"I have a job for the two of you."

The three men sat in a booth at a restaurant where they were seated on the floor using pillows as their comforters. Juzo Kumiya was less than thrilled by the setting and was very vocal about turning the waitresses into chairs, but this was the only place where the imposter, currently masked sorcerer Geto could have a meeting away from both Jujutsu High and the Holy Church's scrutiny.

Just as he predicted, it was less easy to move around the city with both aforementioned groups patrolling the streets. Their search, however, was mostly focused within one part of Tokyo, where most of the killings and other vampire activities have been reported, allowing him leeway to make this trip.

"With these foreigners getting themselves involved now, I'm making a few changes to the plan. There's a possibility that one of you will not be able to infiltrate the Goodwill Event."

"Huh? The hell you say?" Juzo started off with a deep growl in his voice. "Hey! Don't you dare back out on our deal here! You're not gonna stop me from fighting Satoru Gojo! You hear me?!"

"Calm down. I'm not excluding you," Geto assured, ushering with his hand to mind Juzo's volume. "That's up to you and Shigemo-san. Depending how you'll complete this task, you'll have your chance to fight Gojo next."

"Isn't it still too early though?" Haruta asked. He personally was not as interested in fighting the famed strongest sorcerer. He was more so hoping to kill a bunch of teenagers at the event, since they should be easier to deal with.

"There's another person I want you to kill." The man named Geto explained. "If one of you can accomplish this, I'll have your spot saved for the event, and everything will go as planned."

"Stop screwing around!" Juzo shouted, causing Haruta to wince and cover his ear. "You listen here. I'm a craftsman, not your damn mercenary. I don't just kill anyone, so don't think you can just order me around to-!"

"The target is a woman."

"We're in."

It was an instant agreement shared between the two curse users across from Geto, and the sorcerer Kenjaku smiled, proceeding to give more information regarding the blue-haired woman.

In actuality, Kenjaku had no expectations for these men to actually succeed. It would be convenient, though, if either of them could not only kill, but bring back the body of that executor - along with her severed head, as it would rid them one of their prevailing issues.

However, even if the executor was mostly powerless at the moment, that didn't mean she would be easy to dispatch. She wasn't an immense threat, especially if Mahito was right about her reluctance to use her knowledge, but even if the only thing special about her was her un-aging immortality, she was still a member of the Burial Agency, and he couldn't really disregard that. Even if this attempted assassination fails, as long as the seeds of doubt and discord were planted, that would be enough.

The chances of anyone randomly coming across the Disaster Curses' hideout was very, very small. But if there's one thing that Kenjaku had learned about the Holy Church, it's that their top agents are especially efficient. Like the hounds that they are, their members can sniff out the faintest trace of vampires, demons, and all sorts of spirits. Even if they were to stay hidden inside of Dagon's domain, if Kenjaku was right about that girl's capabilities, she'll have the means to locate them, if not track their latest whereabouts and then cross out any dead ends, whittle down the list until she'll be able pinpoint where they are.

She's already killed nearly every single Dead Apostle in the entire city, and while there may still be some underlings here and there, it's always the bigger fish she seemed to be after. Now, with Gojo helping her, that's practically a guarantee. She's been kept busy and sidelined thanks to Yuuji. But it's unknown if her hunting spree will pick back up again, and Kenjaku's group might be next on that list.

We'll be able to overwhelm her together if we act quickly, but it'll get complicated if she happens to bring Satoru along. Meeting Satoru Gojo face to face was an event that can only be taken advantage of once. There will be no other opportunity to take him by surprise after that, not by Kenjaku's hands at least.

Assuming she hasn't set up any binding vows, she'll still have access to her knowledge and whatever else she may be hiding. As a hunter, she'll be one step close behind our every footprint. Much more than I'd be comfortable with.

Although he recommended staying out of sight, it'd be too careless not to come up with a counter defense should things not go as he predicted. Kenjaku's main concerns wasn't necessarily what that woman could do to his plans, since he'll have ways to keep her busy.

It's what she may end up bringing along that could cause a problem for him.

And if the True Ancestor were to show up...

