The cursed spirit shrieks as it’s torn apart, veins of shadows writhing in the air, scattering like dust in the late-afternoon light. You don’t register the sound right away. You’re too dazed, heart thudding hard against your ribs, breaths coming fast and shallow.

The ground beneath your feet is cracked, scorched from your own last-ditch technique. Your hands tremble where you’ve braced them on your knees. You don’t seen the second curse behind you, too slow, too off your rhythm, and it had lunges, claws ready, teeth glinting with malice.

But then there’s dark fabric, the whoosh of air, and a blur of dark hair.

Suguru.

You’re still catching up when you feel a hand grab the back of your uniform, tugging you in with one sharp pull and suddenly, you’re there, flush against his chest, arms tight around you as one of his cursed spirits claws the curse apart and exorcises it. Suguru breathes hard against your ear, his scent wrapping around you: clean earth, smoke, and something sharp beneath it. His cursed spirits hover around like watchful eyes in the trees, fading now that the danger’s gone.

"You okay?" Suguru breathes, voice low and out of breath, edged with adrenaline.

You blink up at him, lips parted, the flush in your cheeks blooming hotter now, not just from fear. His arms are still around you. You can feel the slow rise and fall of his chest, the tight, coiled muscle under his uniform. One of his hands is still gripping your waist, like he doesn’t trust the curse to stay dead unless you’re tucked right here.

"I—yeah. I think so," you manage, voice a little shaky.

Suguru lets out a breath, relief washing through his expression. And then he smiles, soft and wide, a little crooked from exertion, his bangs sticking to his forehead.

"Scared the hell outta me,” Suguru mutters, but it’s light. Teasing. Like he’s covering for the way his grip hasn’t loosened. Your heart stutters. You’re still pressed against Suguru, his robes brushing yours, his fingers splayed protectively along your lower back. It’s warm here. Safer than anywhere else in the forest.