𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐭

┌──── ∘°❉°∘ ────┐

𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐭

└──── °∘❉∘° ────┘

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--"A CURSED SPIRIT AT JUJUTSU HIGH?" Noritoshi quipped, standing with the rest of the group. The earlier battle was behind them, but now their focus was on the special grade curse that had made its way into the school grounds. His sharp gaze flicked toward the ominous veil overhead. "Just who produced this veil?" he questioned, his voice laced with curiosity and suspicion.

Misa stood beside Megumi, her arms crossed as she tilted her head upward, studying the strange barrier. The veil, which had appeared only moments earlier, stretched across the school grounds in hues of orange and brown, casting an eerie glow over everything it covered.

Megumi's voice broke the silence. "Probably the curse user working with it," he said matter-of-factly, his tone calm but firm. Toge, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.

Noritoshi's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned back to the group. "Do you know something about this?"

Megumi and Misa exchanged a glance, both recalling the crude sketches Gojo had shown them earlier. He had drawn the unregistered special grade curses he'd encountered—one with horns and another, oddly enough, in blue. While Gojo's artistic abilities left much to be desired, there was no mistaking the figure now watching them from a distance, lurking just beyond the veil. It was the horned one.

"It's the special grade that attacked Gojo, I'm pretty sure," Misa said with a casual shrug, her gaze locked on the curse. "Although, on the drawing, it seemed cuter."

"Tuna with mayo," Toge said, holding up his hand in the shape of a phone.

"You're right. Let's call Gojo and let him know," Megumi said, already pulling out his phone.

"What?" Noritoshi grimaced, his face contorted with confusion. "Hold on, do you actually know what he's saying?"

Megumi raised the phone to his ear, his expression remaining calm despite Noritoshi's questioning. "That's... not important right now," he replied flatly as the phone began to ring. "Our enemy might use a domain. I'm thinking we should retreat and join Gojo and the—"

Before he could finish, the cursed spirit moved. In a blur of motion, it sped forward, appearing behind Noritoshi in an instant. With a swift flick of its hand, Megumi's phone was ripped from his grasp and shattered mid-air, pieces scattering like shards of glass.

The group reacted instantly, scattering in different directions as Inumaki pulled down his hood. His cursed energy flared as he commanded the spirit in a calm yet powerful voice, "Don't move!"

The horned curse froze in its tracks, bound by Inumaki's cursed speech. Noritoshi wasted no time, pulling out one of his blood-filled bags. Manipulating the blood with precision, he launched a swift, cutting attack toward the immobilized curse. The spirit stood firm, unable to resist the power of Inumaki's technique.

Noritoshi lunged the blood forward, manipulating it with precision to slice through the curse. But as the crimson arc made contact with the horned spirit, it merely fizzled out against its thick, impenetrable form. The curse didn't even flinch, its malicious energy radiating as if mocking their efforts.

Misa narrowed her eyes, stepping forward with a faint swirl of frost forming around her.

Raising her hand, she summoned a thin, precise sheet of ice that raced across the ground, freezing the air as it moved. The frost spiraled upward, encasing the curse's legs in jagged shards of cursed-energy-infused ice. For a moment, the creature stilled, its movements restrained.

"Don't get too comfortable," Misa said, her blue eyes locked on the curse. "This is just to buy us time."

The horned spirit snarled, its aura flaring as cracks began to form in the ice. But the delay was enough for the others to regroup. Misa stepped back, glancing at Noritoshi and Inumaki.

"Got a Plan B?" she asked, her tone dry but steady.

"We'd better think of one quickly," Megumi said, his jaw tightening as he eyed the curse, the cracks in the ice spreading rapidly.

Megumi summoned Nue, his bird shikigami, which let out a piercing caw as it swooped toward the cursed spirit. Electricity crackled and surged from its wings, striking the curse with immense force. The energy coursed through the spirit, driving it to its knees under the pressure. Megumi grunted, taking the opportunity to rush forward, his blade aimed for the creature's thigh.

But when he glanced back to assess the damage, his heart sank. The spirit remained untouched, its thick, unnatural form unmarred. Only the fabric of its pants showed the mark of his attack, a clean slice through the cloth but no injury beneath.

The group stood spread out, tense and alert, watching the horned being as it rose again. Its strange, guttural chant echoed through the air. "Stop it, foolish children," it said, its voice carrying an eerie resonance. Misa furrowed her brow. The tone caught her off guard—it had a faintly feminine ring, but it also sounded mechanical, distorted. What unsettled her most was how she couldn't fully understand the words, yet somehow their meaning was clear in her mind.

