them and saved herself from dying, they explained a tricky situation that prevented her from being a special grade sorcerer. But unlike what they were hinting at, it was to her advantage since she preferred it lowkey. Ah, to not be bothered by the people she found irritating.

Exorcising a special grade curse at ten years old would be ideal if she was truly unaffiliated politically. It meant both she and Satoru only needed to finish the proper procedures to gain the same rank. However, even though Emi was currently tagged as an independent under the white-haired teen, she still had connections with the Gojo Clan, which was the source of the problem. The jujutsu higher-ups would see her existence as a threat (not to mention she had connections with all three big families) since, at this point, she was a ticking time bomb with a large influence on the jujutsu community.

There are three listed special grade sorcerers: Tsukumo Yuki, Gojo Satoru, and Geto Suguru. And all of them had a relationship with her.

"That specifically. Well, I told you I'm gonna offer you something of equal value if you lay low—I did not expect you'd practically disappear in the face of the earth for three years," he muttered in the last part, then clapped his hand to continue his explanation. "Anyway, since I'm stepping down, I need someone to replace me. So I'm giving it to you."

"Isn't that Masamichi-san?"

Yuki popped in her mouth what seemed like durian-flavored candy. "Not Jujutsu High related. But like the work we've both done before."

"International relations?" The girl processed the information with a stoic face. Straightening her posture, she turned her face to the principal. "So this was all your plan all along? Making me run around all over the place before as a favor." Emi quoted using both of her fingers as her tone became colder. "I am not going to agree." She had enough of handling Satoru's matters; she didn't need another problem to add to the bunch.

"I told 'ya. She's not going to agree," Yuki pointed out with a matter-of-fact tone, hinting that they had already discussed this topic when she was absent.

Tsukumo Yuki was introduced in the manga as a person who disagreed with the views of the Jujutsu Community. Instead of exorcising cursed spirits as they appear, she wanted to eliminate the root cause. She would travel around the world to solve humanity's problems one at a time. Conversely, the woman would also contact all the sorcerers out of Japan in an attempt to build diplomatic relations, which was unsuccessful until Emi appeared in the equation to help.

In all honesty, Emi was not a fan of their plan. Utopia was just as bad as a dystopia.

If humans could not express their negative feelings, then it should come with a huge price. Lessening it was attainable but reducing it was close to impossible. What they could only do was create rules that favored the weak and regulate the strong. There was no answer to this problem, and it also had many variables to be considered. One of them was ethics, and the other was morality which differed from person to person.

Emi eyed the two people in the room before she explained further. "One, your goal is pretty much unachievable, and I don't care what happens to other people. Two, I had only helped you before since you saved Suguru and Shoko." One of her hands covered her eyes, her body movements showing exhaustion. "Principal Matsumoto, I don't think you have the right impression of me. I only care about my people."

Saving people? That was not her style. Emi already had enough of the thankless task in her previous life, so she would gladly remove herself from their plan.

"You're too cruel, Emi-chan." Yuki parted her blonde hair in the middle with her fingers, unperturbed by her lack of humanity. She was already familiar with her beliefs since they had already worked together.

Principal Matsumoto laughed heartily as if there was no problem with her decision and he was only pitching some of his ideas. "Then I can't help it. But if you have time, maybe you can help us with a thing or two."

"I'll try." Emi had no plans on helping them; she was just being polite.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you," the old man called her attention once again, to which she raised her index finger, indicating she was listening. "You can't study in Jujutsu High."

As if a bomb dropped in front of her face, Emi pointed at herself while in complete disbelief. "What the hell do you mean?" Then after a while, it dawned on her after connecting the dots. "I have no choice but to help you in the first place, do I?"

"Bingo!" Yuki slapped the small table before her. "You need to help us. If you want to stay close with your friends, that is."

Remembering how the three teens clung to her this morning, the girl's face soured.

Emi couldn't be enlisted to study as an official jujutsu special grade sorcerer. Therefore, she couldn't enroll in Jujutsu High. Doing so would alert the higher-ups that she was alive, and the least she could do to stay close with her friends was to work under Matsumoto Genki instead—working as his replacement with whatever he used to do.

