As they moved deeper into the building, the dim light quickly faded until only darkness remained. Dust filled the air, mixed with a stale, moldy odor that clung to the walls. A faint chill lingered in the corridor, enough to make anyone instinctively uneasy.
Then came the sound.
Tap... tap... tap...
It echoed from the ceiling above them, sharp and rhythmic in the silence of the abandoned building. The noise repeated steadily, making the atmosphere even more unsettling.
"What's that?" Yuji Itadori stopped walking and looked up at the cracked ceiling.
"Marbles?" Nobara Kugisaki frowned, tightening her grip on her hammer. "Why would there be marbles in a place like this?"
Tap... tap...
The sound continued directly above them, yet its exact location remained impossible to pinpoint.
Sol Mirek calmly glanced upward. His senses easily pierced through the concrete and darkness, locating the source without effort.
It was not marbles.
Nor was it loose metal rattling inside the ceiling.
It was a weak Cursed Spirit clinging to the underside of the floor above them, unconsciously repeating sounds it had absorbed during its existence.
"It's a Cursed Spirit," Sol said casually. "Weak too, it's not a threat."
Yuji and Nobara both looked at him.
"A Cursed Spirit?" Nobara narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You can tell from this far away?"
"Yeah."
Sol gave no further explanation and continued walking ahead.
Yuji scratched the back of his head before following after him. "If Sol says it's harmless, then it's probably fine."
"So mysterious..." Nobara muttered under her breath, though she still raised her guard and carefully watched their surroundings.
The farther they went, the colder the building became. The faint marble noises eventually disappeared, replaced by another sound.
Shh... shh...
Like nails scraping against metal.
At the end of the corridor stood a staircase leading underground. Thick cursed energy drifted upward from the darkness below.
"Looks like it's downstairs," Yuji said, lowering his stance.
"You two stay behind me," Nobara declared confidently.
A nail rested between her lips as she cautiously descended the rusted stairs, hammer tightly gripped in her hand.
Yuji immediately followed.
Sol walked behind them with relaxed steps, looking more like someone taking a casual stroll than entering a cursed building.
The basement was nearly pitch black. Only the dim green glow of an emergency sign barely illuminated the area. The damp air smelled heavily of rust and decay.
Shh... shh...
The scraping noise became clearer.
Nobara slowed her breathing as she advanced carefully. Yuji stayed alert beside her, ready to react at any moment.
Shh... shh...
The sound was close now.
Just around the corner.
Nobara pressed herself against the wall and slowly peeked forward, hammer ready to swing. Yuji stayed right behind her, muscles tense like a coiled spring.
At the rear, Sol quietly observed everything.
His dark red eyes swept across the basement, instantly analyzing the structure and locating the curse hidden nearby.
Weak.
Far too weak.
Honestly, it barely deserved his attention.
Suddenly, Nobara rushed around the corner.
"Found you!"
Yuji immediately charged in after her.
Beyond the corner was an old boiler room. A twisted humanoid Cursed Spirit crouched beside a pipe, repeatedly dragging its deformed limbs against the rusted metal to create the scraping noise.
The moment it sensed them, the creature snapped its head toward the group. A grotesque slit opened across its face as it released a distorted shriek before lunging forward.
"Itadori!"
"I got it!"
Yuji stepped forward without hesitation and threw a punch.
Bang!
The impact exploded through the room.
His physical strength, enhanced by cursed energy, sent the low grade spirit flying backward. Its unstable body rippled violently from the blow.
Nobara moved immediately.
A nail shot from her hand and pierced directly through the curse's chest.
"Straw Doll Technique!"
Clang!
Her hammer slammed into the nail.
Cursed energy surged through it instantly.
The spirit let out a shrill scream as its body twisted unnaturally before bursting apart into black residue.
Poof.
Silence returned to the basement.
"Done." Nobara exhaled and bent down to retrieve her nail. "That was weaker than I expected."
Yuji grinned brightly. "Nice one, Nobara! You finished it instantly!"
"Obviously." Nobara smugly brushed dust off her clothes before glancing toward Sol. "Still, how did you know about the curse upstairs earlier?"
Sol looked toward the remains of the spirit.
"I could feel it."
Nobara frowned. "Your technique focuses on physical reinforcement, right? Since when was your perception this good?"
"Natural talent, I guess."
Sol answered casually without elaborating further.
Yuji accepted the explanation immediately.
"You really are amazing, Sol."
Sol simply shrugged with an amused smile.
Nobara stared at him for several seconds before eventually giving up on getting a proper answer.
"Whatever," she said while placing her hammer back at her waist. "This place still feels disgusting. Let's finish checking the basement and leave already."
Yuji nodded repeatedly. "Seriously, staying here gives me the creeps."
The three continued exploring deeper into the basement.
The air became colder and wetter the farther they went. Faint rustling sounds occasionally echoed through the darkness, but no dangerous Cursed Spirits appeared again.
"Looks like the strongest one was that thing earlier," Nobara said, finally lowering her guard slightly.
===
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