It had been months since the day Kurotsuki Tenkai officially began dating Alice Nakiri — months of laughter, quiet dates, and moments so perfect they seemed outside time itself. The world now whispered their names together, "The Genius and the Goddess of Taste."
Tenkai had spoiled her endlessly. He wasn't the type to flaunt affection, but when it came to Alice, he made exceptions.
Knowing her dream to become the greatest chef alive, he'd built her a kingdom.
The Culinary Citadel
In the heart of Tokyo's elite district stood Solaria, a building unlike anything ever seen before.
Tenkai had designed it himself — an architectural masterpiece that curved like a spiral galaxy, shimmering silver under daylight and glowing gold at night. Floating holographic koi swam across the glass façade, their movement powered by an adaptive light algorithm.
The structure wasn't just beautiful; it was indestructible. Aion, his omniscient AI, had run billions of simulations — earthquake, flood, nuclear strike — all nullified. Solaria could outlast Tokyo itself.
Inside, every floor breathed intelligence. AI concierges materialized as holograms beside guests, greeting them by name. Tables projected digital menus that responded to emotion, recommending dishes based on mood. Cleanup was handled by elegant nanobot arrays or by staff who preferred human touch.
Even the reservation system was a marvel — exclusive, invite-only, with encrypted holographic authentication. Solaria wasn't a restaurant. It was a world.
And at the center of it, dazzling like a comet, was Alice Nakiri.
Her culinary art had transcended fame. Ministers, moguls, global elites — all queued for her creations. Influencers posted teary reviews. Food critics gave up writing and just stared.
Social media exploded:
@TokyoGastronome: "Alice Nakiri's restaurant redefines perfection. AI service, disaster-proof design, divine cuisine. HOW IS THIS EVEN REAL!?"
@EliteEater: "The world's first restaurant designed by a genius sorcerer??? The soup literally reacted to my aura!"
@ChefParis: "I went in skeptic, came out crying. Bow down, humanity."
Alice handled it all gracefully, radiant under the spotlight — but to her, the best moments were still the quiet ones. The weekends when it was just her and Tenkai.
A Waterfall Date
That day, they'd escaped Tokyo's noise.
Hidden deep within Shizuoka's forests, beside a cascading silver waterfall, the two sat on a picnic blanket. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and mountain dew.
Alice leaned on Tenkai's shoulder, nibbling on a sandwich she'd made herself. "So, how's the world's smartest man liking my food today?"
He smiled faintly. "Perfect balance. Sweetness at 0.81 molar, seasoning gradient ideal across texture layers."
"Still analyzing it?" she teased.
"I can't help it. It's beautiful."
Alice blushed, bumping his arm. "Stop flirting with science and flirt with me instead."
Tenkai chuckled softly — until his phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen. His expression hardened.
[Jujutsu High Request: Suspected Special Grade — Immediate Response Required.]
The mood shifted. The waterfall's hum suddenly felt heavier.
Alice immediately noticed. "What's wrong?"
He hesitated, but she leaned closer, reading the message before he could hide it.
"Oh," she murmured. "A mission."
Tenkai closed his eyes briefly. "…I didn't want to ruin this day."
Alice smiled gently, resting her hand on his. "Then don't. Let me come with you."
His eyes widened. "No. It's dangerous."
She tilted her head, voice soft but firm. "You're the strongest, aren't you? You'll keep me safe."
"That's not the point."
"Please?" She clasped her hands, eyes glimmering like starlight, every syllable dripping with gentle defiance.
Her eyes softened, pleading. "Tenkai, I want to see it. Just once. I want to see your world."
He froze.
"…You'll stay behind me at all times," he finally muttered.
Alice grinned victoriously. "Deal."
He stood, snapping his fingers. Space distorted. "Then stay close."
Aion's voice chimed in his earpiece.
"Coordinates locked. Distance: 102.3 kilometers. Shall I prepare vector displacement?"
Tenkai looked at Alice. "Hold on tight."
She blinked. "Wait, what do you mea—"
Before she could finish, the world around them blurred.The waterfall, the picnic, the sunlight — all folded into streaks of light.
A heartbeat later, they stood within an ancient forest shrouded in mist.An abandoned shrine loomed ahead, its torii gates twisted and half-submerged in moss.
Alice gasped. "W-We just… teleported?"
Tenkai adjusted his coat. "Long-distance displacement. Efficient for travel."
