(Sakurajima Mai's POV)
The abandoned industrial lot was bathed in the eerie orange glow of distant streetlights.
The air was cool and carried the faint, metallic scent of rust.
Mai leaned against a crumbling concrete wall, watching the bizarre assembly of their newly-formed "Sensei's Study Group."
Next to her, Miko was quietly reassuring a wide-eyed Hana, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
"...and then pow!" Hana exclaimed, striking a dramatic pose with her hands cupped at her side. "I'll blast the bad spirits away with a super-powered love and friendship Kamehameha wave!"
Miko giggled, a genuine, light sound. "I don't think it works exactly like that, Hana-chan."
Mai couldn't help the small smirk that touched her lips. "If positive thinking could exorcise curses, the world would be a much less complicated place." Her tone was dry, but there was no malice in it.
Hana's boundless, naive energy was oddly refreshing.
Yuria stood a little apart, her arms crossed. "I'm just glad someone is finally teaching me something instead of just giving me jewellery that breaks" She muttered. Then she frowned, looking at the small duffel bag at her feet. "But why did you two tell me to bring a full change of clothes?"
Miko and Mai exchanged a knowing glance.
"Just... in case," they said in unison, their voices a perfect blend of experience and dread.
On the other side of the lot, a different kind of training was underway. Zaimozuka was striking a series of increasingly dramatic poses, each accompanied by a shouted name.
"SHINING... ULTRA... BLAST!" he yelled, thrusting his hands forward. Kageyama, ever the supportive bystander, offered a quiet, sincere clap.
Mai raised an eyebrow. "What in the world is he doing?"
Kageyama turned, his expression earnest. "Zaimozuka-san is practicing for when he unlocks his Innate Technique. He says he needs to have the right form ready for when his immense power manifests"
Mai pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, Four-Eyes" She called out, her voice laced with her usual bluntness. "Don't get your hopes up too high. Your technique might not be some big, flashy laser. It could be something stupid, like the ability to perfectly fold origami cranes or tell if milk is about to go bad"
Zaimozuka froze mid-pose, his arms dropping to his sides. A visible, dark cloud of despair seemed to materialize over his head. He sank to his knees, his glasses reflecting the orange light dejectedly. "The... the power of spoiled dairy detection..." he whispered, utterly crushed.
Mai felt a faint twinge of guilt. "Hey, I didn't say it would be that" She backtracked, her tone softening a fraction. "It could be... I don't know... something cool, too. Who knows."
Miko smiled, watching the exchange. "You know, Mai-san, you are kind of like the big sister of this whole weird group. The oldest and most mature. You're like our mama duck"
Mai's head snapped towards Miko. "Oldest?" she repeated, her voice dangerously sweet. In a flash, she had Miko in a headlock, mercilessly tickling her ribs. "Who are you calling old, you little brat?! I'm in the prime of my youth!"
Miko squealed with laughter, trying to squirm away. "I-I take it back! I take it back!"
As she released a gasping Miko, the thought fully formed in Mai's head. 'If I'm the mama duck... then that would make Yoshioka-sensei our... papa duck'
The image, the tall, impossibly handsome, serious man being the "papa" to this band of misfits, was so absurd and so strangely appealing that a fierce blush instantly heated her cheeks. 'We're too young for that!' part of her mind rationalized. But another, much more dominant part whispered, '...I wouldn't mind'
"Mai-san?" Miko asked, finally catching her breath and looking at her flushed face in confusion. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Mai said quickly, turning away to hide her expression.
At that exact moment, the temperature in the lot seemed to drop a few degrees.
"Good. You are all on time."
Yoshioka-sensei stood at the edge of the light, having appeared without a sound.
His crimson eyes scanned the group, and everyone immediately straightened up, even a pouting Zaimozuka.
Without another word, he turned and led them to a larger, clearer area in the centre of the lot, free of debris.
"The first exercise is simple. Ten laps around the perimeter of this clearing. Begin."
Miko and Mai, already conditioned, took off at a light jog without a second thought. The new recruits stared after them for a beat, processing the mundane command, before scrambling to follow.
