🎉🎉JJK X FATE: Chapter 65/68

Chapter 65: The Cursed Spirit Born from the Curse

"Its strength is probably around Grade 1, so it's not much of a threat. Shuji, cast the Curtain."

As Eichi spoke, he prepared to order Qiongqi to attack.

However, to his surprise, the large fish-shaped Cursed Spirit ahead suddenly turned and swam rapidly into the distance.

"Why did it stop attacking all of a sudden?"

Eichi frowned in confusion.

"Is there something in that direction?"

Watching the creature retreat without looking back, Eichi asked Shuji curiously.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master Eichi."

Shuji quickly pulled a map from the car, marking their current location before drawing a line in the direction the Cursed Spirit had gone.

"Young Master Eichi, in that direction there's a village, and beyond that, a small island."

A village? Was it heading there?

No. If humans were its target, it should have attacked them first.

Could it be that its Cursed Energy had already reached its limit?

Eichi suddenly remembered the swarm of flea-like Cursed Spirits he had seen earlier inside the creature's body.

Could the energy released after those Cursed Spirits were destroyed have been enough to trigger something?

He wanted to pursue it and see what it was planning, but since there was a village ahead, he decided against it.

"Mahoraga!"

Mahoraga's massive form materialized beside him.

"Go."

At Eichi's command, Mahoraga leapt forward like a cannonball, instantly closing the distance and catching up to the giant fish Cursed Spirit.

The Sword of Exorcism in its right hand swung once, and the Cursed Spirit was instantly annihilated.

"Next location."

"Yes, Young Master Eichi."

At the same time, on a deserted island far away, Satoru stepped off a small boat.

"Where are you? Come out already."

He strolled across the beach arrogantly, calling out in a tone that made it sound like the Cursed Spirit was late to its own execution.

"Don't hide. Come out!"

He had arrived full of excitement. According to the Assistant Supervisor, the Window's report described the target as a sea monster-like Cursed Spirit with the form of a dinosaur.

A dinosaur. He'd seen dragons before, but a dinosaur was new.

So Satoru ventured into the island's dense forest with great anticipation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, a chubby man in glasses was running for his life.

"Damn it, what's happening? Why did someone die?"

He was a self-proclaimed expert on mysterious creatures who faked cryptid videos for fame and profit.

But this time, he had stumbled across something real.

"Ah!"

He tripped over a rock and fell hard, his glasses flying off. His vision blurred immediately.

"My glasses, where are my glasses…"

He scrambled blindly, finally finding them. When he put them on, even through cracked lenses, he froze.

A pair of human legs stood before him.

Just the legs.

As an ordinary person, he couldn't see the Cursed Spirit chewing on the upper half of his companion's body.

"God, what… what am I looking at?"

He had never imagined he would truly encounter something this horrifying.

Just as despair overtook him, a voice echoed through the forest.

"Found it. So this is where you were hiding."

A tall, white-haired man descended from midair, then punched something invisible.

The half-eaten man suddenly reappeared—whole again.

"Huh. Not dead yet."

Satoru glanced down at the now-unconscious man, then looked up at the creature in front of him.

Its form had a massive, bird-like beak.

"Shoko once said birds don't have teeth in their beaks. I wonder if the same applies to Cursed Spirits?"

He tilted his head, studying it with casual curiosity.

It really did look like a dinosaur, something between a bird and a Brontosaurus.

"Interesting. A Brontosaurus with a bird beak, huh?"

But the Cursed Spirit didn't appreciate being analyzed.

It lunged forward, thrusting its sharp beak straight toward Satoru, only for the attack to stop inches away.

Limitless.

"I've decided," he said cheerfully, "I'll call you Bird-Beaked Brontosaurus."

The Cursed Spirit screeched and attacked again.

"Boring."

Once the novelty wore off, Satoru lost interest completely.

"Cursed Technique Reversal: Blue."

A small sphere of Blue appeared in the path of the Cursed Spirit's charge.

The creature's head slammed into it. The next moment, its skull twisted and imploded, fragments scattering through the trees.

Satoru extended his hand, and Blue expanded forward, erasing what remained of the Cursed Spirit.

"So weak."

He sounded disappointed but not surprised. If every fight required his full power, the Jujutsu World would have fallen long ago.

