"Now... what to do about you, hmm?" Noriko hummed, moving her bisento back into the leather holster slung across her back. She dusted off her hands and tucked her pigtails back over her shoulders before taking a quick look at her injuries. Nothing the nurse couldn't fix, she noted, poking her blistered calf. Testing her leg, she put her weight on it a couple times and found it was mostly fine before sauntering over to the corner of clearing where she could sense a steady flow of energy.

"The event - " Noriko paused as she heard the speakers switch on and Gojo began to speak. The voice from the speakers barely got through before it dissipated in crackles; she waited a minute. Still nothing. Taking a moment to determine her best options, Noriko continued on her current task and began to trek through a small crop of bushes.

"Oh? So, it's you!" Noriko peeled back a couple of thick branches of foliage as she laid her eyes on the person in question. Chitose Saito was splayed out behind the bushes, holding a hand to her head as she tried to snap out of her disorientated state. The girl had almost no presence, and Noriko would've almost forgotten her very existence had Noritoshi not spoken to her while she was eavesdropping.

She was a short girl - maybe 5'4 or 5'3 - with dark, chestnut hair that was cut into a neat bob which curled up at the ends while her bangs were similar to Noriko's, only a couple inches longer which obscured her eyes and almost half her face. Not that it mattered, because a thin black strip of cloth covered her eyes beneath the hair (similar to Gojo's in a sense). She donned the standard uniform (her skirt was the longer option and came down to her just below her knees), however every inch of skin from her neck to her feet was completely covered by black spandex or a similar material.

"N-noriko Kamo?" The girl asked as she stumbled to her feet, holding a gloved hand over one of her ears. A stream of blood trickled down, staining the neck and shoulder of her uniform.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't have time to warn you," the taller girl apologised, reaching out a hand to stabilise the Kyoto second year as she swayed slightly. "Can you stand?"

The girl nodded and Noriko withdrew her hand before glancing around at her surroundings.

"Did you... did you hear the announcement?" The Tokyo student asked as she began to check her phone. No calls, no messages, no anything from her teammates, but she did have a notification for a forty-eight hour sale for her favourite makeup brand. Chitose brushed her skirt off.

"On the speakers?" She asked quietly, wiping the blood away from her ear - which only served to smear it further over her cheek and neck. Pausing for a second, the girl stared upwards before lifting her hand to point. "Yes, it probably has something to do with that."

Frowning, Noriko's gaze followed her finger up to the sky above. A mass of energy covered the blue abyss and formed a dome above the forest.

"Ah... yeah." The girl hummed, folding her arms across her chest as she tilted her head. "That probably isn't a good sign - wait, can you see anything under that blindfold?"

"Oh, you noticed? I need it... to keep my ability in check, b-but I can see the flow of energy in return." Chitose explained, climbing out of the undergrowth. After a quiet pause, she continued, "...that's how I knew you were eavesdropping."

"Hmmm... you knew?" The dark-haired girl hummed half-heartedly, studying the barrier above them.

"Yes."

"Didn't say anything to your teammates though or they would've changed their strategy."

"I'm... not really interested in things like committing murder."

"Good, then we should probably go deal with that together - since you're not some bloodthirsty idiot," Noriko began to wander off, beckoning over her shoulder for the girl to follow her. Chitose obliged, falling into step beside her junior - who slowed so she could match her pace. "There seems to be a concentration of energy over there - that's where the barrier is in it's highest concentration as well."

They walked in silence for a few minutes - Chitose's boots and Noriko's sneakers falling with soft thuds against the compacted floor.

"So, are you a close, mid, or long-range combatant?" The dark-eyed girl queried, tilting her head ever so often to glance around the forest.

"It depends... I can do all three." She was being cautious. The shorter girl didn't exactly want to give away her abilities to someone who beat Mai Zenin to a pulp after she insulted the half-curse, especially as she'd not really objected to the assassination plot. "You?"

"I'm pretty flexible too, I work best in close-to-mid range, but I can work my way around long-range quite easily," Noriko answered truthfully, glancing around as they emerged from the forest into a clearing. There were a few buildings and a steep set of stone steps leading up to a torii gate. A broad figure stood at the top of the steps, a large blade slung over his shoulder. Under Noriko's lead, they ducked back out of site. "That'll be our issue, right?"

"His cursed energy is the same as the barrier," Chitose nodded, peering around the corner of the building they were standing near. The sun was setting on the horizon and the area was bathed in a golden light that stretched the shadows around them. "H-he's really strong."

"Mmm? You worried?" Noriko questioned, smoothing out her pigtails before nudging them behind her shoulder. "You'd be higher than Grade 3 if you had the confidence to go on solo missions."

Chitose was about to ask her how she knew that but shut her mouth when she watched Noriko begin to pull her bisento from her holster. How much did she know? Her ability? All of her classmates techniques? Did she suspect the assasination plot from the beginning? Did she eavesdrop for that particular purpose or would she have done it anyway?

"You're right, he's got a lot of cursed energy, and unfortunately for us, he's a close combatant," the younger girl sighed, peering out again from the building. The man had begun to descend the steps; his eyes were trained in their direction. "It won't be easy. I'm pretty sure you have more experience in fighting other sorcerers than me... so whatever tactic you want to go for, I'll follow the lead, alright? My technique is really versatile, so covering for others weak spots is something I'm best at."

"Eh? I can't - " "Hm? A pair of cute girls to make wallets out of? The young skin is always the best."

Chitose's breath hitched in her throat and if Noriko could've seen her eyes, she would've been able to tell the girl had started to tear up.

"We're in the middle of a tactical meeting right now! Can you wait, please?" Rolling her eyes, the Kamo girl stuck her head round the side of the building, shooting her now considerably closer opponent a fiery glare. He was close enough for her to see him in detail - an impressive physique and an even more intimidating meat cleaver. He smirked, head tilting in mock thought.

"Thirty seconds."

"Thanks," she turned back to Chitose, rolling her bisento onto her shoulder as she freed up her hands to grasp her shoulders tightly. "Look-" "Twenty-nine" -"I need you to watch-" "Twenty-eight" - "really carefully. I'll attack" - "Twenty-seven" - "so you can take a couple" - "Twenty-six" - "Please be quiet! I'll attack so you can have time to analyse and prepare, okay? I already exerted quite a bit of energy back there and fighting against sorcerers isn't something I'm very confident in, so if you abandon me here, I'm either going to get seriously injured or die, okay?"

Chitose nodded frantically, moving closer to the wall when Noriko let go of her. Spinning her bisento between her fingers, Noriko stepped out from behind the building and began to saunter towards her opponent. Her teammate peered out after her, eyebrows furrowing in a new resolve as she observed the two's movements - her fingers trembling against the brick.

"And you are?" Noriko stared her opponent down fiercely, her sharp eyes narrowing into a cold stare as she faced her opponent. Nothing had really gone to plan for her at the event, and she had really only wanted to do two things: avoid battles with other sorcerers, and piss off Noritoshi Kamo... none of which she'd been able to do. She'd have to treat herself to that flash sale if she won - and some new manga - and a new pair of sneakers since -

"Juzo Kumiya," the man yelled gruffly, eyes widening in his excitement at the boldness of his opponent. "The man who'll turn you in a hanger rack."

"Cute, but I'd really rather be a handbag or a pair of sneakers." He belted out a loud, manic laugh.

"I can arrange that."