Chapter 136

Although going for a swim in the sea on the afternoon before assimilation was imminent sounded particularly absurd, everyone agreed with Gojo Satoru's idea.

If they are led by the nose by enemies lurking in the shadows at every step, their situation will inevitably be too passive.

That's why, when the enemy thought they would rush back to the high school, they deliberately didn't do so—not only that, Gojo Satoru even enthusiastically led everyone to pick out swimsuits.

Those bright blue eyes, sparkling with excitement, stared expectantly at Kazuma Hatori.

Kazuma Hatori, impersonating Misato Kuroi: "..."

[Miri Kuroi] remained expressionless for a moment, then silently uttered a single word.

"No."

Gojo Satoru immediately seized the opportunity and started recommending swimsuits to him in the swimwear store—especially the pink short floral swimsuit, which was her top choice. She tried to brainwash him with repetitive talk, and her attitude was much more attentive than that of a sales assistant.

"Wear this, it's so cute! Wear it, wear it, it suits you perfectly, it will definitely look great on you."

Xia Youjie, who loves watching a good show, also fanned the flames from the sidelines.

"Yes, yes, it will definitely suit you well. Come and try it on."

Riko Tenten, watching [Miri Kuroi] being surrounded by two male high school students recommending swimsuits: "..."

It's very strange; in short, this scene is extremely bizarre.

Of course, Kazuma Hatori wouldn't actually change into a swimsuit just to satisfy Satoru's perverse tastes—he opted for the most conservative vacation shirt and shorts, a unisex style that would suit both men and women.

When it was time to pay the bill, Gojo Satoru let out a loud "tsk".

Kazuma Hagoromo pretended not to hear.

Unlike the cold and damp beaches of Kamakura during the New Year period, Okinawa is located at the southernmost part of Japan. It is currently springtime, and the golden sand beaches are soaked with the intense warmth of the sun. However, stepping into the boundless blue sea is quite cold, and even the sea breeze that blows your clothes only makes you feel cool.

Riko had never been to the seaside so far from home before.

The golden sunlight, the soft, white sand, the azure horizon, the deep green broad-leaved palms, and the colorful flowers—countless rich and vibrant colors intertwined, dazzling her eyes. She examined almost everything closely, exclaiming in admiration.

It was as if, after more than a decade of repressive and monotonous life, today was the first time the world had truly opened its doors to her.

"Clam digging! Clam digging!"

Gojo Satoru cheered along with her, running around on the beach, enjoying startling her with starfish, hermit crabs, and all sorts of strange marine creatures.

Kazuma Hatori also wanted to play with them, but Natsuyuki firmly held him back.

“Miss Kuroi is very composed,” Xia Youjie said in a low voice. “I’m afraid you’ll have too much fun and come back arm in arm with Wu…”

If that scene were seen by the enemy's spies, no one would believe it was Kuroi Misato.

Kazuma Hatake: "..."

Xia Youjie's words made so much sense that he had to sit upright on the picnic blanket the whole time. Only his dark eyes followed Wujiao Wu the whole time—warm and sincere enough to make the other turn around and give him a bright smile.

Then, Kazuma Hatori pursed his lips, his chest filled with a sense of security that swelled up like a marshmallow.

Stable and content.

Xia Youjie, standing next to him, propped his head up, glanced away, his face clearly saying, "Help! These two are so lovey-dovey, I can't stand it."

According to the schedule, they would spend their time in Okinawa until 3 p.m. before heading to the airport to return to Tokyo High School.

"Satoru, Riko, it's almost time!"

Xia Youjie glanced at his phone and shouted to the two people who had already started playing in the water.

Riko Tennen is happily chasing and water-fighting with Satoru Gojo—the latter even tries to use a sea cucumber-throwing tactic, which Riko Tennen skillfully dodges with a slide tackle, but still slips and falls, getting splashed with seawater.

"Ah...is it time already?"

Upon hearing this reminder, Gojo Satoru paused, instinctively glancing at Tenniri Riko.

She didn't make a fuss, nor did she show any dissatisfaction that she hadn't had enough; however, just as the smile on her face hadn't completely faded, and she lowered her head in surprise, revealing a hint of disappointment that the time had been too short—Gojo Satoru turned his gaze back and spoke to Natsumi Yuuki.

"Let's go back tomorrow morning."

Riko's surprise upon hearing this was immediately reflected on her face, and even her eyes were filled with anticipation as she looked at him.

"but……"

Xia Youjie was about to say something when Gojo Satoru, who had come over to discuss things with them, slowly cut him off.

"It's okay, it's okay, the weather is great, there won't be any typhoons in the next couple of days."

Kazuma Hatake immediately voted in favor.

"I have no objection."

Xia Youjie looked at the two people—especially Hato Kazuma, who unconditionally doted on Gojo Satoru—and sighed.

"That's not the problem. Wu, you haven't broken the spell since yesterday, have you? If you're not going back until tomorrow morning, are you planning not to sleep tonight either?"

Kazuma Hatake cannot sense the fluctuations of magical power when the [No Limit] technique is activated, but he can.

The sheer amount of strain that maintaining such a high level of precision for an extended period must have placed on Gojo Satoru's brain is something that Hagoromo Kazuma must have been well aware of.

