There might be something big happening over in Shibuya today," he said, his Voice lower than usual. "Stay home and stay safe; you aren't allowed to step a single foot outside.
Tu Bai looked at him and nodded.
Okay.
Gojo Satoru stared at him for a few seconds.
Really?
Really," Tu Bai said, "I won't go out.
Gojo Satoru said nothing, reaching out to pull him into his arms, holding him tightly.
Tu Bai was stunned for a moment, then reached out and hugged him as well.
They held each other for a long time.
Gojo Satoru leaned down to kiss him, very forcefully, as if he wanted to press him right into himself.
Tu Bai was kissed so intensely that he could barely breathe, he pushed against his chest.
Gojo Satoru released him, his forehead resting against his.
"Wait for me to come back," he said.
Tu Bai nodded.
Gojo Satoru glanced at him once more, then turned around and opened the door.
Walking to the Doorway, he stopped and turned back.
By the way.
He raised his hand, a speck of blue light ignited at his fingertips.
Before Tu Bai could even react, he saw a transparent Barrier spreading from the edge of the Doorframe, covering the entire Doorway like a ripple in water. Then another one spread, covering the Window, another, covering the Balcony.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Apartment was enveloped in a Barrier.
Tu Bai froze: "Senpai?"
Just in case," Gojo Satoru said. "Don't think about sneaking out while I'm not around.
Tu Bai opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Gojo Satoru looked at his defeated expression and smiled.
Stay home and behave. I'll release it when I get back.
Then he opened the door and walked out.
The door closed.
The light of the Barrier flickered and then stabilized.
Tu Bai stood in the center of the Living Room, looking at the Doorway sealed by the Barrier.
He reached out and touched it.
His fingertips met a soft resistance, like pressing against Jelly. He pushed hard, but it did not budge.
He walked to the Window again. It was the same.
The Balcony, same as before.
The entire Apartment was tightly sealed.
Tu Bai stood by the window, looking at the street below. It had already grown dark, the streetlights had come on, there were few people on the street.
He clenched his Fist.
---
Five minutes later, Tu Bai tried again.
The Construction Barrier struck by the sword only caused a few ripples. He struck again, but the result was the same. Even as he poured Demon Power into it, the Barrier remained unmoved.
He leaned against the Doorway, catching his breath.
Can't get out.
He really cannot go out.
Tu Bai walked back to the Sofa and sat down, staring at the Wall Clock.
6:30.
Seven o'clock.
7:30.
He stood up and paced around for a few steps, then sat back down. He picked up his Mobile Phone to take a look; there were no Messages. He put it down. He picked it up again, but still nothing.
8:00.
Half past eight.
Tu Bai stood by the window, looking toward Shibuya. From this angle, nothing could be seen except for the lights of the buildings and a streak of dark red in the distant sky.
He didn't know how long he had been standing there. When his legs grew numb, he would sit down, when he couldn't sit still, he would stand up again. He gripped his Mobile Phone in his palm, turning the Screen on and off, on and off.
There was no Message.
Not a single one.
Nine o'clock.
Ten o'clock.
Eleven o'clock.
Tu Bai began to feel fear.
It wasn't that kind of fear, the kind of "will he get hurt" fear, but a deeper kind—a chill seeping out from the very marrow of his bones.
He had never waited this long.
Gojo Satoru would occasionally send a Message when he was on a Mission. Even if he was just on the road, he would send an Emoji. But today, there was nothing.
Tu Bai walked to the doorway again and reached out to touch the Barrier.
It was still like that, soft and unyielding.
He pressed his forehead against the door and closed his eyes.
“Senpai..” he said softly.
No one answered him.
---
I don't know how much time has passed.
Tu Bai leaned against the wall by the door, half-asleep. His brain was a mess; one moment he dreamed that Gojo Satoru had returned, smiling and stroking his hair while saying, "It's okay now"; the next, he dreamed of the Shibuya station platform, covered in blood and devoid of any people.
Then he heard a sound.
It was very light, like the sound of breaking Glass.
Tu Bai suddenly opened his eyes.
The light of the Barrier was flickering. It wasn't a steady flicker, but one that pulsed on and off, like a lamp running out of power.
He stood up, staring at that Barrier.
Another one.
The Light flickered violently, then—
It vanished.
Like a Candle being blown out, he just vanished.
Tu Bai's face turned pale in an instant.
He stood there, staring at the empty Door Frame. Where the Barrier had vanished, nothing remained, not even a trace of Cursed Energy Residue.
Only the person who cast the Barrier is gone.
The Barrier will only disappear.
Tu Bai's hands began to tremble. He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms, but he could not control it.
It's not that.
It's not necessarily that they're gone. Perhaps they're just too far away, perhaps there isn't enough Cursed Energy, perhaps—
He did not dare to think further.
There was Movement outside the door.
Tu Bai came to his senses, gripped the constructed blade, opened the door.
Cursed Spirits were standing in the corridor.
It wasn't just one or two, but a group. They swarmed up from the stairwell, squeezed through the gaps in the Elevator Door, climbed up from outside the Window. They came in all sizes and various forms; the smallest looked like a cat, while the largest blocked the entire Corridor.
They saw the door open and turned their heads in unison.
Tu Bai took a step back.
Then he saw further away—two large ones were standing at the stairwell. One was covered in white bone armor, on all fours like a beast. The other was floating in mid-air, its body composed of countless faces, every single one moving and smiling.
Grade 1. It might even be Special Grade.
Le Kuanshan Cuimo
Tu Bai gripped the sword, the tip of the blade pointing downward.
He desperately wanted to go to Shibuya. He desperately wanted to rush out, run to that Station, run to Gojo Satoru's side.
But he couldn't get out.
With these Cursed Spirits blocking the way, he cannot even make it down the hallway.
The First Cursed Spirit lunged forward.
Tu Bai dodged to the side and slashed down with his sword. The Cursed Spirit screamed and dissipated.