Somewhere in a temple, late autumn, the place was quiet. A grand staircase led to a courtyard in the middle of a large temple. A main part of stone and the rest of sturdy wood that had experienced many storms dating back to feudal Japan, two young people stood on a whitish paving floor. It had become a secluded school at the bottom of a mountain on the outskirts of the city that was a few miles below.
"Gojo Satoru"
"Geto Suguru"
"Delighted..."
The two men dressed in black shook hands as they looked up and down. One had large blue eyes, protruding a few centimeters from his interlocutor, while his white hair swayed in the direction of the wind he had a mocking air, full of malice in the look. The other, had finer features, a deep and cold look, and especially a few centimeters less. His black hair was tied into a kind of bun with two strands falling over his face. The encounter took place in the courtyard of a temple, or rather a temple that served as a school for a group of rare characters, the sorcerers. The sorcerers, the exterminators, the mages, the exorcists who fought evil all this was pure fantasy created by simple men, a way to escape the reality of a bland world. However, the exorcists were present, blending into the immense ocean composed of "basic" humans.
"So that's it?" the light blue-eyed and white hair suddenly asked, turning to a middle-aged man in his fifties staring at them both behind his rectangular sunglasses.
"This year I will only have three students" replied the man to add with a sigh "That's enough... »
"Where's the third?"
"You'll see it later, well, we'll see the basics" said Masamichi Yaga, their master.
Gojo rolled his eyes out of boredom, there was no need to waste time telling stories.
"You know that the fears and crimes of humans breed monsters, curses. To eliminate them and prevent them as they say..." The teacher began, searching for the ideal word, not paying attention to Gojo's expressions, a way to make them easily understand what he was implying "Oh yes! To die, to prevent society and balance from dying, from disappearing, from returning to nothingness. That is why exorcists exist. That is why we are here."
Satoru was playing with his nails, obviously not interested in the conversation while Suguru gave him a contemptuous and cold look.
"We already know all this... My family tells me..."
He was immediately interrupted by Master Yaga. "Gojo, not all exorcists come from clans of exorcists. Suguru is the perfect example."
The young man was caught off guard and finally looked embarrassed for a hundredth of a second.
Ahhh why say it from day one... He thought, gritting his teeth. His complex was his difference, not having grown up in a sorcerer's family, feeling like the little black duck in the middle of beautiful swans, knowing almost nothing about this world, in short, being a beginner. An upstart. As he swallowed, he gave Satoru a quick corner glance.
The latter widened his eyes, so big as a marble, letting out a slight "Oh" barely audible. So, it was possible to be born an exorcist by being the offspring of ordinary humans? He had heard of it before but had never met this kind of specimen who came from a thousand-year-old and reputed clan, respect for all wizards and had his name on the lips of every wizard at least once since birth. Gojo Satoru was like a diamond among a pile of gold, of course, it remained to polish it to make it even more precious, unique, more beautiful, bigger, more imposing, more... this word summed it up well Gojo Satoru was the "plus". The Ace.
"So how did he discover his powers?" asked Satoru directly to Yaga.
When a sorcerer is born into an ordinary family, all the demons of the latter are attracted to him like a magnet in a strong way. After a while, the top brass noticed too high a density of curses in their house and took it with them."
"Hm."
There was no further explanation... For now.
Gojo finally turned his gaze to Suguru while staring at him for a long time as the voice in his head began a long, long monologue.
« ... »
"I can attract them, domesticate them, absorb them, spit them out and then use them" Suguru suddenly said to Yaga, who immediately replied.
"How much? How many? »
"Three... maybe four." Suguru retorted, looking down "Are three or four enough?" Was it enough to stand here? And why did the other keep stare at him as if he were at the zoo. Suguru sighed to express his displeasure and looked at his master again.
"Of course not. Finally, for now it is surely your maximum, you are here to improve Suguru. »
'Of course, not' these words echoed through the nineteen-year-old's head. He had to improve to make a place for himself here, it was not even a need, but an obligation. He had to find a source of creation, a demon taps and drink from it to the fullest. It was an obligation.
Obligation
Absorb...
Obligation
Breaking your limit...
Obligation
A brief thought seemed to cross Suguru's mind, but he finally closed his mouth without uttering a word.
"And how do you do it?" continued the expert, sitting down on the step of the stairs leading to one of the buildings surrounding the temple. "To eat them?"
