Coco: Hey, guys, sorry for the long wait. Last year, my laptop crashed and well, I lost everything. You'd think I would have learned by now to have backups considering this is like the second time this has happened to me. Anyway, took me a long time to get a new laptop and even then, I was still depressed over what I lost, so it took me a while to start writing again.
But I'm starting to get the itch again, and I've already posted updates for my One Piece story and my Black Clover story. And now this one!
I'll probably be going through all my works and seeing which ones I want to keep and which ones I won't be continuing. Some of the stuff I lost, I won't be able to replicate because I did a lot of groundwork for the futures of some stories and with it gone, I just...don't feel like I can continue certain stories. Because I can't remember half the shit I had planned.
But it's not set in stone yet. So, who knows, maybe I'll keep all of them. Maybe I won't. Only time will tell. Anyway, again, I am so sorry for keeping you waiting. Now, without anymore delay, let's get started.
Eiji stood next to Megumi as they were being debriefed for the latest mission. Their latest mission taking them to a juvenal correction facility and on a rainy day to boot.
"Definitely a Curse Womb." Ijichi Kiyotaka told the first years. "Our Window verified that about three hours ago. Once 90% were evacuated, the decision was made to seal off the center. All citizens within a 500-meter radius have been evacuated as well."
Eiji mentally frowned. First, they sent her and Megumi after Sukuna's finger. A mission that nearly resulted in them dying. And now, they're sending them after a Curse Womb. She was starting to think the higher ups overestimated them and their abilities or their numbers were stretched so thin that they had no choice but to use first years for such a mission.
'Or they could be trying to kill us,' she thought with a mental snort.
Her lips tightened while the corners curled upwards at the thought. Though it was unlikely they'd want to kill her or Megumi. The Zen'in Clan did technically own Megumi. Wanting to bring his curse ability back into the clan where to them it rightfully belonged.
As for her, she was the last of her clan to carry her curse ability. So, the higher ups have been trying to pick someone to marry her off to for years. Meaning she and Megumi wouldn't be on some hit list. However, there's a certain someone who most definitely is. She glanced at Yuji who was raising his hand.
"I, uh, have a question." Yuji said. "What is this window?"
"It's an inhouse term." Ijichi explained. "For unique members of Jujutsu High who can see curses. But they aren't sorcerers."
"Oh, okay." Yuji said.
Eiji had thought Yuji might be more interested to ask about the Curse Womb considering how dangerous it was. Though she supposed he had no idea that he should be concerned about it.
"Let's continue," Ijichi said. "Detainee Block 2…at present five detainees are still inside along with the Curse Womb. If the Curse Womb is the type that metamorphose, we predict it'll become a special grade cursed spirit."
While his classmates understood the meaning of special grade, Yuji was confused once again. Turning to his classmates for answers.
"Hey, so, I still don't really understand what this special grade means." Yuji confessed.
As Megumi and Nobara groaned in annoyance or gave him a look of irritation, Eiji placed her hand on Yuji's shoulder.
"Let me break it down for you, Yuji." Eiji offered. "Grade Four cursed spirits are the weakest of cursed spirits. Hitting them with a simple punch will take them out. As a spirit's grade moves from four to one, they become stronger. So, while a punch handles grade four, you'd be lucky to beat a Grade One with let's say a tank. And above that are Special Grade cursed spirits. You see one of those, you're basically dead because even a nuke wouldn't save you."
She said this with a cheerful tone and a laugh, which caused Nobara to sweat-drop. She didn't understand how Eiji could be so bubbly at a time like this.
"Wow, that is bad." Yuji said looking concerned.
Eiji nodded in agreement with him as she pat his shoulder a couple times as if trying to ease his nerves.
"Normally, a sorcerer on par with the cursed spirit would handle this." Megumi told Yuji. "And in this case, it would have been Gojo."
"That figures." Yuji said then looked around. "So, where is Gojo then?"
He hasn't seen their teacher all day, and he was the kind of guy that couldn't be missed. He stood out way too much.
"Away on business." Megumi answered. "Guy like him has better things to do than loaf around the school in the first place."
"Yeah, like travel around the world and bring back sweets for me to eat." Eiji said with her eyes practically sparkling at the thought of eating something sweet right about now.
