Chapter 3: Chapter 3 : Gambler's Reward
The dimly lit corridor of the hospital's second floor was a stark contrast to the rainy world outside. Yuta wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath visible in the cold, eerie air. With a sickening squelch, he yanked his sword free from the body of yet another cursed spirit, which now laid motionless near his feet, beginning to turn to dust. Behind him Daichi stood with an open book in his left hand, while his right hand was covered with purple blood, courtesy to a cursed spirit he himself had just dealt with.
"Yuta, how are you holding up?" Daichi asked him, as he vigorously shook his hand, trying to get rid of the blood that was smeared on it.
"Better than I thought I would..." Yuta admitted, taking a second to catch his breath after having dealt with the grade 2 cursed spirit. It hasn't even been an hour since he entered the building, but he was already starting to look different from his previous self. The timidness in his face was gone, now looking a lot more determined. "It's not over, is it?"
"I'm afraid not." Daichi shook his head, as he opened a nearby door to inspect the inside. "This happens quite very often in our line of work."
While the ground floor had presented them with a single grade 3 cursed spirit, the hospital's first floor had been a completely different story. The entire floor was infested with cursed spirits, and the situation did not improve as they ascended to the second floor. By that point, they had already exorcised a total of sixteen grade 4 cursed spirits, eight grade 3 cursed spirits, and five grade 2 cursed spirits. The numbers exceeded their initial expectations by a very large margin, although it was still at a level where the two of them could handle it.
But at that moment, Daichi's attention was diverted by something above. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, his gaze shifting upwards.
"Is something wrong?" Yuta asked him, having noticed his companion's reaction.
"Two of my clones have completed their search of the third and fourth floors. They dealt with all the curses on those levels," Daichi explained, his voice laced with concern. "However, we have a problem on the fifth floor. The two clones I sent there were both just destroyed."
"Daichi, you mentioned that you can use the clones to gather information right?" Yuta asked him. "Then, shouldn't you know what defeated your clones?"
Daichi sighed, his gaze focused on a point in the distance as he tried to piece together what had happened. "Usually, yeah. And that's what bugs me the most. Both my clones were working together, searching the floor when I suddenly lost them both, one after the other. They didn't come across a single cursed spirit on the floor. Hell, they didn't even see the attack coming."
"You see, the more clones I make, the weaker they become. In this case, since I made a total of four clones, each of them would only be a quarter of my original strength." He explained. "So what took them out could range from anything between a really strong grade 2 cursed spirit, to a grade 1 cursed spirit."
"Wait." Yuta raised a question. "Isn't there a chance for it to be a special grade?"
"Logically speaking, there is," Daichi acknowledged, his eyes narrowing in thought. "But in this case, that's very unlikely. Like I told you, special grades are called special grades for a reason, whether it's cursed spirits, sorcerers, or cursed tools. They don't simply pop up out of nowhere. And if what's up there really is a special grade, then we most likely wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place."
"Then..." Yuta's attention turned towards the ring on his left hand, a flash of concern appearing in his face. "Should I try to bring Rika out?"
"... " Daichi remained silent for a moment, scratching his chin in contemplation. "I'd like to say 'No,' but then again... are you able to control her actions when she gets out?"
"I-I'm not sure," Yuta admitted, his worry deepening.
"In that case, you should fight just as you have till now." Daichi replied, walking forward. "Don't bring out Rika unless I give you the green light, alright?"
"Alright." Yuta gave him a nod, as he tightened his grip on the handle of the sword.
"Good," A thin smile appeared on Daichi's face. "Then let's get going."
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As Daichi and Yuta made their way to the fifth floor, the atmosphere in the dimly lit stairwell grew tense with each step. The soft hum of the overhead lights flickering intermittently provided the only background noise, mingling with the sound of their wet shoes against the metal stairs. The previous floors they had traversed were challenging, and they had exorcised a significant number of curses even though they were of manageable power. However, the fifth floor held an unknown threat, and their instincts were on high alert. With every step, the air grew colder and unease. The higher they ascended, the more oppressive the silence became, making the tension unbearable. They could hear each other's breaths and the soft echoes of their footsteps as they climbed.
Once they reached the fifth floor, they paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and exchanging a look of both determination and uncertainty. The moment they stepped their foot on the floor, they could tell - Something strong was here. Without uttering a single word, Daichi opened the book to a particular page, placing a bookmark on it before closing it and sliding the book onto the satchel on his belt. He took the lead and began walking down the corridor of the fifth floor, with Yuta following closely behind him.
The atmosphere on this floor was a lot more ominous compared to the lower ones. As they advanced further, the low hum of an unknown source echoed through the hallway, creating a sense of unease that seemed to intensify with every step. Yuta's grip on his sword tightened, while cursed energy began to gather in Daichi's hands.
As they approached a section of the corridor that seemed particularly ominous, Daichi raised his hand, signalling for Yuta to halt. His gaze was locked onto a doorway ahead, particularly the pool of blood directly in front of it. With a silent nod, they approached cautiously, ready for whatever awaited them inside.
