Jujutsu Executor

by CrafterofTales

News of an awakened, ancient living curse catches the attention of the Holy Church. Sent as an agent of the Burial Agency, Ciel must determine if the host: Yuuji Itadori is a threat, and exercise her duty as Executor within Jujutsu Sorcerer's territory.

14. Lingering Heart, Stilled Breath

Satsuki leapt across rooftops after rooftops under broad daylight. The risk of being spotted her least given concerns. Her first priority was to reach Junpei's home as fast as possible. Her embrace of the warm day for the very first time, she could not stop to enjoy it nor celebrate it. Just as she feared, the blazing sun impeded her vampiric abilities, and her speed suffered as a result. She still possessed enough strength to make jumps over several meters, but at this rate, while she has proven herself immune to the sun, her time to reach Junpei had likely pushed her back to twenty minutes in total.

That's too long-! I need to get there now-!

As she jumped over a street beyond any people's knowing or be seen as nothing more than a fleeting image, her solution was carried in the pockets of her skirt, and she grabbed a handful of them. She couldn't count how many. She didn't care how many. All she needed was a boost and for her to get there on time.

Hang in there, Jun-kun!

She takes a handful of Mahito's new batch of transfigured souls, and her fangs chomps into them. A surge of new energy coursed through her. The faintest of hunger in her was gone. She felt power bursting through her all at once. Her heart hammered behind her chest. Her red eyes dilated. The noise of the world around her seemed to go suddenly silent. If there was anything to compare this to, it would be like drinking five cans of energy drinks. If she was a human, this would be considered a health hazard, life-threatening, but Satsuki didn't care about the consequences of her intake. Her feet felt as if they became air itself, and she vanished from the sky. The people below would only note of a sudden strong gust of wind that passed overhead.

The travel felt instantaneous. The insinuated time of twenty minutes shortened into ten seconds. She dashed over the tall buildings of Tokyo, reaching the urban area of smaller houses, and then finally to Junpei's neighborhood. The house of her friend was there before her, and while it had been only nine seconds, the moment she reached Junpei's home, it's as if time had slowed down. Her mind immediately registered her surroundings, quickly taking note of everything, including what awaited inside Junpei's house, and the large, black omen of negative energy radiating from it.

There were numerous curses inside, she could smell them before she even set foot into this neighborhood. Why so many curses were here, she didn't know, but what mattered to her more was the single scent of a living human being, fighting to survive within that home. She could hear his heart intimately through the walls, the stress of his blood flow. Distressed. But generally unharmed. She could smell that Junpei had summoned his Moon Dreg, and the unmistakable stench of human blood, but not Junpei's.

Then there was the main source of this negative energy. A single piece of object sitting at the table of the kitchen, where curses seemed to be circling at. Satsuki knew she needed to destroy it.

Within the span of a second, she understood the situation, pinpointed the location of every curse inside the house, made note of where Junpei is, and then let her body burst through the window. Claws unsheathed; she swung her arms through the living room. Breaking through the already destroyed furniture, curses were instantly killed before they realized what attacked them, and the entire room was cleared of all curses. The act in itself looked like it was done in a single motion, and curses splattered everywhere before they were drained and evaporated from her cursed technique.

"Junpei-!" Satsuki breathed out, a haggard breath that came after having run so fast and so far. "-!"

The smell of human blood became stronger the moment she entered the living room.

"Sa...Sacchin...!"

There at the corner of the living room, hiding by the broken TV set, Junpei held the motionless body of his mother. His white-bluish jellyfish shikigami acting as their guard. The boy's eyes were red with endless tears, and his mother...

Her eyes were completely vacant, a permanent expression of terror and agony, her cheeks stained with tears that had long since stopped flowing. The source of the blood, however, came from her lower regions, and the violence that was acted upon this poor woman by the curses. The bottom half of her body sliced through. Satsuki was stunned. Even as a vampire, she was horrified by what these curses did to this once vibrant woman full of nonchalance and care, now lying as a husk of a human being.

"H-help me-! Please! There has to be something we can do-!" Junpei pleaded with the frozen vampire. "I-I've stopped the bleeding. But she won't wake up-! S-she...!"

Satsuki stared at Junpei and the body of the mother he held in his arms. She could hear Junpei's heart racing inside his ribcage, but as for his mom... there was no heartbeat to hear.

"J-jun-!"

"PLEASE!" Junpei knew immediately what was on Satsuki's mind, but he only wanted to hear one answer as he cradled the body of his mother. "Please-! You have to...!"

Please. You have to turn her and save my mom. The request went unsaid. There was no thought of this consequences. Nor what Nagi Yoshino would have wanted. No question of morality and humanity and what not. There was just the crying boy begging for his mother to come back, and the girl who he believed in his heart that could save Nagi Yoshino.

Satsuki was conflicted, her heart pained at the sight of her crying friend, but to revive his mom in her current state...

Her red eyes suddenly widened at the remaining stench of malice in the room. This putrid, yet almost alluring scent. A familiar smell somehow. She glanced to the side and found the source of all this negative energy.

Embedded into the kitchen wall, as if a meteorite struck there, was a corpse finger. Ancient and dreadful, smelling of venom and bitterness, power, a cursed object. Satsuki nearly shivered at the sight of it. She was certain. This had been what attracted all the curses in the area. She had noticed it when she first entered the room and promptly struck it with her claws to destroy it, but the cursed item didn't even get scratched? Not even when she was empowered that she affected this cursed finger at all. What was something like this even-?

No. Never mind any of that. Right now... Junpei needed her.

She gazed back at the tragic scene before her, and with a deep gulp, she hurried over to Junpei and the lifeless Nagi Yoshino, kneeling to them.

"...I can try," Satsuki said softly, her expression wavering, but nonetheless willing to help Junpei. "I don't know how she'll react. But..."

If Satsuki was put in a situation where one of her family or loved ones have died, and in such a horrific way, she would have begged for them to have a second chance in life. She'd even turn them herself out of desperation. But she hadn't forgotten the pain of being a creature of the night. Even so, she can't just ignore Junpei's plea.

"...If anything happens, use your Moon Dregs on either of us. I'll try to hold back, but if my Bloodlust takes over, take me out with your shikigami's anesthetic, okay?"

Junpei wiped the tears from his face. He looked back down at his mother, granting her one last hug. "...Okay. I got this."

The boy gently set his mother down on the floor. The sight of her expression completely shattering his heart, and his expression was enough for Sacchin to grimace sadly. Her red eyes turned back to the body of Nagi. This woman, she made Satsuki feel welcomed, and she reminded the girl of her own mother. Nagi Yoshino didn't deserve this. If Satsuki could help it, she didn't want this woman to die either.

But I've never turned someone while they were already dead, or was missing their... She nervously clutched the red bow in front of her chest. Feeling her vampiric impulse stirring at the sight of the blood. She felt guilty and sickened by its sensation. I have to try-!

The girl pulled back her orange sleeve. Her flesh exposed, she bit into her own wrist, drawing blood through the punctures of her fangs, and soaking her teeth in her vampiric blood.

Please work.

She and Junpei carefully craned the head of Nagi Yoshino, and Satsuki lowered her bloody fangs onto the woman's neck.

Please work!

Her fangs inserted into Nagi's artery. The action no different from a doctor inserting a needle into a patient's arm. The blood from Satsuki's teeth dripped into the bloodstream of Nagi. She tasted the instant blood of the woman, the flavor of cigarettes and alcohol. It made Satsuki's stomach turn, but she bared through it. This was for Nagi's sake and Junpei's.

Junpei watched with the faintest hope in his chest, his Moon Dregs' tendrils cradling the figures of both his mother and Satsuki. After a moment, Satsuki lifted her head back up. A heavily given breath from her bloodied mouth, and she slumped back.

Junpei looked at his mother, picking up her upper half and holding her close. "Wake up, mom... Please wake up..."

Satsuki's heart pounded in her chest as she breathed heavily, sitting back to recuperate. She did it. She drank blood and still held herself back. Maybe this might work out after all?

She took another gander at the room, her eyes landing upon the cursed finger in the wall again before shifting her gaze to the window she had smashed through, sunlight pouring through there. If Ms. Yoshino does turn, she'll need to stay away from the sun. But first...

They needed to get rid of the cursed finger. If they don't, more curses will come.

Satsuki slowly stood up, catching the boy's attention. "Sacchin?"

"F...Finger..." Satsuki's swaying figure turned for the cursed finger, her arm reached out as she made her way towards it. "That finger... We have to... We need to-!"

A sudden violent sensation in her stomach, like she was about to implode. She clutched her mouth and stomach, unable to answer Junpei's call again. She tasted the blood of Nagi back on her tongue, and she puked onto the floor. The girl stumbled forward. Her grip catching the edge of the table that nearly broke under her monstrous strength, and her knees slammed against the blood pool of her making.

"Sacchin!" Junpei shouted, he carefully set his mother back down and rushed over to the vampire girl. Blood continued to feel from her mouth, and Satsuki could not stop vomiting. "Y-Yumizuka! What's wrong?!"

Satsuki knew what was wrong. The amount of transfigured souls she ate in one sitting. Added to the intake of human blood that she hadn't for a while until now. Not to mention the incompatibility of drinking said blood. It was too much for her newly vampiric body to handle, and she slumped against the ground.

"Satsuki!" Junpei caught her, calling over his Moon Dregs at once. "What is it?! Please, tell me!"

Was it because of the sun she just came out of? His mom's blood? What was making Satsuki looking so sick? The vampire girl was sweating bullets. Her mouth, chin, and the front of her shirt covered in blood. She couldn't have drink that much from his mom. Was it... Satsuki's own blood then?

"...I'm sorry..."

Junpei heard the girl utter, and he held her closer.

"I'm sorry... Jun-kun..." The girl looked up at the boy regretfully, her eyes watery with tears. "I... I tried... I really did."

"I-It's okay! Just hang in there!" Was this his fault? Did Junpei pushed Satsuki too far by calling her here? But he didn't know what else to do. He needed someone to help his mom and Satsuki was the first person that came to mind. "Tell me what I need to do to help you!"

She looked so deathly pale, it was as if she herself had turned into a corpse, just like his mother.

