*****
At Kyoto District Six — Emergency Mobilization
The investigation ended abruptly, not with a conclusion
— but with an alarm.
Moments earlier, members of the Kyoto Jujutsu Support Team had been carefully combing through cursed energy residue inside the ruined homes.
Now the scene transformed into an organized chaos.
Scanner devices were shut down.
Evidence kits snapped closed.
Vehicles roared to life one after another along the rain-damp street.
Communication charms buzzed nonstop.
A Code Black changed everything.
It meant only one thing.
A high-grade cursed spirit had appeared somewhere in the city.
And when that happened, every other investigation immediately became secondary.
Deputy Head of the Kyoto Support Division, Kaori Atazawa, stepped forward, her voice sharp and controlled despite the urgency around her.
"Pack only what you can carry!" she ordered. "District Five Support Division has issued an emergency request for reinforcement!"
Technicians hurried to secure their equipment.
Support vehicles lined the street like a small convoy preparing for war.
A Kyoto police inspector approached Kaori as she walked toward the lead vehicle.
"You're pulling out already?"
Kaori nodded once.
"Lives are at stake."
Her eyes then shifted toward the tall man still standing quietly beside the ruined house.
"Mr. Genji."
The analyst closed the leather notebook in his hands with a soft snap.
"I take it the Code Black concerns District Five."
Kaori didn't bother hiding her tension.
"That's correct."
Genji adjusted his glasses calmly.
"In that case," he said, "I should accompany your team."
Kaori's response came instantly.
"No."
The refusal landed like a brick.
Genji blinked.
"I may not be a registered jujutsu sorcerer," he said evenly, "but I've spent years studying cursed phenomena across multiple countries—"
"This isn't a research expedition," Kaori cuts in.
The nearby officers instinctively fell quiet.
Kaori exhaled slowly before continuing, her voice calmer now.
"Kyoto District Five is now an active cursed zone."
Her eyes met his.
"Only trained personnel are allowed inside."
Genji glanced toward the support vehicles preparing to depart.
"I can still help."
Kaori hesitated for just a moment.
Then she spoke quietly.
"If your instincts are right… This case here may be connected to what's happening in District Five."
Genji's expression sharpened.
"So you want me to stay."
Kaori nodded.
"Continue investigating the scene here."
Her voice dropped slightly.
"If someone is orchestrating these cursed spirits to appear out of nowhere…"
Her gaze swept across the ruined houses.
"Then the first clue might already be here, since it's been almost over five hours time interval before we received reports of a similar incident happening at Kyoto District Five."
Before he could respond, she turned and stepped into the vehicle.
Engines roared.
The convoy sped off down the street in a rush of headlights.
Within seconds —
They were gone.
The neighborhood fell strangely quiet again.
Genji watched the taillights disappear into the distance.
A small crease formed between his brows.
"Do take care of yourself, Kaori…"
He sighed.
Then turned back toward the ruined house.
"If District Five is truly connected…"
He flipped open his notebook again.
"…then the answer must be hiding somewhere in this mess."
*****
At Kyoto District 5 — Rising Panic
Chaos.
That was the only word that fit.
Police barricades blocked every road leading into District Five.
Emergency lights flashed across the wet pavement.
Members of the Kyoto Jujutsu Support Division struggled to hold the line as civilians crowded around the barriers.
Fear spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Some people shouted angrily.
Others cried openly.
Several parents were frantic.
"My daughter is still inside!"
"My husband hasn't answered his phone!"
"What is happening in there?!"
The officers tried desperately to maintain order.
But panic was contagious.
The tension was seconds away from exploding.
A few blocks away, Shinji Ino stood quietly at the edge of the gathering crowd.
His brow furrowed as he studied the barricades.
Something serious is happening.
He could tell just from the way the support team had sealed the area.
They weren't letting anyone in.
Which meant whatever was inside could be dangerous.
His instincts whispered the truth before his mind fully processed it.
"The danger could be that this area has become an active cursed zone."
"Just like the park incident." Shinji thinks to himself
⸻
Suddenly,
A black car screeched to a halt beside the barricades.
The crowd turned.
The door opened slowly.
A woman stepped out.
She wore a black combat uniform embroidered with the distinct markings of Kyoto Jujutsu High.
Her movements were calm.
Controlled.
She stepped forward and removed the mask covering the lower half of her face.
Revealing Utahime Iori.