-------------------------------------------------
After they ran, Mai watched Sensei from the corner of her eye.
From within the folds of his jacket, a pocket that defied the laws of physics, he began producing the familiar, smooth, dark orbs.
He handed one each to a panting Hana, a determined Yuria, and a pose-striking Zaimozuka.
Then he turned to Kageyama, who was laying on the ground gasping for air, and instead of a hand-sized orb, he produced one that was nearly as tall as the boy himself, a massive, perfectly smooth sphere of darkest black.
Mai and Miko, having finished their laps, slowed to a stop, breathing lightly. They shared a look of relief.
Maybe tonight would just be coaching the newbies. A break.
Their hope was short-lived
Yoshioka-sensei finished explaining the basic exercise to the wide-eyed newcomers: find the energy, channel a steady stream, avoid the feedback shock.
Then his head turned. Those crimson eyes locked onto them.
"And where do you think you are going?" he asked, his tone leaving no room for argument.
From the same impossible pocket, he produced four more orbs. He walked over to them and placed two in each of their hands.
"Since you have already mastered the fundamentals with one," he stated, his voice utterly deadpan, "You will now practice with two. Simultaneous, independent control. Double the output, double the precision required. Begin."
Mai looked down at the two cool, dormant orbs in her hands.
She looked at Miko, who wore a matching expression of sheer, horrified dread. A single orb had been a nightmare of concentration. Two felt like a torture
A single drop of sweat traced a path down Mai's temple as she closed her eyes, trying to find two separate currents within herself without causing a catastrophic feedback loop that would probably fry her nervous system.
---------------------------------------------------
(Yurikawa Hana's POV)
Hana let out a long, exhausted groan, flopping backward onto the cool grass.
Her hands felt like they'd been replaced with two throbbing, overworked lumps of meat. She held them up, wiggling her fingers and wincing at the faint, lingering tingle of a dozen tiny shocks. She blowed into her hands trying to calm the pain.
"Such a… formidable challenge," Zaimozuka panted beside her, dramatically adjusting his glasses despite his own trembling hands. "To wrestle control of one's own latent, chaotic power… it is a trial worthy of a protagonist such as myself!"
Yuria, sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, snorted. "Not as formidable as his challenge" She muttered, nodding her head towards the other side of the clearing.
Hana propped herself up on her elbows to look.
Kageyama-kun was still there, sitting perfectly still in front of that massive, person-sized black orb.
His face was a mask of intense, pained concentration, sweat pouring down his temples.
His entire body was rigid with the effort of holding back the ocean of power inside him. The air around him seemed to hum with a strange, heavy pressure.
Then, it happened.
A tiny flicker of control slipped. It wasn't the small zap she and the others had experienced. This was something else entirely.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ—CRACK!
A brilliant, blinding arc of blue-white electricity erupted from the orb, enveloping Kageyama in a terrifying cage of lightning.
The sound was deafening, a thunderclap that echoed across the empty lot. The smell of ozone and something burning filled the air.
When the light faded, Kageyama was on his back, his hair standing completely on end, faint tendrils of smoke rising from his slightly charred gym clothes. He let out a weak, dazed groan.
Hana's jaw was on the floor. "K-Kageyama-kun!"
Before any of them could rush to his aid, Yoshioka-sensei's voice cut through the chaos, calm and utterly unfazed. "The rest of you, on your feet. Kageyama will remain. His exercise continues until he can maintain a continuous flow for one hour."
Sensei walked over to their little group, pulling the familiar green bottles and bandages from his bag. He handed a bottle to each of them. "Drink."
Hana didn't need to be told twice. She chugged the sweet, appley liquid, the fatigue and pain in her hands vanished, replaced by a wonderful, buzzing energy.
Sensei then efficiently wrapped their hands in clean bandages with a clinical precision that was both reassuring and slightly charming
"Now," he said, stepping back. "We will begin physical conditioning. Assume the basic stance I will show you."
Hana's eyes lit up. This was it! This was the part where they'd learn to be real martial artists, like in the movies! She bounced on the balls of her feet, striking what she hoped was a convincing kung-fu pose.
