Part ①Invitation
Twenty-four hours had passed since Miu went missing.
Though it had been covered up, traces of the battle were still visible in the gym, and Miu's spiritual powers were still there.
Not only was she the vice president of the student council, but she was also an excellent exorcist, so her disappearance shocked the exorcists of her age.
"Miu..."
Her partner, Aria Togaito, was particularly shaken.
She tried to contain her emotions as much as possible and took command of the search in the student council room. -- Judging from the circumstantial evidence, there was no doubt that Miu had fallen behind. The enemy was likely a highly skilled curse user. And for an exorcist who had been defeated by a sorcerer, there was only one future that awaited her.
The last person to contact her was Aihara Haruta. Her anxiety grew as she heard that something was a little off. It was also difficult not being able to tell him the details.
It was also a pity that the agile Midori was away on another mission.
Every minute and second counted in this situation. It was impossible to endure it.
"If we just wait for a report, we're not going to get anywhere."
Aria raised her big butt and stood up.
In the student council room, there were two of her friends. They were friends who had just returned from another mission.
Shindo Yuuji and Lina Alexander. Both were reliable and excellent exorcists. Yuuji, the man she had feelings for, was right in front of her, but she couldn't afford to mess around now. Although she wanted to be held tight by him for comfort.
"Anyway, right now, it's a race against time. We have to split up and search--"
"No."
Yuuji shook his head and rejected Aria's plan.
"We should act together."
"But that would be inefficient."
"That's probably what they're aiming for. They're trying to split us up."
Yuuji asserts with a sharp gaze.
"They'll strike when we panic and split up. I have a feeling that this is what they'll do."
"I agree with Yuuji. They're the kind of opponent that could beat Miu in the first place."
"There's a good chance there are multiple enemies, and it would be terrible if just investigating the situation turned into a battle. The units currently searching should operate in groups of at least three."
Lina agrees with Yuuji, and Aria realizes that she's lost her cool.
"...That's right. You two are right. I'm sorry, both of you. I'm not fit to be a leader. I was so focused on Miu that I didn't even think about everyone's safety."
"It can't be helped. If I were in your position, I wonder if I could have controlled myself. -- Aihara is worried too, so let's settle this by the end of the night. Even if our efficiency drops, we can do it."
"Leave it to me, Aria! I'll show you my American-style tracking techniques!"
They were two people I could rely on. My feelings of despair lifted just a little.
Aria in particular fell in love with Yuuji all over again. If it weren't for this situation, I would have hugged him and expressed my gratitude.
This way, I'm sure we can rescue Miu safely.
-- We mustn't lose hope just yet.
Aria clenched her fist.
But as if mocking her, the smartphones that Yuuji and Lina used to contact each other vibrated.
"Huh?"
"Why?"
The two of them looked at the screen and their expressions twisted at the same time.
The same thing was written there. The same order.
--That was impossible in this emergency.
But no matter how many times they squinted, the order did not change.
--Shindo Yuuji and Lina Alexander are to head to the northern part of Nara Prefecture to defeat the demons that have appeared there.
○
Aria changed into her battle knight uniform and ran alone through the night city towards the rendezvous point with the other exorcists.
Yuuji and Lina's help was no longer available. The order could be considered unreasonable, but they were still cogs in the exorcism organization. Orders from above were absolute.
The existence of a sorcerer who could defeat a skilled exorcist shrine maiden, or a local demon that hadn't caused much damage. It was obvious which was the greater threat. Of course, the latter couldn't be left alone either. Ordinary people should be protected more than a determined exorcist shrine maiden. However, ignoring the danger before their eyes and dispersing their forces was the height of folly.
--Is it because she's favoring her own comrades that she thinks this way?
An order that can't be disobeyed has been given. There's no point in thinking about it. They have to search for and rescue Miu with the forces they have now.
Aria tries to increase her speed even more in order to hurry to the rendezvous point.
It was at that moment.
"Huh?"
She sensed the presence of a familiar spiritual power.
For a moment she thought she'd mistaken it. But as she sharpened her senses, she was certain that she hadn't made a mistake.
-Miu.
She could clearly feel her spiritual power.
"Could it be!"
Without hesitation, Aria changed direction.
Following the presence, she sneaked into a completely deserted high school building. Just to be on the safe side, she used concealment magic, but there was not a single soul there, probably due to the recent disappearances.
However, Miu was definitely in this school building. She couldn't call out to her, considering the possibility that an enemy might be lurking there. The pitch black hallway was eerie and unsettling.
"Miu--"
However, she couldn't stop muttering her name softly.