"I grab them in my hand... And then... That is all."
« ... »
"Is that all?"
"Hm. Usually they come by themselves, get into my hand and turn into a kind of ball. Like a ball of meat. »
It was strange, telling it himself found this phenomenon special. His silence was broken by Gojo's voice.
"A ball of meat? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Oh really, you are a hell of a subject! I can count myself lucky just needing to snap my fingers! But finally, does it make you nutrients? Free food? Hm?" laughed Satoru.
If only you knew how far the taste is from that of meat balls. The taste is not even comparable to something existing in this world. It is more bitter than coffee, it burns more than chili, it is filthy.
"Gojo" Yaga retorted to calm his student. "Tomorrow you will go to a secluded place to train and assess your level... Your comrade is not the offensive type compared to you. She uses defense. »
"Hm. Weak type." Satoru whispered, proudly raising his chin with a haughty look.
"A soldier is more likely to lose without a good shield" Yaga cut off before leaving, "Even for someone like you."
Even for someone like you who received a gift from the Gods, even for a little prodigy. Yaga felt that finally, alone, Gojo might not be able to exploit his talent to the fullest. He needed a shield and a weapon to boot, a shield named Shoko and a weapon such as Geto. He pulled those thoughts out of his head by shaking it quickly before disappearing into an angle, leaving the two youths alone in the yard as the sun began to disappear. Gojo, however, did not seem to understand Yaga's words.
"Which high-ranking officer was he talking about?" asked Satoru, having remembered the conversation.
"A bald old man, with piercings of all kinds. Gaku and others whose names I cannot remember... »
"Oh. Gakuganji..." Satoru breathed with an expression of disgust that twisted his face.
"Hm."
"We're going to team up you know, at least make an effort" continued Satoru who was beginning to be irritated by Suguru's 'hm' and his unpleasant and cheerful personality.
"How so? What effort are you talking about?" Suguru wondered, who suddenly turned to face Satoru, looking at him from bottom to top.
"You don't speak! Make the effort to talk and take an interest in others at least, with your freezing air... Ahhh Shoko is a girl so avoid scaring her away there are few here." Finally, he too stepped forward following in his master's footsteps leaving Suguru with his fists clenched, the veins of his arm wrapping around his hands began to appear.
"Tss! Me? And you with your arrogant air? Hold on!" Suguru added, who finally followed him.
A faint smile formed on Satoru's face, as Suguru only saw his back. Satoru was walking in front and Suguru was chasing him, trying to catch up with him.
"Why are you following me? Are you planning to sleep with me? Men do not interest me!" Gojo said with a brief wave of his hand, continuing to smile.
WHAT A BOLDNESS!
"Rather die than sleep with someone like you! Men also do not interest me! Even less you!"
WHAT A BOLDNESS! Satoru felt insulted, how is that 'even less'? He implied that he was inferior to others. If there was anything Satoru hated it was this, to be belittled, to be below, to be inferior. His place was above all. When Suguru finally caught up with Satoru the two young men decided to choose a room each. "This one! " Exclaimed the two at the same time while designating a medium-sized room with a large bay window that overlooked a small garden. If we listened carefully, we could hear a few meters away the sound of a waterfall or rather a fountain next to a pool? You had to get close to it to find out. Nevertheless, at that time noise was the last problem of the two boys.
"I was there first!" shouted Satoru like a child who was about to lose the last cake in the box.
"I'm the youngest!"
"Exactly! Then choose the smallest! Given your size it suits you perfectly!" Satoru adds.
"I'm new" Suguru said, pretending to be sad, hoping the other had a little compassion.
"Pff..." Satoru breathed, looking at him with haughty eyes and a hand on his hip. "Ok, I'll leave it to you. But you will be worth it to me! " He smiled finally.
"Hm. Why are you smiling?" Suguru asked, his way of saying thank you.
