Recipe for Chaos

by DBlaviken

Curse spirits manifest due to people's negativity; their existence is based on the vilest acts humanity can produce. They can't exist in the same world as creatures that are attracted to negativity, and yet, humanity has to deal with both of them. In a world with Curses and Grimm, it is up to the people to learn how to defend against those who'd like to exploit these monsters.

4. Volume 0: A Sorcerer's Goal

Co-written by ObsidionJaguar15

---

Chapter 4: A Sorcerer's Goal

—October 25. 60 days remain until the war starts—

"Am I hearing this right? Geto has returned?"

"Yes, Satoru has made contact with him in Sanctum."

James Ironwood let out an exhausted sigh as he heard Ozpin on the Scroll. Sorcerer matters shouldn't weigh on him so much, given the official if delicate noninterference treaties with the Kingdoms and the world of Jujutsu, but Geto Suguru was another matter entirely, a thing that he couldn't ignore like all the politicking and backstabbing that usually went on there. The man might as well count as a walking apocalypse as far as James is concerned, something that no amount of treaties would keep him from feeling more hairs go white at the thought of his powers. Curse Manipulation, considered one of the most versatile and dangerous techniques on Remnant, a portable army that constantly grew, that could be summoned with a flick of the wrist for all the effort it took to flood in theory every single town on the planet with nigh-endless Curses, from meager Grade 4s that nevertheless could swarm people like flocks of hornets to Special Grades that alone could turn entire towns into less than graveyards, and all of it under the command of one horrid man.

It was no wonder why his reappearance after nearly a decade of silence made James feel like he was a moment away from coming out of all this with a pure white haircut.

"When is it going to happen?" James asked with his usual military cuteness which was about the only thing keeping him from screaming like a madman. "The attack on Mistral."

"He said it was going to happen on December 24. 60 days from now on, if all goes as he wants," Ozpin said, his voice dripping with fear of his own.

James leaned back on his seat as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you so sure you believe in any of this, Oz?"

The lack of response from the end of the line made him grunt in displeasure at the clear non-answer. Ozpin was rarely wrong when it came to information gathering, and that meant that Geto hadn't lied about his attack. It wouldn't come earlier or later, it would be precisely when he meant to, and those circumstances meant the man was absolutely confident in what he'd do that day.

James cupped his chin as the gears in his head started to turn. He thought about mobilizing his troops to Anima with the Ace Ops in tow to issue a military operation against the White Fang, cut off his biggest supporters and leave him floundering trying to reset his plans, and it didn't go unnoticed even just talking like this.

"You're thinking of getting involved, aren't you?" Ozpin said, his tone radiating skepticism as he groked at what the General had planned.

"Of course, nothing stops him from invading Atlas; we have to be prepared for the worst, you know this," James said with certainty. He wouldn't make the same mistake that he did nine years ago, the mistake that helped get them to this point in the first place.

"James, Satoru can handle it, there's no need to rile up the clan heads," Ozpin cautioned as he tried to placate the cyborg.

James let out a scoff, "Like how he handled it nine years ago?"

"It was his friend, James, have a little sympathy," Ozpin said, his tone becoming a little harsher, but James wouldn't have it.

"He let the second coming of Salem go, Oz; there is no room for any kindness here," he said with a grimace. In the field, sentimentality could get you killed, or in the case of Gojo Satoru, it could get others killed, a weight that came with being in a profession like soldier, Hunter, or Sorcerer. The man with eyes like the infinite sky knew from all those years ago when his failure stung most, and Ozpin understood this more than anyone, and all he could do was to let out a sigh.

"Fine, if you can't trust Satoru, then put your trust in me, because I'll be making my way to Mistral soon. I may have found a way to fix our relations with the clan heads, at least for this."

James's eyes widened, not quite believing what he just heard. Ozpin had always been the most interested in fixing their fragile relationship with Anima's Sorcerers, while James had a more…mixed take. He didn't like their philosophy towards life and their conduct in battle; how their culture butchered the Color Naming Rule as they tried to act like they were inherently too good for it even if it just fostered resentment as legacy was heaped into others; and truthfully, it was how they treated everybody with at best respectful contempt, and at worst, were some of the greatest villains to ever exist with how brutally they treated even their children, almost as though they wanted for more Grimm and Curses to awaken because of their vileness.

However, he had to acknowledge that it was thanks to said Sorcerer that this fragile balance was still viable, and they did try to clean their own mistakes, which he could at least respect. Still, there was an important question that Ozpin had yet to answer.

"How?" James asked as he leaned in on his seat.

"You have read the files regarding Okkotsu Yuta, correct?"

"Of course, it was the first thing I did when I found out about the birth of a new Special Grade," James said as he remembered the files that he read about a boy with boundless curse energy thanks to the help of its Vengeful Spirit. For James, he was just another time bomb waiting to be set off. However, him being a distant relation of the Gojo clan meant that he had talent, and talent with proper nurturing meant that achieving his true potential was a possibility, of turning a time bomb into a first-class fighter. Of course, this was merely his opinion,seeing as Jujutsu High had the last word regarding the boy's ultimate fate.

"The clan heads believe they can't control him and want his execution since before he was born, if you take all their ranting seriously. But, well, I believe otherwise," Ozpin opined as he left the rest to Ironwood to figure, and he didn't like the implication.

"You think that you can make the boy control his spirit?" James deadpanned as he rested his fist on his cheek in thought.

"I don't believe it, I'll make sure of it, because this means that after all this time, I have found another weakness within the Three Great Clans. They are afraid of a simple Vengeful Spirit and I can't wait to see the look on their faces once they realize that Okkotsu can indeed control it, that he can rely on us more if we show him how, let him exist outside them and their expectations!" Ozpin said with the excitement of a kid finding a free tub of their favorite ice cream.

"Oz, you're treating this Vengeful Spirit like it was some collectible," James said with a hint of amusement in his voice; he trusted Ozpin enough to deal with the situation, given his millennia of life. "But if you're the one that is going to supervise Okkotsu, then I can put my trust in you."

"That's good to hear, James," Ozpin said, a hint of relief could be heard from his voice.

James still couldn't help the frown on his face, knowing how difficult this all would be with the conservative elders, people just as liable to watch the world burn for daring to question them, if not occasionally help fan the flames with their worst members.

"I find it hard to believe that the clan heads would let you get involved in their mess out of desperation; the pretentious idiots are too prideful to let that happen," James said as he closed his eyes. "You had to give something in return for them to even consider letting you back in; what was it?"

He heard Ozpin clear his throat from the other line.

"It was nothing of importance, trust me on that."

James raised an eyebrow at that half-assed answer. "What do you mean—" he didn't finish his question as he heard the brief beep of a dead line before it went quiet in a moment, causing him to heave a sigh at his friend's antics. Nothing of importance, his shiny, half-metal ass; Ozpin definitely had gambled away something big, something he'd rather hang up like some boyfriend who'd said too much about his partner's taste in fashion.

He'd have to investigate further, but right now, he had more pressing matters to handle. He used the intercom on his desk as he pressed a red button to open his microphone.

"Send Specialist Schnee to my office immediately; tell her it's an urgent matter."

James rose from his seat and walked towards his window, taking in the gleaming white and silver skyscrapers, the dance of cars and pedestrians below, the lights at the end of the world in this city of Atlas that represented the hopes and heritage of humanity, its history and progress on this floating rock in a land of ice and snow that was only possible thanks to their advancement.

This was the peace, the city that James wanted to protect, and Geto was going to take it away if he succeeded with his plans to destroy the "monkeys" in Mistral. He'd be damned if it ever got that far.

With might they push, with resilience they persevere, and with resolve, they never waver. That was how the continent of Solitas managed to survive, and would continue to do so in the future

James heard the sliding of the automatic doors opening and turned around to see the aforementioned Specialist saluting him, which he returned.

"You called for me, sir?" Winter said, her tone clinical and clipped.

"I did, so please, take a seat."She nodded and sat on the nearby chair. The General went to his seat as well and tented his hands over his face, looking sharply at Winter, whose neutral face growing into a frown as she wondered what exactly was happening..

"Specialist Schnee, what I'm about to tell you will be hard to understand fully but-"

"Excuse me for interrupting, General, but… it's about Geto Suguru, am I correct?" Winter said as she averted her gaze from him. James raised his eyebrow at the sudden interruption, considering both her strict adherence to military conduct and her upbringing in the Schnee household with all that meant.

"And you know this because…"

She sighed like a doctor delivering terrible news about a blip on an MRI, "I just finished a call with Gojo Satoru, and…he told me everything about the attack that's going to transpire on the 24th of December," Winter said, which caused the general to shake his head in frustration. Leave it to the Gojo head to just blab about something this touchy with the restraint of a gossiping schoolgirl.

"And how are you…dealing with this information?" James asked, trying to be careful with his wording, though Winter still eyed him skeptically.

"I already spoke to Cordovin and assisted her via CCT with preparations in case Suguru decides to launch an attack—"

"Winter, don't avoid the question." James interrupted with a stern if fatherly tone, the woman stiffening at hearing her given name. "You were assigned to guard the Star Plasma Vessel nine years ago alongside Gojo and Geto, and it's as clear now as it was then how much either means to you, no matter how sour things have become with Geto."

Winter's expression darkened as it seems memories just flooded in, a sentiment shared as James felt old stings and burns in parts that were long replaced. The Battle of Lake Matsu served as a reminder to not underestimate the threat that Special Grades posed to the whole planet, least of all to the people. The face of the immortal witch that caused unmatched destruction with her Grimm, the piles of bodies of Atlesian soldiers that accumulated for following his orders, and the death of the Star Plasma Vessel that caused permanent damage to the relations of Huntsman and Sorcerers alike to say nothing of what it meant that he was still waiting to manifest.

He remembered that failure well, but it also gave him a reason to keep pushing forward; it strengthened his resolve. If Salem returned, the whole world would be more than ready to see her gone once again, by hook or by crook.

"Sir, will you please send me to Mistral?"

'Oh?' Winter's direct question made James raise an eyebrow, and while he expected her to ask, he thought that she would beat around the bush for a little longer. She truly was eager to make up for her greatest failure, and he could respect that, regardless of the why. The problem was that simply speaking, sending in somebody of such prominent stature on something that they technically weren't supposed to even know about was dicey, to say the least. "You know as well as I that we can only officially get involved once it's grown beyond what they alone can handle. I'm sorry, but the answer is no, for both of us."

