65

.

He looks upset.

… But even so, the expression that Satoru-niichan is currently wearing does not appear to be one of contorted rage. Instead, it's a distinct sort of ice-cold fury. A rare look. The closest that Shiki has ever seen towards this sort of expression on her cousin's face was… back at the time when she'd been kidnapped by Araya Souren, three years ago.

Even then, despite his displeasure, Satoru-niichan had smiled and laughed and acted with deliberate, casual ease. A far cry from the glacial look in his eyes, now.

Is it because of Geto-san, perhaps? Despite the curse user's claims of being completely uninvolved in Araya's plots, the very fact that he was present here at all, with this sort of timing, remained highly suspect. Although Geto Suguru was ostensibly only present due to hearing that 'Araya was up to something dangerous,' that sort of flimsy non-explanation… wasn't something Shiki could rely on, or trust in.

(What would it mean, if Geto-san had known exactly what Araya would be up to during Obon?)

… At the very least, it's impossible that Geto-san wouldn't have known that there would be many sorcerers gathering together in Kyoto for the festival. And usually, a curse user who was on the run would want to stay far away from such a gathering–

Unless there was a specific, unavoidable reason why they needed to be here.

…

Geto-san smiles. A light, friendly expression. It even seems genuine, which Shiki finds mildly alarming.

"Hey there, Satoru." Geto-san looks away from her as he turns to face Satoru-niichan fully. He raises his hand and gives a small little wave in greeting. "You're here a lot sooner than I expected."

"You really think those second-rate puppets could've held me back? I'm insulted," Satoru-niichan snorts. "Aren't you underestimating me a little too much, Suguru?"

"I would never make a mistake like that," Geto-san folds his hands together within the billows of his voluminous sleeves, "You are, after all, the Strongest."

… It's clear that there's some sort of hidden subtext going on here, because Satoru-niichan's expression suddenly changes slightly, shuttering. But he shakes it off swiftly enough, and does not flinch from directly locking eyes with his estranged friend.

"If you accept that I'm the 'Strongest,'" he says flatly to the curse user, "Then just save us all the trouble and turn yourself in. Stop gallivanting all over the world to build your cult."

Geto-san laughs.

"Turn myself in to the jujutsu administration that has placed a kill order on me?" he shakes his head. "The very same administration that, even now, still refuses to do anything about the deplorable state of affairs that sorcerers are in?"

"Well, I don't know," Satoru-niichan drawls. "But isn't it a little hypocritical of you to be talking as if you're the one working for the betterment of sorcerers as a whole, when you're ignoring one who's injured right in front of you?"

Without waiting for a response, the white-haired sorcerer steps forward. There is a blur of movement, a whirlwind of motion–

Geto-san tenses and–

Shiki blinks.

… Satoru-niichan.

A familiar hand rests protectively on her shoulder. Then, Shiki finds herself carefully gathered up into a warm pair of arms. Yet no matter how gentle the movement is, it's still jarring to the injuries scarred into her body. Injuries that somehow all seem to decide that this is the perfect moment to simultaneously scream in acute pain,to the point where her vision nearly blanks out again.

Shiki instinctively bites down on her tongue, in her determination to remain silent. Her throat is dry, and there's renewed blood in her mouth.

"I've got you," her cousin's voice sounds comfortingly beside her ear, a low murmur.

… It's unfair. Utterly unfair, how Satoru-niichan can make her feel like she's just a small child again with only three words. Unbidden, a phantom stinging sensation rises sharply behind her eyes, and Shiki is forced to blink rapidly in order to force the reflexive physiological reaction to subside.

"You should put me down." Shiki is acutely aware that she's in a terrible state right now, but Geto-san is still here. If he tries to flee again… at the very least, Satoru-niichan will want to have his hands free to deal with that. Also, "I'm getting blood on you."

Her cousin's fingers twitch, as if forcibly abandoning a motion in order to remain still. "You think I care about that?"

"But it's inconvenient for you, isn't it?"

"Nope," Satoru-niichan promptly denies as he gently readjusts his hold on her. Then, firmly and deliberately, "You'll never be too big for me to carry."

The phrasing is… familiar. He's said this to her before at some point, hasn't he? These exact words?

Suddenly, there is an inexplicable surge of something strange that wells up in her chest at this realization. Something that feels so very full, to the point of bursting. Light, and warmth. For a moment, even the incessant pain burning white-hot in her mangled body seems to subside and fade.

