Rebirth into the world of curses(JJK)

A tinted dark-colored car was moving smoothly and carefully along the main highway. Judging by the way it overtook other cars, one could assume the driver was in a hurry. Behind the wheel was Iwao Yoshinori—a sorcerer assistant. He was new to this job, and today was his first time assisting a well-known young genius—Yuta Okkotsu. Naturally, he was very nervous.

"Iwao-san, you don't need to rush. This mission isn't urgent," said the young man with piercing dark blue eyes and disheveled hair.

It was Megumi Fushiguro, sitting next to his mentor—Yuta Okkotsu. Today, they were on their way to cleanse yet another building of minor curses.

Lately, the elders had been assigning them many similar missions since Megumi was significantly more efficient in such tasks than others. On one hand, these missions didn't present any challenges or difficulties for him. On the other hand, this was exactly what they needed right now, as both Megumi and Yuta were focusing more on joint training. Most of the time, they sparred, practicing hand-to-hand combat, while also dedicating considerable time to improving their techniques and exchanging ideas. For now, they were satisfied with this, as the training sessions showed good progress. For instance, Megumi had recently learned to partially manipulate shadows, becoming less reliant on his shikigami.

Yuta was reflecting on this until his thoughts were interrupted by Iwao's voice.

"They told me you wouldn't need a veil set up since you can do it yourselves. That's why I'm a little nervous. I've only just started working with sorcerers," Iwao said, trying to ease the atmosphere and lift his own spirits.

"There's no need to be nervous, Iwao-san. While sorcerers are the backbone of our society, sorcerer assistants are its indispensable part," Yuta reassured him. "You used to work in the classified materials disposal department, right?" he asked.

"Yes, we handled the destruction of records and photographs that captured supernatural events," Iwao replied.

"If it weren't for people like you, our society would've fallen apart a long time ago. Although hiding our society from the rest of the world might seem wrong, I can understand the elders' motives," Yuta added.

At that moment, Megumi joined the conversation.

"And what motives do the elders have?" he asked, voicing a question that had long intrigued him.

"Let's start with the fact that they're old-fashioned. This practice of hiding the sorcerer society from ordinary people has existed for centuries. In the past, information about us was available only to significant figures such as the shogun and his closest circle, as well as the kuge—the aristocratic class entirely dependent on the shogun—and very wealthy merchants. Samurai and craftsmen might have heard mere rumors about it, while ordinary people, meaning peasants, didn't even suspect sorcerers existed," Yuta explained.

"You speak as if the reason is just that it's an established tradition," Megumi interrupted him.

"Maybe that's how it is for them. But I believe everything has two sides, and they're not always good or bad for everyone. The downsides of revealing our society to the world include the possibility of sparking conflicts with other countries. In today's internet age, it's nearly impossible to keep such information hidden; it would immediately leak online. Additionally, our society would have to coexist openly with ordinary people, which could lead to constant conflicts: fear, prejudice, even racism. It's obvious that people would fear individuals with our power. After all, we're walking weapons of destruction..."

Yuta's musings were cut short by Iwao's voice.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're almost there," Iwao informed them with slight hesitation.

"It's fine, just some thoughts out loud," Yuta replied.

The car smoothly came to a stop by the roadside, and Yuta and Megumi stepped outside. The hum of the engine faded, giving way to an almost oppressive silence. The air carried the scent of dampness and old concrete, mixed with a faint hint of something unsettling.

Before them stood a massive building—grim and abandoned, once a dormitory. Its walls, covered in cracks and patches of mold, appeared gray even under the sunlight. Most of the windows were shattered or coated with a thick layer of grime, while those that remained resembled empty, cold eyes. Some frames creaked ominously in the wind, adding to the building's sinister atmosphere.

An old, dilapidated fence partially surrounded the structure, but in several places, the wire had been torn, as if someone—or something—had tried to break out. Tall grass grew along the building's base, pushing through cracks in the asphalt, accompanied by scattered bushes that had long gone wild.

"This used to be a dormitory," Yuta said quietly, gazing at the building. "Decades ago, something terrible happened here. People died, and the place became cursed."

Megumi nodded silently, studying every corner of the dark facade. It seemed as though the building itself was trying to repel anyone who dared come closer.

"It's been more than ten years," Yuta added in an even tone. "People have forgotten about it. The owner decided to cleanse it, renovate it, and sell it."

Yuta formed a hand sign and recited, "Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure." Along with the enormous building, the veil covered a large portion of the surrounding area, including the fence and nearby grounds.

"Let's begin," Megumi said

curtly, his eyes fixed on the ominous entrance.

Megumi quickly entered the building, followed by the Great Serpent gliding smoothly behind him, while the hounds ran silently through the shadows, remaining almost invisible. Inside, the building was enveloped in thick silence, broken only by the sound of the wind wandering through the corridors. The smell of dampness and old mold clung to every corner.

The first cursed spirit appeared almost immediately—a distorted, grotesque figure with elongated limbs crawling out of a dark corner. Megumi cast only a brief glance at the Serpent. Soundlessly but with lightning speed, its body darted forward, coiling around the curse and crushing it in a deadly grip. There was a crack, and the spirit disintegrated into black smoke.

"Move forward," ordered Megumi, and the hounds dashed ahead. Their sharp silhouettes seemed to melt into the shadows, moving through the corridors with incredible speed. Seconds later, the sounds of their growls and the shrieks of cursed spirits echoed through the air. A tense stillness filled the space, broken only by the sounds of swift skirmishes.

Megumi moved confidently, occasionally forming additional seals to direct his shikigami. The Great Serpent led the way, its movements graceful yet terrifying. It darted between the curses, tearing them apart with a single bite of its powerful jaws or simply crushing them by slamming its massive body against them.

Suddenly, from one of the side corridors, a swarm of small cursed spirits burst out, their screeching cries filling the building. Megumi raised his hand, commanding the hounds to attack. They surged forward like lightning, their strikes swift and precise. One of the spirits tried to slip away, but the Great Serpent, already accustomed to such enemies' tactics, lunged in an instant and devoured the curse, leaving only remnants of darkness dissipating into the air.

This continued for several dozen minutes, as the building was enormous, and after some time, it plunged into an eerie silence. All the minor curses had been eradicated. Megumi stood in the middle of a corridor, his breathing steady despite the intensity of the mission. The shikigami returned to him, their silhouettes once again blending into the shadows.

"Clearing complete," he said quietly as he exited the building, glancing around to make sure there were no remaining threats.

"You've gotten much better at controlling your shikigami. Keep it up," Yuta praised him as he dispelled the veil.

"It's probably because I've improved my control over cursed energy," Megumi replied.

"Most likely," Yuta agreed, unbothered by the curt response. At first, their interactions had been somewhat awkward and overly polite, but over time, they began to speak more naturally and got used to each other's communication styles.