Chapter 8

Augus and Maki strolled down the quiet road, the silence broken only by their footsteps on the pavement. Augus, eager to strike up a conversation, began, "Hey, Maki, have you ever wondered—"

But before he could even finish his sentence, Maki swiftly cut him off with a resolute "no." Her eyes, normally as steely as ever, now seemed to hold a hint of annoyance.

Augus blinked in surprise, caught off guard by her abrupt response. He opened his mouth to protest, "Come on, Maki, let me finish at least—"

Once again, she interrupted him with a firm "no," her tone unwavering and her gaze fixed firmly ahead.

Augus sighed in frustration; his attempts at conversation were thwarted. He couldn't help but complain, "You never let me finish, Maki."

Her response remained consistent, another stern "no." This time, her lips tightened into a thin line, and Augus couldn't help but wonder what had put her in such a sour mood.

Augus scratched his head, contemplating how he had ended up paired with someone who seemed to despise his very existence at the moment. He couldn't help but drift into a brief flashback, remembering the events that had led to this situation.

---

A few hours ago, Gojo had gathered the team to brief them about the mission. "Alright, folks, listen up! We've got a suspected curse spirit lurking on this road. To cover more ground efficiently, we'll be divided into two-man cells. And to keep things interesting," Gojo paused, a mischievous glint in his eye, pulling out a bottle seemingly out of nowhere. "we'll select our partners with a little game of spin the bottle!" He had spun it in the air with a flourish, and Augus had a bemused glance. 

The room erupted in a chorus of groans and protests. Augus couldn't help but roll his eyes. The Jujutsu High faculty staff certainly had their hands full with Gojo. Still, it was an annoyance he had grown accustomed to, and the only good thing about it was that everyone just hated it as well.

Augus couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Spin the bottle, seriously?"

As the bottle slowed to a stop, Augus watched with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. When the bottle's neck pointed at Maki, Gojo exclaimed with glee, "Well, it seems like fate has spoken! Augus, you're with Maki."

Maki turned towards him, and he slightly gulped. Those eyes belong to a killer. 

---

Now, here he was, walking beside his enigmatic partner, Maki. Although the temptation to slow down and admire her from behind was strong, Augus knew better than to risk provoking her anger further. He raked his brain for a way to endear himself to her. He couldn't deny the audacity of his action—slapping her butt—though he didn't feel guilty about it. In his mind, she was just asking for it to be slapped. Still, he was resolute in his determination to secure at least one date with her. Unfortunately, he couldn't turn to Panda, Toge, or Yuta for advice, as that would likely reach her ears.

As they walked in companionable silence, both Augus and Maki suddenly sensed something approaching. Their instincts kicked in, warning them to move to the side of the road, and they reacted swiftly. Just in time, they narrowly avoided a burst of yellow energy that erupted where they had been standing moments before. The energy caused a small explosion, leaving debris scattered across the road.

***

The two, Augus and Maki, turned swiftly to face the source of the attack. Maki's eyes widened in disbelief as she uttered a question, her voice laced with tension, "Is that a cursed womb?"

The creature that confronted them was a grotesque amalgamation, resembling a nightmarish blend of humanoid and centipede-like features. Its unsettling appearance sent shivers down Maki's spine.

The cursed womb brought its human-like hands together, forming a bizarre hand sign. In response, Augus acted swiftly, summoning the hellhound's head with a resounding yell, "Bite!"

A looming shadow cast over the spirit, and it looked up just in time to witness the hound's jaws closing around it. The spirit was engulfed, and Augus breathed a sigh of relief.

But Maki, ever vigilant, warned him, "Don't let your guard down. It's not over."

Her words proved true as the hound's head burst into fragments. The spirit had leaped to the rooftop of a nearby building. Augus clicked his tongue in annoyance and drew his cursed nail.

Maki readied her Naginata, her voice fierce as she yelled at Augus, "Watch my back!"

Without hesitation, she rushed towards the spirit, Naginata in hand. Augus followed her lead, their coordinated movements a dance of determination and skill. They leaped through the air, avoiding yellow beams of curse energy that the spirit hurled their way.

Maki reached the cursed womb first, her Naginata slicing through the air with precision. But the spirit was not defenseless; it sprouted centipede-like tendrils, using them to parry and block her blows.

Augus appeared behind the spirit, attempting to strike a blow of his own. However, an incoming tendril blocked his path, and the force of the impact sent him staggering backward.

Their teamwork was relentless as they formed a pincer attack, coordinating their efforts to overcome the cursed womb's defenses. The spirit, though outnumbered, held its ground, continuously blocking their attempts.

Suddenly, the spirit leaped into the air, combining all of its tendrils into one massive attack. Augus acted swiftly, employing his Time Skip ability. He materialized in front of Maki and, with a swift drop-kick, sent her out of harm's way just as the tendril slammed into him. The force of the blow sent Augus crashing through the floor, landing in a lower level.