Megumi gave her a look then pinched her cheek to get her to focus on the task at hand.
"He said no souvenirs, remember?" Megumi reminded her.
"Food isn't a souvenir." Eiji argued. "Now, let go, Megu-meanie!"
She said this with a laugh as she tried to get him to release her cheek. Megumi did as she wanted as Ijichi cleared his throat to regain their attention.
"Unfortunately, we're often shorthanded in this business." Ijichi told Yuji. "You'll often have to take missions beyond your expertise. However, this current case is an urgent one that is most abnormal, so no matter what, don't fight. And if you should encounter a special grade, you run or you die."
Yuji and Nobara both gulped at Ijichi's words as Megumi and Eiji exchanged a glance.
"Please, do not disregard your fears and don't forget your entire mission here today is strictly the verification and rescue of survivors." Ijichi said.
Eiji mentally scoffed as she looked towards the facility. There was no way that anyone was alive in there. The amount of malice she could feel from here was suffocating. Something was dark and alive in there and it wasn't a human.
"Excuse me, sir," A woman called out causing the group to turn and see a concerned parent being held back. "Where's my son?"
"Stay back, ma'am," One of their men told her. "You can't come in here. Stand back, please."
The woman continued to try and push forward, but she couldn't take another step despite how hard she was trying.
"Where's Tadashi?" The woman asked. "I need to know if my son Tadashi is alright."
The woman's desperate questioning seemed to really strike a chord with Yuji who looked as if he might cry.
"Please calm down, ma'am." The same man told her. "You must stay back. It's too dangerous."
"She's a guardian here for a visit." Ijichi told the students as he moved in front of Yuji before addressing the woman. "Please, leave, madam, it's possible that someone may have released poisonous gas in the compound. I'm afraid we can't share any more details at this time."
At his words, the woman started to sob as if she gave up the thought of her son being alive. It was sad. However, it was most likely that her son was indeed gone. That was just the hard truth.
Eiji turned away from the woman trying to ignore the sorrow and pain she was feeling. Between that woman's torrent of emotions and the malevolent vibes lingering around the compound, Eiji almost felt like she was drowning.
"Why is this happening?" The woman sobbed.
Eiji then turned to Yuji when the boy, who was sporting a very serious expression, cracked his knuckles.
"Fushigoro, Kugisaki, Akashi, we'll save them." Yuji declared.
"Of course," Nobara agreed.
Megumi just hummed before he looked to Eiji who was looking at the compound. Her could see the tension in her shoulders as she seemed to be focusing on something none of them could see or sense. He reached out to grab her wrist, which brought her eyes back to him.
"Focus on me." He said. "Don't let it overwhelm you."
Eiji stared at him silently more a moment before her curled lips relaxed and she nodded.
"I'll be okay." She promised him. "I know how to handle the flow of emotions better now. It won't be like it was that time."
She said this with her smile turning soft. Megumi studied her a moment longer before nodding and releasing her wrist. They then turned to follow Ijichi who told them it was time to go. As they headed for the compound, the churning darkness became even more suffocating. However, Eiji pushed it back because while she was certain there were no survivors to save, she still had her friends who were counting on her to have their backs. She couldn't risk losing focus.
'We'll survive this,' she told herself. 'I just have to remain focused.'
Eiji walked towards Block 2 with Megumi at her side while Yuji and Nobara brought up the rear. Ijichi remained behind them as he watched them prepare to enter the block.
"Be careful." Ijichi told them. "I'll put up my veil."
As he did just that, Yuji paused and looked up a bit surprised to see a black substance appearing in the sky and starting to spread out around the compound.
"Day's turning into night!" He said shocked.
"That's part of the veil." Megumi told him. "Since there's a residential area nearby, we use it to conceal us from those on the outside."
That and usually when it became dark, cursed spirits liked to come out and play. That was one of the first things that Satoru had taught Eiji about veils.
"Awesome." Yuji said.
"Moron." Nobara scoffed.
She knew he was kind of new to this whole Jujutsu Sorcerer thing, but she thought he could have least tried learning the basics during his off time. In front of them, Megumi brought his hands together to cast the hand shadow for his demon dogs, which he summoned. Well, he summoned one of them. Eiji smiled at the white hound who let out a howl.