All of a sudden, Emi felt like killing all those old people in one go seemed to be the most viable option.

"You're showing that expression as if we're putting your life at risk when we're saving you instead. Gaki, the Gojo Clan could not help you this time. Unless you wanted to drag them all in this mess," Genki explained with an amused expression, not offended by her actions. "You have another option, though. Uprise and remove the Jujutsu Commissioner, then maybe you could," he proposed jokingly.

The girl's face visibly brightened at the suggestion while thinking of the possibilities eagerly.

"No." Yuki, who was silently listening to their conversation, intervened as if she could read her mind.

Emi, who considered the possibility, scoffed at her instant rejection. "I didn't even say anything." She threw up her hands in uncharacteristic annoyance after being found out.

"I know what you're thinking, brat. And no," the blonde continued, snickering when she saw Emi get defensive.

Principal Matsumoto didn't want to be accused of starting a rebellion, so he changed the topic hurriedly. "On another topic, I already prepared everything for you. Masamichi as the next principal and Osamu as the school doctor, wonderful, right?"

"I guess…that works?" Emi agreed on the pairing but in a different way. Remembering she needed to talk to Dr. Tomita about that, she hurriedly excused herself from the conversation. "If we don't have anything to talk about, then I want to excuse myself. I still have something to do."

"Then I'll go, too." Yuki slipped on her motorcycle gloves, winking at the girl beside her. It had been a while since she saw Emi, and she was glad to work with her again.

"Then take care of both of you." Genki accepted Emi's irritated glare with a bright smile then sat on his chair again. "Make sure to report to me, Emi-chan!"

2006 August 13

Osamu glanced at his written notes hours after Emi left. Glancing at her increased medication, he felt it would be impossible to completely recover her previous state because of the nature of her job. It had been two days since she returned, so they started unpacking what had happened during her absence for the last three years.

"What's the matter, Doctor?" Shoko entered his clinic, bringing his black coffee on a tray. Peering on his notes, her expression darkened after recognizing some of the words. "PTSD? Is this Emi's?" Her voice sounded concerned as she snatched the notepad from his hands. "Doctor—"

"Client information is confidential," Osamu reminded her, getting his notepad back from his apprentice. He could not believe it himself, and although his heart ached for the girl during the whole consultation, he tried to keep a straight face.

"Then can you just tell me how bad it is?" Shoko observed his expression, and when he didn't answer, she slammed the tray on his table in a hurry, spilling some of the coffee on his table. "I'll be back, doctor!"

Osamu watched as the teen disappeared with an exhausted groan. Emi had already started on the wrong footing, and despite the fact that she was trying her hardest to hide the reason, he could see in her actions how that traumatizing situation affected her. However, his worries increased when the girl told her what happened when she got sucked inside the black hole. None of those things was something a full-grown adult could endure, much less a girl her age.

Emi had killed many people in an attempt to survive, and it did not help that she did it continuously for nine years. There was no way she could go back to her normal life (although being a jujutsu sorcerer wasn't any better, at least she could choose not to kill people).

Dr. Tomita buried his face in his hands and screamed. She was a child. A freaking child!

Her mental age being older wouldn't help anything. On the contrary, it worsened her situation considering she was still a teen, and the younger you experience traumatic events, the more challenging for a person to recover. Emi needed to be medicated, continue her counseling, and stay in a suitable environment while staying away from her triggers. No more, no less.

Osamu gritted his teeth in anger because he was unable to do anything. If only those higher-ups would stop using children for labor, then this wouldn't happen in the first place.

Emi squatted on the floor, carefully tying her long hair so it wouldn't touch the ground as she poked the lifeless body of the curse user she fought a few minutes ago. "Are you saying something?" She removed one side of her headphones so she could hear better what he was muttering.

"D-don't k-kill me, p-please."

Staring at the large hole in his stomach, Emi blinked a few times before fishing the walkman music player from her leg strap. She fiddled with it a few times before finding the proper song to listen to. "Nice," she whispered to herself, then turned to the man lying on the ground. "Don't you hate it when you have to find a better coping mechanism to act like a normal person?"

"W-what?" The curse user stared at her with a confused expression.

Stab!

