Pochi-chan, I used to be a princess.

The three of them immediately took action, rushing into the school and splitting up. Kuroi Misato and Geto Suguru each took out a curse master. Gojo Satoru grabbed Tennen Riko from the chapel and, carrying her like a bag, ran across the rooftops.

Several curse masters stopped Gojo Satoru. They were five clones of one person. Gojo Satoru held Tennenoriko in his left hand and a cell phone in his right. Surrounded by the curse masters, he spoke to Geto Suguru, "Is there a 30 million bounty on Tennenori's head?"

[“Yes, there’s a limited-time bounty on the underground website dedicated to curse casters. The deadline seems to be 11: AM the day after tomorrow.”]

【"I see."】

[Gojo Satoru put away his phone and waved his arm. The curse masters on both sides flew towards Gojo Satoru uncontrollably, colliding with each other in the air before falling to the ground.]

The two curse masters quickly rushed towards Gojo Satoru and smashed their fists into his head. Their fists, which could punch through walls, stopped right beside his head and could not go any further.

The Curse Master was shocked: "What happened?"

Gojo Satoru said casually, "Infinite. Think of Achilles and the Tortoise."

【"What?"】

"It means that studying is important. This technique involves creating up to five clones, including the main body. You can choose which one to use as the main body at any time, right? If the main body is in danger, the safe clone will take over. It's a pretty good trick, but why is it so weak? I don't understand. After being destroyed, you can't use the clones for a while?"

[Gojo Satoru raised his hand, and the cursed power condensed in his palm. The invisible force knocked down the two cursers.]

The Curse Master asked in shock, "How do you know my spell?"

Gojo Satoru removed his glasses, his azure eyes gazing at the remaining cursers. "Unfortunately, I happen to have a good pair of eyes. My technique is a convergent infinite series. Anything approaching me will become slower and slower, ultimately failing to reach me. After being strengthened, it has no lower limit, a negative natural number, so to speak. This creates a fictitious situation like minus an apple. This way, I can achieve the same suction reaction I just experienced, but it's surprisingly inconvenient. I can't make large reactions around myself, and if I have to consider directionality, controlling the cursed energy becomes incredibly troublesome. Simply put, it's incredibly tiring."

The curser decisively fled, leaving Tenriko to protect her head. Gojo Satoru flew forward, his raised hand shattering the glass, bringing him face to face with the curser.

"But the techniques I've been talking about are all forward-rotating techniques. This one is infinitely divergent, a reverse technique. Huh!"

Gojo Satoru raised two fingers and pointed them at the curse caster's head like a pistol, releasing a powerful red light that engulfed the curse caster's body.

[However, when the red light disappeared and the curse master was found safe and sound, both the curse master and Tenriko looked bewildered.]

Gojo Satoru laughed heartily: "Failed."

[The cursers who weren't hit relaxed and fell to the ground.]

Chapter 70: Date on the Beach

"What are Achilles and the Tortoise...or...talking about?"

In the club classroom, listening to Gojo Satoru revealing the principles of the technique, Rikka Takanashi felt dizzy and her body tilted and fell on Togashi Yuta.

Sanae Touma immediately raised her hand. "Master, Touma knows Death. This is Zeno's Achilles paradox. He proposed that the tortoise start 1000 meters ahead of Achilles and race against him. He also assumed that Achilles' speed was 10 times that of the tortoise. When the race begins, if Achilles runs 1000 meters, let the time taken be t, then the tortoise is 100 meters ahead of him. When Achilles finishes the next 100 meters, the time he took is t/10, and the tortoise is still 10 meters ahead... Zeno believed that Achilles could continue to close in on the tortoise, but he would never catch up with it."

Rikka Takanashi looked bewildered. "How is that possible? There's no way Achilles couldn't catch up with the tortoise. I don't understand."

Toumori Sanae said approvingly, "Master is worthy of being a master. He immediately saw that Zeno was wrong. Time and space cannot be infinitely divided. This paradox has been disproven in modern times."

Takanashi Rikka suddenly became proud, and her ahoge stood up. "Hehehe, this is only natural. A demigod hero with fast legs will definitely surpass the paradox of mortals."

Nibutani Morika shook her head and sighed, "You don't even understand this. What were you doing in math class? You're not even as good as this junior high kid."

Rikka Takanashi scratched her hair in annoyance. "Why do we have to study math in the academic field? Shouldn't things like spells be considered liberal arts?"

