Crossover: The Curse and the Desire

The backseat of the taxi felt larger than it was.

Utaha rested her face in her hand, her eyes fixed on the window. The city lights streaked across the glass like traces of something she could no longer hold onto.

She was thinking about Tomoya.

Or rather, the image she'd built of him. Intelligent, dedicated, a little insecure, but with an honest heart.

'I was wrong.'

The pendrive—that seemingly harmless object—had triggered everything. Ghosts. Fear.

And he… acted like nothing had happened.

As if it were normal to hand someone something cursed.

Utaha took a deep breath, her fingers lightly gripping her leg over her skirt. She wasn't sure if it was anger or sadness.

"Everything okay back there, miss?"

The driver's voice came faintly, almost drowned out by the background music.

"Yeah… thanks," she replied softly.

He said nothing more.

The city kept moving outside, but inside, Utaha felt only white noise.

'Yuta saved me.'

She remembered it vividly. The blade in his hands. The steady silence. The look that said more than any words.

'I should tell him…'

The thought weighed like a stone in her stomach.

Tomoya was acting strange. He wanted to "get Yuta out of the way"—she saw it in his eyes. In his pauses. In his choice of words.

But if she told Yuta, what would he do?

She knew what he was capable of. She'd seen it with her own eyes.

'What if he… kills Tomoya?'

The doubt came heavy with fear.

Utaha leaned her head against the window, the cold glass contrasting with her warm skin. She closed her eyes for a few seconds.

She owed her life to Yuta.

But she was still human. And even with everything she'd seen, she couldn't accept the idea of someone dying over a personal conflict.

'But if I don't tell him… and something happens to him?'

The dilemma spun in circles.

She bit her lower lip, frustrated.

The image of Yuta with Megumi flashed in her mind. The two of them together. Calm. Different from everything she and Tomoya were trying to build in that doomed project.

For a second, she felt envy.

Not of their relationship—but of their clarity. Their lack of doubt.

Tomoya, on the other hand, seemed a shadow of who he once was. And worse: a shadow that now scared her.

The car stopped at a red light. The driver yawned.

Utaha just watched the red lights reflect off the hood of the car in front.

'If he keeps going like this, he'll end up sinking himself.'

But even with that thought, she couldn't fully pull away.

'I cared about him… that's why it hurts so much.'

A honk from a car behind made them move forward.

She was almost home.

Utaha took another deep breath and decided not to decide yet.

'Tomorrow… I'll see how things go. Maybe he'll change. Maybe I'll understand better.'

But deep down… she knew tomorrow wouldn't make anything easier.

The only certainty left was that she now saw Tomoya through different eyes.

And that, in itself, changed everything.

---

Yuta's House

Yuta closed the apartment door silently.

The test had been simple—direct, but effective. And the result left an odd sense of security.

'It works.'

The amulet around his neck had held up well. A direct hit, blocked without shattering completely. Even as a prototype, it had done its job.

On the table, four remaining amulets waited. But it still wasn't enough.

Yuta took a deep breath, crossed his legs on the tatami, and accessed the system again.

[Skill: Forge Protective Amulet – Level 1]

⤷ Energy Status: Stable

⤷ Available Cursed Energy: 12%

⤷ Viability: High for light production

He focused.

This time, the flow came faster.

It was as if the previous practice had carved invisible paths within him. The energy responded with more agility—less resistance, more precision. Yuta's fingers traced symbols in the air with steady confidence, as if he already knew the shape even with his eyes closed.

The tip of his index finger vibrated faintly as spiritual lines began to form, drawing concentric circles in the space between his hands. A silver light emerged with each stroke, following the motion with a millisecond delay—like magical ink responding to intent.

As the shape closed, the energy at the center began to spin on its own.

A pulsing glow, almost breathing.

[Protective Amulet successfully created.]

Yuta didn't stop. He closed his eyes for two seconds, took a deep breath, and continued.

Second amulet.

The process was the same, but the effort grew. Controlling the energy demanded constant focus, as if any distraction could break the cycle. The lines trembled slightly—he clenched his teeth, kept his hand steady, stabilized.

[Amulet created.]

Third.

Sweat began to form at the base of his neck. His shoulders were tense. His back, too hunched. But he pressed on. He focused on each pattern, each spiritual curve, as if drawing invisible maps on a canvas only he could see.

'My arm's gonna hurt tomorrow…'

Fourth.

The silver light flickered for a moment—the flow nearly broke. But Yuta adjusted his breathing, exhaling slowly. Repositioned his fingers. Returned to the center.

'Focus. Just a few more.'

[Four amulets.]

The exhaustion piled up like dust in his muscles. The cursed energy, though technically stable, felt denser. As if each fragment demanded an extra fraction of his mind.

Fifth.

The glow took a second longer to stabilize. Yuta blinked slowly, feeling a slight dizziness. It wasn't severe, but it warned him he was nearing the limit of continuous use. His mind was still sharp, but his body… was starting to complain.

'Just one more.'

Sixth.

His hands trembled by the end of the process. The final spiritual line took longer than usual. A circle that should've closed in one motion needed two attempts. But he managed.

[Total new amulets: 6]

Yuta let his body slump against the wall, sitting sloppily, his eyes fixed on the amulets before him. Ten units in total.

And still, he thought:

'Not enough. Not yet.'

But for now, it would do.

He ran a hand over his face, took another deep breath, and let the system absorb the created amulets.

[All amulets successfully stored.]

He closed the system.

The window remained open, letting the night breeze cut through the room's stuffy air.

Yuta gazed at the distant city lights. The world seemed quiet, but he knew it wasn't. Something was always moving. Something was always approaching.

His phone vibrated on the table.

[📩 Message – Megumi K.]

> Good night…

I was thinking about you.

Not sure I'll sleep so easily… but I hope you rest well.

Thanks for today.

🌙❤️

Yuta read slowly. His eyes lingered on that last emoji—a moon and a heart.

A soft warmth bloomed in his chest.

Almost at the same time, the phone vibrated again.

[📩 Message – Aika K.]

> Good night, Yuta.

And don't forget to rest, okay?

No point saving the whole world if you break yourself inside, hero.

💬⚡

Yuta gave a faint smile. The message carried Aika's usual provocative edge, but there was genuine concern in the subtext.

He typed brief but careful replies.

To Megumi:

> Sleep well.

We'll see each other plenty.

Good night, Megumi.

To Aika:

> Don't worry.

My bones are still in place.

Good night, Aika.

With that done, he slid the phone to the corner of the table, closed the window, and turned off the light.

The room fell completely dark.

But in the silence, he knew: tomorrow would bring more than commitments.

It would bring decisions.

And perhaps… new risks.

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