The big clock reads half past four (16:30/4:30 PM) on the school wall.
Hiroki - "Oh! It's already half past four!" he immediately put on his bag, "Well, Coach, I've got stuff to do! Later!"
With that, he ran away, leaving the now-moving Coach and his two Occult Club friends.
On the way, Hiroki ran past Urchin as he felt a spark between them that shook him down his spine.
A presence so strong it is almost scary to try and ignore.
Urchin - 'The presence of a cursed object!' he shouted in his mind with a staggered look, "Hey, you!"
As he was about to chase down and interrogate Hiroki, the pinkie suddenly changed the pace of his running to the point where he looked like a running cartoon character.
Urchin - 'He's way too fast!' he exclaimed internally, watching the man leaving the place at a rapid speed.
While this, he overheard a conversation happening behind him.
Student 1 - "I heard he can run fifty meters in three seconds." he remarked in disbelief.
Student 2 - "Is he a car?" he joked.
This earns a comical baffled look from Urchin.
Kanoko - "I- Huh?!" her eyes widened, even more dumbfounded than before.
Not only is Hiroki strong but he is also fast now?!
Ayumu - "Fifty meters?!" she exclaimed, jaw-dropping, "Isn't that like, insanely fast?!"
Kaede - "W-Wow...' she muttered in awe, looking at her son in admiration, 'I... I didn't think Hiroki would be this... athletic."
Nao could only be gulped at this. Knowing that Hiroki is a lot stronger and agile now, it would most certainly be harder to ask for his forgiveness. Now she is starting to doubt that he even needs her again. Or... if he ever wants to see her again.
Nao - "Hiroki..." she spoke softly, head lowering in deep regret.
The scene transitions to Hiroki buying a flower in a flower shop.
A few seconds later, he is now seen holding a bunch of flowers in wrapping paper while waiting for the stop to cross the street under the sunlight. A baby tried to reach out to his flowers as he half-reluctantly moved away.
The girls smiled at this. It felt... odd seeing him this peaceful, regarding everything that had happened to him. However, it also felt relieving at best to just see him doing okay.
Though, Nao felt a pang in her heart. She secretly wishes those flowers were meant for her.
Hiroki walked into Sugisawa Hospital, and in the next second, he was inside the room with his grandfather.
Wasuke - "I told you not to come." he sassed, still lying on his hospital(-death)bed, "Stop buying flowers to bring with you all the time."
Hiroki - "You always give me that" he argued, still arranging the flowers, "Besides, these aren't for you. They're for the nurses."
Kanoko - "That's cold." she frowns, her mother secretly agreeing.
Wasuke - "All the more reasons not to, you fool!" he retorted, raising his tone slightly, "And what about your club? Go to your club! Your club!"
Ayumu - "Hiroki's grandfather cares for him, huh?" she smiles sweetly.
Kanoko - "Yeah, though, he's always hot-headed at best." she shrugs in her seat.
Kaede - "Wasuke..." she sighs, resting her hand on her chest, 'Thank you for taking care of Hiroki while I'm not there...'
Hiroki - "Oh, chill out. It ends before 5 PM. " he reassures with a slight irk in his tone, "I wouldn't be visiting you if I didn't have free time."
Wasuke - "Good. Then listen to me, since I got free time, too." he said briefly, hearing Hiroki walking past his bed.
Hiroki - "Not interested." he dismissed in disinterest.
Wasuke - "Just listen well. There's something I want to tell you before the end." he reconsiders his words while a tap running is heard in the background, "It's about your father."
Hiroki - "I said I'm not interested." he complained, checking his hair through the mirror, "Grandpa, could you stop trying to act all cool before you die?"
Kanoko - "Just hear what he wants to say, dude..." she frowns even more. Clearly, She dislikes the attitude Hiroki is displaying toward him and her grandpa.
Kaede was mostly confused by this. What kind of truth does he want to share with Hiroki about his father? So she leans in slightly forward, listening in full intent.
Wasuke - "Every man wants to go out in a style, you know!" he countered, Hiroki walking up to a vase near the outside window, "Get a clue, you useless grandson!"
Kaede felt her heartache just the mere mention of that, she suddenly remembered the time when she told Hiroki is a useless boy during her heat session with the exchange student.
Kaede - 'I'm sorry...' she apologized, silently begging for forgiveness.
Hiroki - "Quit snapping over everything." he places the flowers in the vase, "You can just be yourself."
His grandfather could only scoff at him.
Wasuke - "Lax Upbringing." he fumed, sleeping on his side which faces away from Hiroki.
Even when they are arguing, they cannot help but find something strangely wholesome during all this drama between the son and his grandfather.
Nao - "You can just be yourself?" she quietly repeated, taking those words to heart, 'You're wise, Hiroki. I wish I could still be with you. If only... only...' her mouth quivered into a shaky one, 'If I... could stop myself on that day...'
Wasuke slowly closed his eyes.
Wasuke - "Hiroki." he drawled, earning a hum and the attention of the pink-haired boy, "You're a strong kid, so help others. Even if it's only those who are the closest to you, just save the people you can. It's okay if you lose your way, and don't worry about whether they'll thank you or not."
Hiroki's eyes fluttered open, his face growing out from his uninterested one.
Wasuke - "Just save as many people as you can, even if it's only one." he continued, his tones now slightly weak, "When you die, you should be surrounded by people. Don't end up like me."
This opens a new perspective for the girls.