He'll have to start pulling out more resources should that happen, but Kenjaku had confidence he didn't need to worry about that either. As long as that vampire was here for Roa, and kills him, she and that deathless hunter would have to leave Japan, letting everything resume as scheduled. It was already such a hassle taking care of so many of those magic seals, it'd be doing Kenjaku a favor, honestly. The only issue was that no one knew where Roa was - or even who he was.

Kenjaku had a few ideas, but so far there's been no proof, and he couldn't risk exposing himself. Not yet.

He just needed more time. And considering that he already had someone tailing him ever since Mahito came back from a certain doctor's care... Well, it wouldn't hurt to be a little more cautious, until he had everything in order.

It'll be at the expense of Juzo, whom Kenjaku already knew was no longer going to be part of the infiltration. A man like that could only be used once, while Haruta may have another shot if he's able to get out relatively unscathed. If not, then the stitched-headed sorcerer could always pull out someone else.

He already had a substitute in mind. While he did consider sending "that one" after the executor, he decided to hide him away for now. Again, he did not expect this to work, so it's best to keep his cards where they are, and not show all of his hands so soon.

As the men in front of him started arguing who should have the first kill, Kenjaku's eyes wandered over to the front of the restaurant. A single, small white spider was hanging by the window, and he gave it a friendly wave.

"-Hurry up! I know you're in here!"

The demand reached to the other end of the cart, where more confused passengers looked over their seats. Ciel and Nanami were the only pair to look ahead, composed yet vigilant.

"Do you know them?" Nanami asked.

"I do not. But they seem to know enough about me." Referring to her as "Bow," a name only known within the Burial Agency. Anyone outside of that would be those like Mario, as well as the employees working under him, who would be privy to her codename for communication purposes. It seemed there was a leak within her group, she'll have to have a word with Mario about this.

This is why it's better for an executor to travel alone. I had a feeling this would happen since Bestino's arrival. Although, for someone to uncover even a name out of it, they must be very efficient.

Sigh... How truly troublesome.

"Judging by their appearances, they're shamans like me, though I'm not familiar with either of them," Nanami said. "It's possible we're dealing with rogue sorcerers. Unregistered mages who uses their abilities to commit crimes."

"Do they always make it a spectacle in the cities?"

"Various criminals went underground since the birth of a "certain" Gojo clan member. Barring the incident involving Suguru Geto, a scene like this doesn't happen very often."

Not unless they want to catch the attention of Satoru Gojo.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's their plan, Nanami thought to himself. There were many aspiring sorcerers in the modern age who had enough guts to challenge the strongest sorcerer and claim that title as their own. However, if they're here for Ciel...

Was this a hit? Did one of the shaman clans send them? There was some suspicion that someone would retaliate in response to the Holy Church's involvement, Ciel said so as much. Even without the elders' approval, most of the clans are by no means shy against using underhanded tactics. But Nanami would think - if that were true - they'd be smarter about it, especially after hearing from Gojo how much he managed to scare the elders straight from going behind his back (all while hiding Yuuji's survival).

Something about this didn't feel right, but Nanami couldn't dwell on it now. If these rogue sorcerers wanted to cause a commotion, then it's safe to assume that every single passenger on this train was in danger. It must be dealt with, but to do so in a tight space that had several people seated won't be so easy...

"Tch! Tryin' to hide, huh?" The blacksmith shaman announced and started his walk through the pathway. The back of his axe rested against his shoulder as he searched through the seats. "Fine then... I'll seek you out. But I'll have to punish you for making me come all this way. The anticipation is killing me!"

Nanami quietly reached for his hatchet under his coat. "How do you wish to deal with them?"

Ciel considered, "I'm not against fighting openly, although it limits our options."

She could hide away and let the men pass through to another cart, avoid direct conflict and prioritize her ambiguity. However, there was a scent of blood on these sorcerers. These were the type of criminals she couldn't simply let by.

Using her black keys might not be ideal. Her telekinesis would help greatly, but the risk was still there that her swords could hit an innocent bystander by accident. She could still manage fighting hand-to-hand, but she would prefer it if no civilians were in the way.