Daichi gently pushed the door open, but the insides were quite different from what he expected. The room was uncharacteristically empty, with a single window on the opposite side that was half-open, and a trail of blood leading from the centre of the room to the window.
"Something's not right," Daichi muttered under his breath as he carefully approached the window, following the blood trail.
"Do you think it's out there in the open?" Yuta asked him, keeping a close eye on the surroundings.
"Only one way to find out."
Daichi gently pushed the window panel as it slid open, allowing the cold, damp air and the soft sound of the rain to seep into the room. With a deep breath, he extended his head outside, exposing himself to the outside world. The only sound to be heard was that of the rain, which had picked up strength by now. As he peered downward, his eyes were met with the sight of the terrace of a lower floor, drenched by the relentless rain. The downpour made it challenging to see with clarity, but nothing in particular stood out as immediately threatening.
'Did I misread the situation?' He pondered, taking a step back and deciding to close the window. 'Or is it-'
He froze in his spot, as he sensed a strong and malevolent presence right behind him. He turned around as quickly as he could, only to spot an outstretched hand with its palm inches away from his face.
*CRASH*
It all unfolded in a matter of seconds. Daichi was grabbed by his head and tossed backward through the window, shattering its glass panels. Yuta, who was near Daichi at the moment, was also caught in the same fate. The two of them were sent hurtling out of the room, their bodies tumbling through the air and landing with a resounding thud on the terrace of the lower floor. Rain continued to pour relentlessly as Daichi and Yuta lay on the terrace disoriented, trying to regain their senses after the abrupt assault.
'Shit! That whole setup was a trap!' Grinding his teeth, Daichi somehow managed to stand up groggily, placing a hand on his temple and still feeling the effect of that attack. His uniform was already torn in several places. "Yuta, can you stand up?"
"I-I think so." Yuta's voice wavered, as he used the railing for support, slowly mustering the strength to rise to one knee, in a condition not too different from his teammate.
As they regained their composure, their eyes were drawn to the fifth-floor, looking for their potential assailant. Emerging from the hole in the wall, a grotesque figure descended onto the terrace in front of them. The cursed spirit, for that is what it could only be, appeared largely humanoid in form but possessed nightmarish features.
Its head resembled that of a goat, adorned with two menacingly curved horns jutting out on either side, and a third horn-like protrusion emerged from the centre of its forehead, crowned with a flickering, ominous flame. Two massive avian wings sprouted from its back, pitch black in colour, same as the rest of its body. Its eyes were two crimson orbs, which were fixated on the two humans in front of it.
'Judging from its cursed energy... a grade 1, huh?' Daichi speculated, assessing the threat that was in front of them. 'Was it too much to ask for a grade 2?'
'That thing... it's way scarier than that big one from the elementary school.' Yuta managed to stand up on his feet, remembering his first mission with Maki. 'And the worst part is...' His gaze darted towards his katana, which lay directly behind the cursed spirit, having been disarmed when the creature first attacked - something which Daichi noticed as well.
The situation weighed heavily on Daichi's mind, and he made a swift decision. "Yuta, I want you to sit this one out." He stated firmly.
Yuta was taken aback by the decision, his concern clear on his face. "But isn't that curse really strong?" He voiced his worry. Even as a novice in the world of jujutsu, he could sense the overwhelming power exuding from the cursed spirit, which he could tell was greater than Daichi's own.
"Earlier in the hospital, it was your first time directly dealing with that many curses one after the other, right? Fortunately, I was able to conserve a lot of energy because of that." Daichi replied, as he advanced toward the cursed spirit.
"Oh, and one more thing." He added on. "Just a little something you should keep in mind."
"Victory in a battle isn't decided by who has the bigger gun."
In the blink of an eye, Daichi closed the distance between him and the cursed spirit, throwing a haymaker. The cursed spirit responded with remarkable agility, simply raising its right hand, blocking the attack. Its expression remained stoic and unmoved, as if this encounter was no more than a trivial inconvenience. But in a fluid motion, Daichi grabbed its right hand, pulling it forward and delivering a swift strike to its chest. The curse, in response, only took a single step backward, not showing any indication of pain. It quickly grabbed him with his free hand, flinging him backward. Daichi's body crashed into the wall, leaving behind a small dent and causing cracks to spiderweb from the impact point. However, he showed little reaction to the pain, rising from his position and dusting himself off.
The curse narrowed its eyes at him, before it bought both of its hands together, forming the shape of a diamond. Its slender, clawed fingers intertwined, as the thumbs of each hand touched above while the other fingers came together below. It then swiftly yanked its hands apart as a trident materialised in front of him, created with a purplish dark-hued cursed energy, and floating horizontally.