Satsuki coughed out more blood, red staining the front of Junpei's white t-shirt, but he still held her regardless, no matter the strong iron stench emanating from her. Her heaving breathing growing more rasp by the second as Junpei tried his best to support her.

"...You know..." Satsuki began, looking at Junpei as her vision became blurry. "I never believed what Mahito-san said..."

It hurt. Everything hurt. Yet what hurt Satsuki most was to see Junpei's expression of terror, like he was at the foot of losing another important person in his life. How long she had longed for to see a face like that once in her life.

Junpei looked at her confused, seeing her smile full of sadness.

"If people don't have hearts..." Tears fell from the red eyes of the remorseful vampire. "Then why does mine hurt so much?"

"Sacchin... Sacchin!" Junpei shouted as the vampire steadily loses consciousness, until she could no longer respond.

---

"-Enjoy your time with her while you still can. Once I'm free, I'll have my turn next."

The King of Curses threat was laced with venom and sadism as he spoke from Yuuji's left cheek. Yuuji paid no heed to the disgusting cursed spirit as he looked at his phone, reading the text sent by Ciel who had just arrived at the shopping district, and was now heading his way. He texted back multiple thumbs up and a smiley face before he started checking the map on his phone for all the nearest restaurants, wondering which of them was Ciel planning to take him to. He grinned in anticipation as he covered the cursed king's chattering mouth with his face mask.

Yuuji wore a disguise out in public, sitting on top of the railing while Ijichi waited in the car behind him. It was the nicest outfit Yuuji could put together for himself, a brown jacket over his gray hoodie and black pants, with black and white sneakers. All of it straight out of his clothing bag, with Ijichi giving his seal of approval. A little bit of gel was used for his fuzzy pink and black hair, giving it a nice texture and no frizz. It's something Yuuji always did every time he goes out. This time, it was a little more special.

This ended up not mattering since his hair was by far the most conspicuous trait about Yuuji, and so Ijichi had the teen wore a black cap with the red words Shibuya at the front of it, and a face mask to avoid being recognized by anyone. Right now, it made for a pretty decent muffler for Sukuna. Yuuji only regretted not bringing one more for both sides of his face, and maybe some gloves too.

"You're honestly pathetic when it comes to her! Always checking to see when she shows up, then running up to her the moment she does. You're like a dog waiting for his master to come home!"

"Are you just gonna talk all day?" The smile dropped as Yuuji responded back to the cursed spirit in a low tone. His hatred made clear. "I don't want either of us to smell your breath. You damn cannibal."

"I'm forced to be quiet because of that woman's wards, so I'm making up all the time I couldn't talk. And you're going to hear every word I have to say. It's the only entertainment I have while I'm imprisoned inside you."

"Get a new hobby," Yuuji said, having enough conversation with the villain as he decided to check on the menu options at one of the restaurants. He ignored the cursed spirit and his demeaning insults for the next minute. Suddenly, Sukuna went silent, and a far more angelic voice was heard, a voice Yuuji definitely preferred over the cursed king's.

"Yuuji-kun!"

Yuuji raised his eyes for the girl in glasses, approaching him from the side. Ciel carried her school bag over her shoulder, and a shopping bag around her arm. She still wore her school uniform but without her blue overcoat for today, revealing more shape to her figure. Yuuji's heart was elated at the sight of her. He removed himself from the railing and eagerly walked up to her.

"Sorry if I made you wait," Ciel said. "I did a little shopping before coming here. I figured it wouldn't be as fun if I stayed in my school uniform, and dressing up in my work clothes didn't seem right either."

"That's alright! I'm glad to see you," Yuuji said. He met Ciel halfway on the sidewalk with a light skip of his feet. "You're actually pretty early. How was school? Are you sure it's alright for you to be here?"

"School was great! I left around the time lunch started. Don't worry. I made sure no one spotted me leaving." Being an expert at espionage, it wasn't a hard task at all for Ciel. She didn't even need to use her Suggestion magic after not being caught by anyone on her way over here.

"Cool! So, where do you want to go first?" Yuuji asked.

"Hmm. I was thinking we could walk around together before we eat. But before we do that..."

Ciel stepped closer to Yuuji, her head craned to look under the boy's cap. Yuuji looked back at her, a little surprised by her closeness, and wondered what was on her mind. Maybe it's the cologne again?

"You look really nice today, Yuuji-kun."

A faint blush on Yuuji's cheeks as Ciel added, "Although, I wish I could see your face properly. It was a little hard to spot you from the crowd. I only managed to recognize you because of your height."

"Ah. Yeah..." Yuuji said as he adjusted the brim of his cap. "This is what Ijichi-san gave me. I have to wear this and this face mask too so that anyone from the school don't recognize me."

"That's understandable, but it's still no good. You're not going to be able to enjoy what I have in store for you like that. You deserve the full experience." Ciel held a curled finger over her mouth as she pondered for a moment. "...Yuuji-kun. Would you be open for a hair-dye?"

"A hair-dye?" Yuuji considered her request. "Hmm. I guess I wouldn't mind. I kind of like my pink hair though."

"It'll only be temporary," Ciel promised and made a quick step to Yuuji's side, gently grasping around his elbow with both her hands. "Come with me. It won't take long at all. I'm sure Ijichi-san won't mind either, especially now that I'm here."

"Oh. That's true," Yuuji said. He let himself be guided away by Ciel, completely giving up control to follow her lead. He looked back and saw Ijichi getting out of the car. The man gave the leaving sorcerer a thumbs up, his eyes glittering behind his glasses. 'Good luck to you, Itadori-kun!'

Yuuji gave a thumbs up back at the man, his own eyes sparkling, 'ok!'

The sorcerer and the executor walked briefly through the crowd. Yuuji with his hands inside his pockets while Ciel held him around the arm, a nice feeling at her hold that Yuuji couldn't help but look down and appreciate it a little bit. He saw Ciel looking around the area, searching for something.

"Hmmm. Let's see… Ah. That place should do." Ciel suddenly changed direction and sped up slightly. Yuuji was surprised but he quickly caught up to her pace. She brought him into an empty alleyway, giving themselves privacy away from the crowd.

"Now then..." Ciel turned around and faced the boy with a smile. "Would you mind removing your disguise for me?"

"Sure," Yuuji complied without hesitation, curious to see what Ciel will do. He took off his cap and face mask, relieved to taste the air and that the curse decided to leave him alone finally. Ciel took a moment to observe the boy's features. Her curled finger in front of her lips as she thoughtfully assessed, and she gave a nod of approval.

"Alright. I'm going to cast a small spell on you," Ciel said. "It'll change your appearance so that you won't have to worry about anyone recognizing you. We'll have to make sure to let Ijichi-san know later."

She fathomed that the sorcerer assistant will remain close by to monitor Yuuji. She wished she could convince the man that he could take a break while she took over watching Yuuji, but she imagined it wouldn't be that simple, especially if that meek man reports back to Nanami. Knowing that, she instantly felt sympathy for Ijichi.

"You can change appearances just like that?" Yuuji's eyes widened in amazement.

Ciel nodded. "It's a little something that I know how to do. I'll change your hair color and put up an illusion around your face so that you would look like somebody else. It won't hurt at all. You can see what you look like from your phone after I'm done."

"Alright. Let's do it!" Yuuji gave his consent and looked at her expectantly like he's waiting for a magician to perform an act. Ciel found his look to be incredibly cute, holding back her chuckle.

"Okay. Here I go then." She drew close once more and her hands reached up. Her fingers touched the sides of Yuuji's temples, and slowly pushed up. The strands of his black hair felt between her fingers as magic began to swarm. Yuuji stilled, watching the subtle look of concentration in Ciel's bright blue gaze. He felt her hands draw closer to the top of Yuuji's head, getting to his pink hair in a single, steady motion.

Huh... Yuuji closed his eyes as he felt Ciel's fingers gently rub over his scalps, like being combed. The barest little tug of his hair, the print of her fingers that felt really smooth. This feels... kind of nice. A little like my dream last night... I really hope I don't have any dandruff. That would suck...

Ciel was surprised when Yuuji drew his head closer to her, his eyes closed and his face relaxed, like he was being given a head massage that he could fall asleep under. She mildly blushed but stayed focused in changing the color of his hair. After doing so, her hands slid down across his head. Her fingers traced against the outline of his ears, touching underneath his earlobe. She then drew along his jawline, down to the tip of his chin.

Yuuji's face tightened, a light blush to his cheeks. His mouth thinned like he was trying to hold back something in his throat. Ciel held in her own breath, making sure the sorcerer didn't know just how close they really were.

I noticed it before, but... He really is handsome.

Even among the athletics at her school, there was something particularly attractive about the sorcerer in front of her. He had a bright face that had only known of a happy life. No particular flaws, apart from the scars underneath Yuuji's eyes, remaining closed in disinterest with the rest of the world. An angular jawline and round cheekbones, a little plumper than someone like Megumi's sleek features. It was interesting to Ciel how this baby face of Yuuji that could compete with her own would have a body of an MMA fighter, from what she saw for herself in her fight with Sukuna. The teen could make himself a pretty decent reference for anatomy artists.

I'd be tempted to join that class too if he was the model... A little embarrassed by her thought, Ciel finished planting her spell on Yuuji's face, her eyes lingering to his lips before she stepped back, composing herself.

"All done. Go ahead and take a look at yourself."

Yuuji opened his eyes, suddenly fully awake. At Ciel's ushering, he took out his cellphone and checked the camera reflection. "Whoa! I'm a blondie now!"

His pink hair was transformed into a pale-blonde color, and his face bore different features with freckles. He patted the top of his spiky-fluffy head, tugging his hair above his forehead to see the roots and finding it to have turned blonde too. He would have thought this was his natural hair color if he didn't know better. He still had the dark coloring of his hair behind his ears, though they looked a bit browner now. "...Hold on. I actually like this color."

Ciel watched with a smile as Yuuji took a minute to reassess his color pallet. "Really? I think your pink hair suits you better. It makes for a pretty good contrast between us. You with your pink hair, and me with my blue hair."

"Haha! That's true!" Yuuji agreed, looking back at his camera phone. "This is so cool! And just check out these freckles. How did you learn to do this?"