They consider his words, taking them to heart, and... he is right. What is the whole point of living in this world when you will just be left alone when you are dead? Would it be called a sweet; relieving death if you are dying alone on your deathbed?
For the entire time, Kanoko and Kaede thought that Wasuke was just a stubborn and short-tempered old man, but that speech was surprisingly full of wisdom coming from someone such as himself.
But one thing is for sure, those words fill them with something.
A determination to try and get Hiroki back. They knew they messed up big time, but Wasuke's words were like a huge motivation for them.
Besides, not all hopes were completely lost, therefore they still have a second chance. They just have to find a way, or... work for it somehow.
So all they have to do is wait for the reaction to finish, and after exiting what they called the "domain", they can try and search for Hiroki again. Since, with this new profound information, they now know where Hiroki is.
Also, Hiroki is a kind and considerate person. It should not be so hard to try and convince him back, right?... Right?
Hiroki kept staring at his grandpa, mouth opening.
Expecting something back, he waited for his grandfather to make a sign of reassurance... only to be met with a deafening silence.
The cold; dead silent atmosphere is almost uncomfortable for the girls, as they cannot help but stay on the edge of their seats. Waiting for something to come.
Hiroki - "Grandpa?" he spoke out, waiting for a response still... silence.
The scene changes abruptly back to the nurse's office as the phone rings, and one of the nurses comes over to answer it.
Nurse - "Yes, what's the matter?" she asked in full attention, but her face went confused, "Hello? Itadori-san?"
Back in the room, Hiroki can be seen looking up at the ceiling while holding his phone low, his face matches that of a sad one with a quivering mouth, trying his hardest not to cry.
"My grandpa... is dead."
Gasps fills the room. Both Kaede and Ayumucloses their mouth with their hands in concern, while the other two simply stare at the screen in shock. However, the unexpected death impacted Kaede and Kanoko the most. They did not expect Wasuke to just... die like that. In front of Hiroki too.
Ayumu - "H-Hiroki-senpai..." she muttered sadly, already feeling the depressing atmosphere on the screen and around her.
Seeing Hiroki attempting not to cry made them weak to their core. They could not help but want to reach out and comfort him. But they are not there on his side. Nor will he ever acknowledge them being there for him.
Seeing him taking all this alone, with no one to hug him or to pat his back, fills them with even more regret than anticipated.
Kanoko - "Damn..." she muttered silently, her teeth gritting through her closed frown.
Nao - '...' she swallows a lump in her throat, her heart already aching.
Kaede - 'W-Wasuke... H-Hiroki...' she stuttered inside her mind, feeling the tears swell up her eyes again, 'I'm sorry... I'm sorry...'
Ayumu - "... W-What now?" she asked out of the blue, which, unfortunately, no one knows the answer to that.
Now that Hiroki's last relative he is genuinely close to passed away, he is left alone once again. Just like when he is with his mom, sister, girlfriend, and best friend... but this time, it is different.
He watches them die in front of their eyes. With no one on his side. All alone.
A brief image of Wasuke's last photo of him passing peacefully was seen, and then Hiroki's hand from the side while looking down at his deceased grandfather... And then he looks at the two nurses who bring Wasuke's corpse away on a body trolley in the distance.
A shot of the flowers he placed on the vase near the window, as the screen transitions back to Hiroki zipping up Wasuke's belongings when he stayed at the hospital inside a duffle bag.
He stares at the bag and then the bed.
The silent atmosphere is still present, and it is strong. Their ears are filled with nothing but ambiance and background noises.
Hiroki is now writing a notification of death for his deceased grandfather, setting his pen down once he is done and handing the paper back to the nurse who is working behind the counter.
Nurse - "That's all for the necessary paperwork." she said softly, smiling to make it less awkward.
Hiroki - "Okay. Thank you for everything." he thanked, as there was a hint of sadness in his tone.
Nurse - "Are you sure you're okay?" she leans forward, now with a concerned smile.
Hiroki - "Well, this is my first time dealing with something like this, so it doesn't feel real yet." he tilted his head down, 'Besides, it's not like this is the only worrying thing that has happened to me...'
That sentence alone fills the girls' hearts with what they like to call true regret. It made them remember all the times when they humiliated him, some were intentional and some were not. Either thee, they drive away and leave him broken.
Even to this day, the memories are still clinging to Hiroki's mind. He wishes he could erase those parts of memories, but he finds it nearly impossible to do.
They could not help but stay silent in remorse and sorrow, knowing that they made the state Hiroki was experiencing right now even worse.
Kaede - "H-Hiroki... I-..." she wipes the tear off her face, looking at the screen with a determined look, 'I'll... I'll try to make this right. I promise not to leave you alone again... I promise...'
Kanoko - 'Little bro...' she crossed her arms, 'Next time I see that Kokujin guy again, I'll fucking stab him right in the eye..'
Ayumu - 'Hiroki-senpai...' she lowers her head in shame, now determined to try and make it all up for him.
Nao - '... Hiroki...' she blinked, her eyes glossing a bit, 'I-I don't understand... How could you still smile even after all of this...?'
Hiroki - "Grandpa would snap if I kept moping around forever, though, so I'll just have to laugh as I roast him up." he sheepishly smiles.
Nurse - "Phrasing." she responded with a light chuckle.
Kanoko - "Hiroki!" she exclaimed, obviously irritated by the lack of respect.
