ƚԋҽ Ⴆʅҽʂʂҽԃ ƈυɾʂҽ

Chapter 9

I woke up catching my breath. The only thing I can hear is my own heartbeat, my body is pulsing, my ears are ringing because of my heart.

Then slowly my breathing started to stabilize so as my heartbeat. "I'm okay" I smile rubbing their heads earning a whine from them. "It's just a nightmare" I whispered hugging them.

"Just another nightmare"


They're already there when I arrived.

"I thought you were going to ditch our training again" she scoffs after I arrived an hour late. "She got that late attitude from Satoru" Panda chimed catching Megumi and throwing him in my direction. I moved away and he landed on his feet.

"Instead of practicing how to land shouldn't we practice how to fight someone in close-range combat?" I asked stabbing my weapon on the ground. "To be honest there are only two people we should look at. Todo Aoi and Kamo Norotoshi" I told every one of them.

"The difference between them is. Kamo" I raised my finger. "Use his technique while Todo" I raised another finger. "Doesn't use his technique. Between them, Todo is our biggest threat. His physical strength can overwhelm us" Maki rested her staff on her shoulder, placing one hand on her hip.

"That's why you, Megumi, and Panda will handle hi—"

"I'll pass. The two can handle them by themselves. Three is too much"

"We can't even handle him by ourselves" I deadpan at him. "That's because you weren't even taking him seriously. If Inumaki-senpai, didn't butt in I would have pummeled Todo to death" Inumaki quickly move behind Panda. "I got it all control when Panda-senpai intervenes too" Panda hides behind Maki the boys hiding behind her making me deadpan.

"If you say it like that then you're going to handle Kamo?" I wave my hand no. "I don't like to handle annoying people" a tick mark grew on her head.

"Then what's even the point of you joining the event?!" She hissed glaring at me. "I didn't sign up for this for your information" I flatly said and her classmates stopped her from hitting me with the wooden staff.

"About fighting" I mumbled making them stop. "I never back down when it comes to fighting" I smirk earning a smirk back from her.

"You're going to train with me—"

"No"

"Why you!"


"I can't even last a minute with Maki-san!" Nobara groaned her body still aching from the training he got from the girl. "And here is Noroi! Lasting an hour with her!" They are sitting on the sidelines watching the two girls exchanging attacks with their real weapons.

"Noroi is really good with her sword"

"Salmon"

The first 30 minutes was hand-to-hand combat and it turned into weapon combat.

"Come to think of it. What is Noroi's technique? She hasn't explained the thing she just did the other day" Nobara pouted sipping her cold drink. "It's related to shadow. Her technique is related to shadow" Panda answered and cheered when she managed to bring Maki down.

"I win" Maki clicked her tongue feeling the blade close to her face after she stabs her weapon on the ground. "That means no more training for me unless I want too" she pulled her weapon, the bandages wrapping themselves on it.

"Noroi" she tiredly glanced at her brother. "Let's train" her shoulder sagged. "As you can see I just finished training" she gestured at nothing. "I want to train with you" heaving a loud sigh she walked back to the center.

"With cursed technique" she looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Sure fine by me" Nobara who heard that got excited. She is finally going to see her technique.

"Congrats on getting your ass beat by her!" Panda cheekily said and Maki didn't hesitate to pummel her fist on his head. "It's frustrating that I can't defeat her" Nobara jaw drop, she gained another information about her classmates.

"But your the best at handling cursed tools right?" Maki nodded her head. "It doesn't look like it but Noroi can also use different weapons she just prefers the sword she uses because according to Megumi the sword she currently has is making her cool" Nobara got dumbfounded at that.

"Senpai, how was Noroi when she was a child?" Maki was shocked at that question and Nobara was shocked to see her being conflicted. Panda and Inumaki were also curious about what kind of child Noroi was.

"She's like a mirror" she whispered but they still heard it. "When I first saw her she was like a robot, a doll. A human who doesn't know what emotion is, until she reached her limit. That's my impression of her" Maki whispered and sighed loudly.

"But when I continue to watch her from afar she mirrors the attitude people show her. If you're a bastard she'll be much more worse of a bastard than you. If you're rude, she's even ruder. What you give is what you will receive from her" they were shocked and with the tone Maki used they can tell that Noroi didn't have a nice childhood.