Her broadsword pierced through his heart as blood spurted out from the man's chest. Removing the blade, Emi made sure it wouldn't spill on her newly bought combat boots. The presence of blood irked her, so she mentally reminded herself to take a bath in Shoko's dorm room that she temporarily used while she had no place to stay.

For the last two days, she was sleeping with Shoko, but they agreed that they would sleep together in one place if ever all of them were present, which helped her ignore her night demons and the constant ringing in her ear. Emi knew it was not tinnitus since it would disappear from time to time; however, whenever she started to feel like the silence was devouring her, it would return. It became her number one priority ever since she came back because she found it hard to sleep without the damn music to distract her.

The ringing, humming, buzzing—it irritated her.

It was a good thing digital walkmans were popular nowadays. She didn't stand out by using them in public. The only downside was she always had to bring two devices with her, the flip phone and the easy-to-carry techy music box.

Now that Emi thought about it, she felt like an old woman when using this much technology for nine years after being out of touch.

Bzzzt!

Her phone attached to her leg strap vibrated. Emi was wearing leggings and a thin shirt as a top. Instead of wearing additional layers of clothes for their pockets, she decided to wear stretchable straps that people use to attach their gadgets with when working out. It was starting to get hotter, so she had to make do. She opened the phone and pressed it to open her screen.

The girl saw Shoko's name on the notification before opening her message, telling her to return right away.

To Shoko: Give me 15 minutes.

"Why would she want to see me?" Emi haphazardly returned her phone and walkman to where it was before and proceeded to pull out a mini gasoline container behind her and set up a barrier around the dead body. Using her cursed technique, she started a fire inside when she increased the temperature to create a make-shift furnace.

Curse users started to appear a few days ago, so Emi took it upon herself to kill some of them. She had free time anyways since Satoru and Suguru were out of school to do a mission for Master Tengen.

The girl felt she had forgotten about something important but dismissed it, realizing she only arrived here a few days ago, so what could she possibly forget?

Covering the ashes and bone fragments with earth, she rushed to go back inside the Jujutsu High in case it was an emergency. Emi entered the dorms; seeing Shoko's figure in the hallway, she waved her index finger to greet her, but before she could say anything, her friend held both of her shoulders firmly while staring straight into her eyes.

"Uhh, Shoko?" Emi's eyelid flickered as she waited for the teen's response.

Shoko wore her usual resting bitch face expression, but dust seemed to gather around her eyes, so it got wet. "Just know we're always here for you."

"Uhm. Thank you?" She replied a little out of it since the teen's words came out of nowhere. Emi did not remember asking for their presence on a whim, so maybe it got something to do with how she couldn't study in Jujutsu High? "Don't worry. It's a small problem," she assured her.

"What do you mean small! Do you think what you experienced was a small thing?"

Emi, who wanted to reply that skipping the technical college wouldn't bring her any substantial repercussions, held her tongue after seeing her friend's tears. It was her second time studying, so instead of sadness, what she felt was a relief, so really, it was not a big deal. On the other hand, it might not be the same for Shoko, who emphasized the importance of going to school at a very young age.

"If it makes you feel better, I can study in a normal high school and go to a normal university." Thinking how that would be a brilliant idea since she could also go to medical school after and would also lessen Shoko's worries, Emi added, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

But it didn't seem to be the answer her friend wanted to hear.

"You shouldn't try to act normal for our sake," Shoko mumbled, hugging the girl in an instant. Worry filled her voice, and then she started bawling on Emi's shoulders.

Emi's automatic reaction was to fling the girl off because of confusion but comforted the other party by patting her back nonetheless. There was a large chance Shoko was getting emotional because she couldn't study with them. The least she could do now to quell her friend's worries was enter a typical high school and eventually finish university to get that unwanted degree for the second time.

Nanami frowned after they reached Naha Airport in Okinawa. Standing beside him was Haibara, who was hyped up for being sent to a Master Tengen-related mission. Their goal was to stay at the airport and fight the curse users attracted by the 30 million yen bounty on the Star Plasma Vessel's head. However, there was a time limit on the website where they posted the reward, so they only needed to act as a buffer in the airport until 11 AM the next day. The teen felt this job was inappropriate for first years like them, but he had no choice but to comply at the end of the day.