Her awe made him chuckle softly. "Here—" he handed her a pair of black-rimmed glasses. "Cursed-lens filter. You'll see what I see."
She put them on — and froze.
The world warped slightly. A strange static shimmer filled the air.
"Tenkai…" she whispered. "Are we inside something?"
He nodded. "Incomplete domain. The curse hasn't stabilized — that means it's still forming. Semi–special grade."
The air shifted.
Without warning, hundreds of sharp bamboo spears erupted from the ground, flying toward them in a deadly storm.
Alice gasped, instinctively ducking — but none of them even touched her.
The air rippled faintly, like heat haze. The spears dissolved mid-flight, turning into glowing equations that spun gracefully around Tenkai before vanishing.
"Tenkai… what just happened!?"
"Keizoku Reigo — Teiri Kyōkai," he said calmly, hands in his pockets.
"Continuum Nullguard — Perpetual Theorem Shield."
He glanced at her. "It's my default state. Nothing can touch me — or you, while you're with me."
Alice stared, speechless. "…You're literally untouchable."
He smirked faintly. "A side effect of perfection."
A guttural, psychic roar shook the forest.
Trees tore from their roots, boulders lifted into the air. From the shrine's altar, it emerged — a grotesque, pulsating brain-like creature, its veins glowing violet, its tendrils twitching as if tasting the air.
Alice stumbled back. "What—what is that!?"
Tenkai's eyes flickered with calculation symbols. "Telekinesis-type cursed spirit. Based on the resonance… semi-special grade, possibly evolving."
The creature shrieked. Rocks, trees, and the very earth itself hurled toward them like a tidal wave of destruction.
But Tenkai didn't move.
The moment the debris touched the shimmering haze around him — it inverted.
Exploding backward into harmless dust and fragments of cursed light.
Alice, wide-eyed, clutched his sleeve. "It can't even reach you…"
He didn't move an inch.
She whispered, "You're incredible…"
Tenkai's eyes glowed faintly silver. "Then I'll end this elegantly."
He raised one finger.
His voice dropped into a quiet murmur — smooth, chilling, precise.
「無点,終局を示せ.終末ベクトル,零へ.」"Nullpoint — show the finality. Finality Vector — to zero."
A small point of black-white light bloomed at the curse's chest.
For a moment, time itself seemed to hold its breath.
The cursed spirit screeched, contorting—And then it was gone.
Not destroyed.Not vaporized.
Simply… erased.
The shrine cracked, the forest stilled. The incomplete domain dissolved into nothing but moonlight and silence.
Alice blinked, unable to comprehend. "It just… disappeared."
Alice's lips parted, eyes wide. "I… didn't even see it happen."
Tenkai lowered his hand. "You weren't supposed to."
She laughed softly, stepping closer. "Show-off."
"Maybe." His smirk softened. "For you, it's worth it."
"Reduced to zero," Tenkai said quietly, lowering his hand. "A mathematical erasure. No pain. No trace."
Alice looked at him — eyes wide with wonder, awe, and just a hint of fear. "You make it look so easy…"
He smiled faintly. "Because it was."
As Tenkai reported the mission's completion on his phone, Alice scrolled through her own feed — and suddenly stopped.
"Hey, look at this."
He turned. The screen showed a news broadcast.
"Breaking: A city in southern China has been placed under lockdown due to unexplained supernatural events. Eyewitnesses report individuals capable of manipulating fire — and some transforming into avian forms midair. Government denies any connection to known organizations."
Clips played — flames bursting from human hands, silhouettes soaring through the smog, wings of light against the skyline.
Social media erupted with comments:
"Are these people… heroes?"
"Metahumans? Sorcerers?"
"What's happening to the world!?"
Tenkai's eyes narrowed. The soft night wind brushed past them, carrying the distant echo of something far larger approaching.
Alice tilted her head. "Tenkai…?"
He stood still, expression unreadable — then slowly smiled. "Let's finish our picnic."
"Eh?" she blinked. "After all that?"
"Of course," he said, taking her hand. "I promised you a date."
Alice laughed, her tension breaking. "You're unbelievable."
"Statistically," he replied dryly, "that's accurate."
As they sat beneath the moonlight once more, the quiet hum of the world returned — but the distant tremor of change had already begun.
Somewhere beyond their horizon, new forces were stirring — powers that blurred the line between sorcerer and something else entirely.