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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
confessions of a bodyguard
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(episode 27 — hidden inventory 3)

THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE left Kuroi behind. Naomi should've dragged that woman by her hair if it meant that she wouldn't have been taken. These assassins were getting more and more ruthless; the thirty million is becoming more enticing.

Now, she and Suguru had to explain to Riko why her caretaker and last bit of family was gone. Abducted.

"I'm sorry," Suguru said to Riko, who sat against the rungs of a ladder to a fire escape. They were all in an alley, recuperating and assessing their situation. "This is my mistake."

"Mine too," Naomi frowned. "I should've carried her or something."

"Seriously?" Gojo asked, alternating his gaze between the two of them, his hands in his pockets. "I don't think this can even count as a mistake!"

"I underestimated how much our enemies would value Kuroi," Suguru pointed out.

"Or how much they would know Amanai would value Kuroi," Naomi added, looking down at the ground in dismay.

"And their next move will probably be offering to arrange an exchange for her," Gojo pondered, "something like trading Amanai for Kuroi. Or saying they'll kill Kuroi if we don't kill Amanai. But we have the leverage in any negotiation, since we have Amanai. As long as they set up the location for the deal, we can make it work out for us. I'm taking Amanai back to Jujutsu High immediately. We can have Naomi or Shoko or someone else stand in as her body double."

Naomi tensed up at the idea of Shoko or someone else risking their life standing in as Amanai. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat, grabbing Gojo's attention.

"I'll do it—"

"No!" Riko exclaimed, her eyebrows pinched together as she looked up at all of them. "Hold on! I'm going to be part of this deal too! I still can't trust you three yet!"

"Huh?" Gojo asked. "You're still saying that after all of this?!"

"Even if you save her—" Riko said. "Even if you save her, what if Kuroi isn't back before I assimilate with Tengen?"

Naomi's heart clenched. Riko wanted to be able to say goodbye properly. She could understand that. She wished that even if nothing else could be changed, she could've had a better chance to say goodbye to her parents, her sister. Why should she deny this to Amanai?

"I mean, I haven't—" Riko faltered. "I haven't even said goodbye to her yet!"

Gojo looked back at Suguru and Naomi, locking eyes with her. She wanted to shake her head, disagree anyway. There were so many things that could go wrong. But when Naomi glanced over at Riko, she couldn't help but notice the way the girl was holding back tears. Something about her expression, something about the innocence in her, made Naomi nod.

"The kidnapper will reach out to us eventually," Gojo said, "but if we realize they're smarter than expected or it turns out that bringing you will only lessen Kuroi's chances of survival, then we'll have to leave you behind."

Naomi opened her mouth to argue—that went against the entire mission for Tengen, and contradicted what he said before the mission even started—but Suguru grabbed her arm, pulling her attention. He shook his head when she finally looked over at him.

"All right," Riko agreed. "That works."

"On the other hand, if you get scared partway through and want to go home, we'll just ignore you," Gojo said, "so keep that in mind."

• ★ •

THE PLANE RIDE to Okinawa wasn't long at all. Why the Star Religious Group had chosen this location instead of one of their properties in Tokyo, Naomi couldn't understand. She didn't want to understand, either—she just wanted to get that woman and go.

When she sat down in her seat, she noticed that Riko and Geto were in front of her, and the aisle seat next to her was empty. Naomi rolled her eyes and looked around for Gojo, getting ready to scold him for the seating arrangement, but her words died in her throat when she saw the way he was going up and down the aisles, using his six eyes to inspect all the other passengers, probably checking for anyone who shouldn't be there. Just outside the window was Lester, the white dragon curse Geto had caught last year.

This was probably going to be the safest plane ride Naomi had ever been on. Not that it would help her nerves. Every bit of turbulence had her clenching up and gripping the armrests, her eyes squeezing shut to ignore reality.

"Man, you really hate planes," Gojo hummed as he eventually sat down next to her.

Naomi opened one eye to peek over at him, a frown on her face.

"I don't like the idea of crashing." She glared, slightly relaxing when the ride smoothed out. "Especially since a storm is supposed to be coming soon. It messes with wind patterns."

"Oh please, we'll be fine," Gojo waved her off. "Lester will get you if you get too close to the ground."