"For nothing... No reason... I wonder what Shoko will look like." Satoru sighed before heading to the room opposite, a little smaller but facing west, absorbing the light of the last rays of the setting sun. That night, Suguru slept badly. Bad. To tell the truth, he often slept badly. Since childhood, because of the magnet he was for curses, his nights were filled with nightmares, the curses born of the fears and violence of society fell back on Suguru. They haunted his dreams and the little one could not tell the difference between dreams and reality. Were the eyes watching him at night just an illusion or a real monster? One kid did not know the difference. But even as an adult, he kept this impression of always having to be on guard but here, it was going to be difficult to hide it for a long time. How can he be called exorcists if he himself is afraid of curses? Fortunately, by day this fear was quickly disappearing. Satoru stayed awake for a long time not out of fear, but because his physique forced him to spend a lot of time on the phone. Each day of the week corresponded to a new girl, so it was in the evening that he replied to each one who bore in his contacts the name of the days of the week. The blonde was named Monday, the brunette Tuesday, the redhead Wednesday ... Decidedly, Don Juan's life did not seem simple for the little one adored by the Gods who had everything he wanted. Although when he thought about it, he was missing one thing. Something but what, no way to know. He was neither hungry nor thirsty yet every day he felt the lack of something... It was impossible to put your finger on it. It was the only gift the Gods had not given him. Each in his room staring at the yellow lamp that overlooked their respective beds, the two young men stayed awake hoping that fatigue would soon catch up with them, the only way to sleep. In front of them was a desk, a wardrobe and a mirror, each student had this kind of room, and everyone decorated it in their own way. As for the bathroom, everyone had one, others shared it, it depended on preferences...
The next day the awakening was brutal. It was a school it is true it was not necessary to forget, finally given the alarm that served as a bell it was like the army.
Satoru opened his eyes, turned around, put his quilt on his head and pretended not to hear anything while in the various corridors further away people were already crowding. After all, they may have been Yaga's only students, but there were other teachers and therefore other students, older ones, exorcists over twenty years old, those who had decided to continue their study, those who stayed here so as not to have to pay rent in town that they would never meet, and the teachers for whom the place also served as a starting point for different missions. Suguru barely opened his eyes, already dazzled by the sun because his room was in the east. He looked at the uniform on a chair facing him and stood on the edge of his bed adjusting his earrings. After some time, finally ready, he went out of his room.
"..."
"..."
The two had opened their door at the same time, looking at each other, then freezing with an embarrassed look. Gojo was the first to say something.
"Your hair..."
Suguru had forgotten to tie them up, leaving long black hair falling over his shoulders and stopping at the end of his back.
One was like day with his light hair, the other like the night.
"Hm. Thank you" Suguru replied awkwardly, taking the elastic that was on his wrist and endearing them, thinking that Gojo was just reminding him of it without ulterior motives. No, Satoru was just surprised at the time. He did not expect that the young man in front of him would have such beautiful and thick hair that contrasted with his rather fair skin. He also noticed a faint dark circle under Suguru's intimidating and penetrating eyes but decided not to make a remark. The other did not seem to want to laugh. Most of the time, the students ate the three meals together for about an hour in a room of several tables, except for the older ones who usually went out to eat in town. In the middle of the place stood a brown girl, with a square cut, of small build, the latter was busy talking with a blond and a kid with black hair.
The blond is surely a stranger and the kid his friend.
"Hey!" the girl said waving in their direction with a big smile, it was Shoko. She seemed in a good mood compared to Suguru which made Satoru happy directly.
"Hey! I am Gojo Satoru!" Satoru replied, advancing towards her like a fool with a honeyed voice.
Suguru dipped his head into his right hand before sighing and following him.
"Shoko, delighted..."
"Suguru delig..."
"OH! You are the one who does not come from a family of exorcists! Nanami look! He is like you!" she said in the direction of the blonde who did not answer her, just observing Suguru before continuing his meal.
"Aaaah, it feels good to see new people, we were almost getting bored" added the dark-haired kid, taking a sip of the broth he had in front of him. Both were older than Satoru and Suguru by three years and the 'kid' was named Yu Haibara. After talking for a few minutes Suguru learned that Nanami used a kind of thick sword like a butcher knife and that Haibara used spells instead because like Shoko, he was not adept at the offensive system.
"I'm not very hungry, I'm already going to go see our teacher" Suguru announced after sitting down for barely seven minutes.
Satoru watched him out of the corner of his eye without saying anything.
"You should especially rest" Shoko politely remarked "Your dark circles are very noticeable, and your health is important. If you cannot take care of yourself, how do you want to protect others... It is our duty to protect ordinary humans from curses. But you surely know that." She said it as advice, without ulterior motives or mockery, she was a girl who cared about people.
"Especially if there is an emergency..." Haibara added, smiling, excited at the thought of having to fight, he twitched his biceps while mimicking Popeye, a muscular character.