Hiroki's eyes widened as he felt a presence on his side, his head turning toward the direction of a certain someone... Urchin, who was lurking in the shadows is back in his high school uniform attire.
Urchin - "Itadori Hiroki, right?" he asked intently, almost interrogative.
Hiroki continued to stare at Urchin confusingly, the nurse behind the counter also reacting the same way.
Kanoko - "This guy," she asked uninterestedly, almost sounding annoyed.
Ayumu - 'What does he want with Hiroki-senpai?' her eyes narrowed in suspicion, wondering why Urchin followed Hiroki to the hospital.
But then it clicked, she remembered the scene when Hiroki ran past him and he mentioned something about a dangerous presence being within Hiroki's.
Despite not knowing what it is, she feels that it is not a good thing.
Megumi - "I'm Fushiguro Megumi from Jujutsu Tech." he finally introduced himself, his cold eyes piercing the seemingly clueless Hiroki, "I'd like to have a word with you. Now."
Kanoko - 'Fushiguro, eh?' she tilts her head slightly, 'Hm... still gonna call him Urchin.'
Both Fushiguro and Hiroki are now in the dark lobby of the hospital.
Hiroki - "Um, I'm in mourning right now." he explained, almost sounding as if he was trying not to make it any more awkward.
Megumi - "Sorry, but there is no time." he responded, sounding interrogative.
Kanoko - "This guy..." her eyebrows flared, 'Can't you see a guy is in the middle of mourning?'
Ayumu - 'Have a bit of empathy, would you?' she frowns while looking at the Urchin-head boy.
Megumi - "The cursed object you possess is very dangerous. Hand it over to me right now." he asked rather hastily.
Hiroki - "Cursed Object?" he repeated in confusion.
Megumi brings out the phone and shows him a picture of the same cylinder-like object wrapped in talisman papers on an open box.
Megumi - "This." he spoke briefly, as Hiroki took a closer look at the image.
Hiroki - "Oh, yeah, yeah. I found that." he looks back at Megumi's alarming face, casually leaning back against one of the lobby's chairs, "I don't mind either way, but my senpai took a liking to it." he tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean by "Dangerous"?"
Megumi - "The number of unexplained deaths and missing persons within Japan exceeds 10,000 a year on average." he scrolls through his phone, going through news of missing reports, "Most of those are the results of curses."
Hiroki - "Curses?" he leans back even more against the chair, keeping a curious expression on his face.
Ayumu - "Curses?" she repeated in unison.
Kanoko - "Like that freaky-looking thing we saw back at the rugby field?" she raised her eyebrow, clueless.
Though, it seems like they are finally getting some answers. So they lean forward from their seat, listening carefully.
Megumi - "I don't care if you believe them or not. They're real." he replied coldly, "I'll go on."
"A large pool of negative energy forms especially easily in schools, hospitals, and so on."
"Hardship, regret, shame..."
"The negative emotions of mankind become the source of the curses."
"That's why most schools secretly keep a cursed object such as a protective talisman. The object you found is one of them."
Nao - "Cursed object... such as a protective talisman." she repeated.
Kanoko - "Ah, so a cursed object is literally in the name. An object that has been cursed either in a good or bad way." she shrugs in her seat.
Ayumu - "Wait, but if curses are real, how come no one ever saw them?" she asked, still in need of an answer.
Kanoko - "That, I-... Don't have a clue about that." she shut her mouth in realization, now wondering the same thing too.
Hiroki raised an arm.
Hiroki - "If it's protecting us, shouldn't we be grateful for it?" he protested.
Megumi - "Let me finish." he fumed, annoyed.
"Placing a cursed object of greater evil is a deadly poison that keeps other curses away."
"It's a bad practice that only claims to protect."
"Over the year, its seals weaken, and then it becomes bait to lure in and fatten up other curses."
Megumi - "The cursed object you found is a dangerous one, classified as special-grade. Hand it over before people start dying." he held his hand up.
Kaede - "Oh dear..." she stated worryingly.
Kanoko - "That's not good." she commented, her eyes widening slightly at the mention of the death of others.
Hiroki - "Hey, I already said I don't mind that." he quickly took out the box from his hoodie pocket and tossed it to Fushiguro, "So go tell it to my senpai."
Megumi opens the box only to find... nothing?
Megumi - 'It's empty? I was just following the taint clinging to the box?!' he stops Hiroki from walking away, looking at him with a serious expression, "Where are the contents?!"
Hiroki pushed his hand away.
Hiroki - "I told you, my senpai... have it..." he trails off from his words, recalling something.
Megumi - "What?" he hastily asked with a sweatdrop.
Hiroki - "Actually, they were talking about removing the talisman from it tonight at the school." he explained thoroughly.
Shocked, Megumi took two steps back with a horrifying discovery that confuses Hiroki.
Hiroki - "What? Is it bad?" he faces back toward Megumi, scratching the back of his head in confusion.
Megumi - "It's worse than bad." his frowning expression deepens, "They're going to die."
Ayumu - "D-Die?!" she repeated, horrified.
Kanoko - "How dangerous is that cursed object or whatever?!" she questioned waringly, her hands on the arms of her seat.
Nao - "H-He said the one Hiroki got is a deadly poison?" she theorized, assuming that the poison can kill people it touches or... maybe something way worse.
Kaede - "Hiroki..." she muttered out of her motherly instinct, hoping nothing bad would happen to her dear son as he was getting dragged into Fushiguro's mess.
Back at school, one of the school rooms is lit from the outside.