小鸟游六花唯独对理科极不拿手，在高中入学的第一考试中：国语100分、社会99分、英语78分、理综31分、而数学是2分。

Togashi Yuta said, "The history and humanities of spells belong to the humanities, while the principles and processes belong to the sciences. Isn't that a good way to think about it? It's pretty simple, right? If magic really existed in the world, then learning it wouldn't just be about reciting a few spells. Magic is the result, and spells are the formula. Understanding the formula is the only way to get the result. It's really no different from mathematics."

Rikka Takanashi's eyes were spinning.

Togashi Yuuta grabbed Rikka Takanashi's head and straightened her up. "So, you have to study hard and try to get your math grades up to a passing grade. Otherwise, even if you have a technique, you won't be able to use it. Look, Gojo Satoru's Unlimited and Nanami Kento's Three-Seven Split—don't they both require good math skills to use correctly?"

Rikka Takanashi said dejectedly, "Math and all that, I don't understand what they're thinking. Achilles is obviously faster than the tortoise, everyone knows that, but they still want to prove that Achilles can't catch up with the tortoise. It's completely ridiculous!"

Togashi Yuuta raised his finger and said seriously, "These are paradoxes from the 5th century BC. The progress of mathematics is based on proposing propositions that are difficult to distinguish between true and false, and then solving these propositions. In short, if you want to learn magic, learn mathematics first."

The next day, Kuroi Misato was captured, and the enemy demanded a hostage exchange in Okinawa. After arriving in Okinawa and easily rescuing Kuroi Misato, Gojo Satoru led the group to the Okinawa beach.

"Welcome!"

"Welcome!"

Under the blazing sun, the sand is white and soft, the water is crystal clear, and Tenriko and Gojo Satoru, dressed in beachwear, happily jump into the water. The two high school students play on the beach like naive children.

“Is it really okay to come here for sightseeing?”

“That was Wu’s suggestion. He probably cared about me in his own way, but it’s almost time to go.”

Kuroi Satomi and Suguru Geto sat on the beach, watching over the two children who seemed to have never grown up.

[Suguru Geto stood up and called out to Gojo Satoru, "Satoru, time's up."]

Gojo Satoru sticks out his tongue and laughs exaggeratedly at Tennuriko, who is frightened by the sea cucumber he threw and sits in the water.

[Hearing Geto Suguru's voice, Gojo Satoru instantly regained his composure: "Is it already that late?"]

[Tennoko pouted and lowered her head in frustration.]

【Gojo Satoru looked at Tennōriko for a moment, his eyes complicated.】

[Gojo Arata and Kitagawa Umi, with their backs to the beach, stood side by side in the water, gazing at the vast ocean—this scene flashed across the screen.]

Gojo Satoru said, "Jay, let's go back tomorrow morning."

【Tenriko's eyes suddenly lit up with little stars.】

[Suguru Geto said: "But..."]

Gojo Satoru walks onto the beach and says to Geto Suguru, "The weather is pretty stable, isn't it? ...Besides, I have an appointment with her."

[Suguru Geto asked doubtfully, "Are you sure? Isn't it enough to play for so long?"]

Gojo Satoru turned to look at Tennen Riko and said calmly, "We agreed to go to various places... Wouldn't it be better if Tennen's bounty ended mid-flight?"

Geto Suguru walked over to Gojo Satoru and said worriedly, "Satoru, you haven't unlocked the technique since yesterday, and you haven't gotten any sleep at all. You're not planning on sleeping tonight, are you? Is it really okay for you not to go back to the technical high school?"

Gojo Satoru said, "It's okay. You're still here, aren't you?"

[Suguru Geto smiled faintly with a helpless expression.]

Gojo Satoru and Tennenoriko enjoyed a boat trip through Okinawa, exploring gardens, eating local delicacies, and visiting an aquarium.

On the third day, at 3: PM, the four of them entered the high school's barrier. Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, who were in charge of the protection, relaxed.

【At this moment, a knife pierced Gojo Satoru's chest from behind. 】

Everyone's pupils shrank, and Geto Suguru was extremely shocked: "How is this possible? This is... inside the high school's barrier!"

Gojo Satoru calmly turned his head and asked the assassin who appeared behind him, "Have we met somewhere before?"

Fushiguro Shiori said with a sinister smile, "Don't worry, I'm not good at remembering men's names either."

