Utahime, who had rushed in after Shinichi, immediately grabbed him.
"Hey, you can't just run off like that. It's dangerous here."
Shinichi's lips nearly curled into a smile. Time for another performance.
"I'm sorry, miss. The thunder just now was so scary—I panicked and ran inside."
Seeing Shinichi's pitiful expression, Utahime's heart melted instantly.
No... he's too cute...
She turned away, pretending to be serious. "Well, you can't wander around on your own anymore.
From now on, stay close to me."
Before she could finish, Shinichi wrapped his arms around her—though given his height, he could
only reach her legs.
"I'll listen to you, I promise."
AHHH! So adorable! I'll protect him forever!
Utahime was internally screaming when Mei Mei appeared.
"Ms. Utahime, I have two pieces of news."
Utahime straightened up immediately. "What are they?"
"First, although there's a cursed atmosphere here, I found no trace of the cursed spirit itself. I
searched the area and found nothing related to cursed spirits—only food wrappers and other debris
left behind by the missing people."
"Isn't that... good?" Utahime asked, confused.
"Second, while you were chasing him on the first floor, I went up to the second floor—and found
you here."
Mei Mei delivered this calmly.
"That means..."
"Yes. We're trapped in a space similar to a Simple Domain."
As the two analyzed the situation, Shinichi remained perfectly calm.
After all, as long as they stayed less than an hour, Gojo Satoru would rescue them from outside.
They could do nothing but wait—even though two days would pass in the outside world.
Half an hour later, the three completed their fourth loop through the same corridor.
Mei Mei pointed to a mark she had made. "Notice anything?"
"Yes. If your mark hasn't been altered, then this is a looping space created by the cursed spirit.
At first, I thought it was a ring-shaped space—like a donut. But..."
Utahime picked up an empty snack wrapper from the ground and arranged several in a circle.
"You're brave to touch that," Mei Mei remarked with dry humor.
"According to Ms. Mei Mei's marks, I counted our steps each time. The first loop was 122 steps.
Then 203, then 157, and..."
"270 steps."
Shinichi's answer caught Mei Mei's attention.
"That's right—270 steps. How did you know, Shinichi?"
Utahime looked at him curiously. During the previous loops, Shinichi had told them his first name,
though not his surname.
"I heard you counting. I was worried you might lose track if the numbers got too big, so I started
counting during the last loop."
Shinichi flashed an innocent, harmless smile.
I knew the plot anyway, he thought. Might as well play along.
"He's an angel!" Utahime thought.
"What a careful boy," Mei Mei added approvingly.
"So the varying step counts mean this isn't a ring, but..."
Utahime shuffled the wrappers into a line. "A continuously generating corridor—like a barrier
stitching space together."
"If we keep running forward, eventually the barrier will... collapse."
"Ninety points," Mei Mei said.
"Why only ninety? Where are the other ten?"
"Shinichi gets full marks from me."
"Thank you, Ms. Utahime."
Shinichi was laying it on thick.
"If we're going to run, why not split up and go both directions?"
"Good idea. That way we can find the weak point faster. But what about Shinichi?"
"I'll carry him."
Mei Mei lifted Shinichi onto her back. As a Grade 1 sorcerer, her physical strength was
considerable.
"Thank you, Ms. Mei Mei."
"You're welcome, little one. But how much can you pay me?"
"Huh?"
"Just kidding."
Utahime readied herself.
"If we succeed, please recommend me for Grade 1 promotion."
"How much do you have in your bank account?"
"Huh?"
"No problem."
"Ready? One, two—go!"
Both parties sprinted in opposite directions. Shinichi felt the space around them begin to distort
and collapse.
"Hold on tight."
Mei Mei warned him, then leaped out of the crumbling corridor. What Shinichi saw next was the
twisted building—and the still-incomplete but already invincible Gojo Satoru.
"Uta! I'm here to save you!"
After landing safely, Shinichi heard Utahime's shout from nearby.
"I'm your senior—use honorifics!"
Utahime pulled debris off herself and yelled at Gojo Satoru. "I don't need you to save—"
Before she could finish, the rubble on the ground trembled. A Grade 2 cursed spirit burst from the
earth.
Geto Suguru had already sensed it and was about to command his insect cursed spirit to swallow it—
"Piercing Blood."
A sonic boom accompanied the attack. The blood projectile punched clean through the cursed
spirit's head. It collapsed, lifeless.
Shinichi had been charging the technique for a while and released it the instant the spirit
appeared. He had used a blood bag he'd prepared in advance and hidden on his person.
This should help make a good first impression, right?
"Blood Manipulation?"
All five people on the scene turned to stare at Shinichi. Utahime and Mei Mei were the most
shocked.
"Ms. Utahime, are you okay?"
Shinichi called out toward her.
Better to keep acting innocent and natural.
Gojo Satoru approached Mei Mei. "Who's this kid?"
"No idea. We've known each other less than an hour. But that technique should be the Kamo clan's
ancestral art—Blood Manipulation."
"Huh. But why's he here?"
Shinichi looked up at the approaching Gojo Satoru with an innocent smile. "Who are you, mister?"
"I'm the strongest sorcerer in the world—Gojo Satoru!"
Gojo replied without a hint of modesty.
"Satoru, don't scare the child."