It is the Occult Club room.
Inside, we can see Sasagi and Iguchi sitting down at their table with a candle lit next to them.
Sasagi has the so-called cursed object Megumi mentioned back then, looking like she is struggling to take the talisman paper off.
Sasagi - "I can't take it off..." she said, attempting to peel off its skin.
Iguchi - "Did we need to sneak in to do this?" he stands up, "I'm turning on the lights.."
Sasagi - "No! The atmosphere is important!" she protested, causing Iguchi to stand still, "Enjoying the thrill is in the spirit of the Occult Club, isn't it? It's not like anything's gonna happen, anyway."
Kanoko - "Hey! That's the cursed object!" she points at the object in Sasagi's hold.
Ayumu - "W-What's gonna happen to them?" she asked in slight fear, her hand on her cheeks as if it was ready to close her face in case anything horrifying appeared on the screen.
Sasagi managed to peel off the end of the talisman paper, earning a surprised look from Sasagi herself.
Sasagi - "Oh, it came off!" she said, causing Iguchi to sit back down and spectate.
She continued rolling the talisman paper off the cursed object slowly but surely, her eyes glistening in anticipation of what object could it be.
Once the talisman paper was off, they were met with a chilling discovery.
A severed finger.
Not just a regular one at that, one belonging to a special kind of anomaly. Almost as if it is a witch finger from a fairy tale.
Kanoko - "W-What is that?" she gagged in disgust, grossed out by just looking at it.
Nao - "W-who's finger is that?" she muttered, her eyes widening in disgust and disturbed.
Ayumu - "Ew ew ew!" she narrowed her eyes in revulsion, not able to bear looking at it but chose to anyway.
Kaede - "My word..." she gasped, frightened.
Iguchi - "A human finger?" he muttered in both surprise and shock.
Sasagi - "Is it real?" she queried.
The candlelit next to them suddenly extinguished itself, causing an audible gasp from the two.
Sasagi - "Is this..." she started, but was abruptly interrupted by the room shaking, scaring the two.
She grabs the cursed object along with the talisman paper too, staring down at the table alongside Iguchi in a now fearful face and tone.
Sasagi - "What is this?" she asked frightfully,
However, they were too focused on the cursed object that they did not notice something emerging out from the ceiling above them.
A purple sludge of curses, arms crawling out as they made disgusting noises.
Ayumu - "AH!" she instinctively covered her face, her legs curled up on her seat.
Kanoko - "Shit! Run!" she warned instinctively, knowing damn well it will not do anything but chose to say it anyway.
Nao - 'I-Is it the cursed object's doing...?' she asked herself internally.
The next scene shows back to Hiroki and Megumi running on the side of the street alongside each other in a hasty manner.
Hiroki - "Do talismans come off that easily?" he questioned, still running.
Megumi - "No, it's impossible for people who lack cursed energy." he paused for a moment, "Normally."
Hiroki - "Go right! It's a shortcut!" he directed, motioning Fushiguro to go the same way as him.
Megumi - "This time the object itself is too strong. The seal is ancient. It might as well be plain paper." he explains.
Hiroki - "I still don't get all this stuff about curses." he responded with a defeated sigh.
Megumi - "Where are they?" he asked back.
Hiroki - "Fourth floor!" he answered right after.
Finally reaching the school, something made Hiroki alongside Megumi stop in their track right in front of the school's gate. They looked above and saw a noticeable ominous purple presence radiating off of the school's fourth floor.
Hiroki - "What is this pressure?" he asked, confused and taken back but was snapped out of his daze when Megumi walked past him and gave a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Megumi - "You stay here." he commands briefly, climbing the school's gate but stops himself when Hiroki tries to follow him.
Hiroki - "I'll come, too! It's dangerous right?" he exclaimed, "I've only known them for a few months, but they're my friends. I can't just stand by!"
Ayumu - "W-Wait, I think listening to him is a good idea!" she said impulsively.
Kaede - 'Hiroki... Always worrying about the others...' she frowns, praying silently for Hiroki to not come along. She may not know what that thing is back with Sasagi and Iguchi, but it has to be dangerous to go there.
However, she also understands why his both friends matter to him. As he mentioned, he had only met them a few months prior but the three already looked like a happy family. A happier one at that than his actual real family who were willing to abandon their loved ones for some temporary pleasure.
And yet, he is still willing to put his own life at risk to save the two people who are not even relatives of him, causing Kaede to feel conflicted.
Megumi looks back with his cold gaze over his shoulder.
Megumi - "Stay here." he repeated, running toward the school building.
Back at the Occult Club, the metal doors are heavily damaged and are even disconnected from their locket.
"What time is it...?" a curse spoke, its voice echoing through the hallway.
Sasagi is somewhere around the pillar of the building, hiding while closing her mouth to not let out any unintentional noise with a tense and frightful look.
The girls are now sitting at the edge of their seats, feeling the tension in the air as they look at the screen intently.
Ayumu - 'It's like a horror movie...' she thought, feeling the cold sweat trailing down her cheek.
Sasagi - 'What kind of monster was that?' she asked internally, watching the monster moving past her hiding spot.
Iguchi - "S-Sasagi..." he called weakly, emerging from the shadows.
Sasagi - "Iguchi? Thank goodness!" she exhaled in relief, "Where were... you-..."
Kanoko - "At least they're still alive and... well-..." her eyes widen upon realizing what the screen is projecting.
