“Special Grade?!” Maki exclaimed, staring at Yuta’s student ID in shock.

“Wow! That’s so impressive!” Fujino cheered, giving Yuta a firm pat on the shoulder. Yuta scratched his head bashfully, but his face soon shifted to one of alarm.

“Fujino! Zen’in! Behind you!”

Fujino and Maki turned around in confusion, only for Fujino to freeze in horror. From the dark corridor emerged a massive curse, its appearance alone shattering every window in the school building.

The curse then swung its grotesque body, creating a huge hole in the wall. Maki, Yuta, and Fujino were sent flying through the opening.

“Hey! Fujino! Snap out of it!” Maki shouted as she glanced back at them. She gripped her cursed tool tightly and charged at the curse. “This thing’s huge!”

“Damn it!” she growled. But before she could attack, the curse opened its enormous mouth and swallowed both Maki and Yuta whole.

Fujino, finally snapping out of her stupor, found herself nearly falling into its gaping maw as well. Acting quickly, she drove her blade into the curse’s forehead. Taking advantage of the curse’s pain, she leapt off its head and landed safely to the side.

“Maki and Yuta… got turned into afternoon snacks!” Fujino muttered, her face frozen in a dumbstruck expression.

“Oi! Idiot! What are you doing standing there?! Go save them already!” Pojang, her cursed spirit companion, yelled in frustration.

“Oh, right!” Fujino shook off her daze, readying her blade as the curse charged at her.

She dashed forward, dodging its massive hand as it reached for her. With a swift motion, she severed both its hands.

“Get lost, you disgusting thing! Give Maki and Yuta back! I know you’re in love with me, but this is too much!” Fujino shouted angrily.

The curse roared and flung Fujino into the air. As it opened its mouth again, Fujino pulled a card from her pocket mid-flight.

“Fireball!”

She tossed the card, which dissolved into a flurry of blazing fireballs that pummeled the curse.

“Ha! Who’s awesome now?!” Fujino smirked triumphantly.

“Idiot! Look ahead!” Pink-chan yelled in warning.

The curse, enraged by the fireballs, slammed its massive claw into Fujino, sending her crashing to the ground. She coughed up blood as she hit the floor hard.

Using her blade to prop herself up, Fujino knelt on the ground and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

“Damn… that hurt. I think I hit my head…”

“Serves you right for not paying attention, idiot!” Pink-chan scolded her, but his tone was laced with worry.

Fujino’s injuries were severe. Blood trickled from a wound on her head, one leg was likely fractured, and her clothes were torn and stained with scratches and bruises.

“Hey! Fujino! Don’t pass out on me! We still haven’t saved those two yet!” Pink-chan yelled frantically, glancing nervously at the curse’s gaping maw, now dangerously close to them.

Just as the situation seemed dire, another massive curse emerged from within the one attacking Fujino.

Fujino looked up weakly and muttered, “It’s Rika… my little cutie.”

“Cut it out with the jokes! Fujino! Wait—don’t tell me you were faking it earlier!” Pink-chan shouted, suspicious of her calmness.

Fujino lazily scratched her ear and replied, “Geez, saying I was faking it is so mean! Besides, now that I think about it, Rika was actually pretty gentle with me back then…”

As Rika unleashed a barrage of powerful punches on the attacking curse, Fujino couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable watching the scene.

Pink-chan, equally stunned, muttered, “It’s… hard to believe she didn’t kill you back then.”

“Hey, hey! Am I that hateable? I’m the gorgeous and charming Fujino! Totally irresistible!” Fujino exclaimed dramatically, forcing herself to stand despite her injuries.

Pink-chan gave her a skeptical look. “Gorgeous, maybe. But charming? That’s all in your head, idiot.”

Fujino’s expression turned into a mix of indignation and disbelief.

“Wait… are you secretly in love with my body or something?”

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting now, idiot?!” Pink-chan retorted angrily.