"Focus on the forms," Sensei instructed, his voice a low drone as he guided them through a series of basic blocks, strikes, and pivots. "Precision. Control. Economy of motion."
Hana tried her best to copy the movements, though her excitement made them a little too enthusiastic.
She saw Miko and Mai, off to the side, moving through the same katas but with a practiced efficiency.
As they finished the sequence, the two older girls didn't relax. Instead, they started cracking their knuckles and stretching their shoulders, their expressions turning serious.
Yuria noticed it too. She frowned, lowering her hands from a blocking pose "What are they doing?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Hana opened her mouth to guess, maybe a cool partner exercise?
But the answer came in a form far more violent than anything she could have imagined.
One second, Yoshioka-sensei was standing in front of them, observing their form.
The next, he was a blur of motion.
His foot snapped out in a vicious front kick that connected squarely with Yuria's chest.
THUMP.
The sound was sickeningly solid.
Yuria's eyes bulged, a choked gasp ripped from her throat as she was thrown backward, landing hard on the grass and skidding to a stop, writhing and clutching her sternum.
Hana stood frozen, her movie-star kung-fu dreams shattering into a million pieces.
Her brain couldn't process what had just happened.
Then Sensei turned. Those crimson eyes locked onto her.
Time seemed to slow. She saw his weight shift, his shoulder drop. Her body, operating on a fear she didn't know she possessed, clumsily threw up her arms in the block he'd just taught them.
It didn't matter.
His fist, moving faster than she could track, moved through her weak guard like it wasn't even there.
White-hot pain exploded in her stomach. All the air in her lungs vanished. The world tilted, went silent, and then rushed back in a dizzying wave of nausea as she crumpled to the ground, gagging and trying to remember how to breathe.
Through the tears of pain and shock blurring her vision, she heard his voice, cold and absolute.
She managed to see Zaimozuka being punched in the face and being throw backwards
"The world you are getting to. It is no place for the weak. It is a place where either you are strong, or you are dead. Always remember that"
Hana managed a ragged, whistling inhale, the fiery knot in her chest making her want to vomit.
This wasn't a game. This wasn't a movie.
This was a nightmare. And their teacher was the monster in it.
He stood over their wounded forms, his expression unchanging.
He cracked the knuckles of one hand.
"This is the next part of your training."
He took a single step forward, his shadow falling over them.
"Fight" He said, his voice a terrifying, final ultimatum. "Or die"
---------------------------------
(Niguredou Yuria's POV)
Every breath was a sharp, grating reminder of her own failure.
Yuria lay on her back in the damp grass, staring up at the few stars brave enough to shine through the city's light pollution.
Her body was a canvas of throbbing, purple bruises.
The "lesson" had been branded onto her skin.
The good part? She'd finally done it. In a blind panic, facing down a fist that moved like a bullet, she'd felt something shift inside. A cold, sharp energy, her energy, had flooded her arms, reinforcing them just enough that the block didn't break her bones. It had still hurt like hell, but she'd remained conscious. She'd fought back.
The bad part? The moment she'd managed it, Sensei's own aura had flickered to life—a terrifying, blood-crimson flame, and he'd stopped holding back. The lesson had escalated from a beating to a massacre.
A pained groan came from a heap a few feet away. Zaimozuka. He was out cold, one of his lenses cracked, a spectacular bruise already blooming across his jaw. Near the tree line, Hana was curled up, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Tears and dirt streaked her face, and her arms were mottled with deep purple marks.
Even the veterans, Miko and Mai, weren't unscathed. They were still on their feet, breathing heavily, their stances still guarded, but Yuria could see the dark welts on Miko's forearms and the way Mai favored her right side.
They were accustomed to the pain, but they weren't immune to it.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ—CRACK!
Another thunderous explosion of electricity made her flinch.
Kageyama. Every time one of them cried out or got hit particularly hard, his concentration would break, and that monstrous orb would punish him for it.
The smell of burnt hair and ozone was becoming a permanent fixture in the clearing.