Crystalline blue eyes take another good long look at her, creasing slightly with concern, before Satoru-niichan finally lifts his gaze to refocus on the curse user standing across from them. Geto-san has been content to watch them in silence from the side this entire time while Satoru-niichan busied himself with checking Shiki's state, instead of attempting to make an escape…

… Likely because they all knew that Satoru-niichan could and would still react in an instant if he chose to run.

"What are you doing here, Suguru?" Satoru-niichan asks, in a neutral voice that makes it difficult to discern what he's thinking. A tone that's somehow markedly devoid of friendliness towards the man who is his best friend.

The criminal sorcerer shrugs harmlessly. "There were certain matters that I wished to clarify with Araya Souren."

Silence hangs in the air, as it becomes apparent that Geto-san is not about to add anything else to his answer.

"… That's it?" Satoru-niichan is unimpressed. "You're not going to offer any explanations?"

"I don't need to, because that's really all there is to it," Geto-san maintains calmly. "… I'll admit to having attempted to recruit him before. But if you'll recall, Araya Souren and I were never actually allies with each other. In the end, Araya's goals and mine… differ greatly. The same goes for our methods. I intend to help sorcerers, not harm them."

The man raises a hand, and snaps his fingers. At the signal, there is an accompanying sound, the steady fluttering of beating wings.

Then, an avian cursed spirit descends from above. It's white, and massive. Almost resembling a pelican in form, if not in scale. Unlike a regular bird, however, it possesses four feathery wings. Long white pinions that, when fully outstretched, almost block out the sky entirely.

… Shiki hadn't noticed its presence at all, injured as she was and attention distracted by… everything, really. But Satoru-niichan does not seem surprised. Her cousin's expression does not change in the least, even as the birdlike cursed spirit opens its beak–

–and deposits the limp, unconscious forms of several people onto the ground.

With a small start that sends a fresh wave of pain coursing through her body, Shiki realizes that it's the Tokyo students. All four of them. They're–!

"They should all be fine," Geto-san says, gesturing vaguely towards the students. Kirara definitely isn't looking too good, but he's still alive, which is relieving to see. "I saw them falling when I broke through the Curtain earlier, so figured that I'd lend a hand. One of them definitely needs to see Shoko, though… and the same definitely goes for Shiki as well."

Is that concern she's hearing from him?

… Not for the first time, Shiki finds herself thoroughly confused by Geto Suguru.

Satoru-niichan doesn't appear to share her confusion, although it's clear that he doesn't entirely understand what's going through Geto-san's mind, either. "… You helped them."

"Of course I did," Geto-san's expression turns exasperated. "And I intend to help you, too."

It's only due to her close proximity to her cousin and the fact that she's curled right up against his chest that Shiki is able to catch the precise moment when his breath hitches near-imperceptibly.

But only for a single instant.

"Suguru," her cousin sighs, "Killing all non-sorcerers is the last thing that would help me. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"You still don't see it," Geto-san shakes his head, "Satoru, there needs to be change."

"Change, sure. But not like this," Satoru-niichan argues. "There's no purpose to meaningless slaughter. You can't just start massacring people and expect to–"

"No, there is meaning to what I'm doing." The curse user's voice is steady and implacable as he suddenly cuts her cousin off in the middle of his words. Steady and implacable, and all the more cruel towards Satoru-niichan for it. If Shiki weren't injured right now, she would–"AndI've already told you this before, haven't I? … My mind is set. I've already decided on my path. So, all that's left is to do what I can, to the best of my ability… and see it through to the end."

Satoru-niichan exhales slowly. "… Isn't your goal to achieve a world where there aren't any cursed spirits? But the fear and terror that would result from killing so many people would only create even more cursed spirits on top of the ones that exist already. How would that benefit sorcerers?"

"Ha, you're trying to convince me to change my mind?" Geto-san smiles softly. "I'm genuinely happy that you're still willing to try and talk things out with me. To address your question… yes. I want a world where there aren't any cursed spirits, so no sorcerer will ever continue to suffer beneath the burden of a task that they never asked for."

"Then why would you just exacerbate–?"

"Because it's not enough to just create a world without cursed spirits," the other man retorts without hesitation. "Listen to me. Strictly speaking, instead of 'a world without cursed spirits,' the ideal is 'a world where no cursed spirits are born,' as Tsukumo proposes. Except… that will never happen, as long as non-sorcerers exist. So then, it's only logical that they would need to be removed entirely, isn't it?"

No, it's not.

"No, it's not," Satoru-niichan's response echo Shiki's own thoughts exactly.

