A lone businessman sauntered through the busy street of Tokyo at night. A suitcase in his hand, the long hours of nonstop work taking a toll on his complexion and deeply sullen gaze as he drifted through the crowd who paid him no heed. The sickly man was unaware of a predator stalking him from behind. A man of blue hair, stitches across his face, neck, and limbs. He walked through the crowd with ease, not a single person paying him and his strange appearance any mind.
The stitched curse Mahito watched as the businessman entered an alleyway, and he followed right after him. They grew further away from the crowd, the alley completely vacant from anyone but themselves. Smiling, Mahito extended his hand out for the businessman, and grasped his shoulder.
His smile dropped when he did so, however. He lifted his hand back as he observed the businessman continue its saunter. The suited man didn't even notice Mahito's touch, appearing to aimlessly wander, not even lifting his eyes for what's ahead of him.
Mahito sighed and placed his hand against the businessman's back. His curse ability took effect, and the man's figure was morphed.
There wasn't even a scream that came out of the businessman. He simply attempted to keep walking, even as his legs shrunk, his knees popped inward and snapped. His shoulders and limbs contorting as the businessman transformed into a twisted version of himself. The suitcase fell from his mangled fingers, and popped open upon hitting the ground, revealing nothing inside. The businessman's head morphed as well, his complexion seemingly drained further of his color, before his flesh completely fell apart. His distorted form collapsed into himself, his limbs and body crumbled, and what remained was ashes.
"Another undead," Mahito said in disappointment. Let down by yet another failed catch for his transfigured soul collection, the curse simply turned back for the exit, leaving the ash pile and the empty suitcase behind him. "This is starting to get annoying."
"It's been such a hassle trying to find someone who doesn't just fall apart all over you," Mahito voiced his clear exasperation, as if he was filing a complaint to the vampire in front of him. He grasped his hips and continued with his displeasure. "Dead souls don't hold together for long. Do you think you can hunt humans elsewhere?"
The vampire girl looked visibly taken aback, unsure how to respond towards this affront confrontation. "H-huh? Elsewhere?"
The girl acted surprisingly dainty. A shy sort of individual, despite the evident beast that she was from the murder scene she calmly surrounded herself in. Cleaning her fingers of all her victims' blood, her eyes examined the curse. "You don't look human, and you're not even afraid of me right now..."
Could he be another killer like me? Satsuki wondered. Of course, with how this man approached her and not once seemed to show any care for the deceased and blood all around them, he couldn't be anything else but a fellow murderer. And yet there was a flippancy in his voice that rubbed Satsuki the wrong way. Not someone who was forced into his position as a blood-craven murderer like she was, but that he never had that sort of dilemma to begin with.
"But you don't look like a vampire either. Hmm. I don't really get it, but if you're hunting like I am, am I on your territory or something?" Satsuki asked.
"It's not really a territorial thing. I'm just saying you shouldn't leave your 'leftovers' to wander every night," Mahito said. "They have a tendency to get in the way of my work, especially when they attack other people I was after."
And then those people ended up getting infected, turning into more dead souls, and Mahito had to search for new ones all over again.
"Oh. I'm kind of experimenting on something though. I guess some do end up getting back up after I leave. But it's not really my problem where they go," Satsuki apathetically expressed in a light-tone. "Besides, although you don't look human, you're not really in charge of me. And since you're not, well..."
The redness of her eyes brightened. A glow that instantly sends shivers down to the observing Junpei's back. It was the gaze of an animalistic predator, assessing her next potential meal. "I don't have to listen to you, if I don't want to, right?"
"That's fine with me," Mahito accepted with a shrug, unfazed by the glow of her eyes. He grasped and rolled his shoulder, stretching his arm. "I'll just have to teach you some manners then."
"In that case, is your friend going to try to take me by surprise while you fight me head on?"
"Eh? Friend?"
Junpei flinched when he heard this, and the stitched man turned before the boy would duck and hide again - not that it mattered since the vampire girl could clearly smell him behind the dumpster.
"..."
"..."
Junpei practically froze when the curse stared at him befuddled. The vampire girl looked on in wonder, perhaps reconsidering her assumption upon seeing Mahito's surprised look.
"U-um," Junpei raised his hand in surrendering, an awkward smile on him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Huh," Mahito side-stepped away from the vampire, noting Junpei's eyes following him, "You can see me?"
"Are you guys not together?" Satsuki asked, wiping off the blood from her mouth with the side of her hand. Perhaps she was a little effected by the curse's words, but she would also think it's rude to face someone with a messy look.
"No. I don't think... actually, weren't you at that movie theater I just left?" Mahito asked.
"Uh, yeah..." Junpei rubbed the back of his head, "I wanted to ask if you were the one who changed those guys back there, but..."
Seeing all the dead bodies on the grimy floor, Junpei waved his hands urgently, "I-it's fine. You're clearly busy right now..."
Like a robot, Junpei mechanically turned around for the back-alley exit, "So, I'll just be on my way-"
"Hey hey now!" In an instant, Mahito wrapped his arm around Junpei's shoulders and brought the surprised boy close to his chest, "There's no need to leave so suddenly. Not since you clearly wanted to talk to me."
"Mm. I'll have to agree with him," Satsuki said, causing the boy to jolt when she was suddenly by his side as well. "It's also rude to just up and leave after eavesdropping on someone else's conversation."
As if the threat of death had not been spoken by either party who were just about to kill each other, the curse and vampire nodded their heads in synch, repeatedly stating "That's right. That's right!". It was almost as if they were teasing Junpei, these two obviously dangerous killers who just a moment ago had their way with their victims, corpses that haven't even gotten cold yet. Junpei acknowledged the position he's in and simply accepted his fate, lowering his head.
"I... didn't mean to eavesdrop," Junpei said, almost apologetically before raising his eyes to the vampire girl, "But, what I heard just now, is it true?"
Satsuki looked at Junpei in wonder as the boy asked his question. "Are you the one behind all the murders?"
"Yeah. I am," Satsuki answered without hesitation, her face that smelled of fresh blood drew closer to Junpei who slightly winced at the scent. "You don't seem that scared of me either, even though you're definitely human. Aren't you the least bit worried about your life?"
"I'm wondering the same thing," Mahito asked, lowering his head to Junpei with a curious look of his own. "You came after me even though you saw what happened to those other guys at the theater. Were they your friends or something?"
Junpei stiffened. Friends? Those animals? After the abuse they put him through? With teachers who just turn away while his face was getting scalded, and insects were being shoved into his mouth. Those people, his friends?
Satsuki looked surprised at the visible anger evident in the popped vein on Junpei's temple. Mahito remained calmly watchful as the boy clenched the bottom of his own white shirt.
"...Can I do the same thing you guys do?"
"Huh?"