"It doesn't look like it but she's dangerous. The Zenin clan almost got wiped by her four years ago"


"Tell me when your rea—" she let her weapon go and dodged his fist. Megumi ducked and gave her head a kick which she didn't block. Then suddenly his body got caught by a large jaw.

Nobara gasp seeing a large black serpent. "Wait that technique!" She exclaimed seeing her making a hand sign a black bird coming out from her shadow. "Strike him, Nue" she smirks the bird dashing to him, striking him without lightning.

"Noroi make herself look like he caught her off guard when actually it was her plan to make him believe so he'll far for her trap" Maki commended, amaze at the girl. "I feel bad for Megumi. Noroi isn't showing any kind of mercy to him" Panda winced when Orochi dropped its body and slithered on the ground, dragging Megumi's body on the pavement.

Megumi gritted his teeth and summons Nue. "Strike Orochi!" He ordered, the bird striking down the serpent with its body being with lightning, but the attack wasn't successful when it returned back to the shadow after she dispels it.

Megumi felt something touched his head and Noroi without any hesitation slammed his head on the ground startling the watchers.

"Hey is this even safe anymore?!" Nobara nervously asked remembering the training combat they did last time. "Well, those two can really get a little bit rough" Panda smiles.

"A little bit?!"

Megumi kicked her legs and made the dog hand sign. Everyone cheered and Noroi's eyes widen quickly putting a distance between them.

She placed her hand on her side and pulled it away eyeing the blood. Looking at her side she has three gash wounds and looking in front of her he saw a dog she has never seen before.

"Black divine dog inherits his power" he smirked spitting the blood on the side and standing up. "Totality is strong so if I were you I won't get caught by him" he laughed, he and totality running to her.

"He's turning crazy and so as Noroi!" Nobara informed her seniors seeing the familiar glint of craziness on the sibling's face.

"Looks like pummeling your head is the answer on how to make you go all out!" She smirks avoiding totality's claws and bites and Megumi's punch and kicks.

She will admit totality is strong, she wants it but in order to get it, she needs to sacrifice one of her divine dogs and she won't sacrifice one of them just to gain another power.

She caught Megumi's arm and pulled him to her and use him as a shield for totality's attack. Totality almost scratched him and Noroi German suplex Megumi on the ground making the four wince.

"Payment for being always too slow that day" she snickered. "Then I'll just make you match my speed!" Her eyes widen when his hand sunk into his shadow and pulled a sword out.

Megumi swing the cursed tool and managed to slice one of her legs. Her stance wobbled and she rolled away before he can slice her. "Hah! I never know your shadow can also be useful!" Noroi laughed amazed at his new development.

"I feel like if they continue one of them will get killed"

"Salmon"

"I have my bets that it's Megumi"

"They look terrible again"

"But too bad you haven't fully utilized it!" She made the toad sign then the bird sign, summoning the well-known abyss, with a crazy smirk on her face.


"Ten shadows technique"

"Huh?"

"That's their technique. Unlike Megumi, her shikigami are black that have white designs. They use shadows as their medium. The reason why Noroi is special is because" Maki took a pause, remembering every information she knows about her technique.

"Her technique is unique. In the history of our family, there is no one that can use the shadow to travel around. There's no record of that. And now Megumi, there isn't also a record where shadows can store things"


Noroi can't move because of her leg, that's why she ordered her shikigami to restrain him. Megumi swings his sword slicing, paying attention to his surroundings especially to her.

Noroi made another hand sign and swarms of black rabbit appeared, making Megumi alarmed.

"Dammit!" His right wrist where he was holding his weapon got wrap by a tongue. He let out a pained groaned and looked down him a divine dog biting his left leg.

"Megumi, you should not only fight with your muscles but also with your brains" Noroi smirked when the rabbits disappeared. "I would have beat you by myself but because of my leg I can't, but it doesn't mean I can't approach you I can't beat you" she summoned the max elephant and Nue.

Megumi can tell she already limit, he too is close to reaching his limit but his body is being restrained by her shikigami.

"Let's finish this up, boys!" She grinned widely. The elephant shooting water from its trunk and Nue flying to him, sparks of black electricity in its body.

Well unknown abyss and divine dog disappeared right before the water hit him.

"That must have hurt really really bad" Nobara whispered shivering when Megumi got hit by the two attacks.

'How can she summon a lot of shikigami?!'

Megumi coughed harshly, his body twitching after getting electrified.

