Next Target, 200PS!
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"Listen..."
Haruno Yukinoshita was originally on the verge of being scared to tears herself. But seeing Soyo Nagasaki break down like that made her swallow her own panic.
No matter how you looked at it, she was the older one here. Despite her usual penchant for teasing and pranks, Haruno was fundamentally a very kind-hearted girl.
So, after a moment of hesitation, she softened her voice and tried to comfort the trembling girl.
"Don't worry. It's just dark out, so it looks a little creepy. There's really nothing to be afraid of. It's not like a ghost is going to pop out, right? Haha, things like that don't even exist!"
By the end of her sentence, Haruno let out an awkward, strained laugh, desperately trying to use humor to dispel their mounting terror.
However...
Her laughter didn't last long before it abruptly ceased.
Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at the empty space right behind Soyo. She opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.
It was as if she had been bolted to the ground. She couldn't move a muscle.
"What's wrong?"
Under Haruno's comforting, Soyo had just started to slowly regain a fraction of her composure. But seeing Haruno's bizarre reaction, Soyo looked up in confusion and followed her gaze.
There, bathed in the pale moonlight...
In an empty clearing just a short distance away, a grotesque, twisted silhouette was slowly taking shape.
It was well over two meters tall. It looked like a writhing, pulsating insect, yet its massive size far exceeded any normal bug. Slowly, agonizingly, it dragged itself up from the ground.
"W-What is that??" Soyo's voice was completely dry.
"AN ILLUSION... THIS HAS TO BE A HALLUCINATION!"
How? There was no way monsters like this actually existed in the real world. She had to be seeing things. She definitely was!
But as she watched the monstrosity squirm and drag itself closer and closer toward them, an uncontrollable violent tremor seized her entire body.
"Run! We have to run!"
Haruno had no idea what that monster was. Her only coherent thought right now was to turn around and run as fast as humanly possible. They had to get out of here.
"I... I can't move!" Soyo's voice broke into a terrified sob.
Her legs felt like they were filled with lead. She couldn't take a single step.
"..."
Haruno didn't say a word, because her situation was exactly the same.
She had never imagined that there would come a day when she would be so paralyzed by sheer terror that she physically couldn't command her own body to move.
"I-It's coming right at us!" Soyo shut her eyes tightly in despair. The monster was closing the distance.
Haruno's teeth chattered violently. While she hadn't given up and closed her eyes, she wasn't doing much better than Soyo.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Just as the monstrosity lunged at them, the sharp whistling of something cutting through the air echoed in their ears. Several long, whip-like strands of hair shot out, bending sharply through the air in mid-flight.
Without a shred of resistance, the hair cleanly impaled the monster's body.
"Didn't I tell you two to stay close?"
The very next second, Kai's voice casually rang out.
Just as he thought. He should have seen this coming the moment he left them alone.
"!!!" Kai's sudden reappearance made both women snap their eyes wide open.
Of course, the most shocking thing wasn't just Kai himself, but the way he had effortlessly dealt with the monster. Standing right behind Kai was a massive Spider Woman, towering high above him, yet waiting there with the quiet obedience of a loyal servant.
Both girls felt like their entire perception of Kai was being violently rewritten.
Pop!
Like a fragile soap bubble being burst, the monster's entire body was effortlessly crushed into nothingness by the Spider Woman's hair.
"Forget it. It's just a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit. It's not even worth 'Eating'!"
As Kai consumed more and more high-level Cursed Spirits, his palate had noticeably become much pickier—for garbage like a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit, unless it had some specific or unique utility, he couldn't even be bothered to give it a second glance nowadays.
"You can go back now."
Having dealt with the nuisance, Kai gave a simple command. The Spider Woman vanished silently without a single sound, looking incredibly obedient.
"..." This entire scene left Haruno and Soyo dumbfounded.
For a brief second, they seriously wondered if they were just having a collective nightmare.
"W-Who exactly are you?"
Haruno couldn't quite process the reality. Just a short while ago, she had been casually teasing and flirting with this boy—yet he wielded this kind of supernatural power?
'Thinking about it like that... doesn't that make me even more impressive for messing with him?'
"A Jujutsu Sorcerer." Kai glanced at Haruno.
He maintained his usual, carefree demeanor. "Just like what you saw right now. It's a profession specifically dedicated to dealing with these kinds of Cursed Spirits."
