I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [47]
Perhaps it was because there was nothing here—no form, no color—that the void appeared so white, so empty.
This was a place beyond the touch of time and space, a gap between worlds, an ocean formed of "imaginary numbers," an existence that should not exist.
Though it was called an "ocean," this term was merely for convenience, a metaphor humans could use to understand.
"Since time doesn't exist in this imaginary space, Master, even if you return to your previous world, you can select the exact time point you want. However, to avoid complications with your proof of existence, I recommend you choose to return about a month after you left."
"So, no matter how long I stay away, to Jasmine and the others, it'll feel like I was only gone for about a month, right?"
"Master, you're forgetting one small condition—the condition being that you actually return to that world."
Ah, that was an issue… If I died in another world, I'd never get back…
It was strange that, when I thought about dying, I wasn't even afraid of death itself; my biggest fear was not being able to return to the people waiting for me. I wonder if many people think like that.
Before leaving, she'd made sure to prepare for everything.
She'd told Jasmine that she'd be leaving on an overseas mission for over a month, and she'd arranged for Nanami Kento and the others to keep an eye on her.
The cursed bone tree was suppressed with a Holy Grail—so long as no one disturbed it, it would be safe. Most of the dangerous curses had been eliminated, and that man had died by her hand. Whatever remained would be a problem for Tengen and the other sorcerers.
Ignorance and malice would always nurture themselves within civilization's progress. Perhaps the Star Plasma incident would persist around that cursed tree she'd left behind, but opponents of that level should be manageable for Gojo and the others.
Anyway, she'd only be gone a month or so; nothing too catastrophic should happen.
…Probably?
"Master, your flight is about to reach its destination. Please fasten your seatbelt. Any upcoming sensations of weightlessness or nausea are completely normal. Remember to give us a five-star rating, okay~~?"
"Huh?"
She barely had time to process the message before she was gripped by a powerful pull, as though she were thrown into the eye of a storm, followed by the jarring weightlessness of bungee jumping without a harness.
Before she lost consciousness, her last thought was…
"I thought you said people get used to this…"
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A jagged mountain peak, sharp as a blade, loomed above.
Standing at its summit, one could feel the thick clouds beneath their feet, with an endless, clear blue sky above.
The wind here was harsher than any sword's edge, gusting like relentless waves against the cliffs twenty-four hours a day. The frigid air and relentless snow turned this place into a forbidden zone for any living creature.
Under the snow's icy grip, a small, white mound stirred. A head of cherry blossom-pink hair poked out, shaking off the snow from her head.
"...Tch. This time I didn't fall from the sky, but emerged from the ground. Chaldea's Spiritron transfer is as weird as ever."
A girl with pink hair slowly wriggled her way out of a snowdrift at least a meter thick, her black scarf billowing in the fierce wind. She wore a swimsuit that barely covered her, paired with high-knee socks—completely at odds with the icy surroundings.
"Why a swimsuit, though?!"
No wonder I felt a chill around my navel…
A short while later, Okita Souji managed to pull on a black and white haori, her scarf changing to a solid white.
However, there were still no pants. No skirt, either—just a black swimsuit bottom.
Though Servants were largely immune to the cold, embarrassment was another matter…
"This is way too short…"
Okita's cheeks flushed as she tugged futilely at the hem of her haori, only to realize that the garment's hem was shorter than its sleeves. Defeated, she wrapped her arms around her midriff in an attempt to shield herself.
"Aww~~! Master's cute, flustered expression! Screenshot! Save! Backup! Upload to social media!"
"Da Vinci!"
Hearing Da Vinci's laughter—no, it was outright glee—Okita's face flushed even brighter as her confidence wavered.
"Ugh… To think my swimsuit debut would be this humiliating, and to top it off, I've become the internet's latest joke… Okita Souji's greatest failure…"
"Well, that's what you get for not summoning any other version of Okita Souji and going for the swimsuit one instead."
"How was Okita supposed to know she'd turn into her own wife one day?! And besides, you know that Okita's Swimsuit form is only four stars! The others are all five stars! I didn't have enough Saint Quartz for five-star Okita, okay?"
Resigned, Okita finally crouched down, pulling at the back of her haori to cover her exposed lower half.
"Anyway, Okita's a Saber, right? We have plenty of Sabers in Chaldea. There are so many of us, almost a third of all Servants are Sabers. I can't even count the four stars. I've got Attila and Ibuki-Douji as five-star Sabers already, so I definitely didn't need another. The only reason I summoned Okita Souji was for the swimsuit!"
The frigid winds reminded Okita of her grueling experiences in the Russian and Nordic Lostbelts.
"First… I need to find traces of civilization, figure out which world this is…"
But with this biting cold, even as a Servant she felt the chill. Was there really anyone here?
"Please don't let it be another land of Yaga…"
This swimsuit version of Okita Souji came equipped with a jet pack, meant for soaring through bright, sunny skies.
There might not be summer skies here, but she could still fly!
She just had to take a leap of faith, and leave the rest to luck (or guts)!
The jet pack, outfitted with mysterious Servant technology from across the universe, featured ultra-acceleration, extreme deceleration, and galactic-level control over space. It came with standard equipment, such as her Kiku-Ichimonji sword, a photon vulcan cannon, and photon missiles.
Surely even if she leapt from this high peak, she'd come out unscathed.
After a moment's thought, Okita Souji decided to look around for some stairs.
It definitely wasn't because the endless sea of clouds below looked terrifying.
No, it was absolutely not because she was scared!
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T/N: Jujutsu Kaisen Arc has ended for now!