Admittedly, the location lent itself perfectly to the day's exercise... Not far from one of Tokyo's largest and oldest cemeteries, the Yanaka Bochi, with its many thousands of tombs, the abandoned building in front of which the exorcists stood exuded an unmistakable sense of faleautic energy... It was an old, disused clinic, lost at the far end of a neighborhood of small local shops. The protective curtain had been drawn up a few days earlier to prevent non-shamans from getting too close, but the harmful waves could still be felt, making the air a little heavy.

"Why can't we ever have missions in cool or trendy places? Hello angst..." Nobara grumbled moodily as she readjusted her satchel containing her exorcism equipment at waist level.

"Come, come, Nobara!" began Gojo, waddling nonchalantly from one foot to the other. "Don't complain, fighting surrounded by civilians is a real pain, I guarantee it! Here at least you can do all the damage you want, it doesn't matter... Besides... It's best to isolate yourself for a while, for an assessment..."

"Peuh!" dropped the high-school girl scornfully. "For that too, hello anxiety..."

She really wasn't a fan of all this fuss about the hybrid they'd met a few days earlier... They knew virtually nothing about her, apart from the fact that she had knowingly sought to get close to Yuji, the latter being 'just' the receptacle of the King of Plagues. That alone made her a most suspicious person in his eyes. But his teacher and two classmates seemed willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. As if a plague could be trusted! Or even half a scourge, in this case...

For Itadori, the reason was rather obvious... The idiot seemed to be hypnotized by this European, deeply exasperating the student exorcist. He'd grinned incessantly, scanning his phone every time he received a new message from her, his fascination for her written in flashing letters on his forehead. For Megumi... The brunet, as usual, wallowed in his usual jaded, observant detachment, preferring, most certainly, to wait and see what would happen. But as for Gojo... well, she just didn't get it.

Her over-powered teacher was the kind of person who would make risky bets... Just look at the one he'd made betting on Yuji and his unlikely ability to control Sukuna from within. But when it came to the King of Plagues, the stakes were clear and precise: his pure and definitive annihilation to protect humanity from his bloodthirsty madness. However, in relation to their new golden-eyed acquaintance... Nobara couldn't see what she could possibly bring them...

Guys, really... Especially those she'd rubbed shoulders with at exorcism school... They were all so twisted!

"Olala, sorry, I'm a bit late!" cut in Kali's foreign-sounding voice, unpleasantly cutting her off in her reflections.

A few meters away, the hybrid was striding towards the small group with a lively step, waving at them in a friendly manner. She had tied her long auburn hair into a high ponytail, freeing her face and undulating down her back with every step. She wore a dark outfit consisting of a tight, low-cut top and leggings, both black. Even her platform sneakers were almost entirely the same color. Only her very large camouflage hooded jacket, reaching almost mid-thigh, stood out from her monochrome ensemble. Nobara tinkled inwardly, crossing her arms under her chest. Did she think they were going to rob a bank or something?

"In my defense," she continued, smiling. "It's not easy to find, this address!"

"Ahah, normal, with all your seals." commented Gojo as he leaned towards her, making her tense up a little. "It must distort your view a bit when a curtain is up, right?"

"Yes... I suppose." she murmured as she regained some distance, tucking a fleeting lock back behind her ear. "I've rarely seen one like that. When I do, it's just to conceal my energy. I don't really care if people are coming in or going out..."

So she knew how to erect a barrier... Gojo straightened up, staring at her for a handful of seconds before giving her a broad smile. He was really looking forward to seeing what he was dealing with.

"Ah! Hello, you three." she resumed, turning to the students. "Nobara, Megumi... Yuji-kun"

She gave them a radiant smile, eliciting different reactions from each of them. The schoolgirl turned away stubbornly, still defensive. The dark-haired man merely nodded slightly, greeting her briefly and politely in return. As for the third, he took a few steps towards her, beaming.

"Hello, Kali-sempai!" he began cheerfully.

"Finally re bonjour..." he corrected in a small voice, blushing very slightly as he thought of all the messages and the call they'd exchanged since this morning, one of which while she was live from her bath, still messing him up a bit.

