I dashed through the halls, urgently looking for Yuta and the spirit that swallowed him whole. Well, I don't quite know if it swallowed him, but I sure as hell know Yuta is fighting it right now!
Then I realized, something isn't right about this place at all. Pachinko parlors are NOT this big on the inside.. maybe it was an innate domain that the sandworm-looking curse casted.
I went down the aisle and took a left turn, then went down a bit further straight. Then another left, only to be met with MORE f$@!ing pachinko machines!
"Damnit Yuta!! Gimme some directions!!" I yelled in pure anger and frustration.
Then suddenly, the building shook and roaring could be heard straight ahead. The only thing though, was the walls that stood in front of me. Guess I'll have to SMASH.
I cocked my fist all the way back and charged it full of CE.
"Nothing..will get in my way!"
BOOOM!!
The wall shattered into countless pieces and debris filled the room.
"Well, that was unreasonably violent."
As the dust cloud cleared, Yuta was mounted on top of the curse with his katana stabbing its back, along with… a pair of white arms holding its mouth shut?
I have no clue what I'm looking at.
"Oh hey! I was just getting done exorcising the curse. You seem to be doing well!" Yuta said as he pulled his sword out and the arms sank back into the black puddle.
He hopped off the curse and swiped his sword back in the scabbard. The curse ceased movement and began crumbling to dust.
"Well, what was that about? The arms?" I said while resting the oar on my shoulders.
"Ah, that was your first time seeing Rika, wasn't it? As a cursed spirit that is."
I stood there looking like an idiot. How could I have completely forgotten that Yuta literally told me she died and became a cursed spirit.
"Wow, that's actually crazy. I only saw her arms though; do you think you can manifest the rest of her?"
"I'm learning bit by bit how to bring out all of Rika but for now, I'm stuck with just her arms.."
Yuta looked a bit disappointed in himself understandably.
"KAAaaAWaaA…"
Suddenly, a inhuman head slowly seeped out of a black hole next to Yuta and both of us were equally surprised and stunned by what we were witnessing.
"Um…I don't know why this is happening..? This has never happened before."
"WHyyYy diD yOu lEaVEEE ussSs KAwwAA..?"
Cursed spirit Rika's voice was unnerving and unnatural but I can recall her sounding like that. This is SO twisted in SO many ways…
"Dontcha think it's a bit rude to not say hello first?"
"…wE weRE soOOo SAd…"
Now I'm feeling all sappy and emotional…I think to myself with a completely straight face
"That's enough, time to go Rika." Yuta gently set his hand on her face, lightly pushing her back in the hole.
"bYe-bYEee.." Rika's head fully went into the abyss and it close quietly.
I recalled those being the last words she said to me before I moved away. How saddening is that…
On another note, it's about time the veil dispelled itself and we get a move on. Yuta and I walked back into the entrance, where the light crept through the windows slowly and swelled the room from the veil being lifted.
We walked out the door and walked down the steps. But instead of being met by Ichiji, it appears someone got here before him..
"Hey… do you two know you're invading my safe haven?"
A pachinko parlor as a safe haven? You've got to be kidding me..
A tall, seemingly swole guy with a pretty damn nice fur coat and bright lavender hair stood in front of us with a rather..intimidating aura.
"Sorry, do we know you?" Yuta asked him while he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Gojo didn't tell you about me? How messed up of him. I'm Hakari Kinji, the recently suspended second year. You can call me Kin if you'd like, but it won't matter after I give you permanent brain damage for trespassing." He approached us menacingly. I was able to feel his CE spike and it was concerning nevertheless since I never seriously fought another Jujutsu Sorcerer.
"What? Don't you know that this place has been closed down for days?" I asked him.
"Haven't been in town."
"Well a couple cursed spirits killed a few people in there and we were sent to exorcise them today.."
"Is that so..? Well I guess I can let you off easy this time."
A car pulled up in the building's front parking lot. It was Ichiji! And Gojo… of course.
Mr. Silver Hair stepped out the car and raised his hand.
"Yo, Kinji!" He waved at Hakari.
"'Sup." Hakari nodded his head upwards with his hands in his pockets.
Gojo walked up to the entrance where we stood and grabbed our innermost shoulders. I feel like we are about to burdened with an impossible task.
"There's something important that I need both of you to attend to. I fill you in on it as we get back to the school. Also, hope your doing well Hakari, don't get in more trouble while you're out."
"No promises, see ya." Hakari turned the opposite direction and left the scene entirely.
This can't be anything good for me OR Yuta. But we'll see what he needs anyways.