Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

Just then, a warm hand gently patted her shoulder.

Riko looked up and met Duanmu Yan's calm gaze.

Duanmu Yan shook his head at her, then looked at Gojo Satoru, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval: "Satoru, look how scared you've made him."

Gojo shrugged, unconcerned.

Duanmu Yan looked at Tian Lizi again, "However, since there is still time, and the mission briefing also said that we will try our best to fulfill your wishes... Instead of staying here in fear, why don't we go out and have some fun?"

"Huh?" Riko Tennatsu was stunned, staring blankly at him.

Duanmu Yan stood up, dusted off his pants, and looked down at Tian Lizi.

"After all, with the three of us here, no one can take you away from us!"

He paused, then his tone softened: "So, in these final moments, forget about the Star Magma Body, forget about the bounty, forget about assimilation. Just be an ordinary girl, have fun, make a fuss, do whatever you want. How about that?"

"Long live--!!"

In stark contrast to Riko's stunned and hesitant demeanor, Satoru Gojo instantly raised his hands and cheered.

Xia Youjie watched this scene and shook his head helplessly. He walked to Duanmu Yan's side and asked in a low voice, only the two of them could hear:

"So, you want her to temporarily forget the heavy identity and mission of 'Star Essence Body' in these last days, no longer be bound by it, and instead live out her final days freely like an ordinary girl her age?"

Duanmu Yan did not answer immediately; he remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he slowly spoke, "After all... the feeling of being forced to separate from loved ones and everything familiar, and never seeing them again... is very unpleasant."

He said it very calmly, without much emotional fluctuation, but Xia Youjie felt a slight tremor in his heart when he heard it.

He remembered that Duanmu Yan's parents had been killed by the cursed spirit right in front of him.

Therefore, he understood better than anyone what loss and farewell meant.

She understood better than anyone else what kind of fear and reluctance might be hidden beneath Riko's seemingly strong and even passionate exterior.

Xia Youjie fell silent. Looking at Duanmu Yan's calm profile, he felt for the first time so clearly the deep wounds of loss that this usually calm and reliable companion carried within him, wounds that even he himself rarely touched.

Yes.

Duanmu... is probably the one among the three of us who understands the feeling of parting the most.

Xia Youjie didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and patted Duanmu Yan's shoulder hard.

Duanmu Yan turned his head and smiled at him.

He was just a little emotional, realizing he hadn't had a proper chance to say goodbye to his friends from his original world before being transported here.

"Let's go." Duanmu Yan turned around and stretched out his hand to Tian Lizi, who was still a little bewildered. "Where do you want to go? What do you want to eat? What do you want to do? Today, you're in charge."

……

The next morning, at the airport.

Kenjiro Nanami took off his backpack and placed it on a plastic chair in the waiting area, next to his calves.

"This task... it doesn't seem like something a first-year student should be given."

Haibara Yu stood ramrod straight, visibly excited: "I'm so excited! Opportunities like this to perform well in front of Natsuyu-senpai are rare!"

Nanami glanced at him sideways, but Haibara completely ignored the weariness in his gaze and continued, "Besides, the seniors are doing their best to protect that girl right now, so we have to do the same!"

"Give it your all..."

Nanami chewed on those four words, the expression on her lips hard to tell whether it was mockery or helplessness.

"If a typhoon hits right now and the airport closes, all our efforts will be in vain."

Ding-dong.

Haibara took her phone out of her pocket and swiped the screen.

"Nanami! The seniors suddenly messaged me saying they need to stay another day, there must be something important going on!"

Click.

Nanami crushed the empty can in his hand, making a jarring sound. He stood up and threw the crushed can into the trash can three steps away.

"As expected, sorcerers are a bunch of bastards."

……

Okinawa, the seaside.

Waves crashed onto the beach and then receded, leaving behind a layer of fine foam. Sunlight pelted the sea, shattering into countless golden spots, and the sea breeze carried a salty taste.

Satoru Gojo stood in the shallows, his Hawaiian shirt a striking red, and paired with his sunglasses, he looked like he'd been cut from a travel magazine cover, except the magazine cover model wouldn't be smiling like that.

