You spotted a few third grades on the way. So far, you've been able to get three whole points for Tokyo! Though you couldn't help but to feel there was something off about it all. You know your path has been a little unconventional, but you haven't seen anyone or anything but third-grades this whole time. Where was everyone?
Continuing on, you looked around for any unnatural movements. But all you saw were the occasional birds or mice. It was strangely peaceful for being a high stake competition. As you kept running into more animals, you started to notice a trend. They were all scattering in the same direction. Specifically, they were running away from where you were headed.
That was never a good sign. If they were running away, that meant there was something strong over here. Was it another student? Was it a curse? You couldn't really tell, but you always had the bug Satoru gave you to fall back on. Your only job was to exorcize third grades, which seemed easy enough.
You stumbled your way into an open clearing, trees cascading in the rich afternoon light as they passed through to the open grass. It would have been beautiful, had the light illuminated anything else but...
Blood.
On the lush green grass were speckles of crimson. There were spots where it was lightly sprinkled, and spots where it was smeared around to mix together with the dirt. Every single mark was brash and sporadic, and there was enough to be concerning.
Now, curses don't bleed. This meant there had to be another student around - and judging by the color it was fresh. Did your classmates already find the other Kyoto students and get tangled in a battle? Judging by the debris, there was a clear winner. As your eyes peered around to get a few more hints, you froze up as you heard the faint whispering of a voice behind you.
"Get... the fuck out of here."
A disfigured form spat, bloody and beaten down in a rough state shielded, or perhaps hiding in one of the bushes around the open grass. There was a certain toxicity in his gaze... a gaze you wish you could forget.
Naoya Zen'in.
After how well it was going, it was inevitable some misfortune would come your way. Though you knew you were going to encounter him eventually - if not now, during the one-on-one's. No matter how much you accepted this fact, you couldn't help but freeze up.
"What the hell are you doing?!?" He barked up, a few splats of blood leaving his lips pursed in a scowl. "Get out of here! This is my prey!"
Before he could finish, he got the air knocked out of his lungs as something crushed down on his back. Well, not something... but a curse. A curse so poignant you weren't sure what you should be fearing more at this moment.
To ignore Naoya, to ignore anything above a third grade, that is what Satoru wanted you to do. You've had your tries defying him in the past, but it always ended up backfiring. Maybe it was finally time to listen to your gut.
Turning around, you bolted the hell away from there. But before you could get far, something hooked onto your neck. You didn't expect this, eyes widening at the rough and unexpected sensation.
It wasn't human.
•~•
"Tsk," Naobito spat, looking away from the screen in distaste. "I taught him better than to get tossed around like that."
Naoya was the unlucky student who found the first grade curse before anyone else could. All the Clan Heads understood that this curse was too much for a first year who stormed off on his own. Despite that, it was an embarrassing display from the Zen'in clan since Naoya didn't have a single point to back his name yet. It was an unfortunate position to be in, the Gojo Clan head was almost even sorry for him if he knew Naoya wasn't a brat fully deserving to be humbled.
Though a small smirk coated the Gojo Clan Head's lips watching the one-sided fight unfold before him, it would quickly vanish as he saw a familiar figure on one of the cameras making their way towards the scene.
Cursing under his breath he couldn't exactly voice his caution or fears in the room, especially given his company. But everyone's eyes would naturally gravitate to the area of the first grade curse, and realize you were coming in close.
"That's the time manipulation girl, right?" One of the voices in the room picked up.
And as soon as it was revealed, you were all anyone talked about.
"What, she has 2 points? 3 points right now?" Another piped in.
"But those were just from weaklings. Does she have the skill to exorcise a first grade?"
"Of course she does! She made it out alive from a Toji Zen'in assassination! She's the only one who has!"
Naobito couldn't help but roll his eyes at the ex Zen'in's mention, other Zen'in clan members shrivelling at the thought.
"..."
"Oh look, she's running."
Just like that, all of the energy in the room dissipated into disappointment. Though this wasn't the best case scenario, it most definitely wasn't the worst. And that, the Gojo Clan Head could deal with. But just before he could sigh in relief, the atmosphere in the room took a sharp turn.