"You mind helping us here? We're looking for someone," Hanging back from behind Juzo, Haruta asked a seated young couple on the side. He was about to question if they've seen a blue-haired nun somewhere when he took a double-take at the young woman next to the man. "Ooh! Hey! You're pretty good-looking~"

"H-Hey," the man expressed his discomforts at the intrigued expression aimed at his spouse. "Is this some kind of jo-"

The man's inquiry was cut short at a crushing elbow-punch against his nose. The scene had everyone on alert as the wife screamed at the sight of her husband's blood. Haruta casually pulled the man's hair and yanked him to the floor.

"Hey, Juzo! We don't have to stop at just one woman, do we?" Haruta looked back at the man, ignoring the woman's panic as she went for her husband. "I kind of want to have fun with this one."

Nanami immediately tensed at the sound of a wife's cry, hearing the approaching voice of Juzo a few seats away.

"Do what you want! Whether we find her or not, I'm making a hanger out of someone today!"

Nanami was just about ready to act when he caught sight of Ciel's slight shift of her hand.

Haruta let out a smile. A smile so eerily pleasant as he held up his sword, the end of its blade pointed at the husband's back who was hunched over, holding his shattered, bleeding nose. Before getting to the woman, he'll first need to get rid of this obstacle.

Let's hear that shriek a little more- Before he would bring the sword down, its metal was shot aside by another sword, catching him off-guard.

The black key embedded itself beside the compartment door. Haruta and Juzo looked back at the black key in surprise.

"Where did that just...?" Haruta began, still clutching his weapon still thanks to its disturbing hand-grip, preserved and gifted from a literal corpse, one of many Juzo's work.

That sword... Juzo then looked back to the rest of the cart. He saw no one stood up. Only the frightened faces of passengers. There's no doubt about it now...

It was the weapon that matched what that sorcerer described. The weapon of an executor.

"You are here..." Juzo grinned. "Hey, hey! You're really tryin' to make me work for this, huh?!"

Ciel remained calm, unmoved by the taunt as Nanami quietly spoke to her. "We could take them by surprise. My only concerns are their abilities. I also suspect they'll use hostages to gain the upper hand."

"I agree." Ciel's eyes flickered to the window. "...I have an idea. Follow my lead."

Juzo slowly prowled across the path. That black key just now could have lobbed off his or Haruta's head had they not been paying attention. It'd been too fast that neither of them saw where it was thrown from. However, now that he's expecting it, he's sure he'd be able to dodge it next time.

What annoyed him was how this executor was playing hide and seek with him. Aren't these vampire hunters supposed to be tough? They should have more guts to face him. He already despised how much of a coward Haruta was. Now here was someone who supposedly could take down immortal monsters, and she doesn't even have the stomach to fight him upfront! What a hack! She'd better be a beaut, or he's killing that sorcerer for wasting his time!

He did note, though, that the hidden executor only chose to respond when a life was at stake. Well, if that was the only way for her to act, then he'll just have to be even more convincing.

"-Papaaa! Do something about this!"

Juzo halted when he heard the complaint of a teenager. He looked at what appeared to be a father-daughter pair. The father held a paper bag closely against his chest as his daughter in a seemingly large white coat held his arm, the girl clearly agitated. Her knees bounced impatiently under her long blue skirt as her short blonde hair swayed with every insisting push she gave to her parent.

"Don't make them delay the train, papa! I want us to get to the movies on time!"

The man in specs was completely muted, his expression blank as he observed his 'daughter' throw a tantrum. Juzo's attention lingered for a little longer, particularly on the girl with the porcelain-like face. Hmm. Not bad. He could make a nice chandelier with her head as the base.

He suddenly heard something scrape against the floor. It was the unmistakable sound of a weapon's metal, and only someone like him could recognize it. Was the executor making a move-?

"Hey! Baldie!"

A sandwich was tossed to his head. Mayonnaise and ham splattered against his skin. Haruta saw and quickly put his hand over his mouth, trying his best to hold back his laugh.

"You are so rude causing a scene like this!" The blue-eyed blonde girl said in a feisty tone, demanding all the attention as she pointed at the blacksmith's back. "Don't you know these people have places to be?!"

"Hoho~! I like her spunk," Haruta said, completely forgetting the other woman he had in mind to torture.

