.
Kinji is right. 'Orimoto Rika' indeed isn't very far from the current area where they'd emerged from the haunted mansion.
Which means that it only takes a scant few moments of navigating through scattered rubble and other obstructions in the nearby wreckage before the cursed spirit's familiar humanoid silhouette comes into view.
Hovering in the air threateningly the way darkened clouds press down on the skyline to warn of a looming thunderstorm, there's no denying that an angry Special Grade cursed spirit certainly cuts an imposing figure. Even though Shiki and the other Tokyo students are no longer the target of its ire, the sheer loathing that radiates off of it is not something that any of them miss. Inumaki-san stumbles harshly the moment that he comes within range, and is only prevented from tripping over his own two feet when Panda hastily throws out a furry limb to keep him upright.
Zenin-san isn't affected as strongly as Inumaki-san, likely due to being less sensitive to the intent that's carried through cursed energy, but it's clear that the girl also picks up on something amiss, if the way that she tenses is any sign of things.
Then again, Shiki realizes that anyone might reasonably be concerned by seeing a Special Grade cursed spirit hover angrily above them, even if they're not the direct recipient of its… attention.
… Which also logically raises the question of what the cursed spirit has selected as its target, now. It had only seemed all too happy to zero in on Shiki and her own classmates earlier in the mansion, before Shiki told it to destroy everything. So what would make its attention shift elsewhere so raptly, in a manner that was almost as if–
YUTA IS MINE!
–well. That would certainly do it, Shiki supposed.
She touches down lightly on the ground, carefully avoiding the jagged outline of what seems to be a particularly sharp-looking piece of debris. There is a loud crash beside her, accompanied by a sharp yelp when Kinji, evidently not as careful, ends up slipping on some loose piece of rubble instead.
"Focus," Shiki lightly nudges her clumsy classmate with her foot.
"I am!"
… That is debatable, she thinks.
Kinji mutters something incomprehensible under his breath as he clambers up to his feet. Then, in a more audible tone of voice, "Any idea what's going on here?"
Panda inhales sharply. "That's the cursed spirit!"
"Yeah, I mean, we can all see that, obviously," Kinji waves his hand towards the Special Grade curse directly before them. "I'm talking about–"
"No, I don't mean Yuta's cursed spirit," Panda shakes his head, and also points towards the curse's general direction. Or rather, past it. "I mean the one that's standing behind it!"
Kinji cranes his neck, squinting. Beside him, Kirara also copies his motion.
"That's the ghost you mentioned earlier?"
"It's not a ghost," Shiki cuts in. It appears human, certainly. Not just humanoid as in the case of 'Orimoto Rika,' but actually human. Going by appearances alone, she can see why Panda would've mistaken this for a ghost. If it looks like a human and only lacks a corporeal form, then what else could it be?
But in this case, appearances can be quite deceiving.
Besides, no matter how much it might resemble a ghost, the amount of cursed energy that emanates from this creature is not something nearly so harmless. Or at least, not entirely. Shiki can also see its gleaming lines, and those are not the lines of a simple ghost. Perhaps at one point it was, which would make this something closer to a vengeful spirit instead.
"Yeah, I mean, we know that now," Panda pulls a face. "After it already took Yuta, that is. Speaking of which, where is Yuta…? Oh. Oh no."
'Oh no' indeed.
The not-ghost cursed spirit wears the image of a young adolescent girl. One who wears a puffy western-style dress that Tsumiki might recognize, but Shiki does not have the name for. Nonetheless, the overall image is not unlike that of an innocent doll–
Which is something that cannot be further from the truth, for this doll carries in its hands a large picture frame.
And within the frame, there is a painted portrait of a very familiar individual: Okkotsu Yuta.
Shiki quietly studies the cursed spirit and the cursed portrait that it carries. An unusual technique, to be certain, if this was really what it–
GIVE YUTA BACK! HE'S MINE MINE MINE!
In front of them, Orimoto Rika growls, leaning down and hissing directly in front of the other cursed spirit's face. However, it doesn't attack. No small wonder, but perhaps understandable considering that it seems as if Okkotsu-san has somehow been trapped inside the other cursed spirit's portrait.
