The basement was engulfed in an unsettling silence, broken only by Reiji's ragged breathing. Dust still lingered in the air, drifting slowly through thin beams of light. The aftermath felt unreal and brutal.
Reiji was confused beyond measure.
'What the hell is going on…' he cursed internally as he clutched his side and forced himself upright.
His body protested, but his RCT responded instinctively, dulling the pain just enough to let him move. He staggered slightly, then lifted his gaze.
His monstrous opponent, who once seemed to be almost invincible, was now kneeling.
M'Khoro's massive frame was slumped forward, head bowed, his posture utterly broken. Shock and despair carved deep lines into his face, as though a ghost from the distant past had risen solely to shatter him. The sight unsettled Reiji more than the fight itself ever had.
He studied the man carefully.
M'Khoro's obsidian hands were shaking uncontrollably. So were his eyes; wide, unfocused and scared. The sorcerer looked less like an executioner now, and more like a child pulled screaming from an horrific nightmare.
Reiji's wounds continued to knit themselves together under the steady hum of his RCT.
He felt no goodwill toward his assailant, but as the heir of the Kamo clan, Reiji had learned through bitter experience that his bloodline carried countless sins. His ancestors had carved their legacy in curses and blood. By some cruel twist of fate, he was now part of something far larger than himself, forced to bear the weight of transgressions he had never committed.
As he continued to observe M'Khoro, uncertainty crept into his expression.
'Is he really a bad guy?'
He was undeniably an ancient sorcerer. His wrath had been aimed solely at Reiji from the start. And yet, there had been moments. Flickers of something definitely human. Something the other ancient presence lacked entirely.
Reiji hissed quietly and began moving toward the kneeling figure, his battered body screaming in protest with every step.
He followed his instinct.
He knew that this was probably a mistake.
Still, he did it anyway.
'Ugh… I'm such an idiot…'
As he approached, his voice slipped out before he could stop it, raspy and half-stuttering.
"Hey… are you okay?"
Something inside M'Khoro shifted.
His head snapped up so suddenly that it nearly startled Reiji into retreat. The raw anguish on his face froze in place, and as the seconds stretched on, it twisted, slowly morphing into disbelief. And then bewilderment.
His sworn enemy… was trying to console him?
In the stark silence that followed, Reiji cursed himself internally, unable to make sense of his own actions.
M'Khoro's trembling hands gradually steadied as his gaze remained fixed on the boy standing before him. For a moment, neither one spoke.
Then… the silence was shattered by loud, familiar voices echoing down the stairwell.
Gojo's voice was unmistakable.
Reiji's classmates had finally arrived.
Reiji glanced toward the sound, mind racing as he tried to figure out how to handle the situation. He had to stop it from spiraling further out of control.
But before he could act… M'Khoro moved.
In a blink, the ancient sorcerer reached for his axe. The weapon flared briefly with cursed energy, its surface glistening ominously… and then both it and its wielder vanished in a sudden gust of displaced air.
Gone in an instant.
Reiji blinked.
His posture straightened as his RCT finished its work, his wounds completely healed. He stared at the spot where M'Khoro had been kneeling only moments ago.
"Reiji!"
Gojo and Geto burst into the basement.
Geto's sharp eyes scanned the destruction before snapping to Reiji. After a quick assessment of his condition, he swore under his breath.
"Damn it… he disappeared again, didn't he?"
Reiji exhaled slowly and nodded.
"I can still see traces of his cursed energy," Gojo said casually, hands in his pockets. "We should follow him."
Reiji shook his head.
"No… I think we should leave him be." He hesitated, then added quietly, "I was his only target."
Geto stiffened.
Cold sweat trickled down his temple as frustration crept into his voice. "Reiji…"
There was an edge to his tone now. "Are you hiding something from us?"
The suspicion was justified. These incidents always seemed to revolve around Reiji; drawn towards him like a curse.
Before Reiji could answer, Shoko arrived, stepping into the wreckage and immediately dropping into a crouch to catch her breath.
She glanced around once, then eyed Reiji carefully.
