"Don't be an idiot," Maki shot back.
The words came a little too quickly.
She folded her arms and looked anywhere but at Nobara.
"There was ash. Some concrete dust got in my eye." She jerked her chin toward Ren. "He was checking it."
Nobara blinked.
Slowly, she turned to Ren.
Ren slipped his hands into his pockets and shrugged.
"Yeah. Wind was brutal up there."
Silence.
Nobara looked back at Maki.
Her eyes lingered on the color still clinging to Maki's face, then on her mouth, and finally on the death grip she had on Playful Cloud.
"...Oh."
A slow smile spread across her face.
"So there's absolutely nothing going on between you two?"
"Nothing," Maki answered at once. "Obviously."
"Mm-hm."
Nobara nodded with exaggerated seriousness.
"Must've been some really aggressive dust."
"Whatever."
Nobara jabbed the handle of her hammer at Ren's chest, chin lifted in stubborn defiance.
"Don't think I'm thanking you or anything. I had that blonde creep handled."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You were about to get folded."
"I was about to nail his shadow to the wall," Nobara shot back. "Big difference." She clicked her tongue and looked away. "...But you did save Nitta. So... good call."
Ren smiled. "I'll take it."
"Don't." Nobara pointed the hammer at him again. "Your ego's annoying enough already."
Ren pulled a hand out of his pocket, a highly amused smirk playing on his lips. He didn't gloat, and he certainly didn't expect a tearful thank-you. He knew exactly how to handle her ego.
"Oh, I know you had it handled," Ren said smoothly, his tone easy and playing right into her hands. "I just figured I'd step in and save you the dry-cleaning bill. That uniform jacket is custom-tailored, right? Would be a shame to get any more blood on it."
Nobara's eyes immediately lit up. The defensive posture vanished, replaced by a genuine, proud grin.
"Exactly!" Nobara agreed loudly, gesturing at him with the hammer. "Finally, a guy who actually respects the fabric! Between you and me, I'm billing Gojo for a whole new wardrobe after tonight."
Beside him, Maki stood perfectly still, her sharp amber eyes darting between the first-year student and Ren.
Maki wasn't blind. She could clearly see the easy banter, the spark of attraction, and how effortlessly Ren navigated Nobara's prickly personality.
...
Miles away, the night sky over Shibuya split apart.
For a heartbeat, the city fell silent.
Then the center of the district disappeared.
A vast dome of invisible slashes swept across the landscape, carving through concrete, steel, and glass as though none of it existed. Buildings collapsed before they could finish falling. Streets vanished. The towering shikigami at the heart of the destruction was cut apart along with everything around it.
An instant later, a blazing arrow of fire tore through the center of the devastation.
The explosion swallowed what remained of the shikigami in a flash so bright it turned night into day.
Then came the shockwave.
It rolled across Shibuya with enough force to rattle windows miles away. The air slammed into them like a solid wall, kicking up dust and loose debris as the ground beneath their feet shuddered.
...
The wind on the rooftop carried the taste of ash and scorched concrete.
Ren sat near the edge of the parapet, one knee raised, his forearm resting across it. His gaze stayed fixed on the west.
The skyline was gone.
Where central Shibuya had stood, there was only a vast scar stretching across the city. The edge of the crater still glowed a dull red, like embers buried beneath black earth.
The shockwave had long since passed.
Now there was only silence.
Ren let out a slow breath. The knot in his chest refused to loosen.
That wasn't a battle.
It was a reminder of what the King of Curses could do.
He rubbed the soot from his fingertips, then spoke quietly.
"System."
A faint blue grid unfolded before him, bathing his face in pale light. He skipped past the main menu and opened his unread notifications.
The gold message he'd dismissed earlier was still waiting.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Ashes of the Volcano]
Condition Met: Deliver the finishing blow to a Special Grade Disaster Curse.
Ren focused on the notification.
The window expanded, revealing the reward he'd been too busy staying alive to read.
[REWARDS DISTRIBUTED]
System Points: +300,000 SP
Extra Reward:
System Inventory — Level 2 → Level 3
[CURRENT BALANCE: 691,500 SP]
The blue grid lingered, waiting.
Ren let out a quiet breath and tapped the arrow beside System Inventory. He expected another increase in capacity.
Instead, a new window unfolded.
[SYSTEM INVENTORY — LEVEL 3]
Capacity: 50,000 units → 100,000 units (Cursed Energy Storage)
New Function Unlocked: Spatial Access
The Inventory has evolved beyond a storage construct.
At Level 3, the Inventory manifests as a stable micro-dimension linked directly to the user. The user may physically enter and exit the space at will.
— Time passes at a fixed 1:1 ratio with the outside world.
— No entity other than the user may enter the Inventory.
— All stored items, weapons, and energy remain fully accessible while inside.
Ren read the description once.
Then again.
"...You're kidding."
He reached out.
The rooftop vanished.
Stone met the sole of his boot.
Ren blinked.
The hall stretched so far that its pillars disappeared into shadow overhead. White and black columns lined either side, their polished surfaces catching a soft, pale light. Tall windows broke the walls at regular intervals.
Beyond the glass, there was nothing.
Only an endless blue expanse without a horizon.
///
Hey guys, I took a little break for a few days to recharge. I'm back now, so let's pick right back up from where we left off!