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Chapter Summary: On the murky day of Maijima, The Clementine Movement declared their war against the MJSA after a devastating personal death of one of their own. Amid the rising calamity within this rainfall, several old players, alongside new ones, made a certain move to fulfill their own twisted and general objectives.
People like to say that the Human conflict is between good and evil. The real adversity is between truth and lies.
— Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (1997)
Grand Auditorium of The Clementine Movement HQ [09:30 AM]
At the beginning of a new dawn, a single man, who's standing on the stage of the auditorium wearing a black haori hakama with a crest of Clementine symbol on his back was yelling at his followers with a tone so fearful, it brought pure terror to anyone who heard it.
He's known as the Head of The Clementine Movement, Sanzo Fukuhara.
"The Maijima Jujutsu Sorcerer Alliance has pulled off the final straw! Over these past months, they have been killing our members mercilessly left and right, oblivious to the consequences they have ignited to us! For a long time, we only did what we should have done, to defend ourselves from a menace we once thought of as our allies!"
Sanzo yelled even harder, thus making other members of his organization to clench their teeth harder.
They have one objective in mind.
"We never wanted a war! We never longed for this tragedy to happen! We just wanted prosperity and to bring an era of harmony within the Jujutsu Society in this city! They're the ones who launched their first attack! They're the ones who've been slaughtering us like pigs! Many of our own have perished at their hands, and just recently... my dear son is one of them!"
Afterward, he took out a sword that was in his waist handle, which Sanzo charismatically lifted with his right hand. There's no time for his tears to fall.
For him, the time for revenge is now.
"Ino's death is a harsh reminder to us all that only by war could this bloody conflict of ours would end! No more standing still and safeguarding ourselves from an enemy that has already given no mercy as their absolute answer! No more of us to hold back and let them decide our fate! NO MORE SILENCE AND MERCY FROM US, THUS, GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO STOMP US LIKE AN INSECT!"
Followed by his tenacious speech, The Clementine Movement members roared as they agreed openly with everything he stated.
"FOR TODAY, THE TIME OF ASSAULT HAS COME! FOR TODAY, I, SANZO FUKUHARA, THE HEAD OF THE CLEMENTINE MOVEMENT, PROCLAIMED, A DECLARATION OF WAR TO THE MAIJIMA JUJUTSU SORCERERS ALLIANCE!"
Enthusiastically cried from on top of his lungs as Sanzo announced it, his followers started to yell even louder with them screaming with fury.
WAR! WAR! WAR!
Their howling was powerful enough to make the entire world tremble from their steadfastness.
I will avenge you Ino, you have my word. He looked upon the future with his red eyes bearing a fire that could melt a nation away.
Meanwhile, Hiyori could only stand still in the very left corner of the auditorium, watching the scene intently with a little bit of a smile on her face, thinking that this uprising escalation had exceeded way beyond her imagination.
For the equality of society. She solemnly said in her heart, a lesson and ideal that has been engraved in her mind and soul.
However, without her noticing, one boy with long spiked black hair successfully infiltrated the secret meeting, with a shocked expression that he maintained perfectly. Thus, not ruining the neutral look on his face.
This isn't good! The situation is worse than I imagined! He sets one goal in mind. I must inform Itadori and Kugisaki about this!
And henceforth, he immediately fled the scene without no one ever realizing the wiser.
Before everyone's ignorance in their daily lives in Maijima City.
A raging storm that's about to approach the city vividly.
Without any warnings.
Without any signs.
An old tragedy from the bygone past.
Led to a horn of war that erupted resoundingly.
Created an origin that will become the start of it all.
Is about to commence.
Rain That Once Flows Coldly: Survivors and Hollow Victory
Chapter III: The Aperture of the Promised Chaos
A Few Days Before, Maijima Private High School Main Building A, Within the Boys Restroom [10:38 PM]
In a pivotal situation where his life is on the line, the dangerous threat has entered the area where Keima is hiding.
"W... hE... rE... Ar... E... YO... u...? " The Cursed Spirit asked creepily in search of Keima. " Pl... Eas... E... S... Ho... W... Yo... Ur... SeL... veS..." It continued as its tone became more apathetic with each second passed.
Dammit, it's here! Keima exclaimed frustratingly in his mind as he tried not to make any sound while hiding in one of the bathroom stalls.
Act I: Cold Serenity in Distant Memory
There's a moment of silence, at least for five seconds. That is before the Cursed Spirit began to speak out.
"Hi... DiNG... I... S... U... sE... LeSS..." The Cursed Spirit said ambiguously, before exclaiming with a horrifying scream. "CaU... SE... I... KnO... w... You... Re... HE... RE...!" It then began to crush the door stall one by one, with its hard-piercing legs.
The sound of its menacing smash echoed throughout the restroom, as a restless search for the boy whose fear exceeds its limit, has reached a turning point.
With both of his hands holding his mouth while a bit of sweat was dripping from his forehead, Keima looked into his right perspective with frightened eyes, where the monster mercilessly destroyed the stall doors one by one.
It was at that moment he understood that all of his plans to flee had burned into ashes.
"CO... mE... Ouuuuu... TTT!" The Cursed Spirit screeched sinisterly. Out of six stalls in the Boys' Restroom, two of them have been destroyed.
To give it an overview, Keima is hiding in the farthest corner of the stall. And like a rat trap with a cat, he realized there was no escape anymore.
This is it. This could be his last moment.
I never thought it would come to this. Underneath his frightened hands that were covering his mouth, Keima commenced snickering uncontrollably while his heart was aching badly.
And here I'm about to die in the most pitiable death possi— His brain process was cut off abruptly.
"OOOOOuuuu... TTT!" And that was because another scream was roared as the Cursed Spirit destroyed another three stalls with its sharp legs at once.
Thus with that, there's only one stall remaining.
"Aar... EE... Yooo... UUU... III... nn... Th... He... Err... EEE...? " The Cursed Spirit's terrifying eyes fixated on the last stall. " M... Y... fr... iE... Nd...?"
H-He knows I'm here... Keima felt frustrated as he kept his remaining logic to the maximum.
All while the time ticked slowly in the natural process.
N-No, no, no! This can't be it! I-I can't die here! He tried to reject reality, but nevertheless fate has other plans for him.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
The sound of loud footsteps began to embrace its last sight.
But… Suddenly, Keima began to have a revelation of his own. Maybe this is a penance for everything that I've done...? He thought back on the many events that have happened to him which led him to this very moment.
Starting from him romancing the target of the conquest; manipulating and lying to them, to shattering the hearts of pure girls who really developed feelings toward him. Keima never truly appreciated the several people who have helped him in his conquest for the better. Far worse, there was once that one time when he failed to acknowledge the threat that targeted the conquered girls in search of the Goddesses, which led to Kanon's fatal injury.
Especially when he failed to differentiate the Host of the final Goddess, causing him to have his first love crushed by the epitome of his lies.
That was it, wasn't it? Is it because I'm a terrible person? The more he thought about it, the more he realized how his sins outweighed the good intentions he has had. This caused Keima to feel more dejected than ever before.
It's not just about Chihiro. It's about them too. He tried to relive it all. All the girls that he romanced; all the moments that he shared with them. Although it was his duty as Elsie Buddy to save them; even though most of them couldn't even remember.
They were friends that I couldn't have before. The reality is nothing like the ideal world he dreamed of.
However, in the end, it was that reality that brought Keima to finally understand the meaning of bonds.
And I threw them all away like they were nothing more than heroines in my games. The truth was exposed.
He smiled bitterly to himself.
It hurts. But at least those girls could move on, even without me. Keima tried to be positive for once.
My family too. They deserved better than me. He clenched his hands as hard as he could.
But I-I... A drop of tears began to fall from his eyes.
I still wanted to keep walking with everyone else... His sorrow couldn't be contained anymore. It was just too much for him to hide his negative emotions after everything that had happened to him.
Mom... Dad... Elsie... Haqua... The image of his mother, father, adoptive sister, and his ally flashed through his mind.
Everyone... Chihiro, Ayumi, Kanon, Shiori, Yui, Tsukiyo, Tenri, and lastly the Jupiter Sisters; their image also flashed before Keima's eyes.
Please... In full regret and pain in his heart, he muttered the four words he would never think to say purely from the bottom of his heart.
Forgive me... for everything… And with that, he has accepted his fate at the hands of the monster.
Before the Cursed Spirit rushed into the last stall with full conviction, an unknown voice interrupted its path to glory.
The moonlight illuminated his dark figure sinisterly.
"So here you are." The mysterious man with a calm voice wearing a black hood looked upon the monster that was about to make its move.
"Y... oUU... a... Ree...?" He does not respond to its question. Instead, only smiling before he sheathed out from his clothes, a Corrupted Blade fused with Cursed Energy.
This caused the Cursed Spirit to be enraged. "DDD... On... T... I... nNN... T... eErr... U... P... Tt... M... EE—"
However, before the Cursed Spirit finished its words, the man made his first move.
And without mercy slashed through its head and abdomen, killing it instantly.
"Don't get in my way. Your purpose is over." The Man in a Black Hood expressed his disgust toward the Cursed Spirit as he walked over its corpse and headed straight through the last stall with a stained blade in his hand.
After hearing the sound of a blade slashing throughout the room, Keima couldn't help but wonder what had happened beyond the stall door.
What... just... happened? He has prepared to die, but an unexpected event that occurred earlier seemed to diminish that possibility a little.
I-Is that monster dead? But who could d— Suddenly, the answer to his confusion appeared in front of him, with the stall door being forcibly opened by the man wearing a black hood. I 've locked the door! How is he able to do that...? Confusion lingered within him, but not for very long.
"Hello, Keima Katsuragi." The Man in a Black Hood spoke apathetically. His mannerism embodies the sense of calm and hunger for targeted blood.
But even so, Keima could only look at him in his yellow eyes. He only has one question for the man in front of him.
"W-Who are—" Unfortunately for him, that nerving question of his will never be answered.
As the reason for that, the man dispensed his personal introduction and swiftly moved his right hand; the hand where he holds his blade…
And stabbed him in the chest devoid of any hesitation, long before Keima could finish his question.
Wh-What the... It took Keima a few seconds to realize what just happened. Huh...? He looked below his body only to see that his school uniform was now stained in blood, with a blade pierced through him.
His eyes were now pure shock and terror.
But that's not all.
Immediately after, the pain suddenly started to kick in, forcing him to drop down on his knees and screaming instantly in agony.
"ARRGGGHHH!" With his blood starting to flow from a lethal wound caused by the blade, the Man in a Black Hood got closer to his ear, whispering a statement of false reassurance in advance of stabbing him two more times later.
"Shhh... this act of mine is nothing sort of personal. At least, I want you to know that before you die in the highest regards, Savior of the New Devils." Even if the pain was overwhelming, Keima could discern a strange title that was given to him.
Savior of the New Devils? Nevertheless, he has reached his limit. "Wa-Wait! Hold... on! Just wai—" And his implore for mercy was ignored.
Nothing could wait for the Grim Reaper to take the life of a young boy who's full of sin and misery.
As two more fatal stabs were inflicted upon him continuously.
"ARRRGGGGGMPHHHHHHHH!" The Man in a Black Hood isn't going to let him scream for the second time. He forcefully put his hand into Keima's mouth so that no one could hear his painful scream.
"MPPPHHHHH!" No matter how long the boy tried to resist, it was useless in the end.
A minute later, after the man has done with his sinister deed, he just stared at the wounded boy with an empty look of remorselessness, clenching his blade firmly that drops the God of Conquest's blood every two seconds.
For Keima himself though, there's only nothing but agonizing pain and suffering as the result of this ruthless person.
It hurts... it hurts... it... He couldn't even finish what he wanted to express. He just couldn't.
Because right at this crucial moment, his ability to speak has been taken away from him.
His consciousness faded away drastically, as well as his own heart started to stop beating significantly.
On that fateful night…
Keima Katsuragi has died after his heroic deeds with the Jupiter Sisters.
Act II: Tranquility on the Day of Normality
Present Day, Keima's Bedroom [11:25 AM]
It's been three days since the Mai-High Festival and the horrifying incident that no one knows which took place after it. Right now, everything should seem back to normal.
But of course, for Keima that essence of normality isn't going to see such a shed of light ever again.
As he sits on his gaming chair while staring at his six-off monitor screen in front of him, he wonders about the enigma of an event that has adjusted his perspective to this reality completely.
Back on that night, I was supposed to die. No… I was dead by the hands of my Dad's murderer. I shouldn't be living at this moment. But, here I am... looks like a supposed miracle does indeed exist for those who aren't foolish enough to believe them. In just one day, he learned so much that it was enough to change a man.
For he has seen a different side of such a hidden threat. Much like Yin and Yang, the world that he is affiliated with now is a very dangerous one; one in which the enemy could appear at any time.
But that's not what bothers him the most.
Gojo and those people. The MJSA and The Clementine Movement. Right under the noses of everyone. All this time, such conflict is happening within this city. And I'm taking a major part of it, even without realizing all of those factors in the first place. Grasping a conflict involving him and his father's legacy, he felt powerless even though the two sides had never emerged and interfered with his life before.
That is until...
The one who killed my Dad. Keima still remembered it. The moment when that person called him by an unfamiliar title.
He called me the Savior of the New Devils before stabbing me. Gojo said he took care of him, but who actually is he? What is his connection with my Dad, and how the Hell did he know about me saving the New Hell in the first place? In his mind, there are still a lot of things that don't make any sense.
Personally, he wanted to dig even further. But realizing the fact that he's now wanted by the opposition of a faction that was blamed for his father's death, it became very clear that he needed to make his move slowly but surely.
Damn it! Why do these dangerous flags keep on occurring!? Although at this point, it's anybody's guess why he always becomes the center of unwanted attention in both worlds. He knew he couldn't always run away from his reality.
That's why he decided to face it head-on. But by the time he forced himself to confront the world of the Real, the result of his foolish bravery was nothing more than what he expected.
The fallout of his old conquest.
And the emergence of a hidden world he never thought existed.
"Dad... what should I do?" Keima asked a person he knew he would never see again. He's at a loss for what to do. But he can't help it to try and seek help from a man who is his family.
However, just by having that thought, he felt a pain like no other.
Knowing that his father has gone forever.
Felt depressed all over again, Keima looking down as he covered his face with both of his hands. No one could cheer him up. No. In fact, he doesn't want anyone to know about his internal struggle. Not even his once Demon-now-turned-sister, Elsie.
Within a secluded room where only he exists; surrounded by natural light from his window and isolated from anybody else. This is where he truly wanted to be for now, to be alone for as long as it takes.
Standing on the other side of the room is a girl with long black hair and a pink bow. Her beautiful blue eyes just gaze at Keima's bedroom door, as she's very much worried about his mental condition.
"Nii-sama, please open the door... you haven't gone out of your room for three days straight..." The girl, Elsie Katsuragi, begged nicely to her brother.
"Go away, Elsie!" Keima exclaimed furiously, even though he doesn't know why he went upset at her.
"Bu—" Her words were cut off by Keima in an instant.
"Just go! I still... need some time... alone..." Keima used a tone that's rare for him to use; a sincere one at the end.
"Nii-sama… o-okay… I'll leave…" After hearing her brother's icy rejection, feeling defeated and with no words to say, Elsie walked away from his door in complete disappointment.
Before looking back at his room for one more time in full worry.
Nii-sama... what has gotten into him lately? Is it because of his circumstances with Chihiro-san that he refused to deal with reality anymore? She asked herself in search to find another rational reason for her brother's deep depression.
Elsie knew how coldly Keima rejected Chihiro after he painfully realized there was no Goddess inside her. Besides, she was the one who told her that after the Mai-High Festival was over.
By that point, Elsie was kind of mad at how her Buddy treated her dear friend that way. But expectedly, her anger perished in an instant after she witnessed how hurt Keima was after he did such a terrible thing a day later.
However, it still doesn't make any sense. Based on her pure knowledge, Keima isn't the type of person who easily be broken with that particular certainty. He's cold and calculating. Furthermore, Keima held very little to the value of people's divergence from his considered haven reality in games.
So considering what state he's in now, there must be something else.
Something that he doesn't want to reveal to her.
A new hidden, twisted truth that will affect everyone around him.
Nii-sama is always secretive. He never revealed his true emotion to anyone, except when expressing his love to fictional girls in gam— After a few seconds, Elsie stops her walk as her eyes widen in realization. Wait, could it be...?
She then took out her phone from her pocket and opened up a piece of certain news; information regarding a mysterious attack in Maijima Private High School that happened three days ago. Are you involved in this, Nii-sama...?
