"We're here."

, jujutsu college assistant director and the one whom drove the kids to their location, says.

"Hapina shopping district. Mostly a shutter district. A part of this place will be demolished to build a large shopping center."

You look around, drumstick in hand. Something felt odd about the cursed energy surrounding the area, but you don't alert the others.

'Weird..' You thought, 'I shouldn't be so bothered. Of course there's cursed energy here- we were sent out to exorcise curses.'

"During inspection, a flock of low grade curses was observed. Their exorcism was entrusted to second-grade Imumaki. and.." ijichi continues. you turn to where the aforementioned boy was, and was slightly surprised to see him gone.

"Huh? Inumaki?!"

"Toge?" Your brows furrow, looking around. Much to your relief, you find him in front of a shop nearby- buying something.

"Thank you for your patronage!"

'He's shopping..!' Okkotsu sweatdrops, watching as his classmate walks back with a plastic bag.

"What did you buy?" Okkotsu ask, watching as Inumaki hands you a lollipop. The boy reaches inside the bag again, pulling out a small bottle.

"Throat medicine?"

You spare Okkotsu a glance, placing the candy in your pocket. That would be eaten later, "Yes. For his throat."

Ijichi then says, "Anyways, it would be bad if a building this expensive got ruined by rumors. It has to be exorcised as soon as possible. I'll lower the curtain."

"Good luck!"

With that, all three of you were now left inside the empty market. You had already summoned your taiko and the uneasy feeling from earlier continues to grow. Who and where the hell was this cursed energy coming from?

And why was it so strong?

"They said it was a flock of low grade curses.." Okkotsu says.

"Mentaiko." Inumaki says.

You then hear whispers coming from behind. Both you and Inumaki had stayed calm and watched as multiple fishes passes you. Okkotsu looked shocked.

It spoke, along with multiple other voices and fishes. The sea creatures had collected into one big mass in front of the three of you.

Okkotsu then remembers Maki's words.

'The weak one's always comes in swarms.'

"But even so.. That's way too much." Okkotsu sweatdrops, looking over to you and Inumaki. He notices Inumaki pulling down his collar, revealing his mouth and the snake and fangs seal.

The boy step closer, and Okkotsu wonders why you weren't stopping him.

"Inumaki-kun?! It's dangerous to get that close-"

And just like that, the spirits that was previously gathered in a big group explodes. Okkotsu covers his face, amazed at what inumaki's words can do.

As the surroundings became quiet once again, Okkotsu turns to Inumaki. He sees the boy pulling up his collar over his mouth.

"Eh? Ah, i guess you're done."

"Tuna mayo.." Inumaki replies, voice sounding a little withered.

You crack a smile at this, trying to keep yourself calm despite wanting to say how his technique always impresses you no matter how many times you see it in action-compliments can wait later. You have recently discovered another spirit by sensing the cursed energy in the area, but you didn't want to freak out the two.

'Not yet, at least.'

'That's the reason for the throat medicine..' Okkotsu thought. Inumaki has an amazing technique, but it did came with a lot of risk.

"Okaka!"

"Hm?" you turn to Inumaki, who was staring at the curtain. Slowly, your hands takes the lollipop inumaki had given you. you clench your fist.

"The curtain won't rise" Okkotsu says, "We can't leave like this."

You look over your shoulder, eyes sharp.

"Oh no we can't..!"

you grit your teeth and furrowed your brows as you prepared to throw the piece of candy, drumstick prepared to strike the taiko floating by your waist. Both of your classmates were confused with what you were planning to do, but as they turn around..

As the curse appears from below the ground, you were quick to throw the lollipop. Okkotsu watches, now realizing this would be the first time he'll see your technique in action.

You had imbued the candy with cursed energy the moment you took it out your pocket. With that said, you strike your taiko with the stick, and the lollipop began emitting a bright light.

It was soon followed by the sound of a lightning strike. you thought that a little shock might've eliminated the curse.

However..

.

It spoke, and in between Inumaki and Okkotsu, a hole was beginning to form. seeing this, Inumaki was quick to push Okkotsu to the side.

Inumaki spares you a glance. Though as much as he wanted to grab your arm to ensure that he'll be able to pull you away in case another hole on the ground appears, he couldn't.

"Inumaki!" Okkotsu exclaims.

He uses his technique.

Like his words meant, the spirits arm suddenly twist. Your eyes widen, and you were fast enough to rush over and catch inumaki before he fell to his knees. He started coughing and spitting out blood, some of it splattering on your uniform as you were still supporting his body.

"Okkotsu!" you call the boy as you swing Inumaki's arm over your shoulder. The spirit attacks the two of you, barely missing as you ran over to an alleyway that connected to another side of the market.

