Chapter 19 : The Garden Hall

I wanted to name it met galla cause it has similar theme hehehehehehehhe

I should get arrested for my sense of humour, anyway like always Enjoy!

' Thoughts

" parole

[ technique

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AUCTION NIGHT! !

The dimly lit auction room was abuzz with the low murmurs of collectors and dealers, each one's gaze flickering with the greed for the rarest of artifacts. At the heart of this quiet storm stood Maki Zenin, her sharp eyes concealed behind a pair of glasses, her aura both commanding and inconspicuous. She was a shadow with a singular purpose: to reclaim the cursed talisman and return it to the safekeeping of Jujutsu High.

In her ear, a hum heralded Panda's voice, "Maki, we're in position. What's your status?"

With a subtle tap of her fingers against her thigh, hidden beneath the folds of her elegant gown, Maki surveyed the room. Every exit, every face, every whisper was a note ."It's crowded. Eyes everywhere. Stay sharp," she whispered back, her words a silent stroke of command through the micro-cursed tool.

Toge Inumaki, in the backstage shadows, offered a single word in response, "Salmon." (Au,note: ill leave what he said for ur imagination)

The entrance of Ru, a vision in white, silenced the murmurs. Her dress, a cascade of purity with a daring V-neck, stealing the attention as she sat crossing her legs, observing the place with a smirk on her face, invested in the act of a young self made millionaire.

Maki's instincts kicked in, a privilege of being cautious. "There's a white-haired woman. She's off," she murmured.

"Salmon," Inumaki affirmed, signaling his readiness.

The auctioneer's gavel struck, and the room fell into expectant silence. "We begin with lot number seventeen," he announced, and a collective breath was drawn as the cursed tool was revealed, of course the non sorcerers had an idea about its cursed being. Ru, faking a french accent, she kept raising the price like she owned a bank, as a result the cursed tool was sold to her and the crowd enterupted into applause soon after, while she waved and giggled in the most fake way possible. The talisman was next, and time was slipping through the trio's fingers like sand. (Au,note: damn the metaphor! )

Maki raised her paddle, her heart a steady drumbeat as she entered the fray. Each bid was a step, each number a dance with danger. "Tuna," Inumaki's voice intoned, cue of a lurking threat.

Panda, his bulk shone through his bad disguise, navigated the service corridors. "Visual on the talisman?" he queried, his voice calm yet betraying his sweaty forehead.

"Not yet," Maki countered another bid, her voice a blade of focus. "Prices are soaring. Eyes open."

The bids escalated, the tension a living thing. "Eel," Inumaki warned, the signal that security was on high alert.

Cameras down," Panda confirmed, as he disabled the security systems. "You have a window. Move."

Maki's heart was a wild thing, but her exterior was a mask of serenity. "Sea urchin," Inumaki breathed, the go-code for their final act.

With a flourish of hand signs, Maki signaled her team. The curtain was rising on their final play.

Inumaki made his way to the vault, the lock yielded to his cursed energy, a whisper of a click heralding his success.

But success was a fickle friend. Cursed users, their intentions as nobel as theirs, ambushed him. A flurry of combat ensued, Inumaki's cursed speech his weapon as he froze them in place. "Dont move," one of his most effective commands, the talisman secure, only dust left to be seen as he dashed towards freedom.

Toge Inumaki's heart raced, the talisman, pulsing with a dark energy that seemed to resonate with his own cursed speech, was now a heavy weight in his pocket. Behind him, the sound of pursuing footsteps echoed.

"Egg, rice, tuna," he whispered into the micro-cursed tool, his voice a thread of tension in the still air.

Maki Zenin, in swift reaction, responded with calmness. "Hold on, Inumaki. We're coming "

She was on a mission to find Inumaki, with Panda at her side. They navigated through the shadows, their steps silent but swift. Upon arrival, they found Inumaki encircled by cursed users, they didn't seem easy to defeat though. But Inumaki was not defenseless; his cursed speech, a simple command of "Don't move," held them in a paralytic grip, if only for precious seconds.