Winter pursed her lips, her hand tightening around her fingers enough to hear knuckles popping, and James couldn't help the pity that mixed into his gaze as he watched her try and keep from doing something stupid, even if it might very well be needed.

"I understand…" Winter scrapped out with all the effort of biting down raw sewage as she had to contend with the idea of this being the one that got away…or ended the world.

James let out a hum as a stray thought popped inside of his mind, crossing his arms as he rolled the though around. It would be treading on a very thin line with the sorcerers though…but, if it meant helping his subordinate and best officer in Atlas tie loose ends and let her demons rest in peace alongside potentially stopping the apocalypse, then that was how the dice rolled.

"I just cannot send you directly to Mistral, but…" James said with an inflection, causing the Schnee firstborn to look at him curiously. "That doesn't mean that I can't assign you to a different post, however."

Winter perked up at that, grokking at what the General had planned out for her.

"Coincidentally, said post is located in Anima, our base in Argus if we want to be precise which while not exactly close…is just a short ride away on a Bullhead," he continued, letting out a knowing grin as he saw her stoic expression breaking bit by bit.

"Sir-will you do that?" she managed to ask as she leaned in, placing both hands on his desk.

"Depends solely on you," James said with a grave voice he only used when asking for the impossible, the dubious, or worse, his short-lived levity utterly erased. "Our treaty with the Three Great Clans doesn't allow for us to keep Curse Users as prisoners…and you know how they prefer their prisoners."

Six feet under, if he wanted to be generous, often far worse depending on the crime, but never something merciful.

Silence reigned throughout the room as not one word was uttered between them for moments that felt like they stretched on for years. He could see Winter's frown deepening as she mulled the implication of what it would mean for her to actually work this post, her breath hitching just a tad, her eyes unfocused.

It seemed that he needed to press further. "So the question remains…are you willing to kill Geto Suguru?"

Winter froze as she had confirmed what this all meant, a shudder going throughout her body as she was faced with the prospect of killing somebody that she had been friends with, however briefly, somebody who she had trusted with her life…somebody who if things hadn't gone as they did she might have shared everything with.

"Winter," James said as he got up and kneeled by her side, his officer still unable to look him in the eye. "We as soldiers have to face harsh decisions all the time; you've been there before, just I have, and I know how much it hurts, how much it feels like everything is about to break because of this duty of ours."

Winter's eyes widened slightly and now looked intently at him.

"Trust me… I know. I know what it feels like to watch someone you care for fall into madness, and I know how hard it is to pull the trigger because there's no other choice when they're a danger to everybody that can't be talked down," James confessed as he narrowed his eyes. "But we as soldiers have to carry on with these decisions for the safety of the people of Atlas and give them hope for a better tomorrow, and maybe, just for them as well, even if through looking on from wherever they go."

James stood up and eyed her fiercely. "Stand up, Specialist Schnee, and do your duty for the good of Atlas and her people."

Winter watched the General in a new sort of revelation as she let his words sink, let them reverberate in her bones. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before standing up, looking at him with a fire in her eyes that was fitting for an Atlesian Specialist.

"I swear on my life that I will strike down Geto Suguru, should the opportunity present itself," Winter said, her tone like fiery steel. James nodded and let out a proud smile, glad that his subordinate had resolved herself without becoming some mindless robot.

"Good, good…then you will be notified to board a Bullhead once I speak to Cordovin about your arrival and assignment. Delta XS Contingency 3 will be sent to you once you are on the base," he detailed as he strode back to his seat. "Dismissed."

"Sir!" Winter saluted him and let out one final nod. She turned around and walked out of the room.

James leaned back in his seat and looked up at the ceiling, his smile waning, wondering if it was really a good idea to send Winter, but he quickly shook that thought aside with his Semblance clamping down on that doubt. She needed to tie this up, both for the practical need to close this out for good…and the sentimental need to pay her back for her service.

A beeping from his intercom brought him out of his head as he turned to see the red light flashing, his secretary waiting as he answered.

"What is it, Amelia?"

"General, you have an incoming call, and it's urgent."

"Oh?" James's interest was picked. It couldn't be Ozpin since he was probably on his way to Anima, and they'd only just got off. "Who is it?"

"I-It's from Mistral, sir," Amelia said, her frightened voice causing James to sit firm in his chair. "It says it's from a man called Zen'in Naobito?"

"What?!" James blurted out, his professional composure nearly broke.

What kind of business could that drunken bastard have with him? The last time they spoke, they were literally at each other's throats, both having to be held back if what happened 9 years ago was anything to go by. Even just speaking to him would be…testy, and likely far worse.

However, given the current strained attempt at setting some kind of peace, and the threat of the end of the world, he might as well try to speak with him; worst that could happen would be needing a new desk.

"Put him on the line."

---

—November 25, Present Day—

"Hide!"

Yuta's feet moved on their own as soon as Toge whispered his command. The young sorcerers ran as the scorpion Faunus remained still, his golden eyes watching them like mice skittering around, trying to escape his claws before he ate them. Though, the venomous smile on his face made it apparent he wouldn't be as merciful as the bug his tail came from, proven as he gave chase before they could even think of ducking under a truck or hiding in a dumpster.

"Too slow~"

Toge gritted his teeth and took a deep breath as he shouted his command, "Get crushed!"

The Faunus's eyes widened as pure force just slammed down onto him, cratering the ground and pinning him in place, if only for a moment.

"Mustard leaf!" Toge hoarsely shouted, motioning him with his eyes as he sent a silent message to Yuta, which he picked up instantly.

Kill him.

Yuta felt a knot in his stomach as he wanted to puke at the thought. He had never killed a person of his own free will before, and right now the opportunity presented itself on a silver platter, a callous killer who if he wasn't stopped now would in all likelihood see them gutted from stem to stern…and yet he hesitated. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he was some great paragon of virtue, yet he also wasn't a cold-blooded assassin. It took some dredging to get him to understand as the past few moments flashed in his mind as he recalled the jujutsu operative killed without a second thought, the man dragged by this killer with less regard than a sack of rotten potatoes, and so he made his choice; the monster had to die, and he had to deliver the killing blow. With his resolve strengthened, Yuta activated his Curse Energy and swung his blade at the scorpion Faunus's neck.

He heard a strangled yelp come from his opponent as the man stopped resisting Toge's Cursed Speech and placed his hands fully on the ground, using the new leverage and the sudden weight of his friend's command to lift his feet up in a backwards kick, hitting Yuta right in the face which naturally got him out of the way.

Toge gritted his teeth at seeing his technique be countered so simply, and held Yuta on the shoulder, helping him recover from the blow as their foe started getting up properly. Both students ran towards the butchery of the market in an attempt to reposition, but they stopped dead in their tracks once they saw the scorpion Faunus standing in front of them, recovering from being slammed into the pavement with less effort than shrugging off a cat's headbutt. Yuta let out a quiet whimper as he realized that this was somebody beyond either of them, somebody who would not stop until they were strewn around like a butcher's newest carcass, and who had the power to make that happen.

"I like you, Okkotsu, going right for the killing blow like that. It's something so refreshing to see after dealing with so many Hunters and Sorcerers who just can't do the job, just because the neck isn't a Curse or a Grimm," the scorpion lauded as he cupped his chin in thought as he measured them up for what they presumed were funeral suits, and clapped his hands once he was done.

"Alright then, as a reward, I'll humor you two! Wanna play hide and seek? The rules are simple; if I find you, I'll kill you however I want, and if I can't, well, you can do the same to me," the Faunus said, his tone playful. "What do you think, Hazel?" Yuta and Toge briefly looked at each other, stunned by this childishness, which didn't ease their tension one bit. Yuta's face drained white as he heard the thundering footsteps coming from behind them, turning to see Hazel catch up, the giant letting out a sigh and a shake of his head. "We've come here for a mission, Tyrian, not to play your little games," Hazel said as he cracked his knuckles, narrowing his eyes at Yuta. "I'm taking down Okkotsu, make this quick. No point in drawing this out."

The professional coolness in contrast to Tyrian was of an equal terror, the kind that pure professionals have as they stood above a blown open head with an utterly blank look worthy of taking out the garbage over killing a person. Yuta's mind did everything to connect it all together over having a breakdown, and it still wasn't any better. They knew his name and this Hazel guy just stated that they were on a mission…and that he was a Special Grade.

He had to be stupid if he didn't pick up on what they were getting, just like the White Fang led by that genocidal zealot. Were these two also members? He would have disregarded it as Hazel seemed to be human-you never knew sometimes until something was said just because the adaptation wasn't obvious-and the White Fang loathed the human race as a rule. But with Geto's appearance, anything was possible, and so there was definitely more to pick out, if he'd live to make any of it work as he saw Tyrian deflate like a child getting scolded by his strict father over trying to play a game over finishing his homework.

"It's never fun working with you…" the assassin whined, which gave way to an echoing chuckle as his eyes lit up purple as he did as was told and stung the Jujutsu students before either had even registered anything like a sting before they felt their bodies burn. "I'll be putting them both on a timer, then."

When did he sting them? Was the venom lethal? Was there a cure if so? These thoughts ran rampant in Yuta's brain as it all circled around like vultures to a carcass. Was he going to die? Were both of them going to die?!

"I'll take the Cursed Speech kid, then…" Tyrian said as he circled around, sizing them up. Toge pulled Yuta backwards protectively, and took a long, desperate breath.

"BLAST AWAY!"

The command blew up from Toge as a shockwave, affecting both assassins as reality warped to make it so, if with varying effectiveness. Tyrian was indeed blasted away, loudly crashing into a water tank on the small apartment building behind them, while Hazel, befitting his stature, was simply sent skidding backwards, not even a hint of pain at what just happened as he straightened back up, simple annoyance on his face as he took a breath.

Inumaki had it the worst though, in a hit of cruel irony, as blood began pouring out of his mouth right after that command, staining his mouth and neck warmer. "Inumaki!" Yuta yelled in concern as he glanced at the tattooed boy in panic, grabbing his arm to prevent him from falling in exhaustion. "You alright?"

Toge weakly nodded as he gave a shaky thumbs up, tiredly grabbing at his pocket for a bottle of what seemed like cough syrup, downing it with a concerning amount of gusto that did something, just not enough as the boy still coughed and wheezed as the venom was making itself known.

