The door closed softly behind Megumi. The metallic sound of the knob turning lingered for half a second, followed by the faint click of the lock.
Yuta descended the first step of the porch, hands in his pockets. The street was quiet, with only the distant hum of a television from another house and the rustle of leaves in the taller branches.
The goodbye kiss still lingered on his lips.
"See you tomorrow. At school."
Her words had been simple, but they left a genuine calm in his chest.
He took three more steps before stopping under the shade of a tree across the street. He glanced around to confirm no one was watching—just closed windows and the yellow glow of streetlights.
Then he took a deep breath.
'Let's see what you've got for me now…'
He closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, a translucent screen appeared in his field of vision. It floated silently, solid. Letters formed with a soft glow.
[📜 New Mission – Active Curse Extermination]
[⚠️ Category: Localized Threat]
[📍 Location: Northern Area of the School – Disused Gymnasium]
[🔺 Curse Type: Evolutionary Resentment – Self-Generated Dark Manifestation]
[📊 Danger Level: Semi Grade 2]
[📌 Objective:]
Neutralize the hostile entity completely before potential spiritual escalation.
[🎁 Primary Reward:]
+1 Physical Framework – Model: Marine Captain (Universe: One Piece)
→ Immediate physical enhancement
→ Potential for future unlocking of specific body-related techniques
[📌 Secondary Condition (Optional):]
Avoid human witnesses during mission execution.
[🕒 Time Limit: None]
[📎 Mission Status: Active]
Yuta stared at the screen for several seconds.
'Semi Grade 2…'
He knew what that meant. Curses like this didn't just kill—they learned. Evolved quickly. And worse, they could hide in plain sight if they wanted.
His mind was already mapping possibilities. The gym was isolated, dark, with little foot traffic. It would be the perfect battlefield.
But what really caught his attention was the reward.
Marine Captain physical model…
Yuta shifted his focus from the screen, letting the words linger at the edge of his vision. His memory conjured images—dense musculature, superhuman endurance, sharpened reflexes.
'With that body… I can level up across the board.'
'From there… techniques like Rokushiki or even Haki wouldn't just be distant ideas.'
It wasn't just raw power. It was a path forward. The system provided pieces—it was up to him to assemble them.
Yuta dismissed the screen with a subtle eye movement. He crossed his arms, staring at the ground for a moment, as if the concrete held hidden answers.
'But Semi Grade 2…'
It was a classification that demanded respect. Not a simple curse. Not like the minor spirits haunting alleys or fleeting apparitions in mirrors. This was real. Lethal. And intelligent.
The last time he faced something close to this, he was with Aika.
It was in the forest, in the early days. The curse hunted them among the trees, and he barely had time to react. He fled, carrying Aika in his arms, driven only by instinct and the anger of not being able to fight.
'If I had stopped… we would've died.'
He didn't recall the creature's details. Only the sound—cracking branches, a low growl, and the pressure in the air before it appeared.
This one… was different.
'If I take this thing out… and claim the reward…'
'With a Marine Captain's physique, I can go back to that forest.'
'Not to run… but to win.'
Yuta took another deep breath. The night air felt denser now, not from the weather, but from anticipation. The invisible weight that only came before a real decision.
He turned around.
There was no reason to head home anymore. No excuses. No distractions.
Now it was time to hunt.
His steps gained rhythm as he crossed the empty streets. The city seemed to sleep peacefully, oblivious to the fact that, hours ago, a student had been swallowed by a curse less than five hundred meters away.
His hands stayed in his pockets, but his senses were alert. The flow of cursed energy remained low, nearly imperceptible—but ready to ignite at any moment.
The school building loomed in the distance. The gym was farther back, near the old courts and the partially broken concrete fence.
Yuta moved along the school's side, avoiding cameras and direct light. He was alone. And that's how he preferred it.
'No pain, no gain.'
Yuta reached the back of the gym, where old concrete met packed dirt. The area was dark, uneven, and still heavy with a dampness, as if the environment itself were digesting what had happened there.
On the ground, nearly hidden among dry leaves and a piece of duct tape, a stain. Small but dense. Dark red, still fresh.
Yuta paused for a moment. He stared at the blood, eyes narrowed.