Then, Yoshioka-sensei moved. He walked toward the sobbing Hana, who flinched back, holding up her hands. "S-stay away!"
He ignored her completely. In one fluid motion, he knelt and placed his hand on top of her head. Yuria watched, mesmerized and horrified, as a soft, warm green light emanated from his palm and spread over Hana's body.
The effect was instantaneous. The angry bruises faded, the swelling receded, and the cuts sealed themselves until her skin was smooth and unmarked once more.
Hana's sobs hiccupped to a stop. She stared at her own hands, turning them over and over, her expression one of pure, uncomprehending wonder.
"Remember that feeling," Sensei's voice was low, a direct command. "Duplicate it. Heal Zaimozuka."
Hana looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, but she gave a shaky nod.
She scrambled over to Zaimozuka's unconscious form, placing her trembling hands on his chest. She screwed her eyes shut in concentration.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a faint, flickering version of that same warm green light sputtered to life around her hands.
It was weaker, less sure than Sensei's, but it was there. Slowly, the bruise on Zaimozuka's jaw began to lighten.
The cut on his brow sealed itself. His breathing, which had been shallow, deepened.
Yuria stared, her own pain forgotten for a moment. "What… what is that?"
"Reverse Cursed Technique," Yoshioka-sensei stated, his voice its usual calm, lecturing baritone. He might as well have been back in a classroom. "Standard Cursed Energy is derived from negative emotions. It is destructive by nature. Reverse Cursed Technique is generated by multiplying Cursed Energy against itself, creating positive energy. Its primary application is healing."
He gestured to Hana, who was now watching her own hands with a dawning awe as she continued her work "Yurikawa's natural aura is anomalously positive. Unlike most, who must fight their own nature to generate positive energy, her body produces it almost instinctively. It makes her the optimal candidate for a support role. The group's healer"
Zaimozuka, who chose the moment of the explanation to stir, his eyes fluttering open behind his cracked glasses. He looked up at Hana's focused face, then down at his own healing body. A weak, but characteristically smug, smile touched his lips.
"Of course" he croaked. "The White Mage. A vital and respected position in any party. It is only natural that I, the protagonist, would be saved by such a— ow!" Hana, apparently annoyed by his talking, had poked a freshly healed spot a little too hard.
"Basically that" Sensei confirmed, utterly deadpan. He turned his gaze back to Hana "When you are finished with Zaimozuka, proceed to heal everyone else"
One by one, Hana moved through the battered group.
Her healing grew more confident with each person.
The green glow around her hands stabilized, becoming brighter, more controlled.
She healed Yuria's bruises, the warmth washing away the deep aches.
She fixed Miko's arms and Mai's side. She even approached a dazed, slightly smoking Kageyama, her touch soothing the minor burns from his last electrocution.
Finally, she stood back, looking exhausted but radiant
The entire group was whole again, their bodies restored, though the memory of the pain was seared into their minds.
Yoshioka-sensei observed them all, his crimson eyes scanning each of them as if checking off items on a list.
He picked up the orbs he gave before and then clapped his hands.
"That is all for today" He announced. "Let's go back."
And with that, he turned and began walking toward the lot's exit, leaving them standing there in the silent, dark clearing, a group of healed bodies and thoroughly traumatized minds.
---------------------------------------------------
(Third Person POV)
The air in the abandoned lot was heavy with exhaustion and the lingering scent of sweat and dirt
The group stood, or in some cases, leaned, before Yoshioka Akira, their bodies humming with the phantom echoes of both pain and the miraculous healing that had followed.
"The fundamental concepts have been introduced," Akira stated, his voice cutting through the night's silence. "Cursed Energy manipulation. Basic Reinforcement. The principles of Reverse Cursed Technique. Your progress is... acceptable."
He paused, his crimson eyes sweeping over each of them "Tomorrow, after your classes conclude, you will not come here. You will meet me at the shrine on the hill. The one Yotsuya and Yurikawa discovered"
Miko and Hana exchanged a glance. That place felt like a lifetime ago.