"I trust Lester more than I trust this plane," Naomi huffed.

"I would catch you, too." Gojo was more sincere now, catching Naomi off guard. She looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. "You would would be in my debt forever if I do."

Naomi scoffed and rolled her eyes. There it was. The jackassery. She ignored him after that, trying to focus on the book in her lap that she'd brought with her from her dorm.

If she couldn't take a nap, maybe a book could take her mind off her nerves.

— — —

GETTING KUROI OUT was easier than Naomi had expected. She made her way through the halls of the temple of the Star Religious Group. These bastards just don't give up. As if their bounty wasn't doing enough work for them.

After conferring with Nanami and Haibara about where to meet if something went wrong and they ended up needing the underclassmen's assistance, the four of them didn't waste time.

The temple was mostly empty. More likely, this place wasn't actually a temple and maybe some sort of storage compound, which would explain how they'd even gotten Kuroi in there without someone saying something to the authorities.

It also made it easier for Naomi to knock the lights out of anyone who got in her way.

When Gojo turned a corner and kicked his foot up, Naomi watched in wonder as he knocked a man back by kicking him in the face. How was this guy so tall?

She rushed in after, stomping on the two men who were in the room. Gojo was right by her side helping her. Naomi must have lost her balance at some point after only standing on one foot for a while, because suddenly, she was leaning and Gojo was steadying her.

She looked up at him, a fury blazing in her eyes after staring at the kidnappers for so long. Gojo's face faltered into an unrecognizable expression, looking away, his face flushed, his ears and nose going bright red. What was that about? And why did Naomi's gut twist and flutter from it?

She pulled away from Gojo, who also took a step away from her as Riko untied Kuroi and helped her up. They needed to get out of there and get to a more rural part of Okinawa. It was getting more dangerous for the two of them the longer they stayed.

As they left the building and got away from the temple, they found themselves surrounded by shops near the beach. It was probably what gave Gojo the idea as he all but demanded they stay there for a while. They could just take a late flight that night and get Riko to the school in time for the deadline tomorrow.

"What about Nanami and Haibara?" Naomi asked. "They're keeping the airport clear right now, but if we plan on staying a while then we're holding them up."

She loved the underclassmen. Kento Nanami and Yu Haibara were first year students and probably Naomi's closest friends after Shoko, Suguru, and Utahime. They never demanded anything of her, and they never pried about her past, though it was probably because they were already aware of it.

"Don't worry, your boyfriend and your precious Nanamin will be fine," Gojo waved her off, a bit more pouty than normal at the mention of the two.

"Yu is not my boyfriend, I swear to—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, let's go here!" Gojo cut her off and dragged them into a nearby shop.

Naomi's feet were dragging through the beach shop, her eyes scanning through what seemed like miles upon miles of racks with bathing suits. She was apprehensive about this whole plan. Staying in Okinawa might make a little sense, but to be going to the beach as well?

She wasn't insecure about her body. She'd played on sports teams in middle school and these missions the school assigned her kept her fairly active, but the idea of being in a bathing suit around Gojo was what made her hesitate.

She didn't want to discover a new insecurity around him.

"Hey, Kimura!" he called from across the small shop, pulling her attention up to him. Gojo held up a tiny piece of fabric with strings dangling everywhere. It took her a moment to realize that it was a fucking thong bikini. Anger spiked in her bloodstream, her glare hardening on her classmate. "I'll get you this one! I bet it fits perfectly!"

"Treat her with respect, you pervert!" Riko's shrill voice yelled out from next to him as she slammed a plastic hanger down on his head.

He snickered like a school child as he raised his hands in surrender, tossing the bikini down on the pile he picked it up from.

Naomi rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she continued to find something with more coverage than the porn costume Gojo suggested.

"You've gotten good at tolerating him," Suguru spoke up from next to her, a bag hanging off his wrist as he kept his hands shoved in his pockets. "I think you could get promoted up a rank just from doing that."

Naomi chuckled, a soft smile on her face now. "Well, Riko is great at putting him in his place," she pointed out. Her eyes widened when she found a reasonable bathing suit. Black, of course—she needed to keep up with appearances. "She makes me so proud already."

Suguru chuckled at that, nudging her.