Mahito and Satsuki blinked at the boy. They then exchanged a slow glance towards each other, and their face drew even closer to Junpei. Junpei flinched at their proximity, a little embarrassed, like he was being scrutinized as some kind of strange creature. Their breath of corpse and iron somewhat made his stomach turn as he debated who should he looked into the eyes of.
"You... want to do what we do?" Satsuki asked slowly, ensuring if she heard it right. "Do you want to become a vampire? Or be like... what are you anyway?"
"I'm a cursed spirit," Mahito answered.
"Ah. Right. I guess that sort of thing exists too." Satsuki pulled back and fidgeted with her hands. "This is... kind of new for me. No one's ever asked me to turn them into a vampire. Well, I never stopped to ask them in the first place. Um, let's see, how should I...?"
The vampire seemed trouble, unsure how to respond to this situation. The redness in her cheeks not by the bloodstain, but supposedly her own sheepish nature as she seemed completely confounded in what to do.
Junpei and Mahito witnessed this odd spectacle, and both had the same thoughts. This is the serial killer everyone's afraid of?
"Hmm..." Mahito grabbed his chin as he looked up at the sky in thought. "I don't really see a reason not to. What do you think, miss vampire?"
"A-ah! Well..." Satsuki pondered, grasping her arm shyly. "I haven't really... perfected turning others into vampires yet."
"Huh? What about those undead I've been coming across?"
"Those were just 'dead people', not vampires. If I have to give it a name, I'd say they're like mosquitos trying to find their next food source. I haven't gotten used to my powers yet, so they just act without me telling them to."
"Oh. I see," Mahito removed his arm from Junpei's shoulders and suddenly swung it back. "So you're not just trying to take me by surprise then?"
His palm pressed against the body whose feet he'd been hearing shuffle closer to him. The deceased male whom Satsuki had just released let out an inhuman sound that begged for blood. Junpei was startled and he jumped to Satsuki's side, and together, they watched as the risen dead's body morphed. It twisted and shrunk, but just as it got onto its four limbs, its flesh began to peel off and chip away, and then the snapping bones of its skeleton crumbled. The dead simply ceased to be as it fell apart into ashes.
Junpei held back his shriek, while at the same time, he was entranced by the unnatural show of the dead's body being mangled like that. Like watching a car wreck, he can't look away. He felt himself shivered as he watched the shriveled dead fall apart, barely able to suffer its second wind of 'life' before it finally and utterly dies.
"Ohhh," Satsuki looked just as intrigued, if a bit disturbed. "You really are a killer like me. I've never seen anything like that before."
"It's called a cursed technique," Mahito explained, kicking away the ashes from his feet. "The results aren't usually like this though. I can change the shape of other people's souls, but since these guys are already dead, there's barely anything left to shape with."
"A cursed technique..." Junpei muttered, and steeling his heart, he asked more affirmatively. "Please, teach me how to do that too!"
Mahito gazed into the sparkling eyes of the clearly disturbed boy, both emotionally and mentally at the sight of Mahito's powers. The fact that this kid isn't even trembling at the acknowledgement that he was standing right next to the infamous 'Modern Day Vampire' of his city, he clearly wasn't right in the head. Though to see Junpei's eyes be full of hope, wanting to be something more, something beyond his own human capabilities, and trusting Mahito and the girl to be that solution to his problems.
Mahito will admit, he kind of wanted to see what it'll look like if he crushed that light in Junpei's eyes.
With a smile, Mahito answered, "You're a pretty weird kid. Okay then. I guess I can teach you a few things."
He then looked over to the vampire girl, "What about you? You want to learn something too?"
"Eh? M-Me?" Satsuki pointed at herself. "W-What makes you think that-"
"You said it yourself. You're not used to your powers. With how obvious your killings have been, you can't really control yourself, can you?"
"Ah-!" Satsuki yelped, realizing her slip up. Not very savvy for a killer like her, although she is trying to be.
"I was a little interested to fight you, but now I'm just interested to know how you work," Mahito said as he approached the teens, leaning forward a little to gauge them closely, though Satsuki took caution and stepped back. Her red eyes narrowing slightly, ready to bring out her claws and teeth.
"Just by looking at you..." He grinned an innocent expression. The curse appearing so kind as he said, "You're barely holding yourself together too. Just like those undead."
Satsuki flinched, and as if triggering something inside her, she felt a violent shake inside her stomach and she suddenly hunched over, her hands clutching her throat.
"Huh-?" Junpei could only say and hopped back when Satsuki suddenly vomited blood. She choked and wheezed, a stream of other people's blood pouring through her teeth. Her entire body trembled, as if she was in the middle of a freezing winter. She barely was able to keep herself standing.
Mahito was unfazed by her unstable state, one hand grasping at his hip, "Hm. It looks like you might have taken in too much blood."
Satsuki shook her head, as if to say 'that's not it' to the curse. The cursed spirit hummed curiously, crouching while gripping his chin as he observed her inexplicable suffering. "No? Then..."
"U-Um, are you okay?" Junpei immediately regretted asking, since it's so obvious that the girl wasn't. He suddenly heard voices coming from the other end of the alleyway. "Someone's coming-!"
Oh this definitely wasn't good. Junpei looked over to the injured girl who stopped her vomiting and was breathing heavily. He then looked over the bodies on the floor. This seriously wasn't good! With how hurt the girl looked, and anyone else other than Junpei unable to see the cursed spirit, then this scene would make anyone think that Junpei's the culprit! As if he could take on four people by himself! (Though hardly anyone would believe this dainty girl to be the killer anyway).
Mahito, reading the panic in Junpei's expression, looked around the alleyway and found an open sewer hole just beyond the dead bodies. That must be where the vampire girl crawled out from. He did hear that vampires try to avoid the sun for their own survival. This alleyway certainly was dark enough with the buildings blocking any direct sunlight. He's surprised he hadn't stumbled upon the girl sooner.
"Follow me," the curse called the two teens calmly. "We should get out of here quick."
Junpei spotted where Mahito was looking at and he looked back at the girl. Although he hesitated, he swallowed down his fears and grasped the girl by the shoulders. She flinched at his touch, but sensing no hostility, she remained hunched over as he gently ushered her to move.
"Come on. This way."
Seeing the predicament she was in, Satsuki only nodded at Junpei's words, and followed after the leading curse and boy.
"Can you see it? The trail of cursed energy in front of you?"
"...Nah. I can't see it at all." Yuuji answered honestly, not even as he held up both hands as his binoculars to look at whatever Nanami was referring to.
"That's because you're not trying to see it. Usually, we can confirm curses by sight. It's second nature to us," the First-Grade Sorcerer, Kento Nanami explained. "When you exercise technique, you leave traces behind. However, they're faint compared to things like cursed spirits. Please strain your eyes and look again."
Yuuji did as he was told. He put pressure underneath his brows, squinting at the floor in front of them. "Oooh! I can see it now!"
Remnants of cursed energy lay like footprints across the floor, leading towards the roof top.