"There" He continued "You will undergo one of your most important lessons. And it is likely another potential member will be joining us. That is all. You are dismissed"
Without another word, without a backward glance, he turned and walked away, his form melting into the shadows between the streetlights until he was gone.
For a long moment, no one moved. The silence was broken by Zaimozuka, who let out a dramatic groan as he stretched, his joints popping.
"Ugh! My body feels as though it has been used as a training dummy for a thousand martial arts masters!" He proclaimed, though the usual bravado was tempered by genuine weariness. "But such trials are necessary to temper the steel of a hero! Did you see the way I withstood that final blow? A lesser man would have been vaporized!"
"All I saw was you getting knocked out cold," Yuria muttered, rubbing her recently-healed ribs as if she could still feel the impact. "And I was too busy getting my own ribs rearranged to watch your 'heroic' stand"
"It was more of a heroic... flop," Mai added dryly, checking the sleeve of her jacket for non-existent dirt. Her demeanour was back, but her eyes held a sharp wariness.
Hana, however, was practically buzzing, though it was a tired buzz. "But did you feel it? At the end? It was like... warm honey pouring through my veins! I could feel all your boo-boos just... disappearing! It was amazing!" She beamed at Miko "I'm gonna be the team's White Mage! Just like in an RPG!"
Miko offered her a tired but genuine smile. "You were amazing, Hana-chan. Really." She then shuddered, the memory overriding the healed pain. "But I never, ever want to feel Sensei's fist with Cursed Energy behind it again. It was like getting hit by a car. A really, really heavy car that knows exactly where it hurts the most."
Kageyama, who had been quiet, finally spoke up, his voice soft. "It's... my fault. Every time one of you got hurt, I... heard it. It broke my concentration." He looked down at his shoes, ashamed. "The orb... it's so sensitive. I should've been helping in the fight but I was stuck there. Everyone was injured and it's my fault"
"Don't be stupid, Kageyama-kun," Miko said quickly, surprising herself with her firmness. "You have the hardest job of any of us. We just have to let a little bit out. You have to hold back an ocean. It's different"
"Yeah," Hana agreed, nodding vigorously. "And when you finally get it, you'll be the strongest one here! You'll be our secret Special Grade weapon!"
Zaimozuka slung a comradely arm around Kageyama's shoulders, making the quieter boy jump. "Do not fear, my friend! The path of power is fraught with setbacks! This is but a dramatic plot point in your origin story!"
As they finally began to trudge out of the lot and onto the quiet, lamp-lit streets of the city's residential districts, the conversation continued, a mix of complaints, awe, and burgeoning camaraderie.
"I still can't believe he just... kicks us" Yuria grumbled, her arms crossed. "What kind of teacher does that?"
"The kind that deals with soul-eating monsters on a daily basis" Mai replied, her gaze distant. "He's not teaching us algebra. He's teaching us how to not die. I think his methods are... brutally effective."
"What do you think the 'important lesson' is?" Miko wondered aloud. "And who's the new member?"
"Perhaps a mighty warrior from a distant land!" Zaimozuka speculated.
"Or just another poor kid who can see things they shouldn't" Yuria countered grimly.
They walked together for several blocks, a strange parade of teenagers bonded by a terrifying secret.
Eventually, their paths began to diverge. With a wave, Zaimozuka and a quiet Kageyama headed down one street. Yuria, with a curt nod, split off towards another.
Mai paused at a corner, looking back at Miko and Hana. "Try not to get killed before tomorrow" she said, and while her tone was flat, but also teasingly.
She then turned and walked away
Finally, it was just Miko and Hana, walking side-by-side under the warm glow of the streetlights towards their neighborhood.
"He's really scary, Miko-chan," Hana said, her voice dropping to a whisper now that they were alone. "But... he's also kind of cool? In a really, really terrifying way."
"I know," Miko agreed softly. "But... I feel stronger. Not just my body. Everything. The world doesn't feel as loud anymore." She smiled at her best friend. "And now I have you with me. For real."
Hana grinned, looping her arm through Miko's "Always! We'll be the strongest duo ever! You and Mamoru on the front lines, and me healing everyone up! We'll be unstoppable!"
