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"What a hassle," I muttered, leaning back on the couch and staring up at the ceiling, like it held the answers to all of life's questions.
"Since when do you complain?" Yuki's voice broke the silence. She was sitting across from me, her eyes slightly narrowed, like she couldn't decide if I was genuinely exhausted or just being dramatic.
"I don't feel like talking to you," I grumbled, not even bothering to turn my head her way. Too tired to even look at her — when had everything gotten so draining?
"You're always so hostile toward me," Yuki continued, crossing her legs, clearly expecting more of a conversation.
I stayed quiet, avoiding her gaze, trying to build a wall of silence between us. What was the point in starting a pointless back-and-forth? We were going to go our separate ways eventually, like ships passing in the night. Why waste energy on her?
My eyes slid over to Maiki, who was leaning against the wall with that unreadable expression she'd mastered. Ever since she found out about my plan, this weird, uncomfortable silence had settled between us. After our last talk, we hadn't really been open with each other… Hell, we hadn't even spoken when we crossed paths at school. It was like we were both hiding behind our own thoughts and fears, too scared to say what really mattered.
Now, with a meeting with Tengen looming, I'd been dragged along too, and Maiki was acting like nothing had happened between us. Still, I could see a mix of emotions hidden beneath her calm facade. She might not show it, but I knew her well enough to tell that she wasn't at peace.
If she's against my plan, why doesn't she just say something? And if she's trying not to break the fragile balance between us, isn't that only making things worse? Or maybe it's the truth she's struggling to accept — including me. But then, why is she still here, knowing what I'm about to do? Is it that she's reluctant to let go of the truth… or of me? The questions circled in my head, but none came with answers.
"What's your problem?" Maiki suddenly asked, cutting through the silence. She didn't look at me, but I could feel the weight of the question aimed at both of us. "I've noticed something's been off with you since November first… but now, it's like it's in the air."
"I'd say the problem isn't with us at all — it's with him," Yuki shrugged, like this whole thing was a joke to her. "Maybe you should ask your boyfriend about it," she added with a half-smirk at Maiki.
Maiki shifted her gaze to me, waiting for some kind of explanation, but I wasn't in the mood to give one.
"I don't feel like it," I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head back, like the whole subject wasn't worth my attention.
Maiki raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing me closely.
"You're always itching for an argument, ready to push someone's buttons, and now you're backing off over something this trivial?" Her tone was suspicious, and I could feel her trying to figure out what was going on in my head.
"Why don't you just answer her so we don't have to go through this conversation all over again," I shot at Yuki, trying to push things along.
Yuki sighed, dropping her gaze for a moment before finally speaking.
"Let's just say Sukehiro isn't exactly thrilled that I've refused to work for the higher-ups," she said, glancing at Maiki, as if it was something that should've been obvious.
"If that's all, he wouldn't be acting like a sulking child," Maiki pointed out, nodding in my direction. "There's clearly more to it."
I opened my eyes and looked at her, holding her gaze. This whole conversation was starting to grate on me.
"It's actually the opposite," I said calmly. "I already know how this argument ends, so I'm not even bothering to start it. I'm saving everyone time and energy. Seems pretty mature to me."
"What's he talking about?" Maiki turned to Yuki, clearly expecting her to make more sense of my words.
Yuki smiled and sighed, like she was getting ready to break things down.
"Do you know how many missions your boyfriend has completed recently?" she asked, taking her time with the setup.
"No," Maiki answered, her voice sharp with suspicion, like she'd just realized she was missing something important.
"On average, a sorcerer completes around sixty to ninety missions a year," Yuki began, her tone calm, like she was reading off a list. "Sorcerers like Nanami, who've been around for about ten years, have completed somewhere between seven hundred and eight hundred missions. Some veterans, the more active ones, have over a thousand to their name. But Sukehiro, in just under two years... How many missions have you completed, Sukehiro?"
I sighed, feeling her eyes on me, and replied, "Five hundred eighty-nine."
"Five hundred eighty-nine," Yuki repeated, with a touch of admiration in her voice but no smile. "Most people wouldn't live long enough to do what he's done in just over a year and a half. So, yeah, I guess it makes sense that he resents me, since I don't… take on missions."
Maiki tilted her head in surprise, clearly trying to process what she'd just heard.
"You don't take any missions? At all?"
