Chapter 43: YUTAAAAAA!

"Okkotsuuuuuu." The twisted object shifts between my fingers.

The boy finally speaks whilst pointing to the 'thing' in my hand.

"That was a knife. I tried to kill myself with it. But, Rika got in the way."

"Pretty depressing. Aren't you going to start at your new school today?"

"I'm not going. I don't want to hurt anyone else so I won't go outside." Average discord moderator.

"But...won't it get lonely being by yourself? Loneliness, even temporary, is not a feeling you want to have." I understand that.

"That curse you're afflicted with, depending on how it's used, can save people. Yet, all you want to do is throw it away." His blackish- blue eyes move to the silver on the ground.

"Give it one more chance."

1 hour later....

"Time to introduce the new transfer student! EVERYONE ONE GET FIRED UP!" No response.

"Come on now!"

"Sorry but I'm not getting fired up for some moody kid." As pessimistic as always, Maki.

"Salmon." Ah, come on!

"Oh well." I sigh. "Come on in!"

Yuta enters and as he does, Panda, Maki and Toge's eyes sharpen quickly.

"Hi. It's nice to m-

Maki's spear lunges past Yuta's ear. Panda and Toge follow behind closely.

"You've been cursed. This school has no place for people like you." Way to beat him while he's down Maki!

In Japan, the number of people who go missing or die mysteriously is, on average, 10,000 a year.

"Most of that is due to the negative emotions form humans. Which breeds curses and at this school we study curses and how to better exorcise them."

I look at Yuta's surprised face and Maki's annoyed one. 'My bad!'

"By the way, maybe you should get away from him." The trio look at me confused.

Two tallow-white hands emerge from the wall and crush Maki's spear.

"YUTAAAA! DON'T BULLY MY YUTA."

"Wait! Wait!"

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Special grade cursed victim, Okkotsu Yuta

Special Grade cursed spirit, Ormiston Rika

Record: 6 years ago

Location: Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City

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"Yuta! Happy birthday." Rika hands me a small box.

"Can I open it?"

"Sure."

"I can open it?"

"I already sure Yuta." Her lips curl up as she says this. I open the small box happily and take out a circular object.

"A ring?" I hold it out to the sun with my arms outstretched.

Suddenly, Rika tugs on my pinky finger with her own.

"It's and engagement ring." I look at her smiling face.

"When we grow up. We'll get married."

"It's a promise."

30 minutes later....

"Hey! Has the ambulance arrived!"

"Nothing we can do idiot! Look! Her head is crushed." I look to my right. Ignoring the bloody stream.

"Rika?"

"Ýų....țà" I look down.

"Ýųţà. Õńçě wê bêćœmě âđűłț§. Wêľľ ğêþ mæřŕīëđ."

"Îťß'§ æ přœmîšě."

I could only look down in horror.

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"You get the Idea! He was cursed by his beloved Rika. Please make him feel welcome and Rika may or may not attack you. Be safe everyone!"

The odd teacher turns to look at me. "I'll give you a quick explanation of who your classmates are."

Cursed weapon user, Zenin Maki

Wielding specially made items to exorcise curses.

Cursed speech user, Inumaki Toge

His vocabulary only consists of ingredients so goof luck having a conversation with him.

"Salmon." He waves as he says this so I guess he said hello?

Panda.

"Hi! I'm Panda. Nice to meet you."

"And that's about it." 'You couldn't explain anything else?'

'3 people and one animal. I didn't expect school to be this weird.'

1 hour later...

"Your first mission will be at this elementary school. An ordinary school...where kids go missing."

"Go missing!"

"Yup. Two kids have been abducted by a, presumably, naturally formed curse." Oh no.

"Places like schools and hospitals." I turn around to look at Zenin. "They're breeding grounds for curses since they're thought of so much."

"Save the children. If they are dead, retrieve the bodies."

"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."

"What is that?"

"Just a technique to draw out curses. You'll learn more later." As teacher leaves, the surroundings become as dark as night.

I hold my sleeve tightly as I walk behind Maki but she suddenly stops and turns around.

"You were bullied weren't you." Uhh- "I was right on the mark. I was once bullied myself."