"Truly, I'm just too strong."

He nodded to himself in satisfaction.

"Now then, was this one cursed?"

He glanced down at the man still barely breathing in his grasp.

"Forget it. The Assistant Supervisor can deal with that. Hey, you, come along."

With that, Satoru turned and casually strolled back toward the shore.

Meanwhile, at sea, Suguru sat astride a Pelican Cursed Spirit gliding over the waves.

The Cursed Spirit he had sent out earlier reported the target moving toward a fishing boat.

"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."

Since he had no Assistant Supervisor with him, Suguru cast the Curtain himself.

"Found it."

He quickly located the fishing boat ahead.

Onboard were two young people, a boy and a girl, both in swimsuits and holding harpoons, preparing to dive.

"This won't do."

Watching from an unseen angle, Suguru observed silently.

Under his command, the Cursed Spirits beneath the surface began to stir, churning the water violently.

The sudden waves made the small boat rock uncontrollably.

"Haruka, be careful!"

"Kenta!"

The two panicked, clinging to each other as the boat pitched wildly. Their planned dive abandoned, they hurriedly started back toward shore.

"Now for the Cursed Spirits. Rainbow Dragon."

A silver-white dragon emerged from the Cursed Spirit space, diving into the sea below.

Moments later, several massive shapes were forced to the surface—Cursed Spirits resembling giant jellyfish.

Under Suguru's control, the Rainbow Dragon lunged, ripping through the jellyfish with fierce precision.

In retaliation, the jellyfish wrapped their long tentacles around the dragon, striking and constricting it.

But their efforts were futile. The Rainbow Dragon's scales were too strong, its defense impenetrable.

Within moments, it tore their translucent bells apart, revealing the grotesque shapes of distorted human faces within.

"The missing fishermen…"

Suguru's eyes hardened.

His hatred toward the one responsible for creating these curses deepened.

As if resonating with its master's anger, the Rainbow Dragon roared, its attacks growing even more ferocious.

One after another, the jellyfish Cursed Spirits were shredded apart until none remained.

"Alright. I'll regroup with the Assistant Supervisor first, then head to the next location."

With that, Suguru urged the Pelican Cursed Spirit to take flight, heading toward the distant shore.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 66: Be Proud, You Are an Excellent Warrior

In a small cabin on a snowy mountain, Artoria was being warmly hosted by a middle school-aged boy.

"Here's some black tea, and there's also chocolate."

The boy's excited movements paused for a moment.

"Um, I forgot to ask earlier, what is your name?"

It seemed he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time, as his tone was awkward and hesitant.

"Just call me Saber. And you?"

Artoria smiled gently, signaling him not to be nervous.

"Sa...ber? So, Young Miss Saber is a foreigner."

"It's Saber, from Britain."

Artoria traced a few letters on the table with her finger.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. My name is Komori Satoshi, I'm from Saitama Prefecture."

Komori Satoshi apologized repeatedly. Ever since that incident, he had fled in fear and ended up hiding deep in this snowy mountain.

He hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time, especially not to someone as beautiful and kind as the woman before him.

"Saitama, huh? That's not close to here. What are you doing alone on this mountain? Aren't your family worried?"

Artoria asked, slightly puzzled.

She could sense Cursed Energy from the boy and knew he must be a Jujutsu Sorcerer.

As she spoke, she quietly sent his name to an Assistant Supervisor to look into his background.

"I..."

Komori hesitated, his hands trembling slightly.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it."

Her calm tone and gentle expression put him at ease.

Her words were warm, soft, and reassuring, loosening the fear that had bound him for so long.

Maybe it's okay to say it now. Even if I'm punished later, I deserve it.

"I hurt my classmates."

Having made up his mind, Komori lowered his head, his voice small and heavy with guilt.

"Why?"

Artoria couldn't believe that such a timid, polite boy would intentionally harm someone.

"They always bullied me. That day... I don't know what happened, I just couldn't control myself, and then..."

His voice grew quieter and quieter, as though he was afraid Artoria would hate him for it.

"Didn't you ask an adult for help?"

"The teacher said, 'Why do they only bully you and not others? You should look at yourself and try to get along better.'"

Komori's voice turned bitter as he recalled the teacher's condescending smile.

