Yuta walked through the facility, navigating the hallways with both nervousness and relief. He had been here for a few days, and it wasn't as bad as he had thought. He had found good companions, though one of them, a girl named Maki, always had a distant look in her eyes, as if remembering something dark. So far, everything seemed to be going well, but Yuta couldn't shake off a persistent worry. He feared that sooner or later, he would have to face that girl—the one who had taken his best friend from him. The mere thought made his shoulders tense.
Gojo had warned him that it was impossible to avoid crossing paths with her forever. He advised him, in his usual way, that if it happened, he shouldn't maintain prolonged eye contact or show any signs of weakness. "Her technique feeds on that," Gojo had said, without much detail. But even with the sparse information, Yuta felt he had to take it seriously; every time he thought of her, he felt a growing pressure in his chest.
As he passed through the door to the main courtyard, Yuta stopped. There, under the sun, he saw Rika-chan. She was with a woman Yuta vaguely recognized; if he remembered correctly, she was Ieiri Shoko, Rika's teacher and the school doctor. Unconsciously, a soft smile appeared on his face. Despite everything, seeing her well brought him some relief. He painfully recalled that horrible image of Rika covered in blood when they were children, an image that haunted him in his moments of weakness. Seeing her now, smiling and seemingly happy, gave him a small sense of comfort.
Suddenly, Rika began running with a wide, cheerful smile. Following the direction of her run, Yuta tensed. There she was… Makima. Her red hair gleamed under the light, and her golden eyes, cold as ice, bore an expression that chilled the blood. That smile, full of subtle malice, was the same he had seen in his nightmares over and over.
Yuta's heart clenched as he watched Rika reach Makima and hug her as if they were inseparable. Anguish overtook him. How could someone so cruel have his best friend's affection? He watched as Makima stroked Rika's head, but out of nowhere, her eyes found his, studying him with an intensity that made him feel exposed and vulnerable. Their gazes locked, and a shiver ran down his spine. He felt his stomach churn, a nausea that made him want to run away. He looked away, and as he did, a slight calm began to return. Gojo was right; there was something in those eyes that absorbed and drained everything around them.
Clenching his hands tightly, Yuta turned around and quickly walked away, struggling to keep his composure. He knew he wasn't ready to face something like that yet, and he wasn't sure he ever would be.
From the other side of the courtyard, Makima curiously observed the boy retreating. "Isn't that... Yuta?" she murmured, Rika enjoying the attention of her "mistress." Hearing this, Rika blinked and looked in the same direction, noticing the boy stumbling away awkwardly. "Oh... yes, he arrived a few days ago," she replied. Makima gave her a critical look. "And you didn't tell me?" Her tone was cold, and Rika immediately shrank.
"S-sorry, my lady. I didn't prioritize it... I was focused on improving and on you, so I forgot..." Rika trembled, aware that any mistake could mean punishment. However, Makima observed her for a moment and then sighed indifferently. "It doesn't matter," she finally said, her voice impassive. But in her mind, Makima was evaluating the situation. So that was the reason she had felt his energy so restless… "I was very inexperienced when I separated Rika from him. Perhaps I can fix it now that he's here."
At that moment, Shoko appeared, joining the two. "Makima, I'm glad to see you," Ieiri greeted with a kind smile. "Ieiri-san, likewise. I appreciate your help in guiding Rika," Makima replied with a slight bow of her head. Shoko just waved it off, dismissing the importance. "Haha, not at all. Actually, her help was quite useful for me."
Makima released Rika and, after a brief goodbye, headed in the direction where Yuta had fled. Once out of sight of the others, she activated her father's projection technique. In seconds, she appeared in front of Yuta, who was catching his breath, a mix of fear and confusion on his face.
"It's been a while, Okkotsu Yuta," Makima said calmly. Yuta tensed and quickly turned around, his expression revealing pure panic as he saw those cold, golden eyes, accompanied by a smile that seemed both ironic and threatening. "Y-you… stay away," he stammered, stepping back and tripping, falling to the ground.
Makima stepped forward, observing him with amusement. "Is that how you greet an old friend?" Her voice had a sadistic undertone, and a smile formed on her face as she noticed the fear emanating from him. This boy is so pathetic, Makima thought. Despite the overwhelming cursed energy she could perceive in him, he was unable to use it properly, thanks to a mistake she herself had made in the past. When she broke the curse connection with Rika, she fragmented Yuta's energy source, leaving him with an uncontrollable reserve that he couldn't condense for use or store efficiently. In short, he was almost useless.
