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"Eh… ten dates?"
Natsume's clear eyes widened, her small mouth gaping in shock. She hadn't expected that from the mysterious voice.
"Yes, ten dates. Agree, and I'll save you."
"Um… okay, I agree."
Natsume blinked, her worries easing oddly. She grew curious about this unseen man with a pleasant voice.
'Did he figure out I'm a girl? He wants to take me on a date… ten times!'
Raised as a boy, her pale face flushed. Her heart fluttered with shyness and a hint of joy. Shy and isolated by her complex background, she still longed for recognition and maybe love.
"Alright, watch closely as I deal with these guys."
Yuto chuckled, and Natsume's eyes widened as a surge of spiritual energy snapped her restraints. The air rippled, and Yuto appeared, his arm around her slim waist with a wicked smile on his handsome face.
"First date starts now. Let's kill some bad people."
"Eh?!"
Natsume's face turned crimson as Yuto held her close, his warm breath on her ear making her tremble.
'He's so close!'
She glanced up at his striking features, her heart racing. She'd never been this near a boy.
"Who are you?"
"Release Lord Yakou! We need her body for the revival ritual!"
Yuto's appearance drew the syndicate's attention. Though fanatics, they were skilled onmyoji.
"Start counting to ten. It'll be over by then."
Yuto's voice was calm. Natsume, confused but obedient, began.
"Ten."
Boom!
A syndicate member's head exploded as Yuto's sword, Kanshou and Bakuya, struck.
The air trembled, ripples spreading. The syndicate shivered as fear gripped their souls.
"Gate of Babylon!"
"Nine."
Boom!
The entire space shook and turbulent magic fluctuations sept around.
Faced with this terrifying existence, all the onmyoji of the Twin Horn Syndicate activated their shikigami at the first chance they got.
For a moment, the huge courtyard was filled with all kinds of shikigami. The sight of so many onmyoji casting spells together was overwhelming. The power was earth-shattering, like a group of cannons firing at once, covering the courtyard with Yuto at its center.
Even Tsuchimikado Natsume, a skilled onmyoji from Twin Star Exorcist, couldn't help but stare in awe. So many shikigami at once was a rare sight. In the modern world, onmyodo was often called "general onmyodo," a term that covered all current onmyoji techniques.
Right then, the courtyard was packed with artificial shikigami, except for a few precious demon types. Among them, the mecha-style shikigami caught Yuto's eye, leaving him stunned for a second.
'What's this? Does this world have Gundams now?'
These mecha shikigami were built with modern technology. Their tough shells were made from artificial shikigami, and they fired bullets formed from spells and talismans. Each onmyoji controlling a mecha became a walking weapon, loaded with firepower.
Looking at the massive group of mecha humanoids, Yuto's mind drifted to a famous line. 'My lord, times have changed.'
"Too bad," he said softly, his voice calm and cold. "Even if you've got Gundams, they're useless against me."
The syndicate attacked with everything they had, desperate and wild. But Yuto moved like a final boss; untouchable and cruel. Treasures poured from the sky, raining down destruction.
".....Six… three… one!"
Roar!
The treasure rain turned into a dragon covered in sharp blades. It swept through the crowd effortlessly. Thunder rumbled as bright lights flashed into the sky. Under Natsume's shocked gaze, the bladed dragon tore them apart, leaving behind screams and piles of blood and flesh.
The two sides weren't even close in power.
".....Is it over?" Natsume whispered, her voice shaking.
By the last second, she was the only one left alive. The courtyard looked like a scene from hell with bodies everywhere and blood soaking the ground. Her legs gave out, and she stumbled, nearly falling into Yuto's arms. Her face was pale and her body trembling.
"It's over," Yuto said, his tone smooth and teasing. "How did you like our first date?" His fingers brushed her soft skin as he caught her, holding her close with a sly smile.
"Who… who are you?" Natsume managed to ask, her mind spinning from the chaos.
"Who am I? You'll find out on our next date." Yuto patted her head gently, then stepped back. With a casual wave, he vanished, leaving her alone in the bloody courtyard.
'He's strange....' Natsume thought, touching where he'd patted her. Her face turned red.'But I don't hate it. Next time, I'll get his name.'
.........
An hour later, in Tokyo, the Zenin family estate was a mess. People ran around, packing their things to escape.
"The Zenin family is done," Zenin Maki said, standing at the entrance. Her voice was flat, but her eyes burned. It felt unreal. She was born into one of the three great curse families from Jujutsu Kaisen, but they'd always rejected her for having no curse energy. She'd gone to Tokyo Jujutsu High to prove herself, wanting to rise through hard work. But the Zenin family blocked her at every turn. Even though she could exorcise grade 2 cursed spirits, they kept her ranked as a weak grade 4 curse user.
Now, she almost wanted to laugh.
She hated the family's old ways. They'd turned her and her sister, Mai, into outcasts, calling them "inauspicious" from birth just because they weren't strong enough by their standards. It had torn her and Mai apart and made her life miserable.
Maki's dream was to take over as family head and tear it all down. Now, it seemed someone else had beaten her to it.
"I heard the Kamo family got wiped out by the Tyrant," one member said as they packed.
"The Gojo family's worse off; Gojo Satoru's gone missing," another replied.
"They say the Tyrant fought him. Wonder what he'll think when he sees his family dead."
A loud, nasty laugh cut through the chatter. Zenin Naoya walked in, his blond hair and piercings shining under the light. A group of followers trailed behind him.
"Zenin Naoya?" Maki said, glaring at her cousin. He was cruel, rude, and had bullied her for years.
"Long time no see, Maki. Still as annoying as ever," Naoya sneered, his voice dripping with scorn.
"Same feeling here." Maki shot back, her grip tightening on her naginata.
"Haha, still the same old Maki, huh?" Naoya's smile turned dark. "Too bad. You and your sister die today."
"What? Why?" Mai stepped back, her eyes wide with shock.
"You two are worthless Zenin blood. I'm taking over as head, and you're my stepping stones along with Fushiguro Megumi," Naoya said, his tone vicious.
"You're crazy," Maki growled, her anger flaring.
"Maki, let's get out of here!" Mai said, pulling at her arm.
But Naoya wasn't alone. He'd brought the "Hei" and "Kuguru Squad"; strong curse users and fighters, all loyal to him.
"I suggest you stay," an old voice said. Zenin Ogi, their father, stepped forward with a katana in hand.
"Father?" Maki and Mai said at the same time, stunned.
"Maki…Mai…Kill yourselves. Don't make me do it," Ogi said, his voice ice-cold.
"What are you saying father? This isn't funny!" Mai shouted, her hands shaking.
"Why?" Maki demanded, staring him down.
Compared to Mai, Maki has already seen through her family. She just doesn't understand why Ogi wants his own daughters dead.
"Naoya promised me vice-head and half the assets. Plus, you are virgins. You will help us to consolidate our allies," Ogi said, his face blank.
"You fucking asshole!," Maki spat, raising her naginata.
"Then come on," Ogi said, drawing his sword.
Father and daughter faced each other, ready to fight. Naoya laughed like a madman in the background.
"Interesting, really interesting," he said. "Father against daughter, blood against blood. The Zenin family really is rotten."
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