[July 2018, West Tokyo City.]
[On this muggy afternoon, the sky seemed completely sealed off by a thick, oppressive mass of lead-gray clouds.]
[Without warning, rain poured down, the drops pounding the cold, rust-scented fence of the Eishu Juvenile Detention Center and splashing up a hazy veil of mist.]
[Rainwater ran down the mottled walls of the school buildings, gathering in murky puddles.]
[The curtain of rain brought not the slightest relief. Instead, it made the thick, putrid scent of cursed energy in the air even more suffocating.]
[Kiyotaka Ijichi held a pitch-black umbrella. Water slid down his lenses, and his less-than-broad frame looked somewhat awkward in the rain as he solemnly explained the situation here to your group.]
["Our 'Window' confirmed a cursed womb approximately three hours ago. We've already directed over ninety percent of the people in the surrounding area to shelter. Even so, because conditions inside are extremely unstable, the personnel on-site still judged the situation exceptionally dangerous and have completely sealed off the facilities here."]
[Ijichi felt the icy chill spilling from the building, a chill even the rain could not wash away. He paused, then continued in a voice more serious and solemn than ever.]
["If the cursed womb inside is the type that undergoes 'metamorphosis,' then, based on our current intelligence, we estimate that once it matures, it will become a terrifying cursed spirit equivalent to a 'special grade.'"]
["Special grade..."]
[At those words, Megumi Fushiguro's and Nobara Kugisaki's breathing grew a little heavier. Their expressions instantly became extremely serious. After all, they might be facing a special grade cursed spirit.]
[Yet although both stood ready for battle, entirely different reactions were unfolding deep inside them.]
[Nobara Kugisaki gripped the handle of the hammer hanging at her waist, her knuckles turning faintly white from