Without taking her eyes off him, Makima extended a hand. "Get up," she ordered. Yuta, still paralyzed by panic, couldn't resist. He remembered all too well the time he fell under Makima's control. She enjoyed watching him so terrified, and with a cruel smile, she extended her hand, from which small gray and golden chains began to emerge, slowly wrapping around Yuta's body.
"This time, I'll root out the problem," she murmured. "If I do, Rika's potential will increase… or maybe you'll die. Both possibilities please me, so…" Just before the chains reached Yuta, a voice interrupted the scene.
"Okkotsu, I see you're already getting along with Makima…" Gojo appeared behind Makima, a few steps away, maintaining his usual carefree expression, as if he hadn't noticed the situation at all. Hearing his voice, Makima made the chains disappear immediately and turned to look at him with a slight expression of irritation. Gojo smiled at her, unfazed, while she simply sighed, annoyed.
"You're so bothersome," Makima murmured, passing by him without giving him a second glance. Gojo only smiled as he watched her leave.
When she finally disappeared, he turned to Yuta, who was trembling, still in shock. "Well, at least you've met now," Gojo commented lightly. Yuta couldn't respond; the terror had been too much, and before he could even react, he collapsed unconscious in front of Gojo.
"I guess now I'll have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't kill him," Gojo sighed, scratching his head in resignation.
When Makima left those two and crossed into the building, she saw Megumi sitting in a corner, looking at his phone. The scene struck her as curious. "Well, one after another they appear..." she thought to herself, unhurried. Slowly, she approached him. When she was close, she greeted him softly: "Hello again, Fushiguro."
Megumi was startled to hear her voice. When he looked up, he saw her right in front of him, leaning slightly toward him. The sudden proximity made him nervous. His eyes couldn't help but get caught in the concentric circles of Makima's, but he quickly looked away, feeling a slight dizziness from their effect. "Hello to you too," he said, somewhat hesitantly.
Makima straightened up, smiling almost enigmatically. "A shame you didn't come with me over the weekend," she said casually, as if it were a pity not to have spent time with him. "I'm sure my brother and you would get along."
Megumi hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "If you say so," he replied, not eager to delve into the topic.
Makima, without losing her composure, sat down beside him. The closeness was unmistakable, but she said everything with a soft smile. "So… what brings you back here?"
Megumi put away his phone and sighed, responding more directly: "Nothing, Gojo just brought me here to get everything ready for when I move in."
Makima nodded slowly, thoughtful. I need to know more about his life… she thought, as if evaluating every word Megumi said. Then, she decided to continue with a more personal question: "You didn't say you had a sister… will she stay with someone, or does Gojo look after her too?"
Megumi lowered his gaze, uncomfortable. Mentioning his sister always brought back bad memories, and he wasn't sure how comfortable he felt talking about her with Makima. "She… she's in the hospital…," he murmured, almost in a whisper.
Bingo, Makima thought, with a slight smile on her lips. "Oh, I see…" she said, as if everything was falling into place. "Can I ask why?"
Megumi hesitated. There was something about Makima that made him feel like he couldn't hide the truth. Well, she's a sorcerer… and experienced, maybe she'll understand… he thought. Finally, he made up his mind. "She… is cursed," he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "One day she went to do a test of courage or something like that under a bridge. She lost consciousness there, and now she has a mark on her forehead. I don't really know what happened."
Makima stared at him, her eyes analyzing him. Her face showed a serene interest, but her mind was working at full speed. "Does anyone know how?" she asked calmly, without breaking eye contact.
Megumi ran a hand along the back of his neck, nervous. "No… I'm not sure. No one knows exactly what happened there. Just that ever since that day, she… hasn't woken up."
Makima remained silent for a moment, processing the information. It wasn't common for someone to be marked by a curse in such a way. "Interesting…" she thought, evaluating the possibility of getting more answers than she initially expected.
Without looking away from him, Makima brought a finger to her lower lip and gently pressed it against her upper lip. Her expression turned more thoughtful and calculating. "Would you mind if I saw her?" she finally asked, with a soft smile that carried intent.
Megumi blinked, confused by the proposal. "Huh?" he murmured, not fully understanding what she meant.
Makima, her smile intact, replied, "Maybe I can see something no one else can. Who knows…"
The proposal left Megumi in an uncomfortable stillness. Should he trust her and let her see his sister? He wasn't sure what Makima truly wanted, but the idea that someone might see something even Gojo couldn't made him hesitate. "How far is she willing to go?" he thought, feeling trapped between doubt and curiosity.