"Okay, we will wait." I say into the receiver.
"Yes, I will send you the location of the park. It's near her house, we will meet here."
"Yes, yes. Hurry up, though."
Beep.
I slowly lower the phone, looking back at Miko–chan.
"They are coming?" Her voice soft.
"Yeah," I say, giving her a nod. "But Satoru said he has to visit his clan today."
I see her face start to fall, so I quickly add the good news. "But he said he'll be free in two hours and can make it here in three. I've told the others to meet us then, too."
Her expression eases at that.
"Satoru also mentioned he's bringing a Cursed Tool," I continue. "Cursed Tools are objects imbued with Cursed Energy that give them various properties. He's bringing a pair of cursed glasses that lets non-sorcerers see Curses."
Her expression eases even more.
"If she can see exactly what you've been dealing with. Maybe it'll even convince her to let you join Jujutsu High."
Finally, a small smile breaks across her face. The idea of the "glasses" is a concrete plan, something she can actually visualize 'working'.
Her facial expressions are so easy to read.
"So," I say."We just have to wait out these three hours."
"What should we do with the remaining time? Sit here?"
I look at her, waiting for an answer. She pauses, then as if remembering something.
"Actually," she suggests, "there's a shrine nearby I've been meaning to visit. If you want, we can head there for now."
"Ohh? So you're a religious kind of person?" I ask, a bit surprised.
"You aren't?"
"Well... it's complicated for me," I mutter. I think about my transmigration. There must be some higher power that brought me here, right?
(Author note: My ears pricking, Is someone talking about me?)
Though it doesn't really affect my life here.
"So, what do you say? Should we go?"
__________________________
The air at the shrine is refreshing, having an old wooden smell.
It took us nearly an hour and a half to navigate the winding market stalls and the steep stone steps leading up the mountainside.
The market was a blur of colorful banners and the smell of roasted dango, a brief, deceptive slice of normalcy.
As we pass through the massive, weathered torii gate, the noise of the distant town dies. There are no tourists here. No priests. Just the soft crunch of gravel under our shoes.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, shattering the quiet. I pull it out and am slightly surprised.
Caller ID: Mei Mei.
Mei–senpai?
Why is she calling me?
I glance at Miko. She looks around, her eyes darting toward the prayer area.
"Miko-chan, go ahead and pray," I say, keeping my voice casual. "I need to take this. It might be urgent, I'll be right behind you."
She nods, and walks toward the main hall. I step back toward the shadow of the gate and slide the icon to answer.
"Mei-senpai," I greet her, my voice low.
Miko's POV
I am walking toward the offering box, the sound of my footsteps clicking rhythmically against the stone.
There is no Cursed Spirit here, I think to myself.
I reach for the heavy wooden box and toss a coin inside. The metallic clink echoes through the stillness. I clasp my hands together and close my eyes tight.
"Hey God... if you are real... please help me avert this disaster," I pray fervently. "Help us kill the horse spirit at my home. Help me protect my mom and brother. Just let this be over."
Taking a deep breath and opening my eyes. I turn around to go find Emiya-kun, but the shrine atmosphere has changed.
The air has turned freezing. Standing directly behind me is a nightmare that makes François look like a family pet.
It is massive. A towering, multi-tailed beast with a fox-like head that has no eyes—just smooth, pale skin where a face should be. Two sharp, conical horns sprout from its skull. Its mouth doesn't just open; it unfolds, splitting into five jagged sections lined with fangs. It is a CURSE SPIRIT, and its presence feels like an avalanche about to bury me alive.
And then there is two identical spirits float on either side of the big one. They have short hair and fox ears, their faces twisted into grimacing, sharp-toothed smiles.
Their eyes are nothing but cracked, dark slits. They wear shrine maiden outfits, but their sleeves are impossibly long, obscuring massive, blackened claws.
They are short about only reaching my shoulder, but the malice radiating from them is suffocating.
My heart hammers against my ribs, but I force my face to stay neutral. I look right through them as if they are air.
I am a statue. I am a statue. I am a statue.
EMIYA POV
I finish the call and head toward the prayer area, my mind still on Mei Mei's offer. She mentioned a mission with a high density of low-level spirits, perfect for my technique.
She specifically called out my "Barbarians," saying their effective numbers could clear the nest faster than any Grade 1 could by hand.
But as I round the corner, the atmosphere suddenly turns suffocating.
Cursed energy?
My instincts screamed. I hurried toward Miko-chan, but the second I spotted her I stopped dead in my tracks.
Towering over Miko is a Cursed Spirit that radiates a pressure of cursed energy unlike anything I've ever felt. The sheer weight of it makes the air feel heavy, a level of power that puts every other spirit to shame.
It's the Mountain God from the anime.
And the two "Shrine Maidens" floating beside it... I don't even need the Six Eyes to know they are at least Semi-Special Grade.
And the Mountain God itself... it's easily a Special Grade. The sheer output of cursed energy is undeniable.
F–Fuck.
I raised my hand.
"DEPLO—"
My instinct is to immediately summon a wall around Miko and a swarm of Barbarians to serve as a distraction... but I catch myself just in time.
They haven't attacked Miko-chan yet, which means they won't strike unless they realize we can see them or we try to fight.
If I attack, I have to be able to win or at least escape, but looking at their strength, that feels impossible.
Plus, the moment I use even a flicker of Cursed Energy, they'll realize we can see them, and then it's over.
Fortunately, my Cursed Energy is unique. Because it's stored in my "Elixir Storage", it doesn't leak out like a normal sorcerer's energy.
To these spirits, I look like a completely ordinary, powerless human.
I have to play this perfectly.
Miko is standing there, her face a perfect, porcelain mask of indifference.
She's amazing.
She's staring death in the eye and refusing to blink.
We need to get out of here.
I put on my best "oblivious teenager" face, making my expression light and bored. I stroll toward her, whistling a low tune, acting like I don't see the five-sectioned jaw of the Curse Spirit over her shoulder.
"Hey, Miko-chan!" I call out, my voice bright.
She turns to look at me.
"Are you done praying yet? We should probably head back. My legs are killing me from all these stairs."
I reach her side and look at her, my back turned to the Curses. I catch her eyes and give her a series of sharp winks—one, two, three. Follow my lead.
Miko doesn't miss a beat. The girl is already a pro at this game.
"Yes, Emiya-kun," she says, her voice steady, though I can hear the faint tremor underneath. "I'm finished. Let's go."
We both turn. I walk right past the floating Shrine Maidens, my shoulder nearly brushing against one of their billowing sleeves.
The smell of rot is overwhelming. The Mountain God's eyeless head turns, following our movement, its teeth grinding together with a sound like crushing stones.
We keep walking, forcing ourselves to look natural, but the weight of their gaze is like lead.
They are following us.
"So," I say, putting my hands behind my head as we pass under the torii gate. "Satoru and the others should be getting to the park in about an hour. We should probably head back down to meet them, right?"
"Yes," Miko whispers, her voice trembling. "Let's... let's hurry."
We pass under the torii gate to the market steps, but the heavy, cold pressure on our shoulders doesn't lifts.
I don't even need to look back. I can feel the massive surge of Curse Energy behind us. The smell of rot is sticking to us like a perfume.
They're still following us.
We keep making our way toward the park, our steps stiff and mechanical as we try hard to maintain the act.
I have taken hold of Miko's hand; it's sweaty and trembling violently in mine. Every time the bells on those shrine maidens chime, I feel her flinch, but she keeps her eyes locked forward.
Sorry Satoru, Suguru, I hope with the three of us and Shoko together, we can handle them. Although it's going to be very, very difficult.