The tension in the room was palpable as the three boys exchanged uneasy looks.
"Uh… guys?" Shoko asked between gasps. "What's going on?"
Reiji turned toward her, his gaze shifting from Gojo's unreadable stare. His usual taunting grin flickered briefly in her direction.
'Not even the higher-ups know the full picture,' he thought. 'If I tell them… they'll be the only ones who do.'
He sighed deeply.
'Who am I kidding? Even I don't understand how this happened…'
Finally, he spoke.
"To be honest… I don't know much either," Reiji admitted. "But I don't mind telling you guys whatever I do know."
Geto's expression softened slightly. Gojo folded his arms, listening intently.
"But the thing is…" Reiji's gaze shifted to Shoko, who immediately met his eyes.
"I saw the curse, or… the creature, that cast the barrier."
Gojo's interest spiked instantly. The barrier had been masterfully constructed, unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Reiji glanced at the floor before continuing, his voice lowering, carrying an eerie weight.
"It's dangerous..."
*************************************************************************************
The warm glow of overhead lights washed over the mid-sized restaurant tucked away in Tokyo's dining district. The hum of quiet conversation, sizzling grills, and clinking utensils filled the air. At one of the tables near the window sat two teenagers, finally indulging in the meal they had promised themselves.
Reiji and Shoko were absolutely devouring Korean barbecue.
Plates were stacked haphazardly, the grill between them crowded with perfectly seared meat, steam rising in fragrant waves. For the first time in weeks, Reiji finally got some time to relax.
Shoko spoke mid-chew, completely unbothered by manners.
"This is so good," she said, eyes lighting up. "I seriously don't get why this place isn't more popular."
Reiji chuckled softly as he picked up a slice of meat, inspecting it with mock seriousness before eating it.
"What can I say?" he replied. "I have an eye for good food."
Akame twitched faintly in response. Reiji barely reacted; he'd long since grown accustomed to the cursed right eye's occasional antics.
The incident in the hospital had been reported to the higher-ups. For now, Gojo and Geto had decided to hold off on interrogating him further, opting to hear everything once things settled down. In the meantime, missions had resumed as normal.
Or as normal as things could be.
Crime rates were rising sharply for reasons no one could quite pin down, and with them came a dramatic surge in negative emotions and curses. It felt like the city itself was rotting faster than before.
As Reiji savored the food, Shoko, sitting across from him, glanced up from her plate. She watched him quietly for a moment longer than necessary.
Then she asked, casually but not lightly,
"I've been meaning to ask… how are you holding up?"
Reiji paused.
The smile on his face faltered, just slightly. The past few weeks had been suffocating: visions, twisted memories, the weight of things he couldn't explain or escape.
He let out a small, breathy laugh and looked away.
"I don't know, Shoko," he admitted. "But… it's bad."
That was all he could manage.
Whatever those visions or hallucinations were, they were slowly eating away at him. Avoiding the problem wasn't working for him anymore. He could feel it pressing closer, demanding to be acknowledged.
Shoko's gaze softened.
"And what are you planning to do now?"
Reiji's eyes flicked from his food back to her face.
"Well," he said slowly, "there's a place I need to visit." He paused, then added, "And I really need to train harder."
Shoko nodded in understanding… until realization struck her.
That line… It was the same thing he had said before the orphanage incident.
She froze.
"Reiji… don't tell me-"
He met her gaze. His expression was heavy with grief, yet there was a fragile, unsettling hope in his smile.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "But nothing bad will happen this time."
His fists clenched tightly under the table.
"Because I'm not the same anymore."
Their eyes remained locked.
A dreadful tension crept into Shoko's chest. For a split second, she thought she saw something in him… something unfamiliar.
Was it madness?
Delusion?
She couldn't tell.
With a sigh, Shoko broke eye contact first and returned her attention to her plate.
"There's something I want you to do, Reiji," she said, not looking at him.
He straightened slightly. Shoko didn't usually ask for favors, at least not directly. And he had a sinking feeling this wasn't really a favor.
After swallowing another bite, she shot him a sharp look that made him flinch instinctively.
"You need therapy."