Yuta now started panting as he could feel his nerves flaring and muscles spasm, some he didn't even know he had, it was that all-encompassing, and with what happened to Inumaki, the silent teen was in even worse shape as he was burning up, keeping whatever medicine he just took from being as effective as it was apparently supposed to be.

Yuta tried to be reassuring, "Don't worry Inumaki, as long as we stay together—"

"Don't lose focus."

Yuta couldn't help the strangled yelp he gave as Hazel was suddenly upon them, the giant of a man moving with an eerie speed and quiet that felt wrong for somebody that big, somebody who already was launching out a great punch with the dreadful power of a gorilla's charge directly at his intended target, Inumaki.

Yuta raised both of his arms in time to block the powerful lariat and take the hit, but the force was too powerful still and it sent him flying away for what seemed like miles until he was out of sight of them all. He crashed hard into a vending machine, shattering the glass and utterly ruining the…bread machine and other vending machines beside it, and if the crumbling dust falling on him was right, the wall behind him too.

That hurt! His vision started to get blurry and his head felt heavy as he tried his best to stay awake. He felt his muscles twitch in horrible spasms and his ears ring like church bells, a mess that just kept him down.

He raised his head and watched as a blurry figure stood in front of him. It seemed like a woman, with amber eyes and… cat ears? The mysterious woman leaned towards him and Yuta felt a tug in his pocket before she disappeared out of sight. He blinked a couple of times to regain his vision and watched his sides for any signs of the woman, only to find none as he was left grasping at something in his mind. 'Musta been hit harder than I thought…'

However, what was certainly not an illusion were the heavy footsteps coming towards him; Hazel Rainart had found him again, his clinical gaze staring him down and making his legs feel like jelly. The pain of the venom at least ebbed back a bit as adrenaline pumped in, letting him steady himself in the face of this juggernaut.

"We both know how this is gonna end, if it's just you and him. Don't kid yourself," Hazel said matter of factly, he crossed his arms. "Unless you get her out."

Yuta's eyes widened; there was only one thing that could get him out of this situation, and this man knew that, yet he still wanted him to use the ring?

Calling it fishy didn't quite do it justice. If even somebody as powerful as Gojo was at least not all that willing to deal with an unleashed Rika, what made these two admittedly powerful men think they could? If these two actually wanted him to manifest Rika, then that meant they had a method to counter her, a method which he wasn't eager to run into as he readied his sword with a newfound resolution.

"No."

Hazel closed his eyes and shook his head, "I figured as much."

Yuta heard the sound of scraping coming from behind Hazel and gulped when he saw Tyrian now dragging his classmate behind him with the grave of a kid dragging an interesting stick they found at the playground, little different to how he'd carried the poor Jujutsu operative save for the crucial fact that Inumaki was still alive. It didn't seem for long though, as his body shivered worse than in a blizzard, his veins stained purple, and foam mixed with blood to create a pink slurry that made clear how little time there was left before the venom had completed its task.

"Inumaki!"

Tyrian chortled as he moved his tail and dropped Inumaki to the ground, wrapping the chitinous stinger around the boy's neck.

"Doesn't look like he's long for this world, boy; better do what Hazel says, or…" he threatened as he started to tighten his grip, sending Inumaki to squirm and writhe in pain as he struggled to even scream, and Yuta knew he didn't have any options beyond her.

"Stop!" he shouted as he lowered his blade, Tyrian licking his lips in anticipation as he loosened his tail just enough that Inumaki could gasp for air.

Damn it all…

Damn both of them for putting him in this situation!

He doubted that Rika would even struggle against trash like them, but he knew that something was about to go off, something that he couldn't shake off.

With a heavy sigh, Yuta put on his silver ring, and gave her a call, "Come out, Rika."

A pale claw emerged from behind Yuta as Rika manifested, the spirit snarling with anger at seeing her Yuta hurt, malevolence dripping off her like blood.

Tyrian immediately let go of the injured Inumaki and switched fully to offense, his cocky demeanor making way for something predatory as his pupils contracted in predatory anticipation at facing Rika, something he hadn't bothered with the two, which begged the question of how bad was the gap.

"You two hurt my Yuta… I WILL KILL YOU, KILL BOTH OF YOU! KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!"

Yuta recoiled at Rika's shrill howls and instinctively covered his ears, and even the opposing duo seemed a little hesitant at the moment as the screaming got to them.

"Tyrian, remember the plan… the Shrine can't house anything active, so we'll need to get creative," Hazel said as he pulled out solid shards of Ice and Fire Dust from his pocket, readying them for something as he bunched them into his left hand.

"Don't die on me, big guy, not when we've still got so much fun yet," Tyrian replied as his eyes gleamed purple once more, a mad laugh barely held back.

Hazel's dismissive grunt told more than any words could as he readied himself in the most painful way Yuta had ever seen. He shoved both crystals into his right arm like impromptu syringes, both arms growing in size as he twitched at the sudden surge of power. However, what was most noticeable about his change was in his right arm, which glowed in chilly blue fire that smelled like his arm was being cooked alive, Yuta finding himself oddly worried for the man, if only because it was something genuinely terrible to witness.

They stood for a moment, each sizing the Curse before they charged like direwolves on the prowl against a great mammoth, Rika answering in kind as Yuta rushed to Inumaki's side to check on him the moment he knew neither could do anything as she kept them occupied.

"Inumaki!" he yelled as he kneeled with the poisoned boy and helped him up. "A-Are you alright?"

"Salmon…" Toge responded with the hoarseness of sharkskin grinding against sandpaper, clutching his head as he tried to keep himself from falling asleep, deep breaths coming in low, some time still left if his new friend could stay awake.

However, as he looked over Inumaki more and more, a thought rang in his head; why was it that despite being stung at the same time, the venom hadn't damaged him near as bad as his sushi-language friend?

Another question that he didn't have the answer for; he'd make a note to ask Gojo after…if he got out alive.

Meanwhile, Rika had flung her arm at Hazel, the giant blocking the hit but still being forced back, bruising evident that while healing over was still something Tyrian had never seen happen to his begrudging companion in a match of pure strength.

Tyrian ran towards her side, shooting Electric Dust bullets which bounced off her skin like cartoon armor, but it was enough to get her attention, to keep her from pushing on with her assault as Hazel found the breathing room needed to run towards her torso and deliver an uppercut right to her chin. He then dashed away from her range as Tyrian peppered her with some more rounds from his Queen's Servants, these loaded up with harder hitting Gravity Dust cartridges instead.

Their plan was simple; Tyrian was the annoying mosquito that got Rika's attention while Hazel came and hit her while she was distracted before immediately heading back out, relying again on Tyrian to keep Rika occupied. Hit and run until the opportunity presented to strike her down as it seemed obvious that outright brawling with the Vengeful Spirit was out of the question, and the more blows she took, and the angrier she got, the more likely it was for a golden route to form.

"STOP. RUNNING!" Rika snarled as she rushed at Tyrian and grabbed him by the torso before he could even react, the assassin surprised at her speed as she started to crush him like a raccoon with a scorpion. However, instead of being afraid or even in pain, Tyrain smiled wide as his eyes flashed purple and he grabbed Rika's massive claw with his hands to keep her from letting go.

"HAZEL!" he shouted with glee as the giant rushed towards him with his blued arm shining brightly as he swung at the one limb, and the impossible happened; the Queen of Curses was quite literally disarmed, a clean blow that freed Tyrian as their target thrashed at the sheer gall of what just happened.

"BASTARD!".

Yuta's eyes widened in shock as he watched Rika shriek in pain and outrage from getting her arm cut off, only to sigh in relief as he watched her grow it back instantly, but the point was made as the duo scurried away with the arm, Tyrian pulling out a strange black box and opening it to stuff it in. The box was seemingly too small to fit Rika's massive claw but to Yuta's surprise, it just sucked it right in like a particularly long noodle until the box snapped shut, its prize comfortably inside, much to Rika's displeasure, "THAT WAS MY PRECIOUS ARM!"

Meanwhile, Hazel tiredly sighed as the Dust crystals on his arms jumped out of his body, their light dimmed as they had been drained of all of their energy after what they'd done, his arm looking like burnt shawarma as skin peeled and tore and exposed raw and angry muscle, his Aura just keeping it put together, but it was obvious that for this round, it was out of commission, which was about to be a problem.

Rika's whole body glowed a terrifying purple as she let out another ear-shattering roar, her Curse Energy rising to levels Yuta had never seen before, permeating the air and turning it into a great center of the stuff. Granted, nobody had ever done what the pair had, so in that way, Yuta wasn't surprised at the response. "Tuna!" Toge yelled-oddly less hoarse than before-tugging his shirt in fear that moved his numb body, which Yuta knew meant trouble as he saw more and more Curse Energy spread around them.

That was why Satoru told him like a broken record to NOT let Rika out under any circumstances, as the geyser of power started to attract Curses from all over as he did what he could to stop her.

"RIKA STOP!"

After Yuta took out his ring, Rika's entire form disappeared in a black sludge, a hateful shriek her parting words at the duo. Yuta let out an exhausted sigh at what had happened; he didn't know why exactly, but summoning Rika had become more troublesome these past few days, ever since he started training with Maki and Pyrrha…Was Rika really so jealous of them that she felt the need for a tantrum?

His thought had to be stuffed down when he heard Tyrian's voice echo behind him, "You have no idea what you just did, did you?" Yuta's eyes snapped open as he saw his braces already an inch away from his neck, too caught up in keeping Rika down to notice the assassin until now.

There were no plays to be made as Yuta racked his brain searching for an answer that never came; Inumaki was too far gone to move, he was exhausted and doubted he had any skill to deal with either of the two alone, and Rika wasn't going to come out even if he wanted to, not if it risked attracting more Curses that he could just feel coming in now. There was no way out.

So he simply closed his eyes and waited for it to come, for the end he'd always wanted yet now that it was here he couldn't help but want to deny. No final words, no parting gifts, not even a Curse, just the wait of his executioner.

He heard an echoing clap throughout the market. He didn't feel any pain.

Yuta opened his eyes, expecting to see something like a void or a paradise or even a hell, but instead was greeted with a different street in the town, seemingly teleported away from danger. A part of him thought that somehow his teacher had come to the rescue but when he turned and saw Tyrian a good distance from where he used to be, he knew that wasn't the case. After all, his teacher never left behind a bass where he used to be.

