Familiar and Strange

New chapter is live.

Settle in, take your time, and let's see what waits in the dark 🖤

✦

"Don't move."

Toge Inumaki's voice cut across the courtyard.

Todo froze mid-step.

Panda used the opening without hesitation.

His fist slammed into Todo's face and sent the Kyoto student skidding back across the ground.

"Panda!" White Zetsu shouted, peeking from behind him. "I knew I chose the correct fortress!"

Panda sighed. "Please stop calling me that."

Todo wiped blood from his lip and laughed.

"Not bad."

"Go home, Todo," Panda said. "If you keep harassing our first-years, I'm reporting you for harassment."

"Kelp," Inumaki added.

Todo cracked his neck. "I was testing the newcomers."

"With a suplex?"

"A necessary test."

White Zetsu pointed at him from behind Panda's shoulder.

"Then allow yours truly to test your skull."

Panda grabbed the back of White Zetsu's collar before he could rush out.

"Save it for the Goodwill Event."

"He insulted my taste!"

"Everyone insults your taste."

"This is targeted persecution."

Footsteps approached from the side.

Mai Zenin arrived with her hands in her pockets, her expression already exhausted.

"Todo, if you keep wasting time, you'll miss Takada-chan's handshake event."

Todo stopped.

The murderous aura vanished.

"Takada-chan..."

Mai continued mercilessly. "Tall. Black twin tails. Long legs. The kind of figure you never shut up about."

Todo turned at once.

"This isn't over."

White Zetsu waved. "Run along, long-leg worshipper."

Todo's back stiffened.

Panda tightened his grip on White Zetsu's collar.

After Todo left, Panda released him.

White Zetsu immediately turned toward Mai with a bright grin.

"Niece, come here. Let Uncle Zetsu inspect whether you have grown properly in the last two years."

Mai pressed a palm against his forehead and pushed him away.

"Don't call me niece. That trick only worked on Maki."

"You are twins. If she is my niece, you are my niece."

"That's not how anything works."

"Bloodline logic is flexible."

Mai's gaze moved over him, lingering on the purple marks across his body.

"You almost got killed just now."

"Please. I had an ultimate move ready."

"Running behind Panda?"

"Summoning Itsuki."

Mai paused.

"That would work."

Nobara, who had been watching from nearby, suddenly smiled.

"So you hate Yuji because he's Sukuna's vessel, but you're fine worrying about this cursed spirit?"

Mai's eyes sharpened.

In her left hand, a silver revolver appeared.

In her right, Red Lotus unfolded with a low metallic click.

The muzzle pointed straight at Nobara.

The air tensed.

Maki stepped between them.

"Don't point dangerous things at my errand girl."

Mai's lips curled.

"Still playing at being a sorcerer, Maki? The Zenin Clan's failure should know when to keep quiet."

Maki adjusted her glasses.

"Funny. I was about to say the same to you."

The sisters stared at each other.

For a moment, the courtyard felt colder than it should.

White Zetsu raised both hands with theatrical sadness.

"No, no. Sisters should not fight. Think of family. Think of harmony. Think of--"

"Shut up," Maki and Mai said at the same time.

White Zetsu looked deeply wounded.

A quiet voice came from behind them.

"Mai. Lower the gun."

Mai froze.

Itsuki Zenin stood at the edge of the courtyard, one hand tucked into his sleeve, his expression calm.

For two years, Mai had remembered his face as something sharp and suffocating.

Obey or die.

That had been Itsuki Zenin.

The man in front of her wore the same face.

But the smile on it was warm.

Gentle, almost.

It made him feel familiar and completely foreign at the same time.

For some reason, that frightened her more.

"Brother," Mai said softly.

The gun lowered.

Itsuki's gaze moved to Megumi and Nobara.

"You're injured."

"We're fine," Megumi said.

Itsuki did not answer.

His shadow spread beneath him.

A massive shikigami emerged with antlered grace, its presence calm and clean in a way that did not resemble most cursed energy at all.

"Round Deer," Megumi whispered.

Positive energy washed over the courtyard.

Pain faded from Megumi's body. Nobara's bruises eased. Even Panda's fur seemed to settle.

Megumi stared at the shikigami, then at Itsuki.

The desire in his chest sharpened until it almost hurt.

He wanted to reach that level.

No.

He needed to.

Nobara looked down at her healed hand and clenched it once.

"Thank you, Itsuki-sensei."

Megumi bowed his head.

"Thank you."

Itsuki glanced at both of them.

They looked unusually restrained.

He assumed they were embarrassed.

White Zetsu, unfortunately, noticed more than that.

His eyes flicked from Nobara to Megumi, then toward Gojo's building in the distance.

His grin remained in place.

But it thinned slightly.

✦

✦

✦

Want to keep going?

You can read ahead on my Patreon, with early access, previews, and extra story updates 🔑

https://www.patreon.com/c/EliasVane