Afterward, Fushiguro Megumi and Yuan Shanxiao exchanged a few more moves.

It was truly just a few moves. Fushiguro Megumi, seeing that this seemingly timid senior, Yuan Shanxiao had such an interesting technique, started to get a bit more competitive. So he decided to get serious with the boy in their sparring match. And then—

When the Divine Dogs were summoned, the boy was already holding back tears.

When a whole army of blank-eyed, lifeless island bunnies appeared, Yuan Shanxiao had already torn his shirt cuffs from gripping them too tightly.

When the toad was summoned, the boy nearly bit through his lower lip and tears were welling up in his eyes.

Finally, when the giant snake appeared, the boy’s tears could no longer be held back. They streamed down his face.

For some reason, both Fushiguro Megumi and Yuan Shanxiao felt a sense of relief when the boy finally started crying.

Yuan Shanxiao was relieved because he had finally come to terms with it—no need to hold back tears just for the sake of appearances. It was already impressive that he hadn’t run away. Why force himself to suppress his tears when he clearly couldn’t hold them back?

Fushiguro Megumi, on the other hand, had started with a sharp, surprised reaction when he first saw Yuan Shanxiao on the verge of crying, eventually becoming frustrated and wondering, “When is he finally going to cry?” By the end, watching his Shikigami get obliterated while seeing Yuan Shanxiao sobbing, Fushiguro felt… complicated. It was like watching Lin Daiyu mournfully sweeping flowers while accidentally tearing the roof off a house with a willow branch.

He almost wanted to close his eyes out of sheer exhaustion.

Fushiguro could tell that Yuan Shanxiao was genuinely terrified. After all, no one would react with such vivid expressions of shock and trembling every time they were even close to being touched by a Shikigami, only to vanish in an instant.

He also realized that Yuan Shanxiao had zero foundation in physical combat. He relied entirely on his intense fear and a flood of adrenaline, pushing him to the edge.

Normally, people can’t stay in a constant state of extreme fear, keeping their adrenaline maxed out—

But Yuan Shanxiao could.

When the Divine Dogs approached, he felt like he was about to be devoured, suffocated by the terror of being bitten to death.

When the bunnies approached, they hadn’t even touched him yet, but he was already picturing countless indescribable Lovecraftian horrors in his mind, so much so that he began muttering strange prayers. Why are you calling upon a Western god to kill an Eastern Shikigami?!

When the toad lunged at him, Fushiguro was sure he hadn’t imagined it—there were moments between Yuan Shanxiao’s desperate teleportations where he looked like he had accepted his fate, as if he was ready to slit his wrists.

Then the next time he reappeared, his face was filled with grim determination. The next time, the blade was at his throat, and after a few more moments, he was struggling again, caught between the decision to live or die.

Fushiguro Megumi: …

He didn’t quite understand what Yuan Shanxiao was so conflicted about.

Why not just turn around and use your technique to destroy the Shikigami already??

Toward the end, Fushiguro even began to feel frustrated with Yuan Shanxiao. Wishing he could just step in and deal with his own Shikigami for him.

But Fushiguro knew only Yuan Shanxiao—only this boy, with his strange technique—could so swiftly and silently pierce through anything without a trace.

And only Yuan Shanxiao could use this technique.

Agility, physical combat skills, precise judgment, this boy—

Had none of them.

All he had was…

Fushiguro silently thought as he watched the boy, who had finally stopped pretending, turn his back and wipe his tears.

All he had was… he was just really, really scared.

This was truly a new level. If Yuan Shanxiao ever went to a haunted house, the staff would probably think he was an undercover tester.

After the fight ended, Fushiguro hesitated for a moment before deciding to help the boy, whose shoulders were still shaking, to stand up. He knew Yuan Shanxiao must’ve been exhausted from fear. Just as he approached, he heard the boy muttering something.

“Don’t…”

Hmm?

“Don’t…”

Still scared? Fushiguro sighed and was about to just grab the boy by his armpits and lift him up when he heard—

“Don’t be too afraid.”

Yuan Shanxiao tried to suppress it. But he still heard the voice in his mind.

[Fear Value: 35%]

[Use?]

[…]

[…No,]

[Use?]

[Don’t…]

The voice in his head kept repeating—

[Use?]

Yuan Shanxiao struggled to pull his scattered consciousness together. Just before his vision went completely blurry, he summoned the last bit of his strength, shoved Fushiguro away, and—

[Don’t use it.]

He ran.

[Use…?]

[Yes… No… Yes, confirm use.]

———

“So, you’re saying Yuan Shanxiao went to Antarctica?”

Gojo Satoru was on a mission.

To be honest, he already felt uneasy about leaving Yuan Shanxiao alone at Jujutsu High. He was fully prepared to get a call the day after he left, informing him that something had happened and he needed to return.

But it had only been half a day!

Gojo looked at the nanny van parked at the mission site, wondering if Yuan Shanxiao had perfectly timed his escape with the end of Gojo’s mission.