...Juzo, on the other hand, had just figured out a way to get the executor to come out.

"Whoa-!"

The blacksmith reached over the father's lap and grabbed the girl's wrist, yanking her out of her seat and held her arm up.

"HEY! Bow! Do you see this?!" Juzo shouted, causing the other passengers to flinch in their seats. A few yells and screams at the terrible sight. "A guy like me is sensitive! If I'm gonna be stood up, then I'll just have to take comfort in this body!"

The calmly-expressed father was about to rise from his seat. Haruta grasped at his shoulder, however, catching onto what Juzo was trying to do, and held his sword in front of the father's neck to prevent him from moving.

"What do you say, little lady?" A sinister, wicked grin from the blacksmith. His gross breath grazed her face as he held his axe against her throat. "Want to keep me company? Touching your pretty little flesh is just the excitement I need."

"Ho? Is that so..." Although the insinuation of his words were not lost on her, the blonde girl nonetheless smiled. "Will your friend be joining us? Keep up with that dirty talk, and I might just let you tie me up too."

...

...

...

There was a profound silence that filled the cart. The passengers looked over at the absolutely scandalizing statement, even the criminals were surprised.

"Huh?" Haruta nearly lowered his sword. "Wait. Are you serious-?"

At his distraction, the 'father' grabbed hold of his arm.

At the same time, the 'daughter' grabbed hold of Juzo's.

Through the use of their momentum and physical strength, they separate Juzo and Haruta from each other, and pushed them to the windows.

The glass broke, and their bodies met the immediate rush of wind.

"-?!"

The killers reacted as quickly as they could, barely managing to cling onto the side of the train, as more black keys shot through the broken windows.

Pulling out his wrapped hatchet from the paper bag, Nanami caught one of the black key's handle, and it propelled him onto the top of the train. The same occurred to the girl, who landed with ease.

"I'm only kidding, of course," the girl stated as her blonde hair began to darken. The illusion around her face faded. "I don't enjoy the company of atrocious men like yourself. You wanted to face 'Bow'?"

She removed Nanami's coat from herself and held it behind her. Its fabric and her nun habit moved wildly as she stood imposing. "Well, here I am."

Juzo dug his nails into the crevices of the train side while still clutching his axe. He managed to climb his way over to the roof of the train, dragging his own body. She disguised herself...?

Not only that, but he saw how those black keys moved. She didn't throw a single one of them herself, but rather, they flew at their own accord, and now three of them were held in her fingers. Telekinesis...

"Ha... Hahahahaha!" He found his footing and stood up. His grin returned, wider than before. "No wonder they made it a big deal that you fought with that Sukuna guy..."

He swiped at the air cleanly and with precision, holding his axe back over his shoulder. "I'm gonna enjoy that flesh of yours alright. You'll make a nice living room chair for me!"

"By the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask," Yuuji said from his side of the bench. His teacher turned his head to hear the question.

"Is Ciel going to be okay when she goes to our school? I know you said before that a lot of sorcerers don't really like the Church..."

Although it's only a handful of students apparently attending, and he already knew that Ciel would be alright with Megumi and Nobara. After finding out about Junpei's school life, he would hate it if something like that happened to Ciel.

Gojo hummed as he considered his answer. "There might be some people who'll make a fuss, but I wouldn't worry about them."

It's not like they could say no to him, anyway. Even before this whole Roa business popped up. If there's a student Gojo wants around, he'll make it happen, no matter who spoke against it.

"Ciel can take care of herself, though, if it does become a problem. By that time, you'll be meeting your upperclassmen. I'm sure they'll warm up to her decently enough."

At least better than what happened with Yuuta, probably.

"I'm not letting anyone push her out. Same as you, if anyone thinks to try. Even after we find Roa, I plan on keeping her around. An exorcist like that is too good to pass up on. I'll worry what her people have to say about that later."

"Huh." Yuuji felt at ease hearing that, playing with the ribbon around the gift box he had. "It sure looks like you really wanted her to join, but doesn't she hate using her powers?"