Tyrian's hands where deep in the throat of the poor fish, and Yuta knew who to thank when a beefy and broad man with a big scar over his eye walked into view behind him, and gave him one of the stranger intros he'd ever had, "I have heard these words of wisdom before, which entail the following: A man who has been defeated hasn't truly lost—"

He had heard that phrase before and if he remembered correctly, Pyrrha told him that it came from something she read, though he couldn't remember the name. Was it a book of poems; the musings of a philosopher; perhaps a great epic of heroism through ardor?

"Takada is never wrong about people; she can bring the best out of anyone!"

Nevermind, it was just some interview with an idol a couple months back.

Looking at him closer, he noticed that his pants were a variation of the Jujutsu High uniform, though he had never seen him before; perhaps it was that sister school he'd heard about before? He had on top a plain purple tee, and he kept his longer hair up in a samurai knot, which added to the man's overall intimidating stature, like some warrior of yore come to rescue him in the nick of time, which was apparently a sentiment very much not shared.

"A man asking others for help means that he indeed, has lost, which makes me wonder, what the fuck is one of the Special Grades of Mistral doing?!" the man angrily questioned as Yuta could feel his burning gaze boring into his soul. Yuta had a bemused look on his face as he considered what he was saying, in the literal sense over any symbolic gesture. He had apparently called for help, despite not having a moment to himself to even try and send a quick text, yet here was the help in all its confusing glory. So who did? He perked up when he saw a pair of golden irises staring at him behind Hazel and Tyrian, far away from them, a pair he remembered from a while back as Blake Belladonna waved a Scroll at him, his Scroll, and Yuta just knew. She nodded at him and Yuta slowly nodded back before she disappeared from sight.

Why did the White Fang girl suddenly decide to appear today, at this very moment in which coincidentally he needed help the most?

…Was she stalking him? Yuta shivered as he considered the thought, already feeling some of Rika's jealousy boiling up at the thought, though he'd save his personal issues for later as a monotone voice came in from behind, clipped and professional compared with the bombast of his fellow student.

"Todo, please stop scaring the first year and keep your eyes peeled for any movement from the assailants."

The man was dressed in a beige two-piece suit, with a blue shirt and a speckled mustard yellow necktie complimenting brown leather shoes. His eyes were hidden-sorcerers did that a lot, hide some part of themselves-behind a pair of green-tinted sunglasses with goggle sidings that were staying remarkably still despite lacking any arms. It was the look of a consummate professional, be it banker, agent, or here, Jujutsu Sorcerer. He was kneeling before Toge and the anonymous Jujutsu Sorcerer to assess their wounds, though he seemed to be getting little there as he breathed a frustrated sigh.

"That goes without saying Nanami; I got my eyes on the big one," Todo said as he narrowed his eyes as he zeroed in on Hazel. He raised his hand, a familiar grey dome emerging as he chanted "Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness—". Soon the whole of the market and the neighborhood were enclosed by a Curtain, the minimum of safety that could be put up on such short notice.

The scorpion Faunus clicked his tongue in irritation and trotted behind Hazel until he was out of sight, blending into the shadows with practiced ease. Hazel meanwhile stood motionless, analyzing Todo with a neutral glare that seemed utterly unconcerned with his still burnt arm, if notably recovered enough to do something with.

"Then, I will deal with the madman," Nanami accepted with a small hint of fury in his voice as he stared at the deceased operative. "Okkotsu, Inumaki, you should retreat while you can until this situation is dealt with."

Yuta nodded wordlessly and hoisted Toge by the arm, ready to retreat with his friend who seems somehow a little better than before.

But before he left, he looked back at them, biting his lip in thought. It wasn't because he was too scared to even move, or nervous for th sake of his fellows; no, truthfully he was frustrated. He, a Special Grade sorcerer, a supposed acme of Jujutsu who apparently could wreck a nation, was turning tail on people knew could not be as strong as him, yet had wounded him so. It was…infuriating, and he wondered if it was really smart to just retreat when he hadn't really done anything

"Mustard leaf," Inumaki spoke to him, color returned mostly to normal as he gave the rookie a smile, something that Yuta needed right now as he looked at his friend's somewhat recovered form.

They can do it; they can keep fighting, for that is the essence of being a jujutsu sorcerer.

"Inumaki…" Yuta smiled as he let Toge stand on his own, the blonde stumbling for a moment but still standing tall. "Salmon roe," Toge said, which Yuta would have picked up as gibberish just a few hours ago, but now as he saw his worried expression and body language, he understood what that message meant.

Be careful.

Inumaki had never been unfriendly, especially compared with the admittedly testy Maki, but this warmth, this understanding, Yuta felt he finally understood it all, and it was like an anodyne for the venom in his body that seemed strangely still now.

"You too, Inumaki."

However, Yuta heard a feral scream coming from their right, the trouble coming to them as a courtesy over walking back. It was Tyrian, having opted to pick them off now that they were separated from the professionals, lunging out like a banshee from the darkness at them, ready to tear them apart.

A straight left from Nanami intercepted him midair, thankfully, and instantly broke his Aura in a shattering blow, sending him tumbling down the street hitting cars and lamps and stalls until he landed in a fish stall, slime and blood covering him as Tyrian glared and snarled at the salaryman before he disappeared into the shadows again.

"I believe I told you two to get away from here while you still can," Nanami said with a stern, scolding tone, not looking at them as he searched for any signs of the enemy, yet keeping them to his back as he circled around like a bladed shield.

"Allow us to help you, sir!" Yuta said as he cleaned his blade with his elbow, while Toge cleared his throat with what remained of his medicine, ready to try again as his body was, not fine per se, but at least able to keep up.

Nanami gave them a judging glance, inspecting them thoroughly, taking into account their injuries, their stance, their tiredness, a worry in him that even Yuta could feel that beneath the stoic stock broker there was something almost fatherly.

The seasoned Sorcerer shook his head as he came to his conclusion, "No, you two have been poisoned, and are in dire need of medical attention," Nanami said, his tone carrying irritation masking concern. "You can't fight in your—"

"Watts, requesting exfil, execute Gamma Op in the meantime."

Everyone froze in place as Hazel commanded to whoever was listening to initiate whatever measure this was. Nobody could react as an EMP explosion triggered in their vicinity, the shockwave startling them but physically nothing else…for anything not electronic. Nanami placed a hand in his pocket and pulled out his Scroll, which was now a smoking mess of glass and circuits, garnering a click of the tongue as he tossed aside something that was just asking to burn a hole in his dress pants like this.

"My Scroll is dead," Todo said as he checked the device with a frown; a tear started to come out from his scarred eye. "I had exclusive videos of the Taka-tan beam there…well, that's what the cloud is for, yet I still cannot help the discomfort"

Yuta started sweating bullets as he placed his hand in his pockets out of habit, trying to find his Scroll before he remembered his new…stalker? had taken it, finding instead the weighty stone that occupied it when she switched them, breathing a sigh of relief at getting pickpocketed.

Hazel grunted as smoke started to come out from his ear, an earpiece quickly being tossed aside by the man who was taking the headphone exploded remarkably well. It was a two-way street with this tactic; neither could call for anymore backup, so it was just them here now to figure out who would come out alive…least it would have been were it not for the hard light field popping up just now, likely the work of whoever had triggered the bomb, their techie come to keep giving what help he could it seemed.

With the force field up, it really would just be a practical death match, using a couple hundred meters worth of room to fight in. Awfully close, yet that also went for their enemies; there was no running now for anybody.

"This is the worst case scenario…" Nanami said as he let out a sigh. He turned to look at Yuta and Toge. "You two really will have to help, then. Inumaki you're with me, I need your Cursed Speech to disrupt Callow's movements for as long as you can. But if I say stop, you stop; I'm not risking students like that when this is my responsibility."

Toge nodded and both sorcerers left to hunt down the scorpion Faunus, leaving Yuta with the gorilla of a student, who was still mad at him for the call, if the killing glare he gave meant anything, somehow more threatening than the nearly eight feet of muscle that had decided to jab himself with another Dust Crystal to the chest, this one a yellow rod that bulked him up as sparks stated flying and his eyes glowed electric gold. He cracked his bones, his arm now recovered to a raw but usable state as Aura pumped into him, sending a cold glare that was telling to either what to expect. Yuta unsheathed his katana and looked at Hazel with cold focus, ready to unleash hell upon him for what he'd done to Rika ('When was the last time I thought like that?'), though before he could leap back into the fray, Todo asked him a question, his attitude shifted to something playful, if in that apish way that could just as easily see him beaten with his own limbs if he answered wrong.

"Okkotsu, I have a question for you, and depending on your answer, our chances of winning go from 50 to 100 percent!" Todo said, his voice burning with passion as he smiled a mad grin.

Yuta eyed him with curiosity, wondering what kind of question could see them turn the tide so? He'd answer it either way, but what would it be? Something about the deeper meaning of his life; the nature of killing; the martial discipline to face impossible odds?

"WHAT IS YOUR TYPE OF GIRL?!"

'Eh?' Yuta felt his eye twitch as he processed the absurdity of the question. How in the world would answering help them in any way with beating this big lug?!

Hazel blinked a couple of times as he seemed to process the question too, but shook his head from the intrusive thoughts and lunged forward, fists inflamed with electricity. It left no time for Yuta to answer Todo's ridiculous question, and he was kinda grateful for it as he rose up to respond. And now it was confirmed what had happened with Tyrian, as Todo clapped his hands and just like that, Yuta was where Hazel had been and vice-versa, the brute stumbling at the shift as his weight carried him too far to stop.

The top knot gorilla capitalized on the opportunity and delivered a powerful uppercut straight at Hazel's face, snapping his head back before he grabbed him by the legs, lifted him up, and slammed him into the pavement with a thundering powerbomb, the breaker dazed and hurt, if still oddly numb.

Yuta took advantage of such a splendid opening to unleash his Curse Energy, swinging at the fallen fighter with his katana, delivering a circular swing right to his stomach, Hazel's Aura keeping the blade from cutting but still hitting with enough force to send him flying back

"Nice hit, Okkotsu," Todo complimented his junior with a grin, which faded the moment Hazel stood up and dusted himself off, bruised and a little bloodied, yet otherwise treating what had happened like a tumble on a porch.

"That's quite the trick you got, but you're gonna have to do better than that," Hazel commented as he spat a glob of blood from his mouth. He clasped both of his fists which let out furious sparks of electricity. And then he said what they feared to confirm, "And just so you know…I can't feel any of this. Last time I did feel pain, I was still in daycare. Numbing Agent has been an odd Semblance for me…it'll be worse for you two."