The curse user tilts his head, an inscrutable look in his eyes. "… Still going to tell me that it's impossible?"

Satoru-niichan opens his mouth, and closes it mutely. Even so, Shiki can clearly hear the irritated tsk that escapes from his lips, and she realizes that there's context behind this innocuous statement that she's missing, too.

Geto-san sighs into the sudden silence.

"This is necessary," he proclaims. "Non-sorcerers are monkeys who are unable to control their cursed energy, and they're the reason why there are cursed spirits in this world at all. The only proper solution, then, is to kill. Cull the herd… until only sorcerers remain."

"… I think you're skipping several steps in concluding that as your only solution, Suguru."

"Am I?" Geto-san chuckles. "So long as they are incapable of sorcery, cursed spirits will continue to be endlessly born as negativity festers. And the vast majority of the non-sorcerer populace is, unfortunately, utterly incapable of using cursed energy. Satoru, do you know what the commonality is between sorcerers who come from non-sorcerer backgrounds?"

The pause is brief. Evidently, Geto-san isn't really looking for a response to the question that he poses, because he swiftly proceeds to answer it on his own.

"It's 'danger,'" he says.

"… Hah?"

"Awakening to their potential in a life-threatening situation. Responding to visceral emotions of 'fear' and 'terror.' Reacting to an extreme 'pressure' in their environment," Geto-san claps his hands together, a sharp, sudden sound that echoes in their surroundings. "There needs to be a certain 'catalyst' in order for latent abilities to be realized."

Satoru-niichan catches onto the man's implications in a heartbeat. "You want to force people to become sorcerers? … Are you crazy? Abilities are innately determined at birth, and it's impossible for–"

"No, it's completely possible, Satoru." Geto-san points directly towards them –directly towards Shiki. "Shiki is proof enough of that, isn't she? She was a perfectly regular girl, prior to her awakening as a sorcerer."

… If Araya's words about Shiki being his personal experiment and designed to possess the abilities that she did were to be believed, then that would be a lie, actually.

But, Geto-san wasn't exactly wrong about traumatic experiences often acting as triggers for those from civilian backgrounds to become aware of previously-unknown aptitudes for sorcery. Kirara, for example, had been completely unaware of his own abilities for most of his life… prior to the incident in his old school that had led him to learning about the jujutsu world.

… Satoru-niichan isn't wrong, either. Whether or not an individual awakens to their abilities during their lifetime is one matter, and whether or not there are even such abilities running in their blood is another matter entirely.

And the irrefutable truth is: The vast majority of the human population does not possess any potential for sorcery.

"Evolve, or die," Geto-san continues. "This is just natural selection, really. The chances are low and the number of sorcerers will be few, but it's a crucible that they must experience. Towards monkeys, this is the only mercy that I have to offer."

"Suguru–"

"You don't agree with me." The curse user shakes his head, long hair swaying with the motion. "… I didn't expect you to. You've chosen your path –and I've chosen mine. I decided on this years ago, Satoru."

There's a certain sort of finality to those words, as simple as they are.

Shiki leans her head against her cousin's shoulder, ignoring the slight jolt of pain that the motion causes. At this point, her body has already started growing numb, and it's so very difficult to keep herself awake and attentive to the ongoing dialogue.

… But if Shiki were to fall unconscious, then it would be a sign to Satoru-niichan that her injuries couldn't be delayed any further, and force him to cut the conversation short.

Satoru-niichan has been chasing Geto-san for years, wanting to have a proper conversation with his friend. The current circumstances are… not ideal, to say the least… but Shiki knows that this is an important conversation for her cousin, so…

Bear it. Endure.

Her eyelids grow heavy. Cooling blood crusts on her skin and sticks to her clothing, an unpleasant sensation.

"… Suguru, you're charging forward into a dead end," her cousin's voice drifts from somewhere above her. "And if you truly intend to kill all non-sorcerers, then I won't be able to stand by and let it happen. I'd have to kill you."

"I've told you before: Kill me, if you want. There's meaning in that."

Shiki stares at Geto-san, then slowly turns her gaze towards her cousin. Even now, despite the resounding confirmation from the man himself that he has no intention of reconciling and stopping his genocidal plans… it still does not appear as if Satoru-niichan actually wants Geto-san dead.

… Really, Satoru-niichan?

"Take the children with you, Satoru," she hears Geto-san saying. For some reason, though, the curse user's voice is starting to sound distant, with an uncertain quality to it that almost sounds as if she's listening to him speak from underwater… "I don't intend to fight you. And I'm sure that you also know this isn't the time to be fighting, not when…"

…

… How strange. Shiki… can't hear any voices… at all, anymore…

.

