"And you're thinking of... threats, taking hostages, setting traps. Country curses do less of that," he guesses.

"Mmhmm. Finding them is the tricky part of country curses, they can be sneaky little buggers that have lots of places to hide and can be based off of the strangest and most unexpected of things. But they don't really confront sorcerers with their darkest selves."

Inside, Itadori and Hayashi are having a rather boring time of it, actually. On the way up they kill half a dozen minor curses, Itadori with his cleaver, Hayashi with some kind of thrown needle from the pouch she picked up, and absolutely none of them are really worth the time it takes to kill them.

That is, until they reach the top floor.

The top floor has a young boy, and a curse hiding behind it, holding its sharp claw to his throat. Its intention is fairly obvious.

"... Ah," says Hayashi, softly.

Hm.

Itadori takes a step back. That kid dying... would be, like, the opposite of what he just declared to the principal the other day.

What is a kid even doing here.

And how does he save him.

"Okay," sighs the young sorcerer. She lets her fan clatter to the floor, then carefully removes her pouch of sharp needles and tosses it towards the curse. It hits the floor with a clatter, and spills open, scattering them everywhere.

"There you go. Happy, monster? We surrender." She tilts her head. "Aren't you going to come make me regret it?"

The claw at the kid's neck lowers a little, and the curse oozes forward—

—then Hayashi kicks at one of the scattered needles on the floor, and it flies with a speed and power that seems quite impossible, in a completely different direction than the kick itself. It goes right through the curse's skull, which lets out a shriek and dies accordingly.

"Itadori-san, if you could please just escort this kid out of this place safely, I'll handle any leftovers." She sounds irritated, and like she's going to take it out on any curses still alive in the building.

"—yes ma'am right this second ma'am," he says and he is escorting that kid out now before he makes any bad choices.

"Oh good, a full set!" says Gojo brightly, from outside. "She's definitely insane."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. She'll be fine. Probably. She'll probably be fine. Chin up, our protagonist is returning."

He is indeed returning! With a kid in tow. "I got a prize!"

The kid does not look happy to be referred to as a prize. Or maybe he's just traumatised, one of those.

"I'm the one with the purple eyes, you know," Fushiguro grumbles, mostly to himself.

Gojo ruffles Inori's hair fondly, then goes over to take over Kid Duty. Hey there, kiddo! It's okay, you're safe now, etc. etc., don't go doing tests of bravery by wandering into scary places, okay? It's fine, you're not in trouble, we're The Good Guys and just want you to be safe!

Hayashi finishes up inside, and soon steps out again, letting down her hair and putting her fan away, into the pouch at her hip.

"Done. I didn't even get to use my fan. Terrible."

The aura of menacingness accordingly fades away. Fushiguro stands up from where he sat. "We should take the kid back to his place."

"That we shall!"

Soon enough:

   "I live just over here, thanks!" says the boy, waving. In his other hand is a complimentary Exciting Fun Snack from a vending machine, to ease the sting of the horrible trauma of being a hostage to a horrible monster. It's not much, but it's something, and definitely worth the price of a couple hundred yen.

"There. All sorted. See, Inori-kun? Kids are easy!"

"Congratulations, you only took several years to learn how to not sound like a creep, Sensei."

"How long have you known each other?"

"Too long."

"We have not reached the proper social link to unlock his tragic backstory," says Hayashi sagely.

"Well maybe Gojō-sensei could take us on an actual tour so we can bond. Or food! I am starving."

“It is my duty as your Sensei to feed you. Probably. What does everyone want?”

“Sushi,” pronounces Hayashi, immediately.

"Steak!"

Fushiguro has completely left the conversation and is now using his phone.