"What the hell is going on?"
I thought as I suddenly appeared on top of a high school building with a lunatic of a pink-haired man and a beat-up black-haired guy, both around my age. The pink-haired guy seemed to calm down after we appeared—there was just something about the way he stood, like his muscles were no longer spring-loaded for violence, but poised for something deliberate. Something had shifted.
"Dang, Megumi!"
Click~
Click~
Click~
The sound of pictures being taken sang like a melody. It echoed faintly across the rooftop, almost cheery in contrast to the lingering tension in the air. It was completely out of place for what was supposed to be a serious situation.
Shouldn't he get medical help?
My savior was starting to look less like an angel and more like a troll. The black-haired guy on the ground—or Megumi, rather—was beat up badly. His uniform was torn in multiple places, exposing bruises that had started to yellow at the edges. The other guy was just staring in confusion, like me. Our eyes met, and I just shrugged.
"Gojo-sensei, please be serious! He ate the finger!"
"Ewwwww."
My savior—who I now knew was named Gojo—backed away from the pink-haired guy, who still remained nameless.
"And he hasn't lost it?"
"It seems he can control it."
"Hmmmm." Gojo-san immediately closed the distance between him and this third guy. His steps didn't make a sound despite the broken tiles beneath him."Go ahead and see if you can switch."
"Are you sure?"
"No need to worry."
"Uhh?"
"I'm the strongest, after all."
He started stretching while the pink-haired guy just nodded and went along with it. Closing his eyes, a second passed—and I could feel it. The air grew heavy and sharp, like winter wind slicing across exposed skin. A beat of cold energy, like the rhythm of a heart, pulsed outward through the surroundings.
BANG!
W-What the fuck?
It might be messed up to say this, but even my family's death wasn't this complicated. I could tell this pink-haired guy somehow changed his whole personality. I guess he has a severe case of dissociative identity disorder.
The energy he released though… maybe that personality helps him enter an enhanced state?
Gojo-san earlier called it "Cursed Energy." Given the name—and that cold feeling I've been experiencing a lot—I wonder if this cursed energy is based on a negative vessel or emotional platform.
I felt that energy when that gro—mongrel—eh? Why did I switch to mongrel?
Anyway, when that mongrel touched me, I felt a new level of hatred I didn't think was possible. Then that energy burst forth in a cold wave, eradicating it.
Bang~!
"Man, so weak!"
"HA!"
Bang~!
The school really stood no chance. Glass shattered below, a metal railing snapped with a shriek, and even the clouds above seemed disturbed by the cursed clash. Everything was breaking, and an immense amount of damage was being caused. Gojo-san was completely unfazed, while this pink-haired guy seemed totally pathetic.
"Time's up," Gojo-san said.
The moment he said that, the pink-haired guy passed out. His body hit the ground with a dull thud, stirring up dust that hadn't yet settled. The eerie feeling from before vanished. Honestly, it was pretty sinister, and I felt a slight fear from him whenever he switched personalities. I thought it was this cursed energy, but it seemed to be something different. I was starting to feel the energy around Gojo-san and Megumi, and I didn't get that same fear.
"Gojo-sensei."
"Yes, Megumi~?"
"Who is this guy?" He pointed to me with an annoyed look. I didn't even know what I did...
Gojo-san chuckled, then gave a thumbs up. "He's your new teammate! Ah. Probably. Seems like I'll be having four students."
"Four? You mean Yuji? Shouldn't we..."
"Megumi."
"I understand, Sensei."
Were they planning on killing this Yuji dude? I felt like that would suck for some reason. Yuji seemed easy to get along with. There was just something about him, and I hadn't even had a proper conversation with the guy.
"Name?"
"Oh yeah, I never asked!"
"Tsugikawa Tatsuya."
"So, you aren't from one of the big clans. Gojo-sensei, where did you find him?"
"Let's say his situation is kind of similar to Yuta. I don't know about the bloodline, but who cares!"
"Hah~" Megumi sighed in clear aggravation. Gojo-san—oh wait, Gojo-sensei now, I guess—seemed to be quite hard for Megumi to deal with.
"Okay! Megumi, go teach him the ropes. I'm going to deal with little Yuji here."
Swoosh~
Like that, Gojo-sensei vanished—leaving behind only the subtle crackle of cursed energy and a brief, weightless stillness in the air.
"Uh..."
"Get used to it. Just follow me, I'll explain on the way."
"Alright then."
Megumi and I were the last to flee the scene. The wind tugged faintly at my shirt as we walked. I was curious how they were going to cover this up and how people like them could even stay hidden in our modernized world.