In the blink of an eye, the world flipped upside down.
The high-grade curse lunged, its rage boiling over, its cursed energy spitting black sparks into the air. Blood-drenched hands rose, conjuring a vortex of darkness, a blade of pure malice cleaving through the very fabric of reality—
But—
Something was wrong.
Its body froze mid-air. Not because of Reika's attack. Not because of some sealing technique. But because of something far worse—
Something crawling from the inside.
Fear.
Not the ordinary kind. Not the fleeting kind that makes a man hesitate before jumping into battle. This was different. This was something that slithered through the cracks of the mind, something that gnawed at the nerves like a swarm of starving insects burrowing into the brain.
Its eyes widened. Its skull pounded like it was about to crack open.
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
The pressure inside its head grew unbearable, as if unseen hands were gripping its brain, squeezing, twisting. Its body convulsed, its neck jerking violently, its gaze darting frantically in search of something—anything—that could make this stop.
And then, it saw her.
Reika hadn't moved. She hadn't attacked. She was just standing there, watching.
That was worse.
A shiver ran through the curse's body. Its once-dominant stance wavered, its predatory posture shrinking. Instinct took hold, primal and unrelenting.
This wasn't a hunter facing its prey.
This was prey realizing, too late, that it had wandered straight into the den of a much bigger beast.
Reika tilted her head slightly, those dark crimson eyes gleaming faintly under the dim light. Something shifted within them—something that had no place in a human gaze.
She stepped forward.
Just one step.
And in that single, effortless movement, the curse recoiled violently, nearly tripping over the debris-strewn floor.
Himari felt a cold sweat trickle down her spine.
Ryou, usually so sharp, so attuned to every nuance of a fight, couldn't make sense of what was happening.
Tetsuya—he wasn't even breathing right.
Reika wasn't using any techniques. No cursed energy surged from her. No spells were cast. No movements hinted at an imminent strike.
And yet—
Why?
Why did this thing—a creature that should've been a nightmare to them—look like it was about to die from fear alone?
"I'm hungry."
That voice—
It wasn't human.
There was something wrong with it. A resonance that shouldn't exist, a sound that didn't belong in this world. It wasn't coming from her mouth. It was coming from somewhere deeper, somewhere unreachable.
Himari's breath hitched.
BREEEEET—!
Without warning, the curse's chest split open. No impact. No attack. Nothing had touched it.
And yet, right before their eyes, its flesh tore apart, peeling like fragile paper caught between the jaws of something invisible.
No.
Not torn.
Consumed.
Chunks of its body didn't fall. There was no blood spilling onto the floor.
Only emptiness remained, swallowing the missing pieces whole, as if they had never existed. The curse tried to scream—
But no sound came out.
Its mouth gaped wide, but its voice was sucked into the void. Its clawed hands flailed, its eyes bulged in raw, unfiltered terror.
Tetsuya wanted to turn away. Wanted to shut his eyes, block out the sight of whatever the hell was happening.
But he couldn't.
He had to see this. Had to understand.
Because if he didn't—if he looked away—he would never be able to comprehend what had just unfolded before them.
And then, in a moment that stretched far too long, yet lasted no time at all—The curse was gone.
No remains. No blood. No trace. Nothing. Silence hung thick in the corridor. Tetsuya stood frozen, his limbs refusing to move.
Himari said nothing—for the first time, she was at a loss for words.
And Ryou?
He was staring at Reika.
But this time, something unfamiliar clouded his usually sharp eyes. Something foreign.
Fear.
And Reika?
She didn't react. Didn't explain. As if what had just happened wasn't worth mentioning. As if it was nothing but a routine occurrence.
Then, she turned. No expression. No emotion.
"Let's go."
That was all she said. And without waiting for a response, she walked away. As if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't just erased a being that even sorcerers would've struggled to kill.
And in that moment, one thing became glaringly clear. Reika wasn't just a strong sorcerer. She was something else entirely. Something even curses feared.
And none of them knew whether that meant she was their ally—Or the greatest threat they had yet to face.
───⭑⭒⚊奈落の顎⚊⭒⭑───
Blood pooled in the cracks of the broken floor, thick and dark, reflecting the dim light like a shattered mirror. The air was choked with the metallic tang of iron, clinging to their throats like ghostly fingers. Around them, the walls bore the scars of battle—deep gashes, claw marks, and scorched stains from cursed energy that had raged like an untamed beast just moments ago.
Himari flicked her wrist, sending crimson droplets scattering onto the debris-littered ground. "Tch. That was nothing," she muttered, her lips curling into a smirk. There was too much confidence in her tone, like someone who had never known real danger, someone who thought battles were just another game.