Gojo leaned his head back, unsurprised that Yuuji caught onto that (maybe he noticed it during Sukuna's fight with Ciel). "Yeah. She does. But that doesn't mean I'll give up on her. In any case, she's been coming around lately. I'd say it's only a matter of time before she might give a shot at using cursed energy, if not any of her other abilities."

He smiled. "You sure played a big part in that. No matter how much I pushed her to join our school, all it took was for you to show up and she gave in real quick. You're becoming a real good influence on her, changing her in ways I don't think anybody else would have."

"…I kind of doubt that," Yuuji said, a gentle smile worn as his expression softened, staring at the carton in his hands. "It's more like the other way around for me. Plus, I'm sure there's somebody out there who'd make her just as happy."

He's hoping for that, really.

"I don't want to mull over that, though." He lifted the gift box to his mouth, "Right now, I'm just living in the moment. I want to enjoy it for as long as either of us are around."

It's not a relationship that might last long, but he'd hate himself worse if he didn't try to take that leap regardless. And he could only hold himself back for so long when he's been living with a girl who radiated goodness and kindness, and wore shorts for PJs for goodness sake.

He'd like it if it could last longer, but as long as he can be assured that Ciel – by the end of all this - would have a good life, even find someone else she'll love and who'll love her back, Yuuji would be satisfied.

Gojo did not respond, his smile dimmed. The two sat in silence after that. Waiting for the train's arrival and their company's return.

The air sung with blades clashing. Juzo was on the defense, swinging at black keys that repeatedly pushed him to the edge. Ciel continued to pressure him, upfront in her approach to subdue the criminal. Her tactic was fairly simple. Defeat the crazed shaman, then bring him in for questioning. She could pin his shadow and apprehend him easily, but he was no slouch. Each time her black key drew close, Juzo would dodge or roll to the side while still keeping himself on the train, his shadow moving with him. He didn't seem to suspect what she was trying to do, and that was for the best.

Although he seemed like a simple, aggressive thug, there was focus in his steps. Anyone inexperienced would have fallen off the train by now. He was a killer who knew how to fight and adapt to his environment. His only weakness Ciel took note of was his temper, and his lust for strong opponents regardless of how overpowering, as Ciel was able to see for herself.

Juzo guarded his body with an influx of cursed energy as Ciel delivered a punch to his stomach, and the impact pushed him away. "-Ehe! Heheheheheheh!"

Despite being caught off-guard, Juzo felt exhilarated. He wanted to chop her to pieces. He wanted to hear her cries. Use her ribs as the hooks for his new rack in the making. Have his way with her and her corpse before he should use her parts for his next project.

"Damn! You really are one fine young lady!" He cheered. Come on. Just a little more...

He was intrigued by the power behind her punches, concluding that she must have quite the magical energy behind them. She didn't seem eager to kill him, probably trying to capture him instead.

How ironic. Because that's exactly what he was planning to do. His method hidden around the handle of his axe.

It was given to him by that sorcerer before coming here to face the executor. Something that would ensure his victory, and perhaps even against Gojo should he fight him next. He just needed her to come close for a few more seconds and-

*CLING!*

Suddenly, Juzo couldn't move. He had just ducked and avoided another black key when he heard it's metal hitting the roof of the train, and his legs froze. "-?! What the-?!"

Juzo tried to force himself to move. He grabbed his leg but could not lift it. "Hey! The hell is this-?!"

He looked behind himself, and saw the black key embedded in his shadow. -! It caught me? Some kind of voodoo ability?

He was unable to think further when he felt the presence of the executor right in front of him.

Before he could react, multiple punches were delivered to his face and body. Pressure points were struck and instantly numbed parts of his body. Ciel continued to wail at him until the man was forced to his knees, and she finally ceased, stepping back.

"Have you calmed down now?" Ciel asked. "I haven't broken your jaw yet, so you should still be able to speak."

The excitement was gone for Juzo, stuck in his position as he tasted the blood in his mouth. "-Gngrh! The fuck?! Why can't I fucking move?!"

Did she put cursed energy into her sword to pin me down? That was the only logical conclusion he could come up with, for someone who only knew the basics of jujutsu sorcery.