"Megumi" Megumi suddenly felt inferior. He was sitting on the ground looking up at her, and Noroi is standing looking down on him with a blank expression.

"Fight me again with cursed techniques when you finally exorcised max elephant"

He lowered his head nodding. Unlike him, he still missing two shikigami's while she's only missing one. Two of his shikigami got destroyed and he acquired a new one. Noroi's shikigami is still complete but he knows that she'll get even more stronger together with her shikigami's.

'Can I even be her?'

"Megumi"

"Yeah?" He whispered. "Great work today and good job" he looks at her and Noroi has a small smile on her face. "Let's go see Ieiri-sensei" she offered her hand to him and Megumi accepted it. Noroi helping him to stand up.

'No. I can't be her because I am not her. I am me and I will make myself stronger so I can catch up with'


"You two" Shoko muttered tiredly. "What's with you two coming here in my office always looking like that?" She asked in a flat tone. The siblings looked away to avoid her sharp bored gaze.


"Noroi, let's go shopping!!" Nobara shouted barging into my room. "I'm sure your leg is all healed up so let's go!" I saw Maki right behind her. "Did you also got forced?" She sighed nodding her head.

"Hey Noroi, I didn't force you! Remember I ask you last week to go shopping with me!" She took the book I am holding and slammed it on my night desk. "Let's go! All my tracksuits got ruined because of the training! So let's go!" She held my shirt and tug me out of my bed.

Once again I am being dragged again on a shopping against my will

"You three are going out?" Megumi asked holding the knob of his room. "No boys allowed! Only us women!" He rolled his eyes on her. "Make sure to keep an eye on Noroi" he muttered entering his room.

"Of course I will! Last time I almost went to jail!" My eyes looked at the door next to him. "Let's get something to eat first. I've been sugar deprived for about a week" I mumbled removing my gaze.


"Noroi, how do you travel to the shadow?" Nobara asked out of nowhere. "Like what do you see when you're inside the shadow?" I can tell Maki is also curious about that.

"Well for starters" I gestured the whole place. "This whole place, the whole world is black. The items object everything around, the structure is grey, light grey. It's hard to explain but think of it like an architecture plan, a blueprint. It's like that" I answered eating a spoonful of my parfait.

"In order for me to appear in one to another, it either I will walk there by foot or look for shadow"

"Shadow?" The frown. "For example this" I pointed at the shadow of the parfait glass cast in our table. "The color is white, meaning it's a shadow cast by something. As long as something is within my eye reach I teleport there. But if I will teleport myself somewhere far like the school I need to imagine the place"

"Imagine?" I nodded my head taking a slice of the cake and eating it together with the cream puffs. "Everything will zoom, in front of me. Right now we're here in a cafe down the mountains" I tap the table.

"I need to concentrate, focus and imagine the school and the place will zoom bringing me to the location. That kind of way is kinda hassled to be honest because it gives me a headache, that's why I prefer walking on foot. The same goes for teleporting to another shadow. Walking by foot doesn't require cursed energy but only your stamina" I said finishing the parfait.

"So you can't appear somewhere without a shadow?" I nodded my head. "If we're in a clear field, I can go inside my shadow but I can't get out from my own shadow. I need another shadow to get out. Even if it's a small shadow" Nobara hummed eating her macarons.

"So you can get inside your own shadow but can't get out?" I nodded my head. "I can phase through the walls also when I'm inside the shadow" their jaw drop. "Because inside my own shadow I am like a shadow. But think of it like a ghost that can phase through anything" I mumbled finishing my cakes.

"Any more questions regarding that technique?" They shake their head no. "Can you store objects in your shadow like Megumi?" Maki asked sipping her coffee. "Well, I never tried it out but let me try" I mumbled.

I placed my hand on the table, casting my shadow. I then touch it but my fingers didn't sink making me blink my eyes. I tried harder but nothing happened. "Looks like Megumi has something I can't do and I have something he can't do. Good" I chuckled. "What do you mean by that, Noroi?" I let her take my macarons when she finished hers already.

"We already have the same technique. If all our techniques really resemble each other people will going to compare us. They will not know us as for who we really are but only our technique. Ten shadows technique is the Zenin pride. People only care about the technique, not the people who carry that technique" I sip my drink.

"I want the two of us to be known by our names, and by the techniques, we work hard for. Megumi is his own version and so am I. I don't want to be compared to him and I also don't want him to get compared to me. We two are our own version of ourselves together with the technique we inherited. We are like this because of how we cultivated the ten shadows technique" I smile watching the people walking outside.