"So... Are you ready to go man... break some bad-bad plague?"

Saying this she pretended to stand on guard, hopping on the spot, holding out a fist in his direction with a wink. The idea of fighting apparently amused her greatly, reassuring the young receptacle a little, wringing a smile from him.

"Gojo." called out Kali the S-class exorcist not far away, turning her golden gaze towards him. "What's in store for us? Class 1 at least, I hope..."

"Oh? Looks like someone's looking forward to it." ironized the bearer of the sixth eye, not realizing how right he'd been.

The timing of this assessment was perfect... Well, the half-blight thought she'd have to stay on her guard and not lose control, but it just so happened that the snowy-haired exorcist was offering her a much-needed meal. She could feel her body suffering from the weight of her faulty inking circle, begging for a substantial supply of occult energy to stabilize it once more... Two birds with one stone...

"Perhaps you could come to the point, Gojo-sensei... We won't be here all day..." sighed Megumi, tapping her phone in disillusion.

"Okay, okay. So here's the deal, kids. Behind us lies a veritable nest of plagues. Some 3s, some 2s, and probably a few level 1s. We're going to make two teams and clean it up. Megumi, you'll go with Nobara. Yuji and Kali, you'll go together..."

"OBJECTION!" the hybrid abruptly intervened, surprising everyone by raising a hand in front of her.

"... Yes, Kali?"

"I'd better go on my own... Nothing against you, Yuji-kun" she added in quick succession, turning to the teenager. "I don't necessarily control my power well, I wouldn't want to take the risk of hurting you..."

"No... no harm done, sempai..." dropped the interested party, a little disappointed really. He would have liked to show her what he could do too, to impress her...

"That's annoying, Kali... Don't you control your spells?" questioned Gojo, a hand on his chin, thoughtfully.

"Oh, I'm fine!" the European defended herself, a little vexed, crossing her arms under her chest." I control them to a certain extent. But I'm only a few months old and there's no such thing as a manual for the perfect little flail-hybrid! I'm learning on the job, me, sir..."

"Phew-phew! Beginner! " Nobara chuckled against her hand, openly mocking the young woman, adding another layer.

The red rose to Kali's cheeks as her blood heated in her veins, making her imperceptibly clench her fists. They had struck a chord. Until now, she had encountered few 'intelligent' or cooperative scourges... All she knew of the occult world she'd learned from old manuscripts supplied by Prasad, or from scourge masters the old man had paid good money to offer her their knowledge. But she was no shaman; her occult energy came directly from her demonic side, and although she had learned many tricks, the very essence of her own power remained partly mysterious to her. However... She was far from helpless, however...

"You know what?" She finally said in a slightly strained voice. "Why don't you go and have a cup of coffee somewhere, and I'll deal with this on my own... in my own way!"

"On your own, sempai? That's a bad idea!" tried to temporize Yuji, clearly not liking the idea. "Gojo-sensei, say something! This is too ris...qué..."

Her voice died in her throat as Kali moodily removed her large, military-toned jacket before tossing it onto a nearby bench, letting them discover that her top was actually a bodysuit with a vertiginous rear neckline that also left her arms completely bare, the pallor of her skin contrasting with the dark color of the fabric. Above each of her elbows, the high-school student instantly noticed the two long pieces of cloth firmly knotted and covered with dried blood-colored symbols. The famous seals to which Gojo had already referred several times, no doubt... The latter stared at the half-flail, an enigmatic smile floating on his lips, hands thrust deep into his pockets.

"I was quite right..." he commented, clearly proud of himself. "Four seals..."

Kali gave him a dark look, coming to bite the tender pulp of her thumbs with a jerk to get her blood beading there.

"Four assets, I can pass for a human lambda..." she said, impregnating with a customary gesture the two bottom ribbons on each of her arms, making them light up before they disappeared in fine particles into the air.

Immediately, a wave of occult power washed over the alleyway, taking the student exorcists by surprise. Their teacher, on the other hand, did not move, content to continue staring at the golden-eyed young woman who continued to glare at him.

