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It was oddly silence, for a place that is currently haunted with terror of a curse, with little no sight of human nor curse as well.
Ai is walking to the middle of the empty city, still carrying the reincarnation of her mother in her hands. The blood and wounds were already heal up using the Reverse Cursed Technique for hers.
Your eyelids flutter as you feel like being on air. Lifting up your head, turns out you are, just in the arm of someone. You look at your carrier, it was Ai. She is emotionless as ever, no reaction at all to you waking up.
"Do you still feel any pain?" She muttered, almost like whispering to you. "No, all good."
You try to recall anything that happen previously, the Shibuya emergency, the man with forehead stitches, the memory, Choso and Itadori and...
Itadori!
Is he okay!?
"AI!! Where is Yuuji right now!?" You yelled out to the curse girl face with who seems unfazed by you worrying about your classmate.
"Already death probably. I don't really care." She said as she continue walking forward. You pushed yourself out of her grip and feel onto the ground. Standing up, your height towering on her but like always she is still as emotionless and unfazed as ever while you are panicking for the safety of your friend.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP HIM TOO!? HE'S DANGER AI!"
"Like hell I care about him. He have failed to protect you, he will paid for that."
"YOU-" You almost hit her but she held you in time and precisely. Ai doesn't get angry about that little stunt you just made earlier.
"Let's go. Now." She commended before practically pulling your whole body to walk along with her.
"Wait! Let go! I need to save the other!"
"You don't need to! They all can die! You were the only one who need to survive right now!"
Tears threats to spill out of your eyes by how heartless she could be to the people you cared and love.
"WHY DO YOU NOT LET ME DO ANYTHING SO SAVE OTHER!? AM I THAT WEAK!?!?"
Ai have enough. She usually calm and collected about her temper but now everything around is testing her patience and force to do unspeakable thing.
"I DON'T YOU TO DIE AGAIN, MOTHER! I DON'T WANT YOU TO SUFFER FROM MY OWN FAILURE!!"
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Silence between you two...
"Mo..ther..?" You were taken back by her word. She was also. Hand on her mouth as wer eyes widened by the choice of words she have choose. You weren't supposed to know, it was only a secret for her and only for her.
"Ai, what do you mean by mother?"
"I..."
There is no need to lie with you, Ai thought. You will the dig up the truth in many way shapes or form. Your eyes are determined, fill with curiousity. It almost make her despises such a naive curiousity but it was you who is she talking about. It was meant to be excepted also.
The only solution is for her, to tell the truth. Even if you don't believe her or weirded out by the story.
She bring you to near by bench and kneel down in front of you. Like a servant to a master. Like a follower to their Goddess.
"Once upon a time, there was a woman..."
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"And that girl disappeared into the flame for the next 130 years..."
It feel like throwing away a huge boulders of her shoulder. It this case the guilt, the story, the trauma, the regret Ai has feel all these century of knowing the origin of Death Painting and you. Even though, some of it still on her it still such a relief that she felt she could sleep now.
"I... Ai... I'm so sorry..."
"That's fine... It was on my own failure that killed you- I mean...her."
You shook your head.
"No, it's never your fault to be born onto this earth and be a child at the wrong place. You were so little your power probably haven't develop yet..."
Ai kneel in silence. Eyes glancing to the ground, not daring to even stares at your kind and gentle eyes.
"I know me... She probably is just happy seeing you alive and well, at this moment."
"Selfless as always, huh?" She chuckled.
"Hmh, it like you said in the tale, it was in my nature since in the past."
"And it can be your greatest strength and weakness..."
She stand up, finally have the courage look at you but as soon as she did, her knees grows weak as her body quivering from the pureness of your soul's window.
"And my selfless want to save my friend that is still at the centre of Shibuya right now. Ai..." You tried to convince by holding her hand. She look at the gentle firm grip you have.
"Let me. I know my power and weakness. I will promise to be careful and not getting into much fight with the curses or curse users around."
It took a while for her to give into your look and your words. She nodded slowly at your request which make you cheering mentally.
"Alright, just-"
**BOOM**
A loud explosion erupted near the building, you both turned to see and sense the two presence of Special Grades. One is unknown but fire hot lava and the other is...
Ryoumen Sukuna....
You shivered by the evilness of the cursed energy of his. You saw him still in Yuuji's uniform with a probably sadistic grin across his tattooed face beating up the poor curse that have come across his way.
"IS THAT ALL YOU GET, CURSE SPIRIT!?" His shouts can be heard all throughout the area. You are shaking your spot, feel like urine threatened to spill with such intense situation from him.
Ai get slightly frustrated, her furrowed eyebrow as she stares at Sukuna and the other curse.
"( Y/N ) run ahead. I will hold him back so he doesn't come at your way."
"WHA-WHAT!?" You screamed anxiously.
"Do as I say. Have faith me, please. Just one more time." She stares at you like how you look at her earlier. Just like Yuuji and you when you are fighting Special Grade curse, how could you resist such a look.
You slowly nodded before running to the opposite direction of the curses. Sounds that enter your hear is like literal hell at the back. But you don't dare turn your head to look any of them.
Its feel like hours that you have been running away from the hell in Shibuya. There is no sight of any human in help or lower curse that you can exorcise. You were about give up until you saw a certain off-white haired boy with collar covering half of his face jogged towards the left.
Inumaki Toge!
"Inumaki senpai!!"
You screamed out his name which causes him to stop at his spot.
"Salmon!" He yelled at you, waving his hand for you to come at him.
"I'm so glad that I saw you here! Are you okay!? Is there any injuries on you??" You begin the insepct every corner and spots around his body in which he shakes his head no.
"Okaka." He said before pointing at you as if he is asking that are you okay?