She wondered curiously, not realizing how much her assumption was right.
Unknown Room, House Beside the Katsuragi Residence [11:30 AM]
As Keima's spending his private time to let his hidden emotion into the abyss, a certain childhood friend of his was having a discussion with her other close friend in a closed room.
It appeared that both of them were concerned about something.
"Diana..." The frail girl said to her friend Diana, one of the six Jupiter Sisters, in a mirror that reflected her figure.
"I know Tenri," Diana responded calmly to her, revealing the one she spoke to be Tenri Ayukawa. "It's about Katsuragi-san, isn't it?"
"Yes..." Tenri muttered in a low tone as she nodded in sadness. "It's been three days since he showed himself at the festival. I'm worried about him." She put both of her hands to her chest as she looked downward. "But more than that… ever since the attack on his school went public, I can't seem to help that..."
Diana knew what Tenri was about to say next. "He's involved with that mysterious attack?" Her question pierced through her Host's thoughts, leading her to answer with honesty.
"Y-Yeah... what if those terrible Devils that targeted you along with your sisters were still in this city and decided to target Keima-kun as revenge when the festival concluded that night?" It was a terrifying possibility for her.
"That's not possible." Diana immediately rejected that idea bluntly. "Vintage should be no more after we put an end to their devious plan. Even the Higher-Ups from New Hell have confirmed that everyone from Vintage has been arrested, and their organization has fallen to ruins." In her heart, she wanted to believe that is true.
More than that, that should be the only truth.
However...
What if they lie? It's not the first time the Devils have betrayed the Goddesses. The trust between the two sides is now more non-coherence than ever. If Vintage is still active, even faintly…
Potentially, another worse scenario for the Goddesses could occur once more.
"You could be right, Diana." Amid her thoughts, Tenri gave a cute smile after she heard her words. "But if it weren't them, then who could do something that devastating, I wonder...?" Now the real question surfaced for both girls.
"I honestly have no clue either," Diana admitted to her. "And it was right after us, the Jupiter Sisters, fully reunited." She couldn't help thinking that there's more than meets the eye. "Could it be a mere coincidence?"
"I don't think so… remember that strange man who was with Keima-kun from days ago? He never talks to other people, let alone someone who has no business with him since he's always busy playing games every day..." It was a cold truth concerning her crush. "So... it's strange that... that man could talk to him so easily, and..."
She still remembered that facial expression. One that truly struck her heart and made her realize that something has gone terribly wrong for Keima. "His sad face... Keima-kun looked so broken..."
"Tenri..." Diana muttered lowly as she watched her beloved Host about to cry. "It's okay..." She tried to reassure her as she smiled gently from within the mirror.
Which in return successfully calmed Tenri down.
"I... I'm sorry, Diana." She tried to smile once again. "I've got sidetracked from our topic again..." However, her beautiful blue eyes told otherwise. "It's just that I've never seen Keima-kun in such despair before..."
"...I understand," Diana closed her eyes as she said with a slight grin. "You truly loved him, didn't you? If only he loves you back..." That's one of many things that she hated about Keima. He never accepted Tenri's true feelings, even though it was clear that her love for him was pure.
"It's okay. It's his choice after all." She said in understanding with a soft smile. "I don't want to force my feelings on him, supporting Keima-kun is already enough for me." Verily, how much of an Angel could one girl be? It's sometimes surreal. "Bu-But let's leave that matter aside for now!" Tenri quickly brushed off her embarrassment. "What I'm trying to say is... that weird man has his intention on Keima-kun."
"Intention?" Diana went confused for a moment.
"It's just a feeling... but I don't think he has bad intentions," Tenri responded meekly. Even though she had her suspicions, it doesn't mean that it is a bad one. "From the way they talked to each other, it appeared that man tried to cheer up Keima-kun..."
Hearing her Host elaborating on her reason, Diana knew for a long time that Tenri was a very smart and observant girl. But to think she could reach one solid conclusion from only observing a person she had never met within a limited period is honestly pretty impressive.
Thus, after a while, Diana suddenly reached an answer to their enigmatic question. "I think I finally cracked it."
"Huh, you do?" Tenri asked as her sudden response surprised her.
"It's only my speculation," Diana began her theory as her eyes showed a sign of seriousness. "From the alignment of time when the school was attacked, to the arrival of Katsuragi-san and that man, I think he's involved in yet another sinister situation from the moment he tried to return home from his school."
At first, Tenri felt disturbed as her expression began to darken. "Si-Sinister? You can't mean..." But by then, she's also realized the same thing as her closest friend. "He was indeed got attacked...?"
"I'm afraid he could," Diana answered calmly, not even hesitating for a minute. "We knew Katsuragi-san was at the school rooftop that night. But beyond that, I assume he would go home early the moment 2-B Pencils' song was finished."
She and the other Goddesses were also going to the festival. And at that moment, when Diana, Vulcan, and Minerva flew up to the stage they saw Katsuragi, which they assumed he was there as a shadow audience.
That's why they left him alone. The other hosts knew nothing about that fact, except Chihiro herself and of course, Tenri, who was conscious the whole time.
"However, taking into account that Katsuragi-san only arrived at his house at dawn. The only reason that would make sense is that a matured Weiss ambushed and someone saved him." If that's the truth, she couldn't help but feel like a failure. Not because she was once in love with him. But rather, he's the one that saved her and her sisters from the brink of death.
"Someone?" Tenri is trying hard to put the pieces of the puzzle back together. "Do you mean that Keima-kun was saved by that man?"
"He could be," Diana answered straightforwardly, feeling certain for her own hypothesis. "But even with that, there are still some missing pieces that we haven't had yet." The more she dug deeper, the more she noticed a troubling event that happened back on that very night. "The connection of that man to Katsuragi-san's, and if it were exactly Weiss that attacked him. What if—"
"Um... Diana... I know this sounds, um... impossible... but could it be... there are other supernatural forces involved in this... mystery...?" Tenri wondered as she couldn't help her curiosity.
"Other supernatural beings than us? That's not possible, it is—" Promptly, Diana widened her eyes in silence for a second, causing Tenri to worry a bit for the Goddess of Strategist.
"Di-Diana?" By her looks, it seems Diana has realized something very important.
"Tenri..." She looked her straight in the eyes. Her face went pale instantly as she began to remember something horrifying. "It could be possible after all..."
"...What do you mean?" That was her sole reaction when Tenri heard that unexpected response.
"I… remember a certain memory from a war that occurred a long time ago," Diana spoke as she tried to remember a tale that has happened centuries before. "Such as the existence of a group called the Jujutsu Sorcerers."
And just like that, it looks like Gojo was wrong when he thought that the Goddesses had forgotten about them after they did their sacrifice after all.
Sumire-Ya Chinese Restaurant, Shopping District, Narusawa City [11:33 PM]
Meanwhile, at the time when the pair between the Host and the Goddess is about to unravel the mystery of Maijima Private High School's wicked attack. Within another city, a frantic visitor about to crash his friend's part-time job at the district's most famous ramen restaurant.
But before that...
"YUJIII!" A girl screamed at her co-worker, who was busy servicing the many customers. "Anoooother~ ordeeeeer~ for Sweet Rameeenn Level 7!" She wore a black cheongsam qipao, highlighting her maturity and beauty among many within the restaurant.
"Okay, I hear you!" A familiar voice could also be heard. He was cooking at lightning speed to fulfill the customers' continuous orders. "One Sweet Ramen Level 7 at ready, Uemoto!" He said in a hurried tone, revealing the girl he was talking to, to be Sumire Uemoto, as well as himself to be Yuji Itadori.
"Roger that~!" Although the distance between them was close, she said loudly enough for all the customers to hear her.
Truly, the situation could be called a sea of hungry people. But by no means it's chaos. Yuji and Sumire were handling their job so extremely well that most people would think that they could be the next power couple in the Ramen Industry.
For the next three hours, they served more than 55 people with everything that they've got.
Of course, that's just the beginning. With more people lining up to taste the Store Sumire's famous menu: Sweet Ramen. This particular day has proven to be their most busy day yet.
However, it's because of that busyness that a distant visitor would shatter that balance of productivity before the end of their work hour.
A Few Tense Minutes Later
Break time for the employees has arrived, and both individuals couldn't be more grateful for this miracle.
"Nee... that was... quite a ride, wasn't it... Yuji?" Sumire asked him as her breath was heavy because of her tiredness. Both of them were now resting in the break room.
"Yeah... that sure was..." Even Yuji couldn't keep up anymore as he replied in honesty.
"Thank you for covering my father's absence… I don't know what I would do if you... weren't around to help me today..." Feeling indebted, Sumire bowed her head to Yuji even though she was in a state of exhaustion.
"It's no big deal..." Yuji assured her while still breathing hardly. "Besides, we're co-workers after all..."
That kind of response was expected for Sumire. "I know, but still...! Thank you so much...!" She was once again grateful for his action and smiled in the process.
Her smile is too innocent, even for Yuji.
"After this is over, let me treat you to my new recipe of ramen as my way of paying for your generosity! I'm sure you'll love it!"
And for that reason singularly...
Yuji felt chills around his spine. "I-I think I passed, hahaha..." Without any second thought, he immediately rejected her offer.
Because he knew the consequences if he would accept it ever since their private session of creating new ramen together that happened three days ago. Oh God, please no, no, no! Since Yuji has experienced a much more terrible Hell than fighting the Cursed Spirits thanks to her.
Thus sometimes, it's better to surrender before entering a war that he couldn't win.
"Ara, you're sure?" Sumire asked to confirm. Her disappointment was visible on her cute face. "You gonna regret it you know..."
"I'm sure I—" But suddenly, like an unknown savior coming in for Yuji's rescue, an unexpected yell shattered the peaceful situation between the two.
"ITADORI!" A voice called out to Yuji. But who could that belong to?
That question arose from their mind and pushed them to find out.
Only to reveal that...
"Fushiguro!?" The sudden arrival of his friend was the one who was responsible for that grimmest unexpected yell. "What are you doing here!?"
"That... doesn't... matter..." Megumi responded straightforwardly, even though he seemed to be dying because he had run to the restaurant as fast as he could. "What... matter... is... that you need... to come with... me, right... now...!"
"Wait, what?" His action confused Yuji. "What happened?" Nevertheless, his expression immediately turned serious.
"I'll explain... on the way...!" Megumi exclaimed in a distressed tone. "I've called... Kugisaki, Zen'in-senpai, and Inumaki-senpai too, so they... should be on... their way... to the... rendezvous point...!"
"Even them? Th—" As he's preparing to follow him and move out, another voice cut Yuji's words off, causing both boys to glance over at the source of the noise.
Although Megumi hoped that Yuji would instantly come with him without any questions asked, he didn't count the possibility of his co-worker's wrath.
"Wa-Wait a minute!" Sumire said defiantly as she stood up against Fushiguro. "Yuji's shift isn't done yet! If he leaves now, there's only me in charge for the next five hours! I couldn't handle all of this alone... it would be a disaster!"
"Uemoto..." Yuji instantly felt conflicted.
"Nee... Yuji, say something!" Sumire looked at Yuji with her sweet eyes. "Don't leave me behind... or everything could be falling apart...!"
Deep down, he didn't want to leave because he knew the girl in front of him couldn't fight a battle that would tear her apart mentally. However, he has his own duty as well.
One that was more important than her, whether he wanted to admit it or not, leaving Yuji to respond with a heavy heart.
"I understand, but I..." Yuji then gazed at Megumi for the final resort. "Fushiguro, at least tell me this: how urgent would this matter be?" He asked in a manner that wouldn't expose their true identities.
"It's urgent enough for me to run here from Maijima City, to the place where you work!" Megumi exclaimed in desperation. He knew what he did wouldn't break Phrase 5 of the Rule of Adherence since the urgency surpassed the needs of work potency.
Nevertheless, now that he realized his co-worker would face a huge consequence for his action, his dilemma within himself started to grow exponentially as well.
And it's not only him who fronted such a dilemma. Shit... Yuji also felt his friend's predicament. As he muttered his words, it felt like he must make the right choice, but of course not without sacrifice.
Furthermore, as suddenly as it is, Yuji looked once more into Megumi's eyes and discovered that his friend was truly distraught.
In other words, something must have happened. No way… It looked like Megumi had new information regarding the development between the MJSA and The Clementine Movement shadowy conflict, which based on his reaction, something terrible surely has escalated to the point of no return.
That's why Yuji has made his difficult decision.
"Sumire," He called out by her first name. His tone turned assertive. "I'm sorry if I'm being selfish, but I have to go." Hearing his words, Sumire was speechless and dumbfounded.
She wanted to rebel against his choice for his desire to abandon his station, that is until he continued his words with a serious tone.
"I have no choice." There's a certain weight in his answer. "I'll pay you back assuredly when you need me as a tester for your next big ramen." Simply with that assurance, she knew the affair that he needed to attend was also very important; in fact, much more imperative than his current part-time job as of now. "You have my words." He ended it with a smile to reassure her more.
And because for those reasons alone...
"You promise?" Sumire gave up to persuade him as she knew this isn't easy for Yuji either.
"Yeah, I promise. If I somehow break it, you can order me anything you want for an entire day."
Like a moth attracted to a flame, Sumire immediately became interested in his last words. Anything I want...?
And suddenly, she became much more convinced, as an idea immediately came to her like lightning. "Then I hold up your words for it," Sumire spoke earnestly before creating an insidious plan just in case he indeed breaks his promise in the future. "Because it seems an absolute order for you to wear a maid outfit for a day could be a very fun moment to have~"
Hearing that Yuji became a little bit shaken. A choice between a taster of her new experimental ramen or wearing a maid outfit, is he kind of digging his own grave right now?
No one knew for certain.
Not even Megumi or Yuji himself.
But anyway, that's not important, regret can come later. "Thank you, Uemoto." Yuji returned by using her last name.
"Thank me later. You better not forget our promise, okay Yuji?" Sumire said with a low tone, alongside a small devilish grin on her face. "Not if you want to become a cute maid for an entire day hehehe~"
In return, he nodded back at her. Although he felt a bit scared, a determination to not back down to fulfill his oath for her resurgence within Yuji's heart.
Fleetingly, watching such a short heartwarming drama come to an end, Megumi decided it was time for them to go.
"Let's go, Itadori." He said to not waste any more time.
"Yeah, let's go," Yuji replied without hesitation as he turned his back and headed for the exit. "And you better explain everything, Fushiguro."
"That's the plan," Megumi answered calmly. "Because today could be the day where everything changes for the fate of both factions." He gazed upon the restaurant exit as the once blue and bright skies started to show their bleaker colors.
Yuji looked at him and didn't respond to his words, except to ask one small thing. "...So it's happening?"
"It is happening," Megumi confirmed with a serious tone. "I'll tell you all about it after we meet with Kugisaki, Inumaki-senpai, and Zen'in-senpai."
"Alright." Yuji reached the exit. "We'll talk it about later." He simply said before Megumi nodded and both of them ran out of the place in a hurry.
At the same time, witnessing the boys leave her small restaurant frantically, Sumire couldn't help but be quite worried for Yuji. "That's the third time I saw that serious look on him." She put her right hand on her chest, feeling concerned for her co-worker. " What's happening to him lately? I hope everything's okay..." Of course, at this moment in time, it should be herself that she needed to be worried about the most.
Because after this, it would be her personal Hell after that break time was done.
Tenri Bedroom, House Beside the Katsuragi Residence [11:38 AM]
Following Diana's actualization of another supernatural force existing within the Surface World, Tenri couldn't help but be more confused at the revelation.
"Jujutsu... Sorcerers...?" She muttered repeatedly what her Goddess had said.
"I don't know much about them except they're fighting alongside New Devils as a mutual ally," Diana confessed to her limited knowledge about them. "When Hell was still at war, we sacrificed our body and soul to seal Old Hell for good. But at the time when the war was turning into Old Devil's favor, it was at that very moment that they appeared..."
As she told her experience, Tenri listened intently. "Although they didn't arrive in large numbers, their skills of magical mastery forced the forces of Old Devils to retreat significantly." A scene of Jujutsu Sorcerers battling together with New Devils flashed through her head. "Which gave us enough time to do what must be done."
It was a close victory, to say the least. "I've never seen such power that they've wielded before. It was like... a flaming fire dancing in the sky and merciless wrath from such a powerful energy." For her, it was a glorious sight to behold.
Tenri gasped after hearing Diana's encounters with them. "But have you ever learned... of their true identity by any chance?" She asked her in a very curious manner. "Before... you sacrificed yourselves to end that terrible war...?"
"From what I recall, they're..." Diana holds her tongue for a second. All those memories from the bygone past were rushing into her. "Humans."
