Encounter

"You disgusting thing, die!"

Kugisaki fired two nails with all her strength, panting heavily.

She looked rather worse for wear.

Her back was pressed against a broken wall covered in dead vines. A tear in the left shoulder of her uniform exposed a bleeding scrape beneath.

Not far away, an insect-shaped cursed spirit with a jet-black shell was closing in on her, step by step.

Clink!

The nails imbued with cursed energy pierced the cursed spirit, but its regeneration was absurdly fast. Its wounds healed completely within seconds.

"You're a real pain. Looks like I'll have to get serious."

Kugisaki straightened, her eyes showing no fear as she watched the cursed spirit.

Just then, the cursed spirit raised its jointed limbs high, let out a shrill hiss through its mouthparts, and lunged at her.

Kugisaki twisted aside. A sharp limb sliced across her uniform as she narrowly dodged it.

Now the cursed spirit's back was exposed to her, completely defenseless.

This was her chance!

"Just-die!"

"Hairpin!"

The next instant, a nail sank into the cursed spirit's head.

This time, however, it didn't heal as before. With a bang, it exploded into fragments.

"Need a hand, Kugisaki?"

Suddenly, Rihito's voice came from the bushes beside her.

He quickly approached, his gaze sweeping over the wound on Kugisaki's shoulder and the cursed residue on the ground before settling on her face.

"No!" Kugisaki let out a long breath, then stretched her limbs.

"It's just a scratch. I'm not that delicate."

Rihito nodded, looking away in another direction.

It was where he had sensed that other, unfamiliar source of cursed energy.

Kugisaki shook the remaining cursed residue off her hammer. She was about to ask him what was happening over there when footsteps suddenly sounded from the woods opposite them.

Light blue hair appeared among the shadows of the trees first, followed by a Kyoto Jujutsu High uniform and a face that looked nervous despite its desperate attempt to remain composed.

"Kasumi Miwa?!"

Kugisaki froze, her gaze immediately darkening.

Across from them, Kasumi Miwa stopped ten paces away, her right hand already resting on her sword's hilt.

She looked at Kugisaki, then at the cursed spirit's remains on the ground, before finally fixing her gaze on Rihito.

"Rihito Sato."

Miwa's voice betrayed little emotion, but Rihito still caught a hint of nervousness in her tone.

Kasumi Miwa, that overly earnest, dirt-poor Grade 2 Sorcerer from Kyoto Jujutsu High in the original story.

She wasn't among the strongest, but she had a good heart and made no secret of her crush on Mechamaru.

Judging by the way she looked, she'd come here specifically for us. If I'm right, she's supposed to keep me, the "newcomer," occupied.

The instant he saw Miwa, Rihito worked out exactly why she had come.

It also showed that the Kyoto crowd didn't take him seriously at all.

"You're from Kyoto, right? Where did everyone else go?" Kugisaki asked first.

Why are both of them here? I don't want to fight two against one!

Miwa muttered inwardly, growing visibly nervous.

"We split up when we came in, so I'm not really sure."

At that, Kugisaki's mouth twitched.

"Not sure? Then I'll take you out first and go find her afterward."

She spun her hammer between her fingers and took a step toward Miwa.

Seeing this, Miwa had no choice but to steel herself and draw her sword.

She gripped the hilt with both hands, pointing the tip at Kugisaki. Her stance was textbook, but she couldn't help glancing toward Rihito.

Rihito stood beside the broken wall, showing no intention of interfering.

He knew Miwa's abilities well. Kugisaki could handle her alone; she didn't need his help.

Besides, he didn't want to waste too much time here. Joining up with Itadori and the others as quickly as possible to deal with Hanami was what mattered most.

After a few seconds of stalemate, Miwa moved.

She drew a deep breath, pushed off the ground, and charged at Kugisaki.

A flash of steel followed, surprisingly fast.

Kugisaki sidestepped. The blade's draft brushed the loose strands beside her ear as she swung her hammer back at Miwa's wrist.

Miwa hurriedly turned her wrist to block. The spine of her blade collided with the hammer, scattering sparks.

Kugisaki gave her no chance to adjust the distance. She pressed in close, hammering Miwa's blade again and again, forcing her back step by step.

Miwa's swordsmanship fundamentals were solid, but the hammer's rapid, close-range strikes kept her from bringing her swordwork fully into play.

When the third blow fell, Miwa's wrist finally gave way.

Bang!

The blade shuddered violently under the impact, and Miwa was driven back three or four steps.

She steadied herself and instinctively glanced toward Rihito again.

Rihito was slowly turning away and heading deeper into the woods. He seemed ready to leave.

"You've still got time to look at someone else?"

Kugisaki's voice came from her side.

Miwa's pupils contracted, and she hurriedly twisted around.

Too late.

A nail skimmed past her sword's hilt, sending a numbing shock through the web of her hand. She nearly lost her grip.

A second nail followed immediately, aimed not at her sword hand but at the ground beneath her feet.

It drove into the soil at an angle, cutting off her retreat.

Miwa was forced to dodge left. Before she could regain her balance, Kugisaki had already closed in.

Her hammer rose high.

Just then-

Bang!

A gunshot erupted through the woods.

Kugisaki stopped abruptly. A cursed energy bullet struck the ground half a step in front of her, spraying gravel against her lower legs.

"Well, well. If it isn't that wild girl from Jujutsu High."

Mai stepped out of the shadows of the trees, a thin wisp of smoke still rising from the muzzle of the revolver in her hand.

She tilted her head, a barbed smile playing on her lips.

"Having fun bullying our Miwa, are you?"

Kugisaki turned to face Mai, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Finally decided to show yourself?"

Mai flicked the muzzle upward. The gun spun half a turn between her fingers before settling back into her palm.

"I was going to have Miwa hold you up. I didn't think she couldn't even keep one first-year in check."

Beside her, Miwa opened her mouth to explain, but after looking from Kugisaki to Mai, she ultimately kept quiet.

"Whatever." Mai's gaze passed over Kugisaki and swept the area behind her. Her brow furrowed.

"Where's Maki? Isn't she supposed to be with you?"

"She's not here."

"But you know perfectly well why you're looking for her." Kugisaki's tone immediately turned cold.

The smile gradually faded from Mai's face.

"What's between her and me has nothing to do with an outsider like you."

"An outsider?" Kugisaki rested her hammer on her shoulder, a chill creeping into her voice.

"Where were you when Maki got up before dawn every day to train? She's been at Jujutsu High all this time. Have you ever come to see her even once?"

Mai's fingers tightened around her gun for a moment.

"What do you know?"

Her voice suddenly dropped, and that barbed smile vanished completely.

"Did you ever see what she was like as a child? Do you know what her life was like in the Zenin Clan? Treated like she was invisible, like she didn't exist. Even breathing was wrong."

Mai raised her gun and aimed at Kugisaki.

"She never needed anyone to stand up for her. She never would."

Kugisaki said nothing, merely tightening her grip on her hammer.

Rihito paused at the edge of the woods.

What Mai had just said put the information back with its rightful source.

It was better for someone from the Zenin Clan to speak about the clan's affairs themselves.

Kugisaki had probably realized that too, which was why she didn't pursue the subject.

"Rihito, leave Mai to me."

Rihito nodded, his gaze settling on Miwa.

Two against two now. Let's finish this quickly and go.

"You'd better not get distracted when you're fighting me," Mai said with a smile.

"Then bring it on!"

Bang!

The trigger was pulled.

The shriek of a cursed energy bullet tore through the forest.

At that same instant, Kugisaki vanished from where she stood.