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Yuta spun around just in time to see a massive claw swinging down at him. He instinctively raised his katana and blocked the strike, but the sheer force of the impact sent him sliding back, his shoes screeching against the cobblestones.
Toge pulled down the collar of his jacket with one hand and spoke:
"Shatter."
The air before them exploded with a deafening crash, hurling the creature into the ruins of a nearby wall. Maki didn't waste a second; she lunged forward, her naginata gleaming in the pale daylight trying to break through the clouds. She cut through the air with precision.
The creature screeched as it staggered back, but it was too late. Maki had struck true, and a wide, blackened gash smoked across what looked like its torso.
"There are more," Panda suddenly growled.
Maki froze, adjusting her glasses.
"We're surrounded," Yuta said, tension clear in his voice.
As if to prove him right, several figures appeared in the side streets. One, two, three… soon nearly a dozen grotesque curses emerged from the shadows.
"Toge, you good to go?"
"Salmon!"
Maki narrowed her eyes at the approaching horde. She gave Toge a sharp nod, and he readied himself, fingers brushing his collar.
Maki charged in first.
The first creature—a gelatinous mass with elongated arms like whips—lunged at her. With fluid motion, she dodged and sliced cleanly, severing the slimy limb with a precise strike.
"Yuta, cover Panda!" she shouted.
Yuta nodded. Panda, at his side, took a defensive stance, massive arms raised in anticipation.
One of the monsters leapt at them. Panda, surprisingly fast for his bulky frame, intercepted it, his huge fists slamming into the curse with a heavy thud. It reeled back, stumbling, before Yuta followed up, slashing diagonally with his katana.
Meanwhile, Maki cut her way through the mob without pause. But the more they felled, the more seemed to appear.
That's when Toge moved. He lowered his collar, his voice booming with supernatural force:
"Explosion."
The word made the ground tremble beneath their feet. A shockwave blasted through the swarm in front of him, hurling their grotesque forms against cracked walls. Smoke billowed, and a tense silence lingered.
Maki gestured sharply: "We split up! Toge and I take this side! Yuta, you and Panda cover the north street."
Yuta hesitated, but Panda's heavy, reassuring hand landed on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. We've got this. Besides… you need to show Maki you're more than just a guy with a sword."
Yuta nodded, tightening his grip on his katana. Together, they dashed toward the north street while Maki and Toge charged in the opposite direction.
The north street was narrower, lined with faded storefronts.
"They're watching us," Panda muttered.
Suddenly, a pair of curses emerged, their eyes glowing with malice. Yuta leapt forward, striking the first with a clean slash, but the second seized the chance to lunge at him. Panda intercepted in time, spinning and slamming the creature into a post with a sweeping strike.
"Keep it up," Panda said with a grin.
Yuta, panting, managed a strained smile.
Another curse suddenly crawled out from a corner.
Yuta didn't hesitate. He swung his katana in a perfect arc, slicing the curse clean in two as it dissolved into dark smoke. He straightened, breath ragged.
"Not bad," Panda commented, batting away another monster with the back of his massive paw. The enemy rolled across the ground before evaporating with a shrill cry.
Yuta turned to his partner with a grin.
"They're not that tough. Maybe these are just low-level curses? Like… grade 2, right?"
Panda shrugged thoughtfully.
"Yeah, at most they're grade 2."
"Seriously? Then this should be easy. We can clear this place in no ti—"
"Not so fast," Panda cut in, raising a paw to silence him. "If there's a swarm like this, it means there's a leader somewhere. And that's a whole different problem."
Yuta's smile faltered.
"A leader? You mean… like a grade 1 curse?"
Panda shook his head.
"Worse. These things are unpredictable, but one thing's for sure: if we run into their leader, it won't be as simple as cutting down these lackeys."
A heavy silence fell as they exchanged a grave look. The distant sounds of Maki and Toge still battling echoed from a nearby street.
Trying to hold his composure, Yuta gripped the hilt of his katana.
"Okay. So what now? Do we hunt it down, or call for backup?"
"We clear the area and locate it first. No charging in blind. But remember this, Yuta: curses like to play. The leader won't show up right away. It'll wait until we're tired… or distracted."
Yuta nodded.
"Got it."
With that, they pushed deeper into the north street. Around them, the buildings grew more dilapidated, as if their very existence had been corroded by cursed energy. Broken signs and shattered windows glinted with unsettling reflections.
"Panda, something feels off," Yuta muttered, casting furtive glances around.
"Not surprising," Panda replied, pointing toward an intersection up ahead. "The energy here is heavy, like—"
The ground vibrated, cutting him off. It was faint, but enough to make them both freeze.
Yuta placed a hand on his katana's hilt.
"…like something's coming," Panda finished.