"Hey... isn't that a little..." one of the voices chimed in from the room, frozen in their spot.
"It's supposed to be a first grade right?" Someone else added. "A first grade isn't supposed to be that cunning to use her as a hostage. Are they sure they identified it correctly?"
"Maybe someone should stop the game..." Another voice butted in from the back. "There's something fishy about this all."
The more the murmurs got, the more he worried. Whether it was a first grade or special wouldn't matter if Satoru found it. But since you got in the crossfire, things could get messy. Even if they stopped the games, you were already caught in the middle. There would need to be some sort of rescue mission - which would most likely go to his son.
He could already hear Satoru's anger at the Higher-ups, unrestrained for having such a grand oversight in the games. He's been on edge for a while - that his father could tell. But this event could be just what pushes him over.
Instinctively, the clan head stood from his seat before gasps filled the room.
•~•
"Cursed Technique: Oscilation!" You yelled out as the cursed spirit tried to pull you back. To your surprise it worked, but wasn't as effective as it was on the third grade. If anything, this was only enough to shake it for a good few seconds.
But these few seconds were enough for you to break out of the spirits grasp and think about a game plan.
"N-Naoya-" you struggled to get his name off of your lips, "How fast can you go?!"
"If you think I'm going to run from that y-"
"JUST ANSWER MY FUCKING QUESTION!"
He blinked, a little shaken. He didn't expect you to be that assertive, but he couldn't really argue in the position he was in.
"I'd be able to outrun the curse, if that's what you're wanting." Naoya rolled his eyes, before coughing out some blood. "I just... need a good 10 minutes to recuperate."
Whether it was pain, terror, fear, or a different mix of emotions you shook it off to clear your head. You needed to escape this. If Naoya wasn't able to exorcise this curse, there was no possible way you'd be able to. And if you call Satoru, you were scared of how he'd react to the possibility of being this curses hostage.
Whether you liked it or not, you were going to have to work together with Naoya.
Running past the curse, you imbued some of your cursed energy to freeze it in time. You weren't sure how long it was going to last, so you had to be quick.
"Hold still," you muttered, placing your hands on his back before closing your eyes. You've never healed someone this hur-... no. You had no room to doubt yourself when your life's on the line, so you closed your eyes and just did it. Your practice with Shoko, your failed and successful efforts, all of that experience went into curse reverse technique healing Naoya.
You heard something crack, but paid no mind. You were only starting to worry when you looked up to see your technique start to wear out on the cursed spirit.
"I... I don't have enough time," you panicked. Though Naoya was in a better spot, you realistically couldn't heal him enough before the curse broke through your technique, coming towards you at a ridiculous speed.
Aborting your attempts to help the wounded sorcerer, you put out your arms to brace for the spirits attack moments before it landed. Though you were thrown back into a tree, you were able to keep the important parts of your body safe. You mentally thanked Akio for his sudden and brash streaks of training.
Readjusting to your opponent infront of you, you stood back up to prepare for the next attack. Since you were on your feet, you were mobile enough that you think you'd be able to dodge the next attack. Luckily you were right as you side stepped away as the curse got too close, opening for your first recoil attack.
"Freeze!" You hissed out, stopping the curse in place for one second. This was enough for you to get in a few good blows. But no matter how many blows you got, none of them were good enough to bruise this curse. It was way too tough for any reasonable person to deal with it. Was this really a first grade spirit?!
As your fists bounced off the spirit, you knew you didn't have much time to come up with another strategy to occupy it. If you weren't able to distract it, you needed to find a way to exorcize it. The only person you knew who could exorcize this curse was Satoru.
What would he do? His technique operates at an atomic level, so surely he'd damage it through its molecular structure. The closest thing you had to that was Oscilation, but you've already tried it.
But maybe it would work if you focused it on one area?
