"I'm not going back!" Tu Bai struggled violently, but he couldn't break free. He grew anxious, his Demon Power began to fluctuate along with his Emotion, causing a pair of Black Rabbit Ears to suddenly sprout from the top of his head, a fluffy tail popped out from his tailbone as well.
Gojo Satoru was stunned for a moment.
With this single movement, Tu Bai broke free from his grip and dodged to the side.
But Gojo Satoru reacted even faster, reaching out to grab—he missed the wrist, only managing to clutch onto something else.
It was fluffy, soft, warm.
It was Tu Bai's Rabbit tail.
Tu Bai froze completely. That place was too sensitive; the moment he was grabbed, his entire body went limp, even his Demon Power faltered for a moment.
"Let.. let go!" He was both ashamed and frantic, his face flushing a deep crimson.
Gojo Satoru was also stunned. He hadn't expected to grab that place, but he didn't pull his hand back—not because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid that if he let go, the person would run away.
Just then, a piercing white light suddenly erupted from the shrine.
That Stone Mirror seemed to come to life, its light growing stronger and brighter. The entire space began to distort, a massive suction force emanated from the center of the Shrine, pulling at everything around it.
Tu Bai was pulled backward by the suction, his body falling uncontrollably toward the Shrine.
“Xiao Bai!”
Gojo Satoru lunged forward, trying to grab him. One of his hands gripped that fluffy tail tightly, while his other hand reached out, attempting to embrace him.
Tu Bai leaned his whole body backward, seeing Gojo Satoru's face pressing closer and closer.
He didn't know where he got the strength from, but he lifted his foot and kicked Gojo Satoru in the face.
Slap!
A clear slipper print was left on that handsome face.
Gojo Satoru's Eyes widened, but his hands still did not let go.
Then, the two of them were sucked into the white light together.
The White Light swallowed everything.
——
It is unknown how much time passed before the White Light dissipated.
Silence returned to the Shrine. The Main Hall was empty, no one stood before the Shrine. That Stone Mirror was embedded quietly in the center of the Shrine, looking dull and gray, as if nothing had ever happened.
Only on the ground lay a Black Rabbit Doll.
It was palm-sized, with black fur, red eyes, soft Rabbit Ears drooping down.
It lay there quietly, lying on its back, staring at the empty Shrine.
No one came to pick it up.
Chapter 36
A foul smell.
This was the first thing Tu Bai realized upon waking up.
A strong, pungent stench of rot, mixed with the smell of rust, burning, some indescribable nausea, rushed into his nostrils. He gagged and opened his Eyes.
What met his eyes was a vast, hazy gray sky.
Then, there were piles of trash.
Garbage piled up like a mountain. There were rusted iron frames, rotting Fabric, broken plastic, an unknown black liquid flowing through the crevices of the trash. In the distance, several giant birds were pecking at something, letting out piercing Birdsong.
Tu Bai lay on a relatively flat pile of trash and slowly sat up.
A headache. His temples throbbed with a pulsing pain, as if something were knocking inside. He raised his hand to rub them, only to see his own hand—it was filthy, with dirt caked under his Fingernails.
He stared at that hand, stunned for a few seconds.
Then he realized he couldn't remember anything.
Name. What was his name again?
Tu Bai.
Yes, Tu Bai. His name is Tu Bai.
What about everything else?
He tried hard to think, but his Brain was completely blank. It was as if a massive white cloth had covered all his memories, leaving only this Name floating lonely upon it.
There was one more thing.
He looked down, staring at his Abdomen.
It bulged slightly there; nothing can be seen unless one looks closely. But he can feel it—inside, there is something. A tiny, warm, living.. thing.
Baby.
He had a Baby.
Tu Bai placed his hand on his abdomen, that warm mass shifted slightly, as if responding to him. A strange sense of security surged from the bottom of his heart, dispelling a bit of his headache and fear.
He must be protected.
No matter what happens, he must provide protection for this Baby.
