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At 4:08 A.M., Yuuji is rudely awakened by the incessant buzzing of his ringtone. He fumbles for his phone on the nightstand, as it’s pitch-black in the room, and he can hardly see anything. Megumi, lying beside him, lets out a barely audible grumble, disturbed from his slumber at the sudden commotion.
Finally, Yuuji answers the incoming call, raising the phone to his ear. “Yes?” He rasps, voice rough from hours of disuse.
“Itadori, it’s Kusakabe. This is urgent.”
Immediately, his mood sours. Yuuji glances once more at the time on his phone and sighs. “It’s four in the morning, Kusakabe. I told you that today was my day off, and unless hell froze over, not to call me. Besides, there’s an excellent list of other sorcerers that can handle your emergency.”
“There really isn’t,” Kusakabe responds, and Yuuji can hear the exasperation in his tone. “Okkotsu, Maki, and Kugisaki are on missions abroad; Hoshi and Hakari are God knows where, and Inumaki and Panda are on their own respective missions. The Kyoto branch is out of the equation, as this falls within our territory. And this isn’t a mission a student could do, either.”
“Higuruma? Kurusu?” Yuuji prompts.
“Same thing. Already occupied,” Kusakabe says. “I normally wouldn’t ask, but this is an emergency.”
“Yuuji? Is something wrong?” Megumi murmurs, sitting up. Yuuji offers him a small smile before refocusing on his conversation with Kusakabe. “Fine. What’s going on?”
“There are reports of a potential Grade One curse in Sendai, at Tohoku University Hospital. The amount of cursed energy sensed inside was off the charts, not to mention the sudden uptick in deaths in comparison to recent years.”
“In Sendai?” Yuuji echoes.
“I’m glad to know you’re listening,” Kusakabe responds dryly. "But the situation is critical. They're losing doctors now, in unexplained ways. People who go in aren't coming out, Itadori."
Megumi turns on the lamp on the opposing nightstand, and there's a spark of concern in his green eyes. Yuuji swallows roughly, staring at the wall for a few moments. Eventually, he manages to say, "I'll go."
"Do you need me to send a manager?"
"No, that's not necessary. I'll be fine."
"Good luck," Kusakabe offers, and then he hangs up. Yuuji sets the phone down, leans back, and buries his face in his hands.
"Yuuji?" Megumi urges.
A few moments go by, and he takes a deep breath, then two. Finally, he lifts his head back up to meet Megumi's eyes, guilt making his heart twist painfully in his chest. "Kusakabe called. He needs me to go on a mission; it's an emergency. He says there's a Grade One curse in Sendai."
"What?"
"No one else is available," Yuuji continues, and he laughs incredulously, shaking his head. "Seriously, how is that possible? The one day I get off, the one time it matters, and a Grade One pops up in Sendai, of all places?"
Without hesitation, Megumi responds, "I'll come with you."
"It's your birthday! No way is it fair to drag you with me, especially when nothing happened earlier this year on mine."
"Really? And what do you expect me to do, rot in bed while you fistfight a curse a couple hundred miles away?" Megumi counters. "The total travel time to get to Sendai and back by train is already several hours, not including how long the mission will take. Besides, twenty-one isn't a significant age milestone, so it doesn't matter. I'm going with you."
Yuuji scoffs, scandalized. "Every birthday is important! I had a whole plan for today, you know?"
"I figured," Megumi says with a small smile. "You don't have to go all out every time, Yuuji. Just being by your side is enough."
With just those few words, Yuuji can feel the flush blooming across his cheeks and the tips of his ears. No matter that they've been together for over two years now, he still gets bashful at how effortlessly endearing Megumi can be. "Still," he argues, trying in vain to regain his composure, "I'll always want to do something nice for you."
Now Megumi goes a little pink, too, and he turns his head away as he tries to formulate a response. Yuuji grins, leaning forward to poke him playfully. "Who's shy now?" He teases.
"Shut up," Megumi mutters, shoving him lightly. "It's too early for this."
Yuuji laughs and gets out of bed, raising his arms over his head to stretch. "I'm going to reheat the leftovers from last night. Any requests for sides?"
"We both know I'm going to say ginger," Megumi responds, moving out of bed to rummage in a dresser drawer.
"That's not a side, though. That's a spice," Yuuji replies, arching a brow.
"You know what I meant."