.

"You're awake!"

Everything hurts.

From the sunlight stinging her eyes, to the dull pain aching in her body, to the way that her left arm feels like it's about to fall apart with even the slightest bit of pressure… everything hurts, in a way that leaves Shiki faintly stunned for a moment. This is a first. Even when she'd fought that Special Grade mountain-curse or when she'd been kidnapped by Araya, it hadn't been–

Araya.

The memories come flooding back to her. Departing for Tokyo after the disastrous conclusion to Obon, only to encounter further disaster in the form of an encounter with Araya Souren. Then, Geto Suguru of all people unexpectedly showing up at the end of everything–

"You're still looking so pale." Tsumiki leans in from the side, brows furrowed and eyes shining with concern. "How are you feeling right now? Is there anything I can get you? Water, maybe?"

"… Water would be nice." There's a slight rasp to her throat as she speaks, and Shiki coughs slightly from the uncomfortable sensation. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A full day," her friend answers, pouring out a glass of water for her. Then, turns back to Shiki and… hesitates. "U-um, would you like some help…?"

Shiki blinks at the slightly flustered, awkward expression that appears on the other girl's face, before things finally click together: Her broken left arm is currently wrapped up like an unwieldy club, and her right hand –which received quite a deep cut from tightly gripping the edge of that rusted blade– has also been bandaged similarly while she'd been unconscious. Right now, Shiki quite literally has no hands to accept a cup of water with.

… Her cursed energy has recovered slightly, though, which is good. She's still a far cry from operating at full capacity again, but neither is she running on the last dregs of her reserves anymore. So, it's probably fine if she just…

Invert the cursed energy. Guide it to where you intend to use it.

The sensation is a little odd. There's something of a slight tickling in the center of her palm, right where the bone-deep cut is located, as the flesh knits itself back together.

Shiki casually raises her bandaged hand to her mouth, and bites down on the cloth with her teeth, tearing it away to remove the bindings. There is medicine applied to it that tastes faintly bitter on her tongue.

"W-wait! You're injured! What are you…" Tsumiki's voice trails off as the last of the bandages fall away, revealing a smooth, unmarred hand that is completely uninjured. "… Huh?"

Reverse cursed technique is really very convenient, Shiki decides.

She reaches over and takes the glass of water from the other girl's unresisting hands. The liquid is lukewarm, and passes easily down her throat.

As soon as she sets the glass down, however, Tsumiki immediately seizes her hand. Shiki waits patiently as the dark-haired girl pokes and prods at the now-uninjured limb with an utterly astounded expression on her face, squinting in perplexed confusion.

"You're… not injured anymore?" Watery brown eyes look up towards her, and Tsumiki hastily rubs away at the sudden onslaught of tears. "B-but when Satoru-san came back with you, I saw…"

Ah. If Tsumiki had caught sight of Shiki with her injuries from fighting Araya… well, she supposes that this explains the younger girl's reaction. After Shiki recovers more of her cursed energy, she should definitely heal the rest of her injuries as soon as possible.

"What's the situation?" Shiki asks, attempting to divert her friend's attention by changing the topic.

Tsumiki gives her a look, but acquiesces in the end.

The current situation is rather chaotic, as it turns out.

Shortly after Shiki and her classmates had departed for Tokyo, there had been a major disturbance: Sorcerers investigating the suspicious circumstances of the okuribi had found themselves attacked by a horde of puppets. Human puppets, just like the one that Satoru-niichan had discovered the night of the disastrous ceremony itself. As if that wasn't enough, there were then reports of such puppets being discovered all over the mountains, then scattered throughout the city as well–

Suffice to say, it had been extremely hectic for all sorcerers involved, and it was quite fortunate that there were still a number of sorcerers who had yet to take their leave from Kyoto in the aftermath of Obon this year.

Satoru-niichan had been one of the sorcerers in charge of dealing with the sudden situation, and as soon as the matter had been mostly resolved, he'd disappeared. Only to reappear a short period of time later… with a group of injured Tokyo students.

Shiki herself included.

"… I see." It explains why Satoru-niichan had been delayed for so long when Shiki had been engaged in battle with Araya, then. Most likely a plan that Araya had in place specifically to prevent any 'interference.'