And her answer caused Tenri to widen her eyes. "Humans...?"
"I couldn't believe it at first." Diana once again admitted to her Host. "They concealed their presence very well, but their mortal aura was undeniably the same as those Humans from Earth."
In truth, it was a shocking revelation for herself and her sisters when they first learned about it.
"Wait!" Tenri came to a realization of her own. "If they're only people, that means..."
"I thought the same as you, Tenri." Her Goddess said in agreement, even the fact that she hadn't completed what she wanted to say. "Even though we've sealed Old Hell over many centuries ago, there's a small possibility that the Jujutsu Sorcerers still exist today, just like the Devils themselves."
"If what you're assuming to be true, then... maybe... that man..." Tenri whispered to herself, but loud enough for Diana to hear it.
"He could be one of those Jujutsu Sorcerers. And Katsuragi-san..." She doesn't want to admit it, even if it is one of many possibilities. "Was somehow entangled with their business."
Both of them were now closer to the truth than they'd ever realized.
Café Grandpa, Near the Front Gate of Keima House Entrance [11:40 AM]
Unbeknownst to all parties, a hidden threat was lurking around the corner, waiting for a perfect moment to strike while making themselves incognito using Cursed Tool to not lure attention.
Two young individuals were watching the situation intently, yearning to make a daring move that would end it all. Since their primary target as of this moment...
"Not appearing in sight as per our prediction. What a shame."
The first person looked to be around 18 years old; wearing a black jacket with a Kanji symbol on his left arm that was branded as [クレメンタイン] within a yellow patch, a casual shirt with a color of crimson red underneath it, and a navy blue jeans alongside his black hair longer than his neck is actively speaking to his partner.
"Should we wait longer?" The second person wearing hexagon frame glasses with her hair tied into two long braids downward; at the same time, wearing a setup for a fashion style that's the same model as him is reluctantly asking for confirmation.
The boy glanced at the girl and looked into her eyes. "We must." He said simply, even though it was quite clear he didn't want to wait either. "Abide the word of Sanzo, we should wait until he leaves his sanctuary." His words were sharp like a razor. "Don't want to attract any peculiar attention, especially since he's affiliated with the Goddess that lives beside him."
"But what if he doesn't?" The girl commented in concern. "One of our members said in his report that he hasn't left his room for three days."
"If that's the case..." The boy grabbed his phone. "We'll lure him out one way or another." His eyes showed a dangerous determination, overshadowed by the looks of skies that wanted to pour their droplets onto the city. "Since to honor Ino, my cherished friend... that Otamegane must die today."
Hearing his hateful statement, the girl could only nod quietly. Even though she understood how much this assassination mission meant to him, she couldn't help but chuckle internally at how foolish his perception was.
The boy noticed this and he asked the girl in light hatred: "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, it's just… what if this could also be a trap? One of our members also said in secret that there's a traitor in our midst, feeding off information to the MJSA." The girl with glasses continued calmly while looking at Keima's House. "What if… all of this was a set-up in order to lure us here, and then the MJSA members ambushed us before we could get to Keima?"
"That won't happen." The boy answered confidently. "I am aware of the traitor's existence, and I am aware of the risk. However, you need to remember that today's the day." His mind began to wander off to what Sanzo had spoken this morning, their declaration of war. "Even if the MJSA were planning to ambush us, they won't last long since we will take them down at their own hideout today."
"The Plotemy?" She asked while gazing at the sky. It seems to mention this fact made the girl saddened a little. For the reason why it is unknown. But one thing's for sure, she has made it her commitment to hide this emotion from the person beside her.
The boy must never know her true intention.
Meanwhile, he chuckled sinisterly as he felt that today would be the mark that would end the bloody conflict between the MJSA and the Clementine Movement. "Besides, even if they would execute their little plan, Keima would still be dead by my hand." His dark tone began to rise once more. "And I would make sure that happens myself."
Hearing her partner's words, the girl glanced a bit at the boy before she looked again at Café Grandpa.
The traitor from the MJSA… She spoke to herself as she closed her eyes. The Clementine Movement only realized a few weeks ago that the MJSA has sent a few of its members to scout the faction from within. For how long the MJSA has done that they didn't know.
Nevertheless, one time is for certain: the identity of the traitors is still a mystery to The Clementine Movement, at least that was how she perceived it based on their knowledge thus far.
But since the war shall occur today, will they show themselves?
Only time will tell.
Shiori, I will dirty my hands today. Please forgive me. A figure of a timid librarian girl flashed before her perception, alongside the boy who protected her friend in his so-called conquest. And Keima… She smiled a bit as she had planned something for him. I hope you prepare yourself.
In the name of The Clementine Movement's distorted glory, their personal mission must be executed flawlessly and swiftly.
Maijima Station, East Maijima [11:44 AM]
Elsewhere, outside of the Maijima Train Station, two particular students wearing a Jujutsu High uniform just arrived at Maijima City for the second time.
It seemed they were in a bit of a hurry over a message that they'd received way earlier before.
"That Megumi... if what he said is true..." A girl wearing glasses with golden eyes; a long dark green ponytail, and a three-section staff in the palm of her hands said in a concerned tone.
"Fish flakes. (Okaka.)" A boy with light skin, purple eyes, and platinum blonde hair; wearing a uniform with a high collar tailored to cover his mouth responded to her words.
Maki Zen'in and Toge Inumaki have entered the scene.
"I know. That's why we need to hurry, Toge." Maki spoke with her serious mode on. "We don't want to make them wait for us."
But then, her phone suddenly vibrates. "Huh...?" Curious about what happened, she opened her phone. "Hold on, I've received a new message from... Megumi...?" Only to see that the sender was none other than a boy who irritated her a little.
"Tuna mayo? (Tsunamayo?)" Toge asked for clarity as his friend quickly read the content of the message.
"It appears that our meeting venue has changed. They wanted to meet us at this hidden market underneath the Wai Wai Road called the Plotemy, in a building named Periculum…?" Maki read the messages again, clearly confused by the sudden change of venue.
"Tuna mayo? (Tsunamayo?)" Toge also looked confused. A sudden change of location cannot be overlooked.
"It does seem quite suspicious." Maki voiced her concern. "But he's also said here that the reason it changed is because The Clementine Movement members infiltrated the original location, so it's not worth the risk." She then showed the message to him so that he could make his judgment over the credentials of the message that their friend had sent to them.
"Fish flakes. (Okaka.)" Toge said while putting his right hand on his chin. "Tuna mayo? (Tsunamayo?)"
"The sender is him since the Email is the same," Maki answered his question. "Moreover, he included detailed information about the Plotemy and directions to the building for us." She pointed to the later part of Megumi's message. "Look here."
When he saw it, the more he looked at it, the more Toge was convinced it was real. "Salmon. (Shake.)"
"I agree. For now, we should believe what he said and for us to follow." Maki spoke in agreement with her friend. "However, we shouldn't let our guard down, in the case that this could be a trap laid by the enemy..."
She put her phone back where it belonged, that is before she smiled like a crazy person. "We will make sure they will pay."
"Salmon. (Shake.)" He nodded at her with a serious look, noticing Maki's mad willingness to take the bait without fear and hesitation.
After their decision was determined, both of them decided to head toward their new destination.
That is without them realizing it, a pair of insidious eyes were observing them from afar.
A gaze from two unfamiliar individuals went unnoticed as they kept watching the students until they were truly out of sight.
"They have taken the bait. It's time to act." The first individual muttered with a low but sincere tone.
"It is Hirō, let's go." Following his words, the second individual agreed with him without any response given from his mouth at that moment.
Another two players have entered the game; a sign of predetermined action that will become the adversary for the 2nd Year Jujutsu Sorcerers, underneath the calm that will become the storm.
The stages have been set.
The scenarios have been written according to the plan.
Yet the grand faction that's pulling the string.
Hasn't made their next move in a while.
Or perhaps they only wait for the perfect time to come.
As the rain began to fall over mercilessly.
To those who are responsible for the false sin.
That they have led without mercy.
Act III: Present and Past
Fukihuro District, Outskirts, West Maijima [01:10 PM]
Fukihuro District. An old district in West Maijima is filled with traditional aesthetics and wonders.
Or at least that's what it was 12 years ago before an enormous earthquake hit the neighborhood and demolished 79% of the land.
It was in this place where Imoko and his brother were once raised well. That is before a tragic tragedy that happened after the beautiful origins of the two brothers came to be.
In this area full of memory, it couldn't be more surprising as when Imoko arrived at the destroyed district, he reminisced about the good old days when his innocence remained intact well in his memory.
It's been a while. His red eyes gazed upon the ruined neighborhood that was once his home.
To bring me back here again, what does he want this time? As it filled him with annoyance and a bit of fear, he continued walking toward the area without observing many of the destroyed buildings that were beyond his perspective.
The neighborhood itself is not large. In comparison to the Fukawa District, the total grand scale of the whole district is quite small. But with how empty and forgotten the condition of the areas was, it's quite saddening to see it like this.
Ludicrously, not even thought of reconstruction has come to mind from the Maijima Prefecture Government after such a natural disaster hit Fukihuro District without any mercy.
And now flash forward to 12 years later, this little old forgotten district has become a place where evil has resided.
An evil that's the source of a war that will loom over the shadows of Maijima.
In Front of a Ruined Household, Fukihuro Outskirts [01:22 PM]
Imoko arrived at his destination as he met with a peculiar figure, whose tone graced with an epitome of serenity.
"You've arrived at last, old friend." A man who looked to be 25 years old; wearing a black button-down shirt, accompanied by gray hair and blue eyes was looking at Imoko with a smile as he arrived at the place where both of them agreed to meet. In front of a destroyed house of the Murata family.
"Hello to you too, Kusuma. What do you want?" He asked coldly without beating around a bush to the person called Kusuma in front of him.
"Always straight to the point. How boring." Kusuma said bitterly as he gave Imoko a binder filled with twisted information, which he'd been holding in his hands. "Here, take a look at this."
Curious about the content, Imoko began looking through the documents. "These are..." He wondered as he opened the binder.
To which Kusuma responded to him comprehensively. "A detailed information regarding how many Old Devils that our organization has eradicated. As you may know, six days ago Vintage fell at the hands of Weiss Capturing Squad and the Goddesses. While most of the Old Devils were arrested for trials, a minority of them found a gap through that crisis and escaped into Maijima City." He laughed at himself. "Like fools, they were supposed to be."
Imoko muttered as he still looked through the names in the documents. "Gira... Nelo... Flore..." Suddenly, there was one name that got his attention. "Lune," He said grimly. "Even that one Old Devil who became such a thorn to our side for the longest time was fully eradicated. Very impressive if I do say so myself."
"It took a while for Shiina shadow agents, Umbra Pararius, to find most of the fugitives out there. But at the end of the day, we found them all..." Kusuma continued as he gazed upon the grey skies emotionlessly.
"Vintage was never supposed to try to eliminate the Goddesses, just like New Devils were never supposed to meddle with the business of the world of curses. It's the promise that was held by our ancestors 350 years ago. However, their ego to bring back the glorious age of Old Hell was their ultimate downfall." He looked at Imoko, who then continued in a much colder intonation. "What a shame, don't you agree... old friend?"
Knowing Kusuma for as long as he could remember, Imoko immediately sensed something was wrong as soon as he asked for his agreement in a cold tone. "What do you mean?" He looked at him cautiously.
"You know exactly what I meant." Kusuma retorted back as he changed his gaze like a prey.
"Like them, three days ago, you and your brother did a little stunt in Maijima High which gathered a lot of attention from the media and possibly the Goddesses as well." He answered displeasedly, but seconds later showed an expression of understanding. "Even so, I do understand your reason, so I won't divulge facts. Although I am curious, why did you go to such an extreme length to distract that monster from interfering with our objectives, as far as to use and sacrifice your very own brother in the process?"
That critical question of his made Imoko take the situation very seriously. His eyes showed a hint of darkness itself. "So this is what it's all about? I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore." As the clouds became darker and the wind started to blow strongly, Imoko closed his eyes for a minute, preparing himself to answer the question that would expose his inner feelings.
After all, he already declared his determination to isolate himself further from any attachment to the past back on that fateful night in Shibuya.
"I'm indeed deliberately letting my brother die, Kusuma. He's getting much of a burden for our objective to be fulfilled. And I can't let that factor grow into a greater internal threat in the calculation that I've determined from the very beginning. He's a fool and deserves to die. Does that answer of mine satisfy you?" Imoko asked calmly as he wanted to get this topic over with.
Kusuma, still maintaining his solemn expression, was indeed satisfied with his explanation. "I do. That explained much of why he must be out of the picture." However, there's one reason why Imoko was always irritated by him.
As Kusuma is the only person who could understand him fully.
"But that's another lie coming from you." He continued his words from before suddenly.
It took a minute for Imoko to digest Kusuma's calm words, which he preceded by asking in a confused tone: "Excuse me?"
"I know you cared deeply for Okura, even as far as making him a new false identity in another city far from Japan." Kusuma already knew all his hidden efforts to save his brother by illegal means. "So for you to say he's a burden was nothing more than a prejudice to your delusion." Listening to this, Imoko unconsciously gritted his teeth. "For example, those demented and useless Higher-Ups were the reason why your brother worked together with you to launch a tactical attack on Katsuragi, which slowed down our operation. If he's indeed a burden, you would eliminate him sooner long before you accepted his request of association. Am I wrong?"
Of course, everything that Kusuma said was correct. Nothing could ever change that. That's why his clarification gave Imoko a precious moment of silence; to be very straightforwardly precise, a moment when his pain got the best of him.
But after a while, he started to smile earnestly.
And after he regained his composure, Imoko began to speak from the bottom of his mind. "I always expected you would be the one to unravel my true thoughts, Kusuma. Nevertheless, everything you've uttered has hit the target perfectly." He sighed as he resigned to his fate and revealed his true thoughts. "I never wanted him to die. I even warned him several times that his action could lead to devastating consequences." A flashback between Okura and him as their final moment on that night still runs fresh in Imoko's mind.
"However, like the flawed Human that he was, he only considered his judgment based on loose emotion rather than rational comparative value. That's why..." Imoko hesitated to continue for a moment as he closed his eyes temporarily. "His foolishness is the absolute path to the death that he walked on his own. Which is poetic, knowing himself has promised me to stay alive, right before our ambush in Maijima High that night." His eyes met with him. "How hysterical, don't you think?"
Kusuma gazed upon the skies once more. "Certainly, thus it's a pity." A regrettable emotion could be felt from his way of speaking. "Unlike you, Okura never realized his true potential. Even until the end, he still believed he could live under the shadow of his little brother." For what it's worth, he has little respect for Imoko's big brother.
"To become your support; to be your right-wing. Therefore, that kind of pitiful mindset was truly suitable for the fool he was shaping up to be. Even if you try your best, you cannot change an outcome that was already determined long ago. Believe me, I know that from the best." He frowned as he mentioned his own experiences a bit. "And for that reason alone, he earned that dramatic end."
There is no resentment in his voice. Only an expressive matter in regards to the objective truth that even Imoko agreed wholeheartedly, leaving him to admit in advance of his utter defeat.
"It seems that I cannot deny that conclusion of yours, Kusuma," Imoko responded meekly as he smiled a bit at the person who successfully pierced the mask that he had worn. "Alright, you win this time." Furthermore, to the once figurehead that saved him from his everlasting revenge that happened six years ago.
Until a recent event started to remind him of that nightmare again.
Suddenly, a call from Kusuma's phone interrupted the conversation between the two. Although it seems like Kusuma himself has expected this to happen.
So without hesitation, he picked up the anonymous call. "Any good news?" Kusuma simply asked the person at the end of the call.
"It has begun sir, just like you wanted. Ms. Shiina has confirmed her success as well." The anonymous said in a direct tone to deliver news that he has waited, with more of a feminine touch to it.
"I see. Prepare for our shadow agents to mobilize. It's time for the execution of the Second Phase."
"It will be done." The anonymous responded firmly to her conviction of fulfilling her duty. "For the equality of society." The call then ended without any more words being spoken by the caller.
Thus with that information, Kusuma looked over at Imoko with a gaze of seriousness that changed the entire mood of their meeting. "It seems our timeline has moved up." He said as the rain began to fall endlessly.
"I presumed that the sudden call is a notice for the war that has started between the two factions?" Imoko asked without worrying about the rain pouring over their existence.
"Right on the money. All because Shiina has expertly made her move." Kusuma confirmed Imoko's suspicions.
"Figured, but I didn't expect it would happen this much sooner if I were being honest."