"Of course. An independent man must be able to realize a curse's presence before seeing it," Nanami said, as if it was to be expected and hardly worth anything celebratory.
"You know, it would be nice if you could give me a little praise or something..." Yuuji gritted through his teeth, annoyed by the apathy. Hadn't this guy heard about positive reinforcements?
"I neither praise nor speak ill of people. I conform to the truth and judge by that. That is the way I am." With that, the first-grade sorcerer went first.
Satoru Gojo had placed Yuuji under Nanami's tutorship while the Special-Grade Sorcerer had to leave yet again for another assignment. It was the first time Yuuji had ever met with a grade one sorcerer, and he was nothing like what Yuuji expected. Nanami had been a salaryman before he was officially a sorcerer, and unlike Gojo, Nanami was curt. The blonde man hardly looked like he had ever laughed a single day in his life. He also wore strange round sunglasses, and Yuuji wondered if there was significance to sorcerers covering their eyes, or if it was just a fashion choice.
Yuuji didn't know what to think of Nanami at first, and then the grade one sorcerer told him everything he needed to know about the man, all by giving a simple statement that the grown up himself took as a simple fact.
"Sorcerers are shit."
Yeah, Yuuji could already tell that they're not going to see eye to eye. It especially became obvious when Nanami straight up said that he didn't acknowledge nor approve Yuuji as a sorcerer, reminding the teen of Ciel's harsh words for him to quit. (Damn, he really wished he could visit and have some of those tea cakes again).
But that was fine. Yuuji was more than happy to prove himself, and asking only for a little bit of time, he'll get the man's approval yet. Of course, when he said so, Nanami told him to save the speech for the higher-ups, since the man himself didn't really care. Geez, he must be fun at parties.
After Gojo left, as part of Yuuji's training, he and Nanami arrived at a movie theater where a crime was committed by a curse. Teenagers whose skulls had been distorted into something that looked straight out of an alien-horror movie, looking to have been killed during the process. Yuuji and Nanami are here to investigate the cause and exorcise the curses that could have done this.
"Nothing appeared on the surveillance camera, right?" Yuuji asked.
"Yes. Curses don't show up in films, so a human couldn't have done this. There was only one other boy who left the same theater the other victims were. Although I have my doubts that he could be the culprit, finding that boy could provide us some useful information. However..."
They walked up the stairs as they talked, heading close to a door that led to the roof. "I am wondering if the double-murders that were discovered nearby had any relations to what happened here."
Yuuji grimaced, his mind wandering back to the hellscape of that detention center. "You mean the vampire murders..."
It had only been several hours since the killings were reported. First the murders that were discovered in a back alleyway by the locals, and then here in the movie theater, where the distorted bodies of those unfortunate teens were founded by the janitor.
"While I don't believe the killer of both cases is the same person," Nanami said, taking note of the expression in Yuuji's face before he reached for the doorknob, having heard of the incident that happened at the detention center. "Should a vampire actually be involved, we should-"
Opening the door, they stepped outside. The weather was dreary today, full of dark clouds that looked to be ready to spill rain any moment. In the middle of the roof, a four-legged, horse-like curse stood there.
"Be...be...bento..."
Yuuji was immediately on the defensive when the curse's eyes landed on them. Nanami outstretched his hand for Yuuji, "Stop. I'll clean this one up. You take care of that other curse over there."
Yuuji flinched when 'another curse' was mentioned, and he felt his curse sensory warn him. Swiftly turning to the side of the entrance, a round-like curse poked its head out from the corner of the wall, muttering hauntingly, "Goood. Detergent."
Nanami began his approach towards the horse curse. "If you think you can't handle it, call for help."
"Don't you think you're looking down on me too much?" Yuuji asked as he had his eyes on the pretty simple-looking curse. No way did this "first-grade" sorcerer think Yuuji's that weak.
"It's not a matter of me looking down on you. I'm an adult and you're a child. I have a duty to prioritize you over myself."
That actually ticked Yuuji off more as the teen retorted, "I'd rather you look down on me than treat me like a kid."
Nanami adjusted his glasses before unbuttoning his suit, "You've escaped death many times. But that doesn't mean you've become an adult. When you find your hair falling out. Or the convenience store running out of your favorite stuffed bread."
From underneath his suit, Nanami pulled out a wrapped, cursed hatchet. "The accumulation of those little despairs, that's what makes people adults."
The fight against the two curses proceeded with Nanami giving lectures on his cursed technique. His ability was to forcibly produce a weak point in whatever opponent he is faced with. It is especially effective against high grade curses, even those stronger than himself. Yuuji, however, didn't realize he was supposed to be listening to Nanami's lecture, as he was too busy facing against the curse who was more troublesome than he realized.
"I-is it safe to just talk about your techniques like that?" Yuuji asked. Wouldn't their opponent be able to use the information against them?
"It's okay to reveal your techniques to your opponents. It especially works well to mislead them. But should you reveal the details of your technique, following the "contract" of "showing one's cards", it raises the effectiveness of the technique as well."
Nanami swung his hatchet to his side, "Like so."
He saw the weak points in his curse opponent and made work in slicing through its limbs. The curse collapsed upon losing its support, completely immobilized.
"I've finished. Now it's your turn," Nanami informed as he swung his hatchet, removing the bloodstains from this motion.
"Amazing," Yuuji couldn't help but admire, especially since Nanami's sword was wrapped, and he was certain that the man used the back of his blade. He noticed the presence of the other curse close in on him and he jumped to the side. Avoiding getting himself smashed into the concrete floor.
"Don't get distracted," Nanami helpfully instructed.
"Well, you keep talking to me!" Yuuji angrily answered before putting his attention back on the curse.
"Inexcusable. I want you to fight and listen as you fight. You'll be faced with various obstacles and battles that could impede your senses and focus. One wrong move, and you're finished."
Yuuji takes a deep breath as he faced the snake-like curse. Channeling his negative emotions into his fists, cursed energy emitted from them. The curse humanoid snake drew close, and Yuuji moved in quick, landing the first blow into the curse's heart.
He then backed off, avoiding the curse's slash at his head. The curse was momentarily stunned by the raw impact of Yuuji's punch, but he made a quick recovery as it moved in for another assault.
And then his chest exploded. Blood spurted out, shocking the curse of this sudden trauma in its body. It had a taste of Yuuji's Divergent Fist.
The output of Yuuji's cursed energy had an unusual habit of arriving late. Yet with Yuuji's raw strength alone, it was enough to deliver a good injury to the curse's body, and an even stronger damage upon the cursed energy's arrival. In other words, it was as if Yuuji was punching the curse twice in one blow, the second impact stronger than the last.
Nanami could see the potential in refining this power. It could even be worthwhile against opponents who aren't expecting that aftershock. The man will admit, there is a gem to be polished in Yuuji's ability. But nevertheless, the boy was still just a boy, and he hated how the school would allow someone as young as Yuuji to take up the sorcery business.