'Its cursed technique?' Daichi didn't dare to take his eyes off the curse, rushing towards it. In response, the curse hurled the trident towards him. He reacted swiftly, tilting his head sideways just in the nick of time. The weapon narrowly grazed his cheek, causing a sharp stinging sensation before continuing its path. It penetrated through the wall and several others, leaving a clear, destructive trail behind it, before finally detonating with a deafening explosion on the opposite side of the building.
'I'd rather not test my durability with that...' He slightly winced, but didn't stop. The flow of cursed energy around his palm changed, as his fingers were slightly bent inwards, like a claw. Reaching close to the curse, he swung his arm diagonally downwards. The curse once again raised its arm to block the attack. However, this time that turned out to be the bad choice. The moment Daichi's clawed hand made contact with the curse's arm, it sliced effortlessly through it, as the arm was cut off and fell to the ground with a wet plop. But surprisingly enough, the curse didn't pay any mind to the cut off arm and delivered a powerful punch to his abdomen, sending him flying backward once more, bouncing off the railing and falling down to the ground. The curse quickly formed another weapon in its hands, this time shaped like a normal spear, and jumped after him. Understanding the severity of the situation, Yuta didn't waste a second, rushing to get his sword before jumping down after them.
"You could have at least acted like that hurt, you know?" Daichi gave a dry chuckle slowly standing up, coughing up a bit of blood. "That technique I used on you, I got it from another grade 1 cursed spirit I fought before. And just like you, it didn't speak a single word either." He quickly took out his book, opening it to another page, before leaping away as the curse slammed down on the ground with the trident, missing him by a hair's breadth. Taking the opportunity, he quickly leaned forward, gently tapping the curse's arm. In response, the curse swung its trident once more, but this time, the blow landed with the blunt side of the weapon against Daichi's side, the impact strong enough to send him tumbling to the ground. But almost immediately, the curse's arm holding the spear seemingly exploded, releasing a cloud of smoke.
"Daichi!" Yuta prepared to rush forward, only to stop as Daichi pointed his palm towards him, signalling him not to come.
As the dust and debris cleared away, Daichi had managed to get up on one knee, his breaths laboured and heavy. In front of him, the cursed spirit stood, both of its arms severed and lying on the ground. Hope briefly flickered, but it was short-lived. With a grunt, the cursed spirit's arms began regenerating at an astonishing rate. In a matter of seconds, they had completely regrown, with all of Daichi's efforts seemingly having gone to waste.
Daichi groggily stood up, using the hospital wall for support. The cursed spirit slowly advanced, forming yet another spear in its hands. As it drew close, it thrust the spear forward without hesitation. The weapon effortlessly impaled Daichi through the gut. A choked gasp escaped his lips, and he coughed up a substantial amount of blood. He reached out with shaking hands, attempting to grab the cursed spear. The curse callously yanked the spear from Daichi's body and stepped back, leaving him to fall forward with a heavy thud, blood pooling around him. The curse yanked the spear out, before stepping backward, as Daichi fell forward, with a thud.
Yuta's emotions were a turbulent whirlwind as he watched the event. It felt as if time itself had come to a stop, and a multitude of feelings surged within him.
Sadness.
Grief.
Shock.
Despair.
But amidst the chaos of emotions, one stood out, dominating all the others.
Unbridled anger.
Gritting his teeth, his gaze turned into a fierce glare as he fixed his attention on the cursed spirit approaching him with the deadly spear. His right hand instinctively reached for the ring on his left hand, fingers trembling as he attempted to pull it out.
"Come out, Ri-"
*SCHLUK*
Both Yuta and the cursed spirit stood there frozen for a few seconds. When the curse slowly looked down, it saw a spear - One that looked a lot familiar to his own - sticking out from his chest. It slowly turned its neck to look back, only to stare at the face of the Daichi who was staring back at him, unblinking.
"I have to fulfil some strict conditions if I want to steal the cursed technique of another person. But some of those conditions become downright impossible when facing cursed spirits which cannot hold a conversation." He muttered, as he extended his right hand to the side, another spear materialising in it. "And that's why I made an alternate condition - another binding vow to bypass some of the original conditions."
He drove the spear straight through the side of the cursed spirit's head.
"Without using any cursed technique, mine or someone else's, without reinforcing my body with cursed energy..." He applied a torque on the spear, wrenching off the curse's head which still remained impaled on the spear. "... I must tank the cursed technique with my body, purely with my physical prowess."
With a dismissive toss, he discarded the bloody, severed head, leaving the curse's body to fall flat forward before slowly disintegrating into dust.
Daichi gazed at the dark, rainy sky above, his breaths laboured. He could feel the searing pain coursing through his body, his vision beginning to blur. With a heavy sigh, he dropped to his knees, a painful cough escaping his lips, tinged with blood.
"Daichi!" Yuta rushed to his side, his face a mask of panic and concern. He knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder.
"I told you I had it covered." Daichi managed a weak chuckle, his voice strained and laboured. He leaned forward, almost falling, but Yuta's quick reflexes prevented him from hitting the ground.
And then, as the world around them faded into darkness, everything went black.
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