Gojo Satoru swung his right hand, and the invisible force sent Fushiguro Shirakawa flying into the air. Suguru Geto quickly released a giant maggot cursed spirit, which flew up and swallowed Fushiguro Shirakawa in one gulp. He quickly ran towards the injured Gojo Satoru: "Satoru!"

Gojo Satoru reached out to stop Geto Suguru from approaching. "It's okay. I didn't have time to perform the technique, but I missed the internal organs. And I used cursed energy to strengthen the blade, preventing it from damaging other parts. It's like a safety pin through a knitted sweater. It's completely fine. Leave me alone. Protect Tengen first. I'll take care of that guy. You guys go to Tengen-sama first."

Gojo Satoru pulls up his sleeves and walks towards the cursed spirit that has swallowed Fushiguro Shinobu. Suguru Geto hesitates for a moment, then follows Gojo Satoru's instructions and runs towards the high school with Tenno Riko and Kuroi Misato.

Chapter 71: Two People Fallen

The maggot curse spirits shattered into pieces, and Fushiguro Shier emerged, carrying a large sword. His body was covered in the blood of the curse spirits, and a small, long curse spirit also appeared on his body.

Gojo Satoru stares at Fushiguro Shiori and thinks, "Where did this cursed spirit come from if it wasn't the knife that stabbed me just now? I can't figure out his background, damn it!"

Fushiguro Shiori said, "Is the Star Pulse not here? If possible, I wanted to kill you with that sword just now. Are my skills rusty?"

Gojo Satoru said, "The bounty for the day has been removed, idiot."

Fushiguro Shier said, "I was the one who withdrew, okay? You're such a braggart. To deal with someone like you who's flawless, you need to set up several disguised targets, sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly. I laugh at those Bankei Cult members going to Okinawa, and I'm annoyed that none of the surrounding sorcerers died. But if the bounty hadn't had a time limit, I doubt you'd have unlocked the spell until the very last moment."

“Yes.”

Gojo Satoru revealed a sinister smile, raised his hand, sucked up a stone, and shot it at Fushiguro Shinobu like a gunshot.

[With a flash of the sword, the stone shattered, and Fushiguro Shiru calmly jumped onto the branch.]

Gojo Satoru was surprised: "He's so fast! Not only is he fast, but I felt something was wrong with him. It turns out he has no cursed energy at all, and is just a natural gift for a body bound by heaven and curse!"

Fushiguro Shier stuffed his weapon into the cursed spirit's mouth, then pulled out a new weapon. His figure instantly vanished, moving swiftly through the forest at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

A lightning-fast attack pierced Gojo Satoru. Unfazed, he raised his right hand and unleashed a repulsive force from his palm, sending Fushiguro Jūr flying over a hundred meters into a wooden house.

Gojo Satoru put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the sent-spinning Fushiguro Shigeru. He said calmly, "Anyone who understands my techniques wouldn't randomly attack. Is that cursed tool your most valuable weapon? Unfortunately, you won't be able to get even a step closer to me."

Kitagawa Umi patted her chest, her face undulating as she said lightly, "It's okay, it's okay. Gojo-san is very alert. I thought he would get careless and crash here."

Ryūin shook her head and sighed, "It's not good at all. It's better for Gojo-san to be ambushed than for Gojo-san to send Haimeng to merge with Tianyuan."

Daisora glared at Gojo Arata unhappily, feeling that his friend was wronged. "You took Umi to the beach just to make amends, right? If you fulfilled the promise, Umi could become Tengen's Jinzhu without any worries. You weren't doing this for Umi at all, you were just trying to comfort yourself."

Sugaya Noha smacked her lips. "We can go to the beach anytime. It would be too much if Gojo's life stopped the next day without him going to Umimeng."

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Kitagawa-san..."

Gojo Arata's face turned pale, and the girls' words were like sharp knives stabbing into his heart.

Kitagawa Umimu looked reluctant, but was caught by Sugaya Noha and Oosora and was not allowed to talk to Gojo Aruna.

Kitagawa Umi could only look at the screen, hoping for another reversal.

Fushiguro Shiori's figure shuttled around Gojo Satoru at such a speed that not even an afterimage could be seen. Only the blast of air from his body that was fleeting was visible.

Gojo Satoru concentrates his mind, capturing Fushiguro Shiori's body. "He has no cursed energy, so I can't sense his presence. I can only rely on intuition... This method is most effective. As for the cursed spirit wrapped around him, I just need to track its presence. Speaking of which, isn't his speed too fast?"