"Well, the sooner, the better, am I right?" Kusuma stated with much more seriousness on his face. "Besides, you also have done your own move. To those two New Devils that I have assigned you for."
And Imoko instantly knew what he meant. "Indeed I do, at least for one of them. And her name was..." A memory from that dreary dead of night began to rush onto him again.
Two Days Before, In the Middle of Fukawa District Neighborhood [11:50 PM]
In Fukawa District, there's one house that became the main base for the Area 32 District Chief of Runaway Spirit Squad.
Her name is Haqua du Lot Herminium, and consequently, she's also one of Elsie's best friends.
Lived alongside Yukie Marui, a fifty-four saleswoman who unfortunately became her Buddy by the decision of fate. At first, Haqua despised the concept of living with her because of how normal and pathetic she was in hunting Weiss.
But over time, her fondness developed towards her Buddy; in the end, accepted the reality of her living together in peace.
That is before Imoko secretly attacked Yukie's house, and everything converted into a fragile memory.
Yukie's House, Fukawa District [11:50 PM]
Within the ruined furniture and destroyed walls, the fallout of Imoko's sudden ambush immobilized Haqua and Yukie before they'd do anything to defend themselves from the demon that stood tall among them.
"Damn... you..." Haqua muttered under her breath as she looked upon the boy that became her sudden nightmare.
However, Imoko said nothing to her. Instead, he looked over to the old lady that now became his attention. "What a surprise." His gaze was nothing more than devilish.
"What are you...?" Haqua looked at Yukie too, who was barely conscious.
"Although my objective is to apprehend this New Devil, I still can't look over the fact that YOU were involved with all of this, Yukie," Imoko spoke with a silent hatred in his tone. "I thought I had killed you years ago." He casually said without any remorse as he took out a mini-gun from his pocket casually.
"Imo... ko...? Is that... you...?" Yukie spoke as she finally realized who was the one that attacked them, but he ignored her question.
"How pity..." Imoko looked at her like trash. "Why can't you just die back then?" He then pointed his Cursed Tool at her.
Seeing the mini-gun shape of the Cursed Tool that he used, she knew exactly what it was.
And the reality that it would bring to her after her demise.
After hearing the boy say that sinister statement, Haqua widened her eyes. She couldn't believe what she heard. "No... no, no, no, wait! Don't do this!" Her tears began to drop uncontrollably as she realized what he was about to do.
However, it was then...
"Ha-Ha-Hacchan..." Yukie tried to call out to her with everything that she had left within her. "Look... at... me..." She also realized what would happen to her. There's no escape. Not this time. "It's... okay..."
"Yukie... no... please..." Haqua cried, begging for her to live.
But it was to no avail, for three seconds after that...
"Live well and don't look bac—" A trigger has been pulled from Imoko's Cursed Tool that he's holding named [孤立] which meant [Isolation] in English.
Its sounds echoed throughout the room.
And it was at that moment, that silent noise took over and blood splattered across the floor. Nothing could change what happened after that. All she could do was cry and dismay over the painful loss of her Buddy, no...
The best term for that was her family on this Earth.
Yukie... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I... As Haqua gazed upon the boy who became her Buddy murderer, her hatred reached a boiling point. "YOUUUU!" But before she could act to avenge Yukie, darkness already chained her mercilessly into nothing more than a helpless body.
"Kurayami." He knew that the moment he killed Yukie, she would do whatever it takes to kill him. This was his finishing touch to defuse the situation. Although he could never expect things would escalate this quickly.
But that's not important to Imoko at the moment.
How did she still be alive? He's gripping his hand while holding the gun that became the weapon to end it all. For him, Yukie's existence is like a true error in the enigmatic system. I killed her alongside the others who were responsible for my parents' death. She shouldn't stay alive.
He then looked once more at the lifeless body of his former enemy.
This was supposed to be nothing more than a simple task to capture the New Devils for the sake of the organization that he works for.
And yet, fate has other plans for him on this very night.
"How did it end up like this?" Imoko asked himself silently, it was obvious this had now turned into a much more personal matter for him.
Back to the Present
After that tragic story ended with Imoko filtering many personal aspects. Deep down, it impressed Kusuma with how ghastly Imoko's action was to take down his prey swiftly and make her surrender beyond resistance.
Like it was nothing more than just a pebble.
"Heh, I see. You really are merciless, aren't you?" Kusuma smiled sinisterly at the boy who looked dead tired.
"That depends on the circumstances. Although I do need to admit I've gotten a little carried away because of her stubbornness."
The two didn't move from their spot, even though the rain fell heavier than before. "Can't blame her. Stubbornness is a queen source of perseverance, since..." Kusuma complemented Haqua a little. "Why do you think that she could still resist Vintage even at her lowest point?"
"...Then for such a thing to happen, it's a shame what happened to her now," Imoko spoke in a monotonous manner. "But I won't regret it"
Hearing his reply, Kusuma concluded with a little shocked expression. "You broke her." Fortunately, he managed to hide one of his many weaknesses.
"It is the only way." Imoko simply said without any emotion in his tone. "What's important is the result. My method doesn't matter."
"Fair point. But do keep in mind that we have standards, Imoko. We don't kill civilia—" His words cut off mercilessly.
"Only for those who deserved it, right?" Imoko is by no means a fool. "I know what I'm doing, Kusuma. Rest assured, this choice that I've made is still within the acceptable boundary that we've agreed upon. However, for that New Demon Buddy, Yukie..." He clenched his hands like he was harboring his deepest rage. "She deserved for what's coming to her."
That statement from Imoko put an internal suppression on Kusuma, who finally regained his composure and asked in a curious tone. "What did you do?"
Imoko didn't answer his question immediately. That is until a sound of malicious lightning echoed throughout the clouds loudly.
Therefore, out of nowhere, the situation between the two has become more tense than before.
For Kusuma himself, he felt chills running down his spine and whole body, which is a very rare case for him.
I think I just walked into a landmine. He thought to himself worriedly, which is 100% correct.
"You don't want to know." Imoko finally spoke. However, his tone captured a sign of someone who longed for lost revenge. "This is not your problem."
Thus, the moment he said that that's when everything started to click together in his mind. Which is why Kusuma decided not to pry any further.
Not because he's afraid, but because he respects him. "I see. Then I won't ask for details about what happened."
"I appreciated the thought." Imoko complimented his understanding with a sincere expression. It's a very personal and sensitive topic to him after all. Just imagining that woman alone already made him sick to the stomach.
That's how much he hated her, for the one of many who took away his mother and father without any mercy.
Outskirts of Fukihuro District [01:55 PM]
At the moment when an understanding between the two had been reached, without caution, both individuals heard an enormous loud explosion coming from the east of Maijima.
Those fiery blazes consumed everything in sight, and black smoke rose to the sky.
The aftermath of the blast signaled an indication of a shadowy conflict that had started to emerge from the shadows.
"There it is," Kusuma said as he looked upon the devastating view. "The one moment that I've been waiting for."
"Those people went all-out for the sake of their war," Imoko spoke, unfazed by the current situation. "How their ignorance could come so far, even to destroy someone's home like that."
"No hold back as they say." Kusuma expressed his nefarious mood slightly.
Seeing Kusuma this way made Imoko realize how sadistic his chief would be to push forward the organization's best interest. Thus, as he looked once more at the view, now colored with a hellish red under the heavy rainfall, Imoko thought to himself with a serious face.
There's no turning back now. A hidden war has erupted greatly.
Many lives from both sides were already lost.
The stage to end the conflict between the MJSA and The Clementine Movement has been set to the highest degree.
"And with that, the Second Phase to destroy both factions is now in motion." Kusuma calmly declared, revealing one of their true intentions. "For the equality of society."
However, what events unfolded before that sudden tragedy?
It's time to unveil that side of the story.
Act IV: Below the Calm Normality
One Hour Before the Explosion, Black Market Plotemy, Wai Wai Road, East Maijima [12:55 AM]
Wai Wai Road. A shopping district that becoming a haven for gaming enthusiasts, hobbyists, and fashionistas alike. This is where most people enjoy spending their time with friends or loved ones, especially that time when it reaches afternoon or evening.
However, beneath the surface of such a happy place lies a hidden multi-layered underground black market where the influences of the Jujutsu Society have taken over the area ever since the Edo Period.
A black market called the Plotemy.
Nobody from Non-Sorcerers knows it exists; only those who have dealt with curses before were worthy enough to become a variable in this secrecy business area. That's why if the district above could be called a haven for many, this market was the opposite of that absolute peaceful resemblance.
It has been recorded in a few documents that the Plotemy was structured deep into the abyss, with a total of three layers.
All layers were governed by the mysterious entity called the Eye. And those who were unfortunate enough to become their prey for the reason of absolute disobedience have never survived until now.
First Layer of the Plotemy, Weapon Area [12:57 AM]
Among the busy crowds who were doing their business, 2nd Year Jujutsu High students were seen walking vigilantly as they talked to each other cautiously. Of course, these students were identified as Maki Zen'in and Toge Inumaki.
"This place is more enormous than I thought." Maki complemented the size of the area, as both of them gazed upon the environment that looked like a dystopian underground society.
"Salmon. (Shake.)" Toge agreed with her view of the Plotemy multi-layered path at each level.
"And look at all of these people." She looked around and immediately became cautious. "All of them were potentially dangerous."
Toge also glared at the surrounding situation, and he nodded at the girl's observation.
"Better keep our guard up, Toge," Maki said to the boy beside her. "Just in case somebody is stupid enough to attack us."
"Salmon. (Shake.)" Toge responded unemotionally.
In this anonymous trading place, there's no such thing as necessary violence. Every single person who stepped into the Plotemy was a sinner. Stealing and even killing were allowed in this so-called black market; the only place in Maijima City where Jujutsu Sorcerers and hidden Curse Users could gain massive cursed armory to their advantage.
This is why, while the possibility was endless, it should be noted that while all of those probabilities were bathed in blood, there's a single rule that every single consumer and seller must obey. No matter what the cost was, especially for those who valued their own lives.
Try to challenge that rule and gladly, the alleged Reaper shall appear into play.
For example...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A sudden scream suddenly made the girl and Toge look at the source of that horrific sound. "Pl-Please... I-I didn't mean to trample th-the Plotemy rule." A man of looks to be in his thirties seemed to beg for his life.
Is he talking to himself? Maki thought to herself in confusion. No, it's connected to that Eye above us. She concluded as she noticed a giant bio-organic eye gazing upon the lower market. It looks exactly like what Megumi described in that message.
Like a rat that was about to get eaten by a cat, the man tried every trick in the book of imploring art. "I-I'm truly sorry! I'm be-begging you to spare my li—" However, his plea for survival didn't end well as he received a particular voice from nowhere.
"NIYDL!" The noise is resounding in his inner mind that only he can hear. At the same time, the Eye above is only focusing on him.
"NO! No, no, no, please!" His face turned into a definition of pure fear. His hands were clasping together with his head bowed down. "Spare... me...!" Seeing how much he beseeched, the view is almost hard to look at.
Making Maki look at the unfortunate man with a slight pity. "Tch..." But that only remains for a mere minute. "So that's the consequence if you ignore the rule in this place."
"Fish flakes. (Okaka.)" Toge responded thoughtfully with slight disgust like her. Although the confrontation between the man and the Eye was very interesting to see, both of them could feel the intensity starting to surround the air.
"Ju-Just this once, let this slide I'm begging you...! I-I promise I won't break the rule ever again!" The man pleaded frantically once more. Not realizing that was his downfall, as he has committed one terrible mistake that led everyone around him to ignore his existence, except for Maki and Toge who were still watching.
And because of that, the Eye resounded one last statement which sealed his fate. "NIYDL RY CME!" Leading everything into pure silence in his mind for approximately 2.7 seconds.
After he heard the eye's final words internally. Suddenly, he's experiencing unimaginable mental pain coming from his brain and soul; forcing him to drop his knees to the ground. "A... AA... AAAAHHHHHH!" He put his hands on his head, hoping the pain would stop. But of course, it didn't as it kept getting worse. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" His eyes started to bleed like a river fountain.
The frequency that he received endlessly was at the level of insanity. No one could help him. That is until he saw two individuals who were still scrutinizing his situation with a worried look in their eyes.
"HE-HELP ME!" The man used all his remaining strength and sanity to say words. Even though deep down he knew it could be worthless, it was worth trying anything that could save him from his misery.
Resulting in Toge almost making his move to save the dying man.
However, at that very moment...
"Don't move, Toge." Maki stopped him in his tracks, as she grabbed his left arm.
"Tuna mayo? (Tsunamayo?)" He demanded an answer from her.
"I feel that the moment we step in, we would definitely die." At first, Toge was a little shocked to hear her hypothesis which could be interpreted as heartless. But then, he looked around at the vicinity for one more time and everything started to make sense.
There's a reason why everyone decided to not help the man.
Why they did choose to ignore his agony.
"Look above, those strange glowing green symbolics engraved in the ceiling which surrounds the Eye." Maki pointed her finger into the Eye's primary location above the Plotemy Ground Area. "I don't know what that is, but I think it's the cause of that man's potential death within the range of that Eye desired. If we get close to his location, we too will be affected by its cryptic power."
"Salmon... (Shake...)" Toge responded in understanding as he was disappointed that he couldn't do anything to help him.
"There's nothing we can do for him," That was the harsh truth of this reality. "We should keep moving. Megumi and the others were already waiting for us." They weren't heroes that would save someone at the end of the day. They were here only to serve for their own duty.
"Mustard leaf. (Takana.)" With a hard realization dawning on both of the students, they decided to walk away from the grim phenomena that were happening in front of their eyes.
Passing through a hanging flyer that only contained one single warning sentence: [Death to All Non-Sorcerers] while the sound of a haunting scream continued in the background.
Periculum, First Layer of the Plotemy [01:10 PM]
After an incident that shows the brutality of the Plotemy, Maki and Toge keep walking until they arrive at a small building that looks different than the rest.
"This is the place." She gazed at the tattered building in front of her. How could those kids find this place I wonder? She asked herself internally as something began to not add up.
"Spicy cod roe. (Mentaiko.)" However, Toge who's always kept on his guard confirmed as well after matching the precise description of the building with the information that they've got.
"I know, what a tattered building." Maki looked at her friend with a confident grin. "Perfect for those like us."
"Fish flakes. (Okaka.)" He spoke with a deadpan voice before entering first into the building to not waste any more time.
"Sigh... I'm only joking around though." Maki replied as she followed him from behind.
But, before she could do so, she was reminded again of their earlier conversation.
Five Minutes Before They Reached Their Destination
Maki stopped in her tracks before she called out to the Cursed Speech User, who in turn, turned his head to face her.
"Toge," He knew what she's gonna talk about. "You can feel it, can't you? Something is definitely wrong." She said seriously as she solidified her conjecture. But, there is still some doubt in her feelings.
"Salmon. (Shake.)" Toge nodded in affirmation. He too felt like something was wrong the moment he first glanced at Megumi's messages.
"Keep up your guard." She gripped her Playful Could tightly as her convictions were battling internally.
Was this a lie or a genuine relocation made by her juniors?
It caused more concern for her than she could ever hope for.
Nevertheless...
"If they weren't here and this is a trap..." There's a reason why she's a Jujutsu Student. "We would destroy them." Maki's devilish smile from before resurfaced, causing Toge to feel the chills down his spine when he saw her expression. "Whoever they are."
Since she has embraced her craziness and darkness to defeat whoever stands in her way.
Back to the Present
But both of them could rest easy because the moment they entered the building, what they first saw was something unexpected.
W-What...? So it is really... There was a sense of relief within Maki as she saw three individuals in front of her.
Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi were waiting for their arrival in the main room, with the boys leaning against the wall while Nobara herself was sitting on a tattered coach like a gangster.
It seems it is not a trap after all.
"You've finally made it, Inumaki-senpai, and you too, Zen'in-senpai." Megumi was the first one to greet them.
"Kelp. (Konbu.)" Toge greeted with a smile, he too was relieved that this was a genuine relocation from their original promised venue.
"So all of you are really in here," Maki said with a bit of a smile. "And I've told you to not call me by my last name, Megumi." But that didn't last long since she immediately expressed her annoyance to her junior after he mentioned her last name.
"I can't help it, Zen'in-senpai. Forced of habit." Megumi replied simply to her. "Anyway, how's the trip? I hope both of you don't see anybody die at the hands of that giant eyeball on top of Plotemy." He looked at her and Toge as he held both of his arms.
"Too late for that." She said while sighing. "Plus, it was unnerving too."
Hearing Maki's reply, Megumi then turned around to see two of his friends chuckling smugly at him.
