Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the Cherry Blossom Tree, casting mottled light and shadows at his feet. The air carried the scent of Grass and Soil, along with a faint Flower Fragrance.
Tu Bai leaned against the Chair Back and closed his Eyes.
It had been a long time since he had sat so quietly. He didn't have to think about plans, didn't have to act, didn't have to keep his spirit constantly tense.
He felt his tense nerves relax bit by bit.
The Bracelet on his wrist suddenly vibrated slightly.
Tu Bai opened his eyes and lifted his hand to take a look. The Cursed Wards on his bracelet flashed once before fading away. It was like some kind of reminder, or.. a detection?
He took his Mobile Phone out of his Pocket, on the Screen was a Message sent by Gojo Satoru ten minutes ago: 【Arrived in Kyoto. The situation is more troublesome than expected; I might be back a bit late. Stay safely at home.】
Tu Bai stared at that Message for a few seconds, then typed a reply: 【Understood. Stay safe.】
He sent a Rabbit Nodding emoji.
The Message showed as read. A few seconds later, Gojo Satoru replied: 【Good boy. I'll bring you some limited edition Sakura Daifuku for you.】
Tu Bai looked at that reply, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. However, he quickly composed his expression and put his Mobile Phone back into his Pocket.
Limited edition Sakura Daifuku. It sounds delicious.
He closed his Eyes again, continuing to enjoy this rare tranquility.
---
The change happened very suddenly.
Tu Bai first felt the surrounding temperature plummet. It wasn't the kind of cooling caused by a change in the weather, but a chilling coldness that carried an aura of malice. He opened his eyes and saw the Cherry Blossom Tree under the sunlight, the grass, the Bench—everything was shrouded in a faint, gray shadow.
Cursed Spirit.
And there was more than one.
Tu Bai immediately stood up, his hand pressed against his chest, mobilizing his Demon Power. He felt the Baby in his abdomen move slightly, as if reminding him to be careful.
He couldn't fight with all his strength. He had to protect Baby.
The First Cursed Spirit lunged from the Tree Shadow, its shape resembling a mass of distorted Black Mist, extending several tentacle-like appendages to grab at Tu Bai. Tu Bai took a step back, his right hand forming a loose grip as he activated his Construction Technique.
Silver Light condensed in his palm, instantly taking the shape of a Long Sword. He swung the blade to sever the tentacles, causing the Black Mist to let out a piercing shriek as it retreated several steps.
But immediately following that, the Second Cursed Spirit and the Third Cursed Spirit lunged from different directions. They were all Low-grade Cursed Spirits, not particularly strong, but they were numerous, and.. their movements were very coordinated, as if they were being controlled by something.
Tu Bai retreated while swinging his Long Sword to defend himself. He did not dare to use large-scale Cursed Techniques that consumed too much Demon Power; he could only fight while retreating, using Construction to create simple Shields to block the attacks.
What about the others in the park? Those elderly people, the Children—
Tu Bai took a quick glance. Those people were still sitting in their original places, some basking in the sun, some playing, as if they hadn't seen the battle here at all.
It's a Barrier. Someone has laid a cognitive interference Barrier, isolating this place.
Tu Bai's heart sank. This wasn't a random attack; it was planned.
He swung his long sword, slashing through a Cursed Spirit that lunged at him, then turned to run toward the Apartment Building. But after only two steps, the ground suddenly split open, several black Cursed Energy Tentacles, resembling vines, erupted from beneath the earth, coiling around his ankles.
Tu Bai leaped up, constructing a platform in mid-air to land on, while simultaneously swinging his Long Sword to sever the tentacles. However, more tentacles surged in from all directions, so densely packed that they almost blocked off every possible escape route.
He grit his teeth and activated his Construction Technique once again. This time, it was neither a blade nor a shield, but a massive, hemispherical Silver Barrier that enveloped his entire body within.
The tentacles slammed against the Barrier, making dull thudding sounds. The Barrier vibrated, but did not break.
Tu Bai stood in the center of the Silver Barrier, panting. His Demon Power was being consumed faster than expected, a faint, throbbing pain pulsed from his abdomen.
He couldn't go on like this. He had to find a way to break through the perimeter.
Just as he was contemplating a countermeasure, the attacker's true objective was revealed.
A figure in a black cloak appeared from behind the Cherry Blossom Tree. The man held a strange Cursed Tool in his hand that looked like a compass, its surface covered in intricate Runes. He aimed the Cursed Tool toward Tu Bai and pressed the button in the center.
Buzz——
An invisible ripple spread outward. The Silver Bracelet on Tu Bai's wrist suddenly vibrated violently, the Cursed Wards on its surface flashing frantically, then—they went out.
The Positioning Signal has been interfered with.
Tu Bai looked down at his Bracelet, his heart sinking to the bottom of a valley. The Protection Measures left by Gojo Satoru had been breached.
After completing that movement, the Cloaked Person quickly retreated, vanishing into the Tree Shadow. Immediately following, another Cursed Spirit appeared—this one was completely different from the previous Low-grade Cursed Spirit.
It had no definite form, appearing like a mass of translucent gray smoke floating slowly through the air. As it passed, the air became thick and viscous, carrying a cloying, sleep-inducing scent.
Anesthesia Cursed Spirit.