"Or maybe you're warming up to him a little?" he tried suggesting, "I mean, he is the one that suggested all this, and he's paying for all of it to top it off."

"I don't feel bad for spending rich people money," Naomi shrugged, walking over to the clothes the shop offered and frowning at the fact that their shorts were as short as her bathing suit bottoms. "Gojo could pay for us on this trip twenty times over and it still wouldn't make a dent in that family vault of his."

An actual laugh escaped Suguru now as he followed her, flipping through clothes to probably help her find something to wear after the beach. Their uniforms were too stuffy and her current clothes were getting to be too warm now that they were in constant sun.

"That's true," Suguru admitted. "He can probably confirm it too."

"Confirm what?" Gojo's voice was like nails on a chalkboard for Naomi.

"That you're stupid rich," Naomi replied casually, and then paused. Before Gojo's head could inflate, she glanced back at him. "Emphasis on stupid."

She could see the word fly over his head as he tilted it, staring at her.

"But you're talking about me," he smirked, "and you called me rich."

"Wasn't a compliment." She rolled her eyes, pushing her new clothes into his arms with his own.

She had landed on some sandals and a black sundress. Gojo seemed more than happy to buy everything—he even insisted on getting more stuff, a charm bracelet with various sea creatures and a necklace that had caught her eye when they entered the store. Naomi didn't know what to say to him when he handed her the bags. The words "thank you" died in her throat when he gave that smug wink. The same one he gave her when he did anything pretentiously.

Still, when she was in the changing stall, with no one looking, she slipped on the charm bracelet and clasped the necklace on, the chain the perfect length. She gave Suguru a glare that dared him to comment on the jewelry, and Gojo didn't say a word when his eyes landed on her. All six eyes reading and penetrating her soul. How long would he keep his technique up?

She was quiet as she laid out her towel next to Kuroi's, the hot sun beating down on them and the sand. Naomi opted to keep her new sandals on, uninterested in burning her feet on the ground.

"Can't believe I got captured by the Star Religious Group," Kuroi sighed as she settled in, watching Riko play with Gojo in the water. "And worse yet, by a non-sorcerer. I'm just so ashamed of myself."

"You couldn't help it if they caught you off guard like that," Suguru said from the other side of Kuroi. "Part of the blame lies with Naomi and I, too."

"Yeah," Naomi spoke up now. "I should've dragged you with me if that's what it took."

"Was I really caught off guard?" Kuroi asked. "I thought I was on high alert after the incident with Q. I still don't have much recollection of being attacked, and you all came here by plane? Are you okay? You weren't attacked?"

"Satoru has some good eyes on him," Suguru explained. "Before we took off, he checked over all the passengers and staff, as well as inside and outside the plane. And while we were in the air, I had my cursed spirit keep watch outside. It was safer than traveling by land. But what I'm curious about is why they chose Okinawa as the place to make the exchange."

"Probably to buy time, I would assume," Kuroi pondered. "Even if they fail to kill Riko, they could keep her from making tomorrow's full moon deadline."

"If that were the goal, they would just choose a rural area with poor transit infrastructure," Suguru pointed out.

"And they wouldn't have put a kill order on her in the first place, just a kidnapping bounty," Naomi pointed out. "It would also be less illegal, easier to fight the charges if non-sorcerers found out."

"Maybe their plan is to take over the airport and trap us here," Kuroi suggested, getting herself worked up. Naomi tilted her head with a frown.

"That's a possibility," Suguru said as he looked at the timeline that he wrote up. "But we're gonna be fine. We're not the only ones in Okinawa."

Kuroi seemed to relax after the assurance, and after observing Naomi's calm nature as she read. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa was one of many books that Yukine kept on a bookshelf in her room, and it was one of many that Naomi had had to pack in a hurry before leaving her home.

Now, she was picking up where Yukine left off, reading what she read. Anything to be close to her sister, since she'd never see her again.

Riko and Gojo's screeching laughter could be heard from the splashing water as they chased each other around. The area they'd chosen was mostly secluded, so Naomi wasn't worried about the ruckus pulling stray eyes.

What she should've been worried about was the sudden silence from Gojo. Too lost in her reading, it was too late for her by the time a shadow washed over her and her book. Before she could even complain, the book was yanked from her hands and she was hoisted up in the air.

