Japan — Osaka — Barrier Site
Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu had already cleared out the swarm of Cursed Spirits gathering at their node.
The area had fallen quiet.
Haibara stretched slightly, glancing around.
"I wonder how everyone else is doing."
He turned to Nanami.
"Should we go help at the other nodes?"
Nanami adjusted his glasses, his expression calm.
"Our priority is to complete our assigned task. We should trust others to do the same."
"That's true, but…" Haibara hesitated. "What if someone runs out of stamina under a siege? That could get dangerous."
He scratched his head.
"Not every node has two people like us, right?"
Nanami shook his head slightly.
"Each node has a clone of Mr. Kamo. That kind of risk has already been accounted for."
"Yeah… that's true." Haibara smiled faintly, glancing toward the distant figure of Kamo Itsuki's clone.
"Whenever he's around—even just a clone—I feel weirdly at ease."
Nanami's gaze sharpened.
"That mindset is dangerous. A sorcerer who relies on others in moments of crisis is already halfway to defeat."
Haibara laughed and lightly patted his shoulder.
"But being too tense all the time isn't good either. You'll burn out before the fight even starts. You're too serious, Nanami."
Nanami exhaled quietly.
"…Perhaps."
Though he said nothing more, his posture relaxed just a fraction.
Haibara's eyes lit up.
"Still… Mr. Kamo's making a huge move this time. This has to be the final stage of his plan, right?"
He leaned forward slightly, excitement creeping into his voice.
"Does that mean… after this mission… Cursed Spirits might disappear from the world entirely?"
Nanami paused.
"…Perhaps," he said. "Even if not completely, it should be a significant step forward."
His tone remained measured—but the faint curve at the corner of his lips betrayed him.
Haibara grinned.
"If that happens… what will you do after you retire?"
Nanami didn't answer immediately.
Then, quietly—
"I'd build a house by the sea. Somewhere in Malaysia. And spend my days reading all the books I've never had time to finish."
Haibara's eyes widened.
"That sounds amazing! I'll join you. A seaside house must be expensive, right? I'll split the cost with you."
"No," Nanami replied flatly. "You're too loud."
"That's so harsh!" Haibara protested. "At least reject me politely!"
Before Nanami could respond—
Both of them froze.
Their expressions sharpened as they turned toward the same direction.
A young man approached slowly.
His body was covered in stitches.
He hummed softly, as if wandering through a park rather than stepping into a battlefield.
At that moment—
Kamo Itsuki's clone appeared beside them.
"This is a Special Grade Cursed Spirit—Mahito," he said calmly.
"Born from humanity's fear and hatred toward itself."
Information flowed quickly—Mahito's technique, its nature, its danger.
Then, two weapons materialized in their hands.
Nanami's became a blunt blade.
Haibara's transformed into a pair of knuckle dusters.
Nanami stepped forward, grip tightening slightly.
"So… this is Mahito."
He exhaled.
"With these, we can damage him. That's enough."
Haibara nodded, his usual brightness returning—now edged with resolve.
"Let's finish this quickly. We can't let something like this walk away."
Without another word—
They moved.
One from the left. One from the right.
Closing in instantly.
Mahito blinked, caught off guard.
"No greeting?" he said, tilting his head. "Just rushing in like that?"
He chuckled softly.
"Most people like to talk first. Feel each other out a bit."
But they were already in front of him.
Mahito's smile widened.
"…I like this better."
His arms spread open as his presence twisted.
"Cursed Spirits and sorcerers… we exist to curse each other."
His voice grew lighter—almost delighted.
"This is a war, isn't it? A fight to decide who owns the world a hundred years from now."
His eyes gleamed.
"Good. Let's make it a proper one."
He surged forward.
At the moment of impact—
Mahito flicked his hands.
Two figures were thrown toward Nanami and Haibara.
Transfigured Humans.
But not fully gone.
Their faces twisted in agony—eyes still aware.
"Please… kill me…"
"Help…"
Their voices trembled, filled with pain.
Even knowing Mahito's technique—
Even being warned—
Nanami and Haibara hesitated.
Just for a moment.
And that moment—
Was enough.
The two bodies warped violently.
Flesh stretched, hardened—
Then snapped into shape.
Two grotesque spears shot forward—
Straight for their throats.
Fortunately, both of them were seasoned sorcerers.
Attacks of this level weren't enough to catch them off guard—they each twisted aside, narrowly avoiding the spears aimed at their throats.
Still, the damage was done.
Their coordinated pincer attack had been broken.
That alone was enough to deepen their disgust for Mahito.
A curse that toyed with human lives for amusement—
They would exorcise him. Here. Today.
But that reaction…
Was exactly what Mahito wanted.
Despite his overwhelming ability, Mahito excelled at something even more dangerous—shattering his opponent's mind.
Once someone lost their composure, their strength meant nothing.
Seeing his opening strike succeed, Mahito didn't hesitate.
He flung out two more Transfigured Humans.
The moment Nanami and Haibara saw the pain etched across their faces—
Mahito snapped his fingers.
They exploded.
Flesh and blood scattered through the air.
Right in front of them.
There had been no chance to stop it.
Mahito's grin widened.
"Aren't you sorcerers?" he mocked loudly. "And yet you couldn't even save two ordinary people?"
His voice twisted with delight.
"How useless can you be?"
From the very start—
Nanami and Haibara had been forced onto the back foot.
And Mahito wasn't done.
"Multi-Soul: Body Rejection."
Two Transfigured Humans fused together, their forms warping grotesquely as their mass surged violently.
Then—
They were launched.
Like living projectiles.
Each one slammed into its target, sending Nanami and Haibara flying backward across the ground.
Before they could recover—
Movement.
From within the gaping mouths of the creatures, two Mahito clones emerged.
Each held a long blade—formed from twisted human bodies.
They struck simultaneously.
Nanami and Haibara reacted on instinct, raising their weapons just in time.
Steel met flesh.
In a rapid exchange, both managed to shatter the grotesque blades.
Mahito tilted his head, pouting theatrically.
"Oh? Is it really okay for great sorcerers to kill people like that?" he teased. "That seems… cruel."
For a split second—
Their movements faltered.
That hesitation crept back in.
Then—
A voice cut through it.
Calm. Steady.
Kamo Itsuki.
"The moment Mahito transformed them, those people were already dead."
"Don't hesitate."
"End this quickly—and avenge them."
Silence.
Then—
"...Right!"
The doubt in their eyes vanished.
Their resolve hardened.
This time—
They wouldn't be shaken.