"Told you, Fushiguro-kyun~"
"That's why to keep your ego in check, Fushiguro-kyun~"
Nobara and Yuji taunted Megumi with sly smiles on their faces.
"Damn you guys..." Purely annoyed by the two attitudes, he almost wanted to punch them in the face to remove that smugness from their face.
Confused by the situation that was happening in front of her, Maki asked straightforwardly: "What's going on?"
"Oh, it's just a little bet that's happening between us three, Maki-san," Nobara explained with confidence. "We're betting if you two would see someone petrified in the street at the First Layer or not since those kinds of things are kinda a common occurrence in this place."
"We were very confident that Maki-senpai and Toge-senpai would witness at least one victim consumed by the Eye. But of course, Fushiguro here didn't believe us at all." Yuji said smugly after her.
"But that's because those aren't that common in the first place!" Megumi tried to defend his choice.
"Fish flakes? (Okaka?)"
"It's exactly like that, Inumaki-senpai!" Megumi commented candidly, understanding what his senior had said.
Suddenly, Yuji grasps Megumi's shoulder with a charming look and a thumbs-up. "We're looking forward to that free premium ramen, Fushiguro-ky—" But of course, Megumi has had enough of that silly nickname.
"And stop with that ridiculous nickname you annoying prick!" Megumi kicked Yuji as hard as he could, causing the pink-haired boy to be thrown comically while laughing like an idiot.
"Okay, okay, that's enough from you kids." She said to defuse the childish situation between the three.
At the same time, Maki thought to herself in suspicion once more.
Her intuition began to scream at her.
Something weird is going on. They're not so easily making people's deaths as this kind of joke. She glared at them for a second. Are they...? However, she turned that possibility into an impossibility. No... that's not possible. They're here. Hence, Maki continued to confirm the trivial fact to those three.
"Let's focus on the more important matter at hand for now." She looked at Megumi. "Is it true of what you've described?"
Her question resulted in the playful context being shifted into a more serious atmosphere in the room. Making the three stop joking around. "All of it is true Zen'in-senpai," Megumi confirmed the information. "The Clementine Movement has made their move."
"Then it's just what Gojo-sensei has feared. The war has begun." Maki spoke as she rubbed her nose temple. "What about the boy then? The one who's that crazy blindfold Sensei of ours holds in high regard?"
"At the moment he's still at his home. It seems that The Clementine Movement hasn't made any attempt to attack Katsuragi as of this moment." Nobara answered without any worries.
"That's quite strange. I thought their secondary objective was to kill Keima since he's the son of Keiichi Katsuragi. His father's death was the cause for this conflict to happen after all."
"Which is why we're here Zen'in-senpai," Megumi said casually to her curiosity. "To question one of them that we've successfully caught earlier to get some answers."
"Earlier?" Maki asked in a surprised manner. "You all apprehended one of The Clementine Movement members?"
"Yes, but he's only willing to talk if you present," Megumi answered as he looked left at the downstairs in front of them. "He's insisted on seeing you."
"Me?" She widened her eyes as the development has became much more interesting.
He nodded in response. "To be honest, I don't know what his true motives are or what he wants from you," Megumi answered while closing his eyes in frustration and conviction. "But the moment he becomes hostile, then we shall—"
"Knock him out, I know. Since I'm here now, there's no other option on our end since he's our only lead for now." There was no hesitation in her voice as she looked downstairs as well. "Let's make this guy talk." Only determination within her and the student remained.
But how long of that positive attitude last?
Act V: Lies of the Twisted
Basement of the Periculum [01:17 PM]
After some idle talk, Megumi guided the group into the Periculum Basement where the unfortunate soul was apprehended.
After opening the rusty metal door, what they saw in front of them was a large abandoned room, with a man strongly tied up to a chair, and a lightbulb that's flickering every 10 seconds.
He looked quite old, wearing the Clementine Movement uniform; he had small eyes, large ears, a wide nose, long eyebrows, dark skin, and black hair. The back of his hand laid a scar that looked like a star, which was familiar to Maki.
"I see that you've brought her," The man said to the group. "Thank you." His tone contained nothing more than gratitude.
Without beating around the bush, Maki asked cautiously at the foreign suspect. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I do," The man confirmed her suspicion. His next words are unexpected, especially to the green-haired girl. "Maki... Zen'in."
Hearing her name from his mouth, Maki flinched but still kept her composure well. "How do you know my name?"
Thus, the man simply smiled at her before replying with one simple word: "Kukuru."
Kukuru!? After hearing that one word, Maki's expression darkened while gripping her hands.
Even though they're now involved!? Those bastards...! She instantly realized who was in front of her. "I need to talk with him in private for a minute."
"You're sure?" Megumi asked for certainty in her choice.
"Yes. It won't take very long, so don't worry, alright?" Maki assured him with a bit of a smile. "I'll take it from here."
"Fine, in that case, we'll leave him to you then, Zen'in-senpai," Megumi answered truthfully before looking at his school friends. "Let's go guys." Nobody dared to argue, leading all of them to leave the investigation room very quietly.
Even Toge himself followed them behind to give Maki a sense of privacy.
But was that really the right choice?
After everybody had left, Maki and the unknown man were the only ones left in the Periculum Basement Room.
Pushing the ambiguous situation into a more tense one.
"So now the family decided to be involved with the outsiders as well?" Maki was the first to say anything after a moment of an awkward pause between them.
"Outsiders? How amusing." The man responded despite her assumption. "Surely by this point, you realize the connection between us and The Clementine Movement, I presumed?" He asked to test her hypothesis.
And it didn't take a minute for Maki to connect the dots. "Let me guess, business partner?"
"Close, but no." The man took another breath. "Although we almost consider them as one, there's no beneficial factor when it comes to Non-Sorcerers, no?"
"Your point?" Maki asked as she wrapped her arms to maintain her calmness.
"They owe us." He answered straightforwardly. "In return for cursed objects and the knowledge of Jujutsu Society, they gave us 65% of their total income to the Zen'in Family each month. Which of course, it was bound by blood contract. If they didn't meet the fulfillment, they'll die; if they did meet the fulfillment, they'll live."
Maki could only just sigh in disappointment. "How foolish of them to agree with such a ridiculous contract."
"Don't underestimate the sense of desperation to fight an evil that oppresses the minority." The man pointed out the harsh truth of reality. "The Non-Sorcerers have no means to fight the curses. But even of what it takes for them to make a deal with the Devil, they would wholesomely agree without a blink of an eye."
"Still doesn't explain why the family is willing to go to such lengths to send their members to join the so-called Non-Sorcerers faction?" She ignored his previous explanation like a fly buzzing around.
"You wanted to know?" Suddenly, the man showed his malicious gaze, driving Maki to be even more cautious, with Playful Cloud ready to use. "The contract also stated that the Zen'in Family held a responsibility to protect those that owed them before the end of deadline fulfillment, which led to this moment where the two sides of a coin have begun their war against one another."
Without any warning, he started to break free from a rope that bound him to a chair, causing a fair shock to Maki. "In other words, whether it's the MJSA or other possible threat, the Kukuru Unit and the Hei have an obligation to subdue them."
"Wh-What the?" She couldn't contain her surprise, much so that her internal process was leaked out a bit.
"Even if those possible threats were from within the Zen'in Family itself." The man stated as he palpated his arms.
Dammit, it's indeed a trap after all! Maki thought to herself in frustration until she discerned something crucial. Wait, that means...! She immediately tried to open the metal door that separated her and her friends. Just as I thought. It's locked! But unfortunately, it was all too late.
"It's useless. Your friends can't help you. No one will." The man spoke calmly.
Friends? So it's really…! She stopped what she was doing and gazed at the man as he uttered the one word that unveiled the twist of her situation, before laughing fervently. "Ahahaha, now I understand. Megumi, Itadori, and Nobara were never here in the first place, weren't they?" The trick was out in the open. "The one who sent the message to us was you."
"I'm only done to relay what he told me to do." The man responded calmly concerning another person that has planned this. "Besides, locking up the daughter of Ogi's in here was worth the risk."
"Who's he?" Maki questioned him, hoping the answer was not what she expected.
"Members of the Hei." Unfortunately, it was what she expected.
Abruptly, the sound of a wall crashing loudly from above occurred right after. As Maki looked with a little bit of horror, she essentially noticed that right now Toge could also be fighting against one of the enemies that she secretly hoped were not from her family, let alone, the Hei.
I can't believe they've played us like a fiddle. Dammit! All because it was too real! All of those uncertainties, conflictions, and finally, its revelations have caught up to her. Calm down... for now, find a way to get out of here and fa— However, like the man could read her brain, he interfered with her thought process with ease.
"There's no way out." Such confidence was displayed right in front of her. "The door was sealed with the Lock of Hypocrisy, and it would only be open after a certain period." Thus, he could only smile. "Your hands are truly tied this time."
Leading to Maki's irritation reaching its peak. "Is that what you think?" She walked forward with her Playful Cloud ready. "You're trapped here with me too, you know? And I'm very pissed right now, so that's not a very good sign on your end." She responded with a psychotic smile full of longing violence.
"I know." The man started to take a fighting stance after noticing an instant hostility from the girl in front of him. "That's why I'm going to enjoy this, former member of the Kukuru Unit and a failure to our family."
"Failure huh... it's been a while since I've heard people calling me that." Maki also started her fighting stance as well, determined to win no matter what. "Which makes this a perfect time to vent out all of my frustration after being ostracized for so long." Her tone became colder.
It's not supposed to be personal, but why do my emotions start to get the better of me? She wondered curiously as her enemy began to make a move.
The two-sided battle on the forgotten side of the Plotemy has begun.
Toge could feel his hands, stomach, and mouth were bleeding from the pain after he was thrown away by Yuji's deadly Divergent Fist, before disappearing right in front of his eyes.
He would never expect the situation to escalate this quickly, as he tried to dodge and defend himself from the sudden attacks that came from the enemy who suddenly appeared.
The only card he has left is to fight until his last breath... or die trying with a flawless performance. But to try that would be near impossible as for some reason, his foe was nothing like he had fought before; a Sorcerer wearing a light-colored kimono stood elegantly without any sound to be made. His attire was very traditional, whereas, his Innate Technique was nothing sort than near perfection.
For Toge, he felt like he'd been outmatched in any way possible. However, if he's giving up now, his death would be instantly given without any mercy knocking on his mental door. A painless; likewise a meaningless one. He wanted to avoid that at all costs. Thus, giving up is not an option.
Not yet anyway.
Even though it is originally a trap.
Even though his and Maki's chances of survival were low.
He wouldn't want to die without meaning.
Yes... that's what has been running through his mind. Because...
This is for the consequences of my choice as a Jujutsu Sorcerer! Toge exclaimed to himself internally as he started to get up again from his fall.
"Still alive? Most impressive. It looks like the rumors of you being one of the ace students at Tokyo Jujutsu High were indeed true. Alongside an Inumaki bloodline running through your veins." The man complimented calmly. "But it's not enough." He started to chant his technique once more. "Empiri—"
Not this time! Knowing how manipulative his Innate Technique was, without a second thought, Toge unleashed one of the most devastating Cursed Speech Techniques on his current enemy. "Blast Away!"
It was a battle of only mere seconds. Both of the techniques were shouted. And the victor was decided by a predetermined factor of accuracy, caused by the desperation of human nature. With the difference of 0.11 milliseconds, the effect of a victorious technique was felt and heard from miles away within the Plotemy, leaving the aftermath of wall destruction at the Hidden Alley to be quite unimaginable.
Did I do it? Toge was breathing frantically as he reached his limit. His counterattack was successful, yes...
But to win a Jujutsu Battle, a simple technique isn't enough to take down another Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Especially if it's a Special Grade 1 Sorcerer.
"That was a close call," Among the smoke, the man was seen to be in quite a mess. His kimono ripped apart; his hands and legs were bleeding. "If I didn't reinforce my body to harden with Cursed Energy, I would have died pathetically right there. How unexpected that this immense power came from only a boy of the Inumaki Family." He was genuinely surprised by the capacity of Toge's own Inherited Technique. "Well done."
As despair finally hit him, Toge couldn't keep his physical strength any longer. No... The moment he unleashed his Cursed Technique, its monstrous toll was already set in stone. Especially since his Cough Syrup was no more since it was broken by the sudden attack of Yuji's Divergent Fist.
"I know exactly how it feels to not have any will left on a battlefield. That sensation where your bone fractured; body incapacitated; mind broken; words were uselessly uttered. Sometimes accepting death is much better than continuing fighting." The man stated understandingly. "Don't worry, I will end this quickly, Inumaki. You can rest now."
"Fi..." Toge tried his best to mutter what he wanted to say in his current condition. "Fish... flakes... (Oka... ka...)"
Hearing his enemy's words, the man could only smile. "I see. I haven't introduced myself properly, have I?" He then began his short introduction. "My name's Uzo Zen'in, the 5th Member of the Hei, and I will be your Executor today." His formality was followed by his respectful gesture. "May your soul find its way to the peaceful afterlife, if you lose to your nightmares that is."
Toge could only look in absolute contempt as Uzo began to activate his Innate Technique, this time, without any interference. "Empiric Harmony." The words he uttered instantly affected Toge in the most Earth-shattering way possible.
And within 5 seconds, the boy found himself in one of the most bizarre situations that he ever experienced.
In other words, it's all too late for Toge to return to reality for now.
After the Cursed Technique was cast, the atmosphere instantaneously turned grim and transported him into the scope of an empty classroom. And before Toge would realize something was changing, all of his friends were standing in front of him with a look of disgust and hatred.
With knives already in their hands.
"Why were you still alive, Inumaki-senpai?" Twisted Megumi asked disgustedly.
"If you're dead, all of our problems will be solved." Twisted Nobara spoke with her lifeless eyes.
"You're nothing more than a hindrance." Twisted Yuji said as he gripped the knife in his palm. "Just die already."
Toge didn't feel anything negative when those mockeries were spitted from their mouth. "Mus... tard... le... af... (Ta... ka... na...)" Instead, it made him more fueled to take down the man who was behind those false performances. With both of his hands turned into fists that longed for retribution, he stood up once more, although haggardly, from his fall and gazed at them all with the determined gaze of wanted victory. This is not where I'll die...!
"Oh...?" Suddenly, a female voice was heard from a distance. "So you're still clinging onto that rusty hope." Walking from the shadow, the last familiar face appeared to execute their act of fatality, revealing herself to be a twisted version of his company. "Like a dying prey twitching before their predator."
Even though his body was badly injured, Toge refused to back down.
"It's over, Toge." Twisted Maki spoke to him calmly. "You've reached your limit after you used that last Cursed Speech of yours." She then gazed at Twisted Yuji. "Kill him." Hence, after that command, he began to launch his attack preemptively.
And at his breaking point, Toge gritted his teeth. He refused to die at that moment. He refused to let these puppets, which have made the mockery of friends, be the end of his life. I won't be killed today! And because of all that determination and refusal. He fought back with all of his might, with both of his hands completely gripping the tip of the knife that came at a fast speed.
This turn of events completely caught Twisted Yuji off guard, as he couldn't believe what he'd done. "What are you trying to do...!?" While his hands were bleeding, Toge halted the knife that was about to pierce his heart. "S-Stop...!" At the same time, he muttered painfully beyond his foe's direction with his eyes full of agony, creating a very faint shockwave that goes unnoticed by Twisted Yuji.
As Toge clutched the blade that his attacker was determined to push down unto his very heart. "GAAAAHHH!" He screamed to let out all of his frustration and anguish. For that was his rebellion to not let his adversary take his life away. "GGAAAAAAHHHHHH!" And a few seconds later, his daring attempt seemed to have paid off, even only a little.
The knife began to shift direction 30 degrees from his determined target.
And Toge tried his best to downward even further in that direction until the knife dropped off from his very hands. "You... little...!" Twisted Yuji mumbled in annoyance. He couldn't let this boy get the better of him. "Kugisaki! Megumi!" He asked for assistance. "Attack him from both sides!" He demanded to end it all in one move.
However, something seemed a miss.
"Guys! Do it now!" Even though he requested an immediate follow-up of his attack, there seemed to be no response. "What are you guys...?" The reason for that is straightforward.
What he saw as he looked behind was...
His Twisted fellows were frozen as they stood from where they were.
From their eyes, it seemed they wanted to charge as soon as possible.
And the only person who could do that is none other than the Cursed Technique that has been instilled in them.
In a room where she's locked up after an ingenious scheme has befallen her. Maki launched her attack at the man without mercy.
Although silence resounded throughout the place, a critical hit with such a painful remark made its way to the enemy.
And that's only her first move towards this member of the Kukuru Unit.