The leading escort was composed of four people: Amanai Riko, Kuroi Misato, Gojo Satoru, and Geto Suguru.

Amanai Riko was the Star Plasma Vessel, while Misato Kuroi was her designated caretaker kidnapped yesterday and recently rescued today in Okinawa.

"Our senpais are putting their life on the line, so let's do our part as their kouhais!" Haibara expressed energetically as his hands curled into a fist, extremely fired up.

Nanami wanted to disagree.

The blond knew there was no way Satoru and Suguru were putting their life on the line. With strength like theirs, it would be better for the curse users to back out on sight. "You just look over that side. I will guard this side while I'm doing paperwork," he suggested as he took out a large briefcase where he stored his weapon and documents.

"I always see you so busy, Kento-san. Do you have a part-time job?" His co-first year peeked over his shoulder to look at the folder he was taking out.

"This is my deal with the devil in exchange for my life." Nanami looked at his classmate impassively while reading all the files he had brought. Some needed signatures from important people, while some would be fine without them. Looking over one of the papers, the usual 'Temporary Head of Public Relations' under Ieiri Shoko's name disappeared, and the tag, 'Liaison Officer' replaced it.'

Nanami narrowed his eyes when he saw an additional name as the signatories. Surprisingly, almost all of the papers also contained the same name, more so than Gojo Satoru's himself.

TOKUNAGA EMI

Gojo Satoru's Personal Aide, Head of Public Relations

That morning, the Star Plasma Vessel caretaker was kidnapped. The hostage-takers demanded to exchange her with the Star Plasma Vessel. However, they did not expect the two Jujutsu High students to be overpowered, ultimately turning the kidnapping into a one-sided beat-up.

Suguru watched the two children closely while they were playing at the beach. The 'children' he was referring to were Satoru and Riko running on the beach like madmen.

That's right, Satoru was as good as a child now. It seemed he took pity on Riko, so he planned to visit the beach. Well, Suguru couldn't do anything with that. It was also their chance to unwind after being sent to different missions, one after the other. The teen checked what they were doing again, confirming how they were only gushing about sea cucumbers; he turned to his watch to look at the time.

Earlier, he and Satoru planned to travel back to Tokyo by three o'clock in the afternoon to arrive at Jujutsu High by six o'clock.

"Is it really okay to go sightseeing?" Misato's expression turned into worry while keeping an eye on Riko, who fell face-first on the sand as the white-haired teen laughed at her predicament.

"It's fine. We're strong." Suguru glanced at his watch again; seeing how close it was to the designated time, he shouted at the two people who started playing in the sand, "SATORU! LET'S GET GOING!"

"It's time already?" The white-haired teen eyed Riko that withered visibly after hearing that they needed to go back. Inwardly sighing, he surveyed the surroundings for any potential enemy before doing a series of hand gestures to Suguru.

"What is he doing?" Misato tilted her head, a little confused about what was happening. She had seen the two boys do the hand sign a couple of times since they met but had yet to figure out what it meant until now.

"It's a series of hand signs we invented to communicate better," Suguru replied, nodding when he realized where Satoru was getting at. He faced the Star Plasma Vessel caretaker with a thumbs-up as he pointed back under the big umbrella they were using as a shade earlier. "Let's go back there. Satoru said we will leave tomorrow morning instead."

Suguru played it cool, but he was worried inside. The white-haired teen had been using his technique non-stop since the day they met Riko, and both of them had not slept until now. To be fair, Satoru told him he could rest, but there was no way he would be left out, so they played UNO cards all night. Fortunately, this was not the first time they were pulling this stunt, albeit this time, it was more challenging since it was an escort mission.

It might be easier with a reversed cursed technique user on their arm's length. Even if they wouldn't get injured, Amanai Riko was so defenseless she could die with one attack. The two girls who could use the technique were too busy to go with them. Shoko stayed to help Dr. Tomita while Emi had to deal with a lot of work that piled up because of her disappearance. Not that it mattered anyway, as Master Tengen only asked for the two of them.

Suguru thought of some tourist spots in Okinawa that they could visit while observing Satoru and Riko's movements in his peripheral vision.

