Gojo didn't think much about her coming to Tokyo to find him.
After all, there would be plenty of time to deal with that later.
There are more important matters that needed to be done right now?
His mind was completely occupied with Shibuya's Kikufuku.
....
Evening,
Gojo Satoru can be seen seating on a park bench somewhere in Shibuya, happily munching on Kikufuku. Like it is the most precious thing he had.
Looking at the empty sales bag next to him and the one still in his hand, it was clear that this was only his second portion of the day.
"Oh… I'm full."
He patted his stomach with satisfaction after finishing the last piece.
If someone asked him for his happiest moment right now, he would have seriously answered:
When I'm eating Kikufuku.
"Well, It's time to go home."
After tidying up the leftover bags and throwing then in the trashcan nearby, Gojo glanced at the dark sky.
Half past ten already.
Three hours ago, Umaru had called, asking when he would return. Gojo thought he'd take a bit longer to explore Shibuya for dessert shops and find out if there are any new kind of sweets.
He'd tell Umaru to just order takeout tonight to eat, since he might reach home late.
Hearing that, Umaru tone immediately became resentful:
"You must come back before one o'clock! Don't stay outside for too long"
Ah, are you a sister or my mom? Why are you giving me orders?
Stretching comfortably, Gojo prepared to teleport back to Chiba using the Limitless Technique.
In an instant, he appeared on an empty street.
"Go home, take a hot bath… if you don't soak for a day, your body's gonna be stiff."
Walking along on the emoty street, he muttered to himself.
"Should I take Umaru with me? Nah… she'd probably scold me again anyway."
Suddenly, his voice trailed off, and his foot froze mid-step.
A silence stretched for several seconds, before his good mood lessened.
Tsk, troublesome.
Under the pale white glow of a street lamp, Gojo pouted.
"I just want a night shower…is it too much to ask for..."
His body shifted, and the beautiful blue eyes beneath his blindfold scanned the dark area in the distance.
Two kilometers away… their is a foul stench.
The atmosphere there was so strange that even an ordinary humans nearby would feel the unease creeping into their bones.
....
Meanwhile…
Nakano Nino's heart was pounding so violently it felt as though it might leap straight out of her chest.
It was supposed to be something simple, something ordinary. Just ten minutes ago, while helping prepare for tomorrow's breakfast, she suddenly remembered—there's no lettuce for the sandwiches. It was a small thing, so trivial that anyone else might have shrugged it off. But not Nino, Breakfast was important, and she wanted everything to be perfect for her sisters.
So she grabbed her coat, told them she was heading out to the 24-hour convenience store nearby, and stepped into the cool night air.
"Be careful, Nino," Ichika had said, worry flickering in her eyes. "It's late. At least let me come with you."
But Nino, proud and stubborn as always, shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's just a few minutes there and back. Don't worry so much."
She smiled confidently, as if nothing could possibly go wrong. She didn't want to burden her sisters, not for something so simple.
Yet now… she regretted it.
The moment she left the safety of the community, the quiet of the night shattered.
A deep, guttural roar could be heard from across the darkness.
It wasn't human. It wasn't animal. It something scarier.
The sound reverberated through her bones, each echo louder than the last, until it felt as though the growl was crawling directly into her ears.
Her body stiffened.
Fear coiled around her heart like a snake.
What was that sound? Where was it coming from?
She hugged her coat tighter around herself, biting her lip. No, don't panic. Just hurry to the store, buy the lettuce, call Ichika or Miku to pick you up. It'll be fine.
But fate didn't intend to let her go so easily.
The space in front of her split open.
A jagged crack appeared, glowing faintly, and through it stretched an endless, scarlet sky. The ground on the other side was blackened, twisted. It was like a scene ripped from a nightmare.
Before Nino could even turn back, the crack widened. The world itself seemed to suck her in, dragging her into its depths.
"No—!"
Her scream was swallowed by the distortion.
And then, silence.
When she blinked, she was no longer in the familiar streets of Tokyo.
She was standing amidst decay and ruin, the stench of rot filled her nose, making her stomach twist.
The air was heavy, suffocating.
Where… where am I?
Her hands trembled. Panic clawed at her chest.
A sound broke the silence.
"Ha… ha…"
It wasn't breathing. It was gasping. The greedy, starving intake of air, like a beast that had spotted prey after months of hunger.
Nino froze, her face paled, her throat felt dry, her saliva pooling as she swallowed hard, trying not to make a sound.
Slowly, painfully slowly, she turned her head.
And saw it.
A towering creature, three meters tall, its body cloaked in pitch-black filth. Its form was humanoid, but twisted, distorted, with an eerie aperture spinning faintly around it like a halo of corruption.
Her blood turned to cold.
Her heart stuttered, then slammed against her ribs in wild panic.
It's a monster… a monster…!
Every instinct screamed at her.
Run.
And she did. Without thinking, without hesitating, she ran as fast as she could.
The creature tilted its head, watching her scramble away. Then, with a voice that sounded like a cruel laugh, it let out a chilling, guttural sound.
"Hahaha—"
It didn't chase her. Not yet. Its grin widened, its expression almost human, disturbingly intelligent.
The game had begun.
The hunter had found its prey.
Any experienced Onmyoji who saw this scene would know immediately—this was a Snake-class Filth. Its aura alone was suffocating, a wave of malice that threatened to crush everything in its path. And worse, this wasn't mindless corruption—it was thinking, like a predator that enjoyed the hunt.
Nino ran through crumbling buildings, her lungs burning, her breath ragged. Tears stung her eyes but she didn't dare stop.
Every step echoed too loudly in this cursed world.
Where the hell am I? What happened to me?
Decay. Destruction. The smell of rot thick in the air. This was no longer the Tokyo she knew.
Her body shook as fear gnawed at her, but even as tears spilled down her cheeks, something inside her hardened. She bit her lip until it hurt, forcing herself to keep running.
I can't die here. I won't. I have to make it back… I have to go home.
Images of her sisters flashed in her mind—Ichika's gentle smile, Miku's shy gaze, Yotsuba's boundless energy, Itsuki's determined expression.
Her family. Her world.
"Onee-chan… everyone… wait for me," she whispered, her voice trembling yet firm. "I'll come back. I have to."
And with that, she pushed her exhausted body forward, determined to fight against despair, against this cursed world itself.
No matter what, she would return.
She would survive.
...
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