"This is so much fun," Maki claimed to herself as she looked at him with pure insanity. "I'm seriously going to kill you for this."
Protecting himself after her Cursed Tool struck his right arm until it was bleeding flawlessly, the man continued to taunt her without any care in the world. "That skill of yours is very refined. Too bad the clan ostracized a girl with that kind of potential such as yourself." He pushed the left metal of the Playful Cloud away from its present position with his might. "What a tragedy for the Zen'in Family."
"You're still talking?" Maki responded in a monotonous tone before launching another counterattack as her left kick hit the man mercilessly on the stomach from the right side within 3 seconds. The man pushed back a little, but it seemed Maki did almost no damage as she only grazed him slightly. "And here I thought I'm the one who's cornered." However, she didn't care much as a slight smirk on her face was visible to the eyes.
"You are, and here's why." To prove his point, the man launched his savage attack without any warning. He moved towards her at a very high speed and his left fist was flying closely into her face.
And Maki who saw that coming immediately fused half of her energy into both of her legs. Thus thanks to her quick reaction, she avoided his ferocious attack; that dangerous fist of his was struck at a wall until it fractured like a spiderweb pattern.
"Not bad. As expected from the twin daughters of Ogi's."
"Don't mention his name." Irritated by his sarcastic praise, Maki launched another attack at him. This time, she charged mercilessly as the Playful Cloud assaulted him from any random direction.
However, the man deflected her strikes perfectly, like a Professional Dancer who's tried his best to entertain the Opera's guests. I admit it, he's good.
Still not yet exhausted, the man took a fighting stance after surviving Maki's sinister assault. "I won't fall before you are lost."
"What a positive thought you have there." She glared at him with the face of a Devil as she aimed her Playful Cloud straight at him with a smile. "Then I'll make sure you're dead before you see that happen."
"Heh, let's see if you can, Maki." The man dared her to kill him.
Of which internally he knew, this whole fiasco wouldn't go as she expected.
There's only one who could halt Human movement into a neutral state of emptiness. An animosity that lingered through their veins, marked by his word. Even faintly, a multi-layered voice hidden from a scratch of imbued wail, caused the table to have turned.
Watching from the distance, Twisted Maki realized his tactic and decided to not interfere. "Fighting until the end, how admirable yet foolish." But her sinister words reflected her decision to choose such action.
Meanwhile, Toge's resistance forced Twisted Yuji to take extreme measures after he realized both of his comrades had been neutralized in a single swoop, "I won't let it end like this!" one that challenged his willpower to the limit. His hands were shaking and the veins could be seen on his skin. It was, in short, a last-ditch effort to eliminate his enemy.
At the same time, more blood was falling from the cutting edge of the knife. Its sharp blade continuously went deeper into the wound on both of Toge's hands. "ACK!" The pain was very excruciating for him. Sweats and tears were dropping from his forehead and eyes. But even so, he mustn't let the torment break his mental spirit.
Especially since he already felt that the closing stage was within his reach.
Sustaining in her watchful position, Twisted Maki widened her eyes in surprise. This was the moment she had waited for.
"GAAAHHHHH!" Oppositely, Twisted Yuji screamed in frustration. "You...!" He couldn't believe his opponent's strength was far superior to him.
This is it! Toge thought to himself as he pressed the knife even further from his heart, until...
He gained an opening and kicked his adversary right in his left knee. Instantly, relinquished the knife from his grasp and dropped it to the ground.
"You annoying prick!" As Twisted Yuji loosed himself a little bit from an unexpected attack, an opportunity to take him down arrived. And without a second thought, Toge punched him in the face brutally, thrice. Critically, injuring Twisted Yuji's perception and thought process; knocking him out cold instantly.
"Hah... hah... hah..." Toge gasped hard and removed the blood that came from his mouth with his right arm. He looked upon the wound on both of his hands, and the first thing that came to his mind was...
How awful. The blade has penetrated most of his veins, causing the blood to pour endlessly from the lacerations. But he didn't mind that. Besides, there was nothing he could do at that moment.
To make matters even worse, his victory was only to be short-lifted since he acknowledged other forces that wanted to take him down as well I've used the last of my Cursed Energy to inflict that Cursed Speech to freeze those guys from attacking. He looked to his left. This is no time to rest.
Pulling himself up together after that brutal encounter, Toge mentally composed his mind to relax a little bit. However, that seemed only a last for a minute since Twisted Megumi and Twisted Nobara have been freed from their neutral restriction movement.
However, there's something wrong with them.
"Caviar. (Ikura.)" Toge looked at them with caution. His battle with those puppets is not yet over. At least, that's what he thought at first.
The more he looked at them, the more it was clear that both of them seemed about to fall to their knee.
Seconds later, his assumption was correct.
Their mouths were bleeding.
Thus soon after, Twisted Megumi and Twisted Nobara were dead, with spears stabbed gruesomely into their back.
The fight between Maki and the man from the Kukuru Unit raged on. Neither was willing to take defeat nor let their pride be trampled upon. Both of their eyes were locked on to each other, determined to take one's existence down.
"What a riveting strength," The man complimented her while regaining his strength. The wounds across his body were pretty bad. "I knew you were strong, but this... this is what makes me respect you! Even if you're a condemned failure to our family eyes, Maki."
Respect? This is something that she's not expected. However, she chose to not reply to the man's words as Maki prepared herself for another swift attack with her Playful Cloud at him.
"Your ideals and achievements are what pushed me to become who I am today." Still not done with the talking, the man continued. "Without you, I don't think I would be brave enough to take this harsh path that was laid out for me in the first place."
The man deflected another attack from her before launching his counterattack; flying a roundhouse kick at her, which she avoided gracefully by lowering her face at a perfect 90 degrees angle the moment that kick was about to reach her head, and she instantly moved backward to create a small distance from him again.
"What are you talking about now?" Maki asked coldly after hearing his compliments. Her eyes were lifeless as ever. At the same time, both of them were walking in a circle as they gazed upon each other with the intent to kill. "You assumed by flattering me is enough to spare your life?"
"Spare my life...?" The man was taken aback by her response. At the same time, he stopped his attack while looking at her with widened eyes. "Did you think I said every single one of those words all because I begged you to spare me?" His fists were clenching in vexation.
"That's how I see it." She responded without any care in the world. "Or perhaps you're much more dumb than meets the eye, old guy."
"Is that so, Maki?" At her taunt, his tone now hinted a sign of no emotion; rather a disappointment. "What a pity then."
She didn't respond this time.
Instead, she focused on what she was about to do afterward.
And without wasting any more time, she leaped forward toward him while the Playful Cloud began its cruel attack once again.
But, that's precisely how the man wanted her to act around this very moment.
"Fine, no more games." Suddenly, his inner aura changed dramatically, with his left hand aimed at her perfectly.
He changed his stance. What's he doing now? Noticing a sudden change in her foe, Maki decided to immediately rearrange her strategy and halt her deadly assault as soon as possible.
Unfortunately though, it was a second too late. "Dissonance: Ḍara." The man muttered a foreign technique without any emotion, leading her to be surprised as he showed a new deadly attack; his left hand was engulfed with grey flames of Cursed Energy. Is he using Cursed Energy? Lost her thoughts in uncertainty, Maki's frail attempt at avoidance led her to make a single misstep in action.
Creating a chance for him to have the upper hand as he successfully struck her with his counterattack on her left arm with his Cursed Technique at a mere two seconds in speed.
"Tch!" She felt the pain as the punch hit her quite hard on the arm, forcing Maki to back down a little and grab the arm that was struck flawlessly. He got me. Blood started to drip from her forehead a bit. To think that's because I lost my focus for a moment there. She thought to herself calmly.
Huh...? That is before Maki widened her eyes in dread as realized something horrifying. What is this...? Astounded by the changing ambiance in the room, she felt her body become almost lifeless for 3.8 seconds. Why am I... getting so hard... to breathe...?
For the first time in seven months, she felt raw fear in her nervous system. My body can't help... but be shaken up in horror. Is this the effect of his technique? Her eyes narrowed in realization before her breathing became normal once again. I thought the Kukuru Unit only contained those who don't have an Innate Technique. She looked in confusion.
"Finally, you realized." The man said simply before showing her his Cursed Energy. "But to clarify first, this is not an Innate Technique." Like he could hear the monologue of her inner voice like before, her assumption was quickly denied by him. "Rather, an Inheritance Technique that I've been trained to use for the past seven years."
"Inheritance Technique?" Maki's intrigued by his clarification, causing both players to stop their duel for a minute. "There's no family in Japan that passed down Dissonance. This is the first time I've heard of it."
"Of course you are," The man responded with a bit of a sad expression on his face. "That's because the family clan that developed this technique has already fallen hundreds of years ago."
"In short, the history has erased the very existence of that clan." It didn't take a minute for Maki to reach her conclusion. "Which led to the question: how did you, a member of the Kukuru Unit, gain such technique from outside of the Zen'in Family?" She asked in a serious tone to the person that has become a very dangerous adversary for her. "I thought no one from the Kukuru Unit does possess any Innate or Inheritance Techniques within them."
That question made him flinched a little.
Although it was a momentary truce between the two, the man didn't let his guard down.
"That's because I'm not part of the Zen'in Family in the first place." He began preparing a front stance with his eyes focused like a Hyena. "When I was 12, my parent rejected me because I was too different from my siblings. They sold me to the clan for my anomaly. That is until Jinichi took notice of me, which ushered that my physical strength and Cursed Energy could be very useful for the Kukuru Unit." The way he answered, it seemed he also bore a deep hatred for the Zen'in Family.
Just like her.
Just like when they decided to see her as trash.
"Since then, I underwent through Hell and beyond. Simultaneously, building up my depression every single day caused me to think of suicide as nothing more than my grand escape from this cruel reality." His tone shifted into a lighter one. "But I was wrong. Especially, the moment I saw you left the family to follow your ideal. That's when I realized, I, too could be broken off from this tragic fate..." He closed his eyes as he took a calm breath. He lifted his left arm. "This Inheritance Technique of mine is something that I've perfected per the Ashikaga's esteem qualities. I only used this in case of an emergency chance I've met a Jujutsu Sorcerer that's above my level."
Maki maintained her expression. Ashikaga? She noticed an interesting detail in his explanation. "I see. I was mistaken the whole time." Listened briefly to his harsh experience, she couldn't help but feel a quiet fury that confided within him. "You also despised the Zen'in Family, didn't you?"
"Indeed I am." The man answered without hesitation. "But that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for everything they have done for me."
"Don't you bear hatred against them?" Maki asked benevolently. "So much so that you wanted to kill them all, and your parents for abandoning you in the past too?"
"I wonder..." He gave an ambiguous answer. "Besides, I don't care anymore. I only do this because I wanted to survive."
"To survive, huh..." Maki wanted to laugh cruelly. However, her fight with him has taken a lot of energy. "Isn't it too late for that?" She prepared her fighting stance, with Playful Cloud at hand. "I also wanted to survive. That's why I cannot afford to lose."
"I know. In terms of motive, we're the one and same after all." The man responded with full conviction before quickly activating the trump card that is his Inheritance Technique again. "Dissonance: Ḍara." He directed his left hand up-front, creating a grey wave of unleashed maximum Cursed Energy into the air of the abandoned room.
Nonetheless, Maki reacted swiftly to avoid the effect of his technique.
She aimed her Playful Cloud at the left side of his body, all within 3.7 seconds. It was fast and direct, hitting vitally on his left waist. "GAAH!" The man lamented at the sudden pain. However, within 2.8 seconds later, he immediately launched his rapid counterattack without giving her a chance to retaliate.
His side-kick from the right foot was launched to perform a critical hit at her abdomen mercilessly, putting almost 76% of his Cursed Energy onto that kick alone.
Hence because of that, she was thrust hard into the wall like a ragdoll.
"ACK!" Causing Maki to groan as her mouth was bleeding slightly because of the hard impact that almost broke her body. "G-Gaaah..." Although bearing an enormous pain from the attack, she pushed herself to get up from such an impact, even with the pain that she could feel all around her body.
But, noticing that her blood was flowing briskly, she quickly brushed it off with her elbow.
However, it was at that moment that she lowered her guard once more.
"Dissonance: Ḍara." Since the man motioned his Inheritance Technique twice in a row. This time, he wasted no time right there and then.
That's fast! Realizing that she's gonna be hit again, she was about to avoid that punch of his excellently for one more time.
However, this fight isn't about strength. Rather it's about speed, and who's greater at cheating.
That's why, the moment she was late in her reaction by 1.8 seconds, it was over. It's gonna...! Instigating the effect to hit Maki at the perfect spot of her vulnerabilities with his left fist. "GAHHH!" His remorseless hit was ruthless, which led Maki to be knocked down to the ground and whimpering in pain; it prompted her to feel something heavy in her lungs.
No... no...! She tried to murmur anything. Say anything dammit! But all she could do was gasping for breath.
This is the worst scenario for her.
"Haa... haa..." She tried to breathe with all her might.
"Haa..." Both of her hands tried to rejuvenate her breathing system by putting it into her respiratory.
"Haa... haa... haa..." As each second passed, her chance of survival decreased significantly; her body became languid without her realizing it, and Playful Cloud fell from her grip instantly.
Looking at her like that, the man didn't say anything about the current state of his enemy after being inflicted by the Inheritance Technique. Instead, he walked closer to her and kicked her down mercilessly until she went to the other side of the room.
The kick was nothing more than relentless.
"GAACK!" Maki whined in agony after she met furiously with a collision against the cemented wall for the second time. "Arghhh..." She resisted the torment as her vision became blurry after such continuous brutal assault.
Deep down she can feel it, the end is coming to her.
Is she gonna end like this pathetically?
"Don't die on me, Maki." The man said as he squatted to watch her in pity after she had fallen greatly. "You have to kill me before your soul goes up to the sky above." His left hand petted her head slowly amid her suffering. "Isn't that your resolution as of now? Or were you only just talking all this time?"
Hearing his taunting question, Maki tries to swear under her breath. "I... I...!" Her frustration was beyond imaginable. This defeat is nothing more than humiliating to her.
But, that's exactly why the man understood greatly.
Because he had once put himself in the same position as her right at this moment in time.
"You haven't tasted defeat in a while, have you? Frankly, I envy you..." The man spoke sympathetically. "Or rather, I already knew this outcome would be like this from the start." He smiled a little. "But I understand, more than anyone. You're frustrated because you were easily knocked down by something you don't recognize." The more he sees her in this pitiful position, the more he sees the remnant of his past self when he was in a state of despair as most of his peers brutally bullied him back in his training days. "That's why let this be a lesson, Maki. Build up all of your spite against me just like what you did with our family back when they underestimated you greatly because of your gender."
He started to get up and walk away from her. "So when the next time we meet, we can have a fair fight." He uttered his next words faintly, but Maki tried her best to hear him clearly. "And to prove to those bastards that they're wrong about you once and for all."
What is this damn guy saying now!? Each of his victorious steps makes him further away from her, leading Maki to gaze at his back in confusion and rage. "Wh... w-wait...!" She tried to call him out, but her voice already gave up on her long ago.
But that doesn't mean her hands have.
In fact, her left hand is trying to reach him with all of her might.
However, it was useless since it was already too late.
The man swiftly moved his left hand vertically as he stood in front of the rusty metal door that separated them from the other reality, resulting in the Lock of Hypocrisy that sealed the door to be broken in pieces.
And the entrance opened in front of him.
He began to step out of the basement room; the man stopped in his tracks while putting both of his hands in his jeans pocket.
He turned around a bit to look at her for one last time until fate allowed them to meet again. "Don't worry, you'll only lose your consciousness for a while. I don't want you to be dead. But your friend on the other hand..." There's a slight delay in his answer as a sign of hesitation because he knows there's only a little chance for someone to survive after one has been inflicted with Empiric Harmony. "I hope Uzo has mercy on him."
Although Maki still trying her best to breathe as she was holding her lungs in pain, the revelation that her friend might die shocked her internally as her eyes widened in frustration and bitterness.
"And I haven't told you my name, have I?" He's also only realized this recent anomaly after such an unfair conclusion. "Considered this as even since I know your name; for this one time only, I'll tell you right now." The man paused for a while before continuing. "My name is Hirō Zen'in, 11th Member of the Hei."
For six seconds there was only silence as Maki's mind went blank after hearing those last words.
Wait what...? That is like thunder that was raging in the background, Maki finally realized how this man was so powerful. He's the 11th Member...? Even though she's about to pass out, it all finally makes sense.
His immediate response, stamina, and irregular Cursed Technique are something that was way above for someone in the Kukuru Unit.