They continued their walk, their conversation drifting to more normal topics, school, TV shows, the upcoming cultural festival, the extraordinary events of the night slowly receding into the background, soothed by the familiarity of their friendship.
So engrossed were they in their own world, they didn't notice the figure watching them from the deep shadows of a narrow alleyway across the street.
A man with unkempt black hair and deep, purple eye-bags that spoke of countless sleepless nights.
He leaned against the brick wall, his eyes sharp, tracking the two girls until they turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
A faint, interested frown touched his lips before he, too, melted back into the darkness from which he came
------------------------------------
(Third Person POV)
The morning light streamed into the staff room, illuminating dust motes dancing over piles of paperwork and half-empty coffee mugs.
Akira entered with his usual silent efficiency, a placid island in the gentle hum of pre-class chatter.
He offered a slight, polite nod to Mafuyu, who was grading papers at her desk with a focused intensity.
She returned the nod, a silent acknowledgment between two of the school's more reserved faculty members.
Akira had just settled into his chair, the warmth of the morning sun feeling distant against his skin, when a hand slammed down flat on his desk with a sharp thwack that made a nearby pen rattle.
He turned his head, nonchalant, to meet the fiery gaze of Shizuka. Her hair was slightly dishevelled, and there were faint shadows under her eyes, but those eyes were blazing with a mixture of exhaustion and pure, undiluted suspicion.
"Alright," she said, her voice a low, dangerous growl that carried through the suddenly quiet room. "What did you do?"
Akira's expression remained a mask of perfect neutrality. "I don't know what you mean, Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Don't you play dumb with me, you white-haired hunk" She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a forceful whisper. "I have been wrestling with the budget for the school festival for a week. A week. I was drowning in spreadsheets and rejection forms. And then, this morning, I get a call from the principal. We have a sponsor. A major sponsor. The Momobami family, no less. They want to generously ensure our students have 'the best experience of their youth'"
She paused, letting the weight of the name hang in the air.
"And this" she continued, jabbing a finger at his chest, "Happened less than twenty-four hours after you looked me dead in the eye and said, 'Do not worry. I will handle this.' So, I'll ask you again. What. Did. You. Do?"
Akira regarded her for a moment, his crimson eyes giving nothing away. "I did nothing. I am unaware of what you are accusing me of. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a class to attend."
He stood up smoothly, gathering a single textbook from his desk. He gave her a final, unreadable look and turned to walk towards the door.
Just as his hand reached for the door handle, the staff room's other entrance burst open.
Another teacher, a portly man, rushed in, his face flushed with excitement.
"Everyone! You are not going to believe this!" he announced to the room. "The vice-principal! He's just resigned! Rumour is the school board is launching a full investigation into fund mismanagement! They say the evidence just... appeared on the chairman's desk this morning!"
A stunned silence fell over the staff room. Then, slowly, every head turned to look at Shizuka. And then, in unison, they all swivelled to look at Akira, who was frozen with his hand on the door.
Shizuka's eyes widened. The pieces clicked together with an almost audible snap. The sponsorship. The resignation. The timing. It was too clean, too perfect, too... coincidental
Her head turned back towards Akira with the slow, deliberate menace of a predator locking onto its prey.
Her voice, when it came, was dangerously calm and dripped with sarcastic venom.
"Oooh" She said, drawing the word out. "Isn't that a coincidence? YO. SHI. O. KA?"
Akira didn't reply. He didn't even turn around. He simply pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway.
"GET BACK HERE!" Shizuka's roar echoed through the staff room, followed by the sound of her shoes scraping through the ground as she followed the white-haired teacher.
But Akira was already gone, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he quickened his pace towards the sanctuary of his classroom, leaving behind a stunned staff room.
-----------------------------------
(Sakurajima Mai's POV)
The flight of stone stairs ended abruptly, leading to a flat, overgrown patch of earth. It was deeply unsettling.
Mai stood with the rest of the group, a sense of wrongness prickling at her skin.
The map on Miko's phone, and more importantly, the memory of their first terrifying visit, insisted the shrine should be right here.
