...
As Kurumi finished her last sentence, her whole body began to dissolve, turning into pure cursed energy and scattering into the air.
'Cursed spirit clone eliminated. Limitless Cursed Technique proficiency plus one. First Bullet, Aleph proficiency plus one.'
Shun lowered his right hand.
"So it really was just a clone."
"Then what did she mean by you?"
He turned around and looked at the JK Kurumi still crouching on the floor behind him.
"...!!"
Kurumi stiffened under his unfriendly gaze, her whole body jolting.
He is not planning to attack me too, right?
She shook her head frantically.
"I do not know anything."
Shun stared down at her from above.
"In that case, why are you here?"
As far as Kurumi's connection to this whole mess went, he was already certain of one thing. This girl absolutely had a deep connection with that cursed spirit. There was no need to deny it just because the curse had emphasized it earlier.
"Ah... that."
A stiff, awkward smile appeared on Kurumi's face.
"I came here with my classmates for a courage test."
"Straight out of a horror movie's 'doomed teenager' scenario."
Shun shrugged. Whether he actually believed that or not was anyone's guess.
"But your courage test is not very committed. The sun is still up."
Kurumi scratched her cheek.
"W… well, that is because we were a little scared."
"And your friends?"
He watched her eyes carefully, or more precisely, he was trying to see the eye hidden under her bangs. He wanted to know whether that eye also held a clock face.
"Them..."
She pouted a little.
"Not long after we came in, they got scared and ran out."
"And you?"
"I run slow."
"Oh. Short legs then."
Shun nodded in mock understanding.
The moment he said that, both of Kurumi's twin tails practically jumped.
"Not at all, my legs are very long."
To prove it, she stretched one leg out in front of him, showing it off. To make them look even longer, she even tugged her skirt up a little.
Too much.
Shun's brows lifted slightly.
Yeah... that was not bad at all.
He was clearly not a saint. Seeing Kurumi pull a stunt like that, not only did he not stop her, he actually watched with even more interest.
Why should a man suppress his heart?
Besides, whoever spoke first now would lose, right?
Look at this little minx, what was with that smug little curl at the corner of her lips?
Hmph. He still did not know exactly what her relationship with that curse was, but their personalities definitely had something in common.
As for Kurumi herself...
The teasing smile at the corner of her mouth slowly froze.
Wait a second.
Why is this guy still not telling me to stop?
My skirt is about to flip up!
She lifted her eyes to glance at Shun and saw that he still had that calmly appreciative look on his face.
She had to admit, her legs were not short at all. Just looking at them, you could tell they were soft and springy, with just the right amount of curve.
"Phew..."
Kurumi finally dropped her gaze, defeated.
"All right, you win, Gojo san."
She let go of her skirt and straightened up properly. She was not some super bold, anything goes kind of girl. Just now had only been a little payback. She had wanted to see him flustered for once.
Clearly, she had misjudged him.
"You really are not a gentleman at all."
Kurumi stood up fully and sighed with exaggerated emotion.
Shun replied without a care,
"A gentleman probably would not show up in a place like this. And I already told you, I am just the guy who takes out the trash."
At that, curiosity lit up Kurumi's face.
"Then what was that thing grabbing me just now? And the one that looked exactly like me?"
Shun glanced at her.
"A cursed spirit."
Normally, this was not something you told ordinary people. But Kurumi was obviously not normal. For all he knew, she was still putting on an act right now.
So he did not bother to hide it.
"Cursed spirit? That is so cool."
Her eyes sparkled like little stars.
"Cool?" Shun clicked his tongue.
"Which rock did this idiot crawl out from under?"
He shook his head and started walking toward the exit. He could no longer sense any curses in this place, so there was no point in staying.
Just then...
A sharp crack echoed through the corridor.
"...!"
Shun, who had just been about to relax his Limitless, immediately flared it back to full strength. But within the range of his technique, no bullet appeared.
"Damn it."
He snapped his head around.
A bullet had already slammed into Kurumi, who had been standing behind him.
At the same time, a familiar, sultry voice echoed around them.
"I told you to watch carefully, Shun."
"See? One careless moment and she gets hurt."
With that, the voice vanished completely.
Damn it.
Shun lunged forward and caught Kurumi just as she started to collapse.