After thinking it over, he began to doubt his own ears.

“Did you say… Antarctica?”

After confirming with the voice on the other end of the phone, Gojo began to doubt his brain.

“Antarctica…”

Gojo covered his mouth, then lowered his hand, then covered his mouth again, finally staring at the sky at a 45-degree angle, then at the ground at a negative 45-degree angle. “What… is Antarctica?”

Fushiguro Megumi: …

Another one losing it.

———

Gojo Satoru didn’t actually not know what Antarctica was. He was just wondering if the Antarctica Fushiguro mentioned was the same one he was thinking of.

Maybe there was a convenience store named Antarctica near the base of the Jujutsu High mountain? Or maybe a zoo called Antarctica? What if there was just some place stupidly called Antarctica?

After coming up with a series of wild guesses, his calm, black-haired ward simply shook his head.

Dismissed all his guesses, and finally said,

“It’s exactly the Antarctica you’re thinking of.”

Gojo Satoru: …

———

Gojo Satoru returned to Jujutsu High—4 hours, 37 minutes, and 57 seconds after he had left. Because one of his students, whom he considered the most talented and full of potential, had indeed demonstrated that potential by doing the most unexpected thing: running off to Antarctica.

While trying to accept this bizarre news that had him laughing out of sheer exasperation, Gojo Satoru found a sliver of pride within the absurdity.

Look at that—his student managed to escape to Antarctica!

No other student could pull that off!

And—

“South—”

“South…”

“Uhh, South—”

Gojo propped his hand under his chin, covering most of his mouth, and struggled for a while before finally managing to speak clearly.

“South—”

“No wonder he kept collecting all those Antarctic research tour brochures!!! That little brat had it all planned out!!”

Fushiguro Megumi, whose hand was also on the table, suddenly found himself unsupported as Gojo slammed the table, breaking it in one blow.

———

Yes. Those Antarctic research tour brochures were indeed the clue that Yuan Shanxiao had teleported to Antarctica.

Yuan Shanxiao’s room didn’t have much furniture—not because he believed in minimalism, but because he thought the more furniture, the more places for bugs to hide. Since he was someone who would use his spatial technique to wrap himself up in mid-air to sleep, it was no surprise that his room was practically empty.

However, there were still a few things in his room. Two things, in particular, stood out.

One was a pile of Gojo Satoru merchandise—posters, acrylic stands, and other Gojo-related items that he had convinced Yuan Shanxiao could ward off evil spirits.

When Gojo first entered the boy’s room and saw all this, he naturally pushed his sunglasses aside and turned his head, avoiding Fushiguro Megumi’s silent, judgmental gaze.

The other thing—

Was a collection that rivaled the amount of Gojo merchandise—Antarctic research tour brochures.

“To think he placed my merchandise next to this stuff!! How tasteless!!”

Fushiguro politely stepped aside, pulling his irate teacher out of the way. “You’re blocking the path.”

Gojo, being pulled aside: …

When Fushiguro stepped forward to get a better look, he saw what Gojo was pointing at.

Unlike Gojo’s merchandise, which had been carefully placed in dustproof boxes and acrylic frames, these brochures were clearly worn, left out in the open, and had been picked up and flipped through frequently. Some even had notes scribbled on them.

Fushiguro Megumi: …

Fushiguro, deep in thought, couldn’t help but remark, “This is the difference between a white moonlight and a mosquito’s blood—”

Gojo Satoru was just about to smirk.

“No, wait, it’s the difference between fictional love and real love.”

…Gojo’s smirk instantly vanished.

Fushiguro’s eyes drifted over to a Gojo acrylic stand that had been inserted upside down in its dust proof box. Then, he glanced at the heavily annotated brochures in his hand.

Gojo’s gaze followed Fushiguro’s, scanning all the items.

Gojo Satoru: …

So, love really does fade, huh?

———

“So, you checked the nearby surveillance cameras, found that the last place Yuan Shanxiao appeared was a travel agency, and that’s how you confirmed he had escaped to Antarctica?”

“That’s not all.” Fushiguro frowned and shook his head. He then picked up a brochure from the table, which was so large it required both of his hands to hold. “One of these brochures is missing. Yuan-san must have come back and taken it before leaving.”

Gojo looked at the pile of brochures Fushiguro couldn’t even hold fully in both hands and fell silent. “…How can you tell one is missing?”

“Yuan-san numbered them. There were 251 in total. Number one is missing.”

Gojo Satoru: …

What could he say? The more he thought about it, the more it felt like Yuan Shanxiao did this on purpose.

Even though he knew the boy wasn’t the type to intentionally pull off something like this—

It felt almost like it was done on purpose!!

———

Gojo Satoru and Fushiguro Megumi reviewed Yuan Shanxiao’s possible escape route.

After their fight, just as Fushiguro was about to help him up, Yuan Shanxiao suddenly disappeared. Before vanishing, he muttered some strange things, but since Yuan Shanxiao was always weird, Fushiguro didn’t think much of it.