"It's weird," Hana chirped, hands on her hips as she spun in a circle. "It should be right here! The stairs led right to it last time!"
Miko nodded, her expression serious. "They did. It was definitely here."
Zaimozuka adjusted his glasses, a speculative glint in his eyes "Perhaps it is cloaked by an illusion! Or maybe it only materializes when specific, esoteric conditions are met!"
From where he stood, arms crossed and looking utterly bored, Yoshioka-sensei raised a single, platinum eyebrow. "Well, what do you know," he stated flatly "Zaimozuka is right."
Yuria blinked. "He is?"
Sensei gave a slight nod, his gaze shifting past them to a large pine tree. "The shrine is hidden by a barrier technique. It only becomes perceivable under a certain condition. Isn't that right?"
Mai followed his gaze, seeing nothing but shadows and branches. "Sensei? Who are you talking to?"
"I already know you are there," Sensei continued, his voice gaining a faint edge of impatience. "Stop playing around."
A chuckle, low and raspy, emanated from behind the tree. "My, my," a voice said. "I didn't expect to be discovered so quickly."
A man stepped out.
He was tall, dressed in a long black trench coat and tall boots, a scarf wrapped around his neck despite the mild weather. A hat shadowed his face, but when he took it off, Mai saw messy black hair covering one eye and a hint of stubble on his chin.
He had the look of someone who slept in alleyways
He turned his visible eye on their group, a smirk playing on his lips. "What is this? A school trip? Since when do schools send their students to cursed shrines?"
Yuria's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait, aren't you Shindou Rom? I saw your YouTube channel!"
The man, Shindou, brightened instantly. "Oh, a fan? Wonderful! Would you like to buy some power stones? They're the real deal, I assure you."
"Enough," Yoshioka-sensei cut in, his tone leaving no room for chatting "You know the method to reveal the shrine, don't you?"
"Indeed" Shindou said, his smirk returning. "But I bet you already know it as well. The trick would be... her." He pointed a finger directly at Hana, who jumped.
"Who? Me?" Hana squeaked, pointing at herself.
"Yes, you. I can tell. Your aura is brimming with positive energy. Quite special. That's what resonated with the barrier and opened the shrine for you and your friend the first time" He turned his attention back to Sensei. "You've been training them? Well, I can tell you've been doing a good job. Their energies are mostly calm and controlled. Except for bowl-cut over there." He gestured with his chin toward Kageyama "His seems ready to explode at any moment."
Kageyama's head drooped.
Zaimozuka, for once, dropped his theatrics and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.
"He is special, but that is beside the point," Yoshioka stated "We are waiting for someone else. When she arrives, we will proceed."
"She? Who are you talking abo—" Mai began, but her question was answered by the sound of hurried footsteps.
Another girl emerged from the path below, slightly out of breath. She was a stunning purple-haired beauty in a tracksuit, the zipper pulled down to reveal an impressive amount of cleavage held back by a sports bra. She carried a wooden sword in one hand.
Mai's eyes narrowed, a single, petty thought flashing through her mind
'Are those things even real?'
"Forgive me for arriving late" The girl said, bowing to Yoshioka-sensei. "I didn't know how to get here."
"Be sure to arrive early next time," Sensei replied. He turned to the group. "This is Busujima Saeko. She will be joining our group."
Saeko bowed again, her ponytail swishing. "Nice to meet you all. I will be in your care."
Shindou whistled softly "She isn't a sorcerer, is she? Her energy is just like a normal person's."
In response, Yoshioka-sensei pulled a familiar pair of glasses from his pocket and handed them to Saeko. "Put these on." He then addressed Shindou "She was brought into this world inadvertently. She decided she wanted to be part of it."
Shindou shrugged. "Well, your students, your problem. So, are we doing this?"
"You seem eager to enter the shrine," Sensei observed.
Shindou's smirk faded, replaced by a grimace. "It's personal."
"Very well then." Sensei turned to Hana. "Yurikawa, take the front."
"Huh? Okay!" Hana said, puffing out her chest with determination.
The group fell in behind her as she climbed the last few steps to the dead end. Shindou sidled up next to Yoshioka.
