"Look who's finally here!"
"What a warm welcome.."
You say with a scoff, you and your classmates now approaching the Kyoto students who have been waiting. Traveling was such a hassle; mostly when Panda couldn't even fit in the train and Inumaki loved wandering off. Gojo didn't even have to deal with them since even he's the problem!
Who goes spending a thousand yen on gachapons anyway? Haha..
Moving on.
Since the two Hokori's rarely spoke of eachother, the students from both schools are curious as to how you and Kamei would fight eachother in today's event. Those uninterested, like second year Noritoshi Kamo and Aoi Todo, already has an idea on how it would turn out. It's simple, really.
Just lighting. A lot of it.
"Utahime~!" Gojo coos, "Didn't bring any souvenirs for you."
"Huh? Like i need any." the woman furrows her brows, irked. The man's a whole circus and the clown himself-the Tokyo kids deserve awards for being able to handle Gojo on their own.
Since the former second years from Tokyo lost the previous goodwill event, then the next one would be held at the Kyoto highschool. You hoped to win so there's less traveling in the next year.
"Looks like someone missed me!"
Kamei rushes up to you, opening her arms with a wide smile to embrace her favorite, and only, cousin. Heat rises to your cheeks due to embarrassment, not used to whatever it is that she's doing.
"Oh god." you mutter, giving her what she wanted. You place a hand on her head and one on her back.
The embrace lasted only a few seconds.
"Watch out, Y/N. A birdy told me that one of your friends are in danger." Kamei whispers as she pulls away, an innocent smile on her face. You raise a brow, wondering what her vague message meant. Just as you're about to ask her a question, she shakes her head.
You then notice something on her wrist-a silver bracelet with what seems to be a single star with a gem attached to it.
"What the hell is that.." she never liked jewelry or anything that, you quote, would be in the way of her technique.
The girl scoffs, though the redness of her cheek didn't go unnoticed, "It's an accessory, dumbass."
"Okay!" Gojo claps, grabbing everyone's attention, "I'd like to introduce.."
As much as he didn't want to, Okkotsu feels Gojo grab his shoulder, forcefully pulling his away from where he hid behind Panda.
"..Okkotsu Yuta! Play nice now, kids. Don't go scaring my student." he emphasizes. Gojo isn't a fool-he has noticed that Kyoto's principal, Yoshinobu Gakuganji, isn't present. For a old man like him who can still kick ass, he's not one to arrive last at events like these.
Is the old man late? Or is he planning something? Argh, he can't even enjoy a day meant for his students and Utahime's kids without worrying for the higher-ups number one ass kisser.
'He's old and a coward.' Gojo would ignore for now until he confirms his suspicion. Okkotsu has rRka under his control, and even if he looses it, Gojo's there to stop a situation from happening.
"Mei Mei and principal Yaga are already in the school. They said give the kids time to prepare." Gojo informs Utahime, a smile still on his face.
"Very well." the woman says, turning to her students to give them one last talk and warning.
Majority of them had already been her students last year such as Kamo, Todo, Nishimiya, and Mechamaru who's also known as Kokichi Muta. Now, Utahime wanted to show what her first years, Zen'in Mai and Kasumi Miwa , are capable of. It may not be a lot, but it's still progress.
She shows a small smile, proud of the kids she has teached.
"You all know what to do. Gojo and i will go ahead. Good luck!"
"okay! What's the game plan?"
Panda says, being the most enthusiastic one of the first years. Unfortunately the second year Hikari Kinji wasn't able to attend. He was assigned on a mission the day before the event and although he's the strongest at the school, he deserves even a day of rest.
"Did you see how they looked at him?" Maki scoffs, "Okkotsu, beat them up."
"Eh..?" the boy sweatdrops.
The students from both schools were escorted to one of the colleges buildings and given fifteen minutes to think of a plan.
