A chilly breeze rustled through the darkened streets of Tokyo as four figures stood outside an abandoned pizzeria. The building loomed before them, its once-vibrant sign now faded and cracked. The air around it felt stagnant, heavy with an eerie stillness.
Jin, Kaori, Satoru, and Seijuro stood at the entrance, eyeing the decrepit establishment warily.
Kaori crossed her arms, a deadpan expression on her face. "You told us you were taking us out for pizza. And this is where you brought us?"
Seijuro grinned, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Ehehe! Sorry about that!"
Kaori's eye twitched. "You...!"
Before she could finish, Jin placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Seijuro-san," he said, his tone more composed but still carrying a hint of confusion. "What exactly are we doing here?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Seijuro said, his grin widening as he pointed at the darkened pizzeria. "We're not here to eat pizza—You're here to exorcise some cursed spirits!"
Jin hummed in thought while Kaori groaned, rubbing her temples. "Why am I not surprised?"
Satoru, standing next to Seijuro, peered at the building, his young face serious. His sharp blue eyes glowed faintly as he analyzed the flow of cursed energy radiating from inside. "...Grade 2."
Jin and Kaori snapped their gazes to him.
"Wait, wait, wait, hold up!" Kaori threw her hands in the air before pointing at Seijuro. "Grade 2 is high! Why the hell would you assign us a mission like this?!"
"She's right, Seijuro-san," Jin added, his brow furrowing. "That's quite a challenge."
Seijuro tilted his head, looking at them as if they had just asked why the sky was blue. "What's with the reaction? Didn't you two already face off against Kenjaku?"
"That was Jin!" Kaori snapped. "Not me! I was too busy trying not to die!"
As the words left her mouth, an unfortunate memory resurfaced. Specifically, the sight of a shirtless, battle-scarred Jin standing amidst the rubble after surviving Kenjaku's attack. Kaori's entire face burned crimson.
"Ahhh! Damn it! Why did I remember that?!" she muttered, covering her face with her hands.
Seijuro, Satoru, and Jin all turned to her in confusion.
"...Is she okay?" Satoru whispered.
Jin looked equally lost. "I... don't know?"
Seijuro decided to ignore it entirely and clapped his hands together. "Anyway! Let's get to the point."
He then turned to Satoru, knelt to his level, and ruffled his hair. "Satoru, cover your ears."
Satoru frowned. "Why? Isn't the information important?"
"Yes, but you don't need to know the why—only that you need to exorcise the spirits inside."
Satoru pouted but obeyed, placing his hands over his ears.
Seijuro smiled in satisfaction and straightened up before turning to Jin and Kaori. His tone shifted to something more serious.
"This place was abandoned in 1987 after... an incident. One of the animatronics inside accidentally killed a child, and ever since then, the pizzeria has been left to rot."
Jin and Kaori stiffened at the revelation. The eerie atmosphere surrounding the building suddenly felt much heavier.
Seijuro continued, his gaze lingering on the boarded-up windows. "Recently—about three days ago—nearby residents reported feeling uneasy when passing by. Some even claimed to hear noises from inside despite it being abandoned for decades."
Kaori felt a chill crawl up her spine. "You're telling me this place has been empty for years, but suddenly, cursed energy starts leaking out?"
Seijuro nodded. "Exactly. It means something—or someone—has stirred the spirits inside."
Satoru, unable to hear the details, still noticed their reactions. His fingers fidgeted against his ears as curiosity gnawed at him.
Seijuro finally turned to him and gave him a thumbs-up. "Alright, you're good."
Satoru dropped his hands and looked expectantly at his father. "So? What's the plan?"
Seijuro smirked. "Simple—I want you three to go in there, investigate the source of the problem, and exorcise any cursed spirits you find."
Kaori stared at him, deadpan. "Oh, sure, let's just casually stroll into a haunted murder-pizzeria like it's a Sunday picnic."
Jin sighed but nodded. "Alright. If this is part of our training, then let's do it."
Satoru, meanwhile, was already grinning. "I get to fight more cursed spirits? Nice!"
Seijuro chuckled, crossing his arms. "Good attitude. But don't underestimate anything in there. Cursed spirits tied to violent deaths are particularly nasty."
Jin and Kaori exchanged wary glances, but Satoru cracked his knuckles, looking eager.
Seijuro took a step back, leaning casually against a lamppost. "Alright, your mission begins now. Try not to get possessed or eaten."
Kaori glared. "Not funny."
Jin exhaled and took the first step toward the entrance. "Let's go."
Satoru followed excitedly, and after a moment of hesitation—and some internal screaming—Kaori went in as well.
Seijuro watched as the three disappeared into the darkness of the abandoned pizzeria.
His smirk faded slightly.
'Let's see how they handle this.' Seijuro thought.
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The pizzeria was eerily silent, the air thick with dust and the scent of decay. The cracked tiles beneath their feet creaked with every step, and cobwebs clung to the ceiling like forgotten remnants of time. The once-vibrant murals of cartoonish animatronics had faded, their hollow eyes staring lifelessly from the peeling walls.
Satoru, Jin, and Kaori stood near the entrance, surveying the interior.
Satoru turned to the two adults and, without hesitation, stated, "You two should stick together. I'm going alone."
Jin and Kaori blinked, caught off guard by the sudden declaration.
"Why?" Jin asked.
Satoru turned to them with a blank expression. "'Cause you're both weak."
Silence.
A vein visibly twitched on Kaori's forehead. Jin, on the other hand, just sighed.
"Haah!? You brat!" Kaori exploded, pointing a finger at Satoru.
Jin quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Come on, Kaori-san, don't fight with a kid."
Satoru tilted his head, confused at her reaction. He wasn't trying to insult her—he was simply stating a fact. Compared to him, they were weaker.
"I WILL NOT accept being insulted by some brat!" Kaori fumed.
Jin kept his grip firm on her shoulder. "Kaori-san, please, he's a child. Getting worked up over this makes you look—"
Before he could finish, Satoru added with all the innocence of a child, "Yeah, be like that and you'll never have a kid or a man with you."
A beat of silence.
Kaori froze. Her eye twitched. Her hands clenched into fists. She had never, in her entire life, felt so irrationally irritated.
"You—YOU LITTLE—"
She lunged forward, hands reaching for the smug little six-year-old.
Jin barely managed to hold her back. "Kaori-san, please!"
"LET ME GO, JIN! I'LL SHOW HIM WHO'S WEAK! SCREEEEEE!!"
Jin sighed in exhaustion. "Satoru-kun," he muttered, glancing at the child, "apologize."
Satoru tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because you upset her," Jin said.
Satoru still didn't quite understand—he had only spoken the truth—but Jin had been nice to him, so he decided to follow his instructions.
"...Uhh, sorry," Satoru mumbled.
Kaori huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine."
Jin ran a tired hand down his face. This was going to be a long mission.
"Anyway, are you sure you'll be fine alone, Satoru-kun?" Jin asked.
Satoru nodded confidently. "Yeah. With Infinity, they can't touch me."
Jin hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright... see you then." He then turned to Kaori, gently taking her hand. "Let's go."
Kaori blinked, momentarily stunned by the gesture. Her cheeks warmed slightly. "...O-Okay."
Like a docile puppy, she allowed Jin to lead her away.
Satoru watched them leave before rolling his eyes and heading in the opposite direction.
"Adults are weird."
Without a hint of fear, he strolled deeper into the cursed pizzeria, ready to face whatever lay ahead.