"It's a technique I know," Ciel said, closing her eyes briefly. "Originally, I was the only executor to use this ability, but after joining the Church, I was able to teach others this same technique, and it caught on quickly. It's the perfect counter against foes like yourself, who only rely on fighting up-close. You will not move from that spot unless I - and I alone - pull that sword out of your shadow."

She opened her eyes then, her gaze ice-cold. "Be thankful that I chose not to take your limbs instead. I wouldn't wish for you to die from blood loss before answering my questions. Now then..."

She pulled out one black key from her skirt and pointed its long blade against the killer shaman's throat. "Tell me what you know. Who told you the name 'Bow'? If you comply, I'll make sure not to prolong your suffering."

Juzo growled. This wasn't the state he imagined himself being in. It was supposed to be the other way around dammit!

However, even in his humiliating position, he started to chuckle.

"So you think you have me by the ropes. Is that it?"

Although he could not move his legs, his arms were a different story. He gripped the oddly-shaped handle of his axe.

"You got it all wrong. You're the one snared in my trap!"

From the back of his pants, he pulled out a spare axe and tossed it for the executor's face. Ciel quickly raised her black key, deflecting the flying axe with ease.

At this moment, Juzo swung his axe in front of himself, stabbing his weapon in between his knees. He uttered a brief and quick chant, and a dark cloud appeared over their heads.

A curtain?

The black dome fell over her and Juzo, sealing them under darkness.

"-shit!"

Haruta quickly backed away, trying to keep himself from slipping off of the moving train as Nanami approached him relentlessly. The moment Haruta tried to meet blades with the man in specs, he was quickly overpowered by sheer strength alone. That's when he realized this wasn't some ordinary person.

This was a jujutsu sorcerer. And not just any. If Haruta had to make a guess, this shaman was probably a Grade Two or One. What the hell? No one told him a sorcerer this strong would be on this train!

Not only that, but the appearance of this man, it matched the description Mahito once gave of his latest fight a while back. This had to be the same guy, someone that apparently went toe to toe with that cursed spirit, several transfigured humans, and a vampire.

With such an impressive resume, Haruta was quick to acknowledge that he was out of his league here. He was way under qualified to face the likes of this man, and he wasn't shy to admit it. He knew that if he stuck around for too long, he'd lose.

It sucked that he and Juzo were forced to separate. If they had remained inside the compartment, Haruta could have used a civilian to act as his body shield or hostage. No doubt, the reason this shaman and that girl with the freaky fetish pulled them out here was to avoid that.

Haruta had nothing to overcome the huge difference in prowess between himself and the man in front of him. This undeniable fact made itself well at home as soon as the man in specs punched him straight in the nose and nearly sends him flying towards the tracks, a revenge for Haruta's unprovoked attack against that passenger from earlier.

With a broken and bleeding nose as his testament, Haruta was outmatched, through and through.

I only got one option left...

Crouching on one knee, Haruta pointed his sword at the Grade One shaman.

...Retreat!

He promptly leapt off from the edge of the train roof.

His opponent was just far too scary. He didn't stand a slim chance of winning. If Haruta saw nothing going in his favor, then he wasn't afraid to turn tail and run when the going gets tough. That's always been his go-to. How else would he have escaped custody and survive this long?

Juzo would probably be fine. After all, he's carrying the only "insurance" they had against that executor. And if not... well, it's not Haruta's problem anymore. Thanks for the sword. Good luck, Juzo!

Nanami quickly went to the edge of the train as well. Despite his vigilance, however, Haruta had vanished from his sight. Likely to have jumped into a nearby tree.

He considered chasing after the criminal, but then his attention was pulled away when he noticed a dark spot hanging overhead at the other end of the train.

"-! Ciel-san!"

He rushed for the scene that was all too familiar for his liking.

It was a pitch-black dome they were encompassed in. The sacramental blade of Ciel's black key evaporated, and Juzo was freed. He pulled out a blood-stained chisel from his other pocket and wildly swung for the executor, losing his balance in the process. He loudly cursed at the numbness he still felt throughout his body from Ciel's earlier assault, but knew that with time, he'd be able to move now that his shadow was no longer pinned.

Ciel quickly stepped away from the attack. She stopped at the edge of the curtain, where her fingers grazed against it.