Geto Suguru walked up the stairs slowly.
"The path Utahime walks on collapses."
"Impossible."
The two immediately started bickering. Utahime, hearing them from below, grew furious.
"You two are scum!"
"Ah, Utahime, are you alright?"
Behind Gojo Satoru, a short-haired girl peeked out—Shoko Ieiri.
"Shoko!"
Utahime ran over excitedly. "Don't become like those two."
"Don't worry. I was so worried when I didn't hear from you for two days."
"Two days? But we were only in there for less than an hour."
"It might have been a cursed spirit with a time-manipulation-related technique. We don't encounter
them often, but they exist."
As they chatted, Shoko changed the subject. "So what's the deal with this kid?"
Gojo Satoru stood up. "You're Shinichi Kamo, aren't you?"
"Yes, Mr. Gojo."
"How does Gojo know Shinichi's full name? Wait—his surname is Kamo?"
Utahime was bewildered.
"This kid is the young master of the Kamo family—recently awakened Blood Manipulation. He
disappeared a few days ago. The Kamo family was so worried they came to my family asking about
him. I heard he's not even six years old."
"I see. The Kamo family's young master. That attack just now instantly killed a Grade 2 cursed
spirit. Even though it was a non-combat type, that's impressive for his age."
Geto Suguru offered his assessment.
"So Shinichi is that strong."
Utahime looked at Shinichi with a hint of admiration—though only a hint.
"I saw that you were about to be attacked, so I used my technique without thinking. I'm glad I
didn't hurt you. I'm really sorry."
Shinichi put on a guilty expression.
"It's okay, Shinichi. I'm fine now—don't worry."
"Yeah, kid. With me and Suguru here, even someone as weak as Utahime won't get eaten."
Gojo draped an arm over Geto's shoulder as he spoke.
"Gojo, you bastard!"
Utahime shot back angrily.
"Still, it's a shame. That cursed spirit's technique wasn't bad. It would've been great to absorb
it."
Geto sighed.
"Geto, did you want it alive?"
"Yeah. My technique lets me absorb and subjugate cursed spirits."
"Actually, it's still alive. My Piercing Blood only caused a penetrating wound that temporarily
paralyzed it."
Shinichi pointed to the cursed spirit below. Geto looked and confirmed it hadn't dissipated yet.
"You're quite helpful, Shinichi."
Geto leaped down, transformed the massive cursed spirit into a ball, and walked back up.
Then, in front of everyone, he ate it.
"As disgusting as always."
Though the taste was indescribable, Geto maintained his composure.
"What does it taste like?"
Shinichi looked at Geto curiously.
Geto was surprised by the question. No one had ever asked before.
"I've never heard you talk about the taste either, Suguru. What's it like?"
Gojo asked, equally curious.
"It's terrible. If I had to compare... it's like swallowing a rag soaked in vomit in one gulp."
"That sounds awful."
Gojo said this without a shred of sympathy. But Geto didn't take offense—Gojo was just like that.
"Here."
Shinichi reached out and offered a lollipop.
"Hm?"
Geto was puzzled.
"That sounds awful. Eat some candy to sweeten your mouth. This is really good. A convenience store
lady gave it to me."
Geto looked at the candy in Shinichi's small hand. A genuine smile crossed his face, and some of
the gloom in his heart lifted.
"Thank you for sharing, Shinichi."
"Hey, I want one too."
Gojo spotted Geto happily eating candy and lunged toward Shinichi with grabby hands.
As a notorious sweet tooth, Gojo's love for sugar was almost pathological. Of course, the main
reason was that his Infinity technique combined with the Six Eyes rapidly consumed brain energy.
"Here you go."
Shinichi tossed him the last lollipop.
"Thanks, kid!"
Gojo caught it with a delighted laugh.
"By the way, Shinichi, don't you want any?"
Shoko, standing with Utahime, asked.
"I did, but Mr. Gojo took the last one."
Shinichi smiled awkwardly.
"Scum." "Stealing candy from a child is a sin." "Satoru, that's really too much."
The three girls attacked Gojo's character simultaneously.
"What? I just ate some candy, and you guys—"
Gojo looked genuinely offended.
"Hey, kid. Next time you come to Tokyo, I'll treat you to edamame daifuku and cream puffs. Deal?"
"Thank you, Mr. Gojo."
Shinichi clapped excitedly. Trading lollipops for daifuku was an excellent deal.
"By the way."
Mei Mei, who had been silent until now, interrupted.
"Where are your expense reports?"
The trio fell instantly silent.
Two hours later, everyone arrived at the entrance to the Tokyo Jujutsu High barrier.
"I'll drop him off here. I'll send the kid back later."
Gojo stepped out of the car and addressed Mei Mei and Utahime.
"Don't run off by yourself again, Shinichi. It's dangerous."
Utahime called from inside the car.
"Don't worry—Shinichi's at least Grade 3 level already. By the way, can I visit the Kamo family
later to collect an appearance fee?"
Mei Mei replied to Utahime while addressing Shinichi. For Mei Mei, money was everything. Things
that couldn't be monetized were worthless.
"Sure, just talk to my dad."
Shinichi answered readily. He wasn't paying anyway, and building a good relationship with a Grade
1 sorcerer like Mei Mei was valuable. The Kamo family would probably be happy to oblige.