Seeing that the curse was done and leaving Yuuji to finish it, Nanami returned his attention to the horse-like curse, who was uttering its pain to its own injuries. "Apologies. I will finish you off now."
He approached the curse with his wrapped hatchet in hand. He stopped, however, when he noticed something on the severed arm of the horse-like curse. A watch.
"-!"
Nanami adjusted his glasses as he knelt down to the limb. "This is... no. Could it be-?"
He pulled out his phone and took a quick picture of the curse. Upon seeing the evidence for himself, the harrowing truth was revealed, and he gritted his teeth. The man raised his head to call out to the boy.
"-?!"
His eyes widened. "ITADORI-KUN!"
Yuuji was about to deliver the final blow when he heard Nanami. "W-What?! What is it now-!?"
"Don't!" Nanami held out his hand for Yuuji. "Don't. Move."
Yuuji was surprised to see such severity in Nanami's voice. He could even see that hint of fear in the man's eyes through his glasses. In fact, looking at them a little longer, he realized that Nanami's gaze weren't focused on him.
"...huh?"
A sudden cold, spine-tingling sensation. Something. Something was behind him.
"Listen to me very carefully," Nanami spoke to the petrified young sorcerer with his hand still held out, clutching to his hatchet that he slowly lifted. "Walk this way. Calmly, and don't-"
Yuuji didn't get to finish hearing Nanami's instructions. Despite this instant recognition of fear in Yuuji's chest, the very same fear he felt against that cursed womb in the detention center, his humane curiosity got the better of himself as he turned around.
On top of the rooftop entrance, there was a third beast who finally decided to come out of hiding. How or why neither sorcerer could sense it until now, it was of no importance as they faced under the gaze of that creature. A monster with pale-white skin. Humanoid, but with the head of a spider. Its many red eyes completely focused on the two preys who were in the area. It was silent. Not even saying whatever mundane phrases that curses usually say as a residue of the human thoughts. No. There wasn't anything human about this creature apart from its figure.
Yuuji might have just been imagining it, but he could have sworn someone in the area utter "The fuck is that?" in amusement.
The belly of the spider-like monster splits open, and tendrils emerged from its stomach, their tips splitting open into something reminiscent of fangs. Yuuji prepared himself, fueling his fists with cursed energy. However, he felt a sudden yank by his hood, and he yelped in surprise as he was forced back.
The spider-like monster whipped its tendrils at where Yuuji had stood, and it completely destroyed that spot of the rooftop, breaking through the ceiling completely.
"W...What is that?" Yuuji said as he recovered from the pull by Nanami's grip. "A cursed womb?"
"No. That's no curse."
Yuuji looked to Nanami who looked stone-cold, like he had completely resigned himself to this opponent.
"I have no idea what that thing is."
"...HUH?!" Yuuji couldn't help but shout.
The spider creature crawled down from the entrance, taking note of the living curse Yuuji had defeated. The snake-like curse paled even further upon being faced with the spider-ghoul. "D-De...Detergent...?"
In a flash, its tendrils pierced through the body of the curse, shocking Yuuji at its merciless behavior. "It's not a curse? Then...?!"
Is it an undead? Wait, but Ciel said that undead are supposed to look human. That sure as hell don't look human. In fact, it's super creepy for what it was.
He noticed that Nanami have yet to release his red hood, and he felt the man pick it up further. "We should run."
"Eh-?"
Without another word, Nanami carried Yuuji and dashed away from the rooftop, heading for the edge towards the alley. The spider-ghoul instantly noticed its preys attempt to escape and whipped another of its tendrils at them. Nanami held up his hatchet, managing to strike at the whip, but it had arrived so quickly, it threw off his momentum and ended up pushing them off the roof.
"Tch-!" Nanami felt the bones in his arm creek. If it wasn't for him utilizing his cursed energy to guard just now, he was sure his arm would have been completely smashed through. "Itadori-!"
Itadori reacted quickly as they fell towards the side of the building next to the theater. The teen grabbed onto the stairwell and caught Nanami with his other hand. Stopping their hard fall, they safely dropped into the alley.
"You have my thanks," Nanami said, adjusting his tie. "Now leave. Run and tell the others the situation here."
Yuuji flinched at that abrupt command, and was quick to reject it, "What? No way! Don't you need help fighting that thing?!"
"There's no room for discussion. That monster is unlike anything I have ever seen before. This is no longer training, but an emergency. I need you to sound the alarm to the other sorcerers. Though, do so discreetly, since we are still trying to keep you 'dead' on record."
"I'm not running away," Yuuji declared. He and Nanami heard another sound of what might be the spider-ghoul killing the other curse Nanami had been fighting.
"It's not running away. It's falling back and returning with back up. We also need to evacuate the area so that the creature can be isolated."
Yuuji tried to object once more but Nanami silenced him, adjusting his glasses as he added, "I'm an adult, you are a child. It's far too early for you to throw your life away. Now go. I will not tell you again, nor am I allowing you to fight that monster."
The teen could sense a small swarm of focused cursed energy around the man. The man hadn't been fighting seriously until now, but just gauging how his cursed energy is, and what Yuuji felt against that monster. There's no way Nanami will be able to win by himself. Even if he is experienced, Yuuji had a bad feeling about that monster.
"You haven't proved to me that you are strong yet," Nanami informed Yuuji as he could hear the creepy crawly steps of the spider monster from the rooftop, heading their way. "Do not waste your second chance at life. Go!"
But Yuuji refused to move, clenching his fists as cursed energy swarmed. "I'm not leaving here. It makes no difference whether I'm weak or strong. That monster is gunning for everyone."
Curses. Humans. Strong. Weak. It didn't matter. There was only the hunt for a creature like that. And if Nanami dies here, then other people in the area will be next before Yuuji could get help and have all the civilians evacuated.
They spotted the head of the spider-ghoul overlooking them. The creepiness of its red glare made Yuuji's skin crawl, but he persevered through the terror.
"You said I shouldn't throw my life away, but aren't you doing the same thing? If you're telling me to come back, tell it like you're expecting me to see you alive again!"
"You idiot-!"
The spider-ghoul dropped down into the alley, blocking one of their exits. Their four tendrils slithered all across the walls, as if each of them had a mind of its own.
With their chance to escape completely sealed, Nanami held up his wrapped hatchet ready. "...Alright then. If you can prove yourself by surviving this..."
He tapped into his technique, scrutinizing at the curse and all its tendrils and limbs. "...I'll acknowledge you as a sorcerer."
"Even if that means you'll see me as a shitty one," Yuuji steeled his heart as he faced against the spider monster. "I'll take it."
The bottom half of the spider-ghoul's face splits open, showing its multi-fanged, wicked grin, and it unleashed an unrelenting assault of its tendrils. The tendrils were quick, like gushes of wind than whips. Yuuji braced through the first hit of the first tendril, able to dodge its grasping tip, but the rope of the tendril itself smacked him right against the wall.
