You stayed still, unflinching as Jogo and Hanami attacked you from the back and front, respectively. Their fists were mere inches from your body, but didn't connect. Their attacks lost momentum. That's when Jogo grinned.

"Domain—"
"—Amplification!"
Your brows raised when cursed energy surrounded you, body being encased in fluid. You looked around. Man. . . they're stupid, huh? You flared your cursed energy, spiking it through the domain. Hanami and Jugo jumped away while Satoru just blinked blankly at you. You dispersed the domain completely and shifted on your feet.

"Really?" You asked flatly. "You really tried to trap me, a L/n, in a cursed energy domain? God, you're stupid."

"You could've skewered innocent civilians," Satoru mused, raising his hand to wiggle his finger at you. "That wouldn't go over well with the higher ups, you know."

"Please, how much more could they loathe me," you spat. From behind you, Jogo's mind was working overtime. "This isn't the first time people have been caught in the crossfire." Satoru hummed in thought, gazing at you with a small smirk. I'm not susceptible to Domain Amplification, but Satoru is. Your eyes slide over to him. He needs to be careful. I hope you're aware of what they're trying to do. I'm aware—you informed me several times before this. Your head suddenly snapped around to look behind yourself, eyes scouring the crowd.

"What's wrong, Y/n?" Satoru asked, noticing your body high on alert.

"There's—" you cut yourself off. ". . . there's someone else here—I'm going to go check it out."

"The exits are all blocked," Satoru replied. "No one can get in or out."

"I can and so can the person—I sensed their cursed energy." You looked at him. "Can you handle them?" Wait, you're leaving him? What about their plan? I can't miss this opportunity—there's no way she's alive.

"Of course." Satoru grinned. "Try not to lose." You deadpanned at him.

"Could say the same thing to you." And then you took off into the air, using your cursed energy to suck out Hanami's roots' energy. They shriveled and dried up so it was relatively easy for you to bust through them. They quickly regrew though, as Hanami didn't want Gojo to follow you.

~
You walked down the barren city street, hands stuffed in your pockets. You actually left Gojo—I'm surprised. Does that mean you'll be to blame? I'll take it. I need to confirm this. Family over friends, they say. You stopped underneath a streetlight, eyes scanning the area in front of you. A moment of quietness passed by before the hair on the back of your neck stood up. You negated the attack that came from behind, a wisp of air passing your face. You turned your head to look behind you, hearing the sound of chains jangling.

"And the legend herself shows up."
Your eyes narrowed at the voice.

"I didn't think you'd leave your pretty boy's side." The woman shifted on her feet, hands clasped in front of her body. Her head tilted as she stared at you, eyes combing over your body.

"There are more important things than Satoru," you replied back, turning your whole body to face her. The fact that you didn't deny he was your pretty boy infuriates me.

"Mm? Like what?" The woman hummed. You brought out your staff, releasing it to its full length. Electricity crackled down the metal.

"Like sending you back 250 years, Circe."
She rolled her eyes.

"Is that any way to treat a sister?" She took languorous steps forward. "I was the only one who didn't cast you out for being Kuragari's incarnate; yet you're so quick to fight me?"

"You ran away," you replied, twirling the weapon in your hand. "When Kuragari manifested you took off to god-knows-where. And you were not the only one to not care about Kuragari."

"Ah, yes." Circe smiled from behind her mask. "Your precious Asuka was the other one, right? Loved you unconditionally." You narrowed your eyes at her.

"How are you alive, Circe?" You asked. "Even if you didn't get slaughtered in the L/n Family Genocide, you're long past your expiration date." Circe whistled.

"Wow—feisty, aren't we?" Circe laughed lightly, stopping just a few meters away from you. "I'm not immortal like you. It's taken me a lot of energy to keep this body in my prime." So she's outputting constant cursed energy to keep herself alive and young? Seems like it. That's probably why you managed to sense her back at the mall.

"And what's the point?" You inquired. "Why not just let yourself rest?" Circe looked up at the blue sky.

"Who knows. All I know is that I'm long overdue on something."
You peered at her suspiciously.

"And what would that 'something' be?"
Circe looked back down, straight at you. Her cursed energy spiked, white and back meshing together.

"Settling the score."
You fully activated your staff, expression contorting into a scowl.

"There's not a score to settle, Circe."
She took off her glove, revealing the same marking on her palm as yours.

"Evidently, there is."
I can't help you with that bitch. I hope you know how to handle someone of your own family. If you don't, that's just sad. Shut up it's been a while.

The eye on Circe's palm opened, the mark lighting up in red. She's using it already? Talk about hasty. If Circe's how I remember, she only gets hasty when she has something up her sleeve.

"Ryōiki Tenkai."
The world around you shifted and contorted, condensing into a smaller room.

You looked around the domain. "This is. . ."

"Our old house," Circe replied, looking straight at you. "I went back to it a couple decades ago. The cups are still where they were left."

"So. . . what? You're going to try to fight me in here?" You slowly began to raise your hands, already sticking out your pointers to cross them in an X. Circe shook her head.

"No, I'm not going to 'try' to fight you in here," she replied. You raised a brow at her. "I am going to fight you in here." You crossed your fingers.

"Right—good luck with that."

"I wouldn't try if I were you."
You hummed.

"Why not? Scared I'll take you over?"

"No, I'm not. You can't use your cursed energy in here."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm immune to negation."

". . . what?"

I made some changes to Circe (by that, I mean I de-sexualized her)

Ja ne!

{Ruby Red}