A electrical shock deflected her hand and she pulled away. -?! A magical barrier?

"Hehehehehehe…! Now I got you!"

Ciel turned back to the blacksmith shaman who gradually rose up to his feet. "Doesn't matter what you do. This curtain is fool proof! Nothing inside can get out, but people outside are more than welcome to come in."

He twirled the chisel in his hand and pointed at the girl. "I was saving this for Gojo, but you've earned my full attention now, little lady~. Don't bother relying on your cursed energy or whatever else you got. This curtain blocks all flows of magical energy. You might as well be standing there naked in front of me!"

At the expense of compressing its size, it was a sure-fire entrapment of mages and the like by 100%. An Inverse Commissioned Curtain. Although it wasn't necessarily a jail-cell, as Ciel could still move despite the small space, the original plan was for her to remain still for a certain duration of time, and then attack her from the outside.

"I wasn't supposed to get caught up in it, but this works just fine..." His maniacal grin was laced with perversive eagerness as he was able to stand on his own. "Now it's time for your punishment. Just for getting my hopes up, you're gonna pay for breaking my heart-!"

His response was another strike against his face. His nose was utterly crushed under the weight of Ciel's punch, and the back of his head smacked against the electric wall of the curtain.

-huh?

It happened almost instantly. The best way to describe what Juzo felt just now, it was like getting hit by a speeding car.

*POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!* *POW!*

The hits kept coming. His face constantly pounded by the sheer brute force of an executor's fists. His skull suffered a fracture. His brain shook repeatedly. His cheek bones shattered and cut open. Several of his teeth broke off. And his jaw was in pieces underneath his skin.

The hell is this?

Throughout this one-sided beating, the curtain continued to electrocute the killer shaman down to his nerves. Shocking him again and again, for as long as his body was pushed against it.

How the fuck is this skinny-armed girl still this strong-?!

With or without her powers, Ciel had always been this way. The road to becoming an executor was no easy feat. Her body had been shaped and beaten to achieve its physical peak and mental fortitude. The pinnacle of human resolve, built to withstand against the undying creatures of the night, and better yet, against rogue sorcerers like the one she faces right now.

It was a major miscalculation on Juzo's part, and the convenient alluding of his benefactor, who withheld certain information regarding the agent of the Church.

Before long, the body of the unconscious Juzo slumped against the floor, radiating steam. His face mangled with blood and crooked features as his eyes were rolled back.

"It seems I've overestimated you," Ciel said, sounding almost bored. "Hit man or no. You're actually just an idiot, aren't you?"

It didn't help Juzo any better when he too had his cursed energy robbed by being inside the same curtain. Therefore, he could not guard his body with it even if he had seen her attack coming. It was an oversight that costed him greatly. And there was no hope in recovering from that.

"I doubt you really know anything. You're simply hired muscles sent as a warning." Ciel then walked over to the axe embedded in the surface and knelt down to examine it.

There was a cursed object attached as a handle of the weapon. It was quite impressive, either the killer shaman was in fact a very skillful crafter, or someone gave this to him.

She removed the cursed axe with ease. The curtain soon fell there after, and right beside her, Nanami appeared.

"-!"

Their eyes met, and Ciel cordially greeted the shaman. "Ah. Nanami-san. Perfect timing. Would you mind helping me restrain this man?"

She gestured to the twitching rogue sorcerer lying on the roof of the train.

"..."

Well, at least Nanami didn't have to go the roundabout way of getting to Ciel. He'd been close to cutting through the roof at the suspicion that the curtain was a trap of some kind.

"What happened in there?" Nanami inquired, keeping himself steady.

Ciel knelt down at the feet of the downed sorcerer, summoning another black key where she promptly stabbed it right between his legs, pinning his shadow once more.

"I'll explain later. We should get back inside and see to the passengers-"

It was then that the axe in her hand suddenly broke apart. The handle crumbled into ashes, its piece becoming nothing more than particles in the wind.

"-?!"

Nanami and Ciel were surprised, and they could do nothing but watched as the rotten handle vanished into dust.

"It's destroyed after a single use?" Ciel said.