During these people, Suguru suddenly felt that he had no place here.
How do you protect others if you cannot protect yourself?
"I don't know..." He sighed, talking to himself as he returned to his room with a few more minutes of respite as he closed the door behind him.
Huh? Someone had put his foot down and was blocking the door, preventing him from closing it.
"Ah, it's you. What is wrong?" Suguru asked Satoru as he was now forcing the door with his foot and right hand. "I was planning to get some more sleep."
Gojo looked at him from bottom to top, judging his reaction.
"Sleeping dressed? Of course... Let me come in." Satoru scoffed before resuming a serious look. "And I'll turn the question back to you."
"How so?"
"Tell me what you have."
"Nothing" said Suguru, turning his back to Satoru.
"Nothing?" repeated Satoru, frowning. "Look, I don't know if you're the most annoying person I know or if you just want to give yourself a 'I-wanna-be-so-different' attitude. I have known you for not even twenty-four hours and yet I cannot put you in a box. What I usually know how to do. And... »
"Put people in a box? Excuse me? Who are you to judge which box to put me in?" Suguru fumed as he turned up.
You do not know anything Gojo Satoru. You do not know anything at all!
"Then explain! Do you have to roll out a red carpet to put you in a good mood? Showering yourself with praise?" Gojo retorted.
"Not everyone is like you!" slammed Suguru as he finally showed his face to his comrade as his heart skipped a beat as blood rose to his head due to his frustration. "If it's to come and tell me that then you can get out of my room very quickly."
Never, never, never, never, ever anyone had spoken to Satoru in this way. Both were incompatible, at that time, it was certain that they were not made to be on the same team, yet it was Yaga himself who had created this trio. Gojo could see even more closely the dark circles of his friend and his thick eyelashes that covered tired eyes and ... sad? Suguru on his side did not even bother to look at Gojo's expression, he could not care less.
At that moment, the alarm sounded again, a sign that everyone had to go to class.
"Pff, thank you for coming to waste my few minutes of respite!" whispered Suguru and left, leaving Gojo alone in his room still amazed by Geto's attitude.
"Tss. He should put hand cream on himself to remove his scars." Gojo sighed, talking like Shoko for a moment before resuming his mocking air. "The curses that come into your hand. What a joke…It is the curses that destroy them. »
One thing suddenly crossed his mind, if the curses were already destroying him on the outside, then what about the inside he was absorbing them? No, no need to think about it. It did not concern him, let him manage and not serve me a ball, Gojo thought, his turquoise eyes surrounded by white eyelashes staring at the ground of determined air. The three tables of the three youths were next to each other while Yaga was in front and had already drawn a chalk pattern on a chalkboard: a healing spell.
"The first thing to know is how to treat yourself in case of attacks, there are several ways but the most used is the simplest, the one that heals the 'apparent' physical wounds, a broken arm, a cut, it can be treated. If the flesh, nerves or even a bone is connected to the rest of the body then it can be treated, if the wound is too deep then it will take the help of an exorcist experienced in the care. If the wound is not visible, at that time you will never be able to heal yourself. It will take the help of a healer, an exorcist specialized in this field. »
Shoko raised his hand "That's exactly what I'd like to do. Do I still have to learn fighting techniques? Isn't it possible to just learn care? »
Yaga continued to write on the dark board with white chalk while answering him. "It is but imagine that a curse finds a way to reach the infirmary, how do you plan to do in this case without combat technique?"
"..."
Gojo was the only one who seemed to understand this question, but before he could answer it, Yaga moved on.
"Okay, now take both your hands and do as I do." said their master.
The three copied his gesture. The two thumbs tight, then rally the two middle fingers, the two indexes curled up towards the thumbs. Keep your hands straight, do not release them, focus mentally, see your own aura, imagine it create a barrier and then...
Shoko succeeds on the first try. A light green bubble made a barrier around her, and she felt a warmth in her lungs, the feeling of floating and finally a boost of energy. As if she had drunk ten coffees...
"What if we are missing a hand? Can we still try to treat ourselves?" Shoko asked.
"Yes, but few people succeed... It takes a strong mind to do it yourself. Can you still hold your barrier Shoko?"
"Yes" Shoko replied with a movement of his head and a focused expression, frowning.
"HUH?" exclaimed Gojo, his own forming a cube around him "Why is my color different? It is because I am special..."