"Well, I can't say how I learned it, but I can tell you how it works. It's sort of like placing a... mental warding on you, you could say," Ciel explained, a bit embarrassed yet happy by how impressed he was. "People would look at you and see something else except the truth. I basically just put up a mask on you that's made entirely out of my magical power, and it can last up for a while. Even technology and other sorcerers can be fooled by this kind of spell."

"Awesome! You're really awesome, Senpai!" Yuuji openly expressed with starry eyes at the girl. "Is there anything you can't do?"

Ciel giggled bashfully at the praise, pulling one of her feet behind the other. "Ah. Well... There's a lot of things I could do, but I don't like to show them off that much."

She gave another winning smile, instantly putting up the charm to play with the sorcerer's feelings, "You, however, are a very special case. So I'll use at least a little bit of my powers just for you."

Hearing her singling him out as 'special', an audience for her exclusive performance, Yuuji felt his heart leap with joy, and he grinned like a doofus. Before he could say his thanks, Ciel suddenly added, "Now then, it's my turn. Would you mind turning around, Yuuji-kun?"

Surprised, Yuuji was nonetheless compliant, giving her an "oh, okay," and then doing as he was told. He turned to face the entrance of the alleyway. "You're going to change your face too?"

"Yes. It'll make us look even less conspicuous if two seemingly normal strangers are just out and about. I also want to avoid being recognized, especially since I'm supposed to be at school right now."

Yuuji grasped the side of his head as he glanced at the stone wall beside him, "Yeah. I get that. I definitely don't want to get you in trouble. But..."

He brought his hand over to his mouth and smiled against his palm. "It makes me really happy that you came all this way just to hang out. It was getting kind of repetitive staying indoors and watching movies all days. I won't complain if it's to help me get stronger, but it's a lot more fun when you're around."

"Ah... Really?"

Yuuji nodded, "To be honest, I get lonely pretty easily, so having you nearby, it really means a lot to me. It makes it special in a way. But going out is really fun too. It's been a great week ever since I moved in with you, and I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I hope you know that. You're like my best friend at this point."

...There was no response from the executor. Yuuji waited for one but upon hearing nothing, he called out, "Ciel?"

"Y-yes! Just a moment. I-I'm almost done."

He heard hasty shuffling behind him. Yuuji wondered if she was alright but decided to trust her, and waited a little more. After a minute, Ciel announced, "O-okay. I'm ready now. You can look."

Yuuji turned around, and his eyes widened.

Ciel had a slightly different hair style, but her face remained the same - at least, to Yuuji it did. Her blue hair changed to black and was much longer now. Tied into a long ponytail with a pretty white bow. Her outfit was completely different too. Instead of her school uniform, she wore a black shirt with a zipped-up baby blue sweater over it, and white stripes around the elbows. Below the waist was a white skirt, black tights, and a pair of pretty brown ankle-boots.

"You might not see my face that differently, but that's because I decided to let only you see it, just as I alone can see your real face," Ciel said, clasping her hands behind her back. "I wish I had more time to shop, though. I'm not much for fashion, but this is what I could come up with at the last minute."

Yuuji's heart skipped a beat the moment he saw her. She looks really cute.

At his expression, Ciel felt sheepish. Feeling a little self-conscious at how she must look to him. "I asked the store clerks for advice, and they said this was the best outfit to wear, but... maybe it's a little too bland? They seemed really eager to help, especially after I told them I was planning to meet up with you."

The boy had only ever seen her in either her school uniform, her executor and powered dress, and her pajamas. The idea that he had never seen her in casual actually embarrassed Ciel, for reasons she can't quite put into words. She tried looking through fashion magazines for reference, but the girl honestly believed she had no sense or understanding of style.

"Oh, no. You look really good," Yuuji answered honestly. "It really suits you. You got pretty good taste in my opinion."

Ciel was surprised and laughed gently. "R-really? That's nice to hear, and also a relief. You're quite the charmer, I should say."

Yuuji smiled back, sharing his amusement and feeling jovial by the compliment. I wonder if she kept that outfit under her school uniform? Kind of like what happened at that haunted building when Sensei was testing me and Kugisaki.

Though to hear she'd been trying just as hard to pick out a good outfit, like how he did, Yuuji felt really happy.

"Alright! Now that we're both dressed up, are you ready to go?" Ciel asked.

Yuuji nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! Let's go."

They walked out of the alleyway then. Yuuji spotted Ijichi sitting in the car, and the man's immediate look of confusion upon seeing Yuuji and Ciel again. Remembering what Ciel said about their disguises, Yuuji pulled out his phone and texted Ijichi.

The man looked down at the dashboard for his phone. He looked back up and down from the boy and his phone. Yuuji waved at him, and the sorcerer assistant finally texted back.

Ijichi: Is it really you and Ciel? Itadori-kun?

Yuuji: yup! Ciel put up a disguise for me and her. Sorry about that. I'll definitely wear the hat when it's sunny out though!

After that bit of clarification and sparing the man a heart attack for somehow losing the sorcerer and executor so quickly, Yuuji and Ciel began their walk around the streets of Shibuya.

---

"What's wrong with her...?" Junpei asked with tears stained on his cheeks. He was clutching his arms as he tried to keep still his trembling figure.

Mahito studied the unconscious figure of Satsuki as she lays with a haggard breath on top of Junpei's bed. The cursed spirit pressed his fingers against her forehead, feeling the vampire's fever. The girl continued to sweat profusely, the blood stains on her mouth cleaned by Junpei, but he couldn't do much about the blood on her blouse. After Satsuki had collapsed, Junpei didn't know what else to do but to bring Mahito here, finding his mentor waiting in Satsuki's hidden base at the mall, and they rushed back here as quickly as they could.

Before he had left, Junpei brought Satsuki to his room, making sure she was comfortable as he had her rest on his bed. He then brought his mom to her bedroom, trying however he could to mend the damage done to her body. It's already been too long since his mother remained lifeless, and Junpei thought back to Satsuki's apology. She must have known it wouldn't work against someone who's already dead, even worse while his mom was... like that, but Satsuki was still willing to try for his sake. He wanted to apologize to her so badly, but she hadn't been responding to either him or Mahito.

"...She's overused the new batch I gave her," Mahito answered. "I told her to only take one per week. Not only that, but if she used her techniques on those curses earlier, then that's even worse. She's built up too much energy, more than what she can handle. She's overstuffed herself and is about to pop."

Junpei whimpered at the horrible news, his arms pressing against his stomach, wanting to throw up badly. "It's my fault... I told her to come here."

"Don't blame yourself. Satsuki-chan wanted to help you and your mom, however she could." Mahito held his chin as he looked at Satsuki's blood-soaked shirt. "The good news is that she managed to avoid erupting. It looks like drinking your mom's blood, however incompatible it was for her, managed to cancel out the effects of her energy intake. Or at least, held it back for now."

"My... my mom's blood did?" Junpei repeated.

Mahito turned for the boy. "Satsuki-chan's a vampire. Even though she's able to satiate herself with my collection, her affinity for blood intake will always be greater. On demand even. I was hoping to avoid using any blood at all in this batch, so that she wouldn't have to risk herself hunting out in the streets, but that ended up backfiring. She's stable, for now, but soon enough, she'll need to release all this energy she's built up somehow."

He wanted to see if Satsuki would have lost control to her bloodlust by restricting her dosage, all while feeding her cursed souls to see if her body would start taking them as substitute, or reject it entirely, and become nothing but a mass distorted flesh. It fascinated Mahito that, despite appearing to have eaten a handful of his new batch, Satsuki was still able to survive from the intake, if only by just barely. Just putting his hands on Satsuki, he could tell that she had enough energy to blow up this entire household, along with the few other houses surrounding here.

A good thing that didn't happen. Otherwise, it might have put a wrench into what Geto wanted me to do. What a shame, though, I kind of wanted to see it.

"What happens if she doesn't?" Junpei asked nervously.

Mahito looked back down at the unconscious Satsuki, answering without any hesitation, "She dies. Her body will burn up, like being set on fire from the inside."

Junpei bit down on his lips, gripping his upper arms. "I-isn't there a way we can save her?"

Mahito held his chin in thought. "With how your mother's blood was able to destabilize the massive energy input inside Satsuki-chan, we'll need more of it to keep her body from collapsing. But we can't use your mom's blood again. I don't want to put you through that, Junpei-kun, and it also looks like Satsuki-chan's body ended up rejecting it anyway. Tell me, did your mom smoke or drink a lot?"

"Y-yeah... Just last night, she had a lot of beer."

"I see. The first day we met Satsuki-chan at that back alley, where she killed those people, she later told me that the reason her body ended up not accepting their blood was due to them being smokers and drinkers, and also likely them being middle-aged men. She'll need human blood from a healthy host, one preferably close to her age, and she's going to need a lot of it."

Junpei grimaced as he remembered his talk with Satsuki last night. How she wanted to quit drinking blood, or at least be able to drink only a little bit without killing anyone anymore. This... this wasn't fair for Satsuki. All she wanted to do was help, and this is what ended up happening?

"Why...?" Junpei said quietly, his knees feeling like they were about to give out. "Why did all this happen?"

"This is the reason." At Junpei's question, Mahito pulled out a small object from his pants, one he had recollected after arriving here. "I found it in your kitchen. This is what drew in all the curses here."

Mahito held up the cursed finger for Junpei to see. The teen looked at the object in bafflement.

"Why was something like that here?!" Junpei couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand why his mom had to suffer and die in such a way. Why Satsuki had to risk her life just to get here and was slowly dying. All because of this corpse finger?

"If I have to take a guess, I'd say someone wanted to pull a cruel prank on you," Mahito could only explain, and lie.

Seeing the distraught returning to Junpei, the cursed spirit walked over to the teen, and gently pulled Junpei into a hug. "There are also curse users who curse people for the sake of money. But people don't necessarily have to know sorcery to get their hands on a cursed object. With the right connections and money, anyone can easily kill someone with a curse."

The cursed spirit looked down at Junpei. His stitched hand rested over the teen's head, and calmly he asked, "Do you know anyone who might have the resources to pull this off? Someone with plenty of money and time on their hands? Someone who may resent you or your mother?"