"Two actives, I pass without difficulty for a rank 2 exorcist... or 1, I don't really know how you do your scale..." she added in a slightly more relaxed voice, feeling the occult energy in her veins release and saturate her with its power, like heady.

"And... Without the last two?" murmured Satoru, clearly curious and in no way worried.

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you...?" She took a few steps towards the white-haired man, becoming playful again. "Without the last two, it's just my flail nature expressing itself... My inking circle becomes visible, my true nature is revealed..."

Yuji, for his part, swallowed, not missing a beat of the scene. The atmosphere in the deserted alley had changed dramatically since she had removed just two of her protections, catching him unawares. The air was denser, heavier. Once again, the teenager was taken aback by the new facet of the hybrid he was discovering...

"If I don't see your circle or your natural spells..." resumed Gojo, leaning towards his mysterious interlocutor. "I'd have no chance of knowing where the half orb that makes you a hybrid comes from..."

"So... I want a free hand on this one..." She tried to negotiate, not blinking. "The youngsters stay outside the curtain and I can do what I please with what I find inside..."

"... Agreed." the professor finally nodded, his curiosity overriding his desire to remind her that she wasn't the one making the decisions here.

Apparently satisfied, the young woman let out a slight sigh. She glanced at Yuji and his millennial guest, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"I won't be long... Kyu, are you coming? "

Immediately, a faint cry was heard above their heads, making them all look up. A white ball shot out at the young woman, who had reached out to catch it against her in the usual gesture, leaving them all a little surprised. The four exorcists then discovered, huddled against Kali's chest, a kind of fluffy bat with immaculate fur, its membranous wings coming to rest with a kind of possessiveness along its arms as it turned its crushed-nosed snout towards them, stabbing them with its ruby gaze.

"KYU!" belched the bug as the young woman gently stroked the top of its head with her fingertips, giving it a gentle smile.

"Meet... Kyu... this is... my traveling companion. He's going to come inside with me." Kali explained briefly before letting fly once more the little flail that whirled furiously above them, staring balefully at the shamans.

"Cute..." murmured Itado, earning himself a completely dubious look from Nobara who, for his part, found the bug rather rabid and unfriendly, with its little blood-colored eyes stabbing them with its gaze a few meters above their heads.

"A familiar?" questioned Megumi, fixing her cobalt gaze on the small animal, intrigued.

"No, no. A plague. He's been with me since I woke up. An adorable flying glue pot!" the young woman amused herself with a broad smile. "Well, let's not waste any more time... I'll be right back!"

Without further ado, using the blood still fresh on her thumbs, Kali impregnated her last two visible seals with it, causing them to dissolve rapidly in the air... immediately, a new wave of occult energy poured into the alleyway as slight changes took place in the hybrid's physiognomy. But she didn't give her interlocutors time to dwell on it, too impatient to give free rein to her powers. She was already striding towards the curtain, crossing it, closely followed by the little flying flail. They could only catch a glimpse of the intricate but obviously clumsy tracery stretching across her back, its epicenter taking place at the level of the young woman's heart.

"It's..." a bewildered Nobarra managed to articulate. "It's... at least a 1... right?... And not a low one... And she'd only have half her capacity?"

The interested party, once sheltered on the other side of the shamanic barrier, remained motionless for a few seconds, savoring the incredible sensation of freedom she now felt. She could feel the occult energy flowing through her body, her senses heightened... Her hunger too... And her thirst for blood... her desire to unleash her full potential... Ah, if only her body weren't so fragile... She could ignite everything around her with a simple thought, she felt it deep in her gut... But for now she had to be reasonable, or risk paying a high price. With a slightly disillusioned sigh, she bit her thumb again before snapping her fingers, sending drops of blood onto the floor, intriguing Gojo who watched her every move with great interest.

"What are you? ..." he murmured to himself.

"Come on, show me what you've got, shrimp..." commented Sukuna, who was also following everything from his inner space, intrigued.

