Under Rainbow Dragon's protection and escort, the airplane safely completed a journey of approximately two hours.
"We will soon be arriving at Naha Airport. Passengers are requested to..."
The landing announcement echoing through the cabin woke Gojo Satoru from his deep sleep.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
Leaning against Getou Suguru's shoulder, Gojo Satoru had long since made the other boy's shoulder go numb. He stretched lazily without the slightest trace of guilt.
"You've been overusing your eyes. Getting some proper rest is better for you."
Getou Suguru held a travel magazine in his hands.
Before the plane had taken off, Gojo Satoru had done a great deal to ensure their safety, using the Six Eyes to scrutinize every single passenger aboard.
The three of them had been seated in the same row. Gojo Satoru occupied the middle seat, Getou Suguru sat on the aisle side, and Amanai Riko sat by the window. She had spent the entire flight staring outside, unable to tear her eyes away from the sky and the magnificent dragon covered in dazzling scales.
Throughout the entire two-hour flight, Getou Suguru had been the one under the greatest strain. He had not dared relax for even a moment. He carried both Gojo Satoru's trust and Amanai Riko's life on his shoulders.
"Has Akiya arrived at Naha Airport yet?"
Gojo Satoru straightened up in his seat. His white hair spilled loosely over the sleep mask as his perception swept across the inside and outside of the entire aircraft.
"No," Getou Suguru replied. "For the sake of maintaining secrecy, Akiya booked two separate flights at different times. We took the earliest flight, while Akiya and the underclassmen are scheduled to arrive on the second flight tonight."
"They intentionally staggered their itinerary from ours. After all, among the people coming to support us are three first-year students who only recently enrolled. Akiya has to take responsibility for their safety as well."
Getou Suguru set down the magazine and explained his analysis of Akiya's arrangements.
Half an hour later, they arrived at Naha Airport.
As they walked through the airport terminal, Getou Suguru tried contacting Asou Akiya but was unable to reach him. He guessed that Akiya had already boarded his flight.
He really worked hard for us, Getou Suguru thought to himself. When we get back, I need to thank him properly.
Without Asou Akiya's help, Getou Suguru felt that Gojo Satoru and Amanai Riko would probably have spent a long time going back and forth before making a decision. Afternoon flights were the hardest to book, and there was a good chance they would not have been able to reach Okinawa that same day.
Gojo Satoru walked beside Amanai Riko with Infinity activated, maintaining the highest level of vigilance at all times.
A message arrived from the kidnappers:
[Tomorrow at 11:00 AM, the hostage exchange will take place in Okinawa. We want Amanai Riko.]
Amanai Riko hurriedly handed her phone to Getou Suguru and looked at him expectantly.
After thinking for a moment, Getou Suguru replied:
[Where is the exchange location?]
The kidnappers responded:
[We'll send it to you tomorrow.]
Getou Suguru probed further:
[Can we conduct the exchange today after arriving in Okinawa?]
The kidnappers immediately rejected the proposal:
[No!]
A cold light flashed through Getou Suguru's eyes.
Their intention to stall for time was painfully obvious.
Ever since the Star Plasma Vessel mission had begun, they had spent the day rescuing people, fighting curse users, accompanying someone to school, dealing with the bounty placed on Amanai Riko, and then facing the kidnapping of the maid serving their mission target. After all of that, they had finally boarded a plane and arrived in Okinawa by evening.
Yet it had all accomplished nothing.
The kidnappers still held the initiative.
"Gojo," Getou Suguru said, "I received a message Akiya sent before boarding his flight. He told us to conceal our whereabouts and then meet up at Okinawa's most famous resort hotel."
"Sounds fine to me," Gojo Satoru replied without objection.
"I'm a little concerned," Getou Suguru said, exercising his deductive reasoning. "Why did the kidnappers choose Okinawa as the exchange location? The Time Vessel Association has a private jet. They could have flown Miss Kuroi overseas overnight, forced us onto an even longer flight, and lured us to some unfamiliar location far from Japan. They could simply drag things out until Tengen's assimilation deadline passes."