2006 August 14

Satoru heaved a sigh of relief once they reached the foot of Mount Mushiro inside of one of the Jujutsu High barriers. They could rest easy now. Unauthorized jujutsu sorcerers or curse users wouldn't be able to enter past this barrier. Except for non-sorcerers, of course, because they did not pose any threat to them in the first place.

Adjusting his black glasses, he dropped his guarded expression and glanced at the dorms. The white-haired teen wondered what Emi was doing while they were away.

"Everyone, we're inside the Jujutsu High's barrier," Suguru announced, smiling widely since they were close to finishing the escort mission.

Misato felt reprieve at this fact, so she wiped the sweat that gathered on her forehead while traveling back to Tokyo. "That's good. "

"What a relief!" As a person who wore her heart on her sleeve, Riko's happy feelings automatically showed on her face. "I'm glad I went around Okinawa, too!"

"Thanks for your hard work, Satoru!" Suguru exchanged a series of handshakes with the white-haired teen that they usually do when they finish a mission. "How was the trip?"

"I guess I have a talent for baby-sitting." Satoru scratched his cheeks then hurriedly defended himself from Riko, who got offended when she was called a child.

"What do you mean a chi—" Riko stopped herself mid-phrase, her eyes widening in shock.

A black-haired man with a scar near his mouth held the tip of the sword inches away from Satoru's chest. The white-haired teen was instantly thankful he learned from his previous mistake and didn't disable his technique even after entering the school. "You're still fast," He managed to blurt out as his adrenaline started to increase.

"Still? I'm always fast. Besides, I'm just passing by. I just need the Star Plasma Vessel you got there," the man replied casually, putting distance between him and the teen. His attack was not successful, so he was finding other blindspots.

Suguru was not one to overestimate the barrier, but he couldn't believe someone was allowed inside. Immediately reacting, he released his large caterpillar curse devouring the enemy in one go. But it did not seem his curse spirit would hold out for long, so he ran to Satoru that was frozen because of the sudden attack. The teen's eyes narrowed into slits as he finally grasped what was happening.

"Satoru!" He called out, his eyes darting to the teen's body in case he was injured elsewhere.

The white-haired teen raised his hand to stop him. "I'm fine. Suguru, you know what to do, right?"

His friend, who immediately understood what he was referring to, paused before turning sharply to him. "Are you sure?" Suguru confirmed with him just in case.

"What? You don't trust me?" Satoru joked around in the middle of a dangerous situation to remove Suguru's concern.

Suguru chuckled, finding it odd that he became worried. He then grabbed Riko and Misato by the back of their clothes, hurrying to Master Tengen's place. If Satoru would fight with their opponent, then it would mean they would destroy a couple of buildings, and it would not be safe for them if they stayed there.

On the other hand, the white-haired teen, thankful for the dynamic they built through the years, faced the enemy after they disappeared. Satoru observed as the caterpillar's stomach was sliced open, noticing the enemy used a different word this time. It changed to a weapon imbued with cursed technique, so he held his ground.

"Zenin Toji?" Satoru remembered seeing the bastard's face in one of Emi's case files three years ago. He was filed under the Zenin family, who forced them to take him in since he was a non-curse user.

He also successfully killed Riko in his previous life—the Sorcerer Killer.

"Wow, Mister Hotshot knows my name. I go by Fushiguro now," he shot back sarcastically, walking out of the cursed spirit carcass. Attached to him was a curse that didn't seem hostile to him. Toji cracked his neck then patiently explained what he did, "For guys with no openings like you, I took advantage of creating an illusion of achieving goals. Although none of your shaman friends died—regrettable, by the way—at least you were worn down by using your skills continuously."

It clicked. That was when Satoru realized Zenin Toji was the same as him. They were both assholes.

"Zenin Toji doesn't have any cursed energy. But he has Heavenly Restriction, that means he was blessed with ungodly physical prowess; you might even get pummeled to the ground if you are a little careless."

Satoru recalled what Emi said when they were children. The white-haired teen had taken her words for granted back then, but now that he was fighting the real thing again, he was prepared to go all out. That time he voiced his disagreement about taking Toji under their wing. However, even if the girl had already rejected the family head, she was still open about the possibility of accepting non-sorcerers that came from the Zenin family.