And as if in response to her call, a figure in a crimson Chinese dress appeared from the depths of the darkness. She was ragged and dirty, and her skin was cut in many places, but there was no doubt about it.
"Miu!"
"Aria...?"
It was her partner, Liu Miu. With unsteady steps, she looked as if she was about to collapse at any moment. Aria quickly ran over to her and held her in her arms.
"You came to save me..."
"Of course..."
I'm glad. Really glad. If I'd been careless, I would have lost my life.
"Hehe... I made a small mistake and got caught. But I found an opportunity and managed to escape. I'm sorry for worrying you."
"You're right. You caused me so much worry...But I'm glad. Are you badly injured anywhere?"
"Yeah, well, I'm okay."
The answer was a little unclear. She tried to dig deeper again, but couldn't.
Because the presence of cursed energy was approaching from the back of the corridor.
"Be careful, Aria."
"Yeah."
There was no need to warn her, but Miu spoke an unexpected name.
"Souda. That guy was the sorcerer."
If the enemy hadn't clearly appeared, Aria would have asked again.
--Souda Gosuke. The sexually harassing PE teacher at Houju Academy. An ordinary person who shouldn't have possessed even a shred of cursed energy.
"Hey, Student Council President."
With his muscular body and tracksuit, at first glance he looked like any other perverted teacher. But there was no doubt that the curse user smiling provocatively in front of her was none other than Souda himself.
Aria immediately let go of her confusion. She'd think about the reason later.
Readying her holy sword of exorcism, she immediately slashed at Souda.
"Whoa!"
Souda reacted to the slash and dodged it by jumping back. It was a feat that an ordinary human couldn't pull off. As expected, this man is a sorcerer.
"You're a straight-up violent. I just want to be on good terms with you."
"You can be on good terms with me after you're locked up in a cell."
"You're merciless towards your teachers. You should respect your teachers more. You're a model student council president, aren't you?"
"I don't want to hear that from someone who only thinks of dirty things to students."
The tension rises.
This man must have been the one who defeated Miu. I don't know what kind of trick he used, but I can't let my guard down at all.
"Miu, can you do it?"
"Yeah. But maybe I should support you."
"Yeah. Help me from behind."
Using the numerical advantage, he launches a battle.
At the same time, Souda kicks the hallway.
The two shadows cross paths several times in a short space of time.
"Damn it!"
Souda's fighting power was greater than expected. Despite being unarmed, she was able to keep up with Aria's refined swordplay.
--This is the time to get serious...!
She glances at Miu and makes eye contact.
Even if close combat is not possible for her right now, she can count on her talismans for support. She has gone through all sorts of tactical simulations and training together with Miu. Aria gripped the hilt again, ready to finish her off with a wave of deadly combination attacks.
--Unaware that Miu's movements, who she placed her innocent trust in, were sinister.
Unaware that the talisman she was holding was aimed not at her teacher, but at her friend.
"Haaaaah!"
Aria, unaware of anything, focused her spiritual power on her sword. She was on maximum alert for what was ahead. But she had no suspicions about what was behind her.
The moment of conclusion was finally--
It came before Aria could swing her sword.
"Grrr?"
Souda groaned in confusion. Suddenly, Aria realized that a new figure had appeared behind Souda. Its true identity was
"Shindo-kun?"
It was a young exorcist who was supposed to have gone on a different mission. In his right hand he held a short sword imbued with spiritual power. He easily inflicted a wound on Souda's back, which was protected by cursed power.
"Damn it! Why is he here...! This isn't what we agreed on!"
Souda yelled in irritation. It was so sudden that Aria was slow to act for a moment. She should have finished him off here, but
"I’ll remember this!"
Souda broke through the window and ran away.
"Wait--!"
Yuuji tried to chase him, but with the cursed power scattered around, he couldn't catch Souda as he disappeared into the dark night. In the end, he gave up on chasing him. There was something else he needed to confirm.
"Aria, Miu, are you okay?"
"Uh...yeah..."
"We're safe, for now."
Aria was relieved, but at the same time, another worry hit her. Why was he here? --Perhaps.
"Did you ignore orders?"
"...Yes."
Yuuji gave a wry smile, looking guilty.
"I left that to Lina and my local comrades. I just had a bad feeling about it... It's punishment, but I'm prepared for it. I may have been meddling."
Perhaps the experience of losing someone important in the past drove him to act. It was something he shouldn't have done. As the leader of the young exorcists, she couldn't overlook disobeying orders.
But.
But.
"No... that's not true."
I was saved. I was really saved. That man was definitely a formidable opponent. Maybe even in a one-on-two situation I would have lost.