"Hm hm. I'm totally fine. Right now, let's search for any victims left in this area-"
You don't know how it happen. You don't how you even do it. But you sense something coming from the distance towards you.
"ASCENDING TO HEAVEN. STAGE 1. BARRIER!"
You screamed out your spell and just in time to twirl your baton around above your head. A milky off-white clear barrier form on both you as suddenly the wave of merciless slices and slash coming towards both your way and in any direction.
Inumaki kneeled down in respond. Your barrier breaks here and there and crack violently towards the unbeatable more powerful power coming from the unknown. You try to stand still and protect Inumaki eve if it mean hurting you along the way. You close your eyes and focus your power on the barrier hoping the torture would end sooner.
And eventually, it does. You open your eyes. The city you have seen earlier have turn into a empty space. There wasn't even nothing here at all. Its feel like the surface of a moon.
You let up your barrier, Inumaki stand up and check around with eyes widened by the impact from that sudden attacks. You also have the same reaction. It was like a deer entering the city for the first time. You both are in absolute fear and panic.
"( Y/N )!" You heard a familiar voice calling out your name from the distance. You know who that was. Turning your body to see it was Ai. Her hand is bloody but you know it wasn't her blood and also her eyes are a lot brighter for some reason. Lower half of her kimono were ripped away showing her knees.
"Are you alright!?" She asked and you nodded. You also asked the same question in which she also nodded.
"Shake shake!?" Inumaki stand back at the appearance of Ai. Fingers on the zipper of his uniform and he pulled you away from the curse. Wrapping his around you in protection. Ai looked at him in annoyance.
"Inumaki-senpai! It's fine she is our ally! This is my curse, Ai!" You jumped and place yourself between your senior your apparently curse daughter from the previous life. Trying to give a simple explanation to not fear more your poor classmate.
He believed in you but still wary of such a curse you have. Eyes glancing back and forward towards you and her. Ai clicked her tongue and she know she have to say something before this kid have a heart attack.
"Listen brat. I'm not on that fucking patch face curse side nor Sukuna. I'm only with ( Y/N ) and only her, always."
Eventually, it took him a while to calm down and he nodded at both your words.
"Salmon."
"Hm. I think it for the best that you get out of here, Inumaki-san. Ai and I are going to help the others as much as possible in the mean time."
He shook his head no as he yelled "Okaka!"
"I know, I know you also wanted help but the situation is getting dangerous now and I don't want you to get hurt with this Special-Grade curses around. I have Ai on my side to help and protect me but you..."
You don't have any words after that, afraid you might offend him but also get your message across that he might understand you. He stand there in complete silence but nodded with muttering lowly "Salmon."
"Alright, get in here and you will catch up with the other somewhere safe."
Ai formed her hand into a sign which mean bird. "Cursed Technique. Hell's gate."
A small shrine climb out of the ground, it causes mini earthquake around you which make you and Inumaki almost fall. You look at it and winced in disgust. The shrine look normal but with a slight twist to it. The humanoid tongue and teeth that is baring out towards you guys.
"Crawl into its mouth and it will talk you there." Ai pointed at the shrine Inumaki hesitant at first but when the girl curse glared at her, he cooperate with it.
Before crawling down. He looked at you one last time before muttering "Salmon. Spicy Cod Roe. Okaka."
You nodded and give your infamous smile. "Hm! I will!"
You can't his face but he is also smiling before sliding down into the rabbit's hole. The shrine disappeared into little particles red dusts
"What is he saying?"
"He just said to take care of myself!"
"What the fuck?"
It was such a fun peaceful interaction at the moment before you have a head ache and a vision.
Platform. Nanami. Curse...
Mahito...
NANAMI NEED YOUR HELP!
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You are racing into the night. You are racing against the time. Ai is at your back with you riding one of your flying curse into the platform.
Nanami. He is burnt. Half of him is gone. He gonna be in danger. You need to help him.
You enter a rather large platform with a bunch for curse around. But then they all are exorcise with on slash of an attack, revealing it was Nanami who is the culprit. He was as he was in your vision except a lot worth than you deny the vision.
Ai helped you get him on the bird before healing him with Reverse Cursed Technique. "Consider yourself grateful because that she save you..." What the Special Grade said before turning him into his original form.
"Nanami..." Tears spilled out of your eyes at sight of your passed out mentor. It seems like he was very tired after what he had been through.
"Aww~ The Captor! Why did you turn him to normal again!? I was about to play with him!!" A whined coming from someone you are so hated too.
You glanced at Mahito who is pouting at your while crossing his arm like a child. When then clicked his tongue and place his hand at his hips.
"Well, since you are such a naughty miss no fun girl~ You shall take his place then~"
He was about to charge at you before Ai create a fire wall between the both you. Mahito jumper back in suprise before it could hit him.
"Don't you dare touch her." Ai growled as a warning but Mahito is giggling her instead of being scared.
All of you stopped as you sense the cursed energy of Itadori Yuuji. He walked in into the scene. His eyes wide open as he saw you and Mahito almost close to each other before charging madly at the curse.
"( Y/N ) RAN AWAY!!! I WILL KILL HIM MYSELF!"
You were taken back by your friend's anger and vengeance.
"Oi! Let me join the fun as well!" You heard a familiar voice at your back as well.
Nobara!
"( Y/N )! Get Nanami out of here! Itadori and I will take care of that ugly ass patch face motherfucker!" She said before charging at Mahito.
You were a slightly hesitant to leave at first before hearing Nanami groaning in pain. You ordered your curse to flight out of here.
Turning your head towards the group. Your prayers were on them to come back safe and sound. But you don't let your hope because the world isn't going to let you too.
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