The mechanics of the game are simple and easy to understand; the first one to eliminate all the curses in the forest are the victors. Anything, with the exception of killing, is also allowed.
You were leaning on a wall, hands across your chest. Inumaki stood beside you, hands in both of his pockets.
"We have no advantage." you start, "Kamei and i know a lot about eachothers jujutsu. I think i'm more fit to fight her and Kamo so leave them to me."
"Maki, go after your sister. Inumaki can handle the Miwa girl." you add.
'Something's wrong.' Is it because of what Kamei said? The only person you can think of that might be targeted and murdered in the event is Okkotsu-who else but the guy with a powerful curse? You'd be more surprised and flattered if it's you.
"So Yuta and i would deal with Mechamaru and Todo?" Panda ask, and you nod.
Okkotsu's nervous. This is his first time, and considering that he has only been at the school for a few months, he didn't know what he's supposed to do.
"Uhm.. What about the curses?" Okkotsu ask. Putting the fights aside, eliminating the spirits is the top priority.
You shrug.
"Exorcise and leave. If a fight drags on, retreat immediately. Don't waste time."
"ALRIGHT! Are you all ready?!"
Everyone is now outside, waiting in front of two opened gates that led to a large forest. Gojo's booming voice could be heard from a speaker somewhere-you didn't bother to look for it.
Maki clicks the roof of her tongue, swinging her spear around. She isn't nervous even if this is her first time participating the event. She's just a little excited and impatient.
Okkotsu'a different, of course. Though he has not much to worry about since he knows his friends would have his back, it's still nerve-wracking since he probably have to hurt someone in order to gain points for his team.
He gulps.
'I can control her. She's not gonna do any harm..' he reassures himself.
"If you're all set, then we're starting in three.."
"..Two!"
You smirk, a taiko forming and floating by your waist. You glance at Inumaki who throws a peace sign your way, his cough medicine in his hand.
"One! GO!"
And with that, the five of you rush inside the forest. Taking the lead is Panda and both you and Maki are on the back. Inumaki and Okkotsu are palced on the middle.
Unlike Kamei, your senses are stronger. You could already feel a clump, or what you assume is two people, of cursed energy approaching your group. One is weaker than the other.
"Miwa and Kamo! They're somewhere up ahead!" you shout, "Panda, change directions! I'm taking them."
"On it!" he says, "Maki, Toge, Yuta!"
He calls, turning to another pathway while you continued straight ahead. You could hear Okkotsu wishing you goodluck and it makes you crack out a smile. Oh you didn't need luck..
You reach an open area, trees and bushes surrounding you while the sun provides light from above. Your taiko shifts into a sword, and you waste no time in transferring cursed energy to it.
"Come out! I wanna make this quick!" you taunt the students, both hands on your weapon.
An arrow suddenly appears from between the trees. The target seems to be your head. You swing your sword, knocking the item away.
'Bingo!'
You run towards where the arrow came from, and Kamo is forced to reveal himself. He backs away when you swung your sword to the bush he was previously hiding in.
You raise your leg as an attempt to kick him. You grit your teeth when he blocks you using his arm. His sleeve slips and you catch a glimpe of what seems to be..
'Is that..!'
"Miwa, now!"
Your eyes widen, hearing someone drop from behind you. Ah right- there's a lot of trees that anyone can climb on.
NEW SHADOW STYLE !
SIMPLE DOMAIN.
Your feet's in the circle. Miwa doesn't break her stance as she pulls out her katana, determined to land a clean hit on you.
Fortunately, due to your panicking, you quickly turn to her before using your own weapon to block the girl.
'Wha.. Huh?!' Miwa sweatdrops as you're successful with dispelling the technique. You made her back away.
Now, you are in between the two Kyoto students. You managed to put some distance before either of them could begin attacking.
"You've improved." Kamo compliments, loading his bow with another arrow.
"Thanks. You still suck." you say, "Silver doesn't suit you, y'know."