Kali tapped for a moment on the phone she had just extracted from the side pocket of her leggings, starting a three-minute timer. She tossed the phone into the air, only to be immediately caught by the albino bat, who let out a shrill cry, sounding the start of hostilities.

"Here we go... Eveil" then dropped the young scourge, gently raising her hands.

Instantly, drops of blood splashed onto the ground and ignited in a vivid blaze of black and purple, creating uncertain shapes. They quickly grew larger and finer, giving way to 3 three-tailed foxes, snuggling up to Kali's shapely legs, which she stroked with their dark withers reaching almost to her waist.

"Come on, my cuties... The hunt is on..." she whispered in a caressing voice.

Immediately, the incantations dashed belly-first towards the building, obeying her command without hesitation. The hybrid watched them disappear inside, pensive. They were going to take care of the small fry without the slightest worry... But she... How was she going to act today? She could sense the presence of two demons of interest on the second floor of the old clinic. No time for delicacy, she would simply use her 'brute' force.

"Kyu... You're following me, aren't you?" she murmured, as if stubbornly driven by her hunger and frustration at having so little time to play...

The interpellant let out a cry of acquiescence, wringing a smile from her.

"Then let's go... Transfer..."

With a jerk, she raised one arm above her head, folding her ring finger with her thumb, focusing on the energy of the flails she wanted to reach. Immediately a blaze of purple and black flames rose from the young woman's shadow, soon encircling her completely, making her disappear completely from view of the 4 spectators on the other side of the barrier.

"SEMPAI!" couldn't help shouting Yuji, who wanted to come to her aid, but was intercepted by an implacable Gojo, a broad smile on his lips.

"She's safe, Yuji..." he reassured him in a slightly euphoric tone. "She's the one creating these flames... Shadow flames!"

The fire stopped abruptly, revealing an empty space where the hybrid had been standing before, leaving the three high-schoolers doubtful.

"Good, shrimp, very good... " appraised the King of Plagues from his throne, pleased with this discovery, a carnaciated smile on his lips. She was becoming terribly attractive all of a sudden...

Megumi, meanwhile, remained mute, pondering the implications of this discovery. So the half-blight apparently had a perhaps distant affiliation with his own hereditary power, he who also manipulated shadows? It was unexpected...

For her part, Kali was having the time of her life, unaware of all the excitement her little demonstration had triggered. She had already found and annihilated her first level 1 plague, devouring its demonic heart in the process, and finding herself covered in blood. No matter, it wasn't the first or last time this had happened... Elegance was for those who had all the time in the world... She now stood in front of a grotesquely deformed rat-like demon of oversized proportions, snapping its huge yellowish teeth at her. It was another Level 1 scourge, all right. But not the most powerful or appetizing... She pouted in disgust... She'd settle for ripping the orb from him too, but drinking his blood from his neck was out of the question...

"muuuuuutual... Do you have a muuuuuutual? " the creature kept repeating in a horribly nasal voice, tapping the stranger's system.

"No, I don't, mate." dropped the young woman with a deeply haughty air, her golden feline prunels rimmed with purple glinting in the darkness of the room. "And I've got less than a minute and a half of freedom left, so let's get on with it, if you don't mind."

Without waiting for an answer, Kali swooped down on the flail, sending a cloud of shadowy flames shooting up its arms. The giant rodent tried to dodge, but she was far quicker and more determined, rounding it without difficulty to plant her hand at the base of its neck, shattering its spine with a sharp flick of the wrist. The creature let out a shrill scream, collapsing to the floor in a pool of blood stretching rapidly across the dirty tiles of the old clinic.

"Will you shut up, for God's sake?" she cried suddenly, piercing the demon's skin and clutching its beating heart between her fingers.

She violently released her dark flames on her grip, putting all their devastating power into them, as if crystallizing in one fell swoop the demon's fiery essence, still wriggling between her legs. From throbbing flesh, the organ gorged with occult energy became charcoal, then a compact sphere in a matter of seconds under Kali's implacable fingers. The vile rodent's body then burst into flames, dissipating into the air in ashes, leaving only the young woman with her booty in the palm of her hand. She let out a deep sigh, fixing the fruit of her hunt with her inhuman gaze.