"Can I do the honours?" he asked.
Sensei gave a slight, permissive nod.
"Good. Now listen, bubbly girl," Shindou said to Hana. "Try to concentrate your energy into your hands and push them forward. Imagine you're pushing aside a curtain"
"Okay!" Hana closed her eyes, her face scrunching up in concentration. She placed her palms against the seemingly empty air.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a spiderweb of cracks appeared in reality itself, glowing with a soft, golden light. The cracks spread, then fell away like shards of broken glass, revealing the ancient, moss-covered torii gate and the shrine path that had been hidden behind the veil.
"Let's a go!" Shindou said, and without hesitation, he stepped through first.
"Everyone, get inside," Yoshioka commanded "Yurikawa, you go last. The barrier will likely close once you're through."
They filed in, one by one. The atmosphere shifted instantly. The air grew colder, heavier. The path ahead was lined with stone lanterns, leading up to the main shrine buildings.
Shindou stared at the torii gate, a complex expression on his face. "Would you look at that. Never thought I'd set foot in this place again. Brings back memories."
Miko looked at him curiously. "You've been here before?"
"It's all in the past," he said dismissively. "A shame the 'Godmother' isn't here to see this place again."
Yuria's head snapped up. "Wait, you know the 'Godmother'?"
"I was her apprentice," Shindou said, looking her over. "You?"
"I was supposed to be her apprentice," Yuria replied, bitterness etching her words. "But she just gave me a bracelet that broke almost instantly with the first cursed spirit that appeared."
Shindou let out a dry laugh. "Huh. It seems her methods haven't changed at all."
Mai looked around, the shrine feeling more like a trap than a sanctuary.
Miko shuddered beside her.
"I don't like this," Miko whispered, her voice tight. "This energy... it's everywhere. It's suffocating"
Yoshioka-sensei didn't look back as he led the way. "We are inside a Domain." His voice was calm, but the word sent a chill down Mai's spine "One this stable and maintained means the thing that is maintaining it is possibly a Special Grade curse."
The group froze mid-step, except for Saeko, who simply tilted her head, the cursed-energy-revealing glasses allowing her to see the oppressive aura but not fully comprehend its meaning.
"Are we sure we should be here?" Yuria asked, her voice trembling.
"You are here as spectators," Sensei stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I will deal with the problem." He glanced at Shindou. "Do not interfere."
Shindou raised his hands in mock surrender. "You do you, sensei-san."
As they ascended the final stairs to the main courtyard, Sensei continued his lecture. "A Domain is a barrier created by manifesting one's Innate Technique within a closed space. Inside, the caster's attacks are guaranteed to hit. It is the ultimate technique of Jujutsu"
Miko, pale but determined, managed to speak. "If we're inside its Domain... how can we fight it?"
"There are two primary counters," he explained, as if discussing a theoretical concept. "The first is to activate a Simple Domain, a neutral barrier that creates a safe zone within the enemy's territory, nullifying the guaranteed-hit effect. It is a defensive measure"
They reached the top. The courtyard showed before them, and there, in the centre, was the source of the oppressive energy.
The God of the Mountain.
It was a monstrous, multi-tailed beast. As it noticed them, its skin rippled and then peeled back, revealing its true, horrific form: a gaunt, talisman-wrapped quadruped with a humanoid head of matted hair.
Where its eyes should have been, two massive, clanging bells swung. The malevolence that rolled off it was a physical weight.
A collective gasp of terror swept through the group. Hana whimpered.
Mamoru, Miko's Shikigami, materialized in a flash of protective light, snarling at the abomination.
The two smaller, fox-eared shrine spirits flickered into existence beside their master.
"The other way," Yoshioka-sensei said, his voice still calm.
He slowly raised his hands and joined them in a prayer-like gesture.
The God of the Mountain lunged, a tidal wave of destruction aimed to erase them.
"Is to fight a Domain," Sensei murmured, "using another Domain."
"Domain Expansion..."
The world dissolved into an infinite, silent, blinding white void. The curse froze mid-air.
"...Void Palace"