unlucky charms (yuji x reader)

ch. 6 ~ the fall

The sky above the detention center is a dull, oppressive gray, the kind that feels like it's pressing down on us, weighing us into the earth. The atmosphere is thick with an ominous energy, and I can feel the cursed aura radiating from inside the building like a pulse—thudding low and slow, waiting for us to come closer.

Kiyotaka Ijichi, the assistant manager of Tokyo Jujutsu High, stands in front of us, his face tight with worry, hands gripping a folder with more force than necessary. His gaze flickers between us, measuring our readiness. His words, however, are calm and steady. But I can feel his underlying anxiety.

"There's a cursed womb inside this detention center, and we predict it might become a special-grade cursed spirit." Ijichi says, his voice lowering, almost as if the building itself might overhear. "It's been reported that there are still five detainees inside Block Two. Your mission is to confirm any survivors."

"A cursed womb?" Yuji asks, frowning. He tilts his head slightly, confusion clouding his usual bright expression. "And what's this about special grade curses?"

Ijichi lets out a slow breath and adjusts his glasses, the weight of his explanation heavy in the air. "Curses are ranked from grade four to special grade. Grade four is something you can take down with a baseball bat, grade three requires a handgun, grade two might need artillery, grade one, well, think tanks. And special grades? Well, even a carpet bombing might not be enough."

I feel a chill run through me as the meaning of his words sinks in. Special grade curses are the worst of the worst. There's a reason they're feared, even among sorcerers.

"And if we run into a special grade?" Yuji asks, his voice quieter now, his earlier confusion replaced with something more serious.

Ijichi's gaze hardens, and he speaks with a bluntness that leaves no room for misunderstanding. "If you face a special grade curse, your only options are to run . . . or die."

The tension in the air thickens, like a storm gathering on the horizon. Ijichi's words hang heavy between us, and for a moment, no one speaks. The gravity of it all is sinking in. Special grade curses. The kind that could annihilate everything in their path. My heart pounds a little harder in my chest, and I can feel a chill creep down my spine.

Yuji stands there, fists clenched at his sides, his bright, boyish expression dimmed with seriousness. His earlier confusion is gone, replaced by a quiet determination I haven't seen in him before.

Nobara, normally full of sarcasm and sharp retorts, is uncharacteristically silent. Her arms are crossed, her fingers tapping lightly against her elbow in thought. Gumi, as always, is calm, his calculating gaze already sweeping across the detention center, reading the situation like a book before it's even opened.

I take a deep breath, trying to shake the cold feeling of dread curling in my stomach. I look over at Yuji, seeing the uncertainty still lingering in his eyes. My chest tightens—he's new to this world, still getting used to the weight of what we face as sorcerers, but there's a quiet resolve in him that I know will carry him through.

"Yuji," I say softly, breaking the heavy silence, "this isn't just any mission. If we run into that special-grade curse, we stick together. No one plays hero. Got it?"

He turns his head, locking eyes with me, his jaw set but his expression softens slightly. "I know, Miya," he murmurs. "I'm not planning on doing anything stupid." There's a glimmer of something else in his eyes—determination, yes, but also something warmer, like he appreciates that I'm looking out for him.

I manage a small smile, trying to ease the tension, but it doesn't quite reach my eyes. "Good. Because the last thing I need is to drag your cursed-energy-deprived butt out of trouble."