"It's normal" Yaga cut off. "The color varies depending on the person. Sometimes some people share the same color, but this is rare."
He looked at Geto, who also managed to reproduce this spell without problems, his color was almost greyish an opaque circle, making it almost blurry when looked at from the outside. Gojo raised his head and stood back to observe him behind Shoko's back.
It is murky you can barely see its shape in this bubble...
The boy had left aside his mocking air, absorbed in what his comrade had created.
I am the only one, I am different, I am unique, so why does he have such a 'rare' barrier?
This time he was no longer looking at the barrier that was gradually disappearing when his creator took off his hands, he looked at the form inside. He watched Suguru as if there was nothing but them in this room. The dark-haired boy did not even pay attention, he did not notice him keeping a serious and calm look as he listened to what their master was saying. One absorbed curse while the second had never touched one, a natural barrier since birth constantly protecting him.
One had long been dirty while the other was untouchable. They had decidedly nothing in common.
Gojo then noticed a strange expression on Geto's face and remembered that he had been staring at him for a long time. What was an expression? Fear? Apprehension? Anxiety? Disgust? Satoru wanted to know. Eventually, as the course progressed, the two boys realized that the main pillar of their team was going to be Shoko. Even if the attack was not her strong point, she was the main mastermind and a shield as Yaga had said the day before. If she was there, neither risked anything, with curses of medium strength in any case. She continued to listen and take notes, Shoko had found her place in this school and was impatient with the idea of improving and playing the Good Saint Maritain after ordinary humans and those 'like her'.
In the afternoon, the young people could practice refining their technique in various parts of the temple, either in the mountain for attacks, in the courtyard or in their room if it required quiet reading. They had at their disposal small harmless flails to train if necessary but none of the three took one. Satoru decided to go to the forest covering part of the mountain behind the temple to strengthen his natural barrier while launching an attack of his creation, slamming his middle finger and thumb he could create a ray capable of sweeping some shrubs on his way but required a lot of training to strengthen it, He had to succeed in cutting down trees, rocks, buildings, mountains, an entire city if he wanted to be recognized as an ace by all. He sat down and concentrated, strengthening his natural barrier and putting his middle finger against his thumb while breathing calmly.
"Tss. It is not enough. " He exclaimed, annoyed, after a few seconds, noticing that the ray had travelled about fifty meters.
"Start again! " ordered a voice in his head, it was a distant voice that resonated, that of an old man who seemed very authoritarian. The man was in front of a child barely five years old and kept repeating this word to him showing him how he should stand, how he should breathe and pointed to the target in front of him, in Satoru's memories the man's face was blurred.
"Satoru, start again. Try to destroy this one now. »
"But I'm tired..." The child sighed as he looked at the target, sometimes dazzled by a ray of sunshine.
"The members of the Gojo clan are never tired, that word does not exist here. Do not become a failure." Sliced the man coldly, slapping him, which made a thud.
The child did not cry. He was in pain but was not allowed to cry. If he cried, he would undoubtedly be denied this family, defile his honor, and be denigrated by all, would become the shame and the weak link of this clan. Fatigue, fear, weakness was a condition that this family had long since suppressed.
"Start again."
"Yes, father..."
Clack!
The wooden target was destroyed by a ray of colors and shattered into pieces against the ground of earth surrounded by shrubs such as boxwood and pine. They were all in the shade of a pine tree several hundred years old.
"Let us bring another one. Further!" The old man said, looking around as a man, a servant, came running with another hug trembling with fear.
"Do it again, Satoru."
Regaining his senses as the voice disappeared Satoru let out a slight "Yes" before turning, feeling that something was behind him.
"Are you spying on me?" he asked, picking up a light tone.
"Are you talking alone?" the person behind him copied in the same tone.
"I'll end up thinking you're a dog to always follow me. Can you bark?"
"Meow" replied the other, keeping his stoic expression on his face before leaning against a tree and then dropping, staring at the person in front of him who resumed a mocking air. A breeze slightly moved the foliage of the trees around them, cancelling out the silence that had just settled between the two, they stared at each other without saying anything for a moment.
"Pff! So, if you did not spy on me, what were you doing here? The forest on this mountain is large. Are you planning to stay there?"
Suguru dodged both questions, his piercing eyes still focused on Satoru.
"Are you planning to destroy the curses this way? Your technique... It does not look very suitable for close combat. You must stay still, and the damage is too great, imagine having to do that underground, you would kill innocent people not just demons. We should not..."
