### Chapter 14: Ryota Arrives!
The two people blocking Kuroi Misato and Amanai Riko's path were combat members of [Q] who had received Umekawa Kuko's signal and rushed over.
Both wore military coats over black high-collared long shirts, with black masks obscuring their faces.
They wore large military caps, with a 'Q' insignia printed on the front brim.
"That's the Star Plasma Vessel, and the other one is an amateur... who defeated that trash Umekawa Kuko?"
The short and chubby Vayer squinted his eyes at Kuroi Misato.
"Although Umekawa Kuko was only responsible for reconnaissance, for an amateur to go this far shows some capability."
"Of course, this ends here."
The tall and thin Kokun deliberately rubbed his white-gloved hands together.
He didn't even glance at Kuroi Misato, as if he didn't put her in his eyes at all.
"This is bad—"
A drop of sweat rolled down Kuroi Misato's cheek.
The thing she worried about most had happened.
The atmosphere these two gave off was on a completely different level from the female Curse User earlier.
"Young Lady, I'll hold them off, you run!"
Kuroi Misato stared unblinkingly at the two men in front, watching their every move.
She was afraid that if she got distracted, the enemy would find an opening and take the opportunity to attack.
"Misato, I..."
Amanai Riko sensed the change in Kuroi Misato's attitude.
"Young Lady, as long as you are safe, I can find an opportunity to escape."
"I will definitely be fine!"
Saying this, Kuroi Misato charged towards the two combat members of the Curse User group [Q] with her broom.
Misato...
Amanai Riko wanted to fight alongside Kuroi Misato.
But, although the girl had some *chunibyo*, she abandoned that impulse in this atmosphere.
After hesitating, Amanai Riko finally turned around and ran headfirst in the opposite direction.
"Misato, you must come back!"
Although she was the Star Plasma Vessel needed for Master Tengen's assimilation, she was still just an ordinary person without combat ability.
She couldn't help Kuroi Misato at all.
She could only pray in her heart that Kuroi Misato would be safe.
"As long as Young Lady is safe, I can rest assured."
Noticing Amanai Riko running away behind her, Kuroi Misato quietly breathed a sigh of relief, a smile of relief appearing on her face.
However—
"Running away? You're underestimating us too much, aren't you?"
A voice rang out.
Kuroi Misato's pupils shrank suddenly.
She abruptly realized that only one of the two Curse Users remained.
*Whoosh!*
A strong wind scraped past her side. The intense wind pressure forced Kuroi Misato to stop her footsteps just to stabilize her body.
As if realizing something, she suddenly looked in Amanai Riko's direction.
She saw the short and chubby Curse User Vayer landing in front of Amanai Riko.
"Ah!"
The aftershock of the landing sent Amanai Riko flying.
The girl fell on her butt, crying out in pain involuntarily.
"Young Lady!"
Anxiety surged on Kuroi Misato's face as she prepared to rush over at full speed.
"That's enough. Don't underestimate me, amateur."
Kokun had appeared behind Kuroi Misato at some point, punching towards her head.
Feeling the sharp breaking of wind behind her head, the power and speed carried by this punch were far beyond what Umekawa Kuko could compare to.
Kuroi Misato hurriedly turned to block with her broom, but the broom was directly snapped by the immense force.
Her whole body was sent flying backwards.
After hitting the ground, she tumbled and bounced several times like a skipping stone before stopping.
Kokun rolled his wrist, dense Cursed Energy surging around him, emitting a strong sense of oppression.
"That trash Umekawa Kuko was only a reconnaissance member for gathering intel. But I belong to [Q]'s combat division."
Within the Curse User group [Q].
Combat members and reconnaissance members had different divisions of labor and a world of difference in combat power.
The former were specifically deployed for combat, while the latter were responsible for investigation and locating targets.
The group revered powerful strength, so combat members naturally looked down on non-combat personnel.
"Looks like the credit for killing the Star Plasma Vessel and disrupting Tengen's assimilation will be mine to take this time."
Vayer had a smiling expression, seemingly kind.
But the sinister and cunning intent hidden in those squinted eyes was chilling.
"To avoid complications, finish it quickly."
Kokun dusted off his gloves and walked towards Amanai Riko.
"I know, I know."
Vayer's smiling expression remained unchanged, but his fat palm was coated with a layer of black, viscous Cursed Energy.
Making the aura on Vayer even more gloomy and weird.
"Young Lady!"
Seeing Vayer about to strike, Kuroi Misato struggled to get up.
But intense pain radiated through her body. She barely supported herself, unable to reach Vayer in time to stop him.
"Am I... going to die?"
With Kuroi Misato's cries in her ears and the palm exuding a dark aura gradually enlarging in her vision.
Amanai Riko felt a coldness and helplessness as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
The girl's delicate body trembled involuntarily, and glimmers of tears shone in her widening eyes.
"Once the Star Plasma Vessel dies, Tengen can no longer refresh his body information, and the Jujutsu world will be overturned because of this!"
The arc of Vayer's smile grew wider and wider, his eyes reduced to mere slits.
Like a fierce evil spirit, his face was hateful.
"Your death has meaning. Feel honored!"
"Hahahaha!"
Vayer laughed unscrupulously.
That palm containing dense Cursed Energy pressed violently towards the top of Amanai Riko's head.
In the next moment, Amanai Riko would lose her life here.
Suddenly, a young man's teasing voice came from above.
"It's really lively here."
"Since things are so interesting, why not count me in?"