Iguchi - "Help... Me..." he said weakly, fully emerging from the shadows as he is seen standing with... a curse slowly munching on his head while playing with its mouth, shocking Sasagi beyond belief.
The roaming curse that had just walked past her came back and finally caught her, its arm extending to reach her face from the corner.
A shriek from Ayumu, who shrunk back to her seat.
Kanoko - "Holy shit!" her eyes widen in horror, jumping slightly in her seat.
Ayumu - "T-T-That's...!" her mouth hanging wide in fear.
Nao - 'It's those things from before...' her eyes still widen in shock, 'I-It's true what Fushiguro said...'
"It's worse than that, they'll die." is what she recalled.
Back with Megumi, he is seen running up the stairs at a rapid speed.
Megumi - 'The curse has been unleashed!' he kept on running up the stairs, 'Its presence is still all over the place!'
Moving past the corridor, he was ambushed by a curse appearing down the hallway; saying "Slurp" which halted the sorcerer in his place.
Megumi - "Out the way!" he suddenly makes gestures with his hands, imitating that of a wolf or some kind, "-Demon Dogs-!"
In a matter of seconds, his surroundings are enveloped in shadows as what emerges from it are two dogs. The white one is seen howling, while the black one stares at the curse intently.
Megumi - "You may eat it!" he permitted, his serious expression returning.
Ayumu - "W-Whoa!" she muttered in awe, seeing Megumi's supernatural ability in action.
Kanoko - "Wh-... He can summon stuff?!" she gasped, eyes widening at the appearance of his -Demon Dogs-.
Nao - "H-How did he do that?!" she leans back against her seat, eyes filled with confusion and fear.
, despite the initial fear, she eased up a bit once she saw Megumi looking like he knew what he was doing. Maybe it is a normal thing for him? Are all these curses and cursed objects an everyday thing for him?
Because it seems like it.
Kaede - "Demon Dogs..." she repeated, mouth forming an 'o' shape.
Back outside, Hiroki is still standing in front of the gate in deep thought.
Hiroki - 'Am I going to wait here like he told me to?' he paused, 'What am I so afraid of?'
A brief flashback of Megumi back at the hospital, saying: "They're going to die."
Hiroki - 'That's right.' he stares at his school's building that is radiating evil aura through its' windows, 'I can sense death over here...'
Ayumu - "W-We're back to Hiroki again?" she questioned confusingly. She wants to see what Megumi called Demon Dogs in action, though, she could not help but listen to what Hiroki has to say.
Hiroki - 'I'm afraid of dying. Was I afraid of them?' he asked himself internally, 'I didn't feel like I was, though. I didn't cry because I was scared. I was just a little sad.'
He looks back at the school gate, rethinking his decisions.
Hiroki - 'But my grandpa's death and the death I'm facing now...' his hand trembles, 'How are they any different?'
An image of Wasuke's passing peacefully appears.
"You're a strong kid, so help others."
Hiroki's mouth quivered.
The girls could not help but feel a tinge of worry within' their confusion. They felt as if Hiroki was planning something. They do not know what his intentions are, but they for sure know he is contemplating something.
A reconsideration perhaps?
Besides, his friends are still in there. Those two are the closest he could consider as a family after his grandfather's passing, and he is just gonna let him die like that? He knows Megumi is taking care of the situation, but... what if it goes wrong?
What if... They die because he is not there.
Just like the situation with the four all over again.
Back with Fushiguro, packs of curses are seen launching themselves toward Megumi, which they got destroyed into ashes by Megumi's two "Demon Dogs".
Kanoko - "Damn!" she exclaimed, eyes widening in amazement again.
Ayumu - "So cool..." she muttered quietly, having sparkles in her eyes.
Megumi - "The curses are growing in number!" he noted, running around a corner, "They're close!"
Once he makes a quick corner turn, he stops himself upon seeing something in the distance. His -Demon Dogs- growled at the sight of a blob of curse with multiple eyes and arms holding both Sasagi and Iguchi captive.
Kanoko - "Erg..." she gagged with a scrunching; disturbed look, watching the curse holding Sasagi in a quite... inappropriate way.
Kaede - "T-That boy...!" she gasped in horror, horrified at the sight of Iguchi being slowly eaten by the curse.
Ayumu - "That thing looks terrifying..." she commented, not even wanting to imagine what it is like being held by one of those... things.
Nao does not say anything apart staying silent while gripping the arms of her seat, watching the screen with a slightly open mouth.
The scene cuts back to Hiroki as he is gripping the bars of the school's gate.
Hiroki - "He was short-tempered and stubborn." he commented, his fists tightening, "No one but me ever paid him a visit."
Kaede and Kanoko felt a pang in their heart. Does that mean... they were not there when Wasuke was on his last line?
Where were they?
Or maybe... they were too busy focusing on trying to find Hiroki and ended up forgetting about their dying relatives... Yeah, that must be it.
So there it is, another reason to blame themselves for what they did to Hiroki added to the list.
Hiroki - '"Don't end up like me." Huh?' he looks up, his face serious, "That's true."
Kaede - 'What are you trying to do, Hiroki?' her eyebrows furrowed in worry.
Kanoko - 'You better not pull any crazy crap...' her breathing became heavy, looking at Hiroki on the screen intently.
Back with Megumi, he is seen struggling to try and make a decision. Would he risk it all and let the finger get swallowed by the curse to save the two students?