"I also prefer something like this. If my technique is much more stronger than him then they won't pay attention to him" I chuckled my lips curving up into a smirk.

"I would rather go to that hellhole again and cause another disaster than to have Megumi go there"


Maki and Nobara shivered, seeing the cold cruel smirk she gave. Maki knows what disaster she was talking about and Nobara got a gist of what she's pertaining to.

Zenin Noroi was talking after all the incident four years ago on how she almost wiped out the Zenin clan.


"Dark colors suit you better but whatever clothes you wear suits you!" All heads turned in our direction. Maki groaned rubbing her face, probably feeling the secondhand embarrassment from my classmate.

"Didn't we come here to buy tracksuits? Why are we buying dresses?" I muttered as she placed a maroon summer dress in front of me then replacing it with a royal blue.

"Is there a reason why you buy foods?"

"And that is to eat"

"Correct. We buy a dress so we can wear it" she smiled taking another dress from the racks. "Also you need to be pretty when you go out on a date!" My muscles tensed at that.

"We need to be pretty when we date!"

Ah right, I forgot about that

"Are you okay?" She whispered. "Yeah, just getting my energy being leeched by her" I mumbled the two of us the only one hearing my words.

"Why don't you take a sit first? I'll handle her myself" I nodded my head. "Thanks, Maki" I took a sit and heave a loud sigh. Just watching Maki being her next test subject.

I looked around and my eyes landed on a pair of happy people buying some shirts. My heart suddenly aches and I looked away.

Eating sweets didn't even ease my stress

"What the hell" I narrowed my eyes on the window. "Hey, I'm going out to buy something to eat" Nobara gave me a disbelief look. "We just ate a while ago!" She whined.

"That while ago has been an hour"

"Argh, whatever just don't forget to buy us food!" I nodded my head leaving the store. I saw a can in the road and pulling my leg back I kicked it like a ball.

"Dammit! Who threw that shi—"

"Me" I gave him a roundhouse kick in the head bringing him down. "People nowadays don't know how to pick a fight" I scoff removing my feet.

"Who the hell are you?!" The three remaining delinquents run in my direction. "You don't need to know my name. My face is already enough for you to know" both of them attacked at the same time which I easily dodge because of how readable their attacks are.

I gave the person in front of me a front kick and spinning my body I gave the person on my right side a roundhouse kick. Bending my body backward to avoid the stick. I crouched down and kick the back of his legs. When he starts to fall I kneed his side earning a pained grunt.

"What a bunch of weaklings. Can't even make me use my hands" I scoff brushing my hair. "Y-You! You'll pay for this!!" The person I kneed shouted, running away with the two who's dragging the person whom I kicked first with them. "Huh? Bastards should be thankful that I went easy on them" I growled regretting that I didn't use my hands to beat the hell out of them.

"Uhm" he flinched when I looked at him. "Hey" he let out a small squeak when I kicked the wall behind him, my shoes just a few inches away from his head.

"Violence is not an answer. But it is also one of the ways to make things stop. Learn to stand up for yourself" I hissed turning to the side to walk away.

"T-thank you again!"

Right after I got out from that corner the two left the store. "Where's our food?" Nobara asked in a demanding tone. "I don't know what to buy, so let's just together" she gave me a glare.

"You're paying it"

"No"

"What happened to your shoes?"

"Huh?" Maki pointed to my shoes and I looked down and mentally cuss. "Ah, poor shoes! Why did you get this white converse stained?!" Nobara cried, mourning for them.

"I didn't notice the path I took was covered in paint" I sighed rubbing my head. "Shouldn't the sole of the shoes be the one getting stained not the front?" Maki asked giving me a pointed look.

"Got splattered after a kid jumped on a puddle that got mixed with paint" her eyes narrowed at me more. "But why is the front only stained? Why is the other not? They're also not wet. And aren't red pain are like bright red paint? This color is kinda dark resemble blood" I sweatdrop but didn't make myself obvious at Nobara's statement.

"Can we go now? I saw there's a jiggly pancake around here. My treat"

"Huh, what happened on not treating us?" I just ignored her and take the lead. Making plans on how to make them forget about my blood-stained shoes.

No one can find out about what I just did.

They cant find out.

If they do, who knows what will happen to me.


