The cool night wind blew, dispersing the lingering smell of burning debris from the apartment ruins.
After Yoru displayed that god-like strike, the once noisy Riko Amanai fell completely silent.
For the first time, this girl, raised as a vessel since childhood, truly felt what absolute security meant.
It was a sense of safety where, as long as he was there, she didn't have to fear even if the sky were to fall.
Jujutsu High's assistant supervisors acted quickly. After confirming that the Q Organization had been wiped out, they promptly arranged a hidden safe house on the outskirts of Tokyo.
This was a detached villa surrounded by multiple barriers, which not only isolated cursed energy fluctuations but also prevented physical spying.
"Phew... I can finally get some rest."
Suguru Geto collapsed onto the sofa as soon as he entered, rubbing his aching temples.
Although he hadn't even had the chance to lift a finger in the previous battle, dealing with Riko's volatile temper alongside Satoru Gojo was more exhausting than fighting two Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
"Hey! I'm the Star Plasma Vessel! You're going to make me sleep in a place like this?"
Although Riko felt some awe toward Yoru, her innate tsundere nature made it impossible for her not to nitpick.
She glanced at the somewhat simple guest room, placing her hands on her hips.
"Kuroi! I want to take a bath! And I want high-grade wagyu beef!"
Misato Kuroi, the maid, stood to the side awkwardly.
"Miss Riko, these are special circumstances. The safe house provided by Jujutsu High only has some instant bento boxes..."
"I don't want bento!"
Riko sat on a chair, pouting, her eyes turning slightly red.
It wasn't that she actually wanted wagyu beef.
In this unfamiliar environment, facing an unknown fate of death, she could only use this willful behavior to hide the terror in her heart.
"Kids are such a nuisance," Satoru Gojo muttered.
He leaned against the doorframe, a lollipop appearing in his hand at some point as he spoke muffledly.
"You're lucky to have anything to eat. I didn't even get to buy my favorite limited-edition sweets because I was busy protecting you."
"You white-haired jerk! Who asked for your protection anyway!"
Just as the two were about to start bickering again...
*Clink!*
The sharp sound of a knife hitting a surface suddenly echoed from the kitchen.
Everyone turned their heads in unison, only to see that Yoru had somehow put on a pink apron that was completely at odds with his cool and aloof demeanor.
He stood at the counter with an ordinary kitchen knife, his hands moving at a dizzying speed as he sliced the ingredients into perfectly uniform strips.
"What... what is Instructor Yoru doing?" Suguru Geto stammered, stunned.
"Cooking."
Yoru replied without looking back, his voice as gentle as ever.
"Instant bento has no nutrition, and besides..."
He paused his movements and turned to look at the red-eyed Riko, a rare flash of tenderness in his gaze.
"A girl needs to eat well while she's still growing."
The living room fell into a dead silence the moment he said those words.
Riko stared blankly at his busy back in the kitchen, as if a certain string in her heart had been gently plucked.
She had been treated as the exalted 'Star Plasma Vessel' since childhood, and everyone was respectful to her, but that respect was only because of her impending sacrifice.
No one had ever looked at her as just a normal middle school girl who was still growing.
In less than half an hour.
Four dishes, a soup, and an exquisitely made tamagoyaki were served on the table.
Though it was just made from a few ordinary ingredients left in the fridge, Yoru's precise control of the heat brought out a mouth-watering aroma.
*Gulp.*
Satoru Gojo unceremoniously swallowed his saliva and was the first to rush to the table.
"Whoa! Instructor Yoru, you have skills like this?! This tamagoyaki looks even more authentic than the one at the century-old shop I frequent!"
He reached out to grab a piece, only for Yoru to ruthlessly smack the back of his hand with his chopsticks.
"Go wash your hands."
Yoru's tone carried an unquestionable authority, much like a strict patriarch.
"Tch, stingy."
Satoru pouted but obediently went to wash his hands.
At the dinner table.
Riko took small bites of the food, but large tears began to drip-drop into her bowl.
"What's wrong? Is it not to your taste?"
Yoru frowned slightly and handed her a tissue.
"No... it's not..."
Riko shook her head, hurriedly wiped her eyes, and looked at Yoru with absolute sincerity.
"It's delicious... it's the best meal I've ever had."
"Big Brother Yoru... thank you."
The word "Big Brother" came out naturally, without a hint of pretense.
Standing nearby, Misato Kuroi's eyes also grew moist.
She knew better than anyone how much Miss Riko longed for a simple, unconditional gesture of care.
After dinner.
Having finished her bath, Riko stood in the living room wearing oversized pajamas and clutching a pillow, looking a bit uneasy.
"Um..."
She looked at Yoru, who was currently wiping Shiranui, and hesitated.
"What's wrong?"
Yoru set the blade down and turned around.
"I... I'm scared..."
Riko lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper.
"Whenever I close my eyes, I think of those bad people with knives... I can't sleep."
Yoru looked at the girl's trembling shoulders and sighed.
He stood up and walked over to her.
"Go back to your room."
"I'll keep watch outside your door."
Riko's head snapped up, her eyes shining with joy.
"Really?"
Yoru nodded.
"As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you."
That night.
Like a fatherly figure, Yoru sat in the hallway outside Riko's room.
He even used his warm spiritual energy, allowing it to flow into the room through the cracks in the door to soothe the girl's tense nerves.
Surrounded by that warm and secure aura, Riko finally fell into a deep sleep.
At the end of the hallway.
Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto leaned against the wall, watching the statue-like figure guarding the door.
"Hey, Suguru."
Satoru folded his arms, a meaningful smile on his face.
"Doesn't it look like Instructor Yoru is a mother hen protecting his chick?"
Suguru rolled his eyes.
"Satoru, if you don't want to be sliced in two by one of the instructor's terrifying strikes, I suggest you take that back."
"Still..."
Suguru's gaze turned serious.
"Instructor Yoru's protectiveness over Little Riko seems a bit unusual."
"It's as if... he once lost someone incredibly important to him, and now he's doing everything he can to make up for it."
Satoru adjusted his sunglasses, a glint appearing in his azure eyes.
"Who knows."
"But with him here, this mission has certainly become much more interesting."
The night grew deeper.
In the woods outside the safe house, there was a faint rustle of leaves.
Yoru's eyes were closed, but his perception through the Transparent World had spread out like a spiderweb, covering every corner within a hundred meters.
He didn't move.
Only his fingers gripping Shiranui tightened slightly.
In the blind spots of vision, under the shroud of night.
Several faint yet murder-laden presences had quietly locked onto the villa.
The assassins from the Star Religious Group were in position.