Gojo Satoru could not be bothered to think that deeply. His brain was already overloaded by the sheer volume of information flooding in from the airport around him.
"Ask Akiya."
Getou Suguru shook his head in disagreement.
"When Akiya isn't around, we have to rely on ourselves."
"Well, have you figured out the answer, Suguru?" Gojo Satoru asked.
Getou Suguru replied, "The kidnappers may be worried that we'll refuse the exchange. Once Akiya gets off the plane, I'll ask for his opinion. He's more familiar with the Time Vessel Association's situation than we are."
Gojo Satoru immediately shot him a look of disdain.
Amanai Riko's mind was completely occupied by thoughts of Kuroi Misato, who was as close to her as family. She did not dare interrupt the conversation between the two boys, nor did she pay any attention to the frequently mentioned name "Akiya." She simply assumed it belonged to some unimportant stranger who had nothing to do with her.
Only after the two of them had fallen silent and focused on walking did Amanai Riko muster the courage to speak.
"Are we going to rescue her now?"
Gojo Satoru ignored her entirely, maintaining an aloof and distant attitude.
Getou Suguru smiled and answered in his place.
"We'll rest tonight. Once we reunite with our companions, we'll rescue her together tomorrow."
At 7:20 PM, they traveled through the air aboard Rainbow Dragon. Following the directions on his phone the entire way, Getou Suguru successfully located the hotel, completed the check-in procedures, and reserved a luxurious suite containing three separate bedrooms.
The moment they entered the comfortable room, Amanai Riko collapsed onto the furniture in exhaustion, completely devoid of the energy she had displayed during the day.
Getou Suguru immediately set up defensive measures, directing his cursed spirits to guard every area surrounding the suite.
Gojo Satoru stripped off his school uniform, took a quick shower, changed into the clean clothes provided by the hotel, and then sat on the balcony in a daze.
His Six Eyes glowed faintly as cursed energy flowed into them. Expanding his perception to its maximum range, he monitored every movement and disturbance in the surrounding area.
The moment Getou Suguru returned to the room and saw what Gojo Satoru was doing, he could not have felt more gratified.
The friend he acknowledged possessed an extraordinary ability to take action.
"Gojo, want some coffee?"
"Extra sweet!"
Gojo Satoru answered instantly, already prepared to stay awake throughout the entire night.
Getou Suguru headed off to wash up first. After changing into fresh clothes, he walked into the suite's open kitchen and carefully selected the coffee he wanted to brew.
A short while later, Getou Suguru returned carrying two cups of coffee.
Glancing at the time, he said, "It's already ten o'clock at night."
Gojo Satoru stirred his coffee with a spoon. After the sugar had completely dissolved, he licked the spoon and said, "Add some more sugar."
Getou Suguru stared at him.
"Are you really that desperate for sugar?"
Gojo Satoru replied matter-of-factly, "The more sugar I consume now, the better prepared I'll be for tomorrow."
A trace of concern appeared in Getou Suguru's heart. Eating too much sugar could easily distort a person's sense of taste.
Suddenly, Gojo Satoru sprang to his feet.
His Six Eyes had detected Akiya's cursed energy several kilometers away.
The next second, his phone rang.
"Don't come looking for me."
Asou Akiya's very first sentence immediately cut off any thought of action from Gojo Satoru.
"And don't put the phone on speaker."
His second sentence instantly put both Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru on alert.
At another budget hotel, Asou Akiya had checked in under a low profile. Disguised as an out-of-town tourist, he carried no signs whatsoever linking him to Tokyo Jujutsu High. Hidden within the range of Gojo Satoru's vision, he spoke quietly over the phone.
"I'm logistics support. I'm not responsible for confronting enemies directly."
Gojo Satoru immediately tried to persuade him.
