Stepping out of that abandoned hospital filled with the stench of rot and despair, Hana Yurikawa felt as though she had returned to the human world from hell.
"I'm alive..." she let out a long breath, greedily inhaling the air outside the hospital.
A night of practical combat had given the three girls a completely new understanding of power.
Tomie walked at the very front. Having devoured that amalgamation of "failures," she was extremely satisfied. Humming an eerie, off-key tune, her steps were light, and she practically skipped as she walked.
Right at that moment, Hana, who had been holding her "Supreme Giant Roast Meat" to replenish her energy, suddenly stopped gnawing on it.
She tilted her head up, her mouth slightly agape.
"Huh?"
"Miko, look up at the sky! What is that?"
"Such... such huge balloons!"
Miko looked up in the direction she was pointing, and in the next second, her heart skipped a beat.
Four massive "things" were floating toward them.
Were they balloons?
No, they weren't simple balloons.
They were five giant head balloons!
Trailing beneath each head was a hanging rope. At the end of the ropes, cold nooses were already tied, swaying ominously in the air.
Miko got a clear look at those five faces.
One was Tomie, one was Hana, one was Yuria, and the last one... was herself.
"Ahhh—!!"
Yuria caught sight of the head balloon that belonged to her, and a scream that pierced the heavens rang out.
Hana was even more terrified out of her wits. She hugged Yuria, trembling incessantly.
"What... what the hell are those things?!"
Tomie stopped humming and looked earnestly at the head balloons.
"Tch, how unlucky."
"To think it's 'Head Balloons'."
"What are they?" Miko pressed.
"They're a type of powerful anomaly." Tomie's gaze shifted to the head in the sky that belonged to her. "They find the person who looks exactly like them and use the rope to hang them to death."
She paused, then added, "The most troublesome part is that you can't attack them. Once you destroy the head balloon that belongs to you, you'll suffer the exact same injury."
*How impossible to deal with,* Miko thought, a trace of fear welling up in her heart.
*No!*
She was no longer the ordinary girl from before who could only tremble and pretend not to see!
Fear was the source of Cursed Energy!
Miko gritted her teeth and channeled the Cursed Energy in her body into her eyes!
"[Eyes of Truth], open!"
Her field of vision shifted!
She saw through the facade. Five thin, black threads of curses were extending from the back of the five balloons, connecting to the necks of the group!
"They're curse threads!" Miko instantly found the key to breaking the deadlock.
Unlike the nervous girls, the expression on Tomie's face was one of sheer excitement.
She stared fixedly at the massive, perfect head in the sky that belonged to her. A sickly flush spread across her cheeks, and even her breathing grew heavy.
"Waaahhh—! It's truly perfect!"
"To think it could replicate my beauty on a one-to-one scale!"
She grabbed Yang Yi's arm and shook it frantically.
"Yang Yi! Yang Yi! Look at that!"
"I want it! I want that head of mine!"
Miko, Hana, and Yuria stared blankly.
*Is there... something wrong with this older sister's brain?*
"I'm going to walk my own head balloon on a leash and go see all the other Tomies!!" Tomie shrieked in excitement, her eyes bursting with desire and the urge to show off. "They'll definitely die of jealousy! They'll absolutely go mad with envy! Hahahaha!"
Watching her act so crazed, Yang Yi didn't feel it was strange at all. After all, this was Tomie.
"Alright."
He turned his head and looked at the other three girls who were still reeling from the shock.
"Alright, pop quiz for the Jujutsu Girl Squad." Yang Yi began assigning their homework. "Figure out a way to deal with your 'replicas' without hurting yourselves."
He glanced at Tomie, who was already stomping her feet in excitement.
"As for Tomie's, you don't need to worry about it."
"Yes!"
"I'll go first!" Hana was the first to step forward.
Golden [Pure Yang Flame] ignited in her hands, the scorching fire condensing in her palms into a flaming blade as thin as a cicada's wing. She didn't touch the balloon itself, but instead aimed at the curse thread connecting to her that Miko had pointed out!
With a single swing, she slashed accurately at the black thread.
*Sizzle—*
The black thread snapped in response, causing no backlash to Hana whatsoever. The expression on the "Hana head" in the sky turned blank, and then it transformed into a faceless entity.
"Awesome!" Hana shouted excitedly.
Seeing this, Yuria refused to be outdone.
"Hmph, it is time for my familiar, the great Rabian, to take the stage!"
She snatched the rabbit pendant off her schoolbag and infused it with Cursed Energy!
"Activate! [Doll Spirit Attachment]! Go, Rabian! Break the shackles that bind my destiny!"
A flash of spiritual light crossed the tiny rabbit doll's eyes, and it actually came to life! It shot into the sky as a streak of white and bit right through the thread.
"Beautifully done!" Yuria pumped her fist in excitement.
Finally, it was Miko's turn.
She looked at the thickest black thread connecting to her.
She directly used the Myriad Soul Banner to absorb the threads. Three head balloons were simultaneously dragged into the Myriad Soul Banner, and then absorbed by it.
Now, only Tomie's balloon remained.
"Mine! Mine! Hurry up! Don't let her get away!" Tomie stomped her feet anxiously.
"Alright, alright."
Yang Yi raised his hand.
He directly used the power of the [Noita] mod to extract the "curse" and other abilities from that balloon.
Then, he attached abilities like "Pet Follow" to it.
The massive head in the sky gave a violent shudder. The tyrannical killing intent in its eyes dissipated instantly, and it became docile... even a little adorkable.
The rope beneath it also transformed into a balloon string shimmering with a faint pink light, drifting gently down toward Tomie.
The giant head floated down obediently, hovering three meters behind her like a giant husky waiting for its master's praise.
"Hehe... hehehe..."
Tomie happily grabbed the leash and spun around in circles.
"This is great! It's so beautiful!"
Dragging her own giant head behind her, she hummed a song and skipped toward home. The bizarre, absurd, yet slightly comical sight left the three girls behind her completely speechless.
Yang Yi casually waved his hand. "Alright, class dismissed."
...
Upon returning home, having experienced the fierce battle at the hospital and witnessed the absurd spectacle of the head balloons, an intense wave of exhaustion surged through Miko's body. She collapsed right onto her bed and quickly sank into a deep sleep.
However, she had no idea that a new crisis had already been born.
In the darkness, Miko suddenly opened her eyes.
She found herself once again in that familiar yet unfamiliar place.
The Three Fox Shrine.
But there was not the slightest feeling of divine protection here. The shrine was dilapidated, and the air was thick with a bone-chilling coldness and ominous aura.
The two small foxes that had once helped her were now bleeding two shocking trails of black blood from where their eyes should be.
They seemed to have come alive, "staring" dead at her.
*Jingle... jingle...*
The sound of countless bells rang out from all directions, from every corner of the shrine.
A cold voice, brimming with anger, echoed in Miko's ears.
"Thou, who borrowed our power..."
"The price... has long been set..."
The voice suddenly spiked in pitch, making Miko's eardrums ache!
"DON'T—EVEN—THINK—ABOUT—ESCAPING!!"