Across from her, Tetsuya hadn't moved. His face was pale, his fingers trembling despite his efforts to clench them into a fist. His gaze refused to meet the pools of blood on the ground—as if, by doing so, he might see something staring back. His mind replayed the scene over and over: Reika, cutting through the curse like it was nothing. No hesitation. No struggle. No emotion. Like death itself had walked in and claimed its due without so much as a whisper.
In the darkest corner of the ruined room, Ryou leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his sharp eyes never leaving the girl in the center of the carnage. Reika stood there, silent and still. Not exhausted. Not triumphant. Just... there.
The shadows clung to her differently than they did to the others. They stretched too far, moved too slow, like they were drawn to her—like they belonged to her. Her jet-black hair fell perfectly in place, not a speck of blood staining her clothes, even though she had been the closest to the slaughter. It was unnatural. It didn't make sense.
Ryou tapped a slow rhythm against his arm before speaking, voice lazy but laced with curiosity. "Did you enjoy it?"
Reika turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze. Her eyes—dark red, deep as an abyss with no bottom—reflected nothing. "What do you mean?"
"The kill."
Tetsuya swallowed hard. Himari barely spared them a glance, clearly uninterested in the conversation.
Reika didn't answer immediately. She merely stared at Ryou, her expression unreadable—not amused, not offended, just... empty. As if the question itself was beneath her.
But Ryou wasn't the type to let things go. "You didn't hesitate. You weren't scared. No expression. That means you're used to it, right?"
Silence.
Then, Reika shrugged. "I did what had to be done."
Neutral. Safe. Devoid of anything personal.
But Ryou wasn't buying it. There was something about her eyes—sharp, unwavering, still focused, even though the fight was long over. Like a predator that hadn't yet decided if it was full.
He stored that thought away. No need to push further. Not yet.
One thing was clear—Reika wasn't normal. Hell, she might not even be human.
───⭑⭒⚊奈落の顎⚊⭒⭑───
The dim glow from a distant streetlamp filtered through the shattered windows, casting fractured beams of light across the bloodstained floor. The air was thick, heavy with the lingering remnants of cursed energy that slithered against their skin like unseen insects—subtle, yet enough to make every nerve stand on edge.
Tetsuya finally broke the silence, his voice hoarse from holding back too long. "Reika... your power... it's not normal, is it?"
Reika barely moved, her expression giving away nothing.
"You heal too fast," Tetsuya pressed on, his voice unsteady. "I saw it. Your hand—it was nearly severed. But a few seconds later, it was like nothing ever happened."
Ryou scoffed, skepticism evident in every inch of his posture. He didn't bother moving from his spot against the wall. "Not just that. You don't use long-range attacks. No elemental manipulation. No fancy tricks. Just your own body, and somehow, you still win effortlessly." His eyes narrowed. "And you don't use a cursed tool either, do you?"
Reika was quiet for a moment before she slowly shook her head. "I don't need one."
Not an answer. Not really.
Himari groaned, rolling her eyes. "Why are we even talking about this? All that matters is that she can fight, right? Maybe you should be thanking her instead of interrogating her."
Ryou turned his gaze on her, expression blank. "Himari, we live in a world where picking the wrong fight can get you killed in an instant. Don't tell me you're not at least a little curious."
Himari exhaled sharply. "All I know is, I'm stronger than her."
A lie wrapped in ego. Ryou blinked slowly, then let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh? You sure about that?"
Himari straightened, eyes flashing with defiance. "I don't see anything special about her."
Ryou tilted his head. "Then why was it her who killed the curse, and not you?"
Himari had no response.
Meanwhile, Tetsuya was still staring at Reika, his thoughts tangled, an unease creeping up his spine that he couldn't shake. Something about her unsettled him—something he couldn't quite put into words.
"Reika..." His voice was softer this time, almost as if speaking the thought aloud would make it real. "You're not afraid of dying, are you?"
Reika blinked, as if the question itself was foreign to her.
"Because if you were," Tetsuya continued, "you wouldn't fight like that. You wouldn't be so reckless."
Reika met his gaze.
For the first time, something flickered in her expression. Not much—just a fraction of a moment, like a ripple breaking the surface of a still lake.
Then, she smiled.
It was small. Almost unnoticeable. But there was something in it—something that made the air feel heavier, something that made the back of Tetsuya's neck prickle.
"There's no point in fearing something that can't touch you," she said, her voice even, calm. And yet, somehow, it felt like a quiet threat.
Himari groaned loudly, stretching her arms as if to shake off the tension. "Enough of this. We need to leave before more curses show up."
Ryou let the conversation drop, but he wasn't done. Not by a long shot. Reika hadn't dodged their questions. But she also hadn't answered them.
And that? That was more suspicious than if she had lied.