Maki leaped into action, she delivered a series of precise strikes, her hands and feet blurring into a storm of motion. A palm strike here, a spinning kick there—each move executed with the impact of a sledgehammer. She dispatched three assailants with a fluidity featuring back and axe kicks.

Panda, meanwhile, grappled with lesser curses, his strength pitted against their numbers. In an attempt to be not useless, he moved, each throw reinforced with cursed energy.

As the fight wore on, Inumaki's voice grew hoarse, the strain of his cursed speech taking its toll. He reached for his cursed medicine, a necessary respite to soothe his aching throat. Maki, undeterred by the odds, continued her onslaught. Her enhanced strength allowed her to send opponents flying with each punishing jab and kick, her form a whirlwind of destruction.

Panda, with his massive frame pulsating with cursed energy, faced off against a group of minion curses summoned by the cursed users. But to their dismay, the cursed users had also their fair share of talisman, using them to summon two grade 2 curses.

Back to Maki, she found herself facing the leader of the cursed users' gang, a challenging opponent with a menacing aura. The air crackled with tension as they circled each other, sizing up their strengths and weaknesses. With a burst of speed, Maki launched into a judo-inspired fight, utilizing her opponent's momentum against him. She executed throws, sweeps, and locks with precision, keeping the leader off balance and on the defensive. He was quick though as he blocked most of her attacks, going for a fake sweep but instead went for stab with his dagger, Maki, with her famous leg split swept him down, making him lose his dagger, knocking him out after crushing his face in the ground with all her might.

Simultaneously, Inumaki, with his cursed speech power, unleashed a command that temporarily halted the cursed users in their tracks. "Stop moving!" he shouted, his talisman reacting to the chaotic flow of cursed energy around him. The momentary pause allowed Maki and Panda to gain the upper hand in the chaotic skirmish.

As the battle raged on, the ebb and flow of combat intertwined Maki's agile strikes and Panda's powerful maneuvers. The cursed users got a bit more, some of the knocked ones started to regain consciousness.

But the talisman, reacting to the outpouring of cursed energy, began to pulse more fiercely. A crack appeared on its surface, and from within, a malevolent force stirred. The air grew thick with cursed energy, and the very walls of the auction house seemed to tremble.

Maki, sensing the change, shouted, "The talisman! It's—"

Before she could finish, the talisman shattered, and from its broken pieces emerged a cursed spirit, its form a swirling mass of darkness and malice. The cursed users, sensing the power unleashed, turned their attention to the spirit, they were dumb enough to think that they could take that thing down, bad move.

Inumaki, Maki, and Panda readied themselves for another fight, but this was a foe unlike any they had faced. The cursed spirit lashed out, each cursed user was set on fire, their screams enough to send shivers down the spine of onlookers. It takes the form of a centaur with a featureless head except for its giant mouth which is open in a grimace. It is covered with taut flesh which is constantly burning.

Maki charged forward, so did panda and Inumaki, but they were faced by a fire breathe that melt the walls from its heat, seeing how bad the situation is.

"Panda, Inumaki RUN NOW ! " Maki yelled, as the three of them ran for their lives.

The battle raged, the trio sprinting with synchronicity born of years of friendship and shared battles. But the cursed spirit was relentless, its power seemingly inexhaustible.

As the kids reached the exit, a new presence entered the fray. Ru, her white dress now a contrast against the darkness, stepped into the room with a grace that belied the danger. In her hand was a dagger, its blade extending with a will of its owner, a piece of metal that seemed to thirst for the cursed energy.

"Aren't a big thing to be after kids, come on ! Here's the real challenge before your eyes, all shiny and dressed up" she said while holding the weapon close the her lips in a sexy way, despite the hardness of the situation, she then turned to the group, getting out of their way, "kids, get out ! Let the adults handle this" they escaped without hesitation or looking back once.

