Satoru floated down to the shores of Yugama Crater Lake to see police tape stretched far along the sand. He casually moved the plastic bands out of the way, taking a few cautious steps forward to kneel down, inspecting the skeletal remains that laid bare on the sands.
…It's not just the bones remaining. These are…practically mummified. He picked up a piece, scrutinizing the dried flesh that clung to the bone. Definitely a cursed technique.
He frowned as he stood, studying his surroundings to search for the cursed user. There was minimal foliage- the hills surrounding the lake were mostly covered with rocks and dirt. The highlands were bare with patches of grass here and there. He slowly removed his sunglasses, scanning his surroundings carefully.
…Nothing. Not an ounce of cursed energy was felt. He flew up back into the sky to get a better view of the landscape. The sun had begun to set, painting the world below with a warm orange glow. Once he was high in the air, he glanced around and noted numerous forests scattered throughout the borders of the crater. The trees were thick enough to possibly serve as a hideout.
He rubbed his temples. He theoretically could quickly search through the land, but… His stomach rumbled hungrily and he sighed, knowing he could never operate at full capacity with a ravenous appetite. He shrugged off his bag, recalling that he had some candy in his front pocket that could sustain him for now-
He then noticed a bit of plastic sticking out of his side pocket. He reached in and curiously pulled out a granola bar.
I didn't pack this…but where have I seen this before? He stared at it in confusion, racking his brain trying to think of how it got in there.
He recalled the wrapper that Yuji had in his mouth during their car ride. Guess he slipped me an extra. What a good kid. He smiled fondly, opening the plastic and taking a huge bite.
Now then. He crumpled the wrapper in his palm and stuffed it into his pocket, cracking his knuckles. This could take a bit.
He shot off from the branch and into the darkness.
—-
Meanwhile, a large, stout man stumbled into a convenience store a few streets away. His eyes were red and puffy, a bottle of vodka clutched in his grip.
"S-Sir…?" The clerk anxiously called from behind the cash register. "I'm very sorry but you can't bring that in here-"
"SHADDUP." He shouted in drunken rage. "GIMME A PACK OF CIGARETTES."
The poor woman, trembling from head to toe, quickly opened the shelf below to hand him the pack. "T-That will be 800 Yen."
He took a swig from his drink and fumbled through his pockets. Slapping a crumbled 1000 bill on the counter, he grabbed the box and meandered out the door.
"W-Wait, sir! Your change-!" But her voice was cut off by the closing doors.
He continued hobbling down the sidewalk, gulping the rest of his liquor. Tears continued streaming down his face as he finished the last drop.
"A-After everything I did for her…s-she left me for HIM?!" He sobbed, throwing the bottle onto the empty streets. The piercing shattering of the broken glass echoed throughout the surrounding trees. "That WHORE."
He took out the pack of cigarettes, tearing open the packaging. Shoving one in his lips, he rummaged through his clothing.
"Where the fuck is my goddamn lighter." He sniffed and wiped the snot with the back of his hand. "Never should've quit for that bitch…"
"Excuse me, sir, do you need a light?" A sweet voice called from behind him. He turned to see a manicured hand holding a Zippo lighter. He peered up to see a voluptuous woman in a long sleeved, low-cut black dress, her amber hair cascading down her back. Her lime-green eyes stared deeply into his soul and he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and relief.
"Yes…I do actually." He gratefully took the lighter from her, flicking it open to ignite his cigarette. Once the end was lit, he returned the device back to her. "Thank you… I needed that."
She chuckled, her laughter sounding like a sultry melody. "No problem. I don't mean to pry, but are you alright?"
The man hiccupped, his painful memories resurfacing in his mind. "No. I just found out my wife has been cheating on me…" He whimpered, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry." She gasped in sympathy. "How about I treat you to some coffee? There's a shop just around the corner and it looks like you could use a friend."
He nodded slowly, his eyes hungrily roamed her figure. "That…That would be nice, thank you."