"That's what you think but I can go faster. This is just a training." Gojo explained with a small, arrogant smile.
His smile was arrogant, but he showed no trace of malice or contempt.
"I'd like to see what it would really look like then!" retorted Suguru, playing with a piece of broken branch.
"Go get a curse from the temple and you'll see."
Geto did not move, just opening his hand, made a brief gesture and let appear a small blue demon with three black eyes, round as marbles, with two wings like those of bats, without mouth or nose and emitting no sound. It flew quickly around its master like a bird around a handful of seeds.
"Go" Suguru said as he nodded at Satoru.
The little flail rushed at Gojo before bumping and sliding against an invisible barrier.
"Hm?" Suguru was quite astonishing, it was the first time he had seen this.
"Haha! You have never seen that huh!" Satoru laughs, twirling left and right, then right and left, playing with the little demon who continues to follow him. "Look!"
With a wave of his hand while smiling, he pointed to falling leaves and Suguru finally noticed, the leaves were sliding on Gojo without touching him, it was majestic. He widened his eyes without saying anything, watching the young man continue to spin under the drooping leaves and exhaust the little flail. The weather was good, the wind was enough, and the sky was the same color as Satoru's eyes. The sun reflected on her white hair. Suguru did not think about anything anymore, the scene was nice to see.
"I am the one who authorizes who or what can touch me" Satoru explained, watching the little curse squint as if annoyed. "I usually keep it activated but it takes a lot of energy."
"Who else can do it?" asked Geto after a while.
"I'm the only one" Satoru said, picking up the little flail that had finally fallen from exhaustion to the ground.
"Don't touch it, it's dirty." Said quickly Geto.
Satoru ignored what his friend had just told him while Suguru stood up to retrieve the demon that was now sleeping, turning into a small marble once in his master's hand. He then looked at Gojo who wanted to answer but quickly cut him off.
"Turn your head is advice."
"I want to see" Gojo assured in a determined tone. "It's part of your power, we're a team so I want to see it."
You choose... Geto thought. He took the marble and swallowed it expressionlessly on his face before looking at Gojo at an angle again. The latter had no expression either, nothing at all, no disgust, no shock, no pity, he did not let anything show. The curses were dirty, yet Geto absorbed them.
One chose, the other was not so lucky.
"Ah, it's getting dark! We'd better go home before being reprimanded! »
"Do you think a teacher would be mad? Is there a curfew?" Geto asked, astonished.
"I don't know anything about it at all!" replied Gojo, laughing and pressing forward. "You see, this time again, you follow me."
Gojo did not want to show his attack to Suguru anymore, thinking that Suguru would surely laugh because he was right deep down... It was not enough. He knew what Geto would have said if he had not cut it: You should not use it until it is safe for those around you.
"Satoru..."
"What?"
Suguru wanted to tell him something but quickly swallowed his words before changing his sentence.
"What is this light?"
In the temple a reddish light, not that of the lanterns shone brightly. The light in the distance was anything but natural. It was like a kind of halo that wriggled, changed shape and intensity.
"It's..." Gojo began, narrowing his eyes to better concentrate.
"A curse? Here?" Suguru whispered.
"Hm. Looks like it... »
"Yet there are professors how could a curse get here without anyone noticing? Why haven't they already exterminated him?"
"Tss, you're asking too many questions. Follow me!" Gojo said.
For once, he was the one asking for it. Further down in the temple it was a little agitated, of course the teachers could eliminate this curse, but they had gone to town, so the few seniors present had to take care of it. But this kind of curse was abnormal.
"Nanami!"
At the end of the corridor one voice was calling another, it was Haibara.
"Who is there but us? I came as soon as possible!" said Nanami "Reassure me there are others?"
A few drops of sweat began to bead and slide down Nanami's temples when he understood something, dealing with it with Haibara was easy but the problem was the juniors who were now a weight he would have done without.
"Where are the younger ones?"
"I have Shoko with me but no idea where Gojo and Suguru are... »
"The problem with this one is not to remove it which will be complicated but rather the 'after'" sighed Nanami.
"How so?" asked Shoko as the gleam of the curse reflected in his eyes.
The girl was not just worried about them, but also about Gojo and Geto.