"I don't work for the Tokyo school," Yuki clarified, as casually as ever.
"And that bothers you?" Maiki turned to me, curiosity evident in her eyes. "Or am I missing something?"
I rolled my eyes, already feeling like this conversation wasn't worth any extra effort.
"Let's skip the insults today," I said. "Because without them, I'm not sure I can explain how I feel about it."
"How sweet," Yuki smirked. "Who would've thought we'd see the day when Sukehiro chooses to hold back his temper?"
I snorted but stayed silent, knowing it would be a waste of time to argue with her. Just then, from the entrance, I heard a familiar voice.
"Still haven't made up?" Yuta asked, stepping into the room with a slight smile as he glanced at us.
"Not yet, Yuta," I waved at him in greeting.
Before I could say anything more, Yuji suddenly appeared from behind Yuta, looking his usual self — bright-eyed, full of energy, and grinning like an idiot.
"Sempai!" he called out, rushing toward me with his typical enthusiasm. "Good to see you again!"
"You too," I grinned back, amused by his ever-cheerful demeanor.
Yuji's carefree optimism was almost enviable sometimes, like he'd never known real fear or the weight of a curse. Behind him came Megumi, followed by Choso, Nitta, and finally Nanami, who, as always, looked like the world was weighing down on his shoulders. His gaze swept the room, lingering briefly on Yuki and Maiki before settling on me.
"I trust your disagreements won't interfere with the meeting?" Nanami asked, his tone calm and measured as usual.
"They won't," I nodded, meeting his eyes. "We're all here for business. Personal grievances can wait."
Nanami gave us both another look, as if evaluating whether we were really up for it, then turned to Choso.
"Then it's over to you."
"Huh?" Choso blinked, clearly not catching on right away.
"It means you should explain to everyone about Tengen's tomb," Nanami clarified, his patience with Choso's occasional confusion evident.
Well, you couldn't really blame him, given everything he'd been through and his... unique background.
"Right," Choso nodded, regaining his composure. "On our way to the tomb, we'll pass through several key areas, including the 'Cursed Vault.' It's not just a storage for cursed artifacts — it also holds the remains of my younger brothers: Noranso, Sho-oso, Tanso, Sanso, Kotsuso, and Shoso. While they're just remains, if we combine them, the side effects of my cursed technique might give us some clues."
"Great!" Yuki perked up, her smile suggesting either she was impressed or intrigued. Personally, I'd bet on the latter.
Yuji, slapping Megumi on the back with his usual enthusiasm, added, "In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
We moved through the hallways, descending staircases and passing from one dark corridor to the next until we finally arrived at a massive door. The walls around us were reinforced with thick wooden beams, giving the place an ancient, unshakable feel. Against this backdrop, the black doors stood out ominously, as if warning us about what lay beyond.
"Here," Choso said with certainty, stopping in front of the door. "No doubt about it — my brothers are resting behind this door."
"How long has it been since you were last here?" I asked Nanami, noticing the way his eyes scanned the surroundings. His usual calm demeanor carried a hint of nostalgia.
"About ten years, give or take," Nanami replied, his voice almost wistful. "This place is off-limits unless there's a specific reason."
"I'm sure Satoru found more than enough reasons to visit," I chuckled, recalling Gojo's notorious disregard for rules and his talent for bending — or flat-out ignoring — them.
"That's true," Nanami's lips twitched in a faint smile, as if remembering one of Gojo's many stunts.
Yuji, barely able to contain his excitement, rubbed his hands together like a kid about to open a present. "So… can we open it now?"
"Go ahead," Nanami nodded, passing the torch to him.
Without hesitation, Yuji grabbed the heavy handles and pulled. To our surprise, the massive doors swung open easily, almost as if they'd been waiting for someone to open them. What lay beyond could've easily been pulled straight from someone's worst nightmare... though, to be honest, it wasn't my worst nightmare — I've seen worse. Like giant eyes staring down from the sky or cities straight out of some dystopian fever dream.
Before us stretched what seemed like an endless expanse of dead trees. Their twisted, gnarled branches reached toward the dark sky like desperate hands grasping at invisible threads. The landscape looked like a graveyard — not for bodies, but for life itself, frozen in a state of decay. Everything around us seemed drained of its soul, leaving the trees locked in eternal torment.
"Well, isn't this cozy," I muttered.