Yoru slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath, concluding a night-long cycle of Total Concentration: Constant breathing.
The Star Religious Group assassins who had been lurking around the villa last night hadn't dared to make a move in the end.
Perhaps they were deterred by Yoru's unabashedly terrifying sword intent, or perhaps they were waiting for a better opportunity. Either way, they had retreated like the ebbing tide.
But Yoru knew this was merely the brief silence before the storm.
"Good morning, Brother Yoru!"
Riko Amanai pushed open the door, dressed in a neat sailor uniform with a youthful, bright smile on her face.
After the 'stern father' dinner and protection from the previous night, the girl had completely let her guard down and was even starting to look forward to going to school today.
"Morning."
Yoru stood up and habitually ruffled her hair.
"Where's Kuroi?"
"Kuroi said she was going to the nearby convenience store to buy some fresh milk and bread. She should be back soon."
Riko glanced at the wall clock.
However, five minutes passed, then ten.
By the time Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto came downstairs yawning, Misato Kuroi still hadn't appeared.
Yoru's brow furrowed slightly.
"Something's wrong."
He walked to the window and activated the Transparent World.
His vision instantly pierced through the villa walls and the surrounding woods, spreading toward the convenience store hundreds of meters away.
Nothing. There was no sign of Misato Kuroi's presence.
Not even a trace of residual cursed energy from a struggle had been left behind.
"What is it, Instructor Yoru?"
Suguru Geto noticed the change in Yoru's expression and immediately summoned a fly-head for reconnaissance.
"Kuroi is missing."
Yoru turned around, his tone icy.
"What?!"
The smile on Riko's face vanished instantly, replaced by sheer panic.
"Kuroi... Kuroi is..."
Just then, Misato Kuroi's spare phone sitting on the coffee table vibrated.
An anonymous MMS message had arrived.
Suguru Geto walked over quickly and tapped the screen.
The photo showed Misato Kuroi tied to a chair, unconscious.
A short line of text was attached below:
[If you want her to live, bring the Star Plasma Vessel to Okinawa for an exchange.]
Thud!
Satoru Gojo punched the wall. His usually lazy gaze instantly turned violent, and a dangerous blue light flickered within the vision of his Six Eyes.
"These suicidal pieces of trash!"
"They dare to kidnap someone right under my nose?!"
"Suguru! Let's go! We're going to kill every last one of them!"
Gojo's pride would not allow him to accept this level of provocation; it was like someone was grinding the face of the strongest into the dirt.
"Calm down, Satoru."
Although Suguru Geto was equally furious, he remained rational.
"They specifically named Okinawa. This is clearly a trap to lure us away."
"If we all leave Tokyo, or if we're ambushed on the way, Riko will be in danger."
"Sob... sob..."
Riko could no longer hold back her tears.
"It's all my fault... if it wasn't to protect me, Kuroi wouldn't have been taken..."
"Brother Yoru, please save Kuroi! I'll do anything as long as you save her!"
Looking at the crying girl, Yoru felt an uncontrollable killing intent rising within him.
These rats hiding in the gutters wouldn't even spare a civilian to achieve their goals.
"Don't cry."
Yoru walked over to Riko and gently wiped away her tears.
"I promise I'll bring her back in one piece."
He turned his head to look at Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto.
"This isn't a simple kidnapping."
Yoru's eyes were terrifyingly deep. His sharp intuition, woven through the Transparent World, had already seen through the conspiracy.
"Since last night, I've noticed an abnormal increase in the number of curse users in the area."
"It's not just the Star Religious Group; there are many undisciplined mercenaries here for the money."
"Someone posted a massive bounty on the Star Plasma Vessel on the underground dark web."
"Thirty million?" Gojo sneered.
"No."
Yoru shook his head, the image of a man with a scar on his lip and a beast-like aura appearing in his mind.
"It's a thirty-million-yen bounty combined with a very clever strategy of attrition."
Toji Fushiguro!
The man known as the Sorcerer Killer was finally starting to close his net.
He had intentionally leaked the bounty to attract countless 'bottom-feeder' curse users driven mad by the prize money.
Like the guy who manipulated paper bag clones in the original story, or this group that kidnapped Kuroi—they were all just fodder used by Toji to exhaust Gojo's energy and his Limitless technique.
The real killing blow was hidden behind these disorganized attacks.
"So what do we do now?" Suguru Geto asked.
"If we go to Okinawa, we're playing right into their hands. If we don't, Kuroi is as good as dead."
Yoru gripped Shiranui at his waist, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes.
"We go."
"Since they want to stir up the waters, then we'll just slaughter our way through them."
"Satoru, Suguru, you two stay close and protect Riko. Suguru, leave two high-stealth cursed spirits on me so you can track my position at all times."
Suguru Geto nodded and immediately sent two fly-heads to slip into Yoru's shadow.
"No matter what attacks you face, your task is singular: make sure Riko enjoys herself during this last summer before the merger."
Satoru Gojo blinked.
"Huh? Enjoy herself? What about the trash coming to die?"
Yoru slowly drew Shiranui.
A lethal red glow began to flow along the pitch-black blade.
"Those trash... I'll take care of them."
Half an hour later, at Haneda Airport.
The private charter arranged by Jujutsu High was ready. Just as the four of them stepped into the departure hall, Yoru's pace faltered slightly.
Through the Transparent World, five humanoid clusters of cursed energy with no vital signs were flanking them from different gates.
They were five shikigami with paper bags over their heads, wielding strange weapons!
"Watch out!"
Suguru Geto was about to summon Rainbow Dragon, but Yoru stopped him with a hand.
"Paper bags... dark web bounty hunters?"
Yoru's eyes turned cold, and he didn't even draw his sword.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and his form instantly split into five afterimages!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Five dull impacts rang out almost simultaneously.
Those paper bag shikigami, which even Satoru Gojo would have found troublesome due to their ability to split infinitely...
Before they could even make an attacking move, they were shattered into fragments at their core cursed energy nodes by Yoru's heavy punches, which were infused with Crimson Flash shockwaves!
"I'll let everyone on the dark web know. Whoever dares to take this bounty..."
Yoru stepped over the shredded paper scraps and shook his wrist.
"...will die!"
In that moment, the terrifying killing intent erupting from Yoru was so intense that it even caused a sharp sting in Gojo's Six Eyes.
The trip to Okinawa was destined to be a bloodbath.
As for the Sorcerer Killer hiding behind the scenes—was he truly prepared to face the wrath of the sun?
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