"What is that?!" Okkotsu ask, following you up to a higher floor. He watches as you place Inumaki's body beside a pillar.

"They said it was just lower grade curses! That was different!"

You scoff. Had he really forgotten about your own mission? Maybe this curse was the one you were supposed to exorcise as Gojo had mentioned it.

'But it doesn't fit the description.' you remember your sensei telling you that the curses you were going to deal with came in a pair. Two curses. This was one.

"Toge, you okay?" you ask, kneeling in front of him. Inumaki notices you were worried- which is a sight to see. You rarely lose your composure and became anything but calm.

He nods.

You then turn your attention to Okkotsu whom was down on the curse from above. He seemed to be thinking of something.

'Doesn't look like it's chasing or searching for us..' Okkotsu goes back to sitting beside you. he kept his distance.

'If the curtain won't rise, then we need to exorcise it.' He sweatdrops.

'Should i show off or something? That usually gets me going.' You thought, Inumaki catching your attention as you notice him stand up and begin to walk.

"Toge?"

"Inumaki..!" Okkotsu whisper yells before following him, "Are you already good to move?!"

You click the roof of your tongue and you follow the two soon enough. You watch as Knumaki hold out his palm to Okkotsu's face, as if telling the boy to stay.

"Konbu." Imumaki coughs.

"Eh? Are you saying you'll go alone?"

The boy shakes his head, and his eyes meets yours. Okkotsu notices this.

"We'll handle this." you mutter.

Okkotsu clenches his fist, guilt eating him from the inside as he still hasn't done anything to contribute to the mission. He then spoke as you and Inumaki prepared to go..

"Thanks, Inumaki and Hokori.. But i'm fine." the boy then adds,

"Let's all do our best together!"

'Stubborn..' you sigh.

Sitting from the second floor, you watch as okkotsu began approaching the curse. It was quick to notice the boy's presence, and it seems to have gotten a bit mad.

You thought about one curse; Rika.

As the two of you patiently waited for your turn to kick some ass, Inumaki holds onto the back of your uniform, preventing you from falling and possibly cracking your skull open.

"Mhmh.." Inumaki tugs on your clothes.

"Yeah, yeah." you reply, "I'm not gonna fall."

You continue to observe the fight happening from below. It was impressive how fast Okkotsu could concentrate as he had already imbued his katana with cursed energy.

Something catches your attention.

'Huh?'

Okkotsu obtains a wound from the curse.

Inumaki didn't have enough time to react as you jump down from the second floor of the market, hesitant to hit your taiko.

You were cautious with how you used your technique as one wrong move, you could possibly shock both Inumaki and Okkotsu. Your technique works when there's cursed energy nearby and without the right tools, you don't know wether or not you can control the flow of your electricity.

You have the power to eliminate this curse, but you'll put two lives in danger. Which was more important?

Okkotsu sees Inumaki's medicine nearby, and he was relieved to see you buying him some time; you land on top of the curse, and it tries to get you off it's head by grabbing onto you.

"INUMAKI!"

Okkotsu, with all his strength, throws the bottle to inumaki's direction. like what you had did, the boy jumps off the second floor of the market. He's successful with grabbing the bottle thrown to him.

"..!!"

The curse manages to remove you from it's head by using force. It slams you down to the ground. While this happened, inumaki had gulped down the medicine.

With that, the curse is forced to obey the command. It's body is compressed together by an unknown force, and not even a second passes until it was exorcised.

"Incredible.." Okkotsu mutters.

You wince as you got up from the ground, noticing you had deactivated your technique. Brushing off some dust you got on your uniform, you turn to Okkotsu.

"Takana?!" inumaki approaches the boy, brows furrowed in worry.

"Ah, i'm fine, i'm fine. It just grazed me." okkotsu chuckles, referring to the wound he had got.

"Hokori, are you good?" Okkotsu ask, "You fell.."

"Shake.." inumaki says, as if pouting. He had warned you about jumping off and hitting the ground. He points to his head as if asking if yoi hit yours on the wall earlier.

You hum as an answer.

"My head is fine, Toge." you say, "Plus, i can't be tired yet. I still have to deal with other stuff."

Inumaki then raises both of his hands, the corner of his eyes scrunching as if he was smiling.

You scoff playfully. Okkotsu's surprised. the two of you give Inumaki a high five, as the boy was clearly asking for one.

'They are nice after all.' Okkotsu thought, briefly sparing you a glance. He then speaks up after noticing something.

"Ah, the curtain! What should we do?"

"I have two curses to exorcise, idiot." you say, "The curtain won't rise up just yet."

As Okkotsu mutters an apology for forgetting your part of the mission, you only wave a hand dismissively. While you lead them to where you sensed the other two curses were lingering, all three of you were unaware of someones presence.