"What—" Naomi whirled around, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Put me down!"

Thrashing and screeching, she made eye contact with Suguru and Kuroi, who she was once was sitting next to. Suguru had a smile on his face and Kuroi seemed to be just as shocked as Naomi. She looked down to see the ground and Gojo's backside as he carried her to the water over his shoulder.

"Gojo, I swear if you don't put me down right—"

"Oh, okay!" he agreed, spinning around and releasing.

The water was cold, but not freezing. Small waves lapped at her backside, splashing on her bare skin and making her bathing suit cling to her.

The air stood still as everyone processed what had just happened. Suguru and Kuroi remained in their spot, stifling chuckles. Riko was in the water, her eyes wide and fury on her face. Gojo busted out into cackling laughter, doubled over holding his gut as his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"That was so disrespectful!" Riko screeched, kicking up water and throwing anything she could at him. Naomi stood up in the water, her glare focusing on the white-haired devil in front of her. Gojo's laughter started to dim down as he realized no one was laughing with him, especially not Naomi.

In less than a second she was in the air. Toppling him over, Naomi clutched Gojo by his open jacket, the bright red now subdued due to it being soaked in water.

"What is the world is wrong with you!" Naomi screamed, shaking him as he looked up at her with a smug grin.

"Absolutely nothing!" he beamed. "You needed to loosen up!"

Naomi sputtered as she shoved him back, soaking his hair as he hit the water.

"Riko," she said, looking over at the young girl, "you wanna—"

"On it!" she yelled, reaching into the water and snatching something out of the sand. She hurled it at Gojo's head and gasped when it remained in the air. He finally turned on his infinity.

She'd thrown a sea cucumber at his head. Naomi looked over at Riko, trying to stifle her own giggle now as she realized what Riko did. Gojo grabbed the cucumber from the air and found another one to chase them around with.

Naomi grabbed Riko, who squealed when she did. She was laughing as Naomi carried her through the water, dodging the waves that Gojo kicked up when he chased after them. Riko tried dodging a sea cucumber that Gojo threw but the movement made Naomi falter and trip, sending the girls crashing into the waves again.

Gojo's cackling laughter echoed over the water as the girls giggled to themselves while they slowly got up.

"Satoru, Naomi!" Suguru called out. "It's time!"

"Oh!" Gojo immediately stopped his cackling to look over at Suguru, his demeanor completely different now. "I didn't realize it was that late."

Naomi looked down at Riko, who fell silent. She looked down at the water, clearly holding back tears and trying to hide her disappointment. It was evident that she wasn't fully on board with the end goal of the plan. Naomi had the sense that maybe... she didn't want to assimilate just yet.

She was only fourteen, after all.

Naomi looked up at Gojo, who seemed to understand when they locked their gazes. In the daylight, she could see the glow of his six eyes even better behind his sunglasses.

"Suguru!" Gojo replied. "Let's head back tomorrow morning instead!"

Riko lit up at the suggestion. There were practically stars in her eyes as she stood up. Naomi and Gojo headed over to Suguru to go over this new plan he suggested, ironing out any faults that could come up if they went with it.

Kuroi headed over to Riko to take care of her, and the three of them stood in the shade of a nearby boulder.

"We can't," Suguru shot down, probably thinking of the typhoon that would be coming in soon.

"The weather's holding steady, right?" Gojo asked. "Besides, there are fewer curse users in Okinawa than there are in Tokyo."

"Let's keep it a little more serious, Satoru," Suguru frowned.

"It's better if the time limit on the bounty runs out while we're mid-flight, right?" Gojo asked.

"Yeah, if we get her on that plane safely, then we won't even have to worry about what'll be in the airport when we land," Naomi agreed, looking up at Suguru. Both he and Gojo seemed shocked by the fact that she wasn't arguing with him. "They're not going to pay if she dies after the bounty expires, and with the three of us right on her, nobody is going to try anything."

"Satoru," Suguru sighed, looking over at Gojo, "you haven't released your technique since yesterday, have you? You haven't slept either, and you don't plan to sleep tonight, do you? Are you sure we don't need to go back to Jujutsu High?"

