Chapter 8 – Tactical Retreat?
The surging waves of cursed energy from the battle drew Yuta Okkotsu's attention from across the building.
"Tatsuro's fighting!"
"Yeah." Maki Zenin didn't respond with much concern, keeping her eyes sharp on the surrounding area.
After years of fighting curses, she could sense it—the air carried a suffocating weight, the pressure of something big on its way.
Back in the classroom, Tatsuro landed a solid punch, smashing a curse hiding in a cabinet. But the moment he turned around, he realized something was off.
Two larger curses, far more dangerous than the others, emerged. They were similar to the ambusher on the doorway—except much bigger.
They had eight sharp, metallic tendrils gleaming like spears. Just their presence overwhelmed everything else so far.
I messed up…
He had misjudged his targets. These two were clearly the strongest, and he hadn't accounted for them.
Suddenly, the entire hallway shook. A low rumble echoed like thunder. The floor beneath his feet trembled.
Oh no!
RUN!
Tatsuro didn't hesitate. He smashed through the third-floor window and leapt out, shouting:
"Somebody come save me!!"
BOOM!!
A massive curse burst out of a nearby school building, huge and grotesque like a monstrous insect. Yuta and Maki were mid-air at that moment.
Wait…
They're the ones in danger… not me.
Tatsuro paused, glanced at them mid-air, then turned and ran right back into the building. Compared to that thing, being inside was way safer.
"That bastard! He just ran off without a second thought!" Maki snarled, having watched the whole thing. He better get kicked out of Jujutsu High for this. Unbelievable!
The massive curse lunged at them, its mouth opening wide like a seven-gilled eel, revealing razor-sharp teeth.
No way…
Maki's eyes widened. The creature launched its teeth at her like projectiles. She managed to deflect some with her blade, but one caught her leg, making her stumble. A follow-up strike knocked her flying.
The curse surged forward, jaw unhinging as it swallowed both her and Yuta whole.
GULP!
Inside the stomach, the curse muttered in a strange, garbled tone:
"Thank you… thank you… thank you… for the meal!"
---
Inside the curse's stomach.
Yuta slowly regained consciousness. Beside him, Maki was already ranting furiously:
"Damn it! That coward Tatsuro just ran off like a little baby! I even gave him 5000 yen to make dinner! Ugh! I feel sick just thinking about it! Ah—damn it, my cursed weapon's gone too! LET US OUT!"
"…Where are we?"
Yuta looked around, eyes adjusting to the dim red glow. The walls pulsed and writhed like living tissue.
Maki snapped, "Inside that damn curse! Try not to pass out so easily next time!"
"Oh…"
"Wait, we got eaten?!" Yuta yelped. "Is Tatsuro okay? I remember he was calling for help!"
"Don't bring up that coward! If I get out of here, I swear I'll kill him myself. And don't you have a cursed spirit protecting you or something?"
"I don't even know when Rika will show up!" Yuta panicked. "Let's not worry about that—what do we do now?!"
"Tch…"
Maki gritted her teeth, forehead vein bulging. "This is so humiliating. All we can do is wait… When the barrier's lifted, maybe someone will come save us…"
Before they could continue complaining, a faint, childlike voice echoed through the chamber:
"Help… somebody…"
"Huh?"
Both Yuta and Maki turned in shock. Weren't they the only ones in here?
A boy in a black-and-white shirt clutched another unconscious child, tears in his eyes. "Please… he's dying. Help him."
Yuta lit up. "You're alive! That's amazing!"
"Look again," Maki said coldly.
She pointed at the standing boy's left eye—it had turned completely black. Veins of blood spread across his face.
"The older one's already corrupted by a curse," she said grimly. "Both of them are moments away from death."
"No… what do we do?!"
"What can we do? Just wait for rescue."
Maki's face turned red with frustration. Her voice trembled. "Not everyone has your natural resistance to curses…"
She was beginning to feel feverish. Her vision blurred. Maybe Tatsuro had been right to run—this curse was on another level.
Then everything went black, and she collapsed.
"Maki?!"
Yuta rushed to her side. He saw a deep wound on her thigh—an infected curse wound. It was covered in grotesque, human-like eyeballs that were multiplying rapidly.
"She's cursed?! What do I do?! She's not going to die, right?! I need to get stronger… please… there has to be a way!"
As Yuta panicked, the little boy beside him tugged on his shirt and asked, "Is that big sister going to die… big bro?"
"I…"
Yuta didn't know how to answer. He didn't know if Rika would come this time.
Just then, a bloodied hand grabbed his collar. Maki's weak voice whispered:
"Yuta… you…"
Suddenly—
"Yo! I'm not too late, right? Been waiting out here forever to give this thing a little cesarean!"
A familiar voice echoed into the chamber.
The dark belly pulsed, and then—
"Aghhh! It HURTS!!"
The curse howled in pain.
Tatsuro?
Both Yuta and Maki thought the name simultaneously.
There he stood—blood-soaked, right hand gripping Maki's cursed naginata, Sharingan spinning wildly in his crimson eyes.
"You ran away… why did you come back?" Maki asked, dazed.
"What do you mean 'ran'? That was a tactical withdrawal. I'd never abandon you guys. So… feeling like marrying me yet?"
Tatsuro chuckled, completely unfazed by the slowly closing hole behind him—the same hole he'd just slashed open.
Whether the others noticed that fact or not… remained to be seen.
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