Weeks went by and J?net could see the end of the tunnel. Taking advantage of a break to devour dangos while watching the clouds, Tsukinoko and J?net lazed in the shade in front of the gate to the terrain de la mort.

  Their rest was disturbed by the giggles of a group of children who entered the dark forest through a hole in the fence. The girls laughed at them, waiting to see their faces when they emerged, having fled from the many monstrosities that inhabited the wood

  Minutes passed, but they didn't emerge, until screams rang out. Tsukinoko continued her meditation, indolent, but the children screamed again, this time in terror.

  They rise abruptly and Tsukinoko leaps over the fence into the cursed forest, leaping from tree to tree, despite J?net's warnings.

  Trapped by a huge mud-colored snake with yellow eyes, the children were terrified. Just as the girls were about to charge, J?net suffered severe neck pains and fell from the tree.

  Facing the snake, Tsukinoko in turn felt Hebimaru's demonic essence covering her, as if bound to him. J?net howled in pain from behind, struggling against the cursed mark that spread across his face and neck, devouring his reason for every inch of his skin.

  There was not a second to lose. With a diversion, Tsukinoko managed to free the children who disappeared, and a ball of flames set the air ablaze to burn the snake that crawled up to J?net, melting its eyes and peeling its scales.

  She rushed to her agonizing comrade's side, her distress evident in her eyes. Her eyes whose pupils reflected the snake hurtling towards them

  Mouth wide open, the monster was abruptly stopped by Tsukinoko with her full hands. She blocked its fangs, preventing it from going any further. Its putrid maw resisted Tsukinoko, crouching in front of J?net. In a brave effort, she emanated her aura to push her friend back onto the branch below.

  Eventually, the snake toppled Tsukinoko backwards. A heavy silence reigned as neither Tsukinoko nor the snake moved. Its fangs had pierced the branch, dripping warm blood onto J?net.

  The cursed mark's progress came to a screeching halt, disrupted by its host who was more frightened by what was unfolding before his eyes than by its hold. It wasn't the snake's warm blood beading on her cheeks, but that of her friend caught in its maw.

  The snake rears up after long seconds, Tsukinoko impaled on its fang, before shaking its head to free her, sending her whirling through the air. With her, the sabers she had planted in the snake's head crashed against a damp trunk before falling back to the ground.

  Wide-eyed, J?net stood transfixed before her friend, her breathing greasy with blood accumulated in her throat. She could swear she heard her former master mocking her, his deep cackle hissing through the trees, as the snake gauged them with a superior air. Hungry, the snake crawled up to its prey, struggling to regain its senses, and reared up with its long body.

  With an inhabited hand, J?net grabs a sword and thrusts the blade into the snake's puck, which freezes in pain. J?net's arm is covered in white snakes, which wrap themselves around the saber, and enter the monster's throat to devour it from the inside.

  The gigantic snake collapses at his feet, defeated, with a snort.

  With a flick of his wrist, J?net chased away the last of the slender reptiles as the mark disappeared. A breath of relief escaped his lips, which showed a proud smile of victory, having overcome the mark to save his friend. This cursed mark now gave him mastery over these cold-blooded creatures

  His respite is short-lived as Tsukinoko's wound bleeds profusely at his feet, standing in the grass. With all his strength, J?net squeezes the immense wound, but neither his tears nor his pleas succeed in stopping the bleeding. Tsukinoko finally opens her eyes and rubs her scarred wrist against her bloody chin.

  A huge panther suddenly towers over the girls, and J?net howls in fear, but the grey-furred feline sniffs Tsukinoko, before speeding away.

  The seconds ticked by as J?net remained bent over Tsukinoko, helpless. An idea occurred to her and her eyes immediately lit up.

  In one fell swoop, she withdrew her hands to summon one of her white snakes, skinned it and then pressed the slimy skin into the wound to fill the large wound before making a makeshift bandage with others. The bleeding had finally stopped and Tsukinoko regained her senses

  The horrified grimace on her face as she discovered skins covering her drew a laugh of relief from J?net, who hugged her with all his might. She had taken Tsukinoko on her back to get out of this hellhole quickly, as a distressing noise grew louder from the back of the clearing

  A horde of giant centipedes had come to devour the snake's carcass. Within seconds, the flesh had been eaten away. The insects straightened up in chorus, waving their antennae as if sniffing the air for food.

