As they delved deeper into the building, the light inside rapidly dimmed, and the air grew thick with dust and a musty smell, mixed with a faint, instinctively unsettling chill.
Even more unnervingly, as the three walked, the sound of marbles dropping on the floor echoed from the ceiling above them.
"Tap… tap… tap…"
The sound was clear and rhythmic, reverberating repeatedly in the empty, silent corridor, making it seem particularly abrupt and eerie.
"What's that sound?" Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori stopped, looking up warily at the stained and cracked ceiling.
"Marbles?" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki also frowned, tightening her grip on her hammer. "Why would there be the sound of marbles in a derelict building like this?"
"Tap… tap…"
The sound continued, seemingly directly above them, yet its exact location remained elusive.
Allen's gaze calmly swept across the ceiling. His senses had long since penetrated the layers of obstruction, pinpointing the source of the sound.
It wasn't actual marbles, nor was it the sound of rebar corroded by mold. It was a condensed, faint Cursed Spirit, clinging to the inside of the concrete floor slab, unconsciously mimicking a sound from a past obsession.
"It's a Cursed Spirit, very weak, no threat," he said indifferently, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent corridor.
Itadori and Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki both paused, looking at him.
"A Cursed Spirit?" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki sounded skeptical. "Are you sure? This level of perception…"
"Mm." Allen didn't elaborate, continuing to walk forward.
Itadori scratched his head. Although he didn't quite understand, he still chose to follow: "Since Allen says there's no threat, it should be fine, right?"
Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki pouted, muttering "so mysterious," but she also heightened her vigilance, paying attention to her surroundings.
The deeper they went, the darker the light became, and the chill grew heavier. The sound of marbles gradually gave way to a subtle "shh-shh" sound, like fingernails scraping a wall.
At the end of the corridor appeared a downward stairwell, a dark hole from which the strongest cursed energy emanated.
"Looks like it's down there." Itadori took a deep breath, adopting a combat stance.
"You two stay back, I'll go down first!" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki volunteered. She held a long nail in her mouth, gripped her hammer with both hands, and cautiously descended the rusty metal stairs.
Itadori followed closely, with Allen bringing up the rear. His steps remained steady, as if he were merely going for a stroll downstairs.
The basement was even darker, almost pitch black. Only a distant green emergency exit sign emitted a faint glow. The air was damp and cold, carrying a strong mixture of rust and decay.
"Shh-shh… shh-shh…"
The scraping sound became clearer, as if it were not far away.
Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki held her breath, moving slowly forward. Itadori also tensed his nerves, ready to react to any sudden situation.
"Shh-shh… shh-shh…"
The scraping sound was close at hand, as if just around the next corner.
Nobara Kugisaki held her breath, gripping the hammer handle tightly, the nail tip reflecting a faint glimmer in the dimness.
She pressed her side against the cold, rough wall, slowly inching forward. Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori followed closely behind her, muscles tensed like a poised leopard, vigilantly scanning the deeper darkness ahead.
Allen was at the back, his footsteps almost silent on the dusty floor. His dark red eyes calmly swept over their surroundings, taking in the entire basement's structure and the Cursed Spirit curled in the corner.
It was very weak, not even worth a second glance from him.
Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki suddenly darted around the corner, simultaneously shouting, "Found you!"
Itadori immediately followed.
Beyond the corner was a slightly more open space, appearing to be an old boiler room or similar area.
A distorted, blurry humanoid form, made of resentment and residue, was repeatedly scraping the end of its twisted limbs against a metal pipe, producing that grating "shh-shh" sound.
Sensing the presence of living humans, it sharply turned its head. A malicious slit opened on its featureless face, emitting a "hiss-hiss" shriek, and it lunged forward with a strong surge of negative energy.
"Itadori!" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki yelled, quickly retreating half a step, her hammer already raised.
"Coming!" Itadori didn't hesitate, stepping forward, his right fist unleashing a punch with power far exceeding that of a normal person. The wind pressure generated by his strike actually caused the low-grade Cursed Spirit's lunge to falter.
Bang!
The Cursed Spirit was knocked backward, staggering, its form rippling.
Now! Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki's eyes narrowed. The long nail she had prepared in her left hand was flung out, accurately piercing the Cursed Spirit's illusory chest, while her right hand brought down the hammer, glowing with faint cursed energy.
"Straw Doll Technique!"
Clang!
Hammer and nail struck, producing a crisp sound. An invisible shockwave instantly surged through the long nail into the Cursed Spirit's body!
"Screech—!" The Cursed Spirit let out a sharp wail, its entire form violently twisting and rippling like water into which a stone had been thrown. Then, with a soft 'poof', it completely dissipated, leaving behind only a faint wisp of residue and the long nail that had fallen to the ground.
"Done!" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki sighed in relief, bent down to pick up the nail, and brushed off the dust. "Weaker than I thought."
Itadori also relaxed, grinning, "Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki, you're amazing! You took care of it in an instant!"
"Of course!" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki proudly lifted her chin, then looked at Allen, who was slowly walking around the corner. "Hey, you said that marble sound upstairs was also a Cursed Spirit? How did you know?"
Allen's gaze swept over the spot where the Cursed Spirit had vanished, and he said lightly, "I can feel it."
"Feel it?" Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki frowned. Her cursed energy perception wasn't particularly outstanding, but she really hadn't noticed anything else upstairs just now. "Isn't your Cursed Technique body reinforcement? Is your perception that strong too?"
"Mm." Allen responded, offering no further explanation.
Itadori, however, naturally accepted it: "Allen, you're so amazing! It feels like you know everything!"
Nobara Kugisaki eyed Allen suspiciously for a few moments, but seeing he had no intention of explaining further, she gave up. She tucked her hammer back into her waist: "Never mind, as long as it's dealt with. This building feels weird, we should finish checking it and get out of here quickly."
Itadori nodded repeatedly: "Exactly, exactly, it's really uncomfortable staying in this place."
The three continued to search the basement area. The deeper they went, the more humid and cold the air became, and the smell of decay grew stronger.
Occasionally, they heard some faint, rustling sounds, but no Cursed Spirits with obvious threats appeared again.
"Looks like the main guy has been taken care of," Kugisaki / Nobara Kugisaki slightly relaxed her guard.
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