Though his back hurt from breaking through stone, he clutched onto the tendril stubbornly. A second tendril attempted to snake its way towards him, until Yuuji grasped tightly of the tendril that had him against the wall and swung it as if in a tug of war, striking the other two tendrils with it and throwing off their course, much to the monster's surprise.
The fourth tendril snaked after Nanami. The first-grade sorcerer weaved and dodged the onslaught of white whips. Their grasping tips that could crush his skull if caught, it slipped over his head and broke through the wall behind him. Nanami acknowledged how inhumanly fast the creature was with its whips, but at this tight space of the alley, its ability to truly utilize them was limited. With the rope of the creature's tendril exposed, Nanami swung his wrapped hatchet for it.
His cursed technique activated, the tendril snapped, blood spurting from the wound unleashed, but it was not cut completely through. The sturdy shielding of this creature's tendrils was incomprehensible, though for it to be cut at all was enough for the monster to acknowledge that Nanami was not a sorcerer to undermined, and it sends another tendril with its fanged tip closed into a spear.
Nanami jumped to the side, barely cutting it close as the lower half of his suit was torn through by the spear-like tendril, and he proceeded. A cut through the head or limbs, that was what Nanami was trying to reach. He'd figured he could deal with the tendrils first, but it's obvious that they're far stronger than any curse or human he's ever faced.
He also suspects that there was some additional conditioning that this creature had undergone that was able to withstand his technique just enough. An adaptability of its own flesh? That certainly wasn't good. It meant that this creature hadn't stopped evolving yet. Nanami did not want to see the end result of this beast's final form, or else they would truly be dead, along with everyone else in this neighborhood.
But at the very least, it seemed cursed energy did deliver a considerable amount of damage. However, just as he thought of this, the tendril he thought he had crippled wrapped itself around his body. "-!"
He quickly guarded his body with cursed energy, feeling the pressure that seemed intended to crush him to death. He observed the wounded tendril regenerate of all the blood it lost, and its carved fleshed closed.
It can heal itself.
This just went from bad to worse.
"Nanami-san!" Yuuji yelled as the captured first grade sorcerer was surrounded by other tendrils, their tips split open as if to eat him alive. Yuuji managed to free himself of the tendril's pinning and rushed to save the sorcerer.
"Watch out!" Nanami yelled. At his warning, Yuuji saw two of the ghoul's tendrils aim for him next, their grasping tips closed to a sharp and deadly weapon. Yuuji managed to duck and slide underneath them. He took hold of the white whip and threw himself forward with it almost like a slingshot.
The other tendril pointing at Nanami ceased its movement, and changed course for the incoming Yuuji, slinging for the boy instead. "Itadori-!"
In mid-air, there was no dodging the incoming whips, but that was fine as long as Yuuji can avoid a direct hit to his head and heart. The whips struck against his limbs, but Yuuji pushed through them and continued his free falling. One whip, however, directly pointed for his torso. He was able to catch it with his bare hands and push aside the sharp tip, but as if it gained sentience, it moved back and puncture through Yuuji's shoulder.
Deal with it-! Yuuji told himself. cursed energy fueled his fists, and he delivered a punch to the piercing whip. The force was enough to remove the spear from his shoulder, and he reached Nanami.
He grasped onto the whip that wrapped Nanami around and started to pull it from Nanami's body.
"Stay sharp! They're coming back-!" The adult warned.
The whips circled within the alleyway and returned to attack both Yuuji and Nanami. However, the whip that Yuuji punched suddenly lurched. The cursed energy attack had finally reached, and it threw off the tendril's momentum, enough for it to whip against the other tendrils and throwing themselves against the wall.
The pause was enough for Yuuji to loosen Nanami, and the first-grade sorcerer utilized his ability to strike against the tendril that had him trapped. Freeing himself, Nanami jumped overhead and pulled back alongside Yuuji.
The ghoul appeared cautious now, retreating its tendrils back to its side, and observed the two human opponents as if in reassessment.
"It's thinking..." Yuuji analyzed, which meant that the creature is smart and has the capability to strategize.
"Not only that, but take a look," Nanami referred to the tendril he had just sliced, and saw the injured tendril already began to repair itself. "It can recover from any wounds. Slicing it all the way through, it's possible that it'll simply regenerate. But if it's hesitating now, that must mean it has a limit to how many times it can heal itself."
Nanami took a glimpse at his own watch underneath his sleeve, checking the time before quickly looking back at the spider-ghoul. "It's capable of learning, which means it isn't done growing yet. We'll have to kill it quickly before it should become any stronger."
Right now, their one true enemy is time. If Nanami and Yuuji could withstand against the spider monster long enough for Nanami's Overtime to kick into gear, he'll be able to kill this creature. But there were many factors against them.
One, they were dealing with an unknown enemy. Two, it's not a curse of any variety. Three, its super creepy to look at. And four, there's no telling what else this monster could be capable of. In their efforts to stall for time, the spider-ghoul will no doubt take this chance to adapt to their fighting styles and techniques. Their one hope of victory was also this monster's benefit.
Whittling down its tendrils and use up its energy may be too risky and time-consuming. They'll have to deliver a decisive blow directly into the main body of the spider-ghoul, considering its efforts to keep itself distant.
With that plan in mind, he spoke to Yuuji, "How is your shoulder?"
"It's fine," Yuuji stated without hesitation.
"Good. Then I'll provide you cover, and you're going to deliver a hit to that creature's main body."
"Got it!"
The sorcerers prepared themselves to run, and the spider monster sends forth another onslaught of its whips for them.
A bolt of lightning zipped past between the sorcerers, and it instantly struck the main body of the spider-ghoul.
"-?!"
Several black keys were shot over them and pierced through the tendrils of the monster. The Cremation Rite was ignited, and flames surround the creature.
That's-! The use of magecraft of the elements and holy. The signature swords with a black tint. Yuuji instantly recognized them as a figure in dark blue landed in front of them.
"Ciel-!" Yuuji quickly covered his own mouth, realizing that he shouldn't call for her attention. But it was pointless.
The nun, upon seeing the monstrous enemy stunned, turned back for the sorcerers. She was about to address them when her sight landed upon Yuuji. It was if time had stopped. Her focus onto the ghoul completely gone from her mind, and her eyes widened in pure utter disbelief.
"Y...Yuuji-kun?! How-?!"
The white whips of the spider-ghoul returned, having endured the magecraft from Ciel, and swung its flaming whip and spear for her head.
Without thought or even a breath, Yuuji bolted for Ciel, grabbing her by the waist and together ducked to avoid the whip. Nanami came to their defense, swinging his wrapped hatchet at the other tendril, and struck a weak point into its pointed tip.
The spear of the tendril completely ruptured into pieces. The hatchet sliced through the whip, and a loud utterance of pain was emitted from the spider-ghoul as it backed away quickly.