"He'll let us know if the curse gets close." Megumi told his classmates.
Yuji smiled at the hound while praising it and stroking its fur, which pleased the hound who leaned into his touch. Though it soon forgot about Yuji in favor of Eiji who it turned to. It wagged its tail while making sounds that sounded like an excited puppy.
"Aw, I've missed you too, Shiro." Eiji said as she knelt to hug the hound around the neck. "Make sure you do your best in there, okay?"
The hound replied by licking her cheek affectionately, which brought a small giggle from her. The group then got ready to enter the block with Megumi and Yuji opening the doors. The hound, who Eiji insisted on calling Shiro, took point as it padded through the doorway.
"Let's go." Megumi said.
They all followed his lead, but they didn't get too far before Megumi put his arm out in front of them.
"Hold up." Megumi ordered.
Yuji and Nobara gasped as they looked up. Though this was a two-level building there were several floors in front of them along with twisting metal pipes. And as Eiji tilted her head back, she couldn't even see the ceiling. This curse was more powerful than they thought. They might be too late. The curse might have already evolved.
"What the hell is this?" Nobara questioned.
"What's going on here?" Yuji asked. "I thought this was only a two-story dorm building…isn't it?"
"Well, maybe it's a condo." Nobara suggested trying to make sense of it. "Chill out."
Eiji glanced at the girl thinking she should follow her own advice. Out of the four of them, Nobara was the most freaked out. Not that Eiji could blame her.
"The door!" Megumi suddenly called causing the others to whirl around.
However, behind them was no door. Just a wall made of iron pipes. Eiji mentally sighed. Looks like the runaway option just became complicated. Not that she thought it'd be easy in the first place when Ijichi told them to use it to keep themselves alive.
"Hey, it's gone." Yuji said. "Impossible!"
"No way!" Nobara said as she pointed. "We just came through that door a second ago!"
The two then proceeded to panic as Eiji glanced at Megumi who sighed at their classmates' actions. He looked back at Eiji in return with his gaze silently asking her to chill them out. She nodded then stepped forward to catch both Yuji and Nobara who were pacing in circles by their shoulders. They looked to her as she smiled brightly at them.
"Everything is okay." She assured them. "No reason to panic. So, why don't we all calm down?"
When the word calm left between her lips, a sudden wave of peace fell over Yuji and Nobara. Both gasped when feeling the fear and tension leave their bodies.
"Eiji's right." Megumi said once they shut up and calmed down. "We'll be fine. The dog remembers the scent of the entrance."
Yuji and Nobara both smiled at Shiro who tilted his head at them and wagged his tail a bit.
"Oh good." Yuji and Nobara said in unison.
They then prompted to shower Shiro with love and the dog wasn't shy about eating it up. They pet and loved on him while offering him treats as they sung his praises. Something that had Eiji laughing at their actions. Megumi just sighed once more wondering why he had to deal with such headaches.
"Stop playing around!" Megumi snapped at them.
"You rock, Fushigoro!" Yuji told the dark-haired boy. "You're such a pro! Thanks to you we can rescue some people and save ourselves."
Megumi seemed unsure how to take the praise, but Eiji could sense he was a bit embarrassed to receive it. And normally, that'd make her a bit happy and amused even. However, when Yuji mentioned people in need of rescuing, she mentally frowned.
"I doubt there's anyone to save." Eiji said as Megumi told them to keep moving.
Yuji looked at her in surprise and confusion as he fell into step alongside Eiji.
"Situations like this, don't typically end well." Eiji continued. "Just please don't get your hopes up, Yuji."
Yuji frowned. He knew Eiji and Megumi both had more experiences with these sorts of things. Though they were only first year students themselves. They've lived this kind of life much longer than he has, after all, which meant Eiji was probably right. However, he wanted to believe that there was at least one person left in this Block who was still alive.
"How can you say that with such a bright smile on your face?" Nobara asked Eiji. "I mean, I get it that you're like rainbows and sparkles. But how can you smile when talking about death? It's creepy."
Eiji said nothing as she picked up the pace to walk alongside Megumi who threw Nobara a look. And if looks could kill, Nobara would have dropped dead.