As she thought this, Aria's body started moving on its own.
"Wa-huh? Aria?"
"Thank you so much."
Not caring that Miu was watching, she hugged him tightly. She buried his face in her large breasts.
It was without a doubt thanks to Yuuji that she had managed to get through this battle safely.
○
After the battle with Souda, Aria took Miu home. After Yuuji arrived near the house, he headed back to Lina. It was a busy time, but it couldn't be helped. Aria decided to thank him again tomorrow.
Yes, there was something more important to do now.
The two girls sat side by side on the bed in Miu's room.
"Can you tell me the details?"
She couldn't confirm it when Yuuji was there. Because there was a possibility that she had been humiliated as a woman. Also,
"You're hiding something, aren't you?"
Aria had guessed after their long friendship. That Miu was trying to cover something up.
"I wonder if Aria would notice."
Miu changed into pajamas, let her hair down, and laughed. But there was something painful about her smile.
"What did that man do to you? What happened?"
"I can't tell Aria."
Miu bites her lip tightly.
"If you tell me, I'll drag you down and there'll be no turning back. That's the kind of curse it is."
Miu doesn't answer. She doesn't even try to shake her head. That was enough of an answer.
"But if we carry on like this, it'll be bad for Miu. You could die, right?"
"What if that's the case?"
"Let me take it. If it's the two of us, we can handle it."
Aria stares at her with a sincere gaze. She was genuinely worried about Miu. You could say she was blinded. She couldn't deny that she had underestimated the possibility that a trap had been set there.
However, Aria's jumping into Miu's crisis was by no means without a plan.
She had another comrade she could trust - the female ninja Kagari Midori.
She was currently on a different mission, but she was bound to Midori by a special technique in preparation for situations like this. Even if she found herself isolated and helpless, she had a way of telling Midori.
After a long silence.
Miu let out a long sigh.
"This is really bad, isn't it?"
"It would be worse if I lost Miu like this."
"Thanks..., Aria."
Miu leaned her face into Aria's shoulder. It was the first time she had seen her so weak. It seemed a bit like she was acting, and Aria felt uncomfortable, but she convinced herself that she must have been through quite a lot.
"That man made me participate in a game."
After a while, Miu began to speak.
"A game?"
"I can't tell you what it was, but I lost the game. As a punishment, I'll never see Haruta again. If I ever see him again, I've been cursed with a curse that will kill both of us."
"What..."
What a cruel curse.
"Go to HQ right now and get it lifted."
"It's impossible. A curse that has gone through a ritual called a game can't be lifted easily. If you're not careful, the person trying to lift the curse could be attacked by a stronger curse. They'll just think you can't see one person again."
That's not true, Aria wanted to say.
But the higher-ups are conservative by nature. It's not surprising that they would make such a decision. Plus, they're the kind of people who give incomprehensible orders like today. She could understand Miu's incredulity. She could understand it.
"But there's a way to break it, right?"
"Yes."
Miu closed her eyes tightly once, then slowly opened them.
"To break this curse, you need to get someone else to join the game. It can only be one person. And it can only be the person you just explained it to."
I see, Aria agreed. As expected, it was designed so that there was no turning back once you explained it. In this case, Miu would not be freed from the curse unless Aria became a new game participant.
"Okay. Then I'll join."
"Aria!"
Miu looked up in surprise. Tears had gathered in the corners of her eyes.
"I can't tell you the rules of the game here. But you do understand, right? It's a scary game."
"Of course."
"If that's the case..."
"But that's no reason to abandon Miu."
Aria stated firmly.
Miu was silent at this and sighed again.
Soon, Miu took out a piece of paper. It was covered in hideous markings of curses. It had an ominous presence that was unlike anything I'd ever felt before, one that made me shiver at first sight.
"Offer your blood on this paper and express your intention to participate in the game. That's all it takes to join the game--or so it seems."
"Got it."
Almost frightened by the terrifying curse, Aria pretended to be calm and quickly stood up. She took a cutter knife from Miu's desk and made a cut on her right index finger. The red blood swelled up and dripped down.
She snatched the cursed paper from Miu and poured her blood into the circle in the center.
“--I want to participate in this game."
The moment she said that in her mind.
The paper turned pitch black, and the darkness swelled, quickly engulfing Aria's body.
As her consciousness faded.
Aria smiled at Miu, who looked like she was about to cry.
--I'm leaving it to you, Midori.
Please believe in the bond with your other best friend who is no longer here.
The end of a beautiful friendship.
As she watched her best friend disappear into the darkness--Miu's mouth twisted evilly.
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