Tu Bai wanted to retreat, but the ground beneath his feet suddenly softened, as if it had turned into a quagmire. His feet sank in, leaving him unable to move. He immediately used Construction to create a platform to lift himself up, but the Anesthesia Cursed Spirit had already drifted outside the Barrier.
The moment the gray smoke touched the Silver Barrier, the barrier acted as if it were being corroded, rapidly becoming thin and transparent. A few seconds later, the barrier shattered, dissolving into specks of silver light.
A cloying, sweet scent rushed toward him.
Tu Bai held his breath, attempting to perform a new Construction, but the circulation of his Demon Power became sluggish. He felt his vision beginning to blur and his limbs grow weak, to the point where he could no longer even grip the Long Sword in his hands.
No.. I can't pass out..
He bit the tip of his tongue, using the pain to force himself to stay conscious. But the potency of the Anesthesia Cursed Spirit was too strong; its cloying scent permeated everything, entering his nasal cavity and seeping into his skin.
His vision grew increasingly blurred. He saw the Cherry Blossom Tree swaying, its petals swirling. In the distance, there seemed to be a Figure standing at the edge of the park, quietly watching this way.
That person was wearing a Kasaya, with their hair tied in a half-bun, on their forehead.. there seemed to be a suture?
Tu Bai tried his best to see clearly, but his eyelids were too heavy. He swayed and dropped to one knee, plunging the sword in his hand into the ground to support his body.
That figure seemed to smile. Then he turned and disappeared behind the Tree Shadow.
In his final moment of consciousness, Tu Bai heard the sound of his Mobile Phone hitting the ground—it had likely slipped out of his pocket. The Screen was still lit, displaying Gojo Satoru's message: 【I brought you some Limited Sakura Daifuku】.
He wanted to reach out and pick it up, but his Finger wouldn't move.
The Anesthesia Cursed Spirit floated in front of him, gray smoke descended to shroud him.
Tu Bai closed his eyes and lost consciousness.
---
The wind has stopped.
Cherry Blossoms no longer fall, suspended in the air as if a pause button had been pressed.
A deathly silence filled the Park. Several Low-grade Cursed Spirits quickly dissipated after Tu Bai lost consciousness, as if they had completed their Mission. The Anesthesia Cursed Spirit also slowly drifted away, its cloying scent scattered by the wind.
Only by the bench, Tu Bai's Mobile Phone lay on the ground, its Screen still lit, but it quickly went dark.
As for Tu Bai himself, he was already gone.
There were only traces of a struggle on the ground—trampled grass, a few broken petals, some fragments of Silver Light, left behind when he performed his Construction Barrier.
And, the Silver Bracelet on his wrist that had already lost its luster.
The Cursed Wards on the Silver Bracelet had completely faded, as if the connection had been forcibly severed by some power.
The Positioning Signal had completely vanished.
---
In the distance, Kyoto.
Gojo Satoru had just finished dealing with the last troublesome Cursed Spirit. He withdrew his Cursed Technique and wiped the non-existent dust from his hands. He took out his Mobile Phone, wanting to send Tu Bai a Message to say that the matter was resolved and he would be back soon.
But when he opened the Chat Window, he found that his message sent below the Rabbit Nodding emoji, which was Tu Bai's last reply, showed as "Read," but there were no new messages.
He typed: 【Solved, heading back now. I bought the Sakura Daifuku, the Last Limited Portion.】
Send.
The Message spun twice before displaying "Send failed."
Gojo Satoru frowned. A signal issue? He tried once more, but it failed again.
He switched to the Positioning Function—the Bracelet he had given Tu Bai earlier had real-time Positioning, he had set up Background Monitoring.
On the screen, the small red dot representing Tu Bai's location flickered within a residential area in Tokyo.
But in the next second, the Red Dot suddenly fluctuated violently, then—it vanished.
Gojo Satoru stared at the Screen, his Ice Blue Eyes growing colder by the second.
He reopened the Chat Window and dialed Tu Bai's Phone.
A cold electronic voice came from the receiver: "The number you have dialed cannot be reached at this time.."
Gojo Satoru hung up and called again. It was still the same.
He put away his Mobile Phone, turned around, walked straight toward the Parking Lot. His steps were quick, almost as if he were running.
Gojo-sensei?" a student from Jujutsu High called out from behind him, "Principal Yaga said there's still a meeting—
Another day." Gojo Satoru didn't even look back, his voice as cold as ice, "I have urgent business.
He pulled open the car door, sat inside, started the engine. The car shot forward like an arrow, moving at an extreme speed, almost exceeding the speed limit.
On the road, he continued to call Tu Bai's Phone while driving. He called more than a dozen times, but the calls would not connect.
The Positioning Signal had completely vanished, the Phone wouldn't connect, the Message wouldn't send.
Gojo Satoru gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He thought of Tu Bai saying, "I'll just stay at home," before he left; he thought of that Rabbit Nodding emoji, he thought of the Sakura Daifuku.
Then he thought of the recent movements of those Old Oranges, the Anonymous reports Mei had found, those ill-intentioned glares within Jujutsu Headquarters.
The car sped along the highway. The scenery outside the window retreated rapidly, blurring into a smear of colors.
Gojo Satoru stared ahead, his Ice Blue Eyes devoid of any Temperature.
If something were to happen to Xiao Bai..
He didn't dare think any further.
With a press of the accelerator, the car's speed increased another gear.
Xiao Bai, wait for me.
You must wait for me.