Chapter 56 : “When the Flowers Withered”

Morning arrived wrong.

Gojo noticed it the moment he slid open the living room window. The air felt heavy, like it was holding its breath. Yesterday, the entire house had been buried under Anzu’s flowers. Petals everywhere. Vines climbing the walls. Blossoms even growing out of places they absolutely should not have.

Now?

They were dead.

Petals lay scattered on the floor like ash. Vines had turned brittle and gray, snapping under their own weight. Even the faint floral scent was gone, replaced by something cold and metallic.

“...Huh?”

Gojo stepped outside barefoot, crouching near a wilted rose. The moment he touched it, it crumbled.

“That’s new,” he muttered.

Behind him, the sliding door slammed open.

“GOJO—WHY ARE THERE DEAD PLANTS EVERYWHERE?!”

Hikami stormed out in her pajamas, fire flickering instinctively around her shoulders. One look at the withered garden and her expression hardened.

“This isn’t natural.”

Raika followed next, arms crossed, eyes sharp. “Obviously. Flowers don’t die overnight unless someone interferes.”

Hiyori peeked out from behind them, clutching her sleeves. “I-It feels… scary.”

Suma kicked a dead vine aside. “Tch. That creepy flower fairy finally messed up.”

“Hey,” Gojo said reflexively. “Don’t say it like that.”

That was when Mizuki stepped forward.

She knelt silently, placing her fingers against the ground. The soil rippled faintly under her touch. Her calm expression cracked for the first time since she arrived.

“This land is being suppressed.”

Everyone froze.

“Suppressed?” Gojo repeated.

“A wide-area spiritual dampening field,” Mizuki explained. “Something is preventing spirit energy from manifesting freely. Anzu’s magic didn’t fail. It was forcibly shut down.”

Hikami’s flames flared higher. “So someone’s messing with us.”

As if on cue—

CRASH.

The front door burst open.

“YO! MORNING, LOSERS!”

Arashi Kumon came skidding in, wind still spinning around him, holding a bag of convenience store snacks.

“Oh wow,” he said, looking around. “Did the house die?”

Raika shot him a glare. “Read the room.”

Arashi scratched his head, grin fading when he noticed the tension. “...Okay, that bad, huh?”

Before anyone could answer, a soft knock echoed from the entrance.

Three gentle taps.

Everyone turned.

Gojo swallowed. “Uh… I’ll get it.”

When he opened the door, a girl stood there holding a basket of herbs and flowers.

She had soft pink hair tied loosely behind her back, green eyes lowered respectfully. She wore a simple dress decorated with tiny floral patterns, nothing flashy, nothing threatening.

She bowed deeply.

“My name is Anzu Midare,” she said softly. “Flower Fairy Clan Princess. I apologize for arriving unannounced.”

Silence.

Then Suma leaned forward. “That’s it? You’re the flower girl?”

Anzu nodded. “Yes.”

Hikami tilted her head. “You don’t look dangerous.”

Raika scoffed. “She looks like she’d trip over her own vines.”

Anzu smiled nervously. “I do… sometimes.”

Gojo winced. “Guys.”

Anzu lifted her gaze, eyes settling on Gojo. Her expression changed instantly.

Concern replaced politeness.

“Your Spirit God energy feels… unwell,” she said.

That made the air tighten.

Mizuki’s eyes sharpened. “Explain.”

Anzu clasped her hands. “It’s unstable. Overstimulated. Pulled in too many emotional directions.”

Suma snorted. “Sounds like his usual life.”

Arashi laughed. “Yeah, welcome to Gojo Kase, walking disaster magnet.”

But Anzu shook her head.

“This is different.”

She stepped closer. Flowers in her basket trembled.

“Something external is pressing against him. Like hands trying to pry open a sealed door.”

The ground trembled faintly.

Everyone felt it.

Gojo staggered.

Hiyori grabbed him instantly. “G-Gojo-kun!”

“I’m fine,” he said, though his chest burned.

Anzu’s eyes widened in panic. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

Suddenly, vines erupted from the ground without warning.

They wrapped around Suma’s legs, lifting her upside down.

“HEY—PUT ME DOWN, YOU STUPID PLANTS!”

More vines burst through the floorboards, tangling furniture, knocking over Arashi, pinning Raika’s arm.

Lightning sparked. Fire ignited. Wind howled.

“ANZU!” Hikami shouted. “CONTROL YOUR MAGIC!”

Anzu froze, horrified. “I-I’m not casting anything!”

Mizuki’s voice cut through the chaos. “The plants are reacting.”

“To what?” Gojo yelled.

Mizuki looked straight at him.

“To you.”

The vines stopped instantly.

They fell limp, crumbling to dust.

The house was silent again.

Everyone stared at Gojo.

He stared back. “...Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

Raika slowly adjusted her hair, cheeks faintly pink. “Don’t get the wrong idea. This isn’t your fault.”

Hikami crossed her arms. “But it is your problem.”

Anzu bowed deeply, almost hitting the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “My magic amplifies emotions already present. I didn’t realize how overwhelmed you were.”

Gojo scratched his head. “Uh… welcome to my life?”

She peeked up, eyes watery.

“I came to help,” she said. “Not to cause trouble.”

Gojo smiled gently. “Then stay. We’ll figure it out.”

Behind him, every fairy stiffened.

Anzu’s flowers trembled again.

Far away, something ancient shifted.

And for the first time—

The Spirit War truly began.