Yuta gritted his teeth as he felt Hazel's Aura flaring once he gave his little descriptor; was that a binding vow?! Aura users can have them too?! Bullshit!

"Normally, injecting Dust like I do would have most people seize up in pain, and plenty die from the shock. Not feeling pain though means that none of it matters, especially not when my Aura keeps healing it, even if I got lightning in my veins…" he continued, before rushing towards Yuta and Todo faster than either expected, the giant of a man sending them flying with an electrical double lariat, Yuta left to crash against another wall and leaving another crack in the wall and ceiling and the ground and basically anything left near it that got broken by the impact.

Yuta practically vomited blood from the strongest blow he'd felt so far in his short career, and the fact that it just came like that made it all the worse. He could feel his breath sputtering as his bones creaked, and it felt even like his heart wasn't quite beating like how it was supposed to, starting and stopping in a rhythm that wasn't natural.

Did his heart stop or something?

Todo fortunately managed to block the attack in time, but the sheer shock bled through his defenses as he was momentarily stunned still as the sparks danced on his body, leaving him wide open for a wild haymaker to the face that would have sent a lesser man tumbling were it not for Todo moving his head just enough that the blow couldn't accelerate as hard as his foe wanted. Hazel tried to follow through with a hammerfist to his skull, but Todo blocked it with a raised arm, surprising Hazel as he found himself fighting somebody with strength of near his own…and the guts to follow through despite the pain as he smiled mad and wide.

"I'm sure you know by now, but I'm telling you anyway," Todo said as he let out an excited grin. "My technique, Boogie Woogie, allows me to switch places with anything, so long as I clap my hands!"

Todo's Curse Energy output spiked as he grabbed Hazel's arm and performed a judo throw which sent him whirling far away, following it by throwing a stone infused with Curse Energy, and clapped his hands.

In an instant, Todo was already at Hazel's side while the latter was still midair. He threw a perfectly placed hook to his stomach which crashed his giant of a foe down into the ground, cracking it open.

However, Hazel recovered almost instantly, rising up fast and leaping out to deliver an electrical kick to Todo's knees, the latter losing his balance as he stumbled to the side.

And all the while, Yuta was struggling to keep his blood all in him a dozen meters away.

'Move.'

Yuta pushed his unresponsive body to the limit, his arms and legs twitching in response but little else as his eyes lost focus as he started to feel closer to the sandman, sleep and more inviting him to rest.

No. 'Move, you fucking useless body!' He felt like he was repeating himself, but that was life, as he kept arguing with whatever guided it that he wasn't going to see it all go away just because of a damned heart attack, not when he needed to help his people, not when he was still trying to live again.

'Yuta.. y-you're hurt!' Rika's voice echoed inside his head, her grief, panic, and anger overflowing as for the first time since she was alive it felt like she sounded just like the girl he knew. 'C-Can I help?'

It was centering, hearing her voice, getting him to smile and keep his awareness for a little longer as he parsed out what he could do.

Should he put his ring again and call on Rika to help him? No, he quickly pushed that thought aside; if it didn't end well then, it wouldn't end well now. Rika got hurt because of his weakness, and his enemies got what they wanted from her, all while releasing an ungodly amount of Curse Energy into the air.

'Frustrating…'

Gojo explained to him that Special Grade sorcerers thrive mostly when they are alone, their abilities too much for regular sorcerers to handle, enough that even Grade 1s could suffer badly if caught up in the fight. And so, it was better to be alone. A Special Grade sorcerer like him shouldn't need help, and yet here he was, lying on the ground with his heart beating weaker and stranger, his white sweatshirt covered in his own blood while Todo is fighting for his life in his stead.

How mighty of him.

Todo was right, he had lost, so it was time for him to make up for that loss while he was still able to. What matters the most for Sorcerers is to win, even if they die in the end. And Yuta wanted to win, for himself, and for the people who needed him. To that end, he will win by himself and not rely on Rika this time.

'Sorry Rika, I gotta do this alone.' Yuta said to her as his heart started to beat a little stronger, his muscles responding a little more now. He still felt Rika's concern and let out a smile. 'Don't worry, I won't die here, I promise you that.'

His newfound resolve didn't do much to ease his current situation, but it was enough. Now he only needed to find a way to be useful to Todo right now…

'So cool, Yuta!' Rika said excitedly as Yuta could hear her clapping inside of his mind. 'Then let me do the help you in a different way. Could you me that filthy pebble, the one that looks like my grandma's mole?'

Yuta glanced at the dark pebble with curiosity and picked it up without a thought. His eyes widened as he felt a familiar, yet dimming energy radiating from the object, 'Todo's Curse Energy?'

And then, something inside him just clicked, something different to Rika, something his own as his being started to trace over the little thing and he grasped more and more what it was that he was seeing.

---

Nanami Kento was pissed, which was actually quite rare for a person who was stuck working with Gojo Satoru since high school.

He was supposed to fight Tyrian Callows by himself and let Okkotsu and Inumaki retreat to safety, but it seemed that this serial killer and his fellows had other plans for them.

Why drag kids into a battle you have already won?

It was an easy question for him to answer… and even easier for a serial killer. Tyrian Callows, Hazel Rainart, and whoever else worked with them liked to toy with their prey, and they weren't at all picky on who it was. It was revolting in a way that Curses weren't, and was why he had left his old job as a stock broker behind; Curses didn't have a choice in fucking over people, but Humans and Faunus did, and Tyrian had always chosen to be worse.

Tyrian would pay for all the misery and death he had brought, Nanami would make sure of that.

"Tuna…" Toge muttered grimly as he couldn't hide his tension, watching every corner like a fox watching after every snap and shuffle in the forest.

Nanami glanced at Inumaki, the boy who just a few minutes ago was knocking on heaven's door after Tyrian's sting, but he seemed largely fine now just by spending a few minutes with Okkotsu. It was an inquiry that was going to get answered once he was done stomping down on a revolving scorpion.

"Your Curse Speech is potent, but save the harsher words when you are sure to incapacitate him. Otherwise, don't try it." Nanami said as he scouted the area and narrowed his eyes. Toge nodded at his instructions and kept scouting, not exactly eager to speak when he was out of medicine.

Now that Tyrian knew that Ratio could and would break his Aura instantly, he'd favored a more defensive, conservative approach. He became eerily quiet, sticking to the shadows and rarely even poking his head before he disappeared back into the darkness. And while his Aura did break on impact, it was still a shield that kept Nanami from cleaving him in twain, leaving him with a theoretical combo of Ratio and Black Flash as one real option, but that might as well be asking for a miracle. Overtime could do to, but he was still a good few minutes from that happening. No, what he could do was make a Binding Vow; it might not hit as hard as the Black Flash combo or Overtime, but it should give him enough power to at least hurt the mad murderer.

"I figure you can hear me, so let me talk for a bit. My Ratio technique can divide my target into a ratio line of 7:3, allowing me to forcefully create a weak spot that will always be a critical hit should I hit that said fault," Nanami explained, his Binding Vow fulfilling two purposes: the obvious of upping his Curse Energy output, and the less obvious of confirming that Tyrian is still around and hadn't gone off to try and stab poor Okkotsu.

Hopefully, he could keep that from happening even if it took a few more blows than he'd like.

The echoing fall of wooden barrels dropping and rolling towards them startled him, but also gave him an idea of where Tyrian was as he approached where they used to rest.

"DODGE!"

His body moved on his own as Toge issued his command. Nanami gritting his teeth as he saw Tyrian breaking out of one of the barrels from his blindside, his body blazing deep purple with his tail primed to strike. He moved his head to the side and the stinger barely grazed his cheek, a sign of how badly he'd fallen for the trap that would have seen his head get a new hole over "just" being grazed with venom.

Nanami quickly recovered from the hit and swung his fist charged with plenty more Curse Energy, but it wasn't fast enough, as the scorpion Faunus grabbed his arm, swinging his bladed weapon right to his throat. Nanami acted fast and flung his pinned arm right towards the floor, Tyrin gasping as the throw knocked the air out of him for a moment, but he recovered fast and pointed the barrel of his gun right to Nanami's forehead.

Before he could fire, Namami freed himself from Tyrian's grip and kicked him like a soccer ball, hitting him right on the 7:3 line that should have at least broken his Aura once more.

Yet it hadn't, his enemy's defenses flickering, yet unlike before they hadn't been shattered, despite Nanami having put plenty into that kick. He grimaced as he watched Tyrian stand up with an infuriating lazy smile on him, knowing why he had come out better than before.

'His Semblance is disrupting my technique...' Nanami thought, the only real explanation beyond the venom which while not fun shouldn't be affecting him in that way.

Meanwhile, now that he was out in the open and with no one at his side, Toge opened his mouth again, trying to help out.

"Frez—"

Only for Tyrian's Queen's Servants to interrupt him, blue gunfire blinding him as the bullets erupted in Inumaki's front, Ice Dust freezing parts of his head that he wasn't able to cover in time with his even more frozen arms. Nanami's stoic demeanor turned enraged as he tried to help his junior, only to be forced to cover as Tyrian fixed his SMGs in his direction. "That Cursed Speech kid should focus on getting that ice off his face very carefully, or else his skin would rip off…" Tyrian said as he laughed at Toge's woes as he tried to keep himself from getting torn to pieces. "Once I'm done with you, I'm finishing him off…might even make you watch, now that I think about it. Wouldn't that be a fun time?~"

Nanami furrowed his eyebrows until he could feel his own veins bulging from his forehead, the pain exacerbating it as he felt fire in his veins and sweat stain his suit. It was leaving him on the back foot, this toxin, and Tyrian knew it; Nanami wouldn't have much time left to deal with this.

'Speaking of time…' He looked at his watch and got out of the wall, showing himself to Tyrian out in the open once again once he noticed the second hand tick just past a very important time.

"It looks like I'm going into Overtime, then…" Nanami proclaimed in a low growl, Tyrian simply snorting at what he assumed was some office worker gag.

"Oh, I bet you were just a riot at whatever two-bit firm you went off to, but don't think some pun will—"

And then he felt it, a wall of Curse Energy just manifesting from Nanami as the salaryman of a sorcerer removed his speckled tie and wound it up like a rosary on his right arm, Tyrian's smirk dropping as it hit what just he meant.