The faces of Junpei's school bullies came to mind, particularly one student, who laughed at him as Junpei had his forehead burned and scarred by lit cigarettes. Hatred washed over Junpei. His glare intensified as he returned Mahito's hug with a tight grip of the curse's black fabric, a grip that could strangle a man to death.

"...Mahito-san."

"Yes?" Mahito responded.

Junpei pressed his face against Mahito's chest, feeling rage and vengeance blacken his heart. "...I think I know where we can get Sacchin more blood."

---

Junpei looked over at the bed of his mother, where Nagi Yoshino now lay. There were ice bags placed all over her lower half, and he had just now decided to cover her face with a white cloth, accepting his loss, and to hide away that frozen expression of hers. He felt numb as he tried the best he could to grant his mother some dignity. Putting her in a room where she'd be most comfortable in.

"...I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, mom."

He kissed the top of his mother's forehead. He moved the curtains to be slightly parted for a little bit of sunlight, knowing how much she liked the feel of it every morning she wakes up. He then went through her closet. All his clothes were too plain and white. For what he planned to do, he needed something to dress the part, and he knew his mother had just what he needed.

"I'm going to jump into a new tank, and live my life the way I want to. I know how much you like Sacchin. I'll be sure to take care of her, and protect her from everything, whatever it takes. And you won't have to worry about me either."

Taking his mother's clothes, he heads for the door that led out into the hallway, taking one last look at his mother's body. He wanted to give her a proper burial, but after tonight, he didn't think he's ever going to come back to this house again.

"Goodbye, mom. I love you."

He then left the bedroom of his only support and faith in this world, and closed the door behind him. Leaving the motionless body of Nagi Yoshino to rest upon her bed alone.

---

"Whoa! They have Pachinko here!" Yuuji exclaimed as he pressed his hands against the glass window. Seeing all the middle-aged men at their seats focused onto the pinball machines. "Man. These games are so fun! I wonder what kind of prizes they have?"

"Huh? You know about these games, Yuuji-kun?" Ciel inquired with her brows raised in surprise. Observing the sorcerer's alighted expression as if he was looking into a candy store. "But aren't places like these restricted from students?"

"When I was a kid, my grandpa used to take me to these places all the time," Yuuji admitted, feeling that there was no point in hiding it as he turned back to Ciel. "I still go to them, and since I look like I'm in my twenties to these guys, they just let me in."

"Oh my. I never took you to be such a delinquent," Ciel said, seeing Yuuji in a new light. "I'm honestly shocked. Who knew you had it in you?"

Yuuji chuckled, "I mean, it's not so bad. I sometimes exchange points for prizes instead of money. Well, I still get money out of it too, but don't tell anyone."

He gave his best puppy-dog eyes as he clasped his hands together. "Please forgive me for this sin, Sister-Senpai."

"Ohh, I see..." Ciel pretended to appear thoughtful as she crossed her arms. "Hmmm. What to do? Shall I help you seek repentance? Or punishment? Well, it's still wrong of you to sneak into places like this. Jokes aside, I should scold you seriously. But I imagine they must hold good memories of you and your grandfather. I'm a little hesitant to take that away from you."

Although, this does have Ciel wonder what other places did Yuuji's grandfather take him to. Since neither of Yuuji's parents were in the picture, Ciel reasoned that his grandfather had to bring Yuuji everywhere so not to leave the boy home alone. The elder was at least being responsible in that manner, however one would call bringing a child into places like this.

"Yeah. He would always buy me snacks or toys while letting me play these games. It was always great spending time with him," Yuuji reminisced with a gentle smile as he stared into the casino. Ciel could see he has come to terms with his grievance and now only thinks back all the precious memories he had of his only family member.

...Good heavens, I am too nice.

"Would you like to play one right now, Yuuji-kun?"

Yuuji looked back at the girl in surprise, a glitter of hope in his eyes as if he was a dog wagging his tail, "Can we?"

"Sure. It wouldn't hurt to do a few games, although I've never played Pachinko before." Ciel winked at the boy, stirring another leap of joy in the boy's heart. "Just promise not to get any money out of it. I'll definitely have to stand firm against that. Otherwise, my reputation as a good-standing senpai would be nulled."

"Deal!" Yuuji wholeheartedly agreed. Excitedly, the tip of his fingers slipped under Ciel's and he pulled her along. "Come on! You're gonna love it! I'll even show you how to play it!"

Ciel's heart skipped a beat as she was guided into the parlor. His hold gentle yet magnetic, like a prince escorting a lady onto the dance floor. His enthusiasm was infectious as Ciel found herself feeling upbeat at his cheerful mood.

Just after opening the doors into the parlor, they were bombarded with noises of the machines, colorful lights, and constant battering of pachinko balls hitting into their slots. They managed to get through security easily, without Ciel even needing to use her Suggestion Spell once. Ciel was honestly concerned at how laxed the workers were, even genuinely peeved by it, but seeing Yuuji's delighted expression, she decided to overlook the staff's carelessness for now.

She'll take full responsibility of this when she meets with Ijichi upon bringing Yuuji back. She would like to go back to the apartment with the sorcerer in training, but she'll be expecting a call from Nanami who will inform her of their back up sorcerer arriving, in which case she'll have to regretfully end her enjoyable time with Yuuji today and then make her way for the sewers. She'll make it up to him during the weekends somehow.

Ciel continued to follow Yuuji's lead, the tips of their fingers held together like hooks. She supposes Yuuji was being conscious of Sukuna but would not let that stop him from sharing his fun and joy with Ciel. She wouldn't want him to either. They searched through the parlor, passing by several Pachinko machines of different themes and style. Despite it being lunch hour, the parlor was crowded with people, prompting them to search for any machine available for them to use.

They eventually found one, somewhere at the end of the casino. Yuuji looked back at Ciel, "Do you want to try it first and I teach you how to play it?"

"That's okay. I'll watch you use it and learn that way."

Yuuji nodded and took a seat. "Okay, so first you got to put money in it..."

He began to explain the mechanics of Pachinko, Ciel nodding along as she watched him demonstrate. The little metal balls were collected and then transferred into the machine, where they drop from the top and bounce every obstacle in loud clattering. The goal was to get into the center hole, and seeing how the player can't control where the ball falls, it seemed more luck based than anything else.

However, as Ciel watched Yuuji play, he was accumulating quite the number of points, indicating that there may be a bit of skill involved and Yuuji is quite the Pachinko player, or his luck is something truly to behold. Ciel was intrigued by the level of focus in Yuuji's gaze. He'd be great at poker with a face like that. When Yuuji finished his game, he won an impressive number of points.

"I think I understand now. Let me have a turn," Ciel asked.

"Sure thing. Let me know if you need any help," Yuuji said and stood up from the chair. Ciel took his place, inputting her money and began to play the machine.

It was quite a dud at first. She couldn't get even one ball into the hole and grew increasingly miffed at each missed point, Yuuji being both patient and amused by her nonstop losing.

"Aren't there supposed to be levers to swing at those things?" Ciel asked in a soft, clearly frustrated voice.

"That's with pinball machines. They don't do that here," Yuuji held back a chuckle, and outright burst into laughter when Ciel began hitting the machine, hoping to get at least one point out of it.

"I'm very sure they've rigged this..." Ciel was absolutely convinced of that. Yuuji held his stomach as he laughed at that, wiping off a tear from his eye.

"It's alright! Not everyone can be good at this game," his cheeks was flushed with amusement, and Ciel pouted at the boy angrily.

They got a polite warning from one of the passing staff members. After they apologized, Ciel resumed her play of the machine. She took a deep breath and tried again. The second round went much better than the last. Learning from her mistakes, she began to fall into a rhythm of the machine.

"That's it! You're getting it!" Yuuji cheered, patting Ciel's head as she lets out a "Mm!", as if saying "of course!".

Soon, Ciel managed to accumulate about as much points as Yuuji, and he congratulated her. "Nice one! It just took a few practices, that's all!"

"It was only a matter of time before I become a master at Pachinko. I'll be coming for your crown soon enough, Yuuji-kun," Ciel joked.

Yuuji laughed and waved for the nearest staff member. "Come on! Let's go exchange these for prizes!"

Excited to receive the fruits of their labor, Ciel and Yuuji were guided by a staff member and broke away from the addicting game machine, carrying the earned pachinko ball points in trays. After a few more exchanges, they got their prizes.

"Ooh, neat! You got a Hachiko figurine!" Yuuji said as he saw the miniature, bronze-like statue of what may as well be the goodest boy of all Japan in Ciel's hands. Earlier, they visited the Hachiko statue to pay their respects, giving their prayers for the loyal dog.

Ciel nodded, showing her pride to win such an item, "Naturally. The ones you can rely on to the end are the disciplined and intelligent canines! Far more reliable than cats, if you ask me."

"Really? I like both cats and dogs, but I guess if it's a big dog, I'd lean into them more," Yuuji said as he patted the nose of the Hachiko figurine, smiling.

"A good choice," Ciel said, nodding approvingly. "I also like big dogs, and little dogs too, especially puppies. They're just so cute, they deserve all the cuddles in the world."

She chuckled lightly as she looked at Yuuji, "You also remind me of a big dog. With that light blonde hair of yours, you'd be a golden retriever."

"Ah, yeah?" Yuuji said, considering that for a moment. He didn't like it when Sukuna called him a dog, but since this is Ciel, he's alright with it. He also knew she was just teasing him anyway. "It'd be cool to have a golden retriever for a dog. What about you, Ciel?"

"As much as I would love to have a pet like that, I wouldn't be able to properly care for it because of work," Ciel sighed disappointedly. "Just thinking about it being all alone, waiting for me to come home. I just couldn't stand the thought."

...Okay now that definitely sounds like she's talking about him, especially while she was eyeing at him thoughtfully before she smiled away. Oh this cheeky young lady-!

"Now, what about me?" Ciel suddenly asked, looking up at Yuuji curiously. "What kind of dog breed do you think I'd be? And don't say French Poodles."

Damn, I was just gonna say that. Yuuji considered the question for a moment. Maybe a goldendoodle?

