“Nanami!!!”
“Uh, Yuji?”
“Na.na.mi!! Na.na.mi!!”
“I’m already he—”
“Na, na, na, na, Nanami-!!”
“Hey, over here.”
Yuji, who showed no sign of stopping his shouting, got smacked on the back of the head by Megumi, who had arrived at some point.
“Huh? Fushiguro! Nanami! And, uh? Who’s this?”
“This is Ino Takuma. He was on backup duty during the Satozakura incident.”
“So Nanami really did mean Mr. Nanami....”
The Yoshino team had met up with the Nanami team.
With Mechamaru’s help, they were able to hear the current situation in detail.
Gojo Satoru had been sealed. A Curtain had been cast over Shibuya to keep sorcerers out.
“Geto...”
“To be exact, someone inside Geto Suguru’s body. Right now, Shibuya Station is nothing short of a den of evil.”
And then there was Geto, lurking behind the curse spirits.
“Special-grade, the curse spirits they brought in, curse users under Geto’s influence, transfigured humans, and ordinary civilians too.”
“If that’s the situation, then the fastest way in is definitely to hit them near the subway station. But first, we need to break the Curtain.”
“This is an emergency. Please multitask.”
There was no time to argue about it.
At a moment this urgent, they had to contact the outside while also sharing the information with the other sorcerers who had already broken into the area.
And with the scale of the situation, requesting support from headquarters was a given.
With Gojo sealed, the upper brass was probably full of people who welcomed it, but they couldn’t just sit on their hands.
“There are a few requests only a Grade 1 like me can make.”
“I’m Grade 1 too....”
“Yoshino-kun, you were promoted to Grade 1 because of your strength, but you’ve never had experience commanding a scene as a Grade 1 sorcerer in an emergency. In a situation like this, I’m the one who should go.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’ll head out, finish all of that with Ijichi-kun, and come back. In the meantime, Ino-kun, Itadori-kun, and Fushiguro-kun, please handle the Curtain.”
“What about me?”
Junpei, who had suddenly been turned into an extra, blinked in confusion.
Nanami explained the reason in his usual rigid tone.
“You said the ones who cast the Curtain were mostly around Grade 2 to semi-Grade 1 in strength, correct? Three people are more than enough. Having you stay here as well would be overkill.”
“Then what should I do? I am a Grade 1 sorcerer, you know.”
“Yoshino-kun, use your mobility to join up with the other sorcerer teams and spread the word. Also rescue Nitta-san and get her out beyond the Curtain. Since we can’t contact Ijichi-kun, the next person with the highest authority is Nitta-san. Secure her safety, then come back here.”
Nitta Akari was someone Junpei had met before at Yasohachi Bridge.
And the team she was assigned to was the Zenin team. The same team as Nobara, his girlfriend.
Worried about her safety in the back of his mind, Junpei nodded at the reasonable suggestion.
“Ino-kun.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Please take care of those two.”
“....Yes!”
A sense of duty blazed up inside Ino.
Once Nanami left and only four of them remained, he looked at Junpei with a slightly triumphant expression.
“...?”
The junior who had shown up late, yet got recommended by Nanami before him and became a Grade 1 sorcerer.
Back then he had genuinely felt bitter, but seeing the mentor he respected rely on him had long since blown that feeling away.
Holding back tears of emotion, Ino decided to show them some proper senpai spirit.
“You guys...”
“I’m heading out now.”
“H-Hey, wait....”
Before Ino could even get the words out, Junpei sensed something and quickly hopped onto the yellow bird.
He didn’t forget to leave them with a parting warning before they split up.
“Yuji, Fushiguro. You two be careful too.”
“See you later, Junpei!”
“Don’t die, Yoshino.”
“Will you let me finish my—”
He’d been trying to look impressive, and now they were just hyping each other up without him.
Missing his chance to speak, Ino slumped.
“Please take care of Ino senpai too. I’m counting on you!”
-perk
Of course, he revived instantly at Junpei’s last words.
Brightening right back up, Ino strode forward, loudly cheering on the two left behind.
“All right! Let’s go, juniors! We’re smashing that Curtain before Nanami-san gets back!”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go!”