Nanami rushed forward and swung his dulled blade at Tyrian, which the latter parried with his bracers and countered with a few bullets to the face. Nanami dodged in the nick of time and retaliated with a gut punch, still not quite hitting like Nanami wanted as the killer's Semblance still kept him off-balance.

Tyrian lunged again with his blades and barely grazed Nanami's arm as he dodged to the side, favoring even more this skirmishing with Ratio being a known quantity now, favoring truly to let his Aura handle it over a more active defense.

'In that case—'

Namami clenched his fist and punched the ground, shattering the pavement into dozens of jagged fragments that launched Tyrian into the air. 'Ratio Technique: Collapse!' Nanami swung his cleaver to deal the a good, clean blow now that his technique wasn't being disrupted.

However, Tyrian's smile returned as he shot a burst of gunfire midair, his bullets now penetrating into Nanami's outstretched arm, leaving the sorcerer to wince for a split second, which was just the opening Tyrian needed as he launched out his tail and wrapped it around Nanami's throat as he landed.

"DIE YOU FUCKING JOKE OF AN OFFICE DRONE!" Tyrian shouted with a manic grin as he swung both sets of Queen's Servants to make damn sure he just be a head swinging on his belt.

"Don't move."

Tyrian's body froze as he stared with wide eyes at the young sorcerer who'd stopped him as he panted with the freezer burn over his body, the left side of his face bloody and raw and his lips purple from finding the desperation needed to tear his face just to speak.

"You nearly tore your face off," Tyrian said with bemusement that quickly grew into fury as his body twitched to regain control. "You absolute mad—"

Without letting him finish, the Grade 1 sorcerer swung straight at Tyrian's face, and he could see the lines of Ratio spiking as the hit connected; a critical blow. The force of the hit easily shattered Tyrian's Aura like a piece of glass, alongside the snap of bone.

Tyrian let go of Nanami's neck as he rolled away, left reeling as he spat out some teeth and tried his best to reset his nose as Nanami approached on his own terms.

Nanami's towering visage walked slowly towards his downed opponent, his eyes glowered down with an immeasurable rage hidden by his glasses. Tyrian could only sit up on his knees, blood pouring out as he tried to hide any fear from showing how badly the tables had turned.

Yet, he still looked seconds away from bolting for the hills as true fear radiated off him, as he knew that the sorcerer wasn't done with him.

Out of desperation, Tyrian swung his tail towards his torso, but Nanami managed a swift grab, keeping the stinger away from him as venom burned a hole in ground.

"You have claimed many lives with your venom, am I correct?" Nanami asked in an eerily calm tone that still sounded like the roar of thunder for all the pent-up rage he had that he communicated with a white-knuckled grip on the tail. "I will make sure to cap that count permanently."

And with a twist, the tail broke and popped off.

"FUUUUCK!"

Tyrian's screams could be heard everywhere within the barrier, and would likely be heard for miles around were it not again for the barrier. Blood and venom and other fluids were leaking down, a trail of horrid waste that Nanami was going to make far worse.

However, before he could deliver the killing blow, he heard screeching tires coming closer and closer, the smoke from the burning Dust and the shaking of weak stands announcing a new arrival. His eyes widened when a platinum van crashed through the stands, driven by somebody who didn't want to be seen as the polarized windows kept anything more than a shadow from being seen. The driver's window lowered and from there, two silver pebbles were thrown towards him…which then immediately exploded on impact with him, a web of electricity that would have fried him like a toad were it not for his Reinforcement, but still leaving him paralyzed to stop the escape happening before him.

The van stopped with a harsh break, its tires screeching as it drifted to the bleeding Tyrian, who rose with starts and gasps and twitching at losing a limb near his spine, the pain fueling the manic rage he could muster up in glaring at his newfound archenemy.

"T-This isn't over yet, salaryman. I will pay this back, and you'll be stuck watching as I tear you and everybody you know into pieces," Tyrian promised as he got into the van and drove off before Nanami freed himself from the electric web.

He frowned as he watched the serial killer speed off to where Todo and Okkotsu were fighting. It made him worry if they had succeeded in their fight, and even if they had, if they were in any condition to go a second round against whoever was driving the van (and the meager if annoying support of Tyrian and his guns).

If however they had beaten Hazel back and were still healthy enough…then maybe they could stop this whole thing in this one fight and understand what the hell was happening.

"Mustard leaf…" Toge said in hoarsely as he rushed towards him, extending his hand. His left side was still bleeding, and Nanami could see plenty more drying on his mouth after his words.

Still, he had survived, and Nanami was glad because of that. He would take any victory he could get, especially as he started to feel the venom truly hit with the adrenaline washing out. Blurry vision, muscles spasming, burning pain everywhere; he didn't want to burden the young Semi-Grade 1, but it looked like he didn't have a choice as he slumped at his side. He needed a vacation when they were back, and not the kind taken by a ghost reminiscing on their old life. Still, he had to finish this with Tyrian and his allies first; it was his job and duty after all, "Let's go… we can still catch up to them if Okkotsu is still fighting," Nanami said as he grabbed Toge's hand.

The largely mute boy nodded and they rushed as fast as they could behind the trailing car, hoping they could finish this here, yet feeling like this wasn't going to end this easy for any of them.

---

Todo Aoi took a deep breath as he focused on his opponent fully, his eyes narrowing in curiosity as Hazel's Electric Dust crystals lost their power and went dull, Hazel simply grunting as he pulled them out and tossed them away with a casual disregard befitting somebody who used them so often.

Todo grinned as he capitalized on the opportunity to switch with the falling crystal, changing places but finding himself on the path of a great fist coming down on his head. 'He predicted it?!' Todo's eyes widened as he wasn't fast enough to block the blow as it hit his jaw, making him stumble as Hazel followed through with a kick to the stomach that sent him flying almost back to where he was.

Hazel was getting used to Boogie Woogie, and honestly…that wasn't such a bad thing for Aoi.

Todo couldn't contain his excitement as he grinned a hungry smile at this new challenge. It was strange to consider given his own power, but he had never faced a Grade 1 before, much less somebody like Hazel, all the ones that came before fools and blowhards who barely qualified for Grade 2, and often not even that. It was fun to look at somebody who was on his level or even above it, to see and capitalize on their disadvantages for the simple fact that he would die if he didn't.

Hazel was a more deliberate fighter, not so eager to just rush in, but he had the experience to compensate with a better ability to predict and react, and the raw power he brought to bear was more than Todo had without a Black Flash, which was not a reliable weapon. And just because he didn't go for sheer speed much did not mean he was slow; man was a Goliath, and was deceptive that way. Add in his peculiar method of using Dust with his Semblance, and he was the greatest challenge Todo had faced as an enemy.

Of course, Hazel's level was nowhere near a Special Grade like Gojo or his master Yuki, and he seemed a bit weaker than a high-level Grade 1 like Zen'in Naobito or that swordsman Miwa trained under-Kusakabe, was it?-but he was still strong enough to quell the boredom ever since he completed his training.

And that made him wish for this battle to never stop.

Hazel seemed to notice his look of excitement and merely let out a scoff, no doubt judging him like so many others. "I will never understand what goes through the skulls of you Sorcerers," Hazel said as he pulled Fire Dust crystals from his pocket and embedded them into his body, letting out a mighty roar as his eyes turned fiery orange.

Todo's eyes widened as Hazel slammed his fists on the ground and pulled out a great chunk of concrete that he began funneling Fire Dust into, hurling it at Todo once he felt it was ready. Todo was ready for it though, clapping his hand the moment the rock left Hazel's grasp, the impromptu bomb hitting a fried food stand and bursting the whole thing into a glorious bonfire of oil and chicken. He was already at Hazel's side as he delivered a flurry of blows to the latter's unguarded chest, the giant's Aura starting to flicker as his reserves started to drain from the flurry of strong punches that left Hazel struggling to respond. Before Hazel could recover himself to counterattack, Todo grabbed his head and jumped, delivering a powerful knee to the face, a disorienting blow, yet still it didn't affect the older fighter much as he took the opening to grab Todo's leg and throwing him away like a bag of laundry. Todo landed well enough, but being taken out of the zone had let him feel the consequences of punching somebody who had literal fire in his veins, scowling at the angry red burns left on his knuckles, Hazel likely having planned on that happening even if it was more a precaution than anything else.

He was startled when he looked up and saw Hazel's burning form already closing the distance, charging at him like a particularly angry bull moose. He raised his arms to block the incoming attack which while it would burn him further was a better option than getting burned in say the face or the neck.

Yet something happened that changed this whole rhythm entirely. 'Huh?' Todo squinted as he saw a pebble right on top of Hazel's form, a pebble he didn't throw, flinching when he heard a clap that was not his own yet he knew almost on instinct what it meant.

Hazel stopped in his tracks as he watched the pebble become Okkotsu Yuta, the rookie radiating a fierce killing intent, his katana swinging at Hazel's torso and managing to land a clean hit, which while not leaving much impact still left Hazel unbalanced, and was still another notch for a man who was finding himself with less and less to work with.

Hazel backed off and he let out a fiery roar as he punched his fists in the air, causing a ball of fire to emerge and launch towards Yuta, who narrowed his eyes and clapped his hands, switching places with Hazel at the moment of impact.

Todo all the while watched in amazement as his brain processed the information of what just happened; Okkotsu Yuta, the useless sorcerer who got KO'd in one blow by Hazel, was now meaningfully contributing, and with Todo's own Curse Technique to boot. And rather than be offended, Todo was overjoyed at Yuta's new display of power, some method of copying Curse Techniques, a fascinating ability that he almost instinctively began analyzing in his genius mind. Was there a set limit to what he could copy? Could he imitate Semblances? Were even the impossible powers of Gojo Satoru and Tsukumo Yuki within this grasp?

It was the greatest potential he had ever seen, enough for a hearty chuckle to leave his lips as he reconsidered his opinion on the first year. "It appears that you have truly awakened, Okkotsu," Todo said as he let out a proud grin. "I'm sorry for dragging you down, Todo," Yuta replied as he readied his blade, his cold expression not leaving his opponent. It was like he was an entirely different person from before, though he was still humble in his response.

"If you're sorry, then you better keep up, it's time for us to finish this," Todo said as he got into a stance, though before he could do much else, Yuta spoke up again, a strange shakiness in his voice that wasn't the meekness of before, but rather something more…embarrassed? Oh, he knew where this was going.

"Todo, one more thing, just in case one of us dies. I, I don't want to leave you without knowing, embarrassing as it is. Uhm, I— like to be dominated."