Fuck that. Satoru was so dumb before.

The difference between then and now was he had an extra memory of a life he never lived. For others, this was his first time escorting the Star Plasma Vessel, but for him, this was the second time. He learned how to use the reverse cursed technique and could employ limitless 24/7 by healing his brain constantly. This time the white-haired teen was prepared to lay all his cards on the table. However, Zenin Toji was still a person that he shouldn't underestimate in any circumstances. He didn't have any cursed energy, the Achilles heel of his Six Eyes, so to speak.

Satoru immediately attacked his enemy, not letting him disappear from his sight. He only needed to kill the guy, right?

Toji managed to defend himself, instantly changing weapons using the cursed spirit on his shoulder. It was something he raised as a pet so he could use it to store swords. He rapidly jumped around the building and hid his presence to confuse the white-haired teen. Satoru opted for the fastest way to clear the surroundings, and that was to destroy all the distractions around him so there would be no available hiding spots.

"Cursed Technique Lapse Maximum Energy Output: Azure Glow."

The traditional building around him was destroyed instantly, but he had yet to see where Zenin's black sheep was hiding.

Toji appeared in front of him in a split second, holding another cursed tool in his hand. Satoru made sure to dodge the attack, but it still pierced his shoulder even when he was one step ahead. He didn't think it was physically possible for anyone to be faster than him, so he got careless. Widening his eyes with the appearance of the familiar weapon he destroyed in his past life, the white-haired teen coughed blood.

The special cursed grade tool, Inverted Spear of Heaven, disabled all cursed techniques, including limitless.

His performance was subpar, but to be fair, last time, his throat got pierced by the cursed tool, so at least he got better at dodging this time. Satoru had the urge to laugh out loud when it dawned on him that the Zenin Family was insane for letting go of this monster.

Heavenly Restriction users were the bane of the existence of the Six Eyes holder. That was why he killed Toji in his previous life, along with all the cursed tools that could disable cursed techniques.

Satoru sneered, held Toji's hand that grasped the sword's hilt, and forcefully removed the blade from his shoulder. "Getting rusty, aren't we?" He mocked as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, a little," Toji admitted remembering he stopped assassinating sorcerers after becoming a married man. "But I'm starting to get the hang of it." The man tried to slash through the white-haired teen's torso but failed after he successfully evaded it.

Satoru jumped backward at his fastest speed, carefully holding his injured shoulder while narrowing his eyes. Looking at it, they were both not at their best. He could not utilize his future memories properly because he had a young body while it had been a while since Toji killed anyone.

Damn, he hated this guy's guts. He had forgotten how annoying Megumi's father was.

"Then shall we go at it again?"

Amanai Riko began to get scared. In truth, she was afraid of not seeing her friends ever again and was only powering through this mess.

After they left Satoru, who was fighting with the enemy, the three took an elevator to get down and arrived at the bottom of Jujutsu High, the Tombs of the Star the Corridor, where Master Tengen resides. He was an immortal jujutsu sorcerer but was also prone to aging, so he had to reset his body every 500 years by 'merging' with the Star Plasma Vessel. Riko knew she was born for a higher purpose. However, the closer she was to the middle of the tomb, the heavier her heart became.

"This is as far as I can go." Misato bowed as a farewell to the one she served after becoming a jujutsu sorcerer. "Master Riko, please take ca—"

"Kuroi!" Riko hugged her caretaker as her eyes overflowed with tears. She had prepared for this moment all her life, and yet she still found it hard to say goodbye. "I love you! I'm so sorry for making you worry all those times. I love you always, now and forever!"

"I-I love you too…." When she returned the girl's hug, her arms shaking after saying her farewells, the woman trailed off.

Riko wanted to stay and live a normal life with Misato. All her life, she wasn't allowed to go to places she wanted to nor be with her friends at all times. Eventually, going to school became her only escape since it was the only time she could meet new people and experience new things. However, she was the Star Plasma Vessel, she was Master Tengen, and Master Tengen was her…would it really matter?

