Morning sunlight bathed the glass walls of Advanced Nurturing High School, turning the entire campus into a futuristic fortress of light. The school was unusually silent—students whispered about the mysterious disappearances that had occurred over the past few nights.
At the front gate, a sleek black NCD car rolled to a stop. Out stepped Kurotsuki Tenkai, Japan's most famous sorcerer, and beside him, his girlfriend Alice Nakiri, her long hair tied neatly, her eyes glowing faintly with the trace of her recently awakened cursed energy.
Alice looked up in awe. "This place… it's like a city inside a school!"
Tenkai smiled. "It's Japan's most elite academy. You could say it's half-laboratory, half-cage for geniuses."
Alice nudged him. "You sound like you've been here before."
"I have," he said, hands in his pockets. "Long story. I once visited here with Gojo. He tried to apply for a teaching post. They politely declined."
Alice chuckled, "Figures. Gojo as a teacher here would be chaos."
They reached the chairman's office. Narumori Sakayanagi, the head of the institution, stood waiting, his expression heavy with concern. "Division 0… thank you for responding so quickly," he said, bowing slightly.
Tenkai waved it off. "No need for formality. I heard three students vanished. Show me the details."
The chairman turned to the holographic screen, replaying the surveillance footage. It showed three students entering the auditorium separately—each around midnight, holding their school-issued smartphones. Then the footage glitched into static.
Alice frowned. "No sign of a struggle. Just—gone."
"Exactly," the chairman said. "The only common thread is the phone. I feared a curse and contacted the NCD immediately."
Tenkai nodded. "Good call. We'll investigate tonight. But I'll need a guide familiar with the area."
"Of course." The chairman pressed the intercom. "Send in Horikita Manabu."
Moments later, the tall, composed Manabu Horikita entered, his gaze sharp as ever. The room's atmosphere shifted—discipline itself had entered.
"Tenkai," Manabu greeted with a rare smile. "It's been a while."
Tenkai grinned back. "Still president, still terrifying, huh? Congratulations—you survived another year."
Manabu exhaled softly. "Barely. But I see the rumors are true. You really brought her."
Alice gave a polite bow. "Alice Nakiri, sir."
"The world's top young chef and now a sorcerer," Manabu mused. "Quite the combination."
The chairman cut in. "Manabu, guide them during their investigation. This matter concerns the safety of all students."
"Understood," Manabu replied.
They walked across the pristine halls. Students turned their heads, whispering:
"Is that him? The Kurotsuki Tenkai?""The one who fought beside Gojo-sensei in Shinjuku?""No way, he's even cooler in person!""Wait, is that Alice Nakiri? From Taste of Heaven?""Are they… dating?! That's unfair on every level!"
Alice blushed faintly. "They're staring a bit too much…"
Tenkai shrugged. "Get used to it. Fame's the curse that keeps on giving."
Manabu, ever stoic, muttered, "You seem to enjoy it."
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Tenkai said with a smirk.
They reached the auditorium, the epicenter of the disappearances.
Alice immediately activated her innate technique—"Celestial Perception: Empyrean Eye (天識眼 — Tenshikian)".
Her eyes gleamed with silver-blue light. Within moments, glowing threads of cursed residue materialized before her sight.
"I can feel it," she said softly. "A trail… faint, but definitely a curse. It's been feeding here."
Tenkai watched proudly. "You've gotten good at this."
She smiled shyly. "I just want to be useful. I don't want to watch you fight alone again."
Manabu observed quietly, his thoughts drifting: Even those close to monsters like him now wield power. The world is truly changing.
Alice continued scanning, then turned sharply. "I've locked onto it! It's hiding… inside one of the classrooms."
"Lead the way," Tenkai ordered.
They followed the trail until Alice stopped in front of a classroom door. The sign read: 1st Year – Class D.
Manabu's expression hardened. "This… this is my sister's class."
"Then let's not waste time," Tenkai said, placing his hand on the door. "Class is over."