"Eh, you leaving already?" I nodded my head placing the plates on the sink. "I still need to take a rest. Today's activity drained my energy" I plucked a grape from the stand and placed it on my mouth.

"The last one to finish eating will be the one washing the dishes"

"Huh?! I'm still starting!"

"Why didn't you say a thing?!"

"Bonito flakes!"

I waved my hand and left the room.

After I got out cold wind hugged my body making me shiver. "Tsk I should have wear something warm today. The temperature on day and night are different" I clicked my tongue and walked back to the dorms.

On my way to the dorms, I saw two of our teachers, and before I can take a detour one of them caught me.

"Noroi, long time no see!" I know understand how cats feel whenever their owner holds or hugs them. "Don touch me! Get your hands off me! Why are you even here?!" I hissed pushing away, and I scowl when he gave those puppy hurtful expressions.

"Don't make such a disgusting expression in front of me" he went stiff then his hold on me loosened before he fell on the ground. "Why are you being grumpy? Are you on your period? Why did I do to deserve such treatment from you?" I clicked my tongue not letting his words give me guilt.

"Noroi, how are you've been? I am thankful none of you visit me again in my office" Ieiri smile, and I don't like how she stared at me.

"I'm fine. I don't train too much with the others because they don't want to train with me" she chuckled. "Well, you can be extremely rough when it comes to fighting" I looked away rubbing my head.

"I still have something to do so I'm going to take my leave first. Bye, sensei's" I gave them a slight bow and when I was about to walk away Ieiri called my name, in a serious tone.

"Noroi, I have a few questions to ask you" her laid-back expression turned into those professional ones. "Are you experiences nightmares? You look pale and you're starting to get dark circles. I also noticed that your hands are always bandaged is it because of your busted knuckles?" I bite the inside of my cheek.

"My answer for the latter is yes. For the former? It's only normal for me to have nightmares after I saw my friend"

The person I cared

"Die right in front of my eyes, sensei" I flatly answered, giving her a blank expression. "Noroi, you should prioritize your health" Gojo chimed coming back to life. "If you don't prioritize it Yuji won't like—" I cut him off.

"Yuji is dead. I don't care about his opinion and his opinion doesn't matter to me because he is dead. Why would I give a care about the dead when they're dead already? It not like they can do something about it"

"Noroi" I pulled my shoulder avoiding his hand. "Just leave me alone. Bringing the dead names back and using it gave me a foul mood" I throw a glare at him and went inside the shadow.


"You should tell her"

"I can't"

"That girl has a short fiery temper. Who knows what she will do if she finds out the boy she likes is alive after all?"

"Noroi doesn't like him she's also too young for something like that!"

"Whatever. If she beat you I won't be going to heal you"


Noroi was going to go through her room when her eyes landed on his room. She didn't know what spirit entered her body, but she just saw herself appearing in the center of his room. Her eyes wander around the room till it landed on his cabinet.

"Did they take his belongings? But why is it only half of it? Why did they bother to leave the rest?" Noroi mumbled and her eyes landed on a green-colored hoodie. She then remembered it was the shirt he wore when he first came to the school.

"Ha fuck" she laughed taking it. She wore it and her nose twitch, her heart aching when she got a whiff of his scent.

"Looks like my mental health is deteriorating because of them" she laughed standing up. "Staying here will only make my health worse" Noroi's shadow swallowed her up. Instead of going to her room, she went out of the building to take a walk to clear her mind.

'So quiet... So lonely and it's comforting'

Noroi strolled around the whole place. Planning to go back to her dorm something caught her eyes.

She stared at it, a frown forming on her face.

"What the"

Noroi saw someone's shadow under the building. She knows there are rooms under the building.

'No that cant be Megumi. His shadow isn't like that'

People's shadows are glowing white. It's hard to differentiate on whose shadow it is. But because she and Megumi are siblings. They have some special type of bond because of their technique. That's why Noroi can differentiate his shadow from everyone else.

But the shadow she's seeing right now is very peculiar, something she hasn't seen. Curious to what that is she checked it out.

She appeared in the room the stairs in front of her eyes. The room wasn't dark because there was some kind of light coming behind her.

She heard something behind her being dropped. Then she remembered she uses a person's shadow to get here.

'Right I still need to explain myself for invading their privacy'

"I didn't mean well partially I mean to come here because something caught my eyes" Noroi sighed rubbing her head, twisting her body to face the person.

"But overall I'm so... rry"

"Roi"