"Tomoya…?"
The question came in a weightless whisper, devoid of emotion. He didn't expect an answer. And its absence changed nothing.
'Maybe he died right here.'
'Or maybe he's inside that thing now.'
Either way, it didn't matter.
'Just another idiot who thought he could control others.'
He took three more steps, nearing the gym's side wall. That's when he felt it.
A ripple in the air. A vibrating density behind him, as if space had folded inward.
Yuta turned slowly.
And there it was.
The curse.
First, the eyes. Red glows lit in the dark, unblinking, soulless. Then, the outline. A large, twisted body, with cracked gray skin and features impossible to define as human or animal.
But what truly stood out was the shape of its head.
An elongated skull with a trunk. Tense muscles. Atrophied nostrils. Teeth too wide, like slabs of cracked marble. A grotesque hybrid of elephant, humanoid body, and something born from an asymmetrical nightmare.
"…An elephant? Seriously… what the hell."
Yuta didn't move his body.
He just tilted his neck slightly, analyzing.
'Big. Almost two and a half meters.'
'Crooked legs. But long arms. Above-average offensive reach.'
The creature took a step.
The sound of its paw hitting the ground echoed with a low thud, like a muffled drum.
Yuta didn't back away.
He felt the flow rise through his shoulders. Spiritual heat pressed against his muscles. His body didn't tremble—it responded. It was ready.
'Not the time to remember. Or hesitate.'
'I chose to come here.'
The curse opened its mouth.
The air around them seemed to compress for half a second—and then exploded.
"GUOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!"
The roar shook the space between them like an invisible impact. Dust rose from the cracked ground, dry leaves were blown away, and even the concrete fence let out a faint crack.
Yuta activated his Cursed Energy Flow.
Heat coursed through his nerves like liquid fire. Veins under his skin became visible for a moment, pulsing with a subtle glow. His muscles grew denser, his reflexes sharper, his senses… razor-edged.
The spiritual blade materialized in his right hand with a sharp, cutting sound, like metal vibrating in the air. It wasn't illusory—it was real, tangible, forged from pure energy shaped by will.
"Come on, you bastard."
Yuta's voice was low but clear. No shout. No tension. A cold sentence, heavy with certainty.
He took the first step forward.
The curse charged at the same instant.
Now it was combat.
The spiritual blade still hummed in his hand when everything fell silent for half a second.
Yuta blinked.
And the creature vanished.
In the next blink, a sound sliced the air—sharp, heavy, fast.
SHHHHHUUUMM!!!
The curse reappeared in front of him, its fist already in motion. A direct, powerful blow, no time to dodge. Yuta reacted on instinct. He crossed his arms in front of his face, planted his feet, and braced for impact.
BAM!!!
The sound of the collision echoed like a metallic drum. The ground cracked beneath Yuta's feet. His body was thrown back like a stringless puppet, slamming hard against the side wall of the gym's fence.
CRASH!!
The wall groaned with a deep crack. Concrete fragments broke free, and dust rose, shrouding everything in an opaque veil.
Yuta fell to his knees.
His arms, still crossed in front of his face, trembled.
The blade had vanished on impact.
"…nnnghh…"
He tried to stand, but his forearm muscles throbbed as if crushed. The energy still flowed, but his nerves screamed with pain.
"No pain… no gain…"
He took a deep breath, swallowing hard.
"No pain… no gain…"
He closed his eyes for half a second, trying to stifle the burning.
"…but did it have to hurt this much…?"
His body slumped slightly. He felt blood pulsing in his temples, each beat amplified by his hyper-alert nervous system.
The curse didn't wait.
Its shadow loomed again from the side of the field, dragging with the muffled sound of deformed paws crunching gravel.
Yuta drew in a sharp breath. His eyes opened, still red from the activated energy. The pain in his arms still screamed, but he didn't retreat.
'I can't stay on the defensive.'
'If I take another hit like that… my body won't hold up.'
He stood slowly, gritting his teeth. The spiritual blade reappeared—shorter, more compact, but sharp as a promise of death.
"So come again…"
The ground beneath his feet began to crack as cursed energy focused in his hips and heels.
This time, he would counterattack.
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