*Boom————*
"Truly reckless."
Mukyoku Nagi silently watched Gojo Satoru's demolition act, casually manipulating "Blue" to twist the building into a complete ruin, and commented. Rubble and dust filled the air but were gently pushed away by an invisible "Slow" force field, failing to stain him or Shoko in the slightest.
"It's not your first time knowing him."
Shoko laughed beside him, casually taking out a lollipop, skillfully peeling the wrapper, and handing it to Nagi.
"Want one?"
"Thanks. Hmm? Looks like it's done." Just as he put the candy in his mouth and the cool sweetness spread, Gojo Satoru's voice came from below.
"Hey——Utahime——I'm here to save you~"
In the large pit in the center of the ruins, Iori Utahime was covered in dust, gritting her teeth trying to push away the rubble pressing on her, looking quite wretched. Gojo Satoru happened to be squatting on the edge of the pit, sunglasses sliding down his nose bridge, revealing a pair of smiling azure eyes, looking down at her condescendingly.
"Ouch, are you crying?"
"I'm not crying! Bastard Gojo! Show some respect when you speak! I'm your senior!" Iori Utahime broke down on the spot, trembling with anger. With this tremble, the rubble on her body buried her a bit deeper with a crash.
"If I cried, would you comfort me?" Mei Mei stood on a relatively intact broken wall slightly further away, her posture still dignified and elegant, as if she wasn't the one trapped just now, even carrying a trace of leisure watching a show.
"Miss Mei wouldn't cry, right? After all, you are very strong~"
"Is that so?"
Completely ignored, Utahime's anger rose from her heart, evil grew from her gall. Unknown where the strength came from, she suddenly broke free from the ruins, stood on the earth, trembling finger pointing angrily at Gojo Satoru: "Gojo! Someone like me! Doesn't need someone like you to save..."
*Boom————*
Before she finished speaking, a massive Cursed Spirit suddenly drilled out from behind Utahime, eyes staring straight at her.
"Eh?" Utahime turned her head, pupils contracting sharply, mind going blank, completely unable to make any reaction.
A figure descended from the sky like a cannonball, smashing onto the head of that Cursed Spirit with incomparable precision! The violent impact caused the Cursed Spirit's movement to stagnate abruptly, emitting a painful hiss!
It was Mukyoku Nagi.
Almost at the same time, another Cursed Spirit, even larger and like a desert worm, rushed out from underground ruins, opened its giant mouth, and bit the body of that beetle Cursed Spirit. The powerful bite force rendered it immobile!
"Nagi, you've become faster." Geto Suguru walked out leisurely from the shadow aside, praising.
"Your coordination is also not bad, Suguru." Mukyoku Nagi landed lightly from the Cursed Spirit's head, soundless upon landing, walking toward Geto Suguru.
Geto Suguru nodded to Mukyoku Nagi, simultaneously ordering the Sandworm Cursed Spirit.
"Hey, don't swallow it. Absorb it later."
Turning to Gojo Satoru, he said: "Also Satoru, bullying the weak is wrong."
"Which idiot would bully the strong?"
"Student Geto, you are naturally gifted at pissing people off, it's innate."
Mukyoku Nagi looked at these two problem children singing a duet and dancing madly on Utahime's minefield, then looked at Utahime whose face was flushed with anger, steam almost visible from the top of her head. He silently raised his hand to his forehead, tilted his head to the side, pretending not to know them.
Silently complaining in his heart: *'These two guys... hopeless.'*
"Senior Utahime, are you okay?"
"Shoko!"
At this time, Shoko's voice came, making Utahime's face instantly brighten. Shoko happened to be standing above.
"I was worried about you; no news from you for two days." Shoko squatted down and smiled at Utahime below.
"Shoko~!"
Utahime immediately ran up and hugged Shoko tightly. Shoko accepted Utahime's hug comfortably with a peaceful face.
"Shoko~! Still you are the best!"