"Cursed Technique: Oscillate!" You yelled, focusing your cursed energy on its arm. Concentrating it was more effective, the arm shaking vigorously until it snapped off. With the moment of surprise you ducked down, knocking the curse over before striking its open back with a fist full of cursed energy.
This was more effective. Coughing up blood, the curse turned his head angrily towards you as it began reverse-curse healing its own limb back together.
"Damn it!" You spat as the curse retaliated, smashing you to the ground in its place. Realizing your body was trapped in a crater the impact created, you panicked in an attempt to slide your way out. Though you were successful, the curse scratched a nasty wound in your side as you got up.
You knew the curse drew blood, but you refused to look. Keeping your head up, you spat out some blood before raising your fists again. Light on your feet, low to the ground, use your limited height to your advantage!
Putting in a few more blows, the curse was able to block most of them with ease. But this was just a distraction. You were plotting something extremely difficult - something you didn't think you'd ever be able to do.
"Oscilation!" You growled, dropping to place your hand on the muddy soil below you.
Japan is uniquely situated on the Ring of Fire. This is a spot where the earth's tectonic plates converge and crash against each other with unequivocated power, and cause what humans have named - earthquakes.
On September 1st 1923, Japan was faced with the Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake. With a magnitude of 7.9, it struck Tokyo killing over 140,000 in the wreckage.
This was the very same earthquake that was now below your feet.
You adjusted yourself to the rumbling ground, as the curse was struggling to realize what was happening. As the curse tumbled about, you were able to use the confusion to your advantage, grabbing onto the curse before words you never thought you'd utter left your lips.
Jujutsu Sorcery is a mix of techniques, strategies and cursed energy output. But there's one thing that sets jujutsu sorcerers apart from eachother... a division from decent to top-of-the-line that sorcerers often drool about.
"DOMAIN EXPANSION!"
...
But nothing happened.
After oscillating multiple third grade curses, reverse-curse technique healing Naoya and summoning an earthquake from 1923 below your feet, you were completely drained out of cursed energy. So it was no wonder you had nothing left for a domain expansion, let alone for a normal technique.
Panicked, you tried to hop back to get away but it was too late. With the ground beginning to stabilize, the curse grabbed onto you. This time, its grip was crushing your body with unrestrained strength.
You choked out, trying to get any semblance of breath in your lungs. But it was difficult. Now that you had no more cursed energy to give, you were at the mercy of this curse. You could very much die here. "T-toru... Sato..."
Vision darkening, you could only hope that the curse accidentally crushed the bug - or that by some string of fate Satoru would've been in the area to feel the earthquake. Even if you were on deaths door, his reaction to this would still be better than to your corpse. Was it foolish for you to stay and fight the curse without calling him over? Maybe. But the curse was too ridiculously strong to be merely a first grade.
As you murmured your last goodbyes and final regrets as your windpipes were crushed, something came to slice the arm of the cursed spirit crushing you. Something you would have never expected.
"N-Naoya-?" His name weakly left your lips in disbelief. Were you just hallucinating, or was it really Naoya Zen'in who came to your rescue?
"I told you, I only needed 3 minutes!"
The boy's gaze was fixed forward, holding you roughly over his shoulder as he bolted out of the area. You thought he said he needed more time, but that could just be you misremembering. Either way, you were too exhausted to react to the situation you found yourself in.
"Sa... Satoru..." you weakly muttered out. You were still hanging on for dear consciousness, but you could feel yourself slipping. Any second now you'd be out cold. "P-please... there's a bug. Satoru..."
"Speak of the devil," Naoya sneered, looking ahead. But the sight he expected vs what he got were two different things altogether.
"What's going on here?" Satoru's familiar voice snapped, though you couldn't really read the expression on his face. No you couldn't quite read anything right now. Everything was getting quite blurry and dark, only hearing bits and pieces of everything. "...et go of her!"
"I just saved her ass, thank y..."
"...re you joking? That's not wh..."
"...h shit she's gonna pass out. Is that other chi..."
"...seless, now's not the ti..."
"Y/n- Y/n!"
Kyoto Sister School Goodwill Event
Team Battle
Y/n L/n - Eliminated