The arcade was still loud behind them.
Machines blaring.
People yelling.
Hakari and Hakari somehow arguing over who was losing more money.
Meanwhile—
Takeru had quietly slipped outside.
Because of course he had.
Cold evening air brushed past him as he walked along the sidewalk.
Hands in his pockets.
Completely relaxed.
Then he stopped.
"…Huh?"
Laying near an alley wall—
a knife.
Old.
Strange.
Covered in markings.
And radiating cursed energy.
Lots of it.
Takeru crouched.
Picked it up.
Looked at it.
Turned it around once.
"…Interesting."
Back inside—
Megumi suddenly froze.
"…Wait."
Yuji looked over.
"…What?"
Megumi's eyes widened.
"…Where's Takeru?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Outside—
Takeru stared at the knife.
Thinking.
Very dangerous.
"…Cursed objects…"
Pause.
"…Right."
Then before literally anyone could stop him—
CHOMP.
Silence.
The knife was gone.
Three seconds later—
the arcade doors exploded open.
"TAKERU!!!"
Yuji pointed.
"WHY WOULD YOU EAT A KNIFE!?"
Hakari looked horrified.
"THAT ISN'T EVEN FOOD!"
Megumi looked like his soul was leaving his body.
"…No…"
Takeru blinked.
"…What?"
Then—
he froze.
Completely.
For half a second—
his body moved.
Not him.
Something else.
His head tilted unnaturally.
A grin spread across his face.
Not his grin.
Then a voice came out—
quiet.
Confused.
"…Warm."
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Takeru's hand slowly lifted.
Looked at itself.
"…Hm."
Then—
blink.
Takeru shook violently.
"…HUH?"
He looked around.
Everyone was staring.
Long silence.
"…Why are y'all looking at me like I just ate a cursed knife?"
More silence.
Yuji slowly pointed.
"…Because you JUST ATE A CURSED KNIFE!"
Fred emerged from behind a vending machine holding a sign:
"Soul occupancy: OVER CAPACITY."
Takeru stared.
"…Aw man."