With a soft thud, the door swung open, and silence fell inside the room.
Students froze mid-sentence. The teacher, Chabashira Sae, blinked in shock.
"T-Tenkai Kurotsuki?!" one student whispered.
"Oh my god, he's even hotter in person!" another girl blurted, earning a glare from Chabashira.
Alice stood behind him, calm and composed, as if used to the attention.
Chabashira regained her composure. "Mr. Kurotsuki, may I ask what this… intrusion is about?"
Before Tenkai could speak, Manabu stepped forward, his tone commanding. "The investigation is sanctioned by the Chairman and Division 0 of the NCD. Please cooperate."
The class fell silent instantly.
Tenkai scanned the room, then nodded toward Alice. "Go ahead."
Alice closed her eyes, activating Tenshikian again. After a brief silence, she pointed. "That one. The curse's residue is strongest on him."
Her finger landed on Haruki Yamauchi, who froze like a deer in headlights.
"M-me?!" he squeaked.
Tenkai approached, his voice calm but sharp. "Hand over your phone."
Yamauchi hesitated, then reluctantly placed the device in his hand.
The phone flickered strangely—faint cursed energy pulsing through the circuits.
Tenkai raised an eyebrow. "School-issued model. Standard system interface. Nothing out of the ordinary… unless…" He swiped through, then smirked. "Ah. Found it."
He turned the screen for the class to see: a game app called "30 Days Challenge."
"Yamauchi," he asked, "how long have you been playing this?"
"Uh… twenty-nine days," Yamauchi stammered.
Tenkai smiled lightly. "Congratulations, you're cursed—and still alive. That's impressive luck."
The class erupted in whispers.
"Cursed?!"
"From a game?"
"I knew free apps were evil!"
Alice covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Tenkai explained, "This game sends a random challenge at midnight. Simple tasks—run a kilometer, prank a friend, eat something weird. Each task completed 'rewards' you with food that tastes real but doesn't exist. The curse manipulates your five senses through hypnosis."
The students leaned forward, captivated. Even Chabashira was pale.
"But here's the catch," Tenkai continued. "On the 29th day, it orders the player to send the link to a friend. That's how it spreads. And on the 30th day—tonight—it tells the player to go to an empty auditorium alone. That's where it manifests and devours them."
Yamauchi's face drained of color. "S-so I'm going to die tonight?!"
He tried to grab Tenkai's sleeve, but his hand stopped midair—blocked by an invisible force. The air shimmered faintly like heat waves.
The students gasped.
Alice explained gently, "No one can touch him unless he allows it. His defense is always active."
Tenkai crouched slightly to meet Yamauchi's terrified gaze. "Relax. You won't die. When that cursed game shows up, I'll be there waiting. And I'll delete it… permanently."
Haruki swallowed hard. "You promise?"
Tenkai smirked. "I don't break promises, kid. Especially not ones that involve killing curses."
He straightened, turning to Chabashira. "Well then, I think that's enough excitement for today."
The teacher, still visibly shaken, nodded weakly. "Y-yes. Everyone… remain calm."
Tenkai added with a teasing grin, "Break's over, everyone. Resume class. Oh, and maybe uninstall your midnight mystery apps."
Laughter rippled through the class, half in fear, half in relief.
As Tenkai, Alice, and Manabu left, the students erupted into whispers again:
"Did you see how he made the air shimmer?"
"That defense thing is unreal!"
"His girlfriend literally sees curses! They're like a power couple from an anime!"
"Bro, I'm deleting all my apps tonight!"
Outside, Manabu sighed. "You caused a storm again."
Tenkai shrugged. "I call it raising awareness."
Alice giggled, looping her arm through his. "You enjoy showing off, don't you?"
He grinned. "Only when I have an audience."
Manabu muttered, "You're impossible."
"Maybe," Tenkai said, glancing at the setting sun. "But tonight, that curse won't be."