He assumed the senior was just spooked by some atmospheric disturbance, and maybe after a while, he’d pretend nothing had happened and come back. So, Fushiguro waited nearby. After nearly an hour, when Yuan Shanxiao still hadn’t appeared, Fushiguro realized something was off and searched the entire Jujutsu High campus. When he couldn’t find him, he finally realized—

Yuan Shanxiao’s technique allowed him to stay hidden in a space where no one could see him for as long as he kept teleporting—

If he fully activated it,

No one would be able to find him.

Here, we must praise the calm and experienced young Fushiguro Megumi. When he realized this worst-case scenario, he didn’t panic. Instead, he forced himself to stay calm.

During their fight, he had already figured out the weaknesses of Yuan Shanxiao’s hamster-wheel-like teleportation technique.

First, Yuan Shanxiao needed to see the route. He had to visually recognize and mentally map out his escape route, meaning he couldn’t teleport too far. He would have to keep reappearing, seeing, perceiving, remembering, and mapping his space pathway before continuing to teleport.

Second, continuous teleportation is like running on a treadmill—eventually, the boy would get tired. Though this didn’t seem to matter much to him, since his fear-fueled adrenaline didn’t make him seem human at all. Fushiguro even doubted whether he could actually feel fatigue like a normal person.

Fushiguro was in awe of Yuan Shanxiao’s incredible levels of adrenaline as he thought about this.

So, after confirming Yuan Shanxiao’s technique’s limitations, Fushiguro immediately pulled the security footage from Jujutsu High. After determining the general direction of Yuan Shanxiao’s final teleportation, he checked the area and quickly requested the nearby street cameras under the guise of a mission. And then—

“I found that Yuan-san’s last appearance was at a travel agency that actually offers trips to Antarctica. If I’m not mistaken, it should be the one from the brochure Yuan-san numbered 1.”

“It looks like he took the original brochure before leaving. I went to the travel agency afterward and picked up another copy.”

The black-haired boy across from him finished speaking, pulled the brochure out of his bag, and handed it to Gojo.

Gojo looked at the black-haired boy who had completed the entire investigation in just a few hours: …

A light seemed to be shining around him.

Then, he thought of another black-haired boy who had vanished.

Gojo Satoru: …

It felt like darkness was descending.

———

“What you’re saying makes sense.” Gojo glanced over the brochure, then listened as Fushiguro described how Yuan Shanxiao had used his teleportation technique during their fight.

“Xiao has always had a strong sense of space—but it’s less about being born with that sense and more about him always planning to escape. That’s why he works so hard to memorize his escape routes.”

“So, look at this—he teleported from Jujutsu High to the outskirts of Tokyo, and your cameras only caught him twice. What does that tell you?”

Gojo crossed his legs. As he was about to place the brochure on the table, he realized the table had been smashed by his own hand, so he casually held the brochure in front of Fushiguro’s face for a moment before lowering it to his side. “Ahem… what that tells you is…”

“The entire layout of Tokyo is engraved in his brain.”

Gojo couldn’t help but chuckle softly. The smile was like a ripple across the surface of water, briefly touching the corners of his mouth. He lifted the brochure to his lips, blew gently, and let go. The brochure fluttered away.

“So.”

“Even though Xiao’s teleportation technique is different from standard teleportation techniques and requires him to pre-set the teleportation path… To get to Antarctica, he would have had to imprint the entire route from here to Antarctica into his mind. He would need to keep teleporting, flashing through space, memorizing and setting his path as he crossed hemispheres… He can definitely do it.”

Fushiguro tensed up as he listened to Gojo’s words, unable to comprehend the sheer magnitude of what that task would demand of one’s mind and cursed energy.

If this had been any other time, Fushiguro would have slammed his fist on the table and shouted, “That’s impossible for a human to accomplish!”

But for some reason, whether it was because Gojo Satoru was the one describing it, or because the person doing it was Yuan Shanxiao, even though Fushiguro’s rational mind screamed “That’s impossible,” he instinctively chose not to argue.

He heard Gojo’s final words.

“You may not believe in Yuan Shanxiao.”

Gojo smiled. “But you can’t not believe in a scared Yuan Shanxiao—”

Bang—

…Xiao.

The door suddenly burst open, and a disheveled boy tumbled in, landing on his knees.

“Why did they still check tickets after I boarded the ship… That janitor was so fierce, she hit me with a mop… I barely escaped.”

The boy who collapsed in, covered in mud, soaking wet, and with tattered clothes, had a suspicious-looking squid hanging from his head. He looked like he had just wandered back from begging on the streets. As soon as he knelt down, exhausted, he noticed the commotion in his room.

“Huh? What are you two doing here?”

Yuan Shanxiao stared at Gojo Satoru and Fushiguro Megumi, who were silently staring back at him. After a two-second pause, he seemed to realize something—

“—Wait, where’s my desk?!”