Night in Sendai was not much different from any other great metropolis.
Lights blazed everywhere, turning it into a modern city that never slept.
Yet it was in this kind of environment that grudges and malice bred the easiest, and from that miasma, cursed spirits were born.
During the day, it might not be obvious.
But once night fell, all sorts of monsters and specters came out without restraint.
Incidents of curses attacking humans were far from rare in a city as large as Sendai.
Mahito and Jogo walked through the darkness of the streets.
In the few hours since they had arrived, they had already checked several places where curses tended to gather.
But without exception, they had found no trace of Tokisaki Kurumi.
"We have been searching this long and still not a single shadow of Nightmare," Jogo grumbled, sounding discouraged.
This cursed spirit called Nightmare really was as mysterious as the rumors said.
"Is that Nightmare really in this city? Maybe she has already left," he muttered.
"After all, if we even know she is here, then..."
Right now, Kurumi was one of the top targets on the sorcerers' wanted list.
If her whereabouts were exposed, swarms of jujutsu sorcerers would definitely rush here to exorcise her.
Compared to Jogo's impatience, Mahito still wore his usual easy smile.
"Did you notice anything?" Jogo finally asked, looking at him.
He did not want to admit it, but when it came to this sort of thing, Mahito often saw more than he did.
"Jogo, have you really not noticed what is off about the curses in this city?" Mahito asked.
"What is off?"
Jogo frowned, not understanding.
"Is there something strange?"
"All the curses we have run into are so weak," Mahito said, pointing it out plainly.
"In a city this big, there is no way all the resentment and malice only gives birth to such low level curses."
He lifted his fingers slightly, as if savoring some subtle flavor.
"The air is thick with hatred, yet it has produced nothing but these tiny little weaklings."
"Jogo, does that sound possible to you?"
Hearing that, Jogo finally began to pay attention. "Now that you mention it, you might be right."
Most curses were born from human negative emotions.
And in this age, the monsters born from that negativity were, in a way, stronger than any that had existed in the past.
The times were too chaotic, and humanity's negative emotions were overflowing.
It did not take long at all for a powerful curse to be born.
So in a huge city like Sendai, the idea that they had not encountered even a single strong curse simply did not make sense.
"Looks like our Nightmare is a very domineering one," Mahito said, smiling.
"I would say she probably noticed us the moment we stepped into Sendai."
A big city could not exist without strong curses.
Not even with jujutsu sorcerers around.
That was the tragedy of this era.
So when almost all the curses in a city were this weak, what did that imply?
There was only one possibility.
Somewhere in the city, an absolute ruler existed.
That ruler had crushed all the other curses down to the very bottom.
Any that dared rebel would be killed and devoured.
Among curses, this kind of thing was not rare at all.
Curses were mostly solitary, untamable creatures.
Ones like them, who stuck together, were the exception.
"Sigh, we are all people here, so why hurt each other?"
Jogo shook his head in exasperation.
Clearly, he agreed with Mahito's assessment, even as he pitied Nightmare's approach.
In Jogo's eyes, existences like them were the true humans, the true kin.
If that was the case, then why fight each other?
Why not unite and wipe out those fake humans walking the earth now?
"So yes, Nightmare is definitely here," Mahito said, suddenly spreading his arms as he smiled.
"Maybe if we just cause a big enough scene, she will come out to meet m—"
A gunshot cracked through the night.
Bang.
Mahito's head exploded on the spot.
"Hey, Mahito!"
Jogo was genuinely startled, then immediately annoyed as scraps of Mahito's flesh and blood spattered his clothes.
"Ugh, you got me filthy."
"Ara ara, looks like I was right after all."
Mahito's shredded head regenerated quickly, his features knitting back together as if nothing had happened.
He looked up toward a distant rooftop.
There, a graceful girl stood silhouetted against the city lights.
Tokisaki Kurumi.
Mahito squinted at her with a delighted smile. "Twin pistols, clockwork eyes, and such a gorgeous outfit. You must be the famous Nightmare."
Jogo followed his gaze, eyes narrowing as he took her in.
She was not quite what he had imagined, and that discrepancy made him frown.
Kurumi pinched the hem of her skirt and dipped in an elegant curtsey.
She was every bit the noble young lady, refined and dignified, as breathtaking as an elf of the night.
"Good evening, scum who want to run wild on someone else's territory," she said with a smile.
But compared to the playful, teasing curve of her lips when she faced Shun Gojo...
This smile was steeped in killing intent.