"The others are alright," Tsumiki tells her. "Kirara-kun is the worst off, but he's already received treatment from Ieiri-sensei –she was called to Kyoto, and arrived shortly after Satoru-san found you guys. There were… a lot of people were injured."

That makes sense. And if there were really puppets that had been wreaking havoc in the city… Shiki suspects that there are many assistant managers currently working overtime in order to run damage control and swiftly suppress any rumors that might give rise to fear among the populace.

A sharp knock suddenly sounds by the doorframe. Then, the door swings open, coincidentally revealing the woman that Tsumiki had only just mentioned.

Ieiri Shoko.

"Good to see you awake, Shiki," Shoko-san smiles. There are dark circles under her eyes, prominent and pronounced against her pale skin. It seems that Shoko-san has certainly been quite busy in wake of the chaotic ongoings. "I thought I heard some voices chattering away in here. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Shiki responds. There is a lot of lingering pain as well, but that's a given. "It's good to see you, Shoko-san."

"Mm, if only that cousin of yours was half as polite as…" Shoko-san trails off, staring. Her gaze is focused on Shiki's hand –the hand that's exposed to the open air, completely healed without even a hint of any scar. "… Reverse cursed technique?"

"Yes," Shiki affirms. There's no point in hiding it. "I figured it out during… during my fight with Araya."

"I see. Well, congratulations are in order, then." The woman steps over to Shiki's bedside, and Tsumiki hurriedly rises to clear out space for the medical professional. Shoko-san leans over and looks over Shiki's now-healed hand, assessing, then nods. "Looks like you've got a good grasp on things. Think you can heal the rest of your injuries by yourself?"

Shiki nods. "Once my cursed energy recovers, it won't be an issue."

"Alright, then we'll go with that," Shoko-san sets her hand down. "Sorry, I'm running a little short on cursed energy here as well, and there are still several patients I need to treat in a bit. Before that, though…"

The brown-haired woman reaches towards the bag that she'd carried in with her. From it, she brings out two things –a relatively thin folder filled with papers, and a strange cube-shaped box.

Shiki tilts her head questioningly.

"Satoru is in a meeting with some of the higher ups right now, but in the meantime he asked me to make sure to pass these to you," Shoko-san says. "In his words, 'To the victor go the spoils.'"

Shiki pauses, and looks down at the objects placed by her bedside. Then the words register, and her fingers twitch with a sudden urge to cut it all into pieces. "… This is from Araya?"

"Your cousin decided that it would be better to conduct a search through the ruins of the curse user's workshop himself before the higher ups went rummaging through it," the older woman elaborates. "Can't say I don't understand where he's coming from. He said that he advises you to take a look through everything first, before you start shredding any of it."

… Satoru-niichan knows her well.

Faintly begrudging, Shiki picks up the folder first and begins looking through the tattered papers within. She scans the writing with halfhearted interest at first, but then frowns and starts reading more attentively as she realizes–

"These are Araya's notes on human puppetry?" Damaged notes, with lots of gaps and missing information, but nonetheless there's still a general framework to follow.

"So it seems. A significant portion of the work on that also appears to be Aozaki Touko's handiwork, rather than Araya's," Shoko-san elaborates. "You'll see some of his additions towards the end, when it mentions 'transferring consciousness between vessels' in passing, although it's vague and looks to be damaged or incomplete."

… Indeed, what Shoko-san says is true. The handwriting is different. Aozaki's notes seemed to be focused on constructing a puppet body that was as human-like as possible, whereas Araya's…

Shiki plucks out a few sheets of paper. Cursed energy sparks in her fingertips, destroying the information instantly and permanently.

The rest of the papers, Shiki places back into the folder, and offers it back to Shoko-san.

Shoko-san raises an eyebrow at her.

Shiki isn't a fool. This sort of sensitive information… that Satoru-niichan had deliberately circumvented the higher ups, but then allowed Shoko-san to read it, before eventually passing it all into Shiki's hands for her to make a final decision…

"I know you don't specialize in puppetry," she says to the doctor, "But this would be useful for you. And… do you think it's possible to make a better prosthesis for Kiyohira-sensei with this?"

With this, would it be possible to create a prosthetic limb that was an exceedingly close mimicry of a regular human arm? If Araya could create puppets that were near-indistinguishable from regular humans in form… then…

"… I can try," Shoko-san says. The look in her eyes says that she, too, is perfectly aware of what's going on here –that she'd known exactly what Satoru-niichan had most likely been angling for, ever since passing this information into her hands. But there's no reluctance or aversion that Shiki can sense from her, and Shiki knows that Shoko-san, too, can see the potential of such a technique for what it is.

