"Noriko Kamo found the Curse." Mei Mei announced in the quiet room as the main feed crackled from Maki's fight to show the fast-moving Noriko dodging the geysers. Utahime leant forward in her chair as she watched in awe at the quick movements, while Yaga hummed from beside Gojo as they observed their student. Her movements were sharp and fluid, and even when she was caught by the attacks, she didn't falter with the pain - Yaga had to admit (as the person who recommended her promotion initially) that he was impressed with how far her physical skill had come.

"What Grade is she?" Utahime queried, furrowing her brows as she followed the girl's movements.

"Semi-Grade 1," Yaga informed gruffly, folding his arms as a smug feeling swelled up in his chest as she took in the impressed faces of his colleagues. "She completed a fair share of solo missions (her previous work performing exorcisms at the shrine and her time skipping school to do solo jobs had been counted) and showed impressive levels of skill so I recommended her for promotion."

"Then why isn't she dealing with the Curse faster?" Mei Mei hummed, folding her arms over her chest as she watched the student. It was an impressive rank for a first-year, but was she really showing that level of skill?

"She's using the Curse as training," Gojo leant back in his chair as he explained. "She often used an excessive amount of energy just unleashing her technique right of the bat (it wasn't exactly a lie, but he couldn't exactly let them know about Shikishi), so she's prioritising gaining experience using her weapon to save time and energy - she hasn't shown her technique yet."

There was a quiet pause as they watched the screen.

"Oh, yes, I was going to ask, if she's a Kamo, does she share their blood technique?" Utahime queried, peering behind her worriedly as she sensed the Kyoto Principal become annoyed with their conversation. Mei Mei hummed in interest as well.

"She's adopted. Not by the head family, she grew up in the shrine with the steward branches... she used to be a shrine maiden up until a couple months ago," he explained further. "Her technique- " "Are we sure this is a Grade 2?!" - "is very versatile. It's similar to sorcerer's who can summon Shikigami. Using ink, she can create creatures or objects, but she tends to mostly create yokai or religious objects - something about 'belief' makes them stronger."

"Oh, I see..." Utahime nodded. "Is that why she didn't attend the Kyoto School?"

"She wasn't deemed strong enough to attend the Kyoto School by the Kamo head family," Gakuganji grumbled in the corner as he clenched his teeth. He'd spoken to the Kamo Head about Noriko's initial placement into the school, but he'd been assured that the girl had almost no potential. His blood boiled at the idea that he'd given Gojo Satoru a useful resource.

Mei Mei snorted at the irony of his statement as she shared a look with Yaga. They both knew what the Kamo clan were like. Bloodthirsty and blood-obsessed. The pressure on Noritoshi Kamo, being the only direct child with the highly-valued bloodline technique, was already immense. Why would they take a gamble on Noriko, who, at least in their eyes, had a weaker technique and a questionable origin? The risk of possible damage to the clan pride was too high. The Association of Shinto Shrines had provided a clever way out - sending Noriko to the Tokyo School to 'spread influence and become an asset to the shrines (which were hotspots for curses) in Tokyo'.

"Eh? Those are mice?"

"Kodama nezumi... they're a form of Yokai," Gojo explained as the faculty watched the mice flood the clearing. It didn't take long for them completely surround the curse, carefully ducking around it's attacks and crawling up it's scaled skin. A few turned to black ink when they were hit with geysers, but the swarm still remained. Frowning, Mei Mei scanned the screen for Noriko, noting a flash of blackness in the trees. "They can explode when - "

"Agh!" Utahime yelled, clamping her hands over her ears as a piercing sound blasted through the speakers, causing the faculty to wince - Yaga and Gakuganji also voicing their complaints as they reeled from the loud noise. Mei Mei cracked her eyes back open - having subconsciously closed them when she flinched - and stared at the black stained clearing in a tepid mixture of awe and disgust. The Curse was torn apart, barely still alive, and the clearing was completely coated in ink. "That's the sound we heard earlier."

A lithe Noriko leapt out of the tree, landing steadily on her feet as she rubbed the back of her neck and sauntered across the empty space. She didn't even appear exhausted, much to Utahime's horror, after expending energy on a blast that big. Muttering to herself, the young student spun her bisento around in her hand a few times before lifting the blade vertically above the Curse's head. A strange, static energy began to blaze around the blade as she dispatched the creature with one swift blow.

"It's over? That's so soon," Yaga muttered, folding his arms over his chest. Though he couldn't be surprised, he still wondered how the students had put together such a clearly divisive plan and executed it seemingly flawlessly. He was very proud.

Gojo stretched his arms behind his head, getting up and wandering over to the microphone. He clicked the button down and began to call the event to an end.

"The event - " The microphone clicked off as he jolted backwards.

The tags keeping track of the Spirit Bash Race burned a fierce red colour. The feed on the video began to crackle and frantically flick through images.

"What's going on?"

[A/N: since this is such a short chapter, i'm going to explain a couple things I've been dm'd about recently. if you've read this far and you still don't understand Noriko's (or Shikishi's, to be more accurate) technique, then congrats for holding on this long ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ i posted an explanation on my profile for you to see. if my work is confusing or hard to understand, then that is entirely my fault, so i'm sorry for that. i do have a problem with getting carried away or over excited with plots and have all the intricate details in my head but not put them down coherently or even at all. i will try to work on this.

another question was along the lines of asking me how i build motivation to write. i struggle with this a lot and i'm not a consistent writer, however i do have a few tips.

if you are procrastinating or putting it off, ask yourself why you're doing the things you're doing. this morning i asked myself why i was binging isekai manga/manhwa and what the point of it was. it might not help for everyone, but i've found recognising and addressing behaviours that i'm just using to fill time or postpone things helps force myself to do productive things.

your surroundings are also important. ventilate your room!!! fresh air is super important! you never realise how stagnant it is in a room before it starts to make you feel like a sloth. clear your work station!! better yet, fill it with things that bring you joy (◔‿◔๑) i recently got a moon lamp and a cute hamster mouse! it's very motivating and it just feels nice. last but not least, stay hydrated!!!! (which brings me onto my next point)

before i sit down to write, i always make myself a fancy drink (non-alcoholic). i really enjoy bubble tea and fancy teas, so i always make myself something 'fun' to enjoy while i work. if tea isn't your thing, do a face mask, make a cute snack, paint your nails or whatever self-care is to you. incorporate writing alongside the things you enjoy!!

a lot of people also asked where I find the emoticons I use, if you google kawaii/Japanese emoticons you can find many copy and paste sites

lastly, I was wondering if there were any anime/manga recommendations anyone had. I don't really take requests, but if there's media out there that doesn't really have many fan fictions or you would appreciate some more of them, please let me know :)

if anyone has any more questions, please use this space to ask (◔‿◔๑