"No, no, enlighten me—how is ginger a side?"
"It's not!" Megumi sputters, his voice slightly muffled as he slips on a baggy gray shirt. "You asked what I wanted with leftovers, so I said ginger."
"I didn't ask what seasoning you wanted; I asked what side dish," Yuuji emphasizes. "So you implied that ginger is a side dish!"
"What, I can't have a second of peace on my birthday?" Megumi snarks. "I'm not stupid; I know that ginger is a seasoning."
"More specifically, it's a spice, like I said earlier."
"I won't hesitate to summon Totality and make it attack you," Megumi threatens, but it's very half-hearted, and he can't hide the smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. "Go reheat the leftovers before I change my mind, idiot."
"Wow, you're resorting to threats and name-calling? I feel so mistreated!" Yuuji complains. The moment he turns his back, though, he gets hit in the head by a pair of rolled-up socks. Whirling around, Yuuji gapes at Megumi, who's conveniently no longer facing him and is acting like nothing happened. "I didn't know a relationship with you would involve getting bullied."
"And yet you were the one who made the first move," Megumi muses, and Yuuji swears he can feel his amusement as though it's rolling off of him in waves. "Having any regrets?"
"Oh, yeah, I have many. I'm going to file a complaint with the HR department."
"The HR department for what?" Megumi queries.
"My emotional well-being."
"Now who doesn't make sense?"
"Fine, whatever, I'm going," Yuuji sighs, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll make some rice to pair with the leftovers, and I'll load it all with ginger. Happy?"
"Very," Megumi answers, green eyes glittering with mirth. "I'll join you in a second." Then, abruptly, he throws a shirt at him from across the room. "Also, put on a shirt. Did you forget how cold it gets in the apartment overnight?"
"Yeah, but I get really hot under the sheets," Yuuji mutters as he puts it on.
"Because you drape yourself over me like a koala when you're asleep. It would be nice if it didn't cut off my airflow."
"Bold talk towards the guy that's in charge of breakfast," Yuuji remarks, grinning as he walks out of the room.
"What does that mean?" Megumi calls.
"A shit ton of red bell peppers!"
"Don't you dare."
The moment he steps out of the train and into Sendai Station three hours later, Yuuji feels a significant shift in the air. He stiffens, and Megumi glances at him, a concerned look on his face. "Yuuji? What's wrong?"
"Don't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"The air's… weird. Like, suffocating, almost. Please tell me you get what I mean, because otherwise, I sound like a crazy person."
Megumi's brow furrows, and he takes a moment to sense the surroundings. He tips his head to the side, eyes narrowing silently. Finally, he goes, "You're right, I think. There's something off with the area."
"Thank you!" Yuuji exclaims. "I thought I was losing my mind for a second. What the hell is wrong with the cursed energy here? It's like I'm practically choking on it, and this isn't even where the mission is."
"Stay on guard," Megumi warns him, his sharp gaze sweeping over their surroundings. "I don't think we can afford to waste time walking there. Let's take a taxi."
"Yeah, let's," Yuuji murmurs. They manage to flag down a taxi relatively quickly, and Megumi gives the driver their destination. They receive a peculiar look and are told that the hospital isn't open yet, but something in their faces makes the taxi driver turn back around and drive without a further word. Yuuji stares out the window at the passing scenery, something like nostalgia making his heart ache. He's missed Sendai all this time, and seeing it in the winter is a welcome sight. There's a light snowfall, which is starting to accumulate on the ground. Despite this, people walk, coats pulled tightly around them, shielded from the flurries using hats and gloves as they make their way to their destinations. He finds himself zoning out, unable to focus on anything in particular.
Eventually, Megumi's light touch snaps him out of his daze. He nods to where the driver has pulled up to the hospital, and Yuuji unbuckles his seatbelt, waiting as Megumi pulls out a few bills and hands them to the driver with a murmured thank you. They step out of the car, and the man drives off, leaving them standing in front of Tohoku University Hospital. Immediately, Yuuji's face screws up in distaste. The amount of cursed energy that's coming from inside the building… he almost can't breathe.
"I don't think this is a Grade One," he manages. Megumi arches a brow, and he snarks, "Really? I hadn't noticed."
"It's a good thing we're the sorcerers doing this mission. I can't imagine what kind of curse is lurking in there," Yuuji sighs, shaking his head. "Do you still think this is the best way to spend your birthday?"