Kamo scoffs, amused that you noticed the accessory he wore.
You didn't care if he is the future heir of the Kamo clan. You were too. That doesn't give you and Kamei a free pass to shit talk him, but you still do it. The two of you may have inherited techniques from big families, though while in a fight, it all comes down to skill.
No family bullshit- both of you have awful clans anyways.
He shakes his head, "Prideful as ever.."
Miwa awkwardly stood there with her drawn katana, wondering why there's tension in between her classmates and Kamei's cousin. Poor girl.. She just wanted to participate in the event!
You grin, raising a hand.
You snap your fingers.
INNATE TECHNIQUE !
OVERLOAD.
Miwa's eyes widen as she watches her katana shatter in front of her. She's now defenseless, and even she doesn't know what happened.
Kamo kept his expression calm, yet inside he's surprised.
"Miwa, withdraw! I'll handle them."
The girl, although hesitant, is forced to run away with only half of her weapon and her katana's sheath. The broken pieces of her weapon is now on the ground.
"it's now us, Kamo." you chuckle. Overload is where you overwhelm another curse users weapon with cursed energy. In this case, when you blocked Miwa 's katana from earlier, you had transferred cursed energy into her weapon.
It was too much for the katana to handle, so it broke.
"Then let's make this quick." he says and you nod.
You're the first to strike with him moving away just in time. He sends an arrow your way, and you easily break it in half. You tried closing the distance, but he just keeps backing away.
The sword you held then shifts into something else.
Kamo opens a single eye open, barely dodging the dagger you tried to stab him with. He raises an arm to block though you manage to tear through his sleeve. Kamo suddenly takes his hand off his weapon, now clenched into fists.
He lands a punch on your face.
"Fuck-!"
You step back, brows furrowed. You feel something warm from your nose.
The fight was dragging on, and you couldn't just stay in one spot. Your friends need you, and one of them could possibly be in need of assistance. Plus, you had already taken care of one of the Kyoto kids.
"Apologies." Kamo says, a small smile on his face. That felt satisfying.
"Yeah, right!"
You then turn to the other direction, beginning to run away. Kamo watches you flee, but doesn't make a move to shoot another arrow-he shouldn't waste them.
Soon enough, you end up in another open area. This time, it's bigger with less trees and there is a small lake.
You hear barking nearby and you thought of one thing. Kamei's shikigami.
From the other side of the lake, you see the girl and her dog emerge from the forest. You got ready, knowing where this is going to lead.
It didn't take long for her to see you, a smug grin on your face and electricity surrounding your sword.
On the other hand, Kamei's shikigami is looking a bit too eager to pounce on you. The girl has her own weapon-a katana.
"Just saying.." you start, rushing towards her, "Matching bracelets are cringe!"
Kamei smiles, her shikigami being the one to attack for her before she attempts to strike you with her blade. After stepping onto the lake, the two of you held your weapons againts eachother, hands shaking at the force being applied.
The sky began to turn grey, and the lake was starting to glow blue from where the two Hokori's stood-sparks of electricity could also be seen in the air. Kamei's shikigami circled the both of you, awaiting the command their owner would give.
If anyone steps into the water, they'll be electrocuted instantly. You just hope neither of you would accidentally hit a tree using lighting. It'd be bad if a forest fire happened.
You smirk.
"I'm telling Mikami her daughters in love!"
"Shut it, Y/N! You are too!"
The two of you suddenly stop when you hear an explosion coming from afar. You two halt, and the light in the lake including the change of the weather stops. Your surroundings began to slowly turn back to normal.
You make eye contact with your cousin. She could definitely feel it too.
"Okkotsu yuta."
"Rika."
"That was tiring!"
"Waahh.."
The fight ended with Okkotsu taking the victory; he didn't expect to win, but him and Rika's teamwork made it easy. Him winning meant that next year, the event would be held at Tokyo.