"Haha! Look, a sea cucumber!"

He gripped the thick sea cucumber in both hands, raising it above his head. The sea cucumber wriggled in his palms, squeezing out streams of white, sticky liquid from the small pores in its body wall, which dripped down his five fingers.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Riko laughed so hard she leaned back, pointing at the sea cucumber in Gojo Satoru's hand with one hand and clutching her stomach with the other.

"Let me see! Let me see!" She ran over through the water, stuck out a finger to poke the sea cucumber. It was soft and limp. She poked it in and it bounced back. She laughed even louder.

Gojo Satoru swung the sea cucumber in his hand, sending the stringy slime flying, as if he was about to smear it on Riko.

Riko screamed, turned and ran, but stopped after a few steps, bent down and scooped up the seawater to splash it back.

"Gojo Satoru! That's enough!"

Laughter erupted, waves crashed, and the two chased each other across the shallows, startling seagulls into flight that circled overhead.

On the beach, Xia Youjie shouted over there, "Hey—those are sea cucumber entrails! You two be careful! Don't get them in your mouths or eyes!"

Without even turning his head, Gojo Satoru tossed out a sentence: "I know, I know, you're like a nagging old woman!"

Riko took the opportunity to splash water all over his face again.

Xia Youjie shook his head and looked away.

Chapter 72 Hot Spring

Xia Youjie shook his head, turned his gaze back to Duanmu Yan.

Duanmu Yan sat on a beach chair, staring at the sea as if in a daze.

Xia Youjie walked over and sat down on the beach chair next to Duanmu Yan.

“You’ve always been like this; when something’s on your mind, you just keep it to yourself.”

Duanmu Yan didn't move. After several seconds, he finally spoke, "I'm just worried that the assassination won't end so easily."

Xia Youjie was silent for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "It's alright. You noticed it too, right? Wu has been keeping his spell active the whole time. No one can get close."

He paused, then added, "And there's us too."

Duanmu Yan did not respond.

That's not what he's worried about.

With the three of them around, Riko is certainly safe.

But when it comes to assassination, what's scary isn't an enemy charging straight at you.

What's scary is when you think it's over, that you're safe, and that you can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Then the knife that came out from behind.

He had read the original work, but he couldn't say that.

Silence spread, and the waves crashed in one after another.

Duanmu Yan stood up and shouted in that direction, "It's getting late. According to the plan, we should go."

On the other side of the shallows, Riko stopped splashing water. She stood in the water, pouting, "I'm going to..."

"Of course, we're going to the next place to play!"

Gojo Satoru tossed the sea cucumber into the water, rubbed his hands on his Hawaiian shirt, and stuck out his tongue.

"Eh?"

Riko didn't react in time.

Xia Youjie frowned and stood up from the beach chair: "But..."

"Duanmu, Jie, let's go back tomorrow morning."

As he said this, Gojo Satoru's sunglasses slid down to the tip of his nose, revealing a pair of incredibly blue eyes behind them.

"Because the weather is nice."

His tone was unusually serious.

"Moreover, there are fewer cursed spirits in Okinawa than in Tokyo."

Xia Youjie rubbed his temples, walked over, and stood next to Wutiao Wu.

"Are you planning to keep the procedure running for the next few days? Even the sleep phase? Not planning to sleep tonight either?"

"Is it really okay not to go back to the vocational college sooner?"

Gojo Satoru reached out and patted Natsumi Yuuki on the shoulder.

"No problem. Besides, we still have you and Duanmu."

Xia Youjie sighed, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up.

Xia Youjie turned his head and called out in Duanmu Yan's direction: "Duanmu...send a message to Nanami and Haibara, tell them to wait one more day."

Duanmu Yan nodded.

He expressionlessly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen reflected the sunlight, so he shielded it with his other hand, opened his contacts, found the group "First-Year Coolies," edited the message, and sent it.

The message has been sent.

He turned his phone around.

The screen was facing Xia Youjie.

That's Gojo Satoru's phone; I left it with him because I wanted to play in the water.