"And two... That way, at least, I'll be safe for a while..."

Without further ado, the half-demon swallowed the orb in one gulp, almost immediately feeling it dissolve within her and release its energy, going straight to get sucked into the energetic black hole that was her incomplete inking circle, stabilizing it for a while...

She sighed, both satiated and relieved...

Not far away, a sharp, unpleasant ringing of bells sounded, signalling that her time was up. Beyond this limit, if she hadn't ingested orbs beforehand, it was her human part that was likely to suffer from her occult actions, greatly limiting her movements... She was so looking forward to completing her transformation and being entirely free in her actions!

"Kyu, kyu, kyyyu!" cried the little flying demon who had landed on the ground beside her, phone still screaming in his paws, obviously playing the emergency alarm.

"I know, I know... you don't have to scream like that, kyu..." she murmured grudgingly, coming to grab ribbons hidden in one of the pockets of her leggings. She stared at the seals with her improbably colored eyes, reluctant to impose them on herself again. Alas, they remained the surest way to protect her human part from the harmful impact of her demonic part... Reluctantly, Kali wrapped a blood-covered ribbon around her arm, then another, symmetrically.

"Confinement..."

No sooner had she enunciated the spell than she felt a violent jolt of electricity course through her body, taking her breath away. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. The first two were the worst... Each time it was the same... It was as if a leaden blanket collapsed on her soul and back, cutting her off almost completely from the link she had with her occult energy... She was becoming... fragile... a walking prey... She hated it so much... But she had no choice if she was to survive. As always, she felt exhausted, drained... The hybrid let herself fall against the icy tile floor, her eyes closing against her will. She needed a few minutes to refocus, to catch her breath...

Fortunately, her foxes had cleaned up the clinic, so she was normally safe... and then... kyu was nearby...

Slowly, she let herself slip into unconsciousness, unable to fight any longer anyway...

Fucking hybrid nature... Really, what a pain in the ass...

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A word from the author.

M: And hello everyone, Happy Sunday to you all! Sunday, Lord's Day, family day or post-party rest day, I hope you're all enjoying yourselves!

Sukuna: Lord's Day? You've actually dedicated one day a week to me, you microbes? You're not so stupid after all...

Nobara: No, but the ego he's got going for him, I swear... Stay hidden in Itadori's body, man. With a melon like that, I'm not sure you can get through any doors!

Sukuna, a little puzzled, checking his empty hands: Melon? What melon?

Nobara: The one you use as a head, of course!

Sukuna, placing a hand on his cheek, just to check the state of his face: What's she babbling about, the impertinent one?

Yuji in the background is already arming his arm with a melon, thinking it might be more effective than the turnips he used in the early chapters.

M: NO, YUJI, you gently put the melon back on the ground! Bad Yuji, bad! You're just going to spoil everything and then complain about cleaning up!

Yuji, sheepish with his melon: Maieuh...

Sukuna sticks out his tongue and crosses his arms, victorious before taking a watermelon to the back of the head, catching him off guard.

Gojo, proud of his shot: STRIKE! That's not a melon he's got, it's a watermelon!

Megumi, who slowly moves away, suspecting what's coming next, jaded: Yes, well, it's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black...

Yuji: Wow, great shot, sensei!

Sukuna, seething with anger, shattering the remains of the object of the crime between his hands, a mad smile on his lips: Jour du Seigneur, jour de votre mort plutôt... Come on, I'll slice you impertinent fools! I'm going to eat your liver with teriyaki sauce!

M: Here we go again... Let's let the boys play with each other! Thank you all for following this story, thank you for commenting on our adventures! We found out a bit more about Kali and her abilities this time. She seems to have aroused a lot of interest... bah already three zouzous banging each other in the back there... that's promising XD

Megumi: Me too, a little. Maybe she's an ancestor...

Kali, poking her head through the doorframe (yes, there is a door), an unconvinced pout on her lips: Ancestor? Who are we calling ancestor here?

M: Yes, but you're wise, Megumi... See you soon for the rest!