The deeper they went into the factory—
the quieter it got.
No curses rushing them.
No movement.
No sound.
Just that heavy, suffocating feeling like something was watching.
Yuji rubbed the back of his neck.
"…I don't like this."
Nobara nodded.
"…Yeah. Way too quiet."
Megumi's eyes scanned every corner.
"…Stay close."
Takeru didn't say anything.
But he felt it too.
That pressure.
Not gone—
just… pulled back.
Then they found it.
A door.
Unlike everything else in the factory—
it wasn't rusted.
It was clean.
Slightly open.
Kirara frowned.
"…That's not abandoned."
Hakari grinned a little.
"…Well, that's inviting."
Megumi pushed it open slowly.
The room inside—
was untouched.
A lab.
Tables.
Equipment.
Papers scattered but not aged.
Like someone had been working here recently—
and just… left.
Yuji blinked.
"…This is weird…"
Panda looked around.
"…I don't like 'organized creepy.'"
Nobara walked over to one of the tables.
"…What were they even doing here…?"
Takeru stepped in last.
His eyes moved slowly across the room.
Taking everything in.
Then—
something caught his attention.
On the wall.
A large sheet.
Like a poster.
Old—but not too old.
Pinned up carefully.
"…Hey."
Everyone turned.
Takeru was already walking toward it.
They followed.
And then—
they saw it.
"Takeru's Family Tree (Shortened Version)"
Silence.
Yuji blinked.
"…What…?"
Nobara leaned closer.
"…No way…"
Megumi's eyes narrowed immediately.
The chart was divided into three sections.
The first:
"Gojo:"
Satoru Gojo
Takeru (smudged out)
Unknown parents further more
A pause.
Hakari let out a low whistle.
"…Well that part checks out…"
Gojo, from behind them:
"…Huh."
The second section:
"Z (smudged out) N:"
Multiple names.
All blurred.
Unreadable.
But one stood out.
Takeru (smudged out)
Panda tilted his head.
"…Z… something… N?"
Megumi stared at it.
Something about it felt familiar—
but just out of reach.
"…That's…"
He paused.
"…Weird."
Nobara frowned.
"…Why is your name in three different sections?"
Takeru didn't answer.
Because the third section was worse.
"It (smudged out) ri:"
More names.
Blacked out.
Scratched over.
One of them partially readable—
"Jin (smudged out)"
Yuji stepped closer.
"…Jin…?"
He squinted.
Trying to make sense of it—
but it didn't fully click.
"…That name…"
Takeru stood still.
Looking at all three sections.
Gojo.
Z—something.
It—something.
All connected.
To him.
"…What is this…?"
No one answered.
Because at that moment—
Megumi's head snapped slightly to the side.
"…Wait."
The air shifted.
Subtle.
But unmistakable.
Cursed energy.
Close.
Very close.
Kirara's voice dropped.
"…We're not alone."
Hakari grinned slightly.
"…There it is."
Nobara stepped back from the wall.
"…Of course."
Yuji clenched his fists.
"…I knew it felt off…"
Takeru slowly turned away from the poster.
The feeling was stronger now.
Heavier.
Focused.
Like something had been waiting for them to notice.
Megumi's voice was low.
"…Get ready."
The lights flickered once.
Then—
Something moved in the darkness beyond the room.
And whatever it was—
It wasn't like the curses they just fought.