"..."
'He makes it sound so easy.'
The way he casually tossed that out made it sound like he was just a regular delivery guy explaining his route.
Haruno couldn't help but complain internally. 'Seriously? Now is not the time to be this brief and vague!'
However—
Now that she had a brand-new understanding of exactly what Kai was capable of, Haruno didn't dare use the same teasing and mocking tone she had used on him in the car.
"Come to think of it..." Seeing Haruno look so stiff and cautious, Kai suddenly laughed. "I think I preferred your rebellious attitude from earlier."
"?"
Haruno froze for a second. Then, realizing he was deliberately teasing her, she shot him a sharp, exasperated glare.
"You really have a twisted sense of humor, you know that?"
However, that one simple, teasing remark instantly made Haruno feel infinitely more relaxed.
If Kai was joking around like this, it meant he didn't mind her earlier teasing. Otherwise, given the terrifying methods he just displayed, he could have easily wiped her out without her even realizing how she died.
"W-Where did you go just now??"
Unlike Haruno, who had been heavily tempered by the brutal realities of high society, a high school girl like Soyo Nagasaki was much more prone to emotional outbursts.
Especially after surviving such a near-death experience. The power Kai had just displayed instantly provided Soyo with an overwhelming sense of safety and relief.
Unable to hold back any longer, she launched herself straight into Kai's arms.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuu!" She buried her face in his chest and started sobbing.
"Well..." Seeing Soyo cling to him like this, Kai was momentarily left speechless.
'Hey now, you're the one taking the initiative here.'
He gently patted Soyo's back to calm her down. Catching sight of Haruno standing off to the side—her eyes holding a faint trace of envy—Kai casually waved his free hand at her.
"If you're scared, you can come over here too."
"Tsk! I'm the older sister here, remember? As if I'd be scared..."
Are you kidding? Even if she was terrified out of her mind, Haruno refused to admit it out loud.
Kai didn't say another word. He simply vanished and reappeared directly behind Haruno.
"Look out, there's another one!"
"WHAT?? AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Her facade instantly shattered. Without a single second of hesitation, she lunged forward, throwing herself straight into Kai's arms right alongside Soyo.
It was only after she caught her breath that she realized it was just a prank. There was nothing behind her.
"You jerk!"
She couldn't help but smack his shoulder lightly in protest.
However... she had to admit, leaning against Kai's chest like this, a profound sense of security rapidly spread through her heart.
"So, when you mentioned helping a friend earlier... this is what you meant?"
"And the others... those 'Jujutsu Sorcerers' you mentioned. Are they the ones in trouble?" Haruno was a brilliant woman. It only took her a split second to piece everything together.
Kai's "help" was clearly different from her original theory. He definitely wasn't calling in some Yakuza favors like she had imagined.
"Pretty much," Kai answered. "Although they count as Jujutsu Sorcerers, at the end of the day, they're still just a bunch of students."
"Students?"
Meaning... there was actually a school out there for these so-called Jujutsu Sorcerers?
Then why had she never heard a single whisper about it in her entire life?
But Haruno wasn't naive. She quickly realized that if there was a completely hidden, supernatural society existing in the shadows, her Yukinoshita family simply wasn't powerful or important enough to have the right to know about it.
'So, does Yukino know about this side of him?'
"Alright, we can save the rest of the questions for later. Since we're already here, let's head inside!"
With that, Kai raised his arms, letting go of the two women.
"Inside?"
Inside where? Haruno was momentarily stunned.
Soyo, on the other hand, had completely transitioned into treating Kai as her ultimate protector. She didn't ask a single question—she just quietly stuck right by his side.
"..."
This scene left Haruno completely speechless. 'You definitely didn't have this kind of obedient attitude five minutes ago!'
Whatever.
Seeing Kai already walking forward, Haruno didn't have time to overthink it. She quickly reached out and grabbed the hem of Kai's shirt to keep up, awkwardly averting her gaze so she wouldn't have to look him in the eye.
After all...
This feeling of needing an underclassman to protect her completely clashed with the flawless, independent big sister image she had always maintained.
But seeing that Kai didn't seem to care or even notice her embarrassed attitude, Haruno couldn't help but feel a sudden wave of indignation.
'As a guy, isn't this the exact moment you're supposed to say something sweet and comforting to capture my heart??'
'Is he completely blind to my charm??'
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