Hopefully, this will work out. And, perhaps… Kiyohira-sensei would finally be able to hold a sword properly again.

That's one thing settled, then.

Shiki turns her attention towards the remaining item that Shoko-san had brought her. The strange box barely fits in the palm of her hand, and she… can't really make any sense of what it's supposed to be. But the cube is completely wrapped in talismans, and it's clearly a cursed object. The seals appear to be those of preservation rather than suppression, too, which is quite odd…

"What is this?"

Shoko-san shrugs, "I'm not really sure, either. Satoru said that it's probably a cursed object with a special utility function, rather than a regular offensive weapon. Although, we won't know for sure until we try activating it."

… Which would be a bad idea, because activating a cursed object without knowing what it did was something that could potentially lead to disastrous consequences. Perhaps there would be information about it recorded somewhere, though? The Gojo Clan's library was quite extensive…

"Did he say anything else about this thing?" Shiki eyes the unwieldy cube, turning it to the side slightly as she examines the gleaming red lines.

"He recognized the energy readings from it," Shoko-san briefly falls silent for a moment. "… Apparently, it's the cursed artifact that was obtained by the Kamo Clan from the ruins that Gojo Jihei died in."

Jihei-san.

The memory comes to her easily: Satoru-niichan had paid a visit to the Kamo Clan when Jihei-san died, demanding answers, and both Shiki and Kiyohira-sensei had accompanied him. Araya had faked his own death. The Kamo Clan claimed that both sorcerers died while exploring a set of cursed temple ruins, after which they'd performed their own investigation by visiting the site in person.

Shiki recalls blood, and remnants of Jihei-san's corpse. An empty stand, with indications that a cursed object had been held there.

… Was it this box, then?

Conflicting urges tug at her mind; the urge to destroy it, warring with the urge to keep it. For all that Araya had been the one who was personally responsible, this artifact wasn't entirely innocent in Jihei-san's death, either. Yet at the same time, if this was a connection to Jihei-san… and Kuji Kanesada had already been destroyed…

Shiki stares at the box, and wonders what it holds inside.

…

A scuffling sound comes from the doorway.

"Shiro, don't –hey!"

The door bursts open.

"Megumi?" The aforementioned boy stumbles in, nearly tripping over his own shikigami in the process. Shiro barks cheerfully, bumping against Tsumiki playfully first in greeting, before resting its snout atop the blankets by Shiki's side.

Tsumiki fumbles and pats blindly in the Divine Dog's general direction; only those who are able to see cursed spirits are capable of also seeing shikigami.

"… You're awake?" The first words out of Megumi's mouth are the exact same as his sister's, amusingly enough. In a heartbeat, his feet carry him over to Shiki's bedside –Shiro lets out a plaintive whine when Megumi unceremoniously nudges his shikigami aside to make room– "How are you feeling?"

The two of them really are siblings.

"I'll be fine after I recover my cursed energy," Shiki tells him. The boy gives her a dubious look, one that is mirrored by his shikigami. Kuro included; the other Divine Dog has apparently decided to take up residence on the other side of Shiki's bed where it's much less crowded.

She reaches over and absently pats the black-furred Divine Dog with her healed hand. Shiro, seeing the motion, also surreptitiously inches higher onto the bed.

Megumi grabs his dog by the scruff of the neck and pulls it back down. "Stop that, don't jostle her. She's injured!"

Shoko-san covers up a small laugh with her hand at the byplay between master and shikigami. And although Tsumiki cannot see the Divine Dogs, there is a smile that flickers over the edge of her lips as well.

Megumi sighs. Shiki decides to take pity on the boy, and does so by asking him about his side of recent events.

To hear him talk about it… in the aftermath of the unexpected puppet attack on Kyoto, Megumi and his shikigami had been taking part in the recovery efforts. Thankfully, the attacks hadn't been too widespread and the situation was largely under control, so there weren't very many casualties to speak of. Megumi had simply used his Divine Dogs to help discover any victims who were trapped under rubble or injured.

Then decided to return to the Gojo estate when he noticed more than a few Zenin clansmen watching him as he went about the city.

"Did any of them bother you?"

"You should worry more about yourself," Megumi grumbles in response to Shiki's very reasonable question. "And no, I left before any of them approached me and did anything."

Shiki briefly wonders if the Zenins thought that this would be a good time to press their luck on this front. Satoru-niichan was temporarily preoccupied in the meantime, dealing with the aftermath of this incident, and Shiki herself was bedridden from her fight with Araya. By all means, then, this would seem like the perfect opportunity to reach out to the Ten Shadows inheritor.