"My mother isn't well, and I didn't want to worry her."

He came from a single-parent family. His mother worked three jobs to support him, and after a serious illness, her health had never recovered.

"Can you tell me what happened that day?"

Artoria spoke softly, not pushing, but allowing him space to remember.

"That day, the three of them pushed me into an abandoned botanical garden. They said things like, 'You like flowers, so we'll let you play with them.'"

The memory made Komori's body tremble.

Those three bullies had shoved him into the decaying greenhouse, mocking him all the while.

"They said there were rare flowers in there... Then, we met a monster."

His voice shook as he continued.

"It was like a man-eating tree. Its vines wrapped around us. I was terrified, and suddenly, I don't know why, power burst out from inside me."

"Then I summoned countless thorns. They strangled the man-eating tree, and then..."

Komori's words faltered.

"Then they started screaming 'monster' at me and threw stones. I was scared... and angry... so I attacked them."

Artoria listened quietly.

So that was it.

Komori had unknowingly awakened his Technique in that moment of life and death.

Since Jujutsu Sorcerers draw Cursed Energy from negative emotions, the fear and rage he felt caused his Technique to lash out uncontrollably.

Those three bullies must have also seen the Cursed Spirit and Komori's Technique, since only those near death can perceive them.

Beep. Beep.

Artoria's phone chimed. The Assistant Supervisor had sent back Komori Satoshi's file.

Because he was listed as a missing person in a Cursed Spirit-related incident, Jujutsu Headquarters already had his records.

"Those three people are fine, you know."

"Eh?"

Komori looked up in shock.

"According to the Headquarters' report, they only suffered some surface injuries. One had minor blood loss, but none were in danger."

"Is that so?"

A faint smile formed on Komori's face.

He had thought he'd killed them.

But if they were alive...

No, he shouldn't have even thought of killing them. He shook his head hard.

"Also, I think you did nothing wrong."

Artoria's sudden words startled him.

"What?"

"Resisting injustice and oppression is a virtue. Standing up to those who hurt you is the right thing to do."

Clang.

It was as if her words broke invisible chains that had bound his heart for years.

All his life, Komori had been told to be obedient, to endure, to never fight back. To stay silent for peace.

Now, something inside him was beginning to awaken.

Thump. Thump.

Footsteps echoed outside the cabin. Something was moving in the snow.

Artoria's expression sharpened as she turned toward the door.

Just as she was about to draw her sword, Komori suddenly stepped in front of her.

"Danger, Young Miss Saber, step back."

A green shikigami covered in thorns materialized in front of them.

This was Komori's Technique.

Shikigami: Thorn Beast
Moves: Thorn Entanglement, Thorn Strangulation, Absorption, Parasitic Seed, Fatal Bloom.

Outside, a white Cursed Spirit nearly three meters tall trudged toward the cabin.

Komori clenched his fists and ordered the Thorn Beast to attack, its vines coiling tightly around the monster.

"Hmm, that's it."

Artoria nodded slightly as she watched.

Three days ago, a rescue team had saved a climber who'd been attacked on this very mountain.

According to her, a giant creature like a bigfoot had attacked them, and her father had stayed behind to draw it away.

Seeing that Komori was beginning to tire, Artoria decided to intervene.

She stepped forward, raising her invisible blade.

The Cursed Spirit, still thrashing against the vines, lunged toward Komori.

Artoria swung once.

"Eh?"

Komori froze, watching in awe.

The sunlight filtered through the window, bathing Artoria in a warm glow against the white snow.

"Listen carefully, Komori Satoshi."

"Y-yes."

Komori straightened instinctively, like a student before a teacher.

"To bravely resist injustice, to stand firm against danger—these are virtues worthy of pride. Hold your head high, Komori Satoshi. You are an excellent warrior."

A warmth spread through Komori's chest, and tears welled in his eyes, falling silently onto the cabin floor.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to KE for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 67: Crusade

Shimane Prefecture, coastal area.

A sedan sped down the road toward the shoreline.

Inside were three people, two Jujutsu Sorcerers and one Assistant Supervisor from Jujutsu Headquarters, heading to handle a recent curse incident.

"Haaah."

One of the Sorcerers yawned loudly.

"How long has it been? We're still not there."

The speaker was Yamamoto Kuma, a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer leading the mission.