Utahime hugged tighter, then suddenly raised her head, pointing tearfully at Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru beside them. "Shoko! You must absolutely not become scum like them!"
"Hmm?"
Mukyoku Nagi, who was originally pretending to look at the scenery, stiffened upon hearing this, widened his vermilion eyes and turned back, pointing a trembling finger at himself in disbelief. His eyes were written full of innocence and grievance: *'I didn't do anything? Why am I also hit by the map cannon?'*
"Haha... haha... not including you." Utahime scratched her face awkwardly feeling Nagi's gaze.
"Anyway, Shoko! Don't become like Gojo and Geto!"
"Haha, how is that possible? Who wants to become that kind of scum."
Aside, Geto Suguru was walking up the stairs, Gojo Satoru continued to twist the knife.
"Places Utahime walks on will collapse, you know."
"You are so annoying." Geto Suguru walked past smilingly.
Utahime gritted her teeth listening, suddenly pulled Mukyoku Nagi over, clasping Nagi and Shoko's hands together.
"Nagi!" Utahime looked serious, as if entrusting some vital mission. "I leave Shoko to you! Watch her! Protect her! Absolutely! Absolutely don't let her suffer pollution from those two scums! This is my request as a senior!"
Mukyoku Nagi: "???"
Ieiri Shoko: "...Pfft."
Looking at Nagi's completely petrified appearance, almost forgetting to breathe, she finally couldn't help turning her head away, shoulders shaking violently, emitting an extremely light, completely broken laugh.
Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru: "Wow~"
Mei Mei: "Hmm... interesting development."
Mukyoku Nagi only felt the cool touch of Shoko's fingertips and a trace of imperceptible trembling (like holding back laughter) in his palm. His whole person froze, ear tips turning red rapidly visible to the naked eye. His brain seemed to temporarily stop thinking due to this sudden "heavy responsibility," even forgetting to chew the lollipop in his mouth.
Shoko looked at Nagi's rare, completely bewildered stiff appearance, finally unable to help turning her head away, shoulders trembling slightly, emitting an extremely light, suppressed laugh.
Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru exchanged a look, faces simultaneously revealing extremely punchable brilliant smiles of enjoying the show.
The scene was chaotic for a moment, completely forgetting what they originally came for.
Mukyoku Nagi hurriedly changed the subject with a red face: "By the way, Seniors, you stayed inside for so long, nothing happened, right?"
"Eh? Not really. Wait, did you guys just say two days have passed!?" Utahime pondered for a while upon hearing this, suddenly reacting.
"Hmm.... Seems this Cursed Spirit's barrier indeed affects time." Mukyoku Nagi tried hard to make his voice sound normal, pretending to analyze calmly, attempting to turn the page on the social death moment just now completely. But he could feel Shoko's smiling gaze still falling on him.
"Mm, yes." Gojo Satoru picked up the conversation, finally temporarily letting go of teasing Nagi, although the smile on his face was still annoying. "Although rare, occasionally encountered. No wonder Miss Mei was with you and you still lost contact."
"Seems so." Mei Mei confirmed.
"Hmm?" Geto Suguru made a puzzled sound.
"Nothing, just thought this way my working time is actually two days...."
Mei Mei continued, "In this case, I have to charge more appearance fees."
"You still want to continue ripping off." Utahime looked at Mei Mei, unable to help complaining.
"By the way—"
Mei Mei suddenly spoke.
"Did you guys.... put up a Curtain?"
"Eh?"
The smiles, awkwardness, and teasing on the four's faces froze instantly, simultaneously stunned on the spot, as if collectively pressed pause.
Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru & Mukyoku Nagi & Ieiri Shoko: "!!!!!!"
Com·plete·ly·For·got!
In the distance, it seemed the sirens and exclamations of ordinary people could already be heard approaching from far to near...
"Satoru...."
Mukyoku Nagi rubbed his forehead with a headache.