"Back off." Megumi said. "Akashi can't express negative emotions."
Nobara frowned in confusion at this information. Yuji, who didn't exactly know the details, had kind of already guessed as much. Or rather, he felt like something was different about Eiji. But he had never questioned it. He just kind of tried to understand Eiji and her unique way of expressing herself during their interactions.
"Let's just focus." Megumi said while not elaborating about Eiji's odd condition.
Something Eiji was grateful for because they had other things to be worrying about. Like, whatever was waiting for them down this creepy, dark hallway. Whatever it was, it felt like pure evil. And the murderous intent seeping through the walls around them, had Eiji's stomach churning.
"We need to remain alert." Eiji said as she placed her hand on the wall. "I can't pinpoint the origin, but the malice in this place is only growing thicker the farther we go in."
Megumi didn't like the sound of that one bit. But they couldn't turn around just yet. They had to try and sweep the entire block. And while he agreed with Eiji that the chance of survivors was minimum at best, they couldn't abandon their mission. They went down a few more halls and even traveled up and down a few stairs before coming to an open area made of concrete.
Megumi came to a halt first with Eiji stopping alongside of him. She felt her stomach churn even more violently when seeing the dead detainees in the corner. Yuji and Nobara, who caught up to the pair, noticed them almost immediately as well. As Eiji counted the corpses from where she stood, Yuji ran over as if he had even a sliver of hope that one of the detainees might be alive.
"Horrible." Nobara said as she brought her hands against her chest.
She knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight, but she wasn't expecting their bodies to be so mutilated.
"There's three of our missing." Eiji whispered to Megumi. "I think."
"Looks like three." Megumi agreed.
Though it was hard to tell considering the shapes of the bodies. One of them being rolled into a ball of mostly stripped bones.
"Let's take this body back with us." Yuji, who was crouched next to the body that only contained a torso and a head, said. "This is that woman's son."
Nobara went to protest considering the boy wasn't whole but trailed off uncertain what to say.
"His face isn't too mangled," Yuji said. "How will she accept his death if we can't show her a body to prove it."
While Eiji knew Yuji meant well, his request was unreasonable considering their situation. Also, she knew of a certain someone, who was marching towards Yuji, who would refuse to take back the corpse. Yuji gasped as Megumi jerked him back from the body by his hood.
"We still have to find and verify two more." Megumi reminded the pinkette. "Leave that body behind."
"That makes no sense." Yuji argued. "The way we got inside isn't even there anymore. We won't be able to come back for it later."
"I didn't say we'd come back." Megumi told him. "I said leave it behind. I'm not about to risk my own life for someone I had no intention of saving in the first place. So, forget it!"
Yuji looked at Megumi in shock as their two female classmates stayed back. Yuji then turned towards Megumi to grab the ravenette by his collar.
"You had no intention of saving him?!" Yuji asked in disbelief. "Are you kidding?"
"It's a juvie detention center and as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, I had access to information about this guy." Megumi told Yuji. "Tadashi here hit and killed a little girl on her way home from school while driving without a license. And that was his second offense. I know you're keen on this idea of saving lots of people and guiding them to proper deaths. But think, how are you going to feel when someone you save goes on to kill someone else later?!"
As Yuji glared at Megumi, Eiji felt that malevolent feeling growing closer…growing larger. It had her eyes glancing rapidly around the space they were in as her hand reached towards her sword.
"So, why'd you bother saving me then?!" Yuji demanded.
"You both need to cut it out!" Nobara snapped at them. "What the hell is wrong with the two of you?! Are you guys both idiots?! This is hardly the time and place to be acting like—ah!"
Nobara gasped as a dark, shadowy pool opened and swallowed her through the floor. Eiji jumped backed away from the shadow as Yuji stared in confusion at what happened.
"Kugisaki?" He called out.
Megumi stared in horror that their classmate vanished before their eyes. However, the demon dog should have warned them. It should have sensed the curse. Megumi looked around for said dog before his eyes landed on what remained of the hound, which was just a head. A head that was caked against the wall.
"Itadori, Akashi, time to run!" Megumi ordered. "We'll find her later. Right now we—!"