"Well, no," Megumi says bluntly, "but if it's with you, it's worth it."
Yuuji grins, elbowing him lightly. "Okay, you sap. Just summon your shikigami and get into position."
The doors are closed, as expected, but a receptionist spots Yuuji and nearly does a double-take. She rushes over to let him inside, practically stumbling over her words. "You and that man, you're the—the sorcerers, right? Your uniforms, I mean. Please, you have to help. So many people have been missing or dying… I can't afford to call out, and—"
"Don't worry," Yuuji assures her, giving her a comforting smile. "We've got this. I think you should probably leave now, until we take care of it."
Instead of responding, she moves to get her bag before hurrying out. Yuuji locks eyes with Megumi, as he's remained outside, and gives him a brief hand signal. With that, Megumi lowers a veil, which surrounds the entire building and the turf he's currently standing on. Very quickly, the day darkens into night. Now, it's all about locating the curse and luring it out of the hospital into a more open area. A Grade One or higher can cause significant damage to the building's interior and harm patients who still reside within. It's a relatively solid plan, one that they're fully capable of carrying out. The problem, however?
They can't find the damn curse.
Even with Divine Dog: Totality scouting alongside them, the main curse evades their notice. The hallways are eerily quiet, and they only stumble across the expected Grade Threes and Fours that are drawn out by the veil. As the minutes pass, Yuuji's agitation intensifies. This isn't right. A normal curse would have made its presence known by now.
They're most certainly dealing with a Special Grade, one that has the potential to be as formidable as the powerful curses they've encountered in the past. Not to mention, a curse capable of rational thought would keep out of sight, usually to try for an ambush against sorcerers it realizes are dangerous. Yuuji remains on high alert, walking behind Megumi while Totality stays in front of them. Only the briefest increase in cursed energy from their surroundings is what tips him off to something being amiss. Totality's ears prick straight up, and it lets out a low, rumbling growl. In the next moment, Yuuji is shoved backwards, and a few things happen in quick succession.
The ceiling splits open, and a hairless, grayish-colored thing drops down onto the ground. It has two legs and two arms; it's a bipedal creature, a pathetic mimicry of a human. There are three large claws on each hand, and its head looks like that of a tapeworm, with large, white teeth circling each of its five mouths.
Totality lunges, aiming for a direct hit. The curse shoots back up toward the ceiling, then drops again, its jaw appearing to unhinge as it leaps at Megumi. Yuuji gears up for a counterattack, using Dismantle to fire off a slash at the Special Grade. It reappears several feet away, now behind Totality, and Megumi has to quickly dispel the shikigami so Yuuji's attack doesn't hit it and instead slices through a wall.
The curse's jaw snaps back into place, letting out a horrible hissing sound. Megumi doesn't hesitate in running to grab Yuuji's hand before diving into the shadows. It's the weirdest feeling, being inside a shadow—everything is muffled, like you're underwater, but you're able to move just fine. Yuuji can sense as Megumi hops from shadow to shadow, down the hall, the curse hot on their heels. It can still detect their cursed energy and seems hellbent on killing them.
Unfortunately for the curse, they're unreachable within the shadows, and so Megumi can lead it exactly to where he wants it to be—the lobby. Here, they have more open space, and they can take it outside of the building. They erupt from the ground a safe enough distance from the curse, and Yuuji quickly shifts into a defensive stance. When it jumps at him, claws raised and mouths stretched wide open, Yuuji brings his fist back and, with a flash of dark, sparkling energy, manages to land a Black Flash, smashing its head in. Right after, he readies up Dismantle as the curse flies across the lobby and slams against a wall.
And yet—
The Special Grade is suddenly inches from his face, using its claws to aim a slash at him. It's completely unharmed. Yuuji isn't fast enough to jump out of the way, and he feels white-hot pain where the curse drags its claws along his chest. It wastes no time in taking advantage of his surprise by kicking Yuuji backwards with full force, sending him crashing through one of the large glass windows and tumbling across the turf outside. He lands in a bloodied, dazed heap on the ground, letting out a pained wheeze.
Despite the blood soaking his uniform from an injury that is slow to heal, even with RCT, and despite the ringing in his ears and the fog in his mind, Yuuji manages to piece together what the Special Grade's technique is. It's a reversal technique. The curse can reverse its physical state and its previous position. If he weren't so focused on healing the gashes in his chest, he might've laughed. It was using the technique the entire time.