"You're already a Semi-Grade 2 sorcerer. Dealing with some amateur curse users should be easy for you!"
Asou Akiya flatly refused.
"No. I'm very fragile. For the time being, I have no desire to face curse users."
"Are you two done yet?"
Getou Suguru snatched the phone from Gojo Satoru's hand, unwilling to waste any more time.
"Akiya, what are the chances that we'll actually see her at the exchange location tomorrow? Is there anything we need to prepare in advance?"
Gojo Satoru lunged at him, trying to reclaim the phone. Listening to the chaotic sounds coming from the other end, Asou Akiya responded with the calm of someone who had long since grown accustomed to this sort of thing.
"Suguru, make sure you get enough sleep tonight. Use your cursed spirits to surround and guard your lodging. Let Gojo stand watch, and make sure he maintains an adequate intake of sugar throughout the night."
Getou Suguru pressed for details.
"And then? If you don't explain everything clearly, there's no way I'll be able to sleep peacefully."
Asou Akiya answered with brutal conciseness.
"There are only two possibilities tomorrow. Either you'll see her alive, or you'll see her dead."
Both Getou Suguru and Gojo Satoru fell silent at the same time.
Their heads slowly turned toward the room where Amanai Riko was resting.
Fortunately, she had not heard any of this.
A heavy feeling settled in Getou Suguru's chest. Part of the responsibility for this situation lay with his own mistake.
"Is there really no way for us to make up for it?" he asked.
"As I said, the decision isn't in our hands," Asou Akiya replied. "Whether she lives or dies depends entirely on what the enemy decides."
Getou Suguru pressed on.
"Not even you have a way to influence it?"
Asou Akiya let out a sigh.
"If I told you that her chances of surviving are eighty percent, would that make you feel any better?"
The one who had knocked out and abducted Kuroi Misato was Fushiguro Toji.
Fushiguro Toji's opinion had been to kill the maid outright. However, in the original timeline, Kong Shiyu had chosen to let her live, using her survival to lower Gojo Satoru's guard. Human hearts were unpredictable, and reality could change at any moment. Asou Akiya could not guarantee with one hundred percent certainty that Kong Shiyu would make the same choice this time.
A somewhat strained smile appeared on Getou Suguru's face.
"Yeah."
Asou Akiya's voice softened.
"Go to sleep, Suguru. Leave tomorrow's problems for tomorrow. Now give the phone back to Gojo."
Getou Suguru handed over the phone and returned to his room to rest.
A moment later, Gojo Satoru heard Asou Akiya's voice from the other end of the call.
"Hurry up and find a charger for your phone. I'll keep you company all night."
A bright smile spread across Gojo Satoru's face.
"Got it!"
He happily went off to search for a charging cable.
Tonight would be a sleepless night, but with someone keeping him company, it felt no different from those nights spent staying up late together playing video games.
Meanwhile, Asou Akiya installed surveillance cameras both inside and outside his room. He did not place absolute trust in the abilities of the Six Eyes.
He had also arranged for the three underclassmen to stay at the hotel closest to the airport.
When Zen'in Naoya started complaining, Asou Akiya immediately invoked Gojo Satoru's name to suppress any objections.
"Anyone who refuses to follow orders can look forward to getting beaten up when we get back."
Left with no alternative, Zen'in Naoya could only come along and support the Star Plasma Vessel mission if he wanted to avoid a beating.
The Zen'in family had no objections to this arrangement.
This mission concerned the safety and stability of the entire jujutsu world. In the eyes of the heads of the Three Great Clans, Tengen-sama absolutely could not be allowed to come to harm.
In the middle of the night, they chatted intermittently to stay awake.
After a while, Asou Akiya asked, "What's the Gojo family's stance on all of this?"
Resting his chin on one hand while sitting in a chair, Gojo Satoru replied,
"Little Tangerine, don't you think you're asking the wrong person?"
Asou Akiya covered his face with one hand.