Not to mention that not sleeping for two consecutive days is enough to damage a person's mental state.

Xia Youjie pointed this out because he intended to have Yuqu Kazuma also come and persuade Gojo Satoru not to push himself too hard.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Gojo Satoru was exploiting him in this way, Hato Kazuma immediately gave him a disapproving look.

Gojo Satoru: “…”

Jay, you're absolutely wicked!

Even though the other party didn't say anything, Gojo Satoru felt as if he could already hear what the black Shiba Inu was muttering.

"No problem, don't worry."

Gojo Satoru smiled and spread his hands to indicate that he was still super energetic.

“And you’re here too.” He continued.

This statement, which sounds like a trust or entrustment, can be heartwarming, but it doesn't mean that you should actually leave everything to Gojo Satoru.

After thinking for a moment, Kazuma Hatori proposed a condition: "If Satoru is worried about a surprise attack by the enemy, then tonight we will take turns keeping watch."

Gojo Satoru: "Huh?"

Kazuma Hatake: "Even now, Satoru needs to break the spell to rest, so let Je release the cursed spirits to form a warning zone."

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Gojo Satoru looked at Natsumi Yukichi—who immediately raised his hand to vote.

"I agree."

Two against one, Gojo Satoru could only mutter that he could easily hold on for another half a day, while Hatori Kazuma directly reached out to confirm and released the [No Limits] spell.

Although he complained verbally, his beautiful blue eyes behind his sunglasses were slightly narrowed, revealing a different kind of extraordinary joy.

Kazuma Hatori deliberately rubbed Gojo Satoru's bright red coat with his fingers to make sure he could feel the fabric before he felt relieved.

"If you want to have fun, just relax and enjoy yourself. There's no need to worry about anything else."

He spoke to Gojo Satoru in a steady and powerful voice, a tone that Kuroi Misato would never use.

"I'm still here."

He's still here.

Gojo Satoru stared intently at Hagoromo Kazuma.

Even though the other person was currently wearing the appearance of Misato Kuroi, the black eyes that looked at him were still the same as they had seen countless times before, letting Gojo Satoru know that he always possessed this unique sense of security.

It belongs only to him.

"—Ah, indeed."

Gojo Satoru smiled with a relaxed and cheerful expression, wanting to reach out and pinch the other person's cheek, but then realized that the person in front of him was [Kuroi Misato], so he had to give up.

"You're here too."

………

As Okinawa is a popular tourist destination, it's impossible to visit all the attractions in just one day.

Therefore, they chose a few key spots—rowing a boat to admire the lush tropical gardens on both banks, passing through a sea of ​​hydrangeas, eating local seafood noodles on the beach, and watching a local Ryukyu dance performance.

As night fell, Riko Tenn pointed to the aquarium not far away and decided to make it the last stop on her trip to Okinawa.

This is an aquarium dedicated to exhibiting deep-sea creatures. The giant glass screen on the side that is open to visitors presents an extremely wide rectangular view, allowing them to observe the deep-sea fish living 200 meters below the surface up close. There are more than 150 species of fish.

In particular, the main aquarium [Kuroshio Sea], which runs through the first and second floors of the aquarium, has a display window that is 8.2 meters high and 22.5 meters wide, making it the world's largest whale shark aquarium.

Inside this aquarium, where all the lights except for the indicator lights are turned off, only the deep blue of the ocean stands out so strikingly, accompanied by schools of fish swimming leisurely, reflected in the eyes of passing visitors.

Riko, dressed in a pure white dress, walked slowly between the giant glass screens, as if she herself had transformed into a fish swimming in an aquarium.

She has never been free.

Kazuma Hato, Natsuyuki, and Satoru Gojo stood at the entrance, watching her from afar.

No one spoke.

When everyone left the aquarium, it meant the trip was over. They needed to go back to the hotel to rest and prepare to catch their flight back to Tokyo the next morning.

Gojo Satoru first used the [Six Eyes] to carefully search the room they had booked, making sure there were no talismans containing cursed energy; then he used the flashlight he had bought to check again carefully, making sure there were no cameras or listening devices in the room.

He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face Kazuma Hagoromo.

Xia Youjie went to Tian Lizi's room to keep watch and won't be back for a while.

“I would like to ask for Tennen’s opinion,” Gojo Satoru said. “If she does not want to assimilate, then she will not assimilate.”

Kazuma Hatori was stunned for a moment, never expecting that Satoru would choose to follow Tenten Riko's advice—even if it meant going against the High School and Tengen.

"But your mission..."

Gojo Satoru shook his head. "This isn't about sending them to be assimilated, it's about annihilation. That's what Professor Yagura said, and I agree."

Kazuma Hato looked at him quietly—those dark eyes that were always watching him were enough to put Gojo Satoru at ease, allowing him to reveal all his thoughts.

“If I were to personally send a girl who doesn’t want to die, I couldn’t do it,” Gojo Satoru said. “Therefore, I will go and ask the true will of Heaven.”

Those gentle yet steadfast blue eyes gazed calmly into the depths of his forever-encompassing black pupils.

"Would you like to come with me?"

Kazuma Hatori stood up and replied as always.

"certainly."