"If one has managed to come here without being noticed it means that others may well have the same idea, after a while it will start to get complicated. "
"Shall we do business as usual?" proposed Haibara with a lot of enthusiasm for someone who was not in the best of situations. Nanami began to think for a moment before raising his arm and grabbing the blade that was behind his back.
"No choice, I'll let you do Haibara!" he said as a similar type of barrier that Shoko had seen in class earlier began to form, in big, much bigger, it was a dome. "This stuff attracts each other, if one is here another will happen in a few minutes."
He then took the sword firmly and left Shoko behind, beginning a training with Haibara who was reciting words that Shoko struggled to hear. The more he recited, the more the barrier formed, leaving a silver dome that wriggled as if filled with electricity. Outside as night fell, Geto and Gojo soon arrived at the edge of the forest.
"Wait!" said Suguru sternly, grabbing Satoru by the shoulder, his fingers trembling a little. "We're not the only ones here."
He felt observed and decided to share it with his teammate, having the impression of being a rabbit chased by a fox, it was a prey, and the hunter hid behind them in the darkness, among the sound of leaves.
"Do you trust me?" asked Gojo, who had felt him trembling before looking at him.
He is scared.
"Excuse me?" asked Suguru, raising his eyebrows, without showing that he was beginning to feel a slight anguish, trying to keep calm.
"Answer me right, do you trust me?" said Satoru, pressing him.
"It's not like I have a choice!"
In this situation he had not even noticed that Gojo had cancelled his natural barrier, he had been able to hold his shoulder without problem.
"Listen, I don't know why you're shaking" Gojo began "I don't know why you seem scared, but I'll try to do my best. Get behind me. »
This time he was convinced, his friend feared something. Pff, an exorcist? Being afraid so easily? What a joke. Gojo was determined to get them out of here and especially proved to the old man of his memories that he was not a failure. He was not the shame of his clan. In the darkness with the help of the light of the moon Geto quickly stared at the palms of his hands. The scars were present again, even more than this morning. In some places some were as if alive, the flesh shiny clearly visible. Making a curse appear in this state was almost impossible.
"Suguru..." Gojo began "My technique is imperfect, I'll try to use it without hurting the people around me, okay?"
You are the only person around me, so I will not hurt you. Nothing will happen to you.
He put his fingers back into the attacking position and took a deep breath.
"The curse is big so don't think about me, just try to get rid of it" Geto says.
"I know, I felt it too. I do not see him yet; it looks like he is taking the opportunity to hide but his aura and it is far from sympathetic. »
Just as Satoru tried to catch his breath he was stopped by a noise. It came from the flail, it was a rasp, then a grumbling and then again, a hoarse rasp.
"Help... Help... Help me..." The demon began as the two youths tensed.
Of the curses, those who spoke had never been seen near the school, they were usually in frequented places such as train stations, shopping malls, airports so why were one of them here?
"Help... Help..." The beast began again, approaching.
Soon they saw two hands drying out on the ground with long and thick pointed horn as a fingernail, then two arms, grey hair full of knots. A body crawled to the ground looking at them. Satoru had a slight lift on his heart when he saw the scene and quickly put his protective barrier back in place, preventing Geto from touching him and this thing from approaching him but strangely this beast ignored him and went around him, continuing to crawl plunging his claws into the earth. Behind Gojo, Geto felt a strong heat in the hollow of his right palm before feeling a liquid and then swallowing gently, his clearly visible Adam's apple followed the movement.
"..."
It was not sweat but blood that began to flow, despite his attempts to heal himself it was useless, his scars had totally opened, tearing off his skin and soon leaving spurted blood.
"Help..." The skin of the grey thing was like a very thin human body, its skeleton was visible at the level of its pelvis and the legs were disarticulated.
"Shut up get out..." Satoru whispered at the beast without reacting as Geto hid his right hand.
"Ouch!" the voice behind him suddenly shouted.
Suguru hurt as his scars opened, so bad that his head began to spin. He put his left hand on it, trying to keep his mind focused on what was happening.
"Help-..." The beast continued, now moving like a spider. Satoru could not move; the scene prevented him from doing so. He thought briefly of the old man's phrase, the threat of becoming the shame of his clan. But this thing prevented him from moving, he had never seen anything so filthy. It was disgusting. He didn't even glance at Suguru who had just made a thud now holding his head with both hands, his hair had come loose, and the veins in his eyes were becoming more and more visible, he hadn't even noticed that the blood in his right hand was spreading everywhere in addition to his hair, His clothes, his cheek, his temple, his heart was beating so hard that it was probably going to explode...