Megumi - "Damn it! Is it trying to swallow her along with the cursed object?!" he said in horror, watching helplessly as the curse consumes the rest of the two students, "I'm not gonna make it!"
But then, they curse's eyes widened as he look outside the window on its' side and saw... Hiroki. His legs face against the glass as he kicks his way in, glass shattering around.
Hiroki's unexpected appearance delivers great shock and confusion to the girls.
Kanoko - "W-WHAT?!" she sputtered, now standing up from her seat.
Ayumu - "H-HIROKI-SENPAI?!" she said, her eyes widened in complete baffled expression, "W-When did he get there?!"
Nao - "N-No wait! Did he just climb up there or did he just leap to the fourth floor from the ground?!" she asked, which sounded unbelievable at first.
Kaede - "S-Son!" her eyes widened, seeing Hiroki getting close to the curse.
He grabs the top railing of the broken window to change his line of sight mid-air, now facing toward the curse from above.
Megumi - "Hiroki!" his eyes widened also, taken back by his unexpected and sudden appearance.
Hiroki - 'I think you had a proper death, Grandpa.' he thought, 'But...!'
He gives a strong punch to the head of the curse, knocking it to a dazed state in place.
Hiroki - 'This death...' he quickly grabs Sasagi and Iguchi out of the curse's grip before leaping away with two of his friends in his arms, '-is wrong!'
Ayumu - 'He got it!' her mouth forms into a relieved smile, watching her 'friend' in admiration.
Kanoko - "W-Wow..." she muttered in awe while returning to her seat, finding a new utmost respect for her little brother.
Hiroki sets them down on the cold floor of the hallway, checking their condition. Iguchi coughs up blood while Sasagi looks traumatized.
Hiroki - "So this is a curse?" he looks back at the blob of horror, "It's not what I was expecting."
Before the curse could reach Hiroki along with his two friends, it was sliced in half as it exploded into chunks.
Megumi walks around a corner of the hallway while stretching his arm, his -Demon Dogs- munching on the remaining curses behind.
Kanoko - "Urchin also comes into the rescue!" she sighed in relief, glad to see the situation had been taken care of.
Nao - "That was incredible..." she mumbled, viewing Megumi's power on display.
Ayumu - "I-Is no one gonna talk about Hiroki jumping four stories up from the ground?" she suggested, looking at the three girls present.
Kaede - "I..." she trails off her words, speechless. Utterly flabbergasted.
Kanoko - 'What's the source of his superhuman strength?' she asked, now in confusion.
Megumi - "I want to ask what you're doing here, but good job." he stops in his tracks, "Why so haughty?"
Hiroki - "By the way, what's that munching on the curse?" he asked, looking at his -Demon Dogs- behind Megumi.
Megumi - "My Shikigami." he looks over his shoulder before back at Hiroki, "You can see them then? Normally, a curse can't be seen. Not unless you're on the verge of death or in special places like this."
Hiroki - "Oh, that makes sense." he nods understandingly, "I've never seen a ghost or anything like that at night."
Ayumu - "Oooooh... so that's why we haven't seen let alone heard about them before." she said, satisfied about the reveal of the answer.
Megumi was taken aback by his lack of fear.
Megumi - "You're not scared, are you?" he asked, slightly surprised.
Nao - '... Oh, right... He doesn't look scared...' she thought in realization, head tilting down as her mouth formed a light 'm' shape.
She knows Hiroki is already a brave person as she knows it, considering how he always gets out of the way to protect her. But she did not think he would be that brave to face something that could potentially lead to his life being taken away.
Hiroki - "I was scared a bit. But did you know?" he looks away, "People really can die."
Megumi - "Huh?" he furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
Hiroki - "So I at least want the people I know to have proper deaths." he explained, now standing up.
Both Hiroki's mother and big sister smiled at this.
Kanoko - 'Carrying on grandpa's legacy, huh?' she closed her eyes with a conceding smile, 'Heh, I'm really the weak one here. Isn't that right, Little brother?'
Hiroki - "Not that I really get it myself." he quickly grabs the finger before it falls out of Sasagi's skirt pocket, "Whoa!"
The pink-haired boy takes a closer look at the cursed object.
Hiroki - "This it?" he asked, still holding Sasagi in his arms.
Megumi - "Yeah." he replied in confirmation, "That's the special-grade cursed object, Ryomen Sukuna's finger. It's a miracle it didn't get swallowed."
Nao - "Ryomen Sukuna..." she repeated, wondering who this particular person was as he sounded like a big deal.
Hiroki - "Why would anything eat it?" he looks back at the cursed object in his hand, "Does it taste good?"
Silence...
Kanoko - "Why would you think of that?" she looks at her little brother, quite concerned by his outrageous statement.
Why would anyone think of wanting to eat that gross thing in the first place? And even if they did so, it would be the last thing they would think of when holding something so... nasty-looking.
Megumi - "Don't be stupid." he responded coldly, "You'd do it to gain stronger cursed energy. It's dangerous, so hand it over already."
Hiroki - "Sure sure." as he was about to hand the finger over, a literal giant hand emerged from the ceiling above them, earning a shocked gasp from Megumi.
Kaede, Kanoko, Ayumu, Nao - "Look out!" they all shouted in unison.
Megumi's two Shikigamis notice it and run back to their owner, as Megumi quickly pushes Hiroki out of the way.
Megumi - "Run!" he yelled, the curse making its way in and filling their surroundings with smoke.