Ciel had that sweet and caring side to her. Very sociable. She was also very strong despite her looks. Calm and not as hyper, so a Labrador didn't come to mind. She could be really serious too when it comes to it. Yuuji hummed to himself thoughtfully as he pulled out his phone, "Let's see... I think out of all the breeds, you'd probably be... this one."

He showed her a picture he searched up online. Ciel looked it over, pushing back the bridge of her glasses as she did so, "A beagle?"

Yuuji nodded, bringing the phone back to him. "They're really friendly, and pretty smart too. You kind of remind me of them."

"Huh. I would think I'd be more of a harrier. Or a bloodhound," Ciel said, looking rather surprised. Yuuji was impressed with how 'big' she saw herself as. The girl then added, "Still, a beagle is a good breed. They're also hunting dogs, so that tracks."

"Oh. I didn't pick it because of that, though," Yuuji clarified and stated honestly, "I just thought they were really cute, and why they reminded me of you."

"Eh-?" Ciel looked at Yuuji, caught off guard by his reasoning. She grasped her cheeks, feeling the warmth spreading there and tried to calm herself down. "O-oh. I see..."

Yuuji nodded, finding absolutely no shame in admitting that. He just felt so comfortable around Ciel, he didn't feel like hiding anything. Ciel smiled even wider, checking her watch around her wrist.

"I think it's about time I take you to my favorite restaurant," she said. "You'll absolutely love it, and it'll be my treat too."

"I can't wait! I'm getting really hungry right now," Yuuji rubbed his stomach that let out a low growl. He was embarrassed by the sound and grew even more red when he saw Ciel's amused smirk.

"In that case..." Ciel looked at the prize at her hand and puts it in her school bag, taking Yuuji's prizes for her to carry as well. "Allow me to be your guide this time. There might be some turbulence with so many people around, so we'll have to stay close."

She walked ahead and stopped in front of Yuuji. Yuuji paused and watched as the girl smiled warmly at him, and the executor held out her hand for the sorcerer, "Your hand please, Prince?"

"Oh-!" Yuuji's eyes was alighted by the gesture, his hands raised to his chest and balled into fists in excitement. Ciel imagined him with dotted eyes and a pair of dog ears popping up at the top of his head, and she just wanted to snuggle his face at the sight of it.

Yuuji widely grinned at her, his smile reaching his eyes. "Mhm! I'm in your care then, mademoiselle."

A bubble of amusement in Ciel's chest and she laughed. Yuuji unhesitatingly reached his hand out for the girl's fingers again...

The mouth of Sukuna suddenly opened from Yuuji's hand, and the curse attempted to lick Ciel's fingers. The teens' reactions were spot on, however, and they quickly pulled away. The fun instantly gone the moment the curse made himself known.

"Sorry!" Yuuji said his apology to Ciel before his eyes flickered to his hand, grinding his teeth in anger at the mood-killing curse. "You damn bastard-!"

Can't he have a full day of happiness without this cockblocker ruining it? Maybe he should rub bath salt all over his hand. Make the curse think twice about popping up like that.

The curse stuck his tongue out at Yuuji, and the boy had enough temperament to punch his own hand. The loud smack resounded the area, but the curse had already retreated into his shell. Yuuji must have looked completely insane by startled passersby, but he didn't care, he just wanted to make his feelings known.

Ciel held a brief awkward smile at Yuuji's reaction before she held her chin in thought. "It never ceases to amaze me how petty that curse is, especially for someone who calls himself a 'king'. Have you tried wearing gloves, Yuuji-kun?"

Yuuji glared at his hand, "No. He used to not come out this often, but he's been so noisy lately."

"Hmm..." Ciel gave it a thought, and then rummaged through her school bag. "Here. I might have something that would help."

"Hm?" Yuuji looked back at Ciel and watched her take out a pair of gloves. The gloves had a white base with blue rims around the wrists, blue fingers, and blue crosses on their backs. They were really intriguing-looking gloves, with Yuuji walking closer to see them.

"I carry these around me. I can make sure they'll fit after I adjust them. Ah, but you'll probably want something without these crosses. You are a Buddhist, yes?"

"Yeah, but I don't mind," Yuuji said, walking close and looking over at the gloves with intrigue. "If it can shut this guy up, I'll try on anything. Also, those look really cool."

Ciel smiled, "In that case, let's find someplace to sit while I fix these gloves for you. It should only take a minute."

They do so by finding a bench by the sidewalk and taking a seat. As Ciel tugged the fabric to make it a little bigger for Yuuji, Sukuna once more popped out and started cursing up a storm at the two teens.

"Try and gag me all you want. That'll leave me more time to think how I'll make you two suffer. You and I especially still have a score to settle, Ciel. Next time, there won't be any interruptions."

Yuuji started smacking at the curse's mouth, but the curse kept dodging to other places around Yuuji's hands. Ciel paid no attention to the curse as she held the newly adjusted gloves over Yuuji's hands. "There, it should fit now. Let me help you put them on."

"Ah, sure," Yuuji showed his hands and Ciel pulled the first glove onto his fingers.

"I'll make it my personal mission to have you two tear each other apart-!"

Ciel silenced Sukuna upon putting the gloves on, like stuffing socks into the curse's mouth.

"I put a spell on these so that curse won't try to bite through them," the girl said. "Think of them as a muffler for an unruly hound. Though, that'd be an insult to all dogs in the world."

Yuuji snorted, holding his grinning mouth with his newly gloved hand. Of course, this was not the end of the curse's malice, as Sukuna appeared on the side of Yuuji's face, mouth splitting open into a wild grin as the curse set his eye on Ciel. "And I'll make sure to put this kid through absolute hell. You'll wish you pulled the trigger the moment you had the chance-!"

Ciel promptly and gently smacked both her hands against Yuuji's cheeks, forcing Sukuna to close up and causing the teen to blink in surprise. Magical power swarmed her hands as her deadpanned glare clearly had enough of the curse's spiels. Ciel sighed, her breath brushing against Yuuji's lips that made him tense.

"Honestly," she said, "That thing has far too much energy. I can't fathom how you're able to deal with someone like that all day, Yuuji-kun."

She kindly smiled up at the boy, "I'll bring something later to keep him from showing up on your face. This is supposed to be a fun day for us, and I won't let him ruin it. If that curse makes too much of a fuss again, you just let me know. I'll kick him straight back in."

"Y...yeah..." Yuuji's gloved hands held Ciel's upper arms, taking in the view of her up close as he felt her warm touch. "Thanks."

"No problem." Ciel said before she removed her hands from Yuuji's face and placed them over his lower arms. "Now. Who's hungry for some udon?"

Yuuji stared at her for a moment longer, and then smiled. His face completely relaxed as he regarded her specially. "Yeah! I can't wait. I'm getting hungrier by the second."

Ciel had noticed his brief dazed expression, and then realized the position they were in. Their hold around each other's arms, they look like a couple to the people around them. She overhears adoring whispers of their intimacy, and she blushed in embarrassment. "R-right! We should hurry then! Lunch hour is almost over, and they usually serve spicy chicken at this time."

"Oh! You serious?!" Yuuji looked ecstatic at the prospect, taking her by the hand once more, this time without any worry or intervening from the cursed king. "We better run then! Let's go! Right now!"

Ciel nodded, her face brightening as they stood up and hurry to the restaurant of her choosing. Their hands now joined and their fingers intertwined as they crossed the road safely.

Observing the disguised sorcerer and executor from afar, Ijichi held a handkerchief under his teary eye as he sat in his car, smiling to himself. "This is so much better than any romance shows on TV - also I really hope I'm following the right people."

---

"Whoa... I've never been in a place like this before," Yuuji expressed as he and Ciel walked into the entrance of the building.

It was an Indian style restaurant. The smell of curry unmistakable in the air. It was a little packed with people, but they were starting to see plenty of customers leaving already, coming close to the end of their lunch hour before returning to work.

"We're in luck! They're still serving spicy chicken!" Ciel said happily, bouncing with energy as soon as she took in the scent and sight of the restaurant. Yuuji matched her energy, excited to try the flavorful meal she obviously loves so much. After being seated by a waiter near an open window, they looked through the menu options and the level of spiciness offered to each dish.

"Here, Yuuji-kun. Use my point-card to get any free set of curry you like," Ciel pulled the card from her bag and handed it over to Yuuji. "If you're feeling brave, the Chettinad Chicken is one of my favorite dishes. You might sweat a bit from the spice, but I promise it's completely worth it. Otherwise, I recommend the mild butter chicken. It's not too spicy and it's simply delicious."

"All these look so good," Yuuji pondered over the selection, grateful of Ciel offering the card. He had in mind ordering more than one dish. "I think I'll try the Chettinad Chicken with some rice on the side. Oh! Here's the curry udon selection, and let's see, maybe I could also get-"

Ciel looked absolutely bewitched by Yuuji's eagerness to try out all the spicy dishes. She couldn't stop smiling as her heart danced at the sight.

They placed their orders then, with Ciel ordering the 10x spice-set curry rice dish, the Malvani Fish Curry, and Chai to drink. It amazed Yuuji how anyone, let alone this fairly petite girl, could handle such level of spice. She had about as much of an iron stomach as Yuuji, considering his tolerance to eating poisonous cursed fingers and surviving afterwards. As they waited for their orders, they chatted for a while, with Yuuji finally getting into the root of Ciel's curry obsession.

"So when did you start liking curry so much?" Yuuji asked.

"It was during my trip to India that I was finally able to try curry for the first time," Ciel answered. "Since then, I've been eating curry wherever I go, and get every chance I can to visit a restaurant that serves them."

Her cheeks were brimming with joy as she added, "Ahhh~ Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I'm still upset at my father forbidding me from ever eating curry. He just wanted to keep it all to himself!"

She huffed irately. Yuuji chuckled at her reaction, taking a sip of his served glass of cola. "Your dad sounds pretty interesting."

"Oh yes. He can be a little funny every now and then, but he's also very strict. For instance, he swore he'll kill me if I ever ate a single curry at home, or anywhere else for that matter."

"Whoa. That's really intense..." Yuuji was taken aback. Did curry kill that man's parents or something? He sounded like someone Yuuji would be terrified to meet. "You need me to hide you in case he finds out?"