With a swift motion, Ru plunged the dagger into the flesh of the cursed spirit, and the room was filled with a blinding light, she can neutralise the flow of cursed energy allowing her to get near without getting burnt. The cursed users nearby, caught in the radiance, fell one by one, their bodies lifeless husks drained of power.

In response, the curse let out a wierd terrifying sounds, its flames increasing, pushing the girl to back off, given Ru lacks combat skills, the curse sent her flying piercing through the walls, out in the open, as she managed to stop by extending the dagger, long and sharp as a katana, struggles showed on her face.

As for the trio.....

The night air was cool as they emerged from the auction house, the chaos of the evening a stark contrast to the peace of the world outside. They had not succeeded in their mission, but at what cost? At least they are alive.

Arriving at Jujutsu High, they were sent to Shoko's office to get their wounds healed, they weren't that much injured from the fight with curse users rather the impact of the curse, that was unsealed, a bunch of 2nd degree burns, not to mention Inumaki's throat injury.

"And that's all..." as Maki informed Satoru while getting treated, he seemed to think thoroughly before speaking

"You did good guys, don't worry about anything, your well being is what matters right now " he said reassuring them, a rare scene of him not being idiotic for straight two minutes.

Moment after Aki barged in, seemingly concerned for his classmates, he sighed out of relief once he saw them well all treated.

"Hehe awww worried about your friends, what a cutie you turned out Akiii~~" said Gojo in his usual silly tone.

"Shut up, I don't have time for this, did yall get the talisman? " he asked curiously, they explained the situation for him, ending with Gojo saying that he will go now and exorcises the curse himself, but Aki meddled in.

"*Fake gasp* the honored one taking care of such basic matters ! No way in hell, I shall go and do the job" Aki acted in the same goofy way, he and Gojo creating an idiotic yet funny atmosphere.

"OK then you can go, but take this with ya ! " As satoru handed him a talisman "You know how to seal, right ?" He asked but received a grin from the boy.

"What do you take me for ? I'm hurt" faking a hurt tone, followed by his teleporting to the scene.

Minutes ago...

Ru engaged in an exotic fight with the curse, neutralising the flow of its attacks to extinguish them completely, thus it went for close range combat, trying to strike her with its horse legs, and burn her, due to the constant being close to the burning close, Ru tried to back off a little, her once dagger, now a long edged sword, wielded with grace as she cut and slashed the curse, but since she was not that at cursed energy manipulation, the act of injecting energy in the weapon and neutralising the flow at the same time was tiring and getting a little hard to hold, thus she was caught in fire.

[Cursed technique: Jacob's Ladder]

As the flames of the curse burned her skin, she instinctively released Jacob's Ladder that damaged severely the curse and made it back off her, escaping the flames.

[Cursed technique: RCT]

Healing her burns with reversed cursed technique, she decided it was time to end this battle.

[Cursed technique: ransom blade]

A blade she can summon at will that has the ability accumulate force and cursed energy before ejecting them out the back of the blade in accordance with the user's will, a glowing aura of neutralising energy, wrapping the blade's grip with a talisman, she lunged forward in high speed, quelling the flames as she gets closer, stabbing the curse right in the heart, sealing her into the talisman, in the midset of a blinding light.

AKI WAS LISTENING AND SEEING PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING....

No list could encompass the chaos of the place, now a mix of destruction and human presence, casualties strewn about from what seemed like a natural disaster. Amidst this wreckage, two figures stood out - Aki and Rue. 'the majestic girl from the park' thought to himself once his eyes came locked with hers.

Rue, with her white hair and mischievous grin, couldn't resist a bit of teasing as she observed Aki's bewildered expression. "Well, well, if it isn't the pug boy. Fancy meeting you in this mess," she quipped, her tone playful yet tinged with a hint of familiarity.

Aki, on the other hand, couldn't help but be both suspicious and mesmerized by Rue's appearance and nonchalant demeanor amidst the chaos. "You again? What are you up to this time?" he asked

"Awww why the cold attitude " she scoffed, her eyes roaming over him.