Todo's eyes widened as Yuta's statement was laid bare, and then he let out a wide toothy grin as his heart thrummed at such an honest answer.

'A lot to unpack there, but his taste in woman… IS ACCEPTABLE!'

Hazel meanwhile glared at Yuta quizzically, eyeing the boy up and down with a breathy gait, "What did you do…" Hazel muttered as the sweat coming from his forehead was quickly evaporated by the heat of his body, exhaustion in his bones and heatstroke on his mind.

"It's called fuck around and find out," Todo said as he grabbed his tore off his tattered shirt with the pride of a warrior taking off his cloak as he showed off what he had. "You should have killed him before he got interesting, but then again, that would have spoiled the fun."

Hazel huffed in frustration, pulling out two more crystals from his pocket, in orange and white, fire and steam, jabbing them in the arm that he had decided he didn't need for the next few months with how he was treating it, turning it to plasma, a painful thing for anybody not named Hazel. The blood starting to leak from his nose at least told him that, regardless of anything else, he was truly damaged, the wounds he had healing less and less as the Dust he had flowing through him only compounded his injuries, and it seemed he was simply getting tired as well, his mind slowly being impacted by the repeated trauma if only in how draining it was.

"That was the attack that managed to sever Rika's arm…" Yuta muttered in cold anger, looking like a baboon about to tear apart a leopard in a rage. Todo nodded as he took this new information in; he had to be cautious around an attack that had severed a Special Grade Curse's arm, a thing supposedly stronger than Atlas's best mechs.

Well, it was time for his 530,000 IQ brain to work out a plan.

Hazel Rainart wasn't a particularly amazing individual in terms of fighting ability, even if his experience and power were greater than his, Todo believed that he could win a 1v1 combat against him thanks to his greater speed and Boogie Woogie, alongside the simple fact that normally jamming Dust crystals into your body did terrible things for your health. However, not being able to feel pain provided a wrinkle; his Aura didn't deplete as rapidly as others, and while he may hurt he just walked through it all. Numbing Agent by itself wasn't all that dangerous; if used incorrectly, it could even turn him into a reckless fool who would rush into death. But Hazel wasn't a fool, not by a long shot.

And then there were his impromptu weapons; so far, he had used 3 types of Dust. Electric was the least dangerous, as while its stunning effect and the speed it granted proved a danger, Todo had gotten used to it, doing what he could to redirect its current away from him.

Fire Dust however was a completely different story and a whole new level of danger, as testified by Todo's burnt knuckles. It didn't provide Hazel with the speed advantage that Electric Dust did, but it didn't matter when his body temperature rose to flaming levels of hotness that made fighting him the usual way worthless; he sometimes wondered why he hadn't gotten at least a gun of some sort, it would have saved him the annoying burning in his hands.

Then there's that plasma attack using a combination of both Fire and Steam Dust, which can cut through even the toughest defenses and generally just seemed like a horrible idea to deal with. Though It seemed to be quite a bit more than Hazel could handle as his flesh vaporized from the violent reaction…

Yuta can hit him with his katana, so he has a way to pass the burning shield, which meant that Todo needed a weapon as well.

He grinned, knowing well what he needed. He grabbed a pebble and clapped his hands. Yuta eyed him with suspicion and awe.

"A-Are you sure about that, Todo?" Yuta asked as he watched Todo's weapon of choice, a great choice for ceviche or felling trees, perhaps not so much for fighting against berserking giants.

A monkfish.

Or more like an improvised mace would be a better description. Sure, he could have picked a butcher's knife or something otherwise sharp and stabby, but Yuta was already in charge to filet with his katana; he needed a blunt weapon to tenderize their prey.

And as chefs of Boogie Woogie, they needed the proper tools to cook well. "Trust me on this one," Todo said as he let out a pleased grin. He clenched the tail of the monkfish and began swinging it around until he was used to the strange aerodynamics of, well, a fish and was soon holding it with aplomb, reinforcing it with Curse Energy that made the bones hard and the fins sharp as any blade.

Hazel charged at them with a war cry, his flaming steps leaving charred prints as he ran. Todo focused his gaze and began swinging his weapon, wanting to make sure he had momentum regardless of what was about to happen.

"Alright Okkotsu, it's time to finish this with a…"

They met his charge with their own, Todo picking two pebbles from the ground and throwing one forward. He changed the angle of the other pebble and threw it in a way that it circled towards Hazel's back, where Todo couldn't see it, a great risk considering the need to see inherent in Boogie Woogie. Todo couldn't switch with the pebble that was on Hazel's back…but Yuta could.

"DOUBLE—"

Hazel swung his plasma fist in anticipation to the front pebble, ready to predict the switch that he had gotten used to…and not the one he didn't even know was possible.

They clapped and Boogie Woogie did its thing as Yuta switched places with the pebble on the back, leaving Todo to still keep on to Hazel's alarm as he realized exactly what was happening, and too late; Todo and Yuta were already surrounding Hazel in a pincer formation, both of their weapons swinging.

"BOOGIE WOOGIE!"

Hazel didn't have time to react as Todo hit him with a damned monkfish straight to his face. At the same time, Yuta hit him with his katana straight on the back, and while Hazel's Aura took most of the damage, he was left reeling and open for more punishment.

They clapped their hands again and again, switching places back and forth, further disorienting Hazel as the real boon of the technique made itself known. If one Boogie Woogie user was disorienting enough to throw people off guard, two of them would get them a free ticket to the asylum as they screamed about the clapping to a volleyball named Wilson.

Both sorcerers hit the giant again, and again, their blows not stopping and their switches never faltering. Between hits, switches, and fake outs, it wouldn't be long enough for Hazel's Aura shield to break under the barrage, not to mention the burning arm eating up his Aura like a free buffet.

As they kept their assault, Todo couldn't help but let out a blissful grin. It's been a while since he has shared the art of jumping with someone, the last one being his teacher on some wretched Curses that had popped up out of one bad accident too many.

Hazel's Aura flickered more and more, darkened blue now, a sign that it wouldn't take long now, though desperation bred a danger all its own as proven when Hazel weathered through a kick from Todo and lunged at Yuta, grabbing the boy's arm and slamming him into the ground, the boy burning all the while and coughing out blood like a spigot, too out of it to keep up with this great beatdown.

Todo couldn't help the pitying glance, though laced with understanding now over simple disgust. Yuta was still sloppy, yet he'd improved plenty enough even now, and hopefully in time would truly live up to his classification.

Hazel's burning orange eyes glared at Todo, huffing out long and deep like a dragon, before the former raised his fist and threw a fireball at him. Todo let out a confident smirk and raised his hands to clap again, switching positions with Hazel himself to dodge the fireball

Yet Todo's eyes widened at what he saw next; Hazel punched his way through the fireball, shattering his Aura, and with it any way to contain the plasma that now burned faster and brighter, likely to end in the complete loss of the limb at this rate. Pain may not be an issue, but the twitching and spamming made clear his body was at its limits and that shock was almost here, but that meant it would all come down to this exchange.

He raised his arms to take it head on…and then he started thinking.

—Todo's Imagination—

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

Standing in a large, well-lit and well-stocked classroom, Todo Aoi stood firmly as he took in the scenery of his favorite school. He broke in panic as he turned to the voice that addressed him like he was a first-class buffoon.

It was the most beautiful girl in the world, the Mistrali idol known as Takada, and his crush ever since they both enrolled in the same school.

"That plasma attack was the one that hurt the Special Grade curse of Okkotsu, wasn't it? What do you think will happen if you tried to hide behind your arms like a little kid scared of the Grimm under his bed" Takada pointed out as she eyed him quizzically.

Todo pondered her question a little; what was he thinking in doing something like that?

Instant death would be the only end.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Takada said as she let out a knowing smile, as expected from an enlightened person like her. "So, what are you going to do? You have no time to dodge, but you can use something else to block…"

Todou let out a smirk, knowing well what he had to do now.

"Thank you, Takada… would you like to go on a date with me after I finish?"

The idol let out an innocent smile that lessened the sting just a touch, "Sorry, but I'm just not that interested right now."

—This flashback happened in 0.1 seconds in the mind of a great genius—

Back in reality, in a land without constant school days rejection and nostalgia, Todo narrowed his eyes and used the monkfish to block the incoming attack. The fish got pierced and burned easily-he'd like a nice grilled fish about now with tortillas, limes, and salsa-but it gave him enough time to duck into a perfect angle.

He could see them, the source of Hazel's defeat.

He clasped both of his hands in harmony and prayed silently, both for fortune and forgiveness.

And he delivered the strongest kick he'd ever unleashed…straight into Hazel's gonads.

While pain was again technically not an issue, the sheer shock of a kick heard 'round the world was something that Hazel couldn't ignore, not on top of the melting lump of flesh and charred bone that was his arm, and not without the shielding and healing of Aura. He looked simply stunned, eyes blank and mouth drooling as his body was trying to understand what to do with a system that was literally on fire.

It was a joyous sight to see from such a humorless man.

"It's not over, not yet…"

Todo let out a surprise gasp when he heard another clap and switched positions with Yuta, the rookie bleeding rivers from a bad cut on his face, but just as livid as before as he shoved his sword into Hazel's guts, swiftly removing the blade and swiping away the blossoming viscera that Hazel's body couldn't handle anymore.

The giant vomited blood as he finally collapsed, body smoking as the Dust crystals fell out empty. His right arm was now dead black over the blazing azure of before, his bones charred forever. Aura alone wouldn't even begin to save the arm, and any healing the lovable doctor of Jujutsu High would alone just keep the body alive. Hazel agreed it seemed, using whatever energy he could still muster to sever what was left of his arm, only furthering the shock in his body even if he still didn't technically feel the agony of it all, but that didn't matter when his body and mind were shutting down.

Hazel made his bet, and he was utterly atrocious about the cost.

Yuta approached him slowly, clenching the handle of his blade tightly as he breathed steady, his death glare never leaving Hazel.

"I don't know what you're planning to do with Rika's arm, but I won't let you take it as a trophy…" he said darkly as he placed his blade on Hazel's throat. "Give me the box."

Hazel, despite his state of distress, didn't flinch at the threat, letting out a mirthless and raspy chuckle instead at what he apparently saw as just some kid threatening daddy with a butter knife. Todo raised a brow at his disregard; after all this, did he really think Yuta wouldn't gut him? The rookie wasn't exactly feral, but Todo knew he was not going to lose much sleep doing what needed to be done, especially when it came to his loved ones. It was a madness of its own, and Todo loved it.

