Maki looked around at the sticky membrane of the curse's inner stomach. Her own body is covered with mucus and small flesh-like substances, making her feel nauseous. "The worst day. I didn't even get my Naoya energy today. " Maki murmured as she looked around to see any weakness that she could pierce with her thoughts.
But she couldn't find anything just like she initially thought.
"Are we inside its stomach?" Yuta at the side asked Maki; she looked at him and saw that he was fidgeting his finger in nervousness. Given that, this is a boy's first rodeo, and worst of all, he ended up in someone else's stomach with sticky mucus and flesh-like pieces, which are no doubt human. Yeah, all the conditions are perfect for trauma.
But seeing that Yuta was just nervous, Maki was amazed. Though that didn't last long, as they are still inside the curse.
"Yes." Maki answered while still looking around; she hoped a miracle would happen, but she know that it was a fairy tale.
"W-what should we do?" Yuta asked Maki, hoping she had some kind of plan of escape. Maki knows what Yuta's question means, but she shakes her head.
"I don't know, but for now..." Maki raised her naginata. "Let's start stabbing; if that gives any reaction."
Just then, before Maki could start the attack, a weak whimper echoed through the inner lining of the stomach, which instantly got their attention.
"Help…"
Both sorcerers turned instantly.
Near one of the stomach walls, half-covered in mucus and trembling violently, were two small children. A boy and a girl, no older than eight. Their school uniforms were torn, and their faces were pale. They were thin, evidencing that they were starving inside this place, and dark veins were slowly spreading across their skin from prolonged curse exposure.
Yuta's stomach dropped seeing the children. "The missing kids…"
He rushed forward immediately and kneeled beside them. Taking his coat off, he put that over the two children. "It's okay… it's okay; we're here."
The little girl looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "…Monster…"
Yuta forced a smile despite the dread building in his chest. "Yeah." He didn't like what he was seeing, but he was also helpless and in fear, but to keep the children from panicking, he put on a brave front despite his leg turning to jello each passing second as he thought about his impending doom.
He glanced at the fresh walls. "Ugly one," he side with a funny face. For a brief moment, the girl and boy actually laughed, but Maki at the side didn't smile.
She suddenly leaned against one of the fleshy pillars. Yuta immediately noticed the sudden abnormality as Maki was breathing heavily.
"What happened, Maki-san?" Yuta quickly came to Maki's side.
"Exposure to high curse energy concentration," Maki murmured.
Unlike Yuta, whose abnormal connection to Rika naturally shielded him from most passive curse contamination, Maki's body had no such luxury, as it doesn't have natural curse energy; instead, it only has a tiny amount, as if to mock her. Even with her monstrous physical conditioning, which she created with the help of Naoya, being trapped inside an undetermined-grade curse's stomach was like standing in concentrated poison.
The saving grace of now is the stud earring she wears, which usually helps her shield from low curses, but the earrings are only useful for low-end curses. Since it's custom-made, Naoya spent a fortune for this, but even with all the money, constructing a high-end one that can protect her against curse energy of higher concentration is impossible.
Hearing Maki's explanation, Yuta's eyes widen.
"Naoya..." Maki murmured in a haze; it felt like her body was getting heavier. Though it's manageable for now, within an hour or so, she wouldn't be.
Yuta tried to support her; she waved him off. "I'm fine, for now. But how things are going, it won't be long before my fall."
"What should we do? We are going to die? Are we going to die? We are going to die, right?" Yuta was having a mental breakdown at the hearing; Maki is going down, as he knows without Maki he couldn't escape from here.
Seeing this, Maki sighed without waiting; she slapped him across his face. Her glare remained fierce enough to cut through panic itself. "Stop crying like a baboon and man up, will you? And you are scaring the children." Maki pointed to the boy and girl who were still hugging the coat Yuta gave them.
"I read the report saying you're a special grade sorcerer, so only you can help us get out of this situation."
Yuta immediately shook his head. "No… no, that's wrong. I'm not—"
"You are." Maki cut him off instantly. "You think special grade means fearless?" She scoffed weakly. "Idiots. Every one of them."
Her hand tightened around her cursed tool. "The difference is that monsters move forward anyway, without thinking about anything. Why do you become a sorcerer, Yuta Okkotsu?"
Hearing the question, Yuta looked down. Why did I become a sorcerer? He thought to himself. Because I wanted a chance? Not quite right. Because he was scared and guilty? No, that's not right either. Was it because of all the nights he spent believing his existence only brought suffering to others? Not that either.
He found the answer.
When he looked up, his eyes had changed. "…I want…" His voice trembled at first, then it became steadied. "…I want to deserve it… I want to deserve being alive."
A faint smirk touched her lips. "Good answer."
Yuta reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring; it was a silver band that gleamed faintly in the darkness.
The moment he slid it onto his finger, the cursed energy exploded.
~~~
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