shadow dance

The screams echoed through the narrow alley in Shibuya, bouncing off graffitied walls and broken windows. Most people would run toward safety, away from whatever nightmare was causing such terror.

Jay ran toward it.

Black boots splashed through puddles as they moved through the maze of backstreets, the six white daggers at their belt catching what little moonlight filtered down between the buildings. The screaming was getting closer—along with something else. Something that made the air taste like copper and decay.

A cursed spirit. A nasty one, judging by the stench.

Jay rounded the corner and stopped, taking in the scene with practiced calm. A Grade 2 curse—humanoid but wrong in every way that mattered—had cornered three teenagers against a dead-end wall. Its elongated limbs dripped with some kind of acidic substance that was eating through the concrete where it touched.

The kids were frozen with terror, probably couldn't even see what was about to kill them. Typical non-sorcerers.

"Well, this is depressing," Jay muttered, pulling two daggers from their belt in one smooth motion. "Three against one and you're still losing."

The curse whipped around, its hollow eye sockets focusing on the new threat. When it spoke, its voice was like grinding glass.

"Another little sorcerer come to play hero?"

Jay's lips curved into a cold smile. "Something like that."

The curse lunged with inhuman speed, claws aimed at Jay's throat. But Jay was already moving, dropping into a slide that carried them between the creature's legs. The first dagger found its mark in the curse's thigh—not deep enough to kill, just enough to get its attention.

"Run," Jay called to the teenagers without taking their eyes off the curse. "Now."

The kids didn't need to be told twice.

The curse spun, faster than something that size should move, and caught Jay across the chest with a backhand that sent them flying into the brick wall. Pain exploded through their ribs, but Jay rolled with the impact, coming up in a crouch with daggers ready.

"My turn," they said, and their eyes began to change.

The forest green drained away, replaced by pure white except for the pale gray irises that seemed to see straight through reality itself. The curse's form became transparent in Jay's vision, revealing the writhing mass of negative energy at its core—its soul, black and twisted but visible as clearly as if it were outlined in neon.

Jay moved like liquid shadow. The first strike missed as the curse jerked backward, but the second caught it in the shoulder. Where the white blade made contact, the creature's essence began to unravel, threads of its very being pulled into the dagger like a drain.

The curse shrieked, a sound that shattered several windows.

"What—what are you?" it gasped, stumbling as more of its soul was drawn away.

"Someone having a really long week," Jay replied, ducking under another desperate swipe. "And you're not helping."

The third dagger went straight through the curse's chest, piercing the dark core of its soul. The creature froze, eyes wide with shock and something that might have been fear, before dissolving into nothing more than wisps of shadow.

Jay straightened, rolling their shoulders to work out the kinks from hitting the wall. Their eyes faded back to their natural forest green as they retrieved their daggers, the white blades gleaming clean despite what they'd just done.

The alley was silent now except for the distant sound of Tokyo's nightlife. No witnesses, no thank you from the kids they'd saved—exactly how Jay preferred it.

They were halfway out of the alley when they heard the slow clapping.

Jay froze, hand instinctively moving to their remaining daggers. Someone had been watching. Someone who'd seen everything and hadn't run away screaming.

That was... problematic.

"Impressive work," came a voice from the shadows near the alley's entrance. Male, probably young, with an accent that screamed expensive private education. "Though your technique is a bit unorthodox."

Jay turned slowly, keeping their expression carefully neutral. A figure stepped out of the darkness—tall, pale, with white hair that practically glowed in the dim light. He was maybe a few years older than Jay, dressed in a dark uniform that looked almost military.

More importantly, he radiated cursed energy like a small sun. This wasn't some random civilian who'd stumbled onto the wrong scene.

"You lost or something?" Jay asked, voice flat and unimpressed despite the warning bells going off in their head. "This isn't exactly tourist territory."

The stranger smiled, and there was something sharp about it. Predatory. "Oh, I'm exactly where I meant to be. The question is—what's a kid with your kind of power doing playing vigilante in back alleys?"

Jay's grip tightened on their daggers. "Minding my own business. You should try it sometime."

"See, that's where we have a problem." The stranger took a step closer, and Jay noticed he was wearing some kind of blindfold or dark glasses despite the late hour. "Because when someone with abilities like yours starts operating in my city without proper oversight, it becomes my business."

*His city?* Jay's eyes narrowed. This guy had serious main character syndrome.

"Your city?" they repeated, letting a hint of sarcasm creep into their tone. "Didn't realize Tokyo had a new emperor. When's the coronation?"

The stranger's smile widened. "Cute. I like the attitude." His head tilted slightly, like he was studying something Jay couldn't see. "But we both know you're not just some random street kid who happened to develop cursed techniques. That soul manipulation... where did you learn that?"

Jay felt their pulse quicken but kept their face blank. Nobody was supposed to know what their daggers could do. The fact that this guy had not only recognized it but understood what he was seeing meant he was dangerous.

Very dangerous.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jay said, taking a casual step backward toward the alley's rear exit. "And I've got places to be."

"I'm sure you do." The stranger's voice was almost amused. "But here's the thing—people with power like yours tend to attract attention. The wrong kind of attention. And in a city full of cursed spirits and worse things, flying solo is a good way to end up dead."

"I'll take my chances."

"Will you?" The stranger pulled something from his pocket—a phone, Jay realized. "Because I've got about fifteen missed calls from people who are very interested in meeting Tokyo's mysterious vigilante. And not all of them are as friendly as I am."

Jay's blood went cold. If this guy knew about them, knew what they could do, then others might know too. And that was a problem Jay couldn't dagger their way out of.

"What do you want?" they asked, abandoning any pretense of ignorance.

The stranger's smile turned almost genuine. "A conversation. Maybe some answers. And if you're smart—which I'm betting you are—you'll consider accepting some help."

"I don't need help."

"Everyone needs help, kid. The trick is knowing when to accept it before you're in over your head."

Jay stared at him for a long moment, weighing their options. They could run—they knew these streets better than anyone, and they were fast. But something told them this guy wouldn't be easy to shake. And if he already knew about them, running might just make things worse.

"One conversation," Jay said finally. "Public place. And if I don't like what you're selling, we never see each other again."

The stranger nodded, looking satisfied. "Fair enough. There's a 24-hour café about six blocks from here. Neutral ground."

"Fine." Jay stepped back, ready to disappear into the urban maze. "But I pick the time."

"Wouldn't expect anything less." The stranger pulled out a business card and tossed it toward Jay, who caught it reflexively. "When you're ready."

By the time Jay looked up from the card, the stranger was gone—vanished as completely as if he'd never been there at all.

Jay looked down at the card in their hand. It was simple, expensive-looking, with just a name and a phone number printed in elegant script.

*Gojo Satoru.*

"Great," Jay muttered, pocketing the card. "Just what I needed. A stalker with a god complex."

But as they melted back into the shadows of Tokyo's endless night, Jay couldn't shake the feeling that their carefully constructed solitary life was about to get a lot more complicated.

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