Both boys gasped when realizing it was too late. The cursed spirit was right next to them. Eiji was frozen in place when feeling the murderous intent rolling off the cursed spirit. Its power was unimaginable.
'I have to move!' Eiji mentally shouted at herself. 'I must save Yuji and Megumi! They're too close to that thing!'
She didn't train as hard as she did to lose anymore of her loved ones. She had to move…she had to fight. Before she could take the first step, however, Yuji snapped out of his stupor. He shouted drawing his borrowed blade to slash at the cursed spirit. However, the only damage done was done to Yuji who lost his hand, which fell at Eiji's feet along with Maki's blade.
"Ita…dori…" Megumi murmured in horror.
Yuji stared at his now handless arm for a moment as if it hadn't sunk in yet that it was missing a hand. However, his brain finally caught up to what happened, he cursed. Still showing tremendous calm despite the situation. Eiji swears the boy isn't human with how he reacts to these kinds of situations.
"Both of you move!" Eiji called as she ran forward. "Unless you want to get hit."
Megumi was the first to react as he grabbed Yuji and jerked the pinkette out of the way. Said boy gasped as Eiji, who coated herself in dense red energy, launched herself at the cursed spirit.
"Eiji, no!" Yuji shouted.
He could only see Eiji losing a limb like him if she tried to attack the thing head on. He didn't want one of his friends to be hurt like that. However, as Eiji whirled around and kicked out her foot at the cursed spirit's head, Yuji was surprised when the cursed spirit actually budged. Not by a lot. Maybe only an inch or two, but the point was that Eiji could touch it without a limb of hers being severed. Said girl landed on the ground before the spirit who was patting its cheek. The one she had struck.
"I was hoping to knock you back away from my friends." Eiji told the cursed spirit as she grinned at it madly. "But you're just too tough for that, huh, you damn curse?"
The cursed spirit only giggled as it leaned forwards Eiji with that creepy smile of its growing as if to match the one Eiji wore. The cursed energy around Eiji traveled through her arms and then into her hands where it forced a crackling, condensed ball of cursed energy. The red energy darkened…turning black the denser it became.
"Let's see how you handle this," Eiji said as the cursed spirit seemed to watch curiously.
Obviously, the dark being didn't think it had anything to fear from Eiji or her friends. Which was fine with Eiji if it stood still. Less work for her on trying to pin it down or try to avoid any lethal blows it could inflict.
"All the negative emotion I've felt in the last week all reduced into this little ball." Eiji told the spirit. "Now, Negative Impact."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the cursed energy released and the blast it created was enough to put a cluster bomb to same. Yuji and Megumi were ducked inside the tunnel they had come through to try to save themselves from the explosion. As the entire foundation around them seemed to shake and rubble fell from the ceiling, Yuji's heart hammered against his chest. Once it all died down, Yuji released the breath he was holding.
"I had no idea…no idea Akashi was that strong." Yuji said as he was taking off his belt to wrap around his wrist to control the bleeding flowing from the stump. "Do you…do you think she killed it?"
"No…" Megumi said. "But you need to move. She did that to give us a chance to make a run for it. You're injured and you need to go. I'll stay with her."
Yuji went to protest, but Megumi was already rushing out of the tunnel to help Eiji before the words could come out. However, when Megumi paused right outside the tunnel with an utter look of dismay on his face, Yuji knew something was wrong. Megumi's lips moved but no words came out as he continued to stare at whatever was before him.
Yuji felt a huge ball of dread form in his stomach and tighten. Yuji moved out from the tunnel with his own eyes widening in horror. The area was nearly destroyed. The bodies of Tadashi and those other two students reduced to chunks. The walls and floor were also cracked and crumbled. However, the cursed spirit didn't even have a mark along its body.
It didn't even look fazed as it was giggling dementedly with its hand shoved through Eiji's torso. Blood seeped from the wound as Eiji dangled above the ground with her eyes seeming to dim by the second. No words came to Yuji as he felt his entire body run cold. However, Megumi seemed to finally find his voice as he let out a panicked shout.
"EIJI!"
Coco: And there you have it! Another end to another chapter. I do hope you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next update.
Now until next time, remember to keep being your beautiful selves and stay safe out there!