The curse's hand moved to its right shoulder, which was covered in layers of rough, aged dressing. "I merely wish to protect this planet."

Noritoshi scowled, his sharp eyes darting toward the others. "It's a curse spouting nonsense! Don't listen!"

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Misa snapped, rolling her eyes.

"This isn't anything like lower-grade curses," Megumi muttered, his tone grave, as his gaze stayed locked on the creature.

The curse ignored them, continuing its chant, its tone carrying a strange weight. "The forests, the oceans, the sky—they all weep so vehemently that I can no longer stand it."

Misa straightened, her stance prepared, though her mind wandered briefly. What the hell does 'vehemently' mean? she wondered, her brows furrowing.

The curse's voice grew louder, more resolute. "It's impossible to coexist with humans any longer. The earth knows there are some among you who are kind to it. But how much does that insignificant amount of affection help?"

Misa glanced around at the others, her expression twitching into a faint grimace before she turned back to the curse. "Listen up," she began, waving her hand dismissively, "I'm all for saving the planet or whatever, but you're giving me rejected mascot vibes for an eco-friendly movie. It's hard to take you seriously when you look like a failed garden project."

"Don't taunt it!" Megumi hissed at her, his glare sharp and filled with warning.

Misa threw him a look and grimaced exaggeratedly. "Oh, come on. It's monologuing."

The curse paid no attention to her insult, continuing as though she hadn't spoken. "This planet can be blue once more, given time," it said, its voice rising. The ground trembled beneath their feet, a low rumble that sent a chill through the air. Without warning, massive roots burst from the earth behind the curse, twisting and coiling as though alive. "Time without humans! Please die and become sages!"

Misa pulled a grimace, glanced at the others before she made an impulsive decision. "Fuck no!" She yelled out, then began sprinting the other direction.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--The group had made the unanimous decision to follow Misa, sprinting alongside her through the twisting corridors and hallways of the building. Behind them, the relentless tree roots chased at high speed, tearing through walls and floors like unstoppable waves of destruction.

The sound of splintering wood and crashing debris echoed around them as the roots surged forward, refusing to relent. "That was a close one! Are you alright?" Megumi shouted over the chaos, his tone sharp with concern.

"Salmon," Inumaki replied, surprisingly calm as he indicated a casual "yes."

"Whatever he said!" Misa yelled back, her voice panicked but laced with a sharp edge as they kept running.

"Here it comes!" Noritoshi shouted, skidding to a halt and spinning around to face the cursed spirit that was now catching up. The horned curse's roots lashed out toward him, thick and sharp, threatening to strike him down.

Before the roots could make contact, Inumaki stepped forward, his cursed energy surging as he pulled his hood down. "Stop it!" he commanded, his voice carrying an undeniable power.

The roots froze in place, writhing helplessly under the weight of his cursed speech. Misa seized the opportunity, her hands clasping together as her Frost Dominion activated. A piercing chill filled the air, her ice slicing forward with deadly precision. The jagged shards tore through the curse's forehead, finally leaving a visible mark on its previously untouchable skin.

Misa exhaled sharply, relief flickering across her face for a moment before Noritoshi grabbed her wrist. "Keep moving!" he barked, his tone firm and unyielding. "We need to keep running!"

Without hesitation, the group took off again, the sound of splintering wood and groaning roots growing louder as they dashed deeper into the building.

The group spotted an opening through a door on the second story and made a split-second decision. Sprinting through it, they leaped off the balcony railing outside and landed on another rooftop nearby, their movements swift and seamless.

They paused at the edge of the roof, their breaths heavy as they turned back to see the cursed roots tear through the door and crush the balcony they had just escaped from. The relentless destruction loomed behind them, the cursed spirit standing tall amidst its chaos.

Megumi wasted no time, summoning Nue with a sharp gesture. The bird shikigami screeched as it materialized, electricity sparking from its wings. "Attack! Inumaki will stop it for you," he commanded, his voice steady.

Nue launched toward the curse, electricity crackling through the air. But before Inumaki could issue his order, a sharp, searing pain bloomed in his throat. "Sto—" he choked, the word cutting off as his hand flew to his neck. His knees buckled, and he gagged, his face contorting in agony.