"Ciel! Are you okay?!" Yuuji asked the girl underneath as he held himself up.
The executor was stunned, staring at Yuuji without blinking once. She then quickly grasped his cheeks and pulled his head close, surprising Yuuji. He blushed as his nose nearly touched hers and saw her eyes flicker all over his face, feeling her magic emitted in her hands, examining him to see if he was currently Sukuna or an illusion.
"Is it... really you?" Ciel asked, dumbfounded.
"Oh. Yeah. It is," Yuuji answered simply.
He could still smell the hint of curry from her, like she had only eaten moments ago. Just that scent alone that was able to warm his chest, even when he had been cold and dying in the rain. It's been a while since then. He honestly didn't think he'd missed it this much.
Ciel continued to stare at him. The bright and pretty turquoise of her gaze seemed to slowly accept Yuuji's words.
And then they turned into a glare. A low hum of annoyance was heard in her throat. She smiled pleasantly at the boy. "Yuuji-kun..."
Ah. Yuuji thought. I'm about to die again.
He felt himself get pulled back by his shirt.
"Have some manners. That's a nun you're on top of," Nanami scolded Yuuji. The adult kept his eyes on the wounded spider-ghoul as he released Yuuji. The monster was able to shake off the flames and hissed at the group as it held close its split tendril.
Gathering her bearings, Ciel sprung up and faced the foreign enemy, a genuine look of disturbance at the foe.
"I take it this is something of an undead?" Nanami questioned, side eying Ciel who he has heard plenty about from Gojo.
Ciel grimaced, a look that surprised Yuuji to see on this usually calm vampire hunter. "I... believe so. But I've never encountered such a terrible monster like this before."
Well, shit. That's bad. If even the cool and collected executor was unnerved, then Yuuji was right to perceive this monster as purely bad news.
The premonition came true when the sliced tendril suddenly pulled apart even further. The sorcerers and executor were startled by the action. Blood spilled further from the wounded limb until it ceased, the flesh closing over the wound, but the tendrils remained parted.
It adapted another arm-! Nanami examined, now facing five tendrils, and that was not the end of it either. The shell of the spider monster seemed to flake away from Ciel's earlier use of magic. Its body had recovered from the burn, but the skin around the tendrils started split. Jagged dark splinters grew from its flesh. Its hideous texture appeared capable to tear apart the human body in one blow, and the monster let out a bone-chilling chortle. Its saliva crackled between its fangs.
"You two-!" Ciel shouted for the other sorcerers. "Get down!"
The spider monster delivered another onslaught of its whips. This time, even faster than before. It cared little for its confined space as its tendrils broke apart the walls of the alleyway, sending debris flying everywhere. The two new tendrils were thinner, yet more flexible and quicker. They slung for the group as the sorcerers and executor ducked from the attack, barely escaping by a hair strand.
The duo-tendril then swung for Nanami, as if in revenge for the earlier pain. Nanami swung his hatchet, able to duck away from the second thin tendril, and blocked the first with the flat side of his hatchet.
However, like a boomerang, the second tendril suddenly returned. Like clacker balls that swerved back at the pull of its string, the enclosed tip struck against Nanami's face, breaking his glasses.
"-Gnh!" The man was sent flying back. Despite how much thinner the tendrils were, they still packed a powerful punch, the same weight as before.
"Nanami-!" Yuuji cried out. He forced his attention back to the monster however when more tendrils wildly flailed his way, and he jumped back to avoid them.
Ciel threw several black keys, coating the monster in them, and preventing the tendrils from pursuing Yuuji. "Go!"
Yuuji wasted no time. He went for the fallen first grade sorcerer, entrusting, and seeing first-hand the executor able to hold her ground on her own.
Ciel had no time to act on her concern for the older sorcerer. She wasn't sure if the man was able to defend himself with cursed energy or not, but at this moment, she had to reserve her attention in killing this creature who was evolving at a rapid rate.
Its spiky tendrils aimed to shred her body to pieces, but she was quick to avoid them. Another unleashing of her magecraft that summoned ice, and it momentarily impeded the creature. "There-!"
Seeing her opening, she ignited the black keys that stuck itself between the spikes of the tendrils. Sparks of energy like electricity surround the beast, and it let out a terrifying shrill that sends shivers down Ciel's spine. What an absolutely creepy monster.
She embedded more black keys into the walls of the alley around the beast, but her efforts were in vain as the ghoul seemed to have enough resistance to her holy magic and swung its tendrils, destroying more of the walls and her black keys in the process.
This unknown undead was tough, Ciel even wondered if one or two judgments would be enough to bring it down. Just as she was barely holding onto her nerves, her worry for the sorcerers taking half her focus, she heard Yuuji from behind.
"Ciel! Duck!"
The executor turned, and then looked up. A shadow flew over her form and Ciel darted to the side. She watched incredulous as a dumpster slammed into the body of the spider monster. The monster was startled, but its inhuman strength was able to hold itself against the object as its tendrils wrapped itself around it.
Its tendrils completely missed the opponent hiding on the side of the dumpster, and he jumped over them with his wrapped hatchet in hand. The glass of his spectacles was shattered, and he was bleeding between the bridge of his eyes and broken nose. Yet, without pause or fatigue, Nanami swiftly swung his weapon at the tendrils. He crippled them into bleeding before reaching the main body of the spider monster, and struck an implanted weak point into its head, between its set of red eyes.
The spider-ghoul screeched from the attack, and in a blink of an eye, Yuuji rushed past the surprised Ciel and punched the side of the dumpster further into the body of the monster. It forced the creature out of the alley and onto the street, sending it to crash into a parked vehicle, its alarm sounding off on repeat.
Ciel ran out of the alley alongside Yuuji and Nanami. They were in the public area now, but due to the murder scenes at this location, the street was blocked off from other pedestrians. Apart from a few terrified officers by the movie entrance, wondering if they had too much coffee this morning to believe the monstrosity that they were seeing, it was only the sorcerers and executor against the severely injured spider monster.
The creature lay against the smashed vehicle motionlessly, crushed between the car and the dumpster. Ciel wasted no time and hurtled more black keys, many of them telekinetically moving to surround the spider-ghoul. The crippled tendrils suddenly sprung back to life, whipping aside the dumpster with a loud bang, and then swung for the group once more.
"Now-!"
She summoned a pink barrier from the swords, and it sliced off the tendrils of the spider monster completely. These unusually tough limbs that even the strongest vampire couldn't break through, weakened by Nanami's cursed technique, were cut through like carving into a slab of meat.
Yet even still, the momentum of the sharp tendrils flew their way. Nanami provided support and struck away the first and second severed tendril. Yuuji kicked away the other two, safer to do so as opposed to punching the sharp texture of the deadly whips. Ciel guarded his flank with her black keys, deflecting a sneak attack at the duo-whips automatic counter.