Maki's voice echoed with worry as she yelled out to him, "Augus!"

She didn't let her concern slow her down. Picking up her Naginata, she resumed her relentless assault on the cursed womb, dodging its attacks with remarkable agility.

Meanwhile, Augus lay amidst the rubble, his body bleeding from the injury. He muttered to himself through gritted teeth, "If I could still feel pain, I'd be screaming right now."

He took a moment to catch his breath, his determination unwavering. Rising to his feet, he knew he had to get back into the fight. With grim determination, Augus started making his way back up to the rooftop where Maki continued her battle with the relentless cursed womb.

***

Back in the midst of the fight, Maki's determination was unwavering as she closed the distance between herself and the cursed spirit. Her Nagitana danced with precision as she parried and deflected any of the spirit's attacks that came her way. She let out a fierce war cry as she brought her weapon down with a powerful strike, aiming to cleave the spirit in half.

To her astonishment and frustration, the spirit didn't respond as expected. Instead of regenerating or rejoining, the severed halves of the spirit's body began to grow missing parts.

"What the hell?" Maki exclaimed.

Maki took a step back, her eyes widening as she realized the dire situation. She was now facing not one but two cursed wombs.

"This isn't good…" Maki muttered in annoyance, her agile form shifting as she started evading the spirits' relentless barrage of attacks.

However, the rooftop they stood on gave way under the intense battle, the structure cracking and crumbling. Maki cursed under her breath as her balance faltered, and she found herself in a perilous position. An incoming attack was closing in, impossible to dodge or block.

"Damn it! I can't—" Maki's voice trailed off as she braced herself for impact.

But just when it seemed all hope was lost, Augus appeared with lightning speed, intercepting and deflecting all the incoming attacks with a display of agility and precision that defied his injuries.

"I've got your back, Maki," Augus said reassuringly.

He turned his head to Maki, concern in his eyes as he asked if she was alright.

Maki, instead of answering his question, directed her anger at him.

"What are you doing here? You should be—" Maki's voice trailed off as she noticed Augus' injuries.

She couldn't comprehend how Augus, who was bleeding profusely and looked severely injured, could move like nothing had happened. She sternly told him to run and get Gojo-sensei for help, not wanting to see him further hurt.

Augus simply snorted at her suggestion and replied, "I don't want to be the bringer of bad news to your friends, you know."

Maki's frustration boiled over as she yelled at Augus not to be a hero, her worry for him evident. "Just run!" she exclaimed.

Augus shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "I'm not a hero," he replied.

He glanced at his HP bar, noting that approximately one-fifth of his HP had been depleted. His gaze then shifted to his weapon, contemplating whether or not to utilize its main ability at this moment. "But I'm not giving up either," he added.

He refocused his attention on the two cursed spirits, analyzing the differences between them after observing Maki's battle. One possessed the centipede-like tendrils, while the other could attack from a distance. Yet neither spirit seemed to have the other's abilities.

"Maki, look closely," Augus said. "Their powers are divided between them. We can exploit that."

Maki realized that the more the spirits split apart, the more limited their abilities would become. However, this also meant that they would be outnumbered.

Maki gripped her spear tightly, her determination unwavering as she walked alongside Augus. 

"Augus, what's the plan?" Maki asked.

Augus took a moment to assess their situation, his eyes briefly flickering to his cursed sword. "My cursed sword might be able to help," he explained, "but I could only use it twice given my current injuries. In my prime, I might have managed it five times in a row, but now…"

"I'm not too keen on what comes after, but this might be our only shot," Augus said.

Maki's frustration flared, her voice laced with anger as she issued a stern warning.

"If you even think about sacrificing yourself, I'll knock you out, got it?" Maki threatened.

Augus couldn't help but smile at her fiery determination as he responded, "I don't plan on dying today, Maki, but this might be our best chance."

Maki clenched her teeth, visibly torn, but she ultimately agreed to Augus' plan. She then posed a critical question.

"So, who goes first?" Maki asked.

Augus surveyed their adversaries, swiftly formulating their strategy.

"You'll distract the one with ranged attacks while I handle the other," Augus said.

Maki nodded in understanding, her resolve unyielding. With synchronized breaths, they steeled themselves before charging toward their respective foes.

Maki deftly intercepted the ranged attacks from the spirit, her movements a blur of calculated precision. Each deflection brought her closer to the spirit, her spear poised for a devastating strike.

Meanwhile, Augus exhibited extraordinary agility, his acrobatic maneuvers allowing him to gracefully evade the centipede-like tendrils of the other spirit. He moved with impeccable grace and lightning speed, managing to stab the spirit. With each withdrawal of his cursed nail-like sword, he delivered relentless blows—punches, kicks, and stabs. The spirit writhed in pain, but Augus wasn't finished.