Gojo tapped a fist against Suguru's chest, the fabric of Suguru's open button-down Hawaiian-print shirt fluttering from the impact. Naomi only noticed the toned six pack both guys were sporting at that moment, but she quickly averted her gaze upward to their faces, hoping they were too caught up in their own conversation to notice her wandering eyes.

"It's not a problem!" Gojo shoved his hands into his pockets. "Grinding to endgame in an MMO is far more draining. And besides, you guys are here with me too!"

Gojo walked off to gather his stuff to change, leaving Naomi and Suguru to look to each other. There was an inkling in the back of her mind, an odd omen pooling in her gut. She wasn't completely at ease knowing just how much Gojo was pushing himself right now.

"Don't say anything, but I'm worried," Naomi muttered, glancing over at Gojo. "I've never seen him use his eyes this long. I don't think he'll be able to keep it up for another full day."

"I know, but when he crashes, that's when I'll bring in one of the curses. No use in bringing one out now and both of us being drained," Suguru sighed.

"I just wish I had a better grasp of my own technique," Naomi huffed. "Maybe you two could relax more with this."

"I have a feeling that even if you had complete control over your technique, he would still do this," Suguru pointed out, walking with her to their stuff. "So don't beat yourself up about it."

Naomi sighed and nodded, gathering her new sundress and other clothes. Her hair dripped with seawater and her skin glistened under the sun. Hopefully she wouldn't burn later due to the lack of sunscreen.

The rest of the day was full of different activities that Gojo came up with on the spot to keep them busy, and probably to keep Riko distracted from her worries as the Vessel.

They paddled in canoes down the river, taking in the wonders of the fresh water. They toured through botanical gardens. Wandering through villas and shops, it was Riko who found the soup restaurant for an early dinner. Naomi couldn't help but giggle when Gojo tried to sneak hot sauce into the girl's soup. He was lucky Riko didn't throw the soup on him after.

Later, when the sun began to set, they found an aquarium. The entrance fee wasn't bad, according to Gojo, so they went. The guys weren't extremely interested in the sea creatures, and neither was Kuroi. But Riko and Naomi couldn't get enough of the ocean life in front of them. The harmony of the animals in the display cases captivated Naomi.

"Do you have family?" Riko suddenly asked as they headed down a tunnel, water surrounding them as schools of fish swam above their head.

Naomi looked over at the girl, taken aback by the bluntness of the question. Was her pain obvious?

Riko wasn't looking at her, and she wasn't looking at the fish. She was looking at a young family a few feet ahead of them, a father holding up his young son as the child practically smushed his face up against the glass, trying to touch the seal swimming by.

"Suguru is my family now," Naomi frowned, "my parents and sister died last year."

"I'm sorry," Riko was quieter now. "It's hard to lose everyone."

"At least you have Kuroi." Naomi nudged the girl softly, a weak smile on her face. "I'm sure your family would be glad that she stuck around for you."

Riko lifted her chin as she glanced at Naomi, a soft smile on her face.

"I'm glad you're here," Riko admitted. "I think I would've gone crazy if I had to deal with them alone when getting Kuroi back."

"Well, I'm just a glorified bodyguard right now anyway," Naomi shrugged as they turned a corner, finding themselves in the shark exhibit. "I haven't really been doing my job properly."

"You're not just a bodyguard," Riko frowned. "You're powerful too, it's not hard to see."

"I appreciate that, Riko," Naomi smiled. "You're an observant one."

Riko chuckled as they walked through the exhibit. It was quiet for a moment, but soon, Naomi couldn't help but point out little facts here and there about the creatures that they saw.

As the night went on, they eventually found a hotel suite with enough beds on a short notice, though Naomi had a feeling that Gojo wouldn't even be using his tonight.

It was dark out now, and the hotel was on a higher end, so it had complimentary pajamas for its guests. Naomi was grateful for that as she quietly made her way to the kitchenette. In the lounge area of the room, a pair of blue glowing eyes stood out in the corner of her eye.

Gojo was watching, waiting for something. It was beginning to stress her out.

"You need to sleep," Naomi said softly, mindful of the others as they rested. "You're no help to anyone if you don't give your eyes a rest."

"Don't worry your pretty head about it," Gojo waved off, "I'll give them a break when we get back to the school tomorrow."

Naomi huffed, brushing off the compliment he snuck in there, knowing he only said it to piss her off. She poured herself a glass of water, and one for him as well.