Piercing through the split tendril with one black key, as if fired like a bullet, Ciel darted forward, and reached the barrier of the trapped spider-ghoul. She uttered a holy aria, drawing a cross of light in front of her, and slammed her hand against the pink barrier.
"-Kyrie Eleison!"
The barrier changed from pink to blue, and a white light completely encased the spider monster. The monster was disintegrated, unable to endure the judgement of Ciel after suffering a critical hit to its head, and slowly evaporated into ash.
Yuuji and Nanami raised their hands to defend their eyes from the brightness, keeping their guard up in case the monster was to gain a second wind. They noticed the tendrils around them started to evaporate into ashes as well, and when the light of Ciel's barrier finally died, only she stood alone in front of the wrecked car. Nothing but a pile of ash at her feet.
So this is the work of an executor, Nanami thought to himself, removing his broken glasses and looked back at the girl who appeared to be no older than Yuuji.
"It… it's dead?" Yuuji asked, looking over to the side to see the evidence himself.
"Yes. While this was a new species, it generally functioned the same way as an undead ghoul. Although, if we had allowed it more time, it probably would have grown into the same level as a dead apostle," Ciel answered.
Yuuji gulped at that examination, relieved that that wasn't the case anymore.
Ciel then clasped her hands behind her back. "Now then…"
With her cheerful smile that seemed to hide a rather ominous air, Ciel turned for Yuuji, "Care to explain how you're standing here alive in front of me?"
"Ah…" Caught completely red-handed, Yuuji grasped the back of his head. "Um… It's… kind of hard to say?"
He really didn't understand it himself. Although his teacher did bring up something that made Yuuji think if Sukuna really had anything to do with it. He wondered why that curse would ever care to save Yuuji's life though. Unless it was just for the curse himself, which made a whole lot more sense.
In an instant, Ciel stood right in front of Yuuji, startling the boy at her speed that could rival his. "As if I'd ever accept that!"
She glowered at the boy, as if offended that he was even alive right now. Yuuji had to admit, he didn't think this would be the reaction he'd be getting for coming back to life. He hoped that Megumi and Nobara wouldn't react the same way.
Then again, I did beat the hell out of her when Sukuna took over. It's not like I can blame her…
Nanami grasped Ciel's shoulder, arriving at both the teens' sides. "Let's not discuss that right now. There are other important matters we need to put our focus into."
Ciel kept her glare at Yuuji who grew increasingly concerned if she was going to kill him right here and now. Or hell, outright slap the teen. With a sigh, Ciel grasped both her hips. "I suppose that's true. As much as I want answers out of you, it concerns me that such a creature as the one we fought had been prowling the area. To take advantage of this cloudy weather, I'm wondering if other monsters like it are still lingering somewhere."
She considered for a moment, gripping her chin as she surveyed the damage. Muttering to herself, "With how that ghoul attacked, it couldn't have been responsible for the murders…"
"You're referring to the double-homicide that happened close by," Nanami said, surprising the executor, as this was information not yet known to the public. The man reached underneath his suit and puts on a new pair of glasses, staining the frame with blood that fell from his forehead. Despite Yuuji's concern if the man needed a band-aid, or a hospital, Nanami appeared completely unfazed by his injury as he spoke to the executor.
"We've caught word of it when we arrived here. We were investigating a curse who had been responsible for killing a small group of the audience in the theater."
"A curse of that magnitude was here as well?" Ciel asked, shocked to hear that there had been more murders in the area.
"Two of them, though based on their power level, they weren't the ones responsible for what happened to the audience. Whoever the culprit is, they're strong."
"Ah! That's right!" Yuuji suddenly said, looking back at the rooftop of the movie theater, "We need to make sure if those other curses are gone. Or if there's any more of them around."
Ciel noticed the instant stiffening in Nanami's grip of his weapon. She watched him carefully as Nanami stared at the ground. "…Itadori-kun. I need you to listen very closely."
Yuuji turned back to the man, and he too noticed the grave look in the first-grade sorcerer's look as Nanami avoided eye-contact with either teens. "Those curses, they were…"
"-humans."
The evidence was clear upon looking at pictures Nanami took. Curses don't appear in photos, so for the severed arm of the horse-like curse to appear in his phone, meant they were fighting real people and not ghost-like entities. As such, the moment they returned to the curses who have been mercilessly killed by the spider ghoul, the bodies were still there, cementing the reality of their state. Humans transformed into curses.
"Or maybe it's better to say that they used to be humans. They're the same as the three people in the movie theater. Their bodies forcibly contorted with sorcery."
Ciel overheard this as she stared out of the window, looking over the parking lot as Nanami and Yuuji sat at a table behind her. They were listening through Nanami's cellphone with the doctor Ieiri at the other end of the call.
"I could have noticed from the start if it was just that," Nanami said, his injury having since been healed by Ciel. "But the two people we were fighting were filled with cursed energy, just like cursed spirits."
"That's more of an effect of the culprit's technique. There are traces of tampering around the brain stem. Disturbance of consciousness likely to produce a state of confusion," the woman answered through the phone. "If they were able to tamper with the brain, it's possible to reconstruct a human who can use cursed energy. Or any type of magical power. Because the relationship between the brain and magical power is still like a black box - unknown."
Not quite, Ciel thought to herself, looking over her shoulders. Or at least, I doubt the other mages would be willing to discuss it with Jujutsu Sorcerers.
She kept a careful close eye on Yuuji. His visible distress that he was able to contain to a degree, but Ciel could see it clearly. The knowledge that he had killed humans, this time by his own will and power, and not by Sukuna or anyone else.
It's not your fault, she wanted to say to him. They weren't human anymore.
As she thought of this, another voice came to mind, barging from her memories and tackled her heart.
Because of you, this kid's a cannibal!
Ciel gritted her teeth.
"Oh. Before I forget," Ieiri suddenly said. "Is Itadori in the room?"
Yuuji's head perked up and leaned closer to the phone, "Yeah, I'm here."
"From what I found out. Their cause of death is from the shock of having their bodies contorted. You were essentially fighting their corpses - in other words, they were undead. No different from zombies."
Ciel lets out a quiet breath, internally giving her thanks to Ieiri as the doctor stated affirmatively, "You didn't kill those people. Don't be mistaken by that."
Yuuji smiled at the doctor's consideration, though there was still doubt in his eyes that Ciel was able to catch.
"Is the executor there also?"
Ciel blinked at being addressed, and fully turned to the cellphone. "Yes?"
"Are we sure you can't let us examine those bodies your people recovered? I know it's a stretch for me to ask, but I figured I'd give it a shot. You don't see mutant spider people every day, you know?"
Yuuji deadpanned at the doctor's insensitive remark. Ciel took a moment to consider before answering to the woman, "There's nothing much left to examine, I'm afraid. The ghoul itself had been destroyed. Their ashes are all that's left."
"I see. Well, that's a shame. I've always wanted to try dissecting a vampire, or at least anything close to it."