"He's not yours," the other curse responds. Its voice is high and childish, tainted with agitation. "He's not yours! I took him, so he's mine!"
Orimoto Rika shrieks, an unholy cacophony that speaks of sharp disagreement. The sheer volume of it is enough to rattle all the debris in their surroundings in a mini-earthquake of sorts, and yet the small ghost-like cursed spirit before it remains unmoved.
Panda rubs his eyes at the scene. "… Is it just me, or is anyone else getting weirdly reminded of two kids fighting over a toy…?"
Shiki tilts her head. It's a little rude to refer to someone as a toy, but in this instance she thinks she can see why Panda might draw that sort of comparison. Both of the cursed spirits are quite… juvenile, in their mannerisms. So the way that they fight over Okkotsu-san vaguely resembles a tantrum between children bickering over a favored toy, if vastly more destructive in terms of its side-effects.
"Nah, it's definitely not just you," Zenin-san cuts in, eyes narrowed. The tall girl lets out a faint 'tsk.' "How the hell did he let himself get caught like that, isn't he supposed to be a Special Grade?"
"Okaka," Inumaki-san interjects, vaguely reproachful.
Zenin-san doesn't show any signs of contrition at the maybe-reprimand from her classmate. However, she obligingly doesn't continue her previous words, instead folding her arms across her chest and only letting out a light 'hmph.' Briefly, her eyes drift towards Shiki.
"… So? We have a plan for saving him, or are we just," the girl hefts the large dagger in her hands in a self-explanatory gesture. "Y'know, doing this the straightforward way?"
Her words aren't… challenging, exactly. Nor are her actions that of a disgruntled, contrary sorcerer who clearly doesn't intend to follow Shiki's judgment as the highest-ranked individual on the scene. Nonetheless, for some reason Shiki gets the impression that Zenin Maki's attitude towards her is something almost recalcitrant.
Hmm. Is it because of the longstanding enmity between their respective clans, perhaps? Historically speaking, the Zenins have never exactly been fond of the Gojos. And certain events in recent years would not have endeared them to Shiki's clan any.
But that wasn't an issue that needed to be addressed in this moment. As long as Zenin Maki didn't step out of line, then the nuances in her attitude were of little concern to Shiki.
"Wait, what do you mean by the 'straightforward way?'" Panda puts a paw on Zenin-san's shoulder, as if to physically hold her back. "Are you talking about beating up the cursed spirits, or breaking the portrait that Yuta is stuck in?"
"Either one or both, I'm not picky," Zenin-san shrugs.
"I don't think it's a matter of being picky," Panda shakes his head. "Like, are we sure that's actually going to help us get Yuta back? What if breaking the portrait just ends up permanently locking him away or something?"
"Mentaiko, shake."
"Then what? Are you suggesting that we just stand around here and do nothing?" A hint of frustration seeps into the girl's voice. Zenin-san whirls around fiercely, eyes narrowed.
"Hey now, no one said that," Kinji clicks his tongue. "You have to admit that Panda has a point. Any thoughts on this, Shiki?"
… Shiki thinks that she's had long enough to study the not-ghost's lines now. "Its cursed technique is keeping Okkotsu-san trapped. The portrait that it's holding is more of a window that provides a one-way view into a room, instead of a door that acts as a proper entryway to it."
"Okay, so. Destroying the portrait probably won't do anything?" Kirara attempts to clarify. "That means we should be targeting the cursed spirit instead, while it's still distracted? Like what Zenin-san suggested earlier?"
"What the hell are we waiting for, then?!" The girl in question rolls up her sleeve and spins around–
–only to immediately swear under her breath and take a small step backwards, before bracing herself. Because there is suddenly what seems to be a deluge of broken rubble raining down on them, a whirlwind of sharp edges and jagged fragments of what had once comprised the mansion building.
It seems that the bickering cursed spirits have finally taken note of them.
That's fine, though. The advantage of surprise wasn't exactly something that Shiki had counted on to begin with, not when they were moving around as a large group of six. Panda appearing as a very conspicuous… well, panda, definitely didn't add any points to the 'subtlety' category, either. So compared to capitalizing upon the questionable stealth of their group, Shiki found it far more useful to take their brief window of opportunity to observe their target before taking action.