Wiping the tears off her face, she gave Misato her brightest smile. "I'll see you again, Kuroi." It was a lie, and they both knew it.

"Yes, Master Riko." The hands holding Riko's fingers started to let go, and Misato was left standing alone near the elevator.

Suguru directed Riko where to go. The two needed to take a few turns into what seemed like a village inside the spacious tomb. There were no people, but the houses appeared to be livable. In the middle of the Star Corridor was a massive tree trunk that probably extended until the top of Mushiro Mountain. Paper charms surrounded its base to act as a barrier to those who were attempting to enter.

"Go down the stairs and pass the gate." Suguru provided her with the directions so she wouldn't get lost. "Then head towards the base of that huge tree. It was protected by another barrier different from that surrounding Jujutsu High, and only those who are invited may enter." He pointed in the middle of the tomb. "Master Tengen will protect you until the day of the merger—"

Riko was blanking out while listening to the teen. She was overcome by sadness, and although there was an urge to go back, she needed to stay here. The 14-year-old girl who lost her parents at an early age had only one life purpose, and that was to merge with Master Tengen because she and he are one and—

"—or you can turn back and return home with Kuroi."

Riko blinked in surprise, her eyes widening as she directed her gaze to Suguru. "What?"

The teen felt her hesitation, so he explained, "When we were assigned this mission by our sensei—" His eyes darted back to the enormous tree, looking at it as if it were something odd, "—he referred to the merger as erasure." He played with the coins he was holding earlier, and they rattled on his hands. "He looked at it if there was something wrong, and for a smart man, he liked to beat around the bush."

The girl's ears perked up, and her pupils shook with the explanation. Ever since she was known as the Star Plasma Vessel, everyone held her highly, suffocating her. It was the first time she heard the other side of the story where people would look at her with pity.

"Satoru and I both decided before we met you. If you refuse the merger, then we will call it off." Suguru smiled while recalling the conversation, and Riko could not help but believe his words. "We're the strongest. You haven't seen the other two, but we're one hell of a team."

It had been years, and she treated the merger as her life-saving grace. It became a mantra in her mind, and even though she was eaten by jealousy whenever her friends would do something she couldn't, Riko would tell herself these words, 'Master Tengen was me, and Riko was Master Tengen.' Everything that belonged to him would belong to her, and vice versa.

In the end, she could not contain her selfishness, and she started to hold on to something called hope. Maybe…maybe Master Tengen would call it off. Maybe there were other vessels out there that could replace her.

But this was the only time someone extended their hands to her, and it made Riko unable to control her emotions once again.

"No matter what you choose, we promise to protect you in the future." It was like the final nail in the coffin—the validation she had wanted to hear for years but had never gotten. Finally, Riko was given a choice.

"I-I…" Riko's eyes started to water, fiddling her hands in front of her, she could finally say her thoughts. "I thought someday the sadness and loneliness would disappear… but now I want more. I want to be with everyone once more!"

Suguru gave the girl a small smile. "Riko," he said, then reached out his hand to her. "Let's go home."

"Yea—"

Bang!

A gunshot echoed inside the tomb, making Riko falter in her resolution. Something invisible covered her body; it moved continuously, acting as a barrier around her. That was when she noticed the man that attacked them earlier was hiding in the tunnel holding a gun pointed at her head. Suguru, upon seeing this, did not hesitate and covered the girl.

"Ah damn. Who would have thought someone was also watching?" Toji glanced at the two teens with an irritated expression, his eyes traveling around the place to find the person who protected Riko. "Good show, though. Ten over ten."

"Zenin-san, you haven't changed." A girl's voice responded to him. Riko could see Suguru's shoulder relaxed, so she followed where his eyes were looking, and that was when she saw a person from afar. "Sorry. It's Fushiguro-san now, right?"

"Emi!" Suguru called out in elation while calling out a few curses from his storage to protect the Star Plasma Vessel.

Toji's eyes twitched after seeing her figure, recognizing her immediately. "Ah fuck. You're that kid, right?"

A/N

Since it's almost our exam week, I will be unable to update as frequently. Expect that I will be back in the middle of November, though. Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed by the last chapter. Reviews are appreciated! 3