It was probably for the best that Megumi decided to return to the Gojo estate before greed could overwrite their common sense. The Gojo Clan really didn't need the honor of becoming the sole remaining bloodline of the Three Great Families.

Tsumiki makes a face at the reminder of the Zenins, and sighs. "Mai-chan must have a really tough time with her family."

"… Mai-chan?" It takes several long beats before Shiki is finally able to place a face to the name. Zenin Mai, a daughter of the Zenin Clan's main family –albeit one whose presence was diminished and oft-overlooked, along with that of her twin sister's.

But what did Zenin Mai have to do with anything? Why was Tsumiki bringing her up in conversation here? And for that matter… since when had Tsumiki been so well-acquainted with 'Mai-chan?'

"We're not that familiar," Tsumiki explains with a small little laugh, "It's just, sometimes we end up chatting a bit during Obon? Generally when you're not around, though –I guess she thinks that you're a little too intimidating, Shiki. Mai-chan has never really talked about her family in detail, but from the bits and pieces I've picked up from her… it really seems like she and her sister are in a tough spot."

Megumi blinks, "Sounds like you're still pretty familiar with each other, then."

"Not exactly?" The dark-haired girl shrugs, and then a secretive smile makes its way across her face. "Between you and me, I think she talks to me mostly so she can ask after Yuzuki-kun's health."

For a moment, Shiki thinks that she must've heard her friend incorrectly, because the words make absolutely no sense.

Megumi's expression scrunches up in similar confusion. "Why would Zenin Mai be worried about Yuzuki?"

What reason could a daughter of the Zenin Clan possibly have to be worried about Gojo Yuzuki? Due to his health, he wasn't active in the social circles between sorcery clans at all, and it wasn't as if he was out and about very much in the first place. So why would–?

"Remember when we met Mai-chan and her sister for the first time?" Tsumiki prompts.

"… The goldfish?"

Shiki also thinks back to the memory. Back then… the three of them had sneaked out to mingle in the regular Obon festivities. It was also when she'd encountered Araya Souren for the first time, which wasn't something that Shiki enjoyed recalling–

Goldfish. Remember the goldfish.

… On their way back, it was… Zenin Maki? Zenin Mai's twin sister, who had accidentally upended a festival stall vendor's tank of goldfish… directly into the path of Shiki and the Fushiguro siblings.

"Err, after the goldfish," Tsumiki waves her hands. "The Zenin clan heir accosted us, remember? Shiki protected us and kept us safe. But afterwards, it was Yuzuki-kun who stepped in and protected the Zenin sisters, when that awful guy broke a festival mask and threw the sharp pieces at them."

Shiki thinks that she understands now. "So it's gratitude, then?"

That particular childhood incident had been… roughly seven years ago, by this point. If Zenin Mai had been grateful for the hand that Yuzuki-san had extended towards her, then she supposes that this might explain why she–

"It's probably not just gratitude," Shoko-san drawls from the side, although her voice sounds distinctly amused, for some reason. "Mm, I think I see how it is."

… Shiki doesn't.

"Although, speaking of Yuzuki-kun…" Tsumiki turns towards Shiki. "You went to see him again by yourself before Obon, right? How was he doing?"

"I didn't." There had been a last-minute mission assigned to her, and she hadn't been able to fit it into her schedule. Shiki had planned to visit Yuzuki-san again before Obon this year, but unfortunately the timing didn't work out. She'd have to apologize to him next time. "The last time I saw him was with you and Megumi."

"Oh. Never mind that, then, I guess," Tsumiki scratches her cheek sheepishly. Her expression falters and falls slightly, "I… really hope Yuzuki-kun has been alright."

Shiki can understand where the other girl is coming from. Their last visit to the sickly boy had been in the aftermath of a medical emergency, one that Yuzuki-san was thankfully able to recover from. So, it only stands to reason that Tsumiki is worried for him. Shiki, too, is only all too aware of their friend's ever-deteriorating condition.

Yuzuki-san's failing health…

…

Shiki slowly flexes her hand. Recalls the way that shimmering red lines had unfurled and bloomed across Araya's body during their battle. Faded lines had darkened and turned red over the course of the fight, and she had been able to eventually perceive new lines on top of preexisting ones as well. New lines that truly reached beyond the confines of the physical body, that identified and defined the core of the being that was 'Araya Souren,' allowing her to finally kill the curse user in full.

