Ultimate Kaisen

Lost Innocence

"They're human." Said a tall woman with long brown hair that extends past her shoulders that she sometimes ties into a ponytail when working. She has soft brown eyes with dark lines under them, making it appear as if she's underslept. She also has a mole underneath her right eye and thick brown eyebrows.

Her attire consisted of a white lab coat over a blue turtle-neck swear and darker navy blue pants that reach just above her ankle. As a finishing touch,she wore cream-colored high-heeled shoes.

This is Shoko Ieri.

She held a phone to her ear inside a dimly lit ICU ward with blue lights. She stood in the middle of two hospital beds where the corpses of the cursed humans Yuji,Kento and Ben fought were placed, their blood drenching the bed.

"No,I guess I should call them former humans." Corrected Shoko.

"They're the same as the three from the theater. The structure of their bodies was forcibly altered by a cursed technique." Explained Shoko.

"If that was all,I would have noticed at the start." Replied Kento as he,Yuji and Ben sat on opposite couches inside the living room of a three story apartment building.

Rays of sunlight reflected through the window indicating that it was still daytime, and Kento's phone was placed on a table in front of the three on loudspeaker.

"The two we fought were full of cursed energy, like cursed spirits." Kento stated as Ben and Yuji sat beside one another, their hands clapsed together firmly, their heads lowered and their expressions somber.

"You'll have to ask the culprit about their cursed technique to explain that." Said Shoko as she closely observed one of the corpses.

"Though there is evidence that their brain stems were tampered with,most likely to create a state of confusion and impaired consciousness." Shoko Theorized.

"If they can tamper with the brain,it might be possible for them to modify someone to be able to use cursed energy." Speculated Shoko. Kento had removed his suit,thus only wearing his inner shirt as he laid back on the couch and placed his hands on the couch's handles.

"The relationship between the brain and cursed energy is still a black box to us." Admitted Shoko, briefly pausing.

"Oh, right,are Itadori and Tennyson listening?" Asked Shoko.

"Yeah, we are." Said Ben in a low and deflated tone.

"To sum it up,these guys died of shock from having their bodies modified. You two didn't kill them. So don't get the wrong idea about that." Said Shoko in an attempt to comfort them.

"Right." Said Yuji,his expression and Ben's remaining unchanged.

With that,Kento would end the call and look at the two distraught teens.

"Either way,the deaths of these two weigh on me just as heavily." Said Yuji glumly as he looked at Kento.

"I wish there was more we could do to save them." Said Ben sorrowfully.

"Yeah. Not to mention,this thing..." Said Yuji as he tightly clenched a long piece of cotton candy.

"...has disgusting taste." Said Yuji grimly.

'These boys can get sincerely angry on behalf of others.' Thought Kento as he looked at both of them.

'Though in the case of Tennyson,it is to be expected considering his approach to his line of work.' Mused Kento.

"Those residuals were a bluff, likely meant to lure us in." Said Kento, causing Yuji and Ben to look at him with curiosity.

"Our foe is quite skilled." Said Kento before standing up.