He has been telling lies since the first time they met.
But, that doesn't mean his sympathetic manner was a lie as well.
Maki can feel it. What he told her after they had confronted each other physically was genuine. He truly respected her.
"Shall we meet again soon, Maki, I'm already looking forward to it." The man named Hirō said his goodbye before going upstairs and closing the basement door in the process.
Leaving her alone in the dark as she, at last, passed out from the deadly toll of his Inheritance Technique.
A few seconds after the brutal execution of both of his enemies, Toge looked calmly at what happened in front of him. Battered, yet, determined to end the false scenario once and for all, he took the knife from the hands of Twisted Yuji that he held firmly before.
All to finish off his one last objective.
"Don't look so dramatic," The source of those merciless kills spoke out after Toge glanced at her warily. "This is what you want, isn't it?"
He didn't give a response. His eyes were filled with cautiousness and determination.
"One versus one. Exactly the way this was meant to be." As Twisted Maki finished her words, a million shiny red particles were manifested unto her right hand. Creating an object that looked like a Samurai Blade. "And you know... I've always wondered how resilient your physical strength is without you not always relying on that Cursed Speech of yours." As the blade had been manifested, she briskly swung and pointed it at Toge to taunt him. "So let's see how long you shall last from this, Toge."
"Fish flakes. (Okaka.)" Accepting her provocation, Toge prepared his battle stance. Even if his body has reached its limit.
And seeing how much her opponent has been ready for her predestined assault. "Show me a good time!" Twisted Maki spent no time for more monologue. As she quickly closed the distance between him and her, she swiftly aimed the blade at his neck.
Toge, who noticed this, hastily dodged her fatal attack within 3.5 seconds after her initial merciless attack. One slash and I'm dead. But that's only the beginning.
Giving no time to rest, Twisted Maki launched another attack, this time she aimed at his torso. Fortunately, he also saw this coming and dodged the slash that signaled the coming end of his life.
Every assault was crucial. And each time it happened, Toge dodged it every single time. However, he cannot keep up with the defense strategy forever. He must do something to turn the table around. I must find an opening.
With each strike, he analyzed the pattern in the hope of detecting the weakness of her deadly movement. Left, right, and right. Calm as a serene sea, Toge crucially focused on the joint movement of her flexion and extension as there's always an estimation limit to every action. Four seconds, six seconds, five seconds. And the aim of the blade mostly came from the left direction; mainly to cut off his upper body.
A deduction he has reached within one minute is at hand.
That is until Twisted Maki made a sudden move. The edge of the blade suddenly pierced the flesh of his left leg perfectly. "GAAH!" Toge didn't expect this attack would be chosen, making him staggered in silent agony.
"Always to be on the defensive I see." She said calmly. "Looks like it's time to spice up things a little." True to her words, Twisted Maki manifested a different weapon within her right hand, changing it from the usual blade into her Playful Cloud.
She raised it at Toge as her eyes looked at him menacingly. "With this, you have a chance to attack. However, don't lose the tempo just yet."
Irritated by another inducement from her, Toge grasped tightly to the knife that he held; ignoring the poignant that came from his laceration from his battle against Twisted Yuji. Even though he knew the Playful Cloud could not kill him instantly, the impact from that Cursed Tool could also lead to a fatal wound or even worse. But as he noticed the irregularity of her movement before, he was determined to use it to his advantage.
All he needed was a perfect chance to counterattack.
That one moment to end it.
And since he's also quite familiar with her counterpart movement when she uses Playful Cloud, that's another factor that he had in his upper hand. The only thing he needed to do now is to not screw up, or it would be his end.
"Well then." Twisted Maki spoke at him as she swung her Playful Cloud with full force around her to show her seriousness. "Let us continue."
"Mustard leaf. (Takana.)" Toge responded calmly, not intimidated by her words.
The time to end the duel between the two has come.
As the man walked into the main room of the Periculum from the stairs that led to the basement, he noticed a large hole in the wall and the remains of rubbles that came after it.
There, he noticed his partner, who was bleeding with his clothes ripped all over, was observing a boy who had become another target of their mission.
"That boy has got you into some rough condition, hasn't he?" He said to the 5th Member of the Hei, Uzo Zen'in. "Oh, how times have changed."
"Ah, so it seems you have finished yours already," Uzo responded with a smile, intentionally not answering his previous question. "Incredible as always, Hirō, although it seems that the Zen'in girl also got you quite as well."
The man, who revealed his name to be Hirō Zen'in, winced as that name was spoken verbally. "I'm still not used to you calling me that."
"I thought you already are though?" Uzo asked straightforwardly.
"Only when I'm in active services with the Hei." Hirō retorted. "Besides, it's been a while since we've been working together like this."
"Indeed... three years have passed since then." Uzo reminisced with painful eyes, causing him to change the topic quickly. "Anyway, how's Maki?"
"She's dead." Hirō bitterly spoke.
Like a hawk glaring through its prey, Uzo asked plainly: "You're lying, aren't you?"
He didn't answer his question. Instead, Hirō toppled it with a new one. "What about you?"
"I'm still deciding," Uzo admitted to his partner. "At first, I thought this boy would be dead in less than six minutes after I activated my technique. Just like most of my enemies have experienced." He glared at Toge, whose eyes were turned black, and his body was lifted into the air. "However, he's still breathing. Even after the 15-minute mark has passed, he's still not giving in." Curiously, the boy's determination has caused a little bit of distress within him.
"So you're rooting for him to live?"
"Not in that kind of sense," Uzo answered with a bit of honesty. "He has caught my attention." His expression went serious. "One must have a strong will to overcome their inner adversary since they're the one that has the key for their survival within that land. That's the whole point of my Innate Technique, to differentiate between strong and weak, created by a margin of truth and lies." He turned to Hirō as he explained further of his true feelings. "I'm not rooting for him. But at least, more than anything else, he has gained my respect."
His partner went quiet for a while as he glanced at him with conviction. "You indeed have changed," Hirō said without a second thought. "Before you never had any empathy for your enemies. You simply killed them without hesitation right at the moment they're in that state. But now..." His eyes gazed at Toge. "You're vulnerable enough to give them mercy if they do survive this. Are you sure she didn't influ—"
"Not another word, Hirō." Uzo stopped him. This time, his tone became colder than ever. "That's enough."
Following his warning, Hirō chose to resist and surrender to what he wanted to ask. "Fine by me." Even though deep down he knew, it was a move that he must make to ease Uzo suffering from three years ago. "Besides, not that it matters anymore to me any—"
Again, Hirō's talking was interrupted. But not from the cut-off that was made by Uzo.
Instead, it's sourced from the boy himself as Toge dropped loudly to the ground with an unnerving sound that came from his cracking bones.
Calmly walking unto him, Uzo gently checked on his nervous system to see if he was still alive or not.
And the answer to that curiosity...
"He's still alive." He declared as he looked upon Hirō.
"What are you gonna do now?" His partner asked him.
"Just like what you did to Maki," Uzo answered, very much aware of his partner's lies. "They're not threats anymore, so it would be pointless to kill them both now." He grinned a bit. "That's what you want, am I right?"
Hirō was silenced for a while until he bluntly stated to him with a calm tone. "I don't want them to die. The reason we're doing this is because the family forced us to execute this assignment as it should be." He then walked through the hole that was caused by Toge's Cursed Technique. "However, what they don't realize is that the real deal is where the mayhem begins now."
Followed by Uzo, both members of the Hei stood without any fear in the world as they gazed amidst the war that transpired in front of them.
As clouds of smoke began to rise among many layers and sections of the Plotemy...
Accompanied by explosions, alongside the roars of men and women.
Darkness has engulfed his life motivations into oblivion.
The weight that he carried all the time truly has broken him.
Unknown to anyone else.
Lost within himself.
The boy searched for a way out from his depression that ran deeper than he thought.
That is until a single message arrived on his PFP which fractured that hollowness.
At the same time the sky went unlighted.
As if trying to familiarize themselves with the notion of his current emotion.
Act VI: Demise and Aperture
35 Minutes Before the Explosion, Café Grandpa [01:20 PM]
A sound of a knock could be heard from the front door of Katsuragi's House.
"Coming~" Elsie yelled as she ran to open the door, revealing the one who had been knocking on the door to be Tenri Ayukawa, their meek neighbor. "Ah! Tenri-san! Please come in!" She offered happily to the girl, to which Tenri nodded heartily.
As both of them were sitting in the living room, the reformed Devil asked the Goddess Host curiously: "What's the matter...?"
"Can I... um... talk to Keima-kun, Elsie-san?" Tenri asked timidly while hoping she could meet the person that she wanted to comfort the most.
"Nii-sama? Of course~!" Elsie responded without a second thought. "Although... it could be quite hard to convince him, but I'll try!" She motivated herself as she was reminded of the cold remark that he had given to her hours ago. "Just wait for a bit, okay?"
"Sure... thank you, Elsie-san!" The Goddess Host of Diana felt grateful to Katsuragi's sister.
"Hehehe, you're welcome!" And with that, Elsie quickly headed to her brother's room.
All the while, Tenri grabbed a mirror of her own to talk with Diana as she waited for her crush's arrival. "I hope he's willing to show himself to us." She said as she smiled quite brightly.
"But do you think this would work, Tenri?"
"I hope it will..." Deep down, Tenri was uncertain of her action. But her kind heart strongly strengthened her will to continue her objective. "If Keima-kun was truly involved in that terrible accident, we must uncover the truth." She grasped both of her hands hard. "I wanted to help him in any way I could, just like he protected us with everything that he could from that terrible time..."
"Tenri..." Diana was stunned by her determination and smiled gently. "I'm sure your kindness will reach him."
"Diana..." Tenri said candidly as she beamed at those words. "Thank you..." It was the motivation that she needed.
But then, like a storm, a shocking development emerged from out of nowhere.
As Elsie ran toward Tenri with terrible news that no one could expect. "Tenri-san!" She shouted in distress as her eyes began to shed tears.
"El-Elsie-san? What happened?"
"Ni-Nii-sama... Nii-sama..." Elsie stuttered as she panicked from her horrid discovery.
"Calm down, Elsie-san!" Tenri tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail. "What happened to Keima-kun?"
"Ni-Ni-Nii-sama..." Her eyes were watering and her legs wavered. "He's gone...!"
"What!?" Both Tenri and Diana were shocked by the current development.
It was at this moment that the game on this murky day has begun.
Night Public Park, Fukawa District [01:33 PM]
Painfully exhausted from his action to run as soon as possible, Keima arrived at the place where two anonymous people had very much waited for him to appear since the very beginning of a shadowy conflict between The Clementine Movement and the MJSA.
"Hah... hah... hah..." He tried to catch his breath after such a brutal activity. "I'm... here... so now... don't you dare... for you to try... and do... anything to... her!" His tone became bitter; his eyes glared hatefully at the people in front of him.
One boy with a phone in his hand; one girl with a bow who's looking at him with hostility.
Both of them seemed recognizable to Keima. They looked familiar, have I seen them before? He started to rack his brain. But there's no time for that as of now.
Meanwhile, although it was a very clear threat from the Otamegane, both of the young people in front of him didn't say anything.
That is until 27 seconds later, the boy from the other side decided to break the ice. "I've never expected you to come. I thought you would brush this as a mere joke when I sent that message to your PFP, how very admirable of you."
"A joke!? Like Hell, I will assume that as one!" Keima shouted at him, having recovered from that hellish run earlier. "You sent a photo of me and Ayumi when we were at the Akanemaru that night! What's more, you even sent me those screenshots of Ayumi in her own house at this very moment!" The more he talked, the more furious he felt. "I won't consider this as a joke. Not after everything that has transpired in this shitty reality! I know you people from the faction called The Clementine Movement, so let me make myself clear: if you hurt her in any way, you all shall pay it ten times fold!"
"Are you truly in a position to make demand right now?" The boy asked in a sinister tone, as his left hand held a phone that would notify the other person on the line to execute their responsibility. "Your threat doesn't even hold any value."
"Tsk!" Keima also realized that as well. I knew this wasn't a good idea, but...! It seems acting tough isn't going to help him in any way.
"But to show you our goodwill, we shall hold the matter of Ayumi Takahara until this business is done." The boy clarified, proving there was no longer a way for him to counterattack. "In other words, she's safe, as of now." His tone lowered as the clouded skies rumbled. "But depending on your action, that could change at any moment so don't make any heroic acts."
Finding himself on a checkmate, Keima finally gave up in despair. "Fine... you got me..." He said in a low tone until something clicked on him as he finally realized the identities of these people that were right in front of him. "Wait..." He muttered while looking straight at them. "I know the two of you...!"
Hearing the distress statement from the God of Conquest, the boy alongside his partner looked curious at each other before laughing faintly. "You know us? Hahaha, I see." He then followed his words with a very cold remark. "Then prove it."
"You're that parsley guy...!" Keima pointed his finger at the boy. "And you... you're that Head of the Library Committee who's always with Shiori!" It was a faint memory, but he still remembered the experiences from his conquests. "I can't believe this...!" He's infuriated with the revelations that he has discovered. "Even the Mai-High students were involved in this!"
Both of them went silent after the God of Conquest acknowledged them. It seemed there was no use in hiding cards anymore.
"Took me by surprise, Otamegane." The boy said as he walked forward slightly, revealing his name to be Ryousuke Nakamura. "I never thought that you would remember us. But I guess, I'm in the wrong after all." He chuckled as he remembered how he bullied the boy in front of him. "It sure was fun, that time, while you were romancing Kusunoki-san, Nagase-senpai, and even those Goddesses girls, I'm taking part as a role to bully you and your false sister." Before his tone went full ominous mode. "However, even those silly times must come to an end."
Confused by what he just heard, Keima uttered in confusion to what he said earlier: "An end...?"
"An end to justify all things." The girl, Fujiidera, spoke at last. "Although I'm very grateful for what you did to Shiori, this critical matter is nothing sort of personal."
Personal? Does that mean... Keima thought to himself before he asked them calmly. "So all this time both of you knew? About my conquests, the Devils, Goddesses, and even the New Hell?"
"We only knew after Vintage made their move to hunt down the Goddesses, and also our faction sent us to kill you at that time," Fujiidera began to explain to him while her partner just watched them in silence. "We followed you secretly while you tried your best to save those girls and awakened the Goddess that slept within them. However..." Her calm expression changed greatly to spiteful. "Every single time... when it was the best time to assassinate you, those students from Jujutsu High and Satoru Gojo kept hindering us from fulfilling our objectives."
Keima's eyes were horrified after listening to her confession. His mind went back to the time Gojo explained to him that The Clementine Movement made their move to kill him to invoke the MJSA wrath. So it was them!
"But things have changed drastically," Ryou continued without a slight emotion right after Fujiidera. "Especially, since Satoru Gojo and those morons weren't here to protect you AFTER that incident in our school." His way of talking went faster than before. "We have waited all this time for this one moment, and now..." He grabbed the Ballester-Molina from his right pocket. "It's here at last."
Keima was dumbfounded by the former bully's action and took a step back.
He realized if he made a sudden move, it would be his grave.
However, he noticed one thing. "So Non-Sorcerers like both of you could only rely on using such convenient weapons to kill someone?" Keima asked while hiding his fear of being gunned out by Ryou, using terms that he learned when he talked with Gojo.
"It seems you are already aware of differences between us and those Jujutsu Sorcerers," Fujiidera coolly responded as she watched from the sideline. "This is the only way we can do to make our mark in this conflict."
Ryou added sinisterly while gazing at him with hatred. "And also it's quite fitting, isn't it? A weapon like this gun is a way of safety used by the police forces of this nation. Yet, its purpose's now used as a gate for such an end to a boy that hates reality more than anyone in the world."
Keima looked at him vigilantly. "Do you think killing me will change a thing?" He asked without hesitation even though he feared death.
"Oh, I'm sure it will. You just don't realize how important your death is, Otamegane."
"How so?"
Hearing that, Ryou chuckled at him. "Heh, you should have already heard this from your savior, so I'll make this quick." He began to elucidate briefly. "As of this moment, a war is happening between our faction, The Clementine Movement, and those fools, the MJSA; the faction that your dead father has become a part of." After he mentioned those parts, Keima instantly knew what this was all about. "And it was at this time… that war has become reality for both us and the MJSA."
What, what? A war is happening right now!? However, he couldn't expect that a war between those factions would break out this soon.
There were so many questions that he wanted to ask. Nevertheless, all he could do for now is to listen to Ryou speak on behalf of The Clementine Movement.