"Are you here to steal my friend, too?" The not-ghost stomps its feet. A childish movement, but one that causes another wave of rubble to rise into the air threateningly. "I'm not handing him over to any of you! Why do everyone always come in and ruin things? Just go away go away–"
The cursed spirit's words cut off with a slight hitch and a wet gurgle, as the tip of a blade suddenly protrudes from its half-open mouth.
With a flick of her wrist, Shiki proceeds to evenly cut off the upper half of the cursed spirit's head.
Directly along the pulsing glow of soft violet lines, so very faint beneath the multitude of crimson lines layered over it.
Faint, but still discernible. And so Shiki cuts, the way she's been trained to.
First the head, and then the matching violet line traveling down its wrist, to where it meets with the elaborate frame of the portrait cradled in the cursed spirit's arms. In order to ensure Okkotsu-san's safety, it's important to disassemble the cursed spirit's technique first, before–
"Go awAY!"
Shiki doesn't bat an eye when cursed energy explodes from the cursed spirit in a roiling maelstrom. None of it can harm her. The same unfortunately cannot be said for the others; Zenin-san is forcibly blown back, tumbling head over heels, and Inumaki-san is not any better off beside her. Kinji fares far better, but is distracted between keeping Kirara next to him and fending off Okkotsu-san's Special Grade cursed spirit, who has taken the absolute chaos in this moment as an opportunity to lunge for Okkotsu-san's portrait.
Which is an effort in futility.
The moment that Shiki's blade cuts through the portrait, it dissolves into fragments of dust.
YUTA!
"YUTA!"
"Shiki, you are so owing me for this!" Kinji shouts, fingers folding into a familiar hand seal as he activates his Domain Expansion… and swiftly proceeds to drag both cursed spirits inside the dark barrier with him, heedless of the dual howls of protests.
Her classmate's efforts in whisking away the agitated cursed spirits are appreciated. Although even if they were to remain here, Shiki doesn't think that–
"You're destroying the portrait? Why? Didn't you say that it wouldn't do anything?!"
… Shiki is pretty sure that's not what she said earlier. But, perhaps the fault still lies with her for not immediately clearing up the misunderstanding when Kirara had surmised from her words that destroying the portrait wouldn't be enough to free Okkotsu-san.
Which wasn't wrong, exactly. In itself, destroying the portrait would do nothing for freeing the captive first year.
Except Shiki isn't just destroying the portrait here.
Even if it seems like Shiki had just taken up her sword and used it to cut through the portrait, thereby destroying it, that's not actually the case. Because it's not the portrait itself but instead the active technique that Shiki has just terminated. In this case, it's the termination of the technique that causes the portrait to be reduced to a pile of dust in reflection of the destruction, rather than the destruction of the portrait causing the termination of the technique taking effect.
And, now that the technique no longer exists as an obstruction…
Shiki instantly plunges her hand into the ashen remains of the portrait. Contrary to its appearance as only a temari ball-sized pile of dust, she is able to fit her arm inside it. Still, the space inside seems relatively limited, and it doesn't take long before she finds what she is looking for.
Or rather, who.
Shiki closes her fingers around another hand, and yanks backwards harshly. And from the billowing cloud of churning dust, the silhouette of a familiar dark-haired boy emerges, coughing harshly.
"G-Gojo-san…?"
The boy sounds dazed and confused. But there is no time to be providing comfort; barely two seconds after Okkotsu-san's feet touch the ground, the barrier of Kinji's Domain Expansion shatters and breaks open.
YUTA!
"YUTA!"
In contrast to the previous cries, which had both been ones of anger upon Shiki's sword reaching the cursed portrait, the cries of Okkotsu-san's given name are now clearly more distinct: Orimoto Rika's is one of visceral delight, whereas the other cursed spirit's is clearly not.
"Are you feeling alright, Yuta?" Panda raises a paw as if to pat Okkotsu-san's shoulder… then appears to think better of it. There is a blur of movement, and Shiki also takes a few steps backwards as Orimoto Rika immediately latches onto the disoriented boy in a tight hug.