"No, I don't…I don't think I will." Was all that Hazel managed to say.

Yuta scowled and moved his blade above his head, ready to behead the brute like a samurai of old, ready to strike him down like a samurai of old, but something wasn't sitting right in his gut. The whole point was to capture something of Rika's, so why was he acting so defiantly when it would cost him everything?

Something was wrong, and he was proven right when a roaring engine startled the pair. They saw a silver van coming in from where Toge and Nanami had fought, barreling at full speed and with Tyrian Callows in shotgun, throwing something at them. A loud metallic clink echoed throughout the market, and Todo's eyes widened the moment he saw a peculiar glowing blue metal sphere roll right towards Yuta's feet. "GRENADE!" Todo let out a scream as he quickly prepared his technique to move it out of the way.

Yuta panicked as he instinctively kicked the strange device away, only for it to blow up the moment he made contact, the shockwave pushing him away from Hazel, Todo left clicking his teeth as it happened.

Then another clink came, another grenade thrown out by the van, one that Todo was at least ready for…if it weren't for them switching to a flashbang that focused on making his eyes see nothing but white and his ears ring the most annoying sound as he tried to keep from hurling or falling over, a fate Yuta was also sharing; not at all his day it seemed.

When his vision started to clear a little, he could see the blurry figure of Callows who came and grabbed Hazel in his arms, throwing the giant in the back of the van and scurrying back in as Todo saw blood coming out of Tyrian's… ass? No, the spot where his tail used to be. 'Huh…Nanami fucked him up something fierce. It's always the quiet ones you gotta worry about.' Todo thought as he absentmindedly watched the van driving away at full speed.

'I wonder if I should stop the van. I think I should, but I feel kinda tired. Maybe if I play one of Takada's songs I could-"

"TODO!" he heard a familiar voice shouting at him, Nanami he thought. The salaryman was being dragged around by Inumaki, who himself had seen better days especially in the facial area.

"STOP THE VAN!"

Todo shook his head to get out of the disorientation, preparing Boogie Woogie to crash the van with a sudden change of direction. Unfortunately, they had just the preparation for this even if it likely wasn't the plan-though Todo wouldn't count it out-in the form of an invisibility cloak, one that came too fast and blended in to well for Todo to actually see. Might as well have come out of an Atleasian spy flick; he half-expected to get peppered by machine gun fire or hear it takeoff and soar through the sky.

Nanami had caught up to him, but his pace had died down, his face red with exhaustion, muscles twitching, skin glistening with sweat. Hell, Todo swore he heard the usually stoic man wheeze; no doubt he'd been stung. Toge stood beside him, giving Todo a good look at the drying tears in his skin, though he otherwise seemed functional compared with the supposed mentor.

Yuta let out a groan as he raised himself from the ground, head in hand as he was shaking off what felt like a bachelor party hangover. "Ugh, what happened?", he asked

"They… got away," Nanami said with a bit of frustration in his voice and utter tiredness in his body.

Yuta let out a frustrated sigh, banging a fist in his thigh, though to keep the limb from giving out or punishment none could say, "Sorry, it was my fault… if I had seen that grenade beforehand, I would've been able to stop them."

The curtain around them began to fade as Nanami's Curse Energy had depleted, the forcefield around them fading not soon after.

And immediately, they could feel a change in the air and see exactly what had been happening outside.

Todo's eyes sharpened as he stared at a marching platoon of Atlesian troops coming in armed to the teeth. Okkotsu let out a yelp and placed his hands in the air as soon as the soldiers raised their guns, a far cry from the merciless attitude he showed towards Hazel.

"Hands up! Don't move!" One of the soldiers demanded, his gun aiming right at Todo's face. Todo and the other Sorcerers wisely joined Yuta. It irked him to surrender himself to cops and soldiers, but it wasn't a good idea to antagonize Atlas, or else he would put his teacher Utahime on chopping block with the higher-ups…and the rest of the school, now that he thought about. Gojo really was the only reason why worse hadn't been done; food for thought.

'Another arrest, another fine I gotta pay…' Todo let out a sigh. Now he won't be able to pay the ticket for Takada's next show.

This was probably the worst day of his life.

However, before his day could get any worse, the soldiers began to make space for another figure to pass; a woman with neat white hair and icy blue eyes walked towards them watching them with a cold, analytical glare, and Todo dog that he was couldn't help but feel impressed at her. A strong woman with a great height and a nice figure; a little more balanced out than he'd perhaps like, but perfect was the enemy of good.

"Stand down, these are not the criminals we are looking for," she ordered, disappointment clear in her voice.

"Specialist Schnee?"

Schnee? An Atlesian Specialist that had the name of Schnee; this was Winter Schnee, no two ways about it.

"These are Sorcerers from Jujutsu High, Grade 1 Todo Aoi and Nanami Kento, and Grade 2 Inumaki Toge—and Special Grade Okkotsu Yuta," Winter explained to her troops as Todo could feel the worry in her voice. She narrowed her eyes on the soldier, the apparent NCO here, "Secure the perimeter and search for any traces of Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart. They shouldn't have gone far, understood?"

The soldier straightened himself at her harsh tone and let out a salute, "Y-Yes ma'am!"

As the soldiers mobilized, Winter set her icy glare towards Yuta, an unbridled fear masquerading as anger in her Aura. The Special Grade whimpered as he felt smaller with each passing second, though it warmed considerably once she saw Nanami.

"Nanami," she said, her tone cordial. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Miss Schnee," Nanami said as he bowed his head a little. He tried to stand up to greet her properly, but his legs were trembling at this point. Winter raised her hand and waved a sign.

"Lieutenant Amin, call the medical team right now, these people are in need of medical attention."

A dark skinned dog Faunus with black hair strode beside her and nodded. "Understood!" Amin followed as he pulled out a tablet and started pressing commands Todo couldn't begin understanding.

Winter closed her eyes and took a deep breath as he approached Yuta, the harshness back in her gaze that made Todo wonder if the medics would be needing to do a bit more than expected.

"I'll be frank here, Okkotsu, you have no idea what you did, right?" Winter said, her tone somewhat more neutral than expected.

"W-What do you mean?" Yuta stuttered from the pressure.

Winter raised her eyebrow, "When you let Orimoto Rika out, you released an immeasurable quantity of Curse Energy with its closest equivalent three of Sukuna's fingers." She said as she sent a scolding gaze towards him. "It could be felt even with a curtain up, in what head of yours did you think that was a good idea?!"

"I-I didn't want to do it… but there wasn't a choice." Yuta said, looking genuinely distraught. "When I saw that Inumaki was about to get killed, and I couldn't sit by and do nothing… so I let her out."

His gaze met Winter's own, a fire inside of his eyes could be seen.

"I'm sorry that my decision has caused you problems, Specialist Schnee, but I don't regret it, and if I had to do it again, I would, no hesitation."

Toge's gaze softened and Todo nodded approvingly, gaining even more respect for his junior. Anybody willing to risk it all for their comrades deserved that respect; Todo would do it if he had a best friend, or a brother for that matter.

Winter closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh, "…You might be related to Satoru but at the very least you are an actually decent person."

Well…that explained things. It explained why he was able to become a Special Grade as soon as he enrolled; why his Curse Energy reserves were so ridiculously high; and why he was able to keep up with an experienced man like Hazel Rainart with about a month of training.

Even Nanami, the normally stoic salaryman couldn't hide his shock at this revelation, looking like somebody had revealed to him the secret of his favorite bakery.

Okkotsu blinked and tilted his head, clueless about everything like he always was, because of course he was. "Am I really related to Sensei? But I don't look anything like him…" It was the first time that Winter's cold expression broke, looking genuinely confused as she sent an owlish look to Yuta. "Did he ever explain to you about your lineage, about your ancestors?" she asked, her tone curious. He shook his head which made Winter roll her eyes.

"That damned monkey…" she sighed as she rubbed her temples. "We're straying off topic, what you did was still foolish, it could have caused—"

"Specialist Schnee!" The Faunus lieutenant, Amin, shouted, looking panicked as he gazed at the screen of his tablet, Winter frowning at his sudden interruption. "What is it, Lieutenant?" she ordered, her tone harsh.

"W-We, uh, we have a situation…"

Her annoyance turned into a grimace as her anxiety seemed to rise.

"Elaborate."

Amin gulped as he gripped his tablet with fear and looked at the screen with dread. "We have increased Grimm activity coming towards the port… it looks like an army is coming down."

Winter's eyes widened. The normally cool Specialist rushed towards the lieutenant's side and stared at the screen with him. "Look at the drone footage…" Amin said, giving the tablet for her to see properly.

Her stress was apparent as she gripped the tablet to the point that it almost broke. She gritted her teeth and looked at Yuta, who held his arms in surrender as he felt the rage coming out of her, wanting to strangle him in that moment, or wishing he'd just died against Hazel before any of this happened. Winter flipped the tablet, allowing the Sorcerers to see what had the soldiers riled up.

"This is what leaking all that Cursed Energy caused, Okkotsu…"

What could be seen on the screen was the stuff of horror movie or a epic movie's darkest hour. A swarm of Lancers that practically blotted the sky in black and white, alone a serious threat just in size alone. However, that wasn't what concerned them the most. As the Lancers made their move, a slower, yet much larger creature could be seen trailing behind them, an enormous serpentine body with great glowing green wings, stubby clawed arms, a metal-scaled underbelly, and its spine had glowing green spikes protruding from it. Its large skull was covered in metal.

It was a derivative species of the Sea Feilong… and the most dangerous variant of them all. Believed to be Doctor Merlot's Magnum Opus, this mutated creature was believed to have been lost in history, until today.

It seems that no matter where they are, Sorcerers always end up stirring trouble for the common folk.

---

Yes, it's been a while, and as an apology, here's an extended chapter for you folks to read. I hope that you like it!

I took too much time writing this chapter because I realized how broken is my English, so I had to get a beta to help me fix that, and I got him! I couldn't do anything without Obsidion's help, so I'll be sure to give him credit in all of my chapters. You can talk to him and me in SpaceBattles if you have any questions.

Of course, you can leave a review here and I'll be sure to answer!

We are in the final stretch of this arc before we get to Yuji. Now that Yuta has access to Copy, it's only a matter of time before the climax of this arc takes place. Be ready for it!

Until next.