"It's all because three days ago, a son of our Leader was brutally murdered by the very faction that blamed us for your father's death!" There's solely hatred in his tone directed at Keima as his anger begins to rise significantly. "He didn't deserve grim's death. And yet you... the very son of a man that has caused all of this, is living his life to the fullest. Even becoming a hero among the Goddesses and New Devils." His sour expression turned even darker at the mention of those facts. "You don't think that's a fair price, do you?"
A fair price...? Keima closed his eyes as he took a breath to calm down. "I've never thought of that." And yet his voice went weaker. "It's just that my Dad, if he's still alive... he would never want for such conflict to happen." His hands were shaken. "And I... I..." Both of his legs for some reason were losing their strength to stand. "I'm sorry..." He muttered faintly before his internal conflict rose.
What is it that I'm sorry for...? He thought in pain of his father's death and the deadly conflict that was caused by his demise. Am I sorry for these people who have become the victims of my Dad's murder? Or perhaps...
"Sorry?" Ryou was taken aback by his genuine words, the same went for Fujiidera.
They want an answer, and they want it now.
"I'm only aware of everything that's happened very recently," Keima said benevolently. His words were very much sincere as he looked upon both of the individuals. "From the existence of the hidden world of curses to the cruel demise of my Dad. I know I'm very late to mourn what happened to Sanzo's son. But the truth is a part of me wanted to correct those misunderstandings. However..." He closed his eyes as he realized the truth. "It... was too late for me in the end."
After Keima finished his explanation, the park suddenly became dead quiet; the wind became colder. The skies overcast with dark clouds began to show its ferocious fang of thunders.
But one thing was certain about things that are happening to nature as of this moment.
What Keima said has put such bitterness in Ryou's mouth.
To the point he wanted to vomit so badly.
"Too late for you, huh...?" Ryou became irritated by a minute, he wanted to tear this boy apart. "Don't you try to act GUILTY after everything that's happened!" His remaining calmness was suddenly overturned by personal rage. "You're very late to realize what catastrophe your father has done to us! Do you think your feelings could get you away from this huh!?"
Confronted with Ryou's words, Keima went silent for a while. Before muttering slowly while gripping his left hand.
"I don't, because I know the truth now." He looked at them in the eyes once more. "All of you are right. The Clementine Movement didn't kill my Dad. It was another person who did that. The same man that attacked me!" He stated with determination while trying to convince them. "That is why, even though I've been thinking about it for a long time and realizing it's pointless, at the very least, I truly wanted to convince you guys to stop this very war because I felt that's what my Dad wanted me to do!" The tide of the conversation began to turn in his favor. "And for that to happen, I cannot die yet! Not until the truth will outlive both your faction and the MJSA's hatred of each other!"
He realized what must be done.
You said it yourself, Gojo. Everyone deserves a second chance. And I've decided what I'll do now. Keima's confidence started to return like a flower that wanted to bloom. I've died once and now, I won't waste this very chance! The volition that shaped from the darkness that he has indulged deeply.
But here's the thing about darkness: they could be a gamble when being inclined.
A Few Hours Before
In his lowest and darkest corner, Keima wondered heavily over his reason to live and the redemption that he longed for. Since his freedom from his duty to romance the many girls to protect them has turned into a much darker turn, he realizes his peaceful time is over for good.
And he embraced that with a heavy heart and regret.
Especially his unwillingness to walk into the secret world of Jujutsu Sorcery.
Over the last three days, he's been thinking over and over about what must be done. And every time he reached an answer, those possibilities have shown their impossibility.
In the end, there's only one blunt truth: he's too weak to change what has occurred.
It's only fantasy. A fantasy listed as a decrement to stop an ongoing conflict between two factions caused by the death of his father.
That is until that cryptic message arrived on his PFP.
And with it, a threat from The Clementine Movement members.
For normal people, they have a right to fear those threats.
But for Keima himself, he saw a possibility. A way to convince one of the members of The Clementine Movement to know the truth of what happened. If somehow that truth could be his weapon to change their conviction, then maybe, just maybe, the current conflict could deteriorate for even a little bit.
But sadly, once again, it was only a gamble, with a very small change of succession.
Particularly, since he didn't know that a major death had transpired within a higher rank of that Non-Sorcerer faction.
Back to the Present
After listening closely to Keima's belief to stop the war between both factions, Ryou's face only darkened much further.
And Fujiidera, who noticed the sinister changes within her partner, began to prepare her own course of action for the worse.
With her hidden Cursed Tool at ready.
"I never knew you had it in you to become a pacifist, Otamegane." He said while he gritted his teeth. "The truth that outlives our hatred? Wanting to stop the war between us and the MJSA?" The Ballester-Molina that he held in his right hand was suddenly pointed at the God of Conquest again. "Are you KIDDING me with that lousy conviction of yours!?" He instantly lashed out as he reached a breaking point within himself, shocking Keima to some degree. "You know... Ino... he... he wasn't just a son of our Leader... he was my brother... my childhood friend... MY BEST FRIEND...!"
What...!? Keima was shocked to perceive a heartbreaking revelation that he'd never expected to hear in a million years.
"He was the one who saved my life and one of the very few people who supported and helped me throughout my darkest times! And now... now..." A tear began to dwell up in his left eye with his emotion stirred beyond grief and regret. "I never had a chance to pay back all of those kindnesses that he has shown to me!" His deepest agony was no longer contained. "It was all because of your DAMN FATHER...!"
He's losing it! Keima internally shouted as he panicked from such a sudden turn of his once bully psychological condition. But he'll not give in to his accusation of injustice.
"Think clearly!" He tried to convince Ryou once more. "Rather than blaming my Dad for Ino's death and trying to kill me for it, how about you start by hunting down the people that killed Ino instead!?" He rebutted to protect himself from the crazy act that could kill him at any second now. "I'm sure this is not what your friend wanted! This is not ju—" A bullet has been fired to shut the God of Conquest up for the first and last time.
"I think you got the wrong idea, Otamegane," Ryou spoke as he aimed for Keima's head next. "Why must we chase down a lesser evil that caused our suffering when we could just..." He pulled off the safety lever on his Ballester-Molina ready once more. "Cut down the source of that very same evil right here and now, hmm?"
"Tch...!" Keima couldn't believe what he had heard straight away.
"This is game over for you." Ryou spoke with a monotonous tone. "Try to run away or resist, we'll kill Ayumi-san on sight." As he gave his words, the dark clouds began to rain endlessly, pouring their many droplets into this climactic stage of confrontation.
"You may survive your demise from that night. However, this time, the aperture to pay for your father's sins is here." His index finger was about to pull its trigger.
Go to Hell, Otamegane, alongside your father.
Perceiving that there was no other way out from this execution anymore, Keima could only stand there in rejection and pure defeat.
His attempt at persuasion has failed greatly.
And now he's gonna pay for the sin that has been caused by his father's death.
His face was darkening. His vision was blurring.
Is this the end for me again? Keima asked no one but his pathetic self. What a terrible joke this is...! He clenched his left hand as hard as he could of how frustrated and bitter he was.
I've made my resolve and for what!? His legs wanted to resist. He wanted to run.
To let the Real trample that resolve of mine again!? His heart wanted to lash out like a flame that engulfed all things.
As I thought, this reality is just a shitty game with a crappy plotline. The rainfall was falling even harder. Its droplet was pouring onto Keima, with he himself couldn't accept such circumstances anymore.
However… He then glared at Ryou and Fujiidera as a memory of the Mai-High Festival and the Jupiter Sisters events were running in his mind.
This time, I won't run. Another series of flashbacks ran through his head as he began to collect the pain that he had endured.
I won't hide like a pathetic person who's helpless and trembling in fear. He reminded himself back at the moment when he hid in the restroom stall to evade the Cursed Spirit that was hunting him down mercilessly and brutely.
I won't let this shitty reality beat me again! The words of Gojo were flashing in his mind as well.
Do you know what it takes for someone to be crazy?
It's the total disregard of their lives to do something callously, and endlessly, with no value returned to them.
Because I am… Keima closed his eyes as he could feel the terrible rain that was pouring on him.
You are...
Will be the one who decides how this plotline ends! He has made his resolution to reject the demise that was decided by his enemy.
And just like that, Keima started to move on his own.
Maybe it's because he is determined to live, his will to honor the promise he's made with Gojo, or even his resolve to clear up the deadly conflict that was created by his father's death.
However, one thing was very clear...
He didn't stop.
No, he couldn't ever stop. Not now, not ever.
"Wh-What the!?" Seeing a frantic Keima rushed toward Ryou, he immediately fired three bullets at him without any possibility of delay.
The first shot, he missed.
The second shot, he almost had him.
The third shot…
"Argh… tch!" It hit his left leg, causing blood to be spilled and Keima began to stagger a bit. However, he has gone through worse than being shot in the leg.
Don't stop! Don't stop! Keima went through a death experience, a horror that most people couldn't even imagine. Keep running! Keep… pushing! He kept going and going, running towards Ryou with everything that he's got; penetrating the raindrops that had befallen them.
Even though his stamina was very limited and his legs were being injured greatly. It didn't matter to him, not at this very moment.
Because this is his chance to prove his conviction.
"Die, DIEEEE! YOUUU SINNERSSS!" Ryou kept on shooting, with the bullet in its barrel started to run out. His rage has eaten him from the inside. This is why his accuracy started to waver, creating an opportunity for Keima to dodge the bullet more easily.
It's still quite unpredictable, mind you when it comes to the speed of the bullets. Hence within 2.57 seconds, the last two bullets were launching out gravely at Keima. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the pattern of its trajectory was started to move in motion, even though Ryou couldn't realize it on his own because he was so blinded to kill Keima right there and then.
Left side… he always aimed that gun at me with the purpose of hitting my heart. Then my best course of action is…! He countered that speed unpredictability with his own.
"What!?" A second too late, Ryou has noticed a flaw in his way of execution. What he couldn't believe is that the boy in front of him managed to avoid his line of deadly attacks by evading to the right and then…
"Gaaah!? What are you!?" Launching himself at Ryou without any sort of hesitancy.
No combat experience.
No physical training experience.
Only experiences in playing games and romancing girls.
And yet… that same Otamegane that Ryou despised has taken himself down with him, causing both of them to taste the fury of the soil ground from the repercussions of tackling the member of The Clementine Movement with Keima's remaining fragile strength.
"G-Get off me! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" The Ballester-Molina that he held was dropped hard to the soil as he was losing control of the situation, with Keima commencing his counterattack against Ryou.
First, he targeted the one thing that would break off the chain reaction between Ryou's threat and the life of Ayumi.
The phone that his enemy has been holding greatly.
I had it, I— Nevertheless, that first major victory was outlived significantly. "Gaak!" Since six seconds later, Ryou promptly took charge of the situation once more as he kicked Keima in the stomach, leading him to be thrown to the ground in pain.
"I… had enough of this." Stood up from his forced fall by Keima's action, Ryou's face darkened like a Grim Reaper that want nothing more of his target's flesh and blood.
He looked at his phone and realized that Keima had successfully broken it.
Ayumi Takahara life's was saved.
But, what about Keima's life?
"I have to give it to you, Otamegane. You really are full of surprises." He took his Ballester-Molina from the ground and aimed it at the Otamegane once more. This time, Keima couldn't avoid it since his body condition was at its limit. "But I'm sick of your…" Nevertheless, Ryou stopped like his life was on pause.
At that moment, everything went frozen for the vengeful boy.
A cold serenity, lingering his existence.
He widened his eyes as he realized something was wrong, and his words to the Otamegane trailed off to the state of emptiness.
Ryou only realized at the very last second.
At that time, his mind began to question one thing. Why am I the only one who's fighting the Otamegane right now? What about— But it was already too late.
No, it was decided before it even began.
I'm sorry, but this is how this story of yours will end.
Another shot has been fired.
However, it's not Ryou who fired it as a spectral arrow finally found its prey on its awaited hunt.
At the end of a bow that she's been holding, Fujiidera fired a shot at one of the boys.
Without any regret in her eyes, it felt like it was the moment that she had been waiting for.
And blood started to pour from its victim.
It was a very painful death, and Fujiidera wanted him to feel that in every way possible.
"Fu-Fujiidera...?" The victim muttered in pain as its arrow pierced perfectly at his heart without any given mercy or compassion, creating a fatal hole in his body with the spectral arrow nailed to the ground. "Wh-Why...?"
His mouth was bleeding and his eyes were crying out.
But she didn't care. For her, this was a very therapeutic experience.
Fujiidera walked forward to gaze at the boy's last attempt at life. She gazed down with a smile with no words to offer. There was no need to give a verbal response, since 7 seconds later the boy named Ryou died from a state of shock.
His corpse lay down on the dirt which was supposed to be the symbol of peace and innocence.
And she just stood there with her Cursed Tool at hand.
"Goodbye, Ryou." Victory has been seized by none other than a girl named Fujiidera.
After the dust had settled, the one who survived began to talk to her in a fallen position with pure confusion and a splatter of blood on his face.
"Why... did you... save me...?" Keima asked the girl as this development is something that he could never expected when he decided to confront The Clementine Movement members.
Aren't they supposed to be allies? Why did she decide to kill one of her own? Those types of burning questions were lingering in his mind.
He didn't know what was going on. Moreover, this is the first time he has witnessed such cold-blood murder at the hands of a person who was the same age as him.
Who actually is she?
"Because... unlike that fool who wants to use your death as a sign of satisfaction, I believe in your words from earlier, Keima," Fujiidera said in an honest tone while taking a little bit of breath after doing something so extreme. "For you to have the key to end this terrible war."
She then walked toward him. "However, keep in mind..." Suddenly her tone changed dramatically. "The one that shall be victorious..." Her next words then sent chills down his spine. "Will be none other than the MJSA themselves."
It took 7 seconds for Keima to digest what she had just said.
"Huh...?" There's some sort of shock that he's experienced. "Wh-What...?" He widened his eyes as the truth began to unravel itself. "What... are you talking... about...?" A new question was formed, within a precise moment when Fujiidera lowered her body angle to match his. "Don't tell me...!" Keima finally began to understand what was going on.
"It's exactly what's sounded like," She spoke with certainty in her voice. "I'm the mole for the MJSA."
One of The Clementine Movement traitors has been revealed.
Her cruel revelations marked the commencement of the promised chaos, followed by the explosive outbreak that would come after.
Rain That Once Flows Coldly: Survivors and Hollow Victory
To Be Continued
Confidential Information Disclosed
Isolation: A Cursed Tool that was owned by Imoko after he stole it from one of the people who he killed mercilessly for murdering his parents. It's shaped like a mini-gun and can be carried easily since he can put it in his pocket. The target who was killed by this Cursed Tool would have their existence erased from their loved one's memory after 48 hours. Its bullets were made by the immense Cursed Energy from the people who were isolated gravely by the society.
Kurayami: A newer part of the Actuality Techniques that was developed personally by Imoko, which led to becoming a technique that was detached from any other Actuality Technique in practicalism. It combined various bases of the Actuality Techniques, which focus on vision offense and air manipulation through physics rejection of a Human weight in reality. Effectively, forming a chain that would instantly blind its target and restrict them at the same time.
Empiric Harmony: An Innate Technique solely used by Uzo Zen'in that only works within a radius of 150 meters. The cause and effect of this technique constructed a stage illusion within reality with only a small usage of Cursed Energy used by the Jujutsu Sorcerer; manipulating objects or an image of people at the source of its target perception. Furthermore, at the maximum potentiality of Cursed Energy used, it could create a perfect internal world within one's mind that would slowly turn itself into its nightmare.
Dissonance: An Inheritance Technique from the Ashikaga Family that's presently used by Hirō Zen'in. The essence of this deadly technique will cause the target's lungs and heart to be crushed or blocked within 3.5 - 7 seconds, but the effect could only work if the areal force of the technique perfectly struck the target's upper physical body first. It is rumored that it would only take four or five hits to kill someone if they were hit in a chain reaction combo.
Active Characters Disclosed
Diana (The World God Only Knows)
Elsie Katsuragi (The World God Only Knows)
Fujiidera (The World God Only Knows)
Haqua du Lot Herminium (The World God Only Knows)
Hirō Zen'in (The World God Only Knows)
Hiyori Sakurai (The World God Only Knows)
Keima Katsuragi (The World God Only Knows)
Ryousuke Nakamura (The World God Only Knows)
Sumire Uemoto (The World God Only Knows)
Tenri Ayukawa (The World God Only Knows)
Yukie Marui (The World God Only Knows)
Maki Zen'in (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Megumi Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Toge Inumaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Yuji Itadori (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Imoko Murata (OC)
Kusuma (OC)
Sanzo Fukuhara (OC)
Uzo Zen'in (OC)