With our own hands, we’ll save Gojo Satoru.
-------------------------------
21:33.
Shibuya Station, Inokashira Line entrance.
As Zenin team was exorcising the transfigured humans attacking civilians at the station, a yellow bird approached them.
Junpei, who had left Nanami’s team and Yuji behind, jumped down and landed in front of Maki.
“Maki-senpai.”
“What is it. Junpei?”
“Yes. The situation has gotten seriously bad, so I came to tell you.”
Junpei looked around, then realized Nobara and Nitta, who should have been with the Zenin team, were nowhere to be seen.
“Where did Nobara and Nitta-san go?”
“I sent the two of them out beyond the Curtain. It looked like Ijichi-san got attacked while he was on the phone.”
“Ijichi-san did...?”
Hearing a familiar name made Junpei’s heart drop.
When he’d met up with Nanami’s team, Ijichi was already gone. So he’d been unreachable from the start—had he been attacked and put in danger?
Some curse user working with curse spirits was probably roaming outside the Curtain, hunting assistant supervisors. If they weren’t careful, Nobara could be in danger too.
He needed to go see Nitta anyway, since he had to pass on the current situation.
He wanted to run there right this second, but information sharing came first, so Junpei patiently explained what had happened.
Gojo Satoru’s sealing.
The newly cast Curtain that kept sorcerers out.
And the insurance Mechamaru had left behind.
“This is that traitor bastard?”
“Yes. Though he’s been quiet since a while ago. At first he was talking a lot.”
“Battery died, maybe. Anyway, thanks. We’ll secure this platform too and move in once the Curtain lifts.”
“I’m counting on you. Which way did Nobara go?”
“Probably toward Bunkamura Street. There’s a shortcut to the surface there.”
“Thanks.”
He should probably tell Kusakabe’s team too, but contacting Nitta came first.
He planned to pass the information to Nitta, build a communication line, and check on Nobara’s safety while he was at it.
Just as he was about to leave, Junpei caught sight of a sturdy old man yawning lazily in the back.
“Yaaawn—”
“....?”
Unlike Maki, who was covered in blood from hunting down transfigured humans, he looked spotless.
He didn’t even have a single bloodstain on him, nor any sign that he’d used his body properly at all. It was obvious he was slacking off.
Junpei felt irritated by his attitude, as if he didn’t care whether people died in front of him or whether his young relative got stuck doing all the cleanup.
He was the Zenin special Grade 1 sorcerer, right?
Judging by his rank, he should be the team leader, so why was he acting like that?
“Excuse me.”
“What is it. Want a drink?”
Was this old man out of his mind?
“You’re the Zenin special Grade 1 sorcerer, right?”
“Yeah. I’m the Zenin clan head.”
“Then why aren’t you working?”
“Ignore him, Junpei. That old man’s always been like that.”
Maki stopped Junpei before he could protest further. Junpei was about to say more, but the sight of Naobito picking at his ear with a rude expression made him shut his mouth.
That alone told him enough. Even in an emergency like this, the man wasn’t lifting a finger, not even showing the will to fight.
He wasn’t the kind of person who would listen just because someone told him to.
But just as Junpei was about to leave to go see Nobara, Naobito grabbed him instead.
“Boy, what’s your name?”
“Yoshino Junpei.”
“Your technique looks.... pretty good. Want to join the Zenin clan?”
“Huh?”
Still doubting whether he’d heard that right, Junpei watched as Naobito shuffled closer.
The Zenin clan’s foundation was bloodline. Since ancient times, they’d been one of the representative families that gathered people with powerful techniques and expanded their influence.
Naobito, who inherited that collector’s instinct, had also taken an interest in Junpei’s unusual presence and shikigami technique at first sight.
“I mean, become a son-in-law.”
“Is that really the time for that?”
“What of it? Even in wartime, children are born.”
“.....”
Junpei’s mouth fell open on its own in disbelief. The man’s shamelessness was beyond shameless.
Do sorcerers all turn into complete disasters by the time they get that old?
“If it’s a woman without a mate, the clan’s got plenty to spare. There’s Maki right in front of you, and her twin sister Mai too. They’re beauties.”
“Old man, cut the crazy talk. This kid already has a girlfriend.”