With that in mind, then…

"I can kill it," she says.

Yes. Shiki feels fairly certain about this matter. Because there is a new layer of awareness that Shiki is faintly cognizant of, now, and–

Compared to pinpointing the lines that encompassed something as abstract as an entity's very being, something like an illness embedded into the body… really shouldn't be too much of a challenge.

The answer seems almost glaringly obvious in hindsight. Part of Shiki can't believe that this solution to Yuzuki's predicament has never occurred to her before. She knows that her abilities are more nuanced than just 'killing,' and capable of affecting things beyond a physical surface level. So if her suppositions are true, then–

"Wait, wait, hang on," Megumi hastily waves his hands in front of her face in a 'time-out' motion. "Hold up just a minute, you're still injured and bedridden! Who did you just say you were going to kill? Yuzuki?"

"Yuzuki-san's illness."

Megumi freezes, as do both of his shikigami. Tsumiki's jaw drops open.

Silence reins in the room.

"… You can do that?"

Eventually, Tsumiki is the first to find her voice again. The girl's words are tremulous, hopeful. Brown eyes shine, and grow watery.

Shiki nods in confirmation.

Shoko-san makes a soft sound of surprise. "If you can do that, then–"

Sharp knocks from the doorway interrupt the woman in the middle of her words. But the door does not immediately swing open, and there is a slight pause from the other side.

"Please pardon my intrusion." The voice is that of a familiar young man's, polite and deferential as he enters the room. Nonetheless, there still seems to be a hint of something in those words that Shiki can't quite put her finger on–

Suzurigi Choki's eyes widen upon seeing Shiki awake and sitting upright.

"… Ojou-sama," he exhales, a breathless whisper, and this time the words are not so brisk and businesslike. Relief colors his voice, visibly entering his expression, before it's all swiftly hidden away behind a cleanly-executed bow, low and deep. "I offer my most respectful greetings to you, ojou-sama. It gladdens this servant of yours that you are recovering well."

"You're injured," Shiki notices. One of Choki's arms is wrapped in a sling, and there was a cloth patch covering another injury on the side of his face as well. Shiki is not particularly pleased by what she sees. "Tell me what happened."

Her assistant proceeds to do so.

That day, shortly after Shiki and her classmates entered the barrier, Choki had followed her instructions and contacted Kiyohira-sensei. Except, it hadn't taken long before an emergency notice went out among all sorcerers and attending staff in Kyoto, and then there were puppets that started appearing throughout the city.

A chaotic situation, to say the least.

Choki had instantly attempted to send word to Satoru-niichan when he'd realized the magnitude of the ongoing crisis. Except, there was a puppet that chose this precise moment to ambush him, and the rough tumble had resulted in his phone being broken. Then, there had been a group of regular civilians screaming, and he'd been forced to deal with that situation as well–

Using the cell phone of one of the grateful civilians that he'd saved, Choki had been able to successfully get in contact with the Gojo Clan's retainers in Kyoto. Kiyohira-sensei had been waylaid while making his way over, and so in the end it had been Satoru-niichan who'd arrived first on the scene, as reinforcement for Shiki and the other Tokyo students.

"… I have no excuses," Choki says quietly, still in that same low bow.

Considering the circumstances, and how badly everything spiraled out of control, Shiki doesn't think the blame for anything can be laid at Choki's feet for the altercation with Araya.

She tells him as much, which somehow only makes the man bow even deeper.

… Maybe it would be better to distract him by giving him a new task to focus on?

"Choki, I won't be returning directly to the school in Tokyo. I'll be visiting the clan compound, once I'm well enough to travel." Her recovery shouldn't take long, not with reverse cursed technique at her disposal now. Once she had enough cursed energy, she would heal herself and be on her way.

Now that she has finally found a proper solution to the problem relentlessly plaguing Yuzuki-san all these years… it would be best for Shiki to return to the clan compound as soon as possible to see him, with consideration to the boy's failing health. She wonders what sort of expression Yuzuki-san would make when she–

"Y-you've already received the news, ojou-sama?" Choki's eyes widen, startled.

Shiki pauses, "News?"

Choki hesitates.

An odd reaction, Shiki notes.

But there is no need for her to demand any answers. Choki's hesitation only lasts for a single instant, and then he ducks his head in deference.

"I've only just received word of it myself," he reports quietly. "Young master Yuzuki's health unfortunately took a turn for the worse during Obon. He… passed away in the early hours just this morning."

… Oh.

.

.

…

.