"If I don't ask you, who am I supposed to ask? Am I the current head of the Gojo family? Am I the Gojo heir?"
"Maybe you're not," Gojo Satoru replied, "but you're more shrewd than those old geezers."
Then he added cheerfully,
"Besides, I never told my family anything about this~."
Asou Akiya: "..."
Even Zen'in Naoya knew how to complain to the Zen'in family and tell them that Tokyo Jujutsu High was recklessly sending first-year students on missions!
"As expected," Asou Akiya said helplessly. "Fine, I get it. You're just that independent. Can you at least send them a message and ask now?"
Gojo Satoru's tone was completely unconcerned.
"Ask them what?"
"The cause of Amanai Riko's parents' deaths."
For a brief instant, Gojo Satoru's expression froze.
Then it returned to normal.
"Little Orange, you're starting to stick your nose into things that don't concern you."
His laziness was kicking in again. He had no particular desire to keep digging deeper into the matter.
Asou Akiya said, "Suguru must be feeling pretty frustrated right now. Amanai Riko simply doesn't dare say those words."
"Would bringing up her parents really change anything?" Gojo Satoru countered.
"In my opinion, Little Riko's feelings toward Kuroi Misato are much deeper."
In order to avoid creating trouble for himself, Gojo Satoru had learned to use his brain to argue back.
It was a special kind of growth.
A reverse kind of growth.
Asou Akiya replied unhurriedly, "Under extreme circumstances, hatred possesses greater power than love."
Gojo Satoru let out a cold laugh.
"If she ends up hating the jujutsu world, I can guarantee she'll die even faster. The Time Vessel Association wouldn't even need to make a move."
Amanai Riko possessed cursed energy and could see cursed spirits, yet she lacked any professional guidance. Negative emotions born from hatred would only attract cursed spirits to her.
"Gojo, I never said the jujutsu world was responsible for killing her parents."
"Isn't that exactly what you're implying?" Gojo Satoru shot back.
"I wasn't."
"You were!"
"Could you stop acting so childish?"
"The old geezers did it, but Little Orange doesn't even dare admit it?"
"Fine, I surrender. I won't concern myself with Amanai Riko's psychological issues anymore. You two can take your time figuring it out yourselves."
Asou Akiya decisively withdrew the helping hand he had extended to the two high-school boys.
"Don't do that~."
Gojo Satoru backtracked at lightning speed, showing absolutely no concern for his dignity. The Six Eyes curved into crescent moons as he grinned.
"Akiya, I can see that you're taking a bath. Do I need to avert my eyes?"
"Heh. I'm not wearing the red cord."
"But I'm carrying out a high-difficulty mission! Monitoring other people is necessary!"
"You... were peeking at Amanai Riko?"
"I did not!"
"..."
"I just thought that since we're so close, there's no need to worry about things like that. Besides, weren't you perfectly calm when watching adult videos?"
"Who told you I wasn't bothered by it—Gojo Satoru!!!"
Asou Akiya scrambled out of the bath in a panic and hurriedly wrapped himself in clothes, only to be met by Gojo Satoru's uninhibited laughter coming through the phone.
"Do you know what color you're showing right now? Your cursed energy is bright red from head to toe. Aren't you embarrassed, Akiya~? Hahahahaha!"
Asou Akiya struggled to maintain his composure.
He could not rush over there.
There was a very high probability that Fushiguro Toji was monitoring the hotel where Gojo Satoru was staying.
After forcibly calming himself down, Asou Akiya asked in a measured tone:
"Gojo, do you know what color you are in my eyes?"
"Huh, what color am I?"
"You used to be pure white. Now you've been stained with waste material and turned into a riotously colorful shade of white."
"???"
Facing Gojo Satoru's utter bewilderment, Asou Akiya leaned close to his phone's microphone and softly breathed a single sentence.
"Friendly reminder: teenagers addicted to jerking off will suffer from premature ejaculation later in life."
...
Gojo Satoru turned to stone.