"That's alright. He doesn't know, so it's fine. Plus, I'd fight him if he ever tried to take away my favorite food. I'm a very good boxer, I'll have you know."

She demonstrated this by shadow boxing, her arms swinging over the table in expertly delivered punches, which really impressed Yuuji. He couldn't tell whether she meant what she said or not, but he definitely didn't doubt that she's capable of doing it. "Scary... You think your folks would like me?"

"My mother, yes. She gets along with everybody and would have seen you as a very nice boy. As for my father, you'd probably win him over eventually, but he would have definitely tried to scare you at every turn," Cie laughed mildly, a warm smile on her face. "I'd give him a piece of my mind, though, if he ever got too mean. Don't worry, Yuuji-kun. I wouldn't have let him bully you so much."

"Whew! That's a relief to hear," Yuuji said, holding the straw in front of his lips. "Are your parents back in France? It must be tough trying to keep in touch with them while you're in Japan, with the different hours and stuff."

Ciel held a passive smile as she answered unflinchingly, "Yes. It was at first. I do sometimes chat with them on my way to school. My father isn't very tech-savvy, so my mother always has to be the one to help him. She likes to call him a slowpoke, which hurts his pride. But he always threw back how much of a loud snorer she was. It's his go-to insult whenever he was losing an argument. They know a lot about each other, more than I think they would have liked. Haha."

"Heh," Yuuji laughed along, grinning, "They sound really nice - well, your mom does anyway. You should introduce me to them! I want to know more about the people who took care of you."

A flicker of her grin dissipating, Ciel managed to keep up her mask. "Sure! Although the signal can get spotty from here sometimes, and they're always busy with the bakery. Also, I'm not so sure it's a good idea if my father finds out I'm living together with a boy. I'll always be his little girl in his eyes."

"Ah. That's true..." Yuuji relented, definitely not wanting to incur the wrath of a protective father. I wonder how they felt about Ciel's ability? Or that she hunts vampires? I better do my best to look after her for their sake.

They chatted for another moment. Yuuji asking Ciel what other countries she's been to and listened with deep interest to her visits and experience all across Europe, even America! Just then, the waiters arrived with their food at hand. The smell of the hot spice instantly caused the teens' stomachs to growl. Upon sharing a look of total understanding and no judgement, they dove right into their hot meals.

"Mm! This really packs a punch!" Yuuji said as he ate his portion of spicy curry chicken.

"Right?! You won't find a better curry restaurant than here!" Ciel proudly proclaimed, smiling widely. "I don't know anyone else who could handle this level of spice. Well, there was one person, but we've never really got along. That's why I'm happy I get to share this experience with you, Yuuji-kun. By the end of it, you'll be a curry fan for life! And I won't be so alone in my enjoyment anymore."

Yuuji beamed at Ciel's words, definitely willing to be a fellow curry-head if it made her this happy, and he gleefully ate away his meal. He picked up a spoonful of curry chicken and rice, "You want to try? I'll trade you bites with that curry you got. I don't think I've seen a sauce that dark before."

There was the Curry of Life he'd seen on Naruto, but it kind of looked unappetizing. Seeing Ciel eat up that same-looking dish with a smile, though, Yuuji was intrigued, and felt a little adventurous today.

Ciel looked eager, and without any hesitation, she accepted, "Yes! Thanks for the meal!"

She swiftly bit down onto the spoonful of food before Yuuji would offer getting her another plate. Yuuji duck-faced at her impulsive action and watched as she sat back down with a mouth full of his curry, hearing her moan blissfully with cherry-pink cheeks, her hand over her chest, "Delicious~! Ah! Let me give you a spoonful of mine next. Be careful, this is not for beginners or for the faint of hearts."

...SHE'S SO FUCKING CUUUTE! Yuuji wanted to scream out and hug her right over the table. He managed to restrain himself just barely, with tight-closed eyes and biting lips.

Ciel offered Yuuji a spoonful of her dish then. Calming himself down, Yuuji leaned forward and took a bite out of her spoon, pulling back as he chewed inquisitively at the meal to give his honest rating.

...Wait hold on! Does this make it an indirect kiss?!

Yuuji started choking on the food as soon as this thought came to his head, whipping his head to the side of the table. The spicy beef thankfully didn't get stuck in his throat, but the incomprehensible heat of the sauce did. He grabbed his instantly sweating neck and pounded his chest.

"Y-Yuuji-kun?! Are you alright?!" Ciel stood up to help the boy, but the sorcerer held out his hand, waving at her and giving a thumbs up in reassurance.

Yuuji finally swallowed down the sauce and he gasped out, sweating profusely with flushed cheeks before he let out a deep breath as he sat back into his chair. "Sorry! It went down on the wrong pipe, I think."

"Ah, here..." Ciel handed over a cold glass of water, looking as if she was expecting this to happen. Yuuji gratefully took the glass and began to drown out the lava spice in his throat, though made sure to take calmer sips of the drink as he did so.

"Maybe it was too spicy for you," Ciel sheepishly smiled.

Yuuji hastily shook his head, putting down the glass, "No! I mean, yeah, it was really spicy. I just... I kind of swallowed it down too quickly, that's all. It was really good though! Miles better than eating Sukuna's fingers."

If he had to pick swallowing down a crusty finger that tasted like soap over something that's close to lava, he'll probably choose the later, since at least he did get a good flavor out of it. And the worst to come out of that would be gas, instead of a deranged, irredeemably evil curse whose killed who knows how many people in his lifetime.

Yuuji smiled as he looked down on his food. The chicken curry rice nearly done, and there was still a bowl of udon he could still finish. Maybe he'll share it with Ciel after he gets to it. "I'm definitely inviting Yoshino-san here next time. I'm sure him and Sacchin are gonna enjoy this!"

"Yoshino-san?" Ciel reacted to the name, whereas the name Sacchin didn't immediately strike her, though it did sound vaguely familiar.

Yuuji nodded, "Junpei Yoshino. He's someone me and Ijichi-san went to interrogate yesterday. He's a real good guy. His mom is really awesome too."

"Ah. Would this happen to be the witness who was there at the movie theater?" Ciel said, hearing the name Junpei from Nanami last night. She didn't really approve of Yuuji going to confront a potential suspect of the theater massacre, but she supposed it was fine so long as Ijichi was there with him. Yuuji also seemed to be doing fine now, anyhow, though next time she'll most certainly have to accompany him.

"Yup! That's the one! We started talking about movies and our impressions of them. We even watched a movie last night before Ijichi-san had to pick me up. I sent you a text about it, but I guess you didn't see it."

"Huh? Pick you up? You weren't with him?" Ciel asked, pausing her meal of the 10x spice curry rice.

"We got separated and I ended up asking Yoshino-san if he saw anything that day. He said no and I believed him. I don't think he had anything to do with what happened. He probably just got caught up in it. Bad timing, that's all."

"I see..." Ciel had a hard time believing that, and considering how good-natured Yuuji is, well... she didn't want to be mean, but he does tend to be a bit gullible and trusting of other people. It's possible that Junpei only seemed innocent because he realized he was dealing with a sorcerer. Jujutsu High really should reconsider wearing their school emblem so openly if they want to question suspects and the like. You don't see Ciel carry her black keys in hand at broad daylight after all, let alone her work outfit.

It's also likely that Junpei Yoshino just couldn't see the curse who committed the crime, only the aftermath of it. So there may be a valid point to Yuuji's words.

"So he saw nothing at all. He couldn't see curses then?" Ciel asked.

"Nah. He can definitely see curses," Yuuji quickly answered as he continued eating his curry chicken, "He just didn't see anything at the theater."

"..."

That's simply impossible then. If a curse was responsible, then Yoshino should have definitely seen something. Unless he suddenly took a bathroom break, came back to his seat and then saw those mutilated teens in their state, causing him to run away in terror and out of the theater, as demonstrated in the video she and Nanami looked through several days ago.

"Um, Yuuji-kun?" Ciel started gently, seeing the teen look up with his mouth stained in curry sauce. She patted at her lips, signaling the teen to wipe his mouth and Yuuji did so with a napkin, excusing his messy self. "Didn't that sound strange to you? If he could see curses, then how could he not see anything that happened there?"

Yuuji shrugged. "He told me so. I didn't have anything to argue with him, so I just took his word for it."

"Couldn't he have been lying though?" Ciel slightly frowned at the teen as she presented this question, the blissfulness from a moment ago vanished.

Yuuji paused his eating and gave it a thought, looking up at the ceiling, "Hm. I guess so? I don't think he killed those guys though. I could tell he wasn't a bad guy."

"You can't base something like that off from your intuition," Ciel lectured, holding back her sigh at the teen's carefreeness. She really should have been there with Yuuji, though if she hadn't left for the sewers that day, she wouldn't have known about Satsuki Yumizuka. "Even if the person may seem harmless at first glance, that doesn't mean they're incapable of causing harm to others."

"You don't have to worry. I trust Yoshino-san, and I know he's not a killer," Yuuji said, his tone calm but firm in his belief, as he took another sip of his soda, "A guy like that, with a mom and a friend who care about him a lot, he's going to think twice before he ever thinks about taking somebody's life. If he didn't know it then, he knows it now."

"What do you mean by that?" Ciel asked, noticing the subtle change in Yuuji's eyes, her concern taking hold.

"We had a talk about it," Yuuji said, his expression becoming melancholic, "About if I was put into a situation to kill someone, I wouldn't do it. I'd be too afraid to lose my understanding over the value of life, and the people who matter to me. And I don't mean what happened with Sukuna, I mean by own free will and choice."

Ciel's eyes widened, clutching her arms as she heard such a softly given answer. An answer unbefitting of a sorcerer, even by Western standards. "What... brought that on?"

Yuuji remembered his conversation with Junpei, thinking back how it all started. "Mm. Well, we were about to pick a movie to watch, and then he asked me if I was a sorcerer."

"What?"

"I told him yes, and then he asked me if I ever killed anyone. I didn't tell the full story, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tell him I was a-"

"Please wait, Yuuji-kun."

The sorcerer stopped eating and looked back at the suddenly startled-looking senpai, as if she was just splashed with cold water. "What's wrong?"