“Even if we can’t hand over the clan head position to an outsider, if you’re a Grade 1 sorcerer at your age, a high position is practically guaranteed. I could even overlook one or two mistresses.”
“I’m heading out now. Be careful, Maki-senpai.”
“Sorry, Junpei. Don’t mind this senile old fossil.”
“I don’t.”
He couldn’t listen to another word of it.
Junpei fled the scene, hopping onto the yellow bird as if escaping for his life.
“Hey! If you change your mind, contact me later!”
“Knock it off!”
He suddenly, very, very much wanted to see his girlfriend.
--------------------------------
21:40.
Shoto Bunkamura Street, outside the Curtain.
“Nitta-san, stop.”
“!”
“So you’ve been inside the Curtain all this time.”
Following Maki’s instructions, Nobara was heading with Nitta toward the camp outside the Curtain when someone appeared in front of her.
A genderless curse user with white hair and a monk’s robe was approaching, scattering cold air as they came.
So Ijichi-san got taken out by this guy too.
Shigemo Haruta and Kumiya Juzo, who had attacked the exchange event before.
Their shared testimony had been that they were acting on the orders of a white-haired monk.
The force she’d only expected to be lurking in the shadows had revealed itself in an unexpected place.
The culprit who had been roaming outside the Curtain and attacking the assistant supervisors who were trying to make contact.
Uraume, the Frozen Star.
“I’m glad we found you here.”
As the distance between them shrank, Nobara swallowed hard.
Just by the amount of cursed energy alone, she could tell. This wasn’t an opponent she could handle.
She wanted to run right this second, but if she did, Nitta would get caught up in it too.
“Nitta-san, hide. I’ll catch up later.”
“....Don’t push yourself.”
Just as Nobara drew out her hammer, Nitta darted into the underground passage near Bunkamura.
The moment Nobara thought she might at least buy some time, even if she couldn’t win—
“Who said you could send her away?”
-crack!
The mass of cursed energy Uraume fired attached itself to Nitta’s body and formed ice crystals.
Nitta, frozen solid, couldn’t even part her lips.
“Ice Formation Technique!”
While Nobara was distracted, Uraume shifted to the next target.
Sensing the attack, Nobara rolled across the ground just as sharp icicles grazed over her head.
Ice creation and ice manipulation. They couldn’t be done at the same time, but Uraume’s skill was so high that the timing of the switch was impossible to predict.
“Upper body.”
“Tch!”
She dodged quickly every time she saw cursed energy about to fly, but that would only last so long.
The cold blanketing the area and her body, frozen from the extremities inward, were steadily stealing her speed.
-bang!
Even when she hurled nails in desperation, they only bounced off the high-density ice and never reached Uraume.
“I’ll return it.”
-krrrk
Uraume snorted as if amused, picked up one of Nobara’s nails from the ground, and poured cursed energy into it.
The cursed energy wrapped around the nail and turned it into an ice spear. Uraume lifted it into the air and casually flicked a hand.
-whoosh!
The spear flew in with enough speed to split the air.
Her feet were already trapped. At this rate, there was no avoiding being pierced somewhere by that spear.
But Nobara had also been sharpening the hidden knife in her sleeve.
Take the hit, then finish it right before the end...!
Anticipating the pain that was about to come, Nobara squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth.
-clang!
But her body was not pierced.
The ice spear, struck by something hard, shattered miserably and fell to the ground.
When Nobara, full of questions, slowly opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was
the back of her boyfriend, who somehow looked more reliable than anyone else in the world.
He’d flown in so fast that Junpei’s bangs had been blown back by the wind.
Even though the hideous, raw wound on him was exposed, he didn’t seem to notice it at all, keeping his eyes fixed on Uraume ahead.
In his right hand was a sword covered in black scales, humming with a low buzz.
“You...”
Uraume’s face twisted viciously as they ground their teeth at the interruption.
Junpei, too, was pouring out cursed energy explosively, and his expression was just as sharp as he declared,
“I’m going to kill you.”
Yoshino Junpei, Kugisaki Nobara versus Uraume.
The opening match that would announce the destruction of the Shibuya turned den of monsters was about to begin.
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