Name: Yamamoto Kuma
Technique: Blazing Cursed Method
Moves: Incineration, Pillar of Flame, Flame Blade
Hobbies: Smoking, exercise
Dislikes: Water, cold

"It has been a long time indeed, but we should be close. This Cursed Spirit can't possibly leave Japan, can it?"

The man sitting in the back seat, dressed in a priest's robe, picked up a telescope and peered into the distance.

The speaker was Kanzaki Shingo, a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer assigned to assist Yamamoto Kuma.

Name: Kanzaki Shingo
Technique: Song of Baptism
Moves: Baptism, Blessing, Judgment
Hobbies: Watching movies
Dislikes: Monks

Kanzaki's Technique was better suited for support, which was why he had been paired with Yamamoto. The mission was to track a Cursed Spirit capable of spreading curses. Kanzaki's role was to ensure Yamamoto didn't get infected or cursed during battle.

The Cursed Spirit that Headquarters had captured had reached full Cursed Energy accumulation by midnight the day before. Soon after, it began violently resisting its restraints, trying to escape.

Jujutsu Headquarters released it under controlled monitoring, and the three of them were tasked to follow it and discover the truth behind its strange behavior.

"Oh, something's happening."

Kanzaki suddenly spoke, keeping his eyes on the telescope.

"Where? Let me see."

Yamamoto immediately snatched the telescope from him.

Kanzaki sighed and pointed toward the direction he had just been observing.

A black figure was moving rapidly across the sea surface, heading in the same direction as the Cursed Spirit they were tracking.

"That direction is... an island?"

Yamamoto adjusted the telescope, focusing on the distance behind the Cursed Spirit.

That must be where it came from, he thought, the source of all this.

"Just in case, go prepare the boat."

He ordered the Assistant Supervisor, then got out of the car with Kanzaki and rushed toward the shore.

"Following it for hours finally paid off."

"Alright, alright, stop complaining. Headquarters is paying well for this mission."

Kanzaki chuckled, trying to calm his impatient senior.

Soon, they reached the beach.

To their surprise, the Cursed Spirit didn't continue following the black figure on the sea. Instead, it froze in place.

The next moment, the shadowy figure surfaced, coming ashore before them. It lunged and bit into the Cursed Spirit's shadow.

A sharp, sickening tearing sound echoed through the air.

Even though only the shadow was bitten, the Cursed Spirit's body reacted as if physically struck.

Before their stunned eyes, the creature's body dissolved, leaving only a severed foot behind before it vanished completely.

"Kanzaki, what was that?"

"I don't know. At first, I thought it was a fish-type Cursed Spirit, but now... it looks like a shadow."

Kanzaki's voice was uncertain.

"Yeah, it's almost as if a shadow turned into a monster."

"A fish-shaped Cursed Spirit that hunts shadows? That reminds me of a legend."

"What legend?"

Yamamoto glanced at him, intrigued. Kanzaki often traveled for his missionary work and knew many old stories.

"It's said that long ago, there was a man-eating yokai called the Shadow Crocodile. It was pitch-black like a giant fish and lived in the sea. It devoured the shadows of fishermen, and when their shadows vanished, their bodies disappeared too."

Kanzaki's tone grew more serious as he spoke.

"I see. No wonder they sent me here."

Hearing that, Yamamoto smirked confidently.

Jujutsu Headquarters had mentioned that this creature feared light. That made perfect sense.

A shadow would naturally be vulnerable to brightness and heat.

And his own Blazing Cursed Method was the perfect counter.

A small boat soon arrived, piloted by the Assistant Supervisor. The two Sorcerers climbed aboard and set out toward the nearby island.

"This must be the place."

Yamamoto stomped out his cigarette, unstrapped the katana from his back, and led the way into a dim cave.

"These are... talismans?"

Kanzaki frowned at the shredded paper charms and broken shimenawa scattered across the floor.

"So, it really was man-made. Let's finish this quickly and get our pay."

"You're confident as ever."

"Of course. I'm a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. What are the chances I'd run into a Special Grade on a random mission? If anyone's unlucky, it's you."

Kanzaki smirked. "I'm blessed by the Lord. If misfortune strikes, it'll hit you first."

He pulled a Bible from his robe, holding it like a charm.