"You said he asked you if you were a sorcerer? Has there been anyone else who introduced themselves as one to him?" Ciel asked.

"Um. No? I'm pretty sure I'm the first sorcerer he's ever met," Yuuji answered.

Ciel abruptly stood up, slamming her hands against the table as her face drew close to Yuuji's. "And that didn't seem strange to you?!"

At seeing Yuuji's surprise and confusion, Ciel briefly sighed and clarified, holding up one finger as she spoke, "Listen Yuuji-kun. You said that you were the first sorcerer he's met, and yet he knew what you were the moment you met him? If sorcerers and curses are supposed to be hidden from public knowledge, and no other sorcerer from your school has ever approached Junpei Yoshino, then the only other group who could have told him about sorcerers is..."

Her eyes widened in dawning realization as her words slowly sank into Yuuji. His eyes widened as he fathomed what Ciel was trying to say. If no other sorcerer could have told Junpei about their existence, then that just leaves...

The enemy.

I messed up.

The chair was knocked back as Yuuji stood up and Ciel had already sprinted for the door. I messed up!

The waiter had turned upon hearing hasty footsteps and saw the teens depart for the doors, "H-hold a mo-!"

"Please put the bill into my tab and deduct it from my card!" Ciel shouted at the waiter, her Suggestion Spell taking effect as the waiter slowly accepted her words, and the executor followed by the sorcerer ran out of the restaurant.

"Where is Yoshino-san's residence?" Ciel urgently asked Yuuji.

"Ah it's-!" He told the address of the Yoshino household, and the executor instantly dashed for that direction. "Wait! Ciel!"

He sprinted after the girl. Like two cheetahs breaking track records on the field. Yuuji quickly pulled out his phone and called Ijichi.

The call was answered, and the confused, worried voice of Ijichi was heard, "Itadori-kun? Why did you-"

"Get Nanami-san on the phone and have him meet us at Yoshino-san's residence! Junpei's in danger! Me and Ciel are already on our way!"

"W-wait! Please wait! I'll call Nanami-san and then we can regroup-!"

Yuuji had already hung up the phone and resumed his sprint after the speeding executor. He couldn't just sit back and wait. If Ciel's right, then they need to be there for Junpei now!

---

"-Itadori-kun? Itadori-kun!" Ijichi shouted into his phone. At no response, Ijichi hastily turned the wheel of his already started car and quickly drove into the street. He remained level-headed even at the sound of honking behind him, baring through the guilt and muttered apology as he quickly dialed the number of Nanami-san.

"-Yes. This is Nanami."

"W-we may have a problem," Ijichi started, his forehead sweating immensely as he kept his eyes on the road, "I don't know the details, but Itadori-kun called and said for us to meet at Yoshino-san's house. He said that Junpei Yoshino is in danger."

"...I'll be right over." There was no question. No break of the voice or even a sputter. The man took Ijichi's words as fact and the sounds of his footsteps was heard in the background. "If what Itadori-kun said is true, make sure he does not enter the residence alone."

"Ah, well, he's already on his way, but Ciel is with him! She just went up ahead of Itadori-kun. I-it doesn't seem like she's planning to slow down for him, though."

There was a pause, and then a strong sigh came out of the adult at the other end of the phone. Ijichi could imagine the adult rubbing the bridge of his nose. "...I'll be at the house in fifteen minutes. Follow them, Ijichi-san. Be their support."

"Yes sir!" Swallowing down his nerves, Ijichi hanged up the phone and pushed the gas pedal to go a little faster than within speeding regulations. "Itadori-kun. Ciel-san. Please be careful you two..."

---

Yuuji followed Ciel into an alleyway and watched as she quickly leapt up between the buildings, jumping all the way until she reached the roofs where she swiftly disappeared out of sights. "C-cool."

He looked over to the stairway on the side of the building and ran for it. He jumped up the railings without taking the steps once, climbing up like a monkey, until he was at the rooftops as well.

He barely managed to spot Ciel's distant figure, no more than a dot, as she rushed for Junpei's house. Yuuji sped after that direction as well, not a thought in his head except for Junpei as he leapt across rooftops after rooftops. Jumping over the gaps between the buildings by inhuman feats, and without a single breath of fear as he did so.

As he ran, he pulled out his cellphone and began to call Junpei's number. He did so numerous times, but each time, the call went unanswered and went straight to voicemail, and this stirred Yuuji's worries all the more.

Within several minutes that would normally take others over half an hour, Yuuji finally reached the neighborhood of Junpei Yoshino. He sprinted across the sidewalk for his friend's house, and when he finally arrived, he saw Ciel standing before it. Her outfit changed to her real appearance. Her long black hair returning to blue and short, and her nun outfit immediately worn.

A strong wave of terrible energy rumbled his senses, and he looked up at Junpei's house. No...

There was a blue barrier surrounding the lot, with several black keys powering them up. Within the barrier, Yuuji could see curses roaming, going in and out of the house. "Yoshino-!"

"Wait here, Yuuji-kun."

Yuuji blinked at Ciel's sudden order. He looked back at the girl as she was already heading for the door, her black keys ready at hand. Yuuji ignored her command and hurried to her side. "I'm coming with you."

"No. You need to stay out here and wait for Ijichi-san or Nanami-san." The warmth vanished from Ciel's tone and eyes. Her training as executor kicked into gear.

"They're already on their way, but I won't wait for them. I told you I can't just run away from everything." Yuuji stopped when Ciel turned to face him. Even at her dispassionate stare, Yuuji refused to back down. "I'm a sorcerer, and Junpei's my friend. I'm going in there no matter what."

"...Fine. But stay close to me. Watch my back and I will handle everything in front."

"Got it!" With that agreement, Yuuji cracked his knuckles and followed behind Ciel. Passing through the barrier with ease. "Huh. This kind of tingles."

The executor observed as Yuuji managed to bypass the barrier, the effects of it cancelling out the placed illusion she put on the sorcerer. It would have been nice for the barrier to stop Yuuji from proceeding, like hitting a wall, but it seemed his half-humanity allowed his entry. Unable to deny his presence now, Ciel took heed of all the curses roaming at the door, and she fired a few black keys at it, igniting her Cremation Rite and exorcising the curses instantly.

She then kicked down the door of the house, carefully assessing the interior before proceeding. Yuuji walked in after. Before he could call out Junpei's name, another curse suddenly appeared from behind, phasing through the walls. He swiftly punched it with a fist full of cursed energy, slamming the curse into the ground and exorcising it.

Ciel looked back to see Yuuji's unharmed state, then resumed her way further into the house. They reached the living room where it looked like a bomb had gone off, and a multitude of curses resigned in it. Large and small. Depraved and distorted. These curses couldn't be no more than Third or Semi-Second Grade. Ciel instantly flung several black keys all throughout the living room, chanting her holy mantra, and a blast of energy burns through the curses, taking out the stronger ones. Yuuji continued to guard her back and blind spots, killing and exorcising curses.

"Junpei! Ms. Yoshino!" Yuuji called out, but there was no response anywhere in the house except for the moaning of curses. He stopped when he stood in front of the dining the table in the kitchen, and saw a pool of blood there.

Ciel looked back and noticed the blood as well. She saw that flicker of dread in the sorcerer's face before he returned his focus to the remaining curses, clearing his shaken emotions and resume his fighting. The worst possibility came to mind, but it didn't stop either of them from doing their jobs. It impressed Ciel how well Yuuji was able to handle himself. His training paying off.

It nonetheless bothered her how the sorcerer had looked when he saw what could have happened here. If it is as bad as it seemed, then Ciel should have done more to force Yuuji to stay outside.

They cleared out all the curses, sensing no more in the rest of the house. At this moment of rest, they regarded the damage done to the living room.

"There's a window broken through..." Yuuji noted, "Did the Yoshinos' escaped?"

"Take a careful look at the floor," Ciel directed.

Yuuji did so, finding the glass shards scattered all around. "-! Something came from outside."

"Exactly. Curses don't have physical bodies. At least, not until recently..."

Yuuji gritted his teeth. Dammit. Dammit! He should have realized it sooner! Even if Junpei wasn't a suspect, Yuuji should have stayed with him at the thought that the killer could have gone after Junpei, to take him out for being a possible witness!

Not wanting to accept the grim scene as is, Yuuji turned back to the rest of the living room. "There has to be something that can tell us where they went. I'll-!"

Yuuji was about to head for the next corridor of the house when he was suddenly yanked back by his hood. He looked back to see Ciel giving him a reprimanding look. "Calm down. If you walk right into a dangerous curse or curse user, you're never going to help Yoshino-kun after that."

"R-right. Sorry." Yuuji took a deep breath, immediately bringing himself to a calmer state. "Thanks. I should also be watching your back. I'm sorry."

Ciel smiled gently. "Don't worry about me. That was just an excuse for me to keep a close eye on you. I can't protect you if you suddenly decide to run off. Just be more careful next time."

Yuuji felt his heart warmed by her consideration, and he nodded at the girl. "I will. Thanks again."

Ciel's smile suddenly fell as she looked back at the room. "Still, this is odd. Even if something had attacked the Yoshinos, what could have drawn this many curses here? I'm also sensing this 'stuffiness' in the air, but it feels all over the place. Was the culprit trying to cover his tracks?"

Yuuji also pondered over this, grasping his jawline. "Honestly, the last time I saw something like this happen, it was at my old school when..."

His eyes slowly widened, and he felt his stomach sink at the idea coming to him.

"What is it, Yuuji-kun?" Ciel's voice brought Yuuji back to reality. Her piercing blue eyes regard him expectantly.

"Ah, well..." Yuuji said slowly, looking down on the floor with a blank expression. "It's just that... the only other time I've seen this was when one of Sukuna's finger was involved."

"You mean, when your clubmates released the seal surrounding Sukuna's finger?" Ciel asked, having heard the details of that event from Yuuji while they were living together.

Yuuji nodded, looking back up at Ciel. "Do you think-?"

A sudden thump made noise in one of the rooms of the house. The executor and sorcerer immediately raised their guard and faced the direction of the noise.

"Over there...?" Yuuji quietly said, looking over to Ciel.