They want to get out. The curses I have absorbed, the ones I keep want to come out. It hurts.
"Help me too" Geto thought, without telling his comrade that he was in great pain.
"Help... Eze me..." The beast growled at the same time as it continued to come towards him and finally raised one of his arms towards Suguru before falling back immediately for lack of strength.
The curses present inside Geto attracted this thing, they tried to get out by forcing his scars, their physical form opening Geto's wounds. He then spat out a stream of warm blood, impossible to hold inside his mouth, on which the creeping beast moved and then lapped with a distorted and colorless tongue.
No no no
As the young man dropped to his knees, elbows on the floor with his head in his hands, vomiting blood. A few meters away, the thing no longer asked for help, continuing to drink noisily blood with euphoric noises.
A flash suddenly pops up from the sky. The beast immediately left in the dark, in the heart of the forest. Was it really a scourge? Neither of them thought about it.
"Great! We have help!" Satoru exclaimed, finally turning to Suguru before frowning. "What's happening to you ?"
"Don't look... Please... do not look at me" Suguru asked faintly, staring at the ground.
It was already the second time he had asked him this in such a brief time but this time the tone used was not the same. The lightning had appeared in two places, first the temple and then the forest a few seconds apart. There, Nanami and Haibara were out of breath.
"You see, I told you that another would not be far away... Bravo Haibara..." Nanami said proudly, looking towards the forest still holding tightly his sword that had been used to get rid of the reddish flail. His comrade was in the process of being treated or rather recovering the energy expended in this spell. Far from being weak, Haibara used incantations to fight and no physical weapon however these were limited in time. He had waited for Nanami to tire the red flail quickly, removed the barrier and then finished two sentences before launching a final attack.
"Did it allow you to kill all the curses in that area?" asked Shoko, who was impressed.
"Hm, sure a perimeter of about ten miles that's it. I wonder where the other two are...But I'm sure they're fine." Reassured Haibara who was still optimistic.
At the edge of the forest, the two young men had not moved. "SUGURU!" exclaimed Gojo as his comrade continued to hold his head with bulging eyes, gritting his teeth so hard he feared he would break them.
It is going to be okay; it is going to be okay...
Feeling that his torn flesh was beginning to close, he turned to Gojo who, thanks to the brightness of the full moon, noticed his almost watery reddened eyes, the traces of his scarlet red blood on his skin, his long hair loose and his breath jerky.
"..."
A shiver ran through Satoru's body, not knowing the reason. It was disgusting to see, though...
No.
"I'll help you up" Gojo stepped forward, quickly rejecting the strange feeling "Can you walk?"
"Hm." replied Suguru without having the slightest idea getting on all fours, before wobbling gently. Once up, Gojo walked over so he could lean on him, removed his protective barrier, and took a closer look at his comrade's face this time. Geto's pale hands clutched Satoru's arm forcefully. His eyelashes were long and his skin warm. His mouth enters open to try to breathe, Suguru had a blank look, he stared in front of him without really being able to see the one who spoke to him gradually losing consciousness. Finally, Satoru removed the few strands of black hair that stuck to his face thanks to the mixture of sweat and blood.
"Suguru, we're going back" Gojo whispered without his comrade noticing.
At that time there was again a movement near them, but Gojo did not sense any bad intentions.
"Hm! So, you too had a bad encounter..."
"Teacher Yaga" Gojo replied calmly, looking down "I'm sorry, I'll have to train a little more it seems. It was a scourge... »
The air was refreshed, it was time to go home.
"It's over let's go back to the temple, the school." replied his teacher. From the scene he suspected that it was not just a simple curse. There was something more complex, looking at Gojo and then Geto who had lost consciousness, he spoke again with a deep voice contrasting with the soft voice of his student. "Carry him if you can and take him to the infirmary."
Of course, I can, despite its appearance it is not that heavy.
Yaga with his furry coat stayed there for some time looking towards the heart of the forest before making a manly man's sound and made a U-turn, following his pupil who was lost in thought.
"The target was right in front of you, Satoru, do it again," the old man's voice echoed again.
Start again.
Start again.
Start again.
Satoru you are from the Gojo clan.
Start again. »
"Hey!" yawn Yaga as he caught up with him before seriously saying "Don't tell anyone about Geto's condition, there's no point in scaring others."