The outlines of roses fade from my skin as I return control of my body. The first thing i notice is Yuji on the floor, out of breath and roughed up from his sparring match with Kichijōten.
Ever since that night a couple weeks ago, when they fought 2 special-grades, Gojo made Yuji train his hardest through movie watching and sparring.
My curse had the fortunate opportunity to be his opponent this time.
"Man" He pants. "You weren't kidding when you said your curse is strong". He groans and drops his head in fatigue.
"And yet you still handled it well, even with the fact that you're still new to all of this. Kich compliments your "raw strength and ability to take a punch"" I laugh. I extend my hand down to him, wordlessly offering help to stand up. "Its a different story when it comes to me though. Im not naturally strong or fast like you so I'm not really capable if Kichijōten isn't possessing me".
"Couldn't you just used cursed energy instead? Gojo told me that you don't need to be physically strong if you have a lot of cursed energy to back it up" He asks, taking his hand into mine.
I pull back on his arm and help lift his weight to a standing position. "I can't used cursed energy. Kichijōten keeps it on lock down so I can't use her powers when she isn't possessing me" I retort as I did so.
"Well, Im a poor example since I don't possess the skills but now that you have Sukuna, you got tons of cursed energy. You'd be able to kill them without unleashing him." I admit.
"Lock down? How come?" He asks.
I slip my hand from his and start aimlessly shuffling around the room. "Its complicated. Almost to the point I don't really understand." I groan with a sigh. I purse my lips, slowing to a stop to think of a simple way of explaining what my mother told me. "The way I see it is, Kichijōten only gave up her abilities all those years ago to someone that vowed to use them for good. But someone, generations later, used it for evil and corrupted it, so, Kichijōten retracted the ability for her vessels to use her power and their cursed energy freely."
However, as expected, somewhere down the line, her serene and beautiful abilities were used for evil, leaving them to be cursed and hellish for the future generations.
"Not that I'd blame her either. Kichijōten told me that the Kamada's were "rich and overpowered with plentiful cursed energy" due to our ability to take and store it as well as produce our own. If she wasn't controlling how we use it, we could do much worse things than try to end the hierarchy in our stupid clan." I admit.
I turn to find Yuji standing in his original spot I left him in with realization tainting his facial features. A smile covered my lips. "Wow. I never knew they could do that" He mumbles.
"Its never a dull moment when it comes to Jujutsu Sorcery" I admit.
I start walking towards him, confessing, "Anyway, because i cant really do anything without Kich, I've been wanting to learn some things on hand-to-hand combat. I just haven't really had time here lately.".
"I can help." He offers. I raise an eyebrow with a smile.
"Really?" I ask. He nods. "Well...let's take a break...then start on it. What'dya say?" I ask, propping my hands up on my waist, earning another nod.
***
The sound of sirens, the rain and distant chatter filled the cold air around me.
'The atmosphere reaks of cursed energy, to the point its sickening' Kichijōten bluntly admits.
"Pft. Tell me about it" I mumble, recognizing the full, nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach. The aura covering the theater like a dense cloud was dark and frightening. Just like that night at the school.
Just like when I met Yuta Okkotsu for the first time.
They were both giving off more than I can even think about handling. And my body can only take so much cursed energy...
I had never taken much notice to it till here as of late to be honest...
My eyes wander to the ground and specifically pinpoint what appears to be single set of footprints.
Residuals. From cursed energy.
Gojo educated me about them a while ago. I've never had a real reason to use it till now.
There was only one though.
Meaning, whatever curse that came here had to be high ranking to leave this much negative energy behind. An unregistered special grade seems most likely.
"Miss Kamada." A voice interrupts my train of thought. My head snaps up to the voice's source. "Is everything okay?" He asks. Yuji stood beside him, watching me with a confused look on his face, wordlessly asking what's wrong.
Kento Nanami was his name. He's a grade 1 Sorcerer and is Yuji's and my mentor-of-sorts. We were entrusted to him for this case by Gojo since he had more important matters to attend to.
"Of course. Why do you ask?" I ask with a sheepish chuckle.
"I've called you more than a few times to follow along " He explains in a matter of fact tone.
"Oh....Right. Sorry" I mumble, quickly jogging over to where they stood under the cinema's awning. Immediately my eyes train right back to the residuals that led into a theater blocked off by caution tape and cones. The closer we gain, the worse the feeling got in the pit of my stomach.
I felt a gentle nudge against my arm just as we entered the blocked off theater and my attention snapped to its source again. It was Yuji this time. "You sure you're okay? You look like you're about to puke" He asks.
I quietly chuckle. "I'm fine. Really. I just noticed something" I admit.
"What did you notice, Miss Kamada?" Nanami asks. I purse my lips, pointing down to the ground where the footprints were left. "Residuals." He comments, following his gaze with my finger.
"Residuals?" Yuji asks.
"Every time a Sorcerer and in this case, a curse, uses Jujutsu, it leaves residuals of cursed energy behind. They're fainter in terms of presence than cursed spirits so you'd have to focus to be able to see it. They usually appear in cases like footprints-" Nanami informs, eyeing the footsteps. "Or an aura in the general vicinity".
As Gojo told me, the only reason there'd be residuals left is either the user doesn't know how to cover it up or is leaving a trail into a trap. Given the amount of energy left behind and its presumably special grade, I'd lean towards the latter.
"I can't see it" Yuji admits.
"Of course not. You aren't focusing." Nanami says. Yuji only groans before he narrows his eyes, cupping his eyes to narrow his field of vision. I quietly chuckle.
Nanami and I stood silent for a second before Yuji announces, "oh! There it is!".
A smile broke out on my face. "A natural Sorcerer would feel it before they're able to see it" Nanami states, walking towards the entrance. A quiet chuckle escaped my lips before I slap a hand over it.
Yuji deflated as we both begin to follow. "Can't you give me just a little more praise or something?" He complains.
"I don't praise nor disparge anyone. I adhere the facts and base my judgement on it. It's just who I am. There was a time I believed society worked the way before I was rudely awakened." Nanami explains. The man stuffed his hands in his pockets, letting out a heavy sigh. "But enough about that. Let's go".
The man starts to walk away and Yuji only deflated even more. "We just aren't clicking. I'm not getting anything from him" he rants. I pat his back gently, giving him an encouraging smile.
"Ah give him some time. He'll warm right up to you. You're pretty likeable like that" I state.
Yuji only hums in acknowlegement. "Okay" He groans. I chuckle. "Come on".