Gojo Satoru stretches out his arms and sweeps them through the air. A fierce gravitational pull emanates from between his hands, forcing the bricks off the ground and toward him. The blue light transforms into a giant sphere.

[“Spell turns in the right direction, maximum output, Cang!”]

The power condensed like a black hole was released, swirling around Gojo Satoru. The ground suddenly turned into a deep pit, leaving only the place where he stood flat.

"Without cover, he couldn't launch a surprise attack and hid in the forest?"

Just as Gojo Satoru was thinking this, a black curtain rose from the distant forest. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be not a black curtain, but hundreds of fly heads, surrounding Gojo Satoru from all directions.

"Fly head? Is it being kept inside that cursed spirit? Are you using the fly head as a distraction? This way, you won't be able to locate that guy, and there'll be a blind spot. Cast Cang again? No, wait, that guy's target is... Kitagawa?!"

[The confused Gojo Satoru suddenly looked towards the school. At this moment, the presence of Fushiguro Shigeru appeared behind him.

"Your intuition is sharp enough to detect my empty hands. And with your six eyes, there's no way you'd miss the strange magical energy emanating from this cursed tool. But you've finally... started relying on defensive techniques."

[Gojo Satoru looked back, and Fushiguro Shiori, holding a short sword, seized the opportunity when Gojo Satoru finally revealed his weakness and stabbed the short sword into Gojo Satoru's throat.]

The next moment, blood splattered everywhere. Fushiguro Shinobu drew his short knife and instantly stabbed Gojo Satoru more than a dozen times. Gojo Satoru tried to resist but was powerless. Blood gushed out of his body. The last stab pierced his head, pinning Gojo Satoru to the ground.

"Special Grade Spell Tool, the Tenshoku Hoko. Its effect is to forcibly cancel an active spell. Looks like I've regained my touch a little bit."

Fushiguro Shiori stood before Gojo Satoru, a victor. Gojo Satoru lay flat on the ground, his body covered in wounds. The ground was a sea of red, like fallen maple leaves.

In the basement of the high school, Kuroi Satomi stayed in the elevator. Geto Suguru led Tenriko through a long corridor. Directly in front of them was a huge well. A towering tree, bound with thick knotted ropes, grew out of the well.

Geto Suguru began, "This is the base of Tengen-sama's sanctuary, the foundation of the nation's main barrier, the main hall of the Hoshiboshi Palace. Go down the stairs, through the door, and walk to the roots of the large tree. Unlike the barrier surrounding the high school, this is a special inner barrier, accessible only to those invited. Tengen-sama will protect you until you are assimilated."

[Riko Tenno gazed gloomily at the huge well in front of her, listening to Geto Suguru's explanation without saying a word.]

[Suddenly, Geto Suguru changed the subject: "Or, you can turn back the way you came and go home with Ms. Kuroi."]

[Riko Tennen looked at Geto Suguru in astonishment.]

"When our mentor told us about our mission, he referred to assimilation as erasure. This was meant to make us feel guilty about this mission. Our mentor is obviously simple-minded, but he often does things in a roundabout way."

[Suguru Geto smiled slightly, turned his head and looked at Tenriko: "I discussed this with Satoru before meeting you."]

[The scene changes to a sunny street, with Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru walking on the sidewalk.]

Gojo Satoru said, "What if the little astral imp refuses to assimilate? Then, don't assimilate it."

[Suguru Geto asked with a smile: "Hehehe, is this okay? We might have to go to war with Lord Tengen."]

[Gojo Satoru asked back: "Are you scared?"]

The scene returns to the basement of the high school. Geto Suguru confidently says, "Don't worry, there's always a way. We are the strongest. No matter what choice you make, we will protect your future."

"Since last year, everyone has told me that I'm a celestial being, different from everyone else. If I could assimilate with Master Tianyuan, I could protect the safety of trillions of people. They took me away from home and settled me in Tokyo. Since that day, I've avoided danger as much as possible, living for this day. I've spent a year making up my mind. Even if I assimilate and become separated from everyone, it doesn't matter. No matter how painful it is, one day, the sadness or loneliness will gradually fade. But... I still... want to spend more time with everyone! I want to go to all kinds of places with everyone and see all kinds of scenery!"

[Tenriko wiped away her tears, which continued to flow from her eyes and down her cheeks.]