“Let’s keep going.” Makoto was brimming with fighting spirit, only to notice Sakiko acting somewhat awkward.
He immediately remembered what had just happened and felt a little embarrassed himself.
Makoto wasn’t deliberately trying to take advantage of her.
The rainbow-colored light was clearly a powerful Buff, so attributing increased luck to it didn’t feel particularly forced.
Otherwise, he’d have to blindly guess which emotion corresponded to which ability.
Getting it wrong would do far more harm than good.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Makoto was just about to suggest returning to their original method of cooperation if she was uncomfortable.
Before he could speak, Sakiko lowered her head, approached him, and somewhat stiffly opened her arms.
The now-familiar body entered his embrace again.
Sakiko was no longer as nervous this time.
Instead, her heartbeat grew even louder, and she slowly found herself unable to meet Makoto’s eyes.
Fortunately, the rainbow-colored state never lasted very long, and every embrace was immediately followed by another intense battle.
That kept Sakiko from remaining trapped in her embarrassment for too long.
Before long, the two had obtained five Cursed Energy Crystal Fragments and two Small Cursed Energy Crystals.
Makoto didn’t immediately consume them like before.
Using Making Fake Become Real the way he had been, he estimated he’d need at least ten Small Cursed Energy Crystals to reach a Semi-Grade 1 level of Cursed Energy.
What they had now wasn’t enough to produce another qualitative leap in strength.
Rather than increasing his Cursed Energy, it would be more useful to improve the development of his Cursed Technique.
“Come on.
Let’s find somewhere to rest for a while.” Makoto looked toward a relatively quiet passage.
Sakiko’s face had grown slightly pale.
She had been their main source of offensive power throughout the fighting.
Even though their embraces could restore her condition, the invisible mental pressure continued accumulating.
She nodded and followed Makoto through several twists and turns inside the buildings until they emerged onto a pedestrian overpass.
Coincidentally, the barrier cut directly through the center of the bridge.
It was clearly the same overpass, yet the barrier made the two halves feel as though they belonged to entirely different worlds.
Makoto took off his jacket, folded it on the ground, and let Sakiko sit on it.
That simple, unconscious gesture completely relaxed what remained of her tension.
Sakiko gently reached out and touched the barrier in front of her.
Then something suddenly occurred to her.
“Kitano-kun, since you’re a Jujutsu Sorcerer…
does that mean you can get through this barrier?” “Yeah,” Makoto answered frankly.
Sakiko’s pupils contracted.
“Then…
doesn’t that mean you’ve been staying here because of me this entire time?” “Without me, you could’ve left the barrier and taken shelter ages ago!” Makoto stared at her in surprise.
Leaning against the railing, he suddenly burst out laughing.
“You only realized that now?” Sakiko didn’t become angry at his laughter.
Instead, her eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t put into words.
She’d always thought their relationship was one of mutual support.
Now she realized she was the one being completely carried.
Makoto immediately understood what she was thinking.
“There’s no reason to feel guilty.
Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten all these rewards either.” Makoto looked over the thousand-plus Mission Points and Cursed Energy Crystals he’d accumulated.
Those alone were already enough to match the rewards from clearing this beginner mission.
Not to mention all the abilities he’d gained along the way.
And the mission wasn’t even over yet.
Sakiko nodded.
“Then, Kitano-kun…
could you promise me one thing?” “Go ahead.” “If we encounter something we truly can’t fight, please leave me behind and escape through the barrier by yourself.” “Don’t worry about me.” “Okay.” Makoto didn’t hesitate or make some dramatic promise that they’d live and die together.
When it came to things like this, actions were far more capable of moving someone than words.
Sakiko visibly relaxed.
She really didn’t want to owe someone too much.
Just then, a muffled groan sounded from somewhere nearby.
Both immediately became alert and looked toward another overpass on the neighboring street.
Two figures could vaguely be seen there.
One of them was repeatedly stabbing a blade into the other’s back.
“Is that…
a human attacking another human?” Sakiko’s eyes widened.
After all the battles they’d fought, this was the first time she’d witnessed something like this.
Makoto already had a good idea of who those two people were.
“Stay quiet.
Be ready to run at any moment.” “Run?” Sakiko looked confused.
What she didn’t know was that, in Makoto’s perception, an icy and overwhelmingly powerful mass of Cursed Energy had already locked onto them from afar.
That person—or rather, Curse User—was most likely Sukuna’s loyal hound, Uraume.
Uraume possessed strength on the level of a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer and was no weaker than Jogo.
Someone like that was far beyond what Makoto could challenge right now.
As for the two people on the overpass, they should be the effeminate Shigemo Haruta and Ijichi Kiyotaka.
Makoto hadn’t expected that after wandering through so many buildings with Sakiko, they would accidentally end up here.
Makoto tightened his grip around Sakiko’s wrist.
He stopped speaking and quietly watched the situation unfold.
Haruta’s ambush had succeeded.
He planted his foot on Ijichi’s head and smugly said, “I really am better at ambushing weaklings…
This should be enough, right?” He turned around.
Uraume silently approached, her gaze briefly shifting toward Makoto’s location.
“Huh?
Is there something over there?” Haruta asked curiously.
Uraume shook her head slightly.
“Just a couple of insignificant mice.
Ignore them.” “From here on, continue searching for people wearing suits and kill them.” Uraume hadn’t merely sensed Makoto.
She had also seen Sakiko.
If Makoto had been alone, Uraume would’ve killed the Jujutsu Sorcerer without hesitation.
But the presence of Sakiko, who possessed no Cursed Energy, changed things.
It meant Makoto wouldn’t abandon her, and therefore this Jujutsu Sorcerer posed no meaningful threat.
After briefly discussing their next move, Haruta leisurely walked off toward his next target with his hand-hilted Cursed Tool katana in hand.
Uraume dissolved into icy mist and disappeared.
Makoto stared fixedly at the place where Uraume had vanished.
His C-rank Talent Insight quietly activated.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t learn anything from Uraume.
The difference in strength between them was simply too enormous.
However, Insight did allow Makoto to confirm that Uraume had truly left.
The ability no longer had a valid target to respond to.
Makoto finally released a long breath.
If Uraume had actually attacked, Makoto would’ve had to test whether his Spatial Manipulation could carry Sakiko directly through the barrier.
With his current level of Cursed Technique development, that would have been a Hell-rank challenge in itself.
“What do we do now?
Should we go take a look?” Sakiko had also understood that the white-haired girl in monk robes had been extremely dangerous.
Makoto immediately nodded.
“We’re not just going over there.” “We’re going to heal him.” …