Kanoko - 'Shit! The situation got real bad real quick again!' she sat on the edge of her seat once more.
Once the smoke clears out, the curse from the rugby field holds Megumi within its' grasp.
Hiroki - "Fushiguro!" he shouted in concern.
Megumi - "Nue!" he makes hand signals again, imitating that of a bird.
However, his summonings were canceled by the curse throwing him into the wall, causing the boy to spit out blood. While this is happening, Megumi's -Demon Dog- melts by itself, marking its leave.
Hiroki - "Huh?" he stares at the melting -Demon Dogs- in confusion.
From the outside, three flashing lights appear from the window as Megumi busts through the walls by the giant rugby field's curse, blood dripping down his forehead.
He lands on the ground and tries to stand up, finding out it is increasingly hard to do so while the curse quickly advances toward the sorcerer.
Megumi - "Damn it, I can't think straight." he spoke weakly, trying to summon another one of his companions with his hand signals.
As the curse was about to grip the young sorcerer again, Hiroki came from above and delivered a quick powerful chop to the curse's head.
Kaede - 'Hiroki!' her eyes widened at his unexpected appearance again, 'Get out of there now!'
Ayumu - "Oh no, oh no. Oh god, oh god." she covers half of her face, panicking at the thought of having to watch her former best friend get potentially injured or even worse... dead.
Megumi - "Hiroki!" he struggles weakly, "Why can't you understand to take those two and run?!"
Hiroki is seen avoiding the curse's strike left right in the center, dodging mid-air, and attempting to crawl up the curse's giant body.
Hiroki - "You're in big trouble yourself!" he retorted, being dragged across the ground by the curse, creating a line on the school's roof ground in the process as he is thrown into the air while screaming in pain.
Megumi - "Only a curse can exorcise other curses!" he yelled, "You can't beat it!"
Ayumu - 'Move out of the way! Out of the way!' she screams internally, making motions with her hands by herself.
Nao - "H-Hiroki's really struggling to keep up with that thing..." she said quietly, eyes widening in worry.
Kanoko - "Get the hell away from that thing! Didn't you hear what Fushiguro just said?!" she fumed, teeth-gritting in the maximum amount of worry.
Hiroki - "Is it the time to be saying that?!" he yells back, dodging attacks some more by doing a quick maneuver in the air and around the curse before finally landing a kick in the eye, "You're going to die at this rate!"
However, after taking a step back, he saw that the curse's eyes regenerated from its damage rather quickly.
Kanoko - "Oh great, it can regenerate too." she noted in frustration.
Kaede - "Please be okay, Hiroki..." She clasped her hands in worry and concern.
Hiroki - "If I went home now, I'd be having nightmares!" he lands on a railing, the finger still under his possession, "Besides, I have my own..."
A voice of Wasuke can be heard again, reading: "Help others."
Hiroki - "... Troublesome curse already!" he leaps away from an incoming attack.
Kanoko - "Summon whatever shit you had at your disposal and help Hiroki! Damn it!" she yells in irritation, wondering how long it takes for Megumi to fully recover from the blow.
Nao - 'If he keeps dodging like that, the curse will eventually hit him...' she thought. No words could describe how much she worries for Hiroki's well-being, which in itself is already a surprising thing.
As he was about to jump out of the way, he was punched straight in the stomach by the curse. He coughs up blood before being flung into the air, the cursed object now no longer within his grasp.
Hiroki - "Arg!" he grunted in pain.
Kaede - "HIROKI!" she nearly cries at the sight of blood from her son.
Nao - 'I-I was right..!' her face contorted to that of a terrified one.
Ayumu - "No no no!" she jumps in her seat repeatedly, panicking, ''
Noticing the finger in the air, he regained his composure and tried to reach for the cursed object... Until he was abruptly caught by the curse and was about to swallow him, but he forced his way up by jumping on its head and catching the finger with his teeth.
Megumi - "Idiot! Hand it over to me or you'll get eaten too!" he shouted, finally recovered.
Kanoko - "It's the finger! That curse is only chasing Hiroki because he has the finger!" she exclaimed, pointing at the screen.
Ayumu - 'Just let go of the finger! It's not worth it anymore!' she jumps slightly on her seat.
Nao - "Toss it back to Fushiguro!" she leans forward, almost shouting.
The curse, now with two hands and opening its mouth wide, forcibly holds Hiroki down as if it is trying to eat him. Meanwhile, Hiroki, holding himself with two legs against its exposed teeth, is struggling within the curse's grasp.
Holding in as much as he can to not die.
While at this, Hiroki looks at the finger and remembers his own words: "Why would anyone eat it? Does it taste good?"
"Don't be stupid. You'd do it to gain stronger cursed energy."
Ayumu - "What is he trying to...?" she questioned in skepticism
They were confused at first... but then their eyes widened. Realization struck them as to what Hiroki was about to do.
Nao - "No..." she muttered in disbelief, refusing the thought of what she thought he was planning.
Hiroki - 'It's alright, right?! No one's waiting for me back home! Besides...' with a flick, he sends the finger flying above his head, aiming at his mouth, "There is a way to save everyone! I just need some cursed energy, right, Fushiguro?!"
Megumi - "Don't." he is almost in disbelief but reality strikes him, "DON'T DO IT!"
Ayumu - "Wait..." her eyes widened even more, and her breathing stopped.
Kanoko - "CRUD!" she swore, her mind in distress as she anticipated what was about to happen.