"It's here."

Yamamoto's tone dropped low, his gaze locking onto a large well at the back of the cave.

From within it, the Shadow Crocodile slowly emerged.

Cursed Energy rippled violently through the air. Yamamoto's katana flared with crimson flames.

Sensing danger, the creature began circling the two Sorcerers, wary to strike first.

"Stop wasting time. If you won't come to me, I'll come to you."

Yamamoto charged forward, his blade igniting brighter.

The Shadow Crocodile, with multiple fins and a tail resembling a blooming flower, darted through the darkness, dodging the incoming strikes.

Clang.

Yamamoto's blade hit the ground, but the edge grazed the creature's form.

A pained hiss erupted from it, like a snake's cry.

A piece of its inky flesh was burned away.

Yamamoto grinned.

"Haha, no matter how weird it looks, it's still just a Cursed Spirit. If it bleeds Cursed Energy, it can die. Burn!"

He lunged again, flames flaring from his sword in a blazing arc.

Boom.

The sword strike formed a fiery ring, and from the ground erupted a Pillar of Flame that consumed the creature.

The Shadow Crocodile's body dissolved in the fire.

"Done and dusted."

"Yamamoto, behind you!"

"Huh?"

Before he could react, Kanzaki's alarmed voice rang out.

Splash.

"Ahhh!"

Another Shadow Crocodile erupted from the darkness, biting off Yamamoto's right arm, the one that held his blade.

"Die, Incineration!"

Yamamoto roared, thrusting his left hand forward. Flames burst outward, engulfing the creature in a sea of fire until it was reduced to ash.

"Ugh... ah."

He clutched the stump of his arm. A gray-black curse began spreading from the wound.

Kanzaki rushed to his side.

"Abyss... Heavenly Light... Divine Blessing!"

As he chanted, his Cursed Energy surged, and his Baptism Technique began to purify the spreading curse.

Slowly, the black corruption receded.

"Damn it... what was that just now?!"

Yamamoto gritted his teeth.

"It must have been a second one."

"Huh?"

"That one attacked from the rock's shadow. There's more than one Shadow Crocodile here."

The next moment, a massive wave of Cursed Energy erupted from the well.

Both men turned toward it in horror.

From the depths of the darkness, countless Shadow Crocodiles began crawling out.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to KE for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 68: The Girl Chasing the Cursed Spirit

Boom. Boom.

The pitch-black cave was repeatedly illuminated by bursts of fire.

"Incinerate!"

Flames gathered in Yamamoto's hand, spreading out in a cone that scorched the ground.

More than a dozen Shadow Crocodile Cursed Spirits slithering across the floor were instantly reduced to ashes by the searing blaze.

"Damn it, how many more are there?"

"There shouldn't be many left."

Behind him, Kanzaki continued chanting blessings, strengthening Yamamoto's flames.

Crackle.

The sound of fire echoed through the cave as Yamamoto held up a small orb of flame in his left hand.

"Heh, this is endless. Can you keep up, Kanzaki?"

Yamamoto clicked his tongue in frustration as the shadows kept multiplying.

"I won't collapse before you do."

Kanzaki's tired but steady voice gave Yamamoto a flicker of reassurance.

In a life-or-death battle, knowing someone had your back was no small comfort.

"Hissss."

A deeper, heavier hiss reverberated through the cavern.

A massive figure emerged from the darkness, its presence radiating despair.

The creature was dozens of meters long, its lower body lined with fins shaped like blooming petals. Its entire body was covered in eyes—hundreds of them—glinting in the dim light.

Unlike the other pitch-black Shadow Crocodiles, this one's scales shimmered faintly with distorted colors beneath the darkness.

It was unsettling, as if someone had tried to paint "colorful black."

"Is that... the real body of the Shadow Crocodile Cursed Spirit?"

Yamamoto's voice trembled slightly.

"Hey, Yamamoto, look near its tail."

Kanzaki pointed toward the creature's rear.

There, a bulge began to form.

Pop.

A pustule burst open, revealing another eyeball on the creature's body.

Both men froze when they recognized it.

It was the same eye as the Cursed Spirit they had been tracking earlier.

"Hey, Kanzaki."

"What?" Kanzaki looked at him, equally tense.

"We need to run."