Inumaki had taken down Mai and Nishimiya, Panda took care of Mechamaru and Todo with Okkotsu's assistance, and Maki managed to knock Kamo out just after your encounter with him.
The cursed spirit's were eliminated by Rika. You could say this was a team effort.
The five of you are now taking a stroll around the school. You didn't know where you are, but according to Inumaki you're in sujiko, tuna tuna.
Did you go along with it? Yes. He's adorable.
Then you decided to bring Maki along, then panda, and Okkotsu, but you told him it was Inumaki who wanted him to join. You'd rather be buried six feet below than admit you invited him for a walk.
You inhale, "Air is nice."
From beside you, Inumaki nods. Your other classmates hasn't noticed the way you both held eachothers hands while walking–you holding loosely on his fingers and Inumaki occasionally swinging your hand.
"Kamo was tough." Maki says, "But it wasn't enough. Apparently he forgot to bring blood bags." she shrugs.
"So you wore him off?" Panda ask, "Scary..!"
Maki huffs, "I'm not! I just got lucky."
"Well, i'm sure Maki did great either way." Okkotsu smiles, positive as ever, "Everyone did."
"Shake!" Inumaki agrees. He's proud of everyone and his friends.
"Ah, right.. There were a lot of curses than normal. There were even first grades!" Panda says, "They were swarming where Yuta and i fought."
"Yeah! It was a lot!" Okkotsu says.
'Ah, maybe that was Gakuganji's horrible plan.. Kill Okkotsu off with a few weak first grades.' you thought. You decide not to speak up–the event is done, the curses have been exorcised, and your school won. Telling them that releasing hordes of curses, more than the previous goodwill event, was intentional would just spoil the mood.
The rest of you continued to walk, sharing experiences with how their fight with the Kyoto students went. Of course, you told them about the fight you almost had with Kamei if it not for Okkotsu taking the spotlight. After hearing this Okkotsu panicked before apologizing but you reassure him that you were just joking.
You? Making jokes? It's a rare thing that Okkotsu never knew you can do. Well.. The more you know..
Something then catches Panda's attention.
"Y/N, isn't that Kamei?"
"Huh? Where?"
Curious of your cousins whereabouts, you look to where Panda was pointing. Maki and the others follow soon, only to be greeted by a pleasant surprise.
Sitting under a tree are two figures. One of them was, in fact, Kamei. She was with..
"What's she doing with Kamo?"
You playfully roll your eyes, "What else?"
Your hunch was right. The accessories they both wore had already told you enough; something's going on between the two.
Kamei's doing hand gestures while she has her head on Kamo's shoulder, and she seems to be talking about something. Kamo, on the other hand, has a small smile on his face and he seems to be at peace. He's letting the girl talk to her hearts content, and she knows he was listening.
He always does. He likes hearing what story she has to tell, and Kamei loves telling said stories.
You sweatdrop, realizing something, 'It's the opposites attract thing all over again! What the hell?!'
First your aunt with her husband, you and Inumaki, then Kamo and Kamei.. There seems to be pattern.
"Oh.. OOH.." Okkotsu gets it now. It's an odd pair-the intimidating and scary Kamo with a cheerful girl like Kamei? Though Okkotsu shouldn't be talking about how they're a weird match when he's the one who kissed a curse.
Now that's! That's.. Weird..
"Let them be. They're obviously busy." Maki says, patting yours and Okkotsu's back as if saying that you all should continue walking.
As much as you wanted to interfere, you decided to leave your cousin alone for now. You're happy that Kamei feels free enough to form relationships. She's beginning to open up her circle more and letting people in. She used to only have you and her mother by her side, but being at the Kyoto school made her see that there's other people that she can rely and trust.
You just hoped that neither of them would get caught with eachothers family problems.
She's Kamei, and he's Noritoshi.
Nothing more to that.
"You're right. C'mon, Toge. Let's walk."
A smile tugs on the corner of your lips.