"You're not going anywhere," Augus said as he pulls the spirit with his blood chain.

Just as he was about to land the final blow, the spirit retaliated with a ferocious strike that narrowly missed Augus's head. The close call only fueled his determination.

"Not this time," Augus said.

Augus locked his gaze on the cursed sword, his voice unwavering as he issued a commanding order.

"Nail, finish it."

The cursed sword blazed with an eerie glow, and the spirit's torment intensified. Nails erupted from its body as it spasmed violently. It convulsed in agony, a symphony of screams and shudders, before finally crumbling to dust, its malevolent presence dissipating into the air.

Augus swiftly picked up his blade, his eyes alert and focused as he turned to Maki. "Maki, watch out!" he yelled as she was relentlessly pummeling the cursed spirit with the blunt edge of her weapon. Without hesitation, Maki delivered a swift kick that sent the spirit hurtling toward him.

Augus wasted no time, his movements a blur of calculated precision. "I'll take care of this," he said as he stabbed the spirit three times in a lightning-fast succession, the strikes landing with deadly accuracy. With each withdrawal of his cursed nail-like sword, he left behind grievous wounds that oozed dark energy.

"Nail, finish it," Augus commanded as the cursed sword emitted an eerie glow once more. The spirit convulsed in agony as nails protruded from its body, and just like before, it slowly turned to dust, vanishing into nothingness.

Maki sighed in relief, her breath heavy from the exertion of the intense battle. She was about to say something when Augus called out to her. Annoyed, she growled, demanding to know what he wanted, but her anger turned to horror.

From head to toe, Augus was now covered in blood, his injuries taking a gruesome toll. He tried to maintain his stance but failed, tilting forward.

"Hey Maki," Augus joked weakly as he attempted to keep his composure despite the pain. "I know its gross, but please catch me."

Maki quickly dropped her spear and yelled at him to stay awake, panic creeping into her voice. The last thing Augus saw before losing consciousness was Gojo appearing seemingly out of nowhere, his presence a blur of motion. Maki's words were a distant echo as he closed his eyes.

When he woke up, he found himself in the infirmary, his vision hazy. Maki was seated beside his bed, her expression a mix of relief and concern. Upon seeing him awake, she immediately stood up, her voice laced with worry.

"Are you feeling alright?" Maki asked.

Confused but relieved to be alive, Augus weakly replied, "I feel better now."

Maki smiled before she violently grabbed Augus' shirt, her voice rising in frustration. "What the hell were you thinking? Why would you use something so dangerous? Are you suicidal or did you get dropped on your head?"

She paused, her anger giving way to a rare moment of vulnerability as she continued, her voice softer but filled with worry.

"Ieri-sensei told us that with the amount of blood you lost, you should have died. No you were dead! I'm sure of it. It's a miracle you're even alive right now," Maki said. "She wasn't even sure if reverse curse technique could have saved you!"

Her concern for Augus was evident, Maki grabbed Augus' shirt, her voice rising in frustration. "What the hell were you thinking? Why would you use something so dangerous?"

She paused, her anger giving way to a rare moment of vulnerability as she continued, her voice softer but filled with worry.

"Ieri-sensei told us that with the amount of blood you lost should have killed you. It's a miracle you're even alive right now," Maki said.

Her concern for Augus was evident, her emotions raw and unfiltered.

Augus, feeling the weight of his actions and Maki's concern, offered a sincere apology.

"I'm sorry, Maki. I didn't think it would come to that," Augus said. There was no lie, he didn't expect that he would bleed out like that. He just thought he would get tired and not bleed like a fountain.

Maki scoffed in response, clearly frustrated but also relieved that Augus was alright. She released her grip on his shirt, her annoyance palpable.

"Just don't do something that stupid again," Maki warned.

Augus, now more alert, asked about the fate of his blade. He was curious about what happened to the cursed sword he had used.

Maki explained that Gojo had tried to confiscate the dangerous weapon, sealing it to prevent further use. However, no seal seemed capable of holding it. The sword had repeatedly teleported back to Augus, as if it were bound to him. Even the attempt to destroy such a weapon was as impossible as destroying Sukuna's finger. 

As Maki turned to leave the room, Augus watched her, slightly apprehensive about what she might do next. Maki halted just before the door, making Augus wonder what was on her mind.

Maki turned back toward him, her expression softening as she spoke.

"Thank you, Augus," Maki said.

Augus blinked in surprise at her unexpected gratitude. Maki continued, her voice sincere but stern.

"But promise me you won't use that sword again," Maki said.

With those words, she turned and left the room, leaving Augus to contemplate the consequences of his actions. He sprawled back in bed, pondering how he would explain this situation to others, knowing that he had narrowly escaped a death.