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? Exorcising a monster like this isn't our job. We've got the intel. Do you want to die here?"

Yamamoto's shout snapped Kanzaki out of his daze.

"What do we do?"

"I remember one of your Techniques hits especially hard against Cursed Spirits, right?"

"Yes, but it only targets one enemy, and the cost is huge. I can only use it once a day."

"Then this is the time. Hit that thing with everything you've got. I'll clear a path with Incinerate. Once I do, run. Don't look back."

"Got it."

Kanzaki nodded firmly. With a plan, some of his fear faded.

The surrounding shadows crept closer, and Yamamoto's flames burned brighter.

"So it really does hate light. Makes sense—it's a shadow, after all."

Yamamoto muttered, trying to keep his nerves steady.

To the Shadow Crocodiles, the two Sorcerers were already prey. They simply hadn't decided when to strike.

"Divine Revelation."

"Spirit Radiance."

"Heaven's Punishment."

As Kanzaki chanted, Yamamoto unleashed a wave of fire to repel another incoming attack.

"Judgment!"

Blinding lightning formed in Kanzaki's hands and shot forward, striking the Shadow Crocodile's true body head-on.

"Run!"

Yamamoto swung his arm, his flames bursting into a blazing corridor of light.

Kanzaki followed behind, his body aching and lungs burning as they sprinted toward the cave's exit.

But before they could reach it, the entrance darkened. Pitch-black shadows spread across the opening, sealing them inside.

"This can't be real."

Kanzaki's voice cracked with despair.

Behind them, the giant Shadow Crocodile split open vertically from its head, revealing a massive mouth.

The last thing they saw was the endless darkness rushing toward them.

Squelch.

Then, silence.

The cave was quiet once more.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned village not far away, another battle raged.

A grotesque Cursed Spirit crouched low to the ground, its limbs twisted like an insect's, its neck long and worm-like. A pained human face struggled to emerge from its fanged mouth.

Facing it stood a young girl dressed in blue ethnic clothing.

"Damn it, my tuning fork."

Shijima Naji cursed under her breath.

She had been ambushed while resting in this deserted village, and her ancestral cursed tool had been knocked from her hand.

Now, using only her sword, she fought desperately against the Cursed Spirit's relentless attacks.

Its worm-like neck struck like a whip while its insectoid legs slashed from every direction.

"This can't go on."

Naji gritted her teeth, searching for an opening.

Dodging another lunge, she sprinted toward a nearby building.

Rumble.

The creature's long neck smashed through the two-story house like a wrecking ball.

Through the dust, Naji rolled and lunged forward, breaking through the monster's defenses.

She grabbed her tuning fork from the debris and struck it against her sword.

Ding–mm.

The vibration created a strange sound that froze the Cursed Spirit mid-motion.

"Huff, huff... I won."

Panting, she raised her sword to finish the job.

But before she could strike, the Cursed Spirit's body twitched. Its resistance flared, breaking free from the tuning fork's effect.

The worm-like head lashed forward again.

"Ah!"

The impact sent Naji flying backward. Her sword blocked the bite just in time, or she would have been torn apart.

"Damn it, why?"

"Probably the Rank."

A calm male voice came from behind her.

"Huh?"

She turned to see a young man in a black school uniform standing casually nearby.

"The higher the Rank of the Cursed Spirit, the higher its resistance to Techniques. That's common sense, isn't it?"

Eichi looked down at her with a faintly puzzled expression, then extended his hand.

Naji hesitated, but instinctively reached out.

At that exact moment, the Cursed Spirit lunged again.

"How unromantic."

Eichi sighed in annoyance.

From above, a massive ancient beast descended, landing with earth-shaking force.

Qiongqi crushed the Cursed Spirit underfoot, unmoved by its thrashing.

"Deal with it."

Eichi's calm command echoed.

Qiongqi opened its maw and bit off the creature's head in one clean motion.

Naji stared blankly at the sight.

It felt unreal, like something straight out of a legend.

"Don't just sit there. Come on."

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"To bathe and change, of course. Or do you plan to go home looking like that?"

At the mention of "bath" and "home," Naji's cheeks flushed slightly, but after a moment, she nodded.

Eichi was right, after all.

So, still blushing faintly, she followed him.

(To be continued.)