Nao - "Don't... Don't tell me he's going to..." she gasped.
Kaede - "Don't do it, Hiroki!" she yells on the verge of tears.
They still remember clearly what Fushiguro said: "It's a deadly poison." He'll die if he eats it!
Opening his mouth wide open, he lets the finger fall into his mouth before swallowing it whole in one go.
GULP!
Ayumu - "NO!" she immediately looks away out of fear of what is about to happen, only hearing the sound of the finger gulping down his throat.
Kaede - "H-Hiroki... N-No..." her mouth quivered into a nervous one, a drop of tear now falling down her face.
Nao - "H-He just... swallows it...!" she remarked with a look of shock and horror.
Kanoko does not say anything in particular, but instead, she just waits... and waits... anticipating the dread that is about to come.
Megumi - 'Ryomen Sukuna's finger! That's a special-grade cursed object!' his mouth twitched, 'It's a deadly poison! He'll die for sure!'
Hiroki's body went limp, his legs swaying left and right in the air as the curse took advantage of his weak state to try and eat him again.
Megumi - 'But there's a one in a million... a one in a million chance...' he remarked, voice trembling in fear.
Ayumu - "One... in a million...?" her face turns into a confused one, but still has a faint hint of concern and worry in it.
Almost all of a sudden, the curse's hands, which were previously holding Hiroki in place explode into smithereens.
Hiroki, out of his daze, leaps away from the curse and lands a few steps back in an abnormal way.
The curse quickly advances toward the two teenagers using its remaining limbs.
With markings appearing on Hiroki's wrist, he flicks his hand up in the air faster than the naked eyes can see, instantly demolishing the curse into bits as it eventually disintegrates into mere ashes.
Their skin went pale as they saw what Hiroki did to the curse.
Nao - "W-What...?" she muttered, her concern and worry overwritten into a confused and slightly fearful one.
Kanoko - "How the...?" her mouth hangs open in utter bewilderment.
Kaede - "He's... He's okay?" she looks at the screen with hope, but all that hope instantly fades once she sees something that is not normal, 'Markings...?'
Megumi's eyes widened more and more each second, realizing the nightmare that unfolds right before his very eyes.
Steams coming out of Hiroki's arm, the screen moves closer and shows his face. The clouds finally drifted away as his face was shined by the bright moonlight, showing a clear picture of the markings spread across his face.
Kanoko - "H-He's okay, but..." he blinked, swallowing her spit, "He has... tattoos now?"
Ayumu, who was next to Kanoko was perplexed beyond anything to the point where she could not say a word, marking her as speechless.
He opens his eyes, and two pairs of eyes appear right under his main ones. His light snicker slowly turns into a full wicked; diabolical laugh.
Nao - "W-What is happening to him?!" she asked out of instinct, uneased by Hiroki's unexpectedly evil laugh.
Ayumu - 'Hiroki-senpai... becomes scary...' she thought in a fearful expression.
Hiroki - "Ah, I knew it! The light feels the best in the flesh!" he rips off his hoodie, showing the rest of his markings underneath his clothing.
Meanwhile, Megumi kept looking at him from behind with shaky breaths.
Megumi - 'This is the worst...' he thought in dread and panic, 'A one-in-a-million-chance, worst outcome!'
'The special-grade cursed object has incarnated!'
Kanoko - 'Did that finger just possess him?!' she asked herself in wonder, mouth slightly shaking.
Nao - "One in a million chance...? Incarnated?" she repeated, absolutely confused and terrified.
Hiroki - "The cursed spirit's flesh is so boring." he commented, his voice amplifying in a cursed way as he looked around, "Where are the people? The women?!"
He stands on a railing and holds his arms up, looking at the bright distinct lights of houses, buildings, and streets in the distance.
Hiroki - "What a wonderful era to be in. Women and children are crawling everywhere like maggots." he continues on his rambling, "Marvelous! It'll be a massacre!"
Kanoko - "H-He sounds like he's crazy..." she pointed it out, now trembling in her seat.
Kaede - 'Hiroki... What happened to you...?' she asked, worried and confused about her son's sudden change in behavior.
As he continues on his crazed laugh, he stops himself by grabbing his cheek and steps back from the railing.
Hiroki - "What do you think you're doing with my body?" he asked to seemingly... himself, "Give it back."
Hiroki - "How are you able to move?" he responded back... to himself.
Hiroki - "I mean, it's my body." he stated, back to himself again.
Kanoko - "Now he's... talking to himself?"
Nao - "I- Wait no, I think it wasn't Hiroki who said all of that?!" she theorized.
Ayumu - "What do you mean by that, Nao?" she looks at her from the side, confused by her friend's statement.
Nao - "It's like... There's another person taking control of his body...?" she shrugs her shoulders, still as clueless as the other three.
Hiroki - 'He's suppressing me?' he thought, but it was all interrupted by a shout from his right.
Megumi - "Don't move!" he ordered threateningly, earning a confused look from Hiroki as he looked at him, "You're no longer human!"
He holds his hands up, clenching it into a fist. Darkness began to envelop the dark-haired teen again, as he prepared to summon something big.
Ayumu - "N-No longer human? What does he mean by that?!" she questioned, profoundly puzzled.
Kaede - "Hiroki..." she muttered, eyes filled with motherly worries.
Megumi - "Under Jujutsu regulations, Itadori Hiroki..."
"I will exorcise you as a curse!"
________________________________________
(There you go my dear readers.)
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