Curse Returns: What did the human-shaped wishing machine do wrong this time?

"..."

In the dimly lit Japanese-style room, a black-haired boy with an immature appearance knelt on the floor, playing with a small, colorful ball. His snow-white undershirt was stained with large patches of dried blood.

Just as he was having a good time entertaining himself, hurried and disorderly footsteps came from the doorway.

Several uninvited guests pushed open the door without a second thought, their armor and weapons clanging as they moved.

"?"

Somewhat confused, Alluka stopped what she was doing and looked up, only to find herself staring into the leader's icy blue, diamond-like eyes, which seemed to hold a divine quality.

"Did you kill someone here?"

Unlike the other fully armed people, the young man in the lead held a folding fan, and his long white hair slid down his shoulders, giving him the elegant air of a noble young master.

"The older brother with white hair?"

Upon seeing him, Alluka's soft little face blossomed into an innocent and adorable smile.

"...Who is this?"

The white-haired boy was not fooled by his smile, but pointed to a solidified, reddish-black humanoid mass beside the bed.

Actually, the room didn't smell good, or rather, the entire Sugawara residence didn't smell good.

Upon hearing of the dramatic changes in his family, he rushed back from out of town immediately.

After seeing the dead bodies clearly, he immediately thought of the child who had come over and seemed a bit strange.

And indeed, his eyes saw that the cursed spirit power on the child had become more solidified.

And the more fragmented remains of the body in this room, more than the other corpses, made it hard for him not to be suspicious.

"Um?"

Alluka didn't respond to him, but blinked in confusion, as if she didn't understand what he was saying.

"Go check it out!"

The white-haired youth gave instructions to the tall, burly warrior beside him.

"Yes, sir."

The samurai hiding behind the rattan armor didn't look too good, mainly because the person had died in such a fragmented way that they had no idea who the real person was.

But there are always exceptions; they actually found some clues during their visits with the remaining servants.

"Kentaro Sugawara, Sugawara Ichika's cousin, went to the child's room a day ago, and shortly afterward, more than a hundred members of the Sugawara family died at the same time."

The white-haired boy stood before the head of the Sugawara family and reported the results of his investigation.

Upon hearing that somewhat jarring name, his snow-white eyebrows furrowed.

"Father, didn't you take that child seriously? Didn't I say he has a special-grade companion spirit? And Sugawara Kazukazu's matter is also related to him."

He truly couldn't understand how such a major incident could still occur in his family when he had already written a letter explaining everything clearly.

Although the main branch of the Sugawara clan did not suffer too much loss, and the important members of the family were still alive, the deaths of so many people were enough to make their family lose face in Heian-kyo.

"This matter was assigned to the Third Elder, who was also one of the people who died this time."

The head of the Sugawara family coughed lightly and turned his face away somewhat uncomfortably.

He really didn't want to admit that the family suffered such a great loss because of his own negligence.

"Jue'er, one of the palace maids has died after being turned into a rope doll. I heard that Her Majesty the Empress was so frightened by this that she fainted. This matter has even alarmed the monks of Todai-ji Temple..."

Compared to the branch families and servants who had died, the head of the Sugawara family felt that this matter was worse.

The ladies-in-waiting beside the Empress in the palace were all noble ladies selected from various aristocratic families. It is said that the lady-in-waiting who died was selected by the Fujiwara family.

If they were to investigate the number of rope people's deaths alone, the Sugawara family would be implicated, and they couldn't possibly kill the child and hand him over.

This matter is now beyond redemption.

Sugawara Satoru let out a long breath, pressed his aching brain nerves, and agreed.

"I understand, Father."

*

The child's background is now unknown, and it's unclear where Sugawara Kazuka found him.

The problem now lies in the power of that cursed spirit.

Sugawara Kazukazu's body has been infused with several times the amount of cursed power of an ordinary person, and he is currently causing trouble in the Mutsu direction, and no one can do anything about him.

Kentaro Sugawara was just an old man with no real abilities. What was the connection between his death and the other people?

The child didn't answer anything yet. The only difference was that he had asked the child with the ice manipulation ability, and also asked for his own name.

The other child is probably dead. Is there anything wrong with the name?

Sugawara Satoru believed in his judgment; perhaps the name held some important significance for the cursed spirit attached to that child.

He did not intend to use his own name for experiments.

Just as he was about to instruct his attendant to tell him the child's name, a gatekeeper came to report that the master of the Hoke-do Hall of Todai-ji Temple had arrived.

"..."

Sugawara Satoru felt that the current situation was absolutely terrible.

Before they could find anything out, the temple's master arrived.

Todai-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple that originated in Nara and is one of the four great temples that protect the country. The principal image enshrined in the Hokke-do Hall is the "Amoghapasa Kannon". Hokke-do Hall is also known as "Amoghapasa-do".

The temple is full of eminent monks who have practiced for many years. Sugawara no Kaku thought these masters would be in the palace to exorcise evil spirits for the Empress, but he didn't expect them to find him at the palace so quickly.

"I'm coming right away."

He rubbed his temples and gave the order.