It was evident in the way the curse had reappeared against the ceiling from where it had first dropped down, and then where it had first landed, all to avoid their attacks. Yuuji had attributed it to the typical speed and strength of a higher-grade curse, but even so, he's usually able to track a curse's movements and respond in kind. He'd been able to reel back fast enough for the Special Grade not to turn him into mincemeat, sure, but he'd still gotten hit. Yuuji winces, propping himself up as his vision refocuses. In the near distance, Totality and Rabbit Escape work in tandem to distract and attack the curse. Megumi has drawn out his preferred cursed tool: a double-edged sword with a cylinder-shaped handle and a large ring-shaped pommel. It's a one-handed, lightweight weapon that has served him well over the years. Megumi strikes the curse when it is distracted by his shikigami and dodges before it can retaliate. Overall, it would've been an effective strategy if not for the Special Grade's reversal technique.
With it, most of the damage it's received is mitigated, and the Special Grade can break through the horde. When it lunges at Megumi, a clawed hand raised to slice at his face, Yuuji quickly activates Convergence and claps his hands together to aim Piercing Blood. The resulting beam of blood slices off the curse's arm with ease, and it lets out an enraged shriek. Yuuji's shoulders slump in relief as he sees Totality moving to grab Megumi and carry him outside. He pushes himself up and gets to his feet, tensing as he watches the curse pursue them. At this point, he has a good enough view of Megumi to see him dispel Rabbit Escape and then make a new hand sign—the necessary movement to summon a shikigami he'd only completed the Subjugation Ritual for recently, a creature that Yuuji has seen all of one time—Round Deer.
From Megumi's shadow, a towering, brilliant white deer emerges. It's noticeably different from Sukuna's version. In contrast, his had dark patterning and was monstrous in size. Megumi's version is slightly smaller and holds itself more gracefully, while still radiating immense power. Regardless, this does not deter the curse, as it readies its claws and leaps at Round Deer.
Unfortunately for the Special Grade, the attack is immediately nullified. Seeing as the curse had reinforced itself with cursed energy, its attack lost most of its force, and it consequently could not retreat quickly with its technique. The positive energy Round Deer outputs negates these types of moves. Totality, having dropped Megumi off beside Yuuji, whirls around to attack the curse and manages to land the hit. Seeing an opening, Yuuji jumps forward, getting close enough to use Cleave on the Special Grade, and exorcises it in a burst of gray flesh.
It's quiet for a few moments before Megumi's voice cuts through the silence. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," He replies distractedly, wincing as he focuses on healing his injuries with RCT. There's the main gash on his chest, of course, along with various other scrapes and bruises that came from being thrown so easily through glass. Damn, that was not fun. My uniform is ruined now, too.
"Save your energy. Round Deer can heal your injuries," Megumi urges. He dispels Totality so that Round Deer can walk forward and softly bump its nose against Yuuji's arm. With that, his pain disappears entirely, and Yuuji's eyebrows fly up in surprise. "That's… really useful, actually."
"It is. I'm glad I managed to tame it." He dispels Round Deer and glances at their surroundings. When his gaze lands on the hospital's entrance, he purses his lips. "That's not good."
Upon following Megumi's line of sight, Yuuji sucks in a breath. The lobby is effectively trashed, with a large glass window completely shattered—which is the one he'd been launched through. Oops. "We're lucky we don't have to pay for the property damages we cause," he comments, and Megumi lets out a snort.
As they turn to walk away, Megumi moves to release the veil, and Yuuji blurts, "It's still early, so… Did you want to check out the area? Walk around and grab a coffee or something before we report back? I mean, we should still do something for your birthday."
A smile tugs at Megumi's lips. "Are you sure you want to go out to eat while your uniform looks like that?"
Oh. He's right—Yuuji's uniform had gotten ripped past public presentability during the battle. Instead of waiting for a response, Megumi crouches down to reach into his shadow, rummaging around for a minute before he pulls out a bag. "I have spare clothes, just in case one of us would need them after a mission. I don't know if I have a jacket in here, though."
"Did I ever tell you that you're the best?" Yuuji says with a grin, leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And how much I love that you're prepared?"
"Well, I have to be organized, or else we're both doomed," Megumi responds with a playful lilt in his voice, green eyes gleaming. "What were you saying about coffee?"