"Whatever, Gojo," she frowned as she handed him the glass. "You're gonna make yourself blind or something."

She turned to head back to her small room when he grabbed her free hand, making her turn back to look at him incredulously.

"Thanks for backing me up today," he said. "It's obvious that she doesn't want to do this. I hope this little trip today convinced her to not assimilate tomorrow."

"Same," Naomi sighed. "What do you think will happen if we keep her away from Tengen?"

"Don't worry, my clan would protect her," Gojo shrugged. "Us too... even you if you ask nicely."

Naomi rolled her eyes and scoffed, fighting back a small smile.

"Sure, thanks," she said, pulling her hand out of his grip. She stood there for a moment, locking eyes with him before stepping back. "... Goodnight, Gojo."

"Goodnight."

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THE BUZZING CICADAS were a faint hum in Naomi's ears. Nothing could overwhelm her thundering heartbeat as she made her way up the stairs. Pushing some of her bangs away from her sweaty face, she wasn't sure how Riko could stand to be in this uniform almost everyday.

Naomi had made the decision when heading back to the school to dress up in the girl's spare uniform, just as a precaution. The Star Religious Group was relentless and even though the bounty had expired, it didn't mean that they wouldn't send someone else out to kill Riko.

At least if there were two girls in the same uniform, it would give whoever came after them enough of a pause to give everyone else a chance to stop them.

Naomi didn't enjoy the fact that, at sixteen years old, she could fit inside a fourteen-year-old's uniform.

"Very good work, everyone," Suguru said as they reached the top of the stairs that led up to the school. They were inside the school's barriers now, meaning they were finally safe. Though it somehow made Naomi even more nervous. Was Riko really going to go through with this?

"We're now inside Jujutsu High's barrier." Suguru seemed to be more relaxed than most now, and he wasn't even out of breath from the stairs, which pissed Naomi off only a little.

"Boy, am I relieved to hear that!" Riko sighed with a smile, happily accepting the handkerchief Kuroi offered her to dab at the sweat on her brow.

"Yes, so am I!" Kuroi chuckled.

"The worst should be over. The barriers will protect us from curse users," Naomi spoke up, stretching her back, sighing in relief as muscles stretched and joints popped.

"Satoru?" Suguru spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"You really worked hard this time," Suguru complimented, a prideful smile on his face as he regarded his friend.

Gojo sighed, shutting his eyes. The tension around his temples seemed to dissipate and when he opened them again, they were his normal shade of ocean blue.

"I never wanna get stuck again babysitting some kid!" Gojo whined, rolling his eyes.

"Huh?" Riko asked, shock spread on her expression.

For some reason, Naomi genuinely didn't believe his words. There was a wall being put up there. He probably didn't want to let on about his attachment to Riko.

"Whatever Gojo, I thi—"

A sword. It was a sword protruding from his chest. Everyone froze. Quiet gasps could be heard. For a moment, even the cicadas paused, all in shock by the fact that Gojo had a sword lodged so far into his back that it came out of his chest.

"What the fuck!" Naomi screeched, her wide eyes unable to process the sight in front of her.

"Excuse me," Gojo looked over his shoulder at the man who had rammed the sword into his back, "but have we met before?"

"Yeah, we have, but don't worry about it," the man answered. He couldn't be anything past his late twenties, dark hair and blue eyes like Gojo. "I'm terrible at remembering guys' names too."

With a blast of Gojo's technique, the man was sent flying back and one of Suguru's curses ate him, though it wouldn't hold. Naomi made a noise of indignation as she looked around, a plan scraping itself together in her head.

"Satoru!" Suguru called out, running for him. Gojo was on one knee, recuperating now that the sword was gone, leaving a hole in his chest.

Gojo held a hand up though, making Suguru pause.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Gojo smiled. "I didn't make it in time with my technique, but it missed my vitals. I then strengthened myself with cursed energy so the blade couldn't be drawn out. It felt like nothing more than passing a safety pin through a big hole in a knit sweater. Seriously, I'm fine. You make sure Amanai is safe. I'll deal with this guy myself."

"I'm gonna..." Naomi huffed as she looked over at Riko, a weak smile on her face. "I'm gonna buy you guys time. Get out of here. When he gets out, he's going to look for you."

