Boom. Boom.
The pitch-black cave was repeatedly illuminated by bursts of fire.
"Incinerate!"
Flames gathered in Yamamoto's hand, spreading out in a cone that scorched the ground.
More than a dozen Shadow Crocodile Cursed Spirits slithering across the floor were instantly reduced to ashes by the searing blaze.
"Damn it, how many more are there?"
"There shouldn't be many left."
Behind him, Kanzaki continued chanting blessings, strengthening Yamamoto's flames.
Crackle.
The sound of fire echoed through the cave as Yamamoto held up a small orb of flame in his left hand.
"Heh, this is endless. Can you keep up, Kanzaki?"
Yamamoto clicked his tongue in frustration as the shadows kept multiplying.
"I won't collapse before you do."
Kanzaki's tired but steady voice gave Yamamoto a flicker of reassurance.
In a life-or-death battle, knowing someone had your back was no small comfort.
"Hissss."
A deeper, heavier hiss reverberated through the cavern.
A massive figure emerged from the darkness, its presence radiating despair.
The creature was dozens of meters long, its lower body lined with fins shaped like blooming petals. Its entire body was covered in eyes—hundreds of them—glinting in the dim light.
Unlike the other pitch-black Shadow Crocodiles, this one's scales shimmered faintly with distorted colors beneath the darkness.
It was unsettling, as if someone had tried to paint "colorful black."
"Is that... the real body of the Shadow Crocodile Cursed Spirit?"
Yamamoto's voice trembled slightly.
"Hey, Yamamoto, look near its tail."
Kanzaki pointed toward the creature's rear.
There, a bulge began to form.
Pop.
A pustule burst open, revealing another eyeball on the creature's body.
Both men froze when they recognized it.
It was the same eye as the Cursed Spirit they had been tracking earlier.
"Hey, Kanzaki."
"What?" Kanzaki looked at him, equally tense.
"We need to run."
"What?"
"What do you mean 'what'? Exorcising a monster like this isn't our job. We've got the intel. Do you want to die here?"
Yamamoto's shout snapped Kanzaki out of his daze.
"What do we do?"
"I remember one of your Techniques hits especially hard against Cursed Spirits, right?"
"Yes, but it only targets one enemy, and the cost is huge. I can only use it once a day."
"Then this is the time. Hit that thing with everything you've got. I'll clear a path with Incinerate. Once I do, run. Don't look back."
"Got it."
Kanzaki nodded firmly. With a plan, some of his fear faded.
The surrounding shadows crept closer, and Yamamoto's flames burned brighter.
"So it really does hate light. Makes sense—it's a shadow, after all."
Yamamoto muttered, trying to keep his nerves steady.
To the Shadow Crocodiles, the two Sorcerers were already prey. They simply hadn't decided when to strike.
"Divine Revelation."
"Spirit Radiance."
"Heaven's Punishment."
As Kanzaki chanted, Yamamoto unleashed a wave of fire to repel another incoming attack.
"Judgment!"
Blinding lightning formed in Kanzaki's hands and shot forward, striking the Shadow Crocodile's true body head-on.
"Run!"
Yamamoto swung his arm, his flames bursting into a blazing corridor of light.
Kanzaki followed behind, his body aching and lungs burning as they sprinted toward the cave's exit.
But before they could reach it, the entrance darkened. Pitch-black shadows spread across the opening, sealing them inside.
"This can't be real."
Kanzaki's voice cracked with despair.
Behind them, the giant Shadow Crocodile split open vertically from its head, revealing a massive mouth.
The last thing they saw was the endless darkness rushing toward them.
Squelch.
Then, silence.
The cave was quiet once more.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned village not far away, another battle raged.
A grotesque Cursed Spirit crouched low to the ground, its limbs twisted like an insect's, its neck long and worm-like. A pained human face struggled to emerge from its fanged mouth.
Facing it stood a young girl dressed in blue ethnic clothing.
"Damn it, my tuning fork."
Shijima Naji cursed under her breath.
She had been ambushed while resting in this deserted village, and her ancestral cursed tool had been knocked from her hand.
Now, using only her sword, she fought desperately against the Cursed Spirit's relentless attacks.
Its worm-like neck struck like a whip while its insectoid legs slashed from every direction.
"This can't go on."
Naji gritted her teeth, searching for an opening.
Dodging another lunge, she sprinted toward a nearby building.
Rumble.
The creature's long neck smashed through the two-story house like a wrecking ball.
Through the dust, Naji rolled and lunged forward, breaking through the monster's defenses.
She grabbed her tuning fork from the debris and struck it against her sword.
Ding–mm.
The vibration created a strange sound that froze the Cursed Spirit mid-motion.
"Huff, huff... I won."
Panting, she raised her sword to finish the job.
But before she could strike, the Cursed Spirit's body twitched. Its resistance flared, breaking free from the tuning fork's effect.
The worm-like head lashed forward again.
"Ah!"
The impact sent Naji flying backward. Her sword blocked the bite just in time, or she would have been torn apart.
"Damn it, why?"
"Probably the Rank."
A calm male voice came from behind her.
"Huh?"
She turned to see a young man in a black school uniform standing casually nearby.
"The higher the Rank of the Cursed Spirit, the higher its resistance to Techniques. That's common sense, isn't it?"
Eichi looked down at her with a faintly puzzled expression, then extended his hand.
Naji hesitated, but instinctively reached out.
At that exact moment, the Cursed Spirit lunged again.
"How unromantic."
Eichi sighed in annoyance.
From above, a massive ancient beast descended, landing with earth-shaking force.
Qiongqi crushed the Cursed Spirit underfoot, unmoved by its thrashing.
"Deal with it."
Eichi's calm command echoed.
Qiongqi opened its maw and bit off the creature's head in one clean motion.
Naji stared blankly at the sight.
It felt unreal, like something straight out of a legend.
"Don't just sit there. Come on."
"Huh? Where are we going?"
"To bathe and change, of course. Or do you plan to go home looking like that?"
At the mention of "bath" and "home," Naji's cheeks flushed slightly, but after a moment, she nodded.
Eichi was right, after all.
So, still blushing faintly, she followed him.
(To be continued.)