Her voice carried clearly across the chaotic street.
"I am Utahime Iori, a teacher from Kyoto Jujutsu High."
The murmuring crowd quieted slightly.
"I have been assigned to assist with the rescue operation inside this district."
She raised her hands gently.
"Please remain calm. My colleagues and I will handle the situation."
But fear rarely listens to calm words.
A middle-aged man shoved his way forward.
"Calm down?!" he shouted.
"My wife and kids are still in there!"
His voice cracked with desperation.
"And you're telling us not to panic?!"
The crowd erupted again.
Shouting.
Crying.
Anger mixed with fear.
Utahime tried to speak.
"Please listen—"
But panic had already taken hold.
The situation was slipping fast, beyond anyone's control.
***
From several meters away, Shinji clenched his fists.
If the crowd broke through the barricades,
If civilians rushed into the district,
More people would die.
He stepped forward before he could second-guess himself.
"Everyone!!"
His voice cuts sharply through the loud commotion from the crowd.
The crowd paused in surprise.
Even Utahime turned toward him.
Shinji swallowed nervously.
But kept going.
"I know everyone here is scared," he said.
"And worried about the people inside."
The crowd slowly quieted.
"But if there's anyone who can help them right now…"
He gestured toward the support team.
"It's them."
His voice stayed steady.
"They wouldn't block the area unless something dangerous was inside."
A few people exchanged uneasy looks.
Shinji continued.
"If we rush in blindly…"
"…we'll only make things worse."
Then he glanced at Utahime.
"So please trust them."
Silence spread across the barricade.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then slowly —
The tension began to fade.
The shouting stopped.
Some parents wiped their tears.
Order returned.
Utahime watched the young boy carefully.
So that's Shinji Ino.
Her students had mentioned his composure.
But witnessing it herself was different.
He handled that crowd better than many trained officers.
Interesting.
Moments later,
With the civilians calmer, the support team quickly began guiding them farther away from the barricades.
Shinji helped direct a few frightened families toward a safer street.
A moment later, Utahime approached him.
"Thank you," she said gently.
Shinji scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I just didn't want things to get worse."
Utahime smiled faintly.
Then she stepped forward.
Her hand rose slowly into the air and began to chant.
"Emerge from the unending darkness, that which is blacker than darkness."
"Come purify that which is impure."
Cursed energy gathered around her fingers like invisible lightning.
The atmosphere trembled.
Then,
The sky rippled.
A massive barrier spread outward across District Five.
Darkness folded over the neighborhood like a curtain closing on a stage.
The outside world vanished.
Shinji stared upward.
"It's just like the veil from the park…"
Utahime nodded.
"This one is called a Curtain."
Her voice remained calm as she explained.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, but it's a more advanced FORM OF barrier technique."
She gestured toward the blackened sky surrounding them.
"When this is all over, Shinji...I'd like to extend an offer for you to come study about such things at Kyoto Jujutsu High, that is, of course, if you're interested in learning them." Utahime said
Shinji glanced around nervously, feeling dumbfounded and speechless to return an answer
Utahime turned to Shinji.
Her eyes were sharp now.
"We'll, talk about this later, then, but for now I have a request."
Shinji blinked.
"…A request?"
She nodded.
"There are civilians still trapped inside this district."
"Normally, I would enter alone."
She paused deliberately.
"But today…"
Her gaze studied him closely.
"I'd like your help."
Shinji stiffened.
"Me?"
Utahime continued calmly.
"You've already encountered cursed spirits."
"You helped stabilize a panicking crowd."
"And according to my students…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You've recently awakened cursed energy."
Shinji's heart skipped.
Utahime stepped closer.
"I'll deal with the powerful, cursed spirit inside the area."
"But I need someone to help locate and guide the trapped civilians."
She gestured toward the dark barrier.
"Will you help me?"
Shinji stared at the massive Curtain covering District Five.
Fear crept slowly into his chest.
But something else rose with it.
Resolve.
Somewhere beyond that barrier —
People were still trapped.
He took a slow breath.
Then nodded.
"…Alright then, I accept your request...I'm willing to help as many people as I can who are still trapped inside the area."
Utahime smiled faintly.
But behind that calm expression, another thought lingered.
Let me see it for myself.
The power that my students described.
Shinji Ino…
Show me what you really are capable of.
The barrier rippled.
And together,
They stepped into the darkness.