Misa reacted instantly. She darted to his side, crouching low as her hands glowed faintly with cursed energy. A subtle chill filled the air as she placed her hands gently over his throat, channeling her Frost Dominion to soothe the burning sensation. "I've got you," she said softly, her focus sharp. "Breathe, Toge."

But it was too late to stop the curse. The roots lashed out, piercing through Nue in mid-flight. The shikigami let out a screech before vanishing in a crackle of cursed energy.

Noritoshi whipped his head toward Inumaki, his face tense as he saw him kneeling on the ground, clutching his throat.

Misa didn't look up, her attention fixed on steadying Inumaki as the chaotic scene unfolded around them. "Just hold on," she muttered, her voice calm despite the urgency.

The cursed spirit surged forward, its massive form moving with terrifying speed. Before Noritoshi could react, a powerful punch slammed into him, sending him flying backward. He crashed into Megumi, the force knocking them both off balance and sliding them across the rooftop.

Misa stepped forward without hesitation, positioning herself between the cursed spirit and her teammates. Frost Dominion flared around her, a biting chill sweeping across the rooftop as ice began to creep along the surface beneath her feet. Her sharp blue eyes locked onto the spirit, her stance firm and unyielding.

The cursed spirit lashed out with another attack, but Misa was ready. She dodged to the side with precision, her hand cutting through the air to summon jagged ice shards. They shot forward, slicing through the air and striking the spirit's shoulder, forcing it to stagger back momentarily.

Misa let out a low scoff, raising another wall of frost to shield Toge and Megumi behind her. The roots clawed at the ice, but she reinforced it with another burst of cursed energy, holding her ground.

Megumi pushed himself up, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Misa—"

"Stay back," she snapped, her gaze never leaving the cursed spirit. "I've got this."

The cursed spirit roared, lunging again, but Misa met it head-on, her Frost Dominion swirling like a storm around her as she held the line, her ice keeping the monster at bay.

Then, a voice rang out behind her. "Blast away!" Inumaki commanded, his voice firm despite the strain. The cursed spirit was violently hurled backward, crashing into the side of another building with enough force to shake the structure.

Inumaki coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth as his body gave out. Before he could collapse, Misa darted forward and caught him, steadying him in her arms. She shot a worried glance at Megumi, who stood frozen, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.

The cursed spirit emerged from the wreckage, its hulking frame undeterred. Misa's jaw tightened, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why won't this asparagus just die?!" she snapped, her grip tightening around Toge as blood dripped from his lips.

"You can't hope to cut me with that dull blade," the curse said, its voice cold and taunting, though its gaze shifted behind it.

Maki appeared then, her movements swift and calculated as she surged forward, Kasumi's katana in hand. She swung the blade through the air, aiming for the back of the curse's head. But before her attack could land, the curse raised an arm, deflecting the strike with a sharp clang.

Maki grunted at the impact, but before the curse could retaliate, Megumi leapt into action. Using the distraction to his advantage, he struck fast and clean, slicing through one of the curse's horns with precision. The horn shattered and fell, causing the spirit to stumble backward with an unearthly growl.

"Now that sword isn't so bad," the curse remarked, its tone almost mocking. But Megumi didn't falter. With a swift motion, he reached into his shadow and pulled out Maki's three-section staff, tossing it to her.

Catching the weapon effortlessly, Maki smirked, her confidence unwavering. "I have something even better," she retorted, gripping Playful Cloud tightly.

From the bottom of the rooftop, Misa couldn't help herself. "Woohoo! Go Maki and Megumi!" she cheered, clapping her hands enthusiastically. For a brief moment, she forgot about the unconscious Inumaki still resting in her arms.

The sound of her clapping drew an exasperated look from Megumi, but Maki didn't miss a beat, already charging forward to take on the curse again.

When Maki struck the curse, it was sent hurtling back into the forest, crashing through trees with a deafening impact. The group prepared to run after it, but Misa's voice cut through the tension.

"Question!" she shouted, raising her hand to catch their attention. The others paused briefly, turning to look at her. "What do I do?" she asked, her tone a mix of exasperation and genuine confusion.

"Get Toge and Kamo to safety, now!" Megumi ordered, his voice sharp as he and Maki darted toward the direction where the spirit had landed.

They disappeared quickly into the trees, leaving Misa standing there with Toge still unconscious in her arms. She glanced down at him, then over at Noritoshi, who was barely managing to stand upright. Letting out a heavy sigh, she muttered under her breath, "Babysitting duty... great. Just great."

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