Tu Bai pushed himself up from the ground. His legs were a bit weak, but he could still stand. He scanned his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was.
A mountain of trash. An endless mountain of trash. In the distance, there were blurred outlines of buildings, looking like abandoned factories or warehouses. The Sky was a hazy gray, with no sun in sight, making it impossible to tell if it was Daytime or dusk.
Hey.
A Voice came from behind.
Tu Bai turned around.
A few people stood not far away, holding iron rods and blades in their hands. Wearing ragged Clothes, their faces were filthy, they stared at him with eyes like wolves.
One of them took two steps forward and looked Tu Bai up and down—to be precise, he was eyeing the Clothes Tu Bai was wearing.
Tu Bai was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants; although they were covered in dust, compared to the ragged clothes of those people, they looked practically brand new.
An outsider?" That person asked, grinning to reveal several yellow teeth, "Nice Clothes.
The other people also laughed and slowly surrounded them.
Tu Bai did not move. He stood there, his Red Eyes staring at these people without any expression.
Take off your Clothes and leave the Backpack too," the first Man said, brandishing the iron rod in his hand, "and we'll let you go.
Tu Bai looked down at his clothes. A hoodie, sweatpants, a backpack—what was in the backpack? He didn't know, but it should be his things.
He looked up at those people again.
"Move aside," he said, his Voice very calm.
A few people froze for a moment, then they began to laugh.
Ha, quite arrogant.
Outsiders are all like this; they'll behave once they've been given a good beating.
The First person took another step forward, reaching out to grab the strap of Tu Bai's Backpack.
The moment his finger touched the backpack, Tu Bai moved.
He didn't even know how he had moved. As if by instinct, his body flashed to the side to dodge That hand, while his right hand made a grasping motion in the air.
Silver Light exploded in his Palm.
A Black Tang Sword condensed from the Silver Light; the blade was slender and the edge sharp, shimmering with a cold light.
Tu Bai gripped the sword and swung it in a backhand motion.
Crack—
A rusty steel frame beside them was sliced through in a single stroke, the cut as smooth as sliced tofu. The upper half of the steel frame crashed down, hitting the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Everyone froze.
The expressions on those people's faces shifted from greed to fear; they even forgot to raise their iron rods and blades, merely staring at that sword, staring at the Silver Light reflected on the blade, staring at Tu Bai's cold Red Eyes.
On top of Tu Bai's head, a pair of Black Rabbit Ears stood upright, trembling slightly.
"I said, move aside." He repeated, his Voice still calm, but that calmness was more terrifying than any threat.
A few people retreated a few steps, then turned and ran.
Iron rods and blades were scattered all over the ground, no one dared to pick them up.
Tu Bai stood in place, watching them run far away until they disappeared on the other side of Garbage Mountain.
He looked down at the sword in his hand. The blade was pitch black, shimmering with a faint Silver Light, it felt very steady in his grip.
He put the sword away—not by setting it down, but by letting it dissipate into silver light particles, merging into his palm.
Then he turned around and walked in the opposite direction of those people.
He needs to find a place to stay. There must be water, it needs to be a bit clean.
Baby needs a clean place.
---
Three Days Later.
In a relatively flat area of District 3 in Meteor City, a "King" has emerged.
No one knows where he came from. All they know is that Day 3, a youth with Rabbit Ears and Red Eyes suddenly appeared in the Garbage Mountain, using a sword that appeared out of thin air to cut the former bullies of District 3 until they fled in terror.
That youth was not unattractive; one could even say he was good-looking. He had Black Curly Hair and Ruby Color Eyes, his Skin was so white it didn't seem like that of someone who had lived in Meteor City. But when he fought, he was simply like a madman.
Some people refused to believe in the supernatural and brought a group of people to cause trouble.
That youth stood before the small cottage he had constructed, gripping the Black Sword in his hand. His eyes swept over those people, he said only one sentence:
Get out. Or die.