… Were that hug aimed towards anyone else but a potential Special Grade sorcerer like Okkotsu Yuta, then the force of that enthusiastic hug looks like would've been enough to break a few ribs.
As it is, though, the boy in question merely pats his cursed spirit placatingly a few times, murmuring something quietly into its ear that gets it to settle down. Within a short few moments, its body dissolves and fades, evidently at peace now that it has finally reunited with Okkotsu-san.
With that settled, the boy turns towards the other cursed spirit wringing its hands together.
"Yuta! I-I'm really–"
"Maria-chan," Okkotsu-san breaks in before the cursed spirit can finish its words. The boy's voice is quiet but firm, for once void of all nervousness and apprehension that Shiki is familiar with hearing from him. "That's enough."
For a moment, it appears as if the boy is about to continue saying something, but then he pauses and stares. Why? There doesn't seem to be anything unusual about the not-ghost cursed spirit that… ah.
Shiki thinks she understands. Earlier, she had sliced off the upper half of the cursed spirit's head. But She hadn't been aiming at its physical body, merely at the lines of its technique that happened to be hidden there. The end result of this is that the cursed spirits head currently still remains attached to the rest of its body by a thin string of blood.
Not anything noteworthy, although Shiki supposes that it makes for a gruesome sight.
"A-ah… ah… ahhh…!" The cursed spirit, too, finally seems to realize that there's something off with its appearance, now that Okkotsu-san is staring at it. It staggers backwards as if Okkotsu-san's gaze is a physical thing that wounds it. "N-no, I'm not… don't look, don't look at mE lIKe tHAT–"
"Like what?" Kinji grunts from behind it, fist raised to–
"Hakari-san, wait!" Okkotsu-san calls out, causing the other boy to stumble.
It's the wrong decision to make, and Kinji's hesitation costs him.
The childlike cursed spirit whirls around, throwing a hand forward, from which a large hound-like curse springs forth directly in Kinji's face. One that's almost an exact copy of the canine cursed spirit that Shiki and her classmates had initially encountered while searching through the mansion… which at least answers the question of where that cursed spirit came from.
The thoughts flit swiftly through her mind, even as her body moves instinctively to kick a nearby piece of broken rebar towards the doglike cursed spirit viciously tearing into her classmate's body. Swifter than any arrow, the steel piece hurtles through the air unimpeded and solidly embeds itself into the back of the rabid dog's neck, directly where a cluster of red lines intersect together in a crimson web.
The canine cursed spirit jerks with a wet gurgle, and falls still. Its head lolls down limply and to the side –then is crushed in a bloody, misshapen mess when Kinji rises from beneath its massive form, roughly yanking the rebar out of its body and uses it like a club to crush the cursed spirit's skull.
Were it not for the overflowing cursed energy currently coursing through Kinji's body, courtesy of his Domain Expansion, getting mauled point-blank by a cursed spirit like that would've been quite dangerous.
Even as it is, Kinji's entire front is splattered with blood. His own blood, torn open by sharp claws and gnashing teeth. Briefly, Shiki can even glimpse the white bones comprising part of his teeth and jawbone, before flesh bubbles over his face and smooths out beneath a layer of new skin.
Kinji slams the rebar into the dog-curse's head one last time, leaving it a gory puddle on the ground, then whirls around when two more of the same hounds lunge forward from behind him.
But snapping jaws clamp down on a piece of metal instead of flesh this time, when Kinji uses his makeshift weapon as a substitute and proceeds to literally punch a hole through one of them with his bare fists. The other ends up being blocked by Panda, who darts forward and tackles the other canine cursed spirit with Kirara close on his heels and Inumaki-san bringing up the rear.
… Between the four of them, it definitely does not seem like Kinji requires any additional assistance; Shiki has no doubt that her classmate will be able to end this fight shortly.
And so Shiki turns her attention back to the situation at hand: Namely, the cursed spirit responsible for this entire mess that she has just finished pinning beneath her feet.
The cursed spirit writhes wildly, raising its hands towards her as if to summon more of its dogs–
And Shiki proceeds to cut off both of its hands.
