Chapter Text
Sleep, eat, exorcise. Sleep, eat, exorcise.
That became Meiko’s routine.
In a way, it was no different than what she did in the past.
At least, it was what she did before meeting him.
It’s surprising how routine allowed time to pass her by. Her life became almost like a mantra - a few phrases repeated over and over in an endless cycle, drawing her into its hypnotizing, inescapable pull.
Seasons passed.
It had been 10 years since the day her youth died.
Cherry blossoms danced in the wind, heralding the coming of spring. Among the pink deluge, a boy stood, his black clothes and shades a contrast to the pastel scenery. As she approached, he turned. Her heart melted at the gentle smile that greeted her. Yet underneath his glasses was a pair of azure eyes, tinged with the dark hue of sorrow.
“I’ll be waiting.” He said.
“Miss Chibana, we’re here.”
“Just Meiko is fine.” She responded, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
The one who disrupted her slumber smiled nervously. He remained by her seat, expectant.
“Don’t forget your belongings.” Meiko said.
“Oh! Right!”
The startled young man stiffly straightened himself and headed for his own seat. Meiko sighed inwardly as she watched him sauntered away. Let’s hope our rookie doesn’t end up hurting himself. If she remembered correctly, his name was Li Wei. He was the only promising recruit to their ranks this year. And even then, he was barely an adult. His baby face and jumpy demeanor worried her. Once again, headquarters had decided it would be a good idea to dump a greenhorn on her laps. They were short, they’re always short, Meiko knew that. But throwing someone into the deep end and telling them to learn how to swim might just do more harm than good.
Well, not like it matters.
Meiko was there to do her job as a sorcerer, that was all there is to it. She found comfort in that way of thinking. Just do your duty. No need to distract yourself with anything else - no way to let yourself, or others down.
The scenery of her dream came to mind, the sad smile of the boy in black was still fresh.
That’s right. She reminded herself. No way to disappoint people.
After leaving the train station, they began winding through the crowded night market of Shanghai. The street was bustling with activity. Strings of neon lights illuminated the countless stalls selling goods and trinkets of all kinds, and the air was filled with the smell of various food stuff.
“Miss, would you like to try some?” An elderly man with a friendly smile beckoned Meiko to his stand.
“I’m busy, but thank you.” She refused with a polite smile.
Meiko spotted candied hawthorns, pineapple buns, and her favorite, egg tarts - the man’s make-shift stall was stacked with various sweets from top to bottom.
“Ooh let’s get some when we’re done” Her junior said excitedly from behind.
“Maybe, but let’s focus on what we came here for.” She reminded him. But inwardly, Meiko couldn’t help but think of another childish character who would definitely browse the snacks with delight. She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself while imagining the scene.
As the market petered out into more quiet streets, the two eventually found themselves in a cramped alley. In the dark, Meiko could barely make out a set of stairs heading down towards a small basement. Immediately, she felt the immense amount of curse energy emanating from the place.
“Do you feel that?” Meiko asked her junior colleague.
“Yes, it’s intense.” He gasped.
Meiko focused. She sensed one large entity. Alright, this is doable. She thought as she readied a curtain.
“Get your weapon out and stay close to me.” She paused to wait for Li Wei to take out his tools. His arsenal consisted of an array of small blades which he strapped to his belt. He gave her a wary nod.
They were under assault the moment they entered.
“Duck!” Meiko yelled at Li Wei, who made it just in time to avoid being struck by a metal chair.
Meiko looked up. In front of them was an amorphous mass of groaning flesh and pus. There were no discernable body parts except for the many eyes that dotted its entire surface. It covered every surface of nearly half of the basement - its body undulating with an abnormal rhythm as the mass stretched in some place and contracted in others. Pieces of what’s left of the furniture were jutting out of it, incorporated into its frame as a makeshift arsenal.
“Keep it distracted!” Meiko yelled to her colleague as the cursed spirit prepared for another attack. Per her orders, Li Wei launched his knives, several of the creature’s eyes. While it was occupied, Meiko had infused herself with its cursed energy. The abundance of power in the air allowed the curse to grow, but it was a boon for her as well. The moment the knives struck, Meiko followed up with a flurry of strikes. The cracks forming in the wall was the only way to trace the trajectory as her fists moved at superhuman speed.
“Get back!” She ordered as the entire structure crumbled onto itself, burying the cursed spirit with it. The loud crash was followed by nothing but silence as the sorcerers waited for the dust to clear.
“Woah...that’s a first grade sorcerer for ya.” Li Wei mumbled to himself, enraptured by the scene of destruction.
“Don’t let your guard…”
Before Meiko could finish her sentence, the young man was impaled by a spear of flesh and rubble.
For a moment, she thought he was gone, but to her surprise and great relief, he had reacted quick enough to protect himself with a blade, deflecting it just enough to avoid a fatal blow. The creature came roaring back with a vengeance, hurling debris all over as its grotesque body emerges again from the ashes.
Meiko nimbly evaded the projectiles. Yet before the hail was finished, the creature attacked with more spears of flesh.
Its speed grew?
Meiko barely evaded the sudden furious assault, leaping back to escape its range.
Then, a gut wrenching scream filled the room. It was Li Wei. The spear had somehow begun to eat at his body, no, it was corroding his flesh. At this rate, he only had a few moments before it would be too late.
Meiko was faced with a choice.