When Choso turned into the abandoned department store where they had agreed to meet, his breathing was steady, and the earlier wound beneath his ribs had long since healed.
The building was pitch-black, with broken glass and toppled shelves scattered across the floor, empty of even a single figure.
He leaned against a cold concrete pillar and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, a tiny bead of blood condensing at his fingertips and slowly spinning.
Following Kenjaku's orders, he had arrived first to set up their defenses. Mahito would come straight here after withdrawing from the tunnel, and together they would take down Yuji Itadori.
He waited roughly half a minute before faint footsteps came from the shadows behind him.
The youthful-looking Cursed Spirit stepped out over the broken glass, his breathing somewhat faster than usual.
Most of the habitual, nonchalant smile had faded from his face. It was Mahito.
"What took you so long? And where are Jogo and the others?"
Choso glanced up at him, keeping his voice low.
"They stayed behind to cover me. They couldn't make it out."
Mahito stopped across from him, lowering his eyes as he wiped the splattered blood from his cheek, his voice still carrying lingering fear:
"They're probably dead by now.
That Guyue Qingxiao is an absolute demon!"
He paused, his fingers tightening around the shrunken Transfigured Human hidden in his sleeve.
Jogo and the others had held Qingxiao back and escorted him out.
He was always teasing Jogo into a fury, but when it really came time to die, Jogo had been more decisive than anyone.
"Forget it. Cursed Spirits are born from Cursed Energy in the first place. Even if they disperse, they'll return to the cycle of reincarnation."
Mahito gave a bitter laugh, his voice soft, as