The cursed spirit shrieks in pain, and Shiki raises her blade to end this–
"Gojo-san, don't kill it!"
"…" Shiki's sword comes to a stop a hairsbreadth over the partially-decapitated cursed spirit. "… Your reason, Okkotsu-san?"
"Yeah, why on earth are you telling her not to kill a cursed spirit?" Zenin-san's tone is biting and sharp. "Don't you think you've already done enough, Okkotsu?"
The boy winces slightly, clearly regretful over the spot of trouble that Kinji had encountered as a direct result of him wanting to spare a cursed spirit. Shiki is still waiting to hear his reasoning for that. It's quite rare, but there do exist cases of exceptional circumstances where a cursed spirit is required to be sealed or dealt with some other way instead of just directly killing it. Okkotsu-san may be inexperienced, but he's still training to become a sorcerer, and he is technically a Special Grade sorcerer himself…
Okkotsu-san sucks in a deep breath, "She's not a cursed spirit."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kinji's voice cuts across them before Shiki has a chance to respond to that ridiculous statement. Bloody and battered, Kinji strides forward in a few quick steps and points towards the slowly-dissipating corpses of the canine cursed spirits that he and Panda had just killed. "You're calling this not a cursed spirit?"
"She's a ghost, not a cursed spirit," Okkotsu-san insists quietly, then briefly falls silent. Evidently, he's realized the absurdity of his statement, given the abundant proof pointing towards the opposite conclusion. "… She's more ghost than cursed spirit. Gojo-san, please let me talk her down. She's not aggressive the way that cursed spirits usually are–"
"Excuse me?"
"Or at least, she wasn't when I encountered her in the mansion," the boy shakes his head. "I know cursed spirits need to be exorcised because they hurt others, but Maria wasn't doing anything or hurting anyone in the mansion! It sounds crazy, but she was actually also helping earlier, inside the mansion. I noticed her using her dogs to kill minor curses along with us, and that's why I approached her."
"She pulled you into a painting, Yuta," Panda stresses.
"I know, that startled me, too," Okkotsu-san nods. "I didn't expect her to pull me into a painting when she said she'd explain why she was in here… or for her to take out the exit behind me. But I saw enough, while I was inside the painting."
"And pray tell, what did you see?" Zenin-san raises a brow skeptically. "Are you sure it wasn't flat-out lying to you?"
"Then that's a lot of details to be lying about, and I really don't think that's the case," Okkotsu-san doesn't seem to share Zenin-san's opinion. "I saw her background and what happened to her, back when she was alive. I saw how she died. Gojo-san, I think the reason why she's trapped here is because of resentment. Shouldn't we try to resolve things and help her pass on before she becomes a vengeful spirit?"
Zenin-san scrunches her face. "Hah? You mean like a priest or spirit medium?"
"Is that who we should be calling?" Okkotsu-san turns towards her.
"… Maybe? Ghosts aren't exactly common, but yeah, there are a bunch of rituals and stuff for preventing them from getting corrupted or cursed. Like Obon," Zenin-san glances briefly at Shiki, then returns her gaze to Okkotsu-san. "But last Obon was fucked up, so a lot of priests have been pretty busy these days. If you want to 'purify' this curse –if that's even possible– you'll need someone with the right know-how for pacification ceremonies and what not. A specialist, if you will."
"Finding a specialist…"
A small pause. Then, Zenin-san jerks her head towards Shiki, "There's one right in front of you, y'know."
"You're a specialist?" Kinji asks her.
"No," Shiki answers.
"I've seen you dance during Obon before," Zenin-san says flatly.
"That does not make me a specialist," Shiki informs the other girl. It's the truth; Shiki is not someone who specializes in such rituals and ceremonies. "I merely possess some passing knowledge on this subject. Enough to handle the okuribi, but this does not put me on the level of a dedicated specialist."
"Okay, well, Ms. Passing Knowledge, that's still a lot more than the rest of us here. So what's your opinion on solving this?"
Shiki's opinion?
Simple.
She swings her blade. In a short few seconds, all that's left of the troublesome cursed spirit are bloodied chunks on the ground.