"Go, Suguru!" Gojo spoke up, stretching his arms. "Take her, make sure you two get her to Tengen. Naomi and I can handle ourselves."

"Satoru," Suguru sighed, looking over at Kuroi and Riko. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle, one that he resolved after looking over at Naomi, who only gave him a reassuring nod. "Just be careful! Follow me!"

"Right!" Kuroi agreed. The three of them ran off, getting out of sight by the time the curse that ate the assassin was cut open from the inside.

"All right," Gojo sighed, taking off his sunglasses, "let's get this over with."

Naomi was paralyzed with fear when she made eye contact with the man. His black compression shirt and gray sweats were covered in the purple goopy blood of Reginald, the curse Suguru used that the man had just sliced open to escape.

When the man grinned, Naomi turned and ran in the opposite direction from where Suguru led Kuroi and Amanai, hoping that it'd be enough for him to follow. This half-baked plan probably wouldn't work, but she needed to hope and pray to whatever god was out there that it worked just long enough to get Riko to safety.

She ran for the courtyard, huffing and puffing as she glanced over her shoulder. He was after her and he was fast. A surprised shriek escaped her when she noticed Gojo forty feet behind both of them, watching in horror. He tried using his technique to pull the man back to him, but maybe they were out of range again.

"Shit!" she screeched as she narrowly dodged his blade. Her knife slipped down her sleeve into her palm. Gripping it tightly, Naomi blindly swung it behind her, hoping to get him off her back.

What she didn't expect was for him to snatch her wrist and appear in front of her. Did he yank her? No, he was fast, too fast. What the hell was up with this guy? She couldn't sense any cursed energy coming off of him, only the cursed spirt wrapped around his torso and hanging off his shoulder.

He twisted her wrist as he held up her knife, glaring at it and then her.

"You're not the Vessel," he said. His rough voice sent ice down her spine. "You're in the way."

Up close, she could see even more of this man. He looked like he was dead inside. There was no light behind his eyes. An old, small scar ran up and down the corner of his mouth.

Naomi tried punching. She tried kicking and thrashing, anything to get loose from his iron grip. She could hear Gojo yelling behind her. She could feel the buzz of his technique amplification.

She could also feel her own knife digging into her face, the serrated edge of the blade tearing her flesh. A blood-curdling scream ripped through her throat as an explosion of cursed energy slammed into her cheek.

This is what those men from Q had felt. The explosive pain of her negative energy being used against her. Another slam of her knife into her thigh made her leg give out on her, and when that wasn't enough for the man, he decided to stab the blade into her shoulder, cutting deep and breaking bone.

Naomi fell to the ground, writhing in pain as she screamed, tears flooding her face and stinging the fresh wounds on her cheek. When did he cut her face a second time? The blood loss was uncontrollable. Her pulse was pounding as her vision grew hazy and everything around her went quiet.

Gojo's screams were faint to her now. Whoever this man was, he didn't even pay a second glance to her, walking off to handle Gojo.

She hadn't lasted five minutes. If Gojo didn't put up a better fight than her, then Riko and Suguru didn't stand a chance of getting to Tengen in time.

"A-Aman-nai," Naomi wheezed, "I'm-m s-sor-ry."

She was losing blood, and she was losing it fast. She could feel it pool around her body on the ground in a warm, sticky puddle. A blinding light flashed in her vision, a faint choral song in her ears began a slow crescendo and...

There. Something she hadn't seen in over a year was right there, just out of her reach. Something she had been chasing and not even realizing. The answer to a problem she didn't know she was on the verge of solving.

A vignette haze began to expand over her vision as she fought to sit up. When she did, the crater in the middle of the courtyard made her gasp, then cough and sputter as blood pooled in her mouth. In the center of the crater was a lone pillar level with her, and on it lay the lifeless body of Satoru Gojo.

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AHHHHHH WE MADE IT!!! IVE HAD THE SHOP AND BEACH SCENE PLANNED FOR SO LONG!!!! SINCE LIKE, THE START OF THIS BOOK!!!

i'm so happy to be here guys but just a warning, it's only going to be more and more painful from here.

get your tissues ready and don't hate me too much lol.

anyways, thank you and see you at the next update!

— greta!