Ciel side-glanced at Yuuji before stating, "I'm sure it was of artificial making, though. We've found nothing of its existence in our library. It was simply a new type of undead. As for the murders found in the alleyway near that theater, the cause of death is the same as the others. Blood loss. However, the entry wounds in their necks were far more vicious than before."
She debated whether she should tell this with Yuuji in the room. Knowing that cooperation is in order between sorcerers and the church, she ultimately decided to reveal it. "There was also a third body recovered, but it had been turned into ash. In reality, three people were killed in that back alley, not two."
Yuuji flinched as Nanami scowled. The body count was rising and fast.
"It's possible that one of the victims had turned into a ghoul," Ciel theorized, "but for whatever reason, they were killed. We're not sure by what though. You can't really find fingerprints on ashes, not even if you were to trace the energy..."
Ciel uttered the last word in dawning realization before she steeled her expression. An idea coming to mind. She heeded both persons in the room, sensing none of them to have notice her change in tone at the last second.
She ignored the itching feeling of a third person peering at her, refusing to cave in and look as she regarded the caller at the other end of the line.
Ieiri was quiet for a moment, then responded in a rather callous-joking tone, "Looks like this vampire of yours is starting to get bolder, not to mention hungrier."
"It had happened in broad daylight as well," Ciel informed. "Currently, we are looking into where the vampire could have fled. But you are right. The vampire's behavior is becoming increasingly erratic."
Not even the day will keep people safe now. With this information revealed, Ieiri concluded the call, "Alright then. I'll go ahead and give this report to the higher ups. Thanks for keeping an eye out for these boys. I'll be sure to let Gojo know about it too."
"I'm not really looking forward to that," Ciel sighed in exasperation.
They heard Ieiri chuckled, and with that, Nanami ended the call.
"...Honestly."
Ciel and Nanami raised their attention to Yuuji who spoke, "Even though she said I didn't kill them, I still feel responsible for those people's deaths..."
Ciel was about to argue otherwise when she saw that sudden fury in Yuuji's eyes. Eyes like that of a dangerous wolf. "But the way these monsters are just killing people left and right. It's sick. Their hobby is just too disgusting."
Ciel stared at him with an unreadable gaze. "...That's the nature of monsters. They don't care for other people's lives, only seeking pleasure in their pain. Hence why they should be stopped."
Seeing the tension in Yuuji's forehead, Ciel approached Yuuji and pressed her finger against his temple. The anger in the boy abruptly dissipated and he looked up at the girl, confused.
"You should be careful not to pop a vein, though, even if you are angry. You might lose that handsome feature of yours."
"Eh-?" Yuuji stared at the girl. His mind stuck on the word 'handsome' she just referred to him as. Seeing the rage in Yuuji switched with utter incredulity, Ciel turned for the door.
"I believe it's best for the two of you to recover for now," the executor advised. "I have my team looking into the matter concerning the vampire killings and how it correlates to the theater you were investigating. Take this time to rest."
Nanami regarded Ciel and Yuuji for a moment, seeing the boy rub the side of his temple like he had just been kissed, and hearing Ciel's evident consideration over the sorcerers. He also made note of Ciel's odd action that helped Yuuji calm down, the boy having been enraged for the sake of others.
Nanami rubbed his forehead, the spot that had been healed along with his broken nose thanks to Ciel, unprompted at that. He also thought back how Yuuji was willing to put his life on the line, all for the sake of Nanami whom Yuuji didn't even know for more than half a day. These two...
These were selfless children. And it's obvious that neither of them were going to just stop until they find the culprits who committed these heinous crimes.
"I'm still on the clock," Nanami informed as he stood up, adjusting his glasses. "While I hate to work overtime, there's a lot to be done before I should head home. That's what being an adult is all about."
Ciel looked rather confused at Nanami's statement as Yuuji stood up as well.
"The traces of cursed energy were a bluff. The curse user who transformed those people, they wanted to lead us there. There's even a possibility that both the curse user and the vampire you're after are working together."
Yuuji looked surprised, but there was no change in Ciel's expression, which meant that she also suspected the same thing. Although, that cold expression of hers was a bit too mature for Nanami's liking.
"This person is skilled. It looks like we won't be able to finish this casually," with a tone that subverted Nanami's earlier attitude, the adult declared to the teens, "It seems our best choice is to work together, and go all out."
Yuuji, pumped by that, agreed with an affirmative "yes!". Ciel, on the other hand, did not express the same enthusiasm, although she didn't appear to object the proposition either. Crossing her arms, she looked aside in consideration, "Hmm. It would be beneficial if we could exchange information. It's clear that these repeated encounters with either undead or curses aren't going to stop any time soon."
She suddenly smiled with a tilt of her head. "Be that as it may, there is still something I need Yuuji-kun to clarify."
Walking up to the boy in discussion, Yuuji looked at Ciel curiously before he was suddenly pulled by the arm. Ciel grasped him around the elbow in one hand, and proceeded to take him to the door she was about to leave through.
"Let's go then," Ciel said cheerfully, "I'm sure you can tell me all about how you were able to survive that night at the detention center."
"Um, where are we going?" Yuuji asked.
Ciel looked up at Yuuji and answered without hesitation. "To my place, of course. At my apartment."
...Yuuji's brain rebooted until he eventually understood Ciel's answer, just as the girl opened the door and pulled him along. "H-Huh?! Wait, huh?!"
"Itadori-kun."
Yuuji looked back at Nanami. The adult giving him an unflinching stare and a few words. "Behave yourself."
Yuuji blatantly stared at Nanami, though not for long as Ciel persistently dragged Yuuji down the hallway. He can't help but feel offended by that assuming tone of Nanami, like what did he think Yuuji's going to do?
"Y...yeah..."
Author's Note:
Potato23:It's still not time yet for Shiki and Arcuied to appear. I want to explore Ciel and Yuuji's relationship first and get through the first half of the JJK storyline before we introduce Shiki and Arcuied. BUT I might change my mind, we'll see.
Green pillow: Yes! This story will involve a fusion between the original and remake of Tsukihime. For example, I'm describing Ciel's classic design because I just like it better, but I'll be including additional content from not only the Remake, but the Manga, Video Game such as Melty Blood, and all other forms of Tsukihime material as well!
WitnessofFate:So Ciel has not pulled the trigger of the Seventh Holy Scripture. By not doing so, Yuuji's soul remained intact because, being such a softie, Ciel wanted Yuuji to have a body to be buried in, and she simply didn't have the heart to destroy the soul of the boy who smiled at her so sadly.
So yeah! Sukuna dodged a huge bullet from that. Now to wait and see how long before she may come to regret her soft nature. Not for being unable to kill Yuuji, but allowing him to suffer even further. Not that Yuuji would hold it against her. We'll see this discussion take place later on - either in the next chapter, or much later than that.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a kind and honest review!