There, problem solved.
.
.
Extra.
.
It takes a moment for her to process what she'd just witnessed, and when it finally clicks in Maki's mind that the cursed spirit is dead, her jaw nearly drops open.
… Nearly. Which means that Maki deliberately closes her mouth with a small clack of teeth, before she ends up gaping and making a fool out of herself.
Really, she doesn't know why she's surprised like this. Gojo Shiki isn't exactly someone with a reputation for being merciful to begin with. No sorcerer in their right mind would ever spare a cursed spirit just because it resembled a normal human, anyways. There are numerous horror stories about the sort of thing that happens when unknowing sorcerers end up getting tricked by cunning cursed spirits that attempt to take advantage of human empathy.
Maybe Maki is surprised because it was Okkotsu who'd asked her? After all, it's Okkotsu Yuta, the newest darling of the Tokyo school, the jujutsu world's youngest and most recently-named Special Grade sorcerer. The rank is quite new, and Maki isn't entirely convinced that it has nothing to do with Gojo-san's heavy-handed way of sending away that first promotion assessor from Jujutsu Headquarters. Whatever the case might be, Maki is pretty sure that there's some snubbing going on here, since Gojo Shiki's current rank is still firmly at Grade One.
Given Okkotsu's performance today, though, Maki certainly knows which of the two seem more like an actual Special Grade sorcerer.
Maybe it's uncharitable of her to make this sort of unfair comparison, given that everyone knows how Okkotsu Yuta was only recently introduced to the jujutsu world, but Maki doesn't care. Life isn't fair. Really, if someone is looking for fairness in this world, then they'd be better off becoming a lawyer instead of a sorcerer.
"Gojo-san!"
Okkotsu's eyes widen, like this isn't something that he'd even considered Gojo-san would do. Honestly, Maki had also thought that the older girl would entertain Okkotsu's request; she'd heard him out instead of killing the curse directly, hadn't she? … Not that it had stopped her from going ahead and killing it in the end anyways.
It's honestly a little scary, how easily she'd done it. Killing a cursed spirit wasn't something that any of them had trouble with, but killing a cursed spirit that looked human?
Maki could've done it –she knows that she could've done it– but it would've left a bad taste in her mouth anyways. Gojo Shiki, on the other hand, looks completely unperturbed by the act. Was that just because of a strong mentality, or due to her experience?
Okkotsu takes a step forward towards the white-haired girl. Wait, does he seriously mean to confront the Gojo princess over this? "Gojo-san, why?"
… Oh wow, he does.
What a fool.
"It's not a ghost," the white-haired girl informs him, blue eyes placid and unbothered. Beneath her feet, the dead cursed spirit begins disintegrating. "So your concerns about purifying it are unnecessary, Okkotsu-san. As a cursed spirit, it's only normal to kill it."
"But–"
"I do not know what you saw in its portrait," Gojo-san continues, "But uncertain memories and irregular behavioral patterns are not enough proof to define it as a ghost. Vengeful spirits are to be exorcised, barring unusual exceptions like your own."
… If Okkotsu almost got them all killed because of his misplaced sympathy towards an enemy vengeful spirit just because of his own cursed spirit, then Maki is going to murder him, 'Special Grade' be damned. His cursed energy is the only thing that he has going for him, and Maki has consistently proven that she is the strongest in hand-to-hand and weapons combat among all of her classmates; she can take him.
"She was murdered, and trapped inside the mansion. And even then, she hadn't gotten violent –not until just now, I guess. But if she had a record of violence, then there's no way this would've been such a low-ranked mission otherwise," Okkotsu-san says. "I… I just don't understand. Aren't sorcerers supposed to help people?"
Gojo-san flicks her wrist, and re-sheathes her sword.
"Sorcerers help the living, not the dead."
There's a point to her words, even if Okkotsu-san looks like he still wants to protest against it. Honestly, Maki might understand him a little bit–
But only a little.
Because in the end, Maki isn't someone who's becoming a sorcerer for noble purposes; her reasons are entirely selfish, when it comes down to it.
(She wonders if Gojo Shiki's are selfish, too.)
.
.
…
.