A convenient after effect, for now there was no evidence to analyze and trace back its origins. Judging by how foolishly the blacksmith shaman utilized this weapon, it had to have been given to him. Whoever granted him that cursed object, they were resourceful people who knew how to erase their tracks.

The question is which one? The elders? Mahito? Roa even?

Ciel frowned at the disappearing ash, until nothing was left behind.

"I think I see them... Hey, Ciel-! Ah."

Yuuji paused midway his happy arm-wave as soon as he saw Ciel and Nanami step out of the train.

"-kngh yuu! I smwear I'll fnking kngh yuu!"

Exiting the compartment with them as if he was on a standing gurney, a gagged man stuck to what looked to be a piece of the train roof. Several black keys surround him as if to nail him there. Civilians moved around the exorcists, looking perturbed by the mad shouting of the stuck figure, believing it to be some kind of show.

"W-What happened?" Yuuji asked. What disturbed him was how absolutely horrible the trapped guy looked. The bald man's face was completely swollen and bloodied. He looked like he got hit by a sledgehammer and struck by lightning multiple times.

Gojo lets out a slow-whistle. "It sure looks like you guys had a fun trip, huh?"

Despite Juzo's condition, he was able to see through at least one of his eyes. The moment he spotted Gojo, he violently shook even more. "MMRRGGH!"

Through the white cloth that wrapped around his mouth, it was clear he shouted "Satoru!" as if he knew the teacher personally (Gojo: What's his problem? Do I know you?).

"We were attacked," Nanami informed (Yuuji: HUH?! Seriously?!). "We managed to apprehend this sorcerer. There was another one but he escaped from me."

Ciel nodded, giving a sigh as she held her paper bag full of breads and boxed gift. "One civilian was hurt, but after dealing with these men, I was able to heal his injuries. I've also took care of 'suggesting' that these criminals were nothing more than a few drunk ruffians. Although, I'm not sure how much that story will hold the longer we stand here..."

They didn't have anything to tie Juzo down other than her black keys, and seeing as how they had to eventually move the crazed man, cutting off a part of the train roof was the only method they had to keep him restrained. Not her proudest work, but Ciel had to make due with what she had.

"I've already informed Mario. He and his people will be here shortly to cover up the damages," Ciel then proceeded past Gojo, adjusting her hold of her brought goods. "I'll leave this man in your care. I'd be careful, though. He seems to be a big fan of yours, sensei."

'Hey! Don't you walk away from me, you bitch! I'm not through with you yet!' Juzo shouted through his gag, now more determined than ever to turn her into a chair, just so he could cut her up again.

His demand was ignored as Ciel casually took stride across the busy station, with Yuji quickly catching up to her, holding his gift closely. By the looks of it, he'll have to present it to her later. (Yuuji: You okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?) (Ciel: Don't worry. It really wasn't that much of an issue).

Nanami watched as the students leave the area, and he turned to Gojo. "We may have a problem."

Gojo was a little preoccupied teasing the trapped rogue sorcerer that carried a furious look, angry veins popping out from his bald head. The teacher stuck his tongue out mockingly before looking to Nanami. "Yeah?"

"This man and his associate were after Ciel," Nanami revealed. "I have my doubts that this was a spontaneous occurrence. It seems someone wants her out of the picture. Or at least, out of this city."

"Hoh? Is that so..." Gojo turned back to face the gagged killer, and smiled. There was nothing friendly about his smile as he spoke to the criminal.

"In that case, I'd sure love to hear all about it from this guy. Want my autograph to start us off on the right foot?"

Author's Note:

Yes! I'm finally back! Really needed that break and got over my writer's block now. Feeling good and rejuvenated!

Boy, things in the manga are getting really crazy now, huh? Also, there was a certain text reveal that pretty much confirmed and crushed what all of us were hoping for (unless translation error?). RIP...

In other news, I just ordered a Ciel figurine and hopefully will get it soon! I'm so excited! And praying it doesn't get lost. Might order Yuji next. Then I'll have two of my favorite characters sitting on my shelf! Hooray!

That's about it. Until next time, everyone! Happy Spring Break and St. Patrick's Day! :D

P.S. ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. Over 200 faves and follows?! Thank you!