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"This isn't happening."
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Hima, Suguru, Kuroi, and Riko reached the bottom of Jujutsu High's basement where the merger will take place. Kuroi put a stop to her steps and hear head fell down slowly. The three looked back at her and saw the exchange stared between the girl and her caretaker. The separation must've been very hard for the both of them. Having spent so much time together, this won't be easy to go through.
"Master Riko, this is is as far as I go. Please take–"
"Kuroi! I love you!" Riko cried out and took a huge step to give her caretaker a giant hug, "Always! Now and forever!"
"I- I love you too...!" Kuroi answered.
In the middle of their farewell, Hima took her time to notice the unfamiliar territory she was in. She was only at her 7th month as a first-year in Jujutsu High and she's already assigned to send a vessel to Master Tengen's lair. This was an absolute priviledge.
"This is..." Hima stopped in the middle of her sentence, in awe of the place they were in.
"Yes. We are just outside of where Master Tengen resides. The country's base for primary barriers. The main hall of the tombs of the star." Suguru said.
After Riko and Kuroi had exchanged their goodbyes, Suguru and Hima escorted the girl through a hallway that leads to where Master Tengen is. A giant tree appeared in front of them and the three stopped right in front of it.
"Riko, you can go ahead down the stairs and pass the gate. Head towards the base of that huge tree." Suguru said to Riko.
"You'll be protected there. Only those invited may enter. Master Tengen will protect you until the merger." Hima reassured her. She placed a hand on Riko's shoulder yet it didn't seem to help ease her at all.
"Or you can turn turn back and return home with Kuroi." Suguru suggested.
"Suguru–" Hima began but was cut off by suguru.
"Our teacher told us the mission was referred as 'erasure.' It's as if he looked at it as something wrong. For a guy that smart, he likes to beat around the bush. We agreed that if the start plasma vessel refused the merger then we call it off. Right, Hima?"
She remembered the conversation the three had before Riko woke up the first time they rescued her. It was actually Satoru's idea that he voiced to the other two students. She was hesitant as first because she was someone who followed the rules. Diverting from it was not a plan she thought was safe. But, this was a matter of free will. The free will of a girl that's about to leave her old life forever. So, by the end of it, she eventually agreed.