"Once bitten, twice shy "replied, his eyes lingering on her torn dress and dirt-covered skin, a strange sense of recognition dawning on him.

"Hey ! It's rude to check a lady out like this" she said covering her thighs, playing cat.

"Will you call the cops then ? " he joked, trying his best to not look at her lower half.

"Nah, I'm good, and I'm glad to see you took my advice into consideration " with her eyes stren, cocking her head to the side in amusement. Aki couldn't help but chuckle, it was the same girl who once triggered anger out of him, making him forget why he was there for a minute.

"Anyway, stop beating around the bush, and I'm sure we both know what I mean" this time, Aki replied with hint of seriousness.

She put her hands behind her back, smirk displaying on her face "straight to the point? I like it "

He felt something in his heart for second but brushed it off, he walked closer to her "Are you angel? " his face was mixed with seriousness and something Ru couldn't tell, made feel nervous for a moment before she focus in his face and see the expression he made, though it was normal she found it quite funny.

"Hahahah ! Man, you really think I'm an angel, did you fall that hard boy ?" She said teasingly with soft giggles, he smiled for a bit and she couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked, even in the middle of her act, she was mad at herself her letting him distract her, come on ! she saw way more lovely faces before, she quickly pulled her thoughts behind a smirking poker face.

"I saw everything..." the smile fell off his face replaced with an evil smirk, 'is he pulling some kind of gaslighting ? What an idiot ' he cut her thoughts "and don't try to deny it, I mean what I said " as he shifted his gaze to some rats nearby indicating something she didn't quite catch.

'Rats ? So he can see through them or something? ' That was something she considered impressive, she decided to go with half the truth.

"I don't know what you saw that made you think I'm an angel, I just exorcised this curse, someone had to" she calmly said, her tone steady and soft.

"OK then, by exercising it you mean sealing, right? " as he titled his head, stepping closer.

'Shit ! I got caught , this mf ' her inner thoughts a mess, despite that her face was still calm as the cold breeze of the night played with her hair.

"It was a powerful curse, I had to, after all, as an archaeologist I must not leave such matter to the higher ups, they would definitely use it for their own advantage, that's a plus ! " she explained as she sat on a rock, her thighs all exposed to the boy, sending shivers down his spine.

He couldn't find something to catch on her, her arguments were valid and not to mention the fact that she literally saved the life of his friends and people at the auction hall. Being an archaeologist that is against higher ups was sure a plus since it was common among them to have such desire,access and influence in jujutsu society, Satoru mentioned many time how this group of people always was after the corruption in jujutsu world, complimenting them.

But it couldn't come up with an explanation of her ability to use cursed techniques that characterise angels, but it cross his mind that maybe she copied the technique or something similar given there's many ways to, as for the talisman, he decided to let her have it and see for himself. Despite all that he still wanted more answers.

Ru, sitting elegantly on the rock brought Aki from his thoughts to reality "Hey! It's late and cold for a lady like me, if you finished then I would like to go home" she informed, dusting herself up.

"Oh, um yes well, let's meet at the same park for tomorrow, so we finish our talk" he said as he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders.

Ru, enjoying the act teased "what a gentleman!...is it a date then ? Like date in our first meeting spot, how sweet ~" he rolled his eyes but she could notice the blush in his ears 'hmm...cute' she was taken aback as she caught herself thinking so.

Thus, standing up from her spot "see tomorrow then, date *winked*" he offered to give her a ride or at least accompany her home.

"Escorting me ? I shall decline your grace" she joked as she disappeared into the dark street, walking under the roadway lighting, like a model for an album cover or a slowed+reverbed song video, looking back from time to time until he completely disappeared from her sight, as for him, she didn't given his enhanced eyesight. He stayed there for a long time, thinking of what just happened, it all felt nice for some reason....

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End of the chapter

I'm bad at making romance but I had to for the plot....DON'T COMPLAIN !