  - Run... Tsukinoko mumbles in understanding.

  The smell of Tsukinoko's blood interested them, spilled at the foot of the tree and dripping behind them. Greedy, they began to crawl towards them at full speed. As fast as J?net could run, the disgusting gigantic insects were hot on his heels.

  A tornado brought the horde to a screeching halt, sending them tumbling across the forest. Mai had arrived just in time, and while he gazed proudly at the stunned insects, Takeshi and Mikio arrived at full speed.

  - Ah!" laughs Mai proudly. You're too slow, I won that bet!

  - Now's not the time!" grumbles Takeshi.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  - Anyway," he says, turning around, "if I'd been waiting for you-

  He had turned as pale as a sheet, stammering as he pointed at J?net.

  - A fan- A fan-fan- A ghost! Die!" he shouts as he takes off.

  - I'm not a ghost, you idiot! she panics, trying to avoid his blows. And by what logic would you want to kill a ghost?! she screams.

  - You... surprised Takeshi. What are you doing here? I mean, how do you... Huh?" he grimaces. We thought you were dead!

  - In fact," she exclaims calmly, "it all started a month ago when-

  - Please J?net, settle down, would you like some tea too?" Tsukinoko suddenly mumbles. Would you like sugar?

  - Oh you have tea-

  - I'm going to die!" she screams, jerking around. Shut up, I want to go home!

  - Tsuki!" Mikio panicked as he went to see her.

  - Everything's fine," exclaims J?net proudly. "If you were dying, you wouldn't be screaming like that! Thanks to my snake skins you-

  - She put snakes in my lungs... she cries to Mikio. I'm cursed now!

  - J?net?!

  - Snakes? Hebimaru deserted Hanamaru, so you've become his spy!" exclaims Ma?, sure of himself. Or worse still, his reincarnation! Die!" he shouts, taking off.

  Tsukinoko was becoming nauseous from being tossed around on J?net's back as she jumped to avoid Ma?, but she abruptly let go of her before she could puke on her. The poor wounded woman bawled her eyes out in pain, while Ma? remained on guard in front of J?net, wary.

  Mikio wanted to carry Tsukinoko home, but found himself having to separate Ma? and J?net, who clashed in incomprehension. The zizanie of Tsukinoko's cries and J?net's cries of annoyance awakened the forest. Behind them, Takeshi watched helplessly, trying calm them down.

  - Take it easy... Ahoy, maties... Ahoy! Shut up!" he yells suddenly.

  His cry echoes throughout the forest, freezing his comrades in their tracks. Silence ensued and Takeshi rose triumphantly to his feet, but the ground began to tremble all around them. It was as if hundreds of footsteps were approaching, pounding the ground in their haste.

  A sigh of annoyance escapes from the bush where Furoggu was hiding, as the youngsters stare at Takeshi. Pale-faced as he realizes his mistake, he has no time to defend himself as a horde of centipedes, even larger than the previous one, charges furiously at them from deep in the forest.

  - Idiot! Tsukinoko rages at Mikio on the run. Talk about a rescue unit!

  - Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Why are you crying like that, you're not going to die, you're such a pain in the ass!

  - Now I do!" she cries, frightened. You're going to die too, well done!

  The gang would leap into the trees to escape the insects, which would wrap themselves around the huge trunks to reach them. Leaping from tree to tree, they narrowly avoided the insects that had climbed up to them, which fell back into the black wave on the ground, like a hungry tsunami.

  A fiery cloud covered the insects on the ground, before bursting into flames and charring them. The last ones perched in the trees fell back to roast in their turn. Ren and Hina had followed suit, accompanied by Yukihyō.

  - Just in time!

  - Hey," Ren sneers. How did you manage?

  - Takeshi!" they denounce in unison.

  - Traitors!

  - The first brigade wasn't enough, so I went for the adjutants, Yukihyō clarified to Tsukinoko.

  Ma?, Mikio and Takeshi turn and look at him sideways, annoyed, but without retorting, not very proud after their blunder despite their great willpower.

  Finally off the pitch, the youngsters caught their breath under the disillusioned gaze of Ren and Hina, who thanked the panther. J?net was still arguing with Tsukinoko, while keeping Ma? at bay.