As they walked away, a rooted tendril indiscernibly slithered out of the pavement, slowly crawling towards the pair.
—-
"So. D'you guys think Gojo-sensei and that lady are a thing?" Yuji grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he plucked another card from the deck. The four of them were currently seated around the coffee table by the window in Nobara and Qian's room.
"E-Eh?" Qian gasped, her concentration broken from strategizing her next move.
"Oh. One hundred percent, for sure." The brunette declared, reaching into the open bag of chips beside her.
"Honestly, I'm not surprised." Megumi shrugged, furrowing his brows in deep thought as he inspected the cards in his hand carefully. "He's always been like that."
Qian once again felt a weird feeling in her chest. Shaking her head rigorously, she continued to discard one of the cards in her hand with a forced smile. "I-I definitely smelled perfume on him today!"
"God, I wish I knew what her skincare routine was." Nobara sighed, feeling her own face. "With all the work we've been doing, I already feel wrinkles forming."
"And she's sooo tall and thin! She's got to be a part-time model or something." Yuji interjected, slapping a hand on his thigh in excitement. "Tall girls are the BEST!"
Qian couldn't help but look down at her own body, subtly gripping her belly fat through her robes in shame.
"Anyways, so they found one of the missing people?" Megumi inquired curiously, plucking a card from the deck. "And Gojo-sensei's checking it out?"
The girl nodded, silently relieved with the change in subject, and placed her cards face-down on the surface to reach into her robes to grab her phone. "Y-Yes, I took pictures of the mission files that Principal Yaga showed me and I think the first victim finally appeared…his name was Kurito Nagi."
"WAIT Qian! First you gotta show your hand!" Nobara cried, slamming her hand on the wood in protest.
"O-Oh right! Here." She laid her cards flat and all three of them peered across the table.
They all groaned in defeat.
"Another Royal Flush?! Damn, you're a God at this!" Yuji slapped a hand on his forehead. "Now I owe another 50 Yen!"
The girl frantically waved her hands in front of her. "N-No it's okay! Like I said, I'm just playing for fun! I-I don't want your money!"
Megumi seemed unfazed as he took out his own device, rapidly typing on the screen. "Hm. It looks like these are what's left of him." He held his phone out and everyone huddled over the table to squint at the small screen.
"Yikes. I almost prefer it being picked clean, that way we'd know that an animal or something got to him." Nobara grimaced, turning her eyes away.
Yuji cupped his chin in deep thought. "It looks like…like a raisin y'know? Like something just sucked the juices out of him and just left behind dried flesh and bone."
His teammates regarded him in disgust as Qian pinched her fingers on the screen, zooming in to study the image more intently. "I-I think it's kind of like a mummy…"
"Mummy?" The pink-haired teen scratched his cheek pensively. "Aren't they usually wrapped up in bandages though?"
"W-Well yes, but underneath the cloth is a human body that's been drained of all its fluids and organs." She explained, handing the device back to the boy. "There is no way this is natural…"
Suddenly, there was a low rumble and the entire building began to shake, causing the four of them to stumble over.
"A-An earthquake?!" Qian cried, fearfully looking around her.
However, as soon as it happened, everything was still again. The sorcerers peered around in confusion before pushing themselves up to their feet.
"We're gonna head back and get changed." Megumi stated, shoving his phone into the pockets of his robe. "Kugisaki-"
"Yep. I'll meet you guys at the front." She nodded, rushing into the bedroom. As soon as the two boys left, Qian followed the girl into their shared room.
"I-I'll come with you guys!" She offered, shifting through her luggage as well.
Nobara zipped up her skirt, quickly throwing her uniform over her head. "No, it's too dangerous. You should stay here."
"I-I'll be fine!" Qian cried, whirling around to regard the student with wide, determined eyes. "T-This is my mission too. I promise I won't be in the way!"
Nobara paused for a moment to stare at her in hesitation. Upon seeing her stubborn gaze, she sighed in defeat.
"Alright. Come on, let's go."