I glanced at Higuruma in the distance.
He was standing still, but his posture had changed slightly. His eyes were locked on Reggie and Hazenoki, clearly cautious. The two curse users hadn't moved either. Everyone in the room seemed to be waiting for someone else to make the first mistake.
I leaned toward Yuji.
"Yuji…" I murmured quietly. "Did you manage to convince Higuruma?"
Yuji nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "We were actually about to add a rule… but then all of you showed up."
I nodded slowly.
"Hmm…"
Then I looked back at him.
"Can you remind Higuruma to add the rule?"
Yuji nodded again and raised his voice.
"Higuruma-san!"
Higuruma turned his head toward him.
Yuji didn't even need to explain anything. The moment their eyes met, Higuruma seemed to understand.
He simply nodded once.
"Kogane," he said loudly.
A white shikigami appeared in the air with a soft ringing sound.
"I will add a rule."
He spoke calmly and clearly.
"Make it possible for players to transfer points to other players."
He adjusted his glasses slightly.
"Of course, this should count toward the 'change in points' mentioned in Rule 8."
The shikigami responded instantly.
"Approved."
The rule had been added.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Reggie and Hazenoki looked extremely cautious now. Their eyes moved constantly between all of us—Yuji, Choso, Higuruma, and me.
They clearly didn't want to risk anything. We seemed like a big alliance at the moment.
Which meant they had chosen the safest option available.
Staring. Then I felt something.
Movement behind me.
Slow. Very slow.
I turned my head slightly.
Takaba was creeping toward us like a cartoon villain trying to sneak past a guard.
He reached us and leaned forward dramatically.
"My daughter…" he murmured.
Then he looked between Yuji and me.
"You found yourself a boyfriend, huh…"
"WHAT?!" I shouted.
My face instantly heated up.
Yuji froze completely.
All the cold, intense aura he had earlier while fighting Higuruma disappeared instantly. All the cool things he had done were gone.
Gone. Vanished. Reduced to atoms.
He turned bright red and covered his face with both hands.
Choso, who had been watching quietly from the side, suddenly giggled.
Then he walked toward us.
"Yuji…" he said warmly.
"As your older brother, I must say—Ikuyo is a wonderful girl."
My brain stopped working.
What the hell is happening right now?
Yuji looked like he was dying.
And then—
Takaba's cursed technique activated again.
The world shifted.
I looked down.
I was wearing a wedding dress.
A full wedding dress.
White veil.
Everything.
I slowly turned my head.
Yuji was standing in front of me.
In a wedding suit.
His soul had visibly left his body.
Takaba walked proudly toward us.
He was also wearing a suit now.
And behind him—
Choso walked forward as well.
They stopped a few steps in front of us.
Takaba wiped a tear.
"Ikuyo…" he said emotionally.
"I never thought you would grow up this fast."
Yuji stood completely stiff beside me, staring straight ahead like a statue.
I slowly glanced at Choso.
Then I realized something horrifying.
This man is NOT affected by the technique.
He was moving freely.
Doing whatever he wanted.
Choso clasped his hands together emotionally.
"My brother…" he murmured.
Then he looked at me with shining eyes.
"Will I… become an uncle?"
"Oh… how wonderful…"
He wiped tears from his face.
"I never thought I would see the day Yuji got married."
I was dying inside.
But knowing Yuji was suffering even more somehow made it slightly easier to endure.
Then something even worse happened.
Higuruma walked forward.
He was also wearing a suit.
He carried a stack of official-looking documents and calmly sat down at a table that had suddenly appeared.
I stared at him in disbelief.
Hold on.
Is he the officiant?
My body suddenly moved on its own.
I walked forward and sat beside the table.
Yuji sat next to me like a puppet being controlled by invisible strings.
Higuruma opened the document and began speaking in a perfectly serious tone.
"Itadori Yuji." He looked directly at Yuji.
"Do you agree to take Ikuyo Kita as your wife?"
Yuji stared forward with empty eyes.
"I do."
Higuruma turned to me.
"Ikuyo Kita."
"Do you agree to take Itadori Yuji as your husband?"
My mouth moved.
"I do…"
Higuruma nodded.
Then he raised his hand.
"I now declare you two wives and a husband."
Silence. Absolute silence.
Even Reggie blinked.
Higuruma slid a marriage certificate across the table.
"Please sign here."
Yuji and I both signed.
At this point, my brain had completely stopped resisting.
Then I looked up.
And I saw something so ridiculous that I couldn't hold it anymore.
Reggie and Hazenoki were standing beside us.
Signing as witnesses.
Reggie looked deeply annoyed while doing it.
Hazenoki looked like he wanted to explode.
I burst out laughing.
The illusion shattered instantly.
Reality snapped back.
Everyone stumbled slightly.
Yuji immediately sat down and hugged himself.
His face was completely red.
Choso was sobbing loudly.
"Yuji… Ikuyo…"
"You two must survive…"
He wiped tears from his eyes.
"Yuji… you finally found happiness…"
Then he looked at me.
"You are definitely my sister now."
I slowly stood up on shaky legs.
Reggie and Hazenoki were clearly looking for a chance to escape.
But I couldn't let them leave without paying their toll.
I pointed at them.
My mind was still half-broken from what just happened, but I forced myself to act.
"Reggie. Hazenoki."
"Give me your points."
"Or else."
Hazenoki snapped at me.
"Or else what?"
I slowly pointed behind me.
Takaba was standing there with his arms crossed proudly.
"My dad will beat you," I said, as I accepted him.
Takaba nodded very seriously.
Both of them froze instantly.
They turned pale.
Without hesitation, they muttered:
"Kogane. Transfer 35 points to Ikuyo Kita."
"Kogane. Transfer 41 points to Ikuyo Kita."
The transfers happened immediately.
Then both of them turned around and ran out of the theater without another word.
I looked back at Yuji.
He was still trying to recover.
Then Takaba walked toward me.
"My girl…" he said proudly.
He handed me a small piece of paper.
"My phone number."
"Call me when you need help."
Then he turned dramatically and began walking away slowly.
Like a movie hero.
I stared at the paper.
"I… don't even have a phone…"
I muttered.
But I carefully folded it and kept it anyway.
"Kogane," I said.
"Transfer one point to Choso."
"And one point to Takaba."
"And another point to Yuji."
"Approved," the shikigami replied before disappearing.
I walked toward Yuji.
He was sitting on the floor staring at nothing.
Higuruma stood nearby, looking strangely defeated.
"All my speeches about justice…" he muttered.
"Destroyed by a wedding comedy."
He sighed.
"Youth…"
Then he gave a small smile and walked away.
I turned toward Choso.
He was still glowing with happiness. He looked like he had overdosed on happiness.
"Sigh…"
I rubbed my forehead.
"What even is my life now…"
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End of chapter,
Schizo arc is over, trust.