The executor's eyes remained towards the corridor. "I will take lead. Stay behind me, Yuuji-kun. Watch for any remaining curses."

Yuuji nodded. They cautiously approached down the hall, passing by a few rooms until reaching the very last room. Ciel held no fear or worry, not only due to her immortality, but experience as well. Seeing her this way, Yuuji felt confident so long as she was around.

They approached the door where the source of the noise had come from. Ciel signaled Yuuji to hang back and stay quiet. The sorcerer obliged and waited from the side of the door as Ciel stood in front of it.

She swiftly kicked open into the bedroom. Upon seeing what was inside, Ciel's eyes narrowed and walked in.

The executor approached the sole bed in the room. There was bloodstains on the sheets, and several ice bags were scattered across the floor. There was evidence that a person had been laying here before Ciel and Yuuji arrived. Someone was injured, but who?

Yuuji poked his head further in to see what Ciel was looking at. The sound of blood dripping from the side caught his attention and he turned to look up.

"-!"

A familiar figure held herself against at the corner of the ceiling. The lower half of her body sliced, missing her legs and hung only bleeding intestines. Her black hair fell over her face. The glow of her red eyes piercing between the strands.

"CIEL!"

The ghoul flung herself at the unsuspecting executor. Yuuji darted into the room and pushed Ciel, ducking the under the claws. Catching the executor by total surprise, he shoved her to the end of the room. The bed behind them shattered, the mattress split in half by the claw of the ghoul, and stuffing flew everywhere. At the touch of sunlight at the ghoul's arm, instantly catching aflame, the ghoul retracted, her spine broke into two as she flopped back like a fish.

"M..." Yuuji's eyes widened in utter disbelief as he held the surprised executor protectively. "Ms. Yoshino?"

"-ahaHAHAHAHA! Now THIS is entertainment!"

The mouth of the curse cackled from Yuuji's cheek, as the ghoul readjusted herself to turn back for the teens. She twisted her waist to face them. They hear her bones snapping as she held out her broken hand. The ghoulish, corpse-pale face of Nagi Yoshino stared at the executor and sorcerer. Blood red eyes in the dark pits of her sockets, devoid of any life. There was no recognition to the boy who stared at her in shock. She simply moans unintelligently. Her sharp fangs protruding in her wide-open mouth, which breathed no air.

Ciel quickly grabbed Yuuji's arms and pulled him away, throwing herself in front of him as his shield. "An undead-?!"

Undead? Yuuji comprehended, still staring in disbelief as he felt the sweat at the back of his neck grow cold. This woman was dead - walking and dead. This once happy-go lucky person. Who greeted him with a smile and fed him dinner. Who laughed at all his stories and jokes. Who expressed love for her son. Who dotted on Satsuki. That very same woman stood here before them, now behaving no different from a wild animal. Her desecrated body rotting in front of them. How? How did this happen? How-?

Get it together. Yuuji's mind called for his stability and focus. He had to. He heard Ciel's surprise. This was completely unexpected. He needed to be her support.

The mangled looking woman seemed keen to approach, but she was stopped by the strip of sunlight that separated them. She raised her other arm then, soaked in her own blood. Cursed energy swarmed her limb and her head craned for the two teens.

No way-! Ciel pulled the sorcerer aside as the cursed corpse tossed her blood at the teens. It splattered against the walls. The paper on it instantly rotting and crumbling away.

That technique-! Ciel pulled out more black keys as Yuuji stood beside her. "Yuuji-kun! Run!"

Ciel tossed the swords for the living deceased. The ghoulish woman, however, pushed herself onto the ceiling almost instantaneously. Dodging the black keys with shocking reaction speed, the deceased woman clung onto the surface with her claws. Her stomach pressed to the ceiling as her intestines dripped blood and swayed below her hips. Lacking the ability to walk, the dead relied on her arms to move.

Faced with another unknown and anomalous creature of the night, a supposedly low-ranking undead but with power boosts like nothing Ciel had seen before, the executor attempted to think of the best approach. However, the cursed corpse immediately flung herself for the teens. There was no thought. No strategy. The undead merely acted on instincts, no chance for allowing any critical thinking.

Ciel and Yuuji separated as the undead leapt through the bedroom doorway. Yuuji heard Ciel's warning, but he refused to run. He couldn't run from this. To run away would mean to deny the reality of it, and he refused to leave Ciel behind.

The undead Nagi twist her body back for the teens and pushed for them again. Yuuji quickly gripped onto the top of the doorframe and, with a heavy heart, swung his feet against the cursed corpse. His kick sends the woman flying at the other end of the hall and into the living room, her back smacked against the wall.

Yuuji painfully gritted his teeth and lets go of the doorframe. His heart filled with turmoil as his spirit started to shake. He didn't want to fight her, but he also knew that this was no longer Nagi Yoshino. That amazing woman would never act like this. This corpse completely possessed by bloodlust.

But he wasn't sure if he could kill her. He couldn't do that to his friend's mother's body. No person should have to die this way. No person as good as Nagi deserved to have their bodies desecrated this way.

Ciel rushed out of the bedroom door, separating Yuuji from the scene. "There-!"

Without pause, she threw five black keys. Two piercing the shoulders of Nagi, two at her arms, and one in the woman's stomach, pinning her to the wall. The cursed corpse harrowingly screeched, wildly flailing at sensation of the holy sacraments invading her body. The fight in Nagi Yoshino's character lingered within her corpse, and she ripped her right arm free from the black key.

"Jjjjjuuuuu...!"

The corpse hurtled more cursed blood at the teens. Taking Yuuji's safety a priority, Ciel rushed directly into the flying blood splatter, tanking its effects and feeling their curse effects instantly burning her flesh and magical energy. "Gnnh-!"

"Ciel!" Yuuji ran for the executor. A black key was fired in front of his feet and Yuuji stopped, surprised by Ciel's action. His shadow wasn't caught, but the message in that delivered sword was made clear.

The executor only reacted what she felt was necessary. That boy must never endure this technique. She couldn't take the chance of its lasting effects even if she were to kill the cursed corpse. There was still its parent vampire to worry about, and the extension of that vampire's cursed technique through this undead. If anyone is to risk their life, it's Ciel's, whose own life mattered little to her.

She also saw the hesitation in the sorcerer, and decided it would be her to deliver the final blow, even if he may hold resentment towards her for killing a friend of his. It would only be human of him to do so.

Ciel ignored the pain the cursed blood brought to her body and face. The executor resumed her sprint without fault, and slammed her foot onto the red handle of the sword, jamming it further into the cursed corpse's stomach.

"Jjjuuuunnn...!"

Yuuji froze when he heard this from the undead, and Ciel simply resumed her work. With a blessing, holy light bursts through the swords, and the body of Nagi Yoshino immediately burns away.

"J-j-juuunnn...pppeeeiiiii..."

The echoes of Nagi Yoshino's last thoughts as a living person, now as a broken record of a living corpse. Yuuji watched in petrified horror as he heard the dying cries of the woman, until she became nothing but ashes.

Just like that. She was gone, with not even a bone left to bury her with. "Miss... Yoshino..."

The rush of battle over, the horror of what happened settled within the boy. His mouth began to tremble, until he heard Ciel's softly given breath as she stepped back. Yuuji remembered the effects of the cursed dead's blood that burned the wall and floor. Some kind of acidic substance like in the Alien Movies, and he remembered clearly how Ciel was hit by them. "C-Ciel!"

The devastation at the death of Nagi Yoshino, he locked it away as he ran for the executor, immediately attending to her state. "Are you okay?! We got to get that stuff off you!"

Ciel was surprised to see the sorcerer standing in front of her and grasped her face. His thumb gently slid across Ciel's cheeks and wiped it away from her eyes, clearing the blood from her face with his gloved hands, and revealing her scarred, burned flesh from the attack.

"Crap, you got burned," he said, his face full of guilt as if he was responsible for this, or at the very least could have stopped it. "Hold on. Let me help you. Oh, wait, you're immortal. But it'd probably suck if it got into your eye, wouldn't it? And your wound's exposed. I'll bring you some water to clean the blood off. There might be a first aid kit somewhere too."

His face was riddled with non-stop worry, closely examining the damage done to her. Ciel pulled up her hands and held his wrists, stopping him. "...I'm fine, Yuuji-kun. The cursed blood is no longer in effect."

She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Had that cursed corpse waited until sundown and broke out of this house, this neighborhood would have been lost. A recently turned dead who had the capability to adopt the powers of the parent vampire, and able to retain it as her own. There was only one person who could have done this.

"Oh. Yeah?" Yuuji observed Ciel's face wounds and saw the burn marks beginning to fade away, reversing back to her original state. He was relieved to see her okay, until he saw the sudden change in Ciel's eyes.

"...Yuuji-kun." The executor began seriously. "You said that there was another person with you and Yoshino-kun last night. Someone by the name of 'Sacchin', yes?"

"Uh, yeah..."

Ciel lowered Yuuji's hands, and spoke with an even tone, "What did she look like?"

---

"I can't believe it. He really is alive."

In her executor garment, and with her pole arm in hand, Noel stood on top of a roof of a house as she oversaw the neighborhood. She viewed from a far, able to see through the broken window of the Yoshino household, and spotted the immortal executor holding the wrists of the vessel of Sukuna inside.

The undercover teacher of Tokyo Metropolitan High thought it was strange when Ciel suddenly decided to leave school on the basis of work. Noel didn't particularly mind it since it meant she could personally see to Roa's host herself, but something just didn't sit right with how Ciel acted, and so Noel decided to follow through her intuition and stalked the blue-haired girl. As teacher, even if a fake one, Noel figured it was within her duty to look out for her students, and in this case, her partner.

She couldn't keep up with the fellow executor for long though, their level and skills worlds apart, until Noel saw Ciel jumped across the building rooftops. Even with the girl's disguise on, Noel recognized those swift movements.

There had been another person following Ciel's tail as well, with equal finesse. He had on a disguise at the time, and so Noel didn't put two and two together, until she finally arrived at this scene, where she sat back and allowed the sorcerer and executor cleanse the household. Noel then finally got a good look at the sorcerer, who the reports stated was supposed to be dead since the detention center incident.

"Ciel... Just what are you planning?"