  - A?e putain! she insists. Your rotting itch! Why did you curse me when I saved your life?!

  - You're not cursed shit!

  - That's right, we'll see when snakes come out of my eyes!

  Hina had come to calm Tsukinoko, who had taken refuge in her arms. On the way home, Ma? suddenly exclaimed.

  - So we're going to carry on as if it were normal for J?net's ghost to follow us? Can't you see it?

  Ren and Hina burst out laughing, but J?net took offense as Mikio and Takeshi analyzed him in turn from head to toe. The situation had finally been explained and tempers calmed over a bowl of noodles at Teuchi's for lunch.

  In the Chief's office, the gang bickered about who was to blame for this catastrophic episode, then the girls explained the evolution of the cursed brand once the boys had left.

  - I think we'll be okay now," Furoggu exclaims from behind the window.

  Tsukinoko winces and screams, pointing at him.

  - Hey, that old shnock! He's been staring at us for weeks! I was dying and he didn't do a thing Jījī

  - But no!" exclaimed Furoggu, jumping up beside the chief. I was only supposed to intervene in case of an overflow with the cursed mark.

  - The snake ate me!" Tsukinoko shouts. You perverted coward! You were watching and did nothing!

  - Because J?net managed to get over the mark in time," he says.

  - What about me?! You left me on the floor to die! You-

  - That's enough!" says Sh?d?.

  Her wrath shook the office furniture as soon as she entered the room, accompanied by Shizune. To sulk, Tsukinoko had sat on the floor with her back to them, arms crossed, right in the middle of the office. Furoggu sighed loudly, then approached J?net.

  - How does it feel? Do you think you can control her now?

  - Yes, Master Furoggu!" exclaims J?net.

  - Master?" mumbles Tsukinoko. Well, the trio's great... He gives me the creeps with his perverse smile," she grimaces, "that's not how I saw heroes, a disgusting monster, a screaming hysteric and an old pervert who doesn't give a damn, they-

  - Sh?d? takes offense.

  The Chief cleared his throat and changed the subject before Tsukinoko continued. J?net had been promoted to Adjutant, now that the cursed mark was under control. The Chief was giving details of her future orientation, within the brigade of military exam examiners. Delighted, the girls were about to leave, but Sh?d? called out to them.

  - You," she says to Tsukinoko, "what's on your chest? I had to resuscitate you when I got here.

  - Ah, that!" she wonders, remembering. It's J?net, she's put snakeskins on me!" she shouts confidently, ripping off the slimy bandage. I'm as good as new now!

  The Chief stood up abruptly, horrified to see Sh?d? through the gaping hole in his young disciple's chest. The latter was stunned as the bleeding had resumed and Tsukinoko fainted like a stone. Shizune rushed to her aid, while J?net screamed in panic.

  - Where did you find this pearl again?" Furoggu teases Haruo, leaning on the desk.

  The latter let himself fall back into his armchair, regaining his composure as best he could. J?net left to settle in at the Adjudants' watch station, and in turn came to fetch Tsukinoko when she was discharged from hospital, to go and have some fun with their friends, reunited once more.

  Sitting in the Academy's boardroom, the advisors, Sagi, the Chief and Shikaru were eagerly awaiting Tsukinoko. Tsukinoko grimaced as she arrived, but said nothing. The Chief gave her a long look as the advisors exchanged glances, then Shikaru sighed, crossing his arms hesitantly. The Chief jumps in before Sagi can speak.

  - Tsukinoko. The Hanamaru High Council would like to congratulate you on your discovery of the Hebimaru case. Your skills in shadowing, infiltration and identification were highlighted in this case. You now master three types of Chakra and have developed your own technique, something not everyone can do. However, because of your faults of late, the slightest deviation will be punished.

  - I know, I'd be banished," she said in a small voice.

  - You're on probation until the end of the year. You have succeeded in guiding J?net Mochi in his inner battle, making you eligible to become Adjutant. You'll be promoted in due course at the end of the year. If all goes well.

  Tsukinoko's eyes widen in surprise. Proud of this rise in rank she'd never expected, she overhears Sagi protesting in his corner, but Shikaru glares at him.