"Beacuse of that curse? You're trying to act like a good person, even a victim, yet the curse is the one protecting you."

"You've lived life listlessly haven't you. Don't go thinking you can make it through this school without a goal." She's about to speak more but her head cocks to the side. I look in the same direction and notice some curses.

She readies her weapon whilst I inch back a bit. 'She is right.'

"Transfer student. Don't look away."

The three curses approach her and one of them tugs at the string going vertical across it's entire body.

"Ćômê íń?" A yellow tongue slips out.

Maki whips her spear around herself whilst the curses lunge towards her.

"B- Be careful!!

"Don't yell. Remember that weaker curses come in packs." Her spear has already sliced the curses in half.

'Incredible. I have to keep up with that?'

"Hurry up."

"To where?" She gives me a weird look.

"Inside, obviously."

I cautiously walk forward with squeaks from my shoes being the only sound.

"Aren't you scared, Zenin?" She clears her throat.

"Of the curses! They might jump out at us any time." Zenin doesn't respond but suddenly stops.

"What's your grade?"

"Huh?" She scoffs.

"Nevermind. Give me your student ID." I give it to her. "Normal sorcerers are ranked grade 4 to grade one." 'What was my grade?'

CRASH!

Suddenly, a huge curse peeked its head through the hallway.

"Zenin!" She turns around but the curse is already in front of us.

It uses its tusks to lift us out of the crumbling school. Its glassy black eyes showed barely a slither of intelligence.

It opens its mouth to reveal multiple rings of sharp teeth. Zenin readies her weapon to throw it at the curse but swarms of teeth race at her and me.

I don't know what happened next because I closed my eyes. Though I do realise I'm touching a smooth, slimy floor.

I get up confused.

"Where are we?:

"The curse ate us." She says this so calmly as well.

"It ate us!" When?

"Tch. When is that curse of yours coming out?"

"I don't know when Rika will come out."

"Urrghh. I've never had to be saved before and to think it's now of all times!"

"HELP!" We both turn our heads. "Please! He looks like he's about to die!" I look to the small child on the bigger boy's lap.

'Two kids. They must be the abducted ones.'

"Did you notice?"

"What?"

"Those two children have been cursed. They could die any second now."

"What can we do?"

"Nothin. Just wait to be saved." Her breathing get heavier and she shifts her weight to one leg.

I look at her other leg and see it has a long cut above her knee. Black eyes surround the wound.

'Was she cursed?'

"Is that lady okay!?"

Zenin grits her teeth hard then shakingly walks to me. She hastily grabs my tie.

"why....Why did you come to this school Okkotsu? What do you want! What do you want to achieve!?"

"I didn't want to hurt anyone so I isolated myself. But when I was told it would be lonely. I couldn't give a response." I take another deep breath.

"I want to feel needed by someone. I want to have connections. I want to feel.....

That it is okay to live."

"Then....exorcise. Exorcise and exorcise even after that. Confidence, and everything else comes after. That is the kind of place this school is."

I look directly into her dark green eyes. I pull out a small object from my breast-pocket.

"Rika?"

"Ýê§?"

I put my ring on.

"Please....lend me your power."

Rika erupts from my shadow and grows taller and taller only to rip the curse to shreds. Just like Rika, I need to act now!

"Hurghh. Gurggh. A little longer everyone." My arms are full of sweat and so is the rest of my body. Everywhere aches.

'I need to reach sensei so everyone can be healed.' My feet wobbles and my body shakes.

"Not yet! Just keep going! This is where you decide to change, ISN'T IT?"

"Keep going Yuta."

I freeze for half a moment.

"I'll do my best!"

Then everything goes dark.

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"Maki and the kids are fine now. You've done well."

"Thank you Sensei. It was the first time I summoned Rika myself." I look at the ring on my finger.

"Interesting. That's step in the right direction."

"I also remember more about her."

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"When we grow up, we'll get married. It's a promise."

"Sure."

"We'll be together forever!"

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"I was probably the one who cursed her."

"....This is just a personal theory of mine. But love can be the most twisted curse of them all." I think for a while.

"Sensei. I'm going to release Rika's curse at this school!"

"Ha. Good for you."