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

"I wasn't the killer... I didn't massacre my own kind..."

Inside the narrow, cramped, dark room, countless incantations covered the walls like an ocean, and thick shimenawa ropes hung from the ceiling.

A dim lamp made of magical tools was arranged on the ground to form a simple array, and a mud-like spell mark pressed a girl down to kneel in the very center of the room.

A middle-aged man stood in front of her, his face shrouded in shadow. He was staring at Uryuu Kenko with a very cold gaze, and his gray pupils in the shadows looked quite eerie.

"Lord Fujiwara, I didn't kill the clan chief, it really wasn't me..."

With disbelief, Uruko tried her best to explain herself.

A few days ago, she escaped from the battlefield of the two-sided Su Nuo using magic. She was the only survivor of the two elite teams. She went to the chieftain's room to report what had happened.

Before she could even leave the Fujiwara clan's territory after giving her confession, a group of people rushed out, took her back, and said that she had killed the clan chief.

Uruko was imprisoned for several days, during which time she was filled with confusion. She couldn't understand who could attack Fujiwara no Michitaka in the family's territory, especially when there were so many guards there whose abilities were comparable to hers.

"I know you didn't kill him."

The man took a step forward, slowly lowered his head, and whispered in her ear, "Because I killed him."

Uruhiko suddenly raised her head, her lips trembling slightly, her eyes fixed on the face of the man in front of her.

"Did you intend to make me a scapegoat when you named me?"

The name was on the tip of her tongue, but as she tried to utter it, it threatened to tear her throat apart and draw blood.

"Your technique is about the sky... then I'll give you a name related to the sky, how about 'Uruhime Kenko'?"

She vaguely remembered the joy she felt when she received her name.

But she never expected that after finally escaping from the clutches of the two Sukuna, she would be accused of the sin of slaughtering her own kind by the person she respected most.

Details that had been unnoticed before surged and churned within the cracks of hatred, one by one, they emerged before my eyes.

Many mages joined the Sun, Moon, and Stars faction, so why did he alone appear before me?

What's so special about her?

Was this his intention from the very beginning? Otherwise, what would a mere ordinary bodyguard have to do with a noble family? Her status as captain of the Sun, Moon and Stars Squad and as Lord Alluka's bodyguard were bestowed upon her by them; there was nothing to care about.

Thinking of this, her face suddenly turned very pale.

"Looks like you're not entirely stupid."

The man reached out his cold palm and gently patted Uruhiko's head.

This sealing chamber is specifically used to imprison errant sorcerers within the family. No one can use spells here, so he is not worried about Uruhiko retaliating.

"Fujiwara!!!!!"

It was all a deception from the very beginning. A raging fire burned in her heart, and the desire to kill the person in front of her surfaced in Uruga Keiko's mind.

She wanted to reach out and twist the throat of the person in front of her, but because of the restraints, she was unable to take an inch when she was about to touch him.

The man smiled slightly, ignoring the hatred in Uruhiko's eyes. He turned and pushed open the door to the sealing chamber, leaving her with only a somewhat blurry silhouette.

*

"Lord Daoguang, will the shrine be angry if we do this?"

After leaving the sealing chamber, the man respectfully followed behind Fujiwara no Michimitsu. The two boarded an oxcart bearing the Fuji clan crest, their destination being the mysterious shrine in the suburbs.

Fujiwara no Michitaka, driven by inflated desires, had obtained everything he craved, but lately his gaze toward them had grown increasingly dangerous.

Being stared at with such gloomy eyes every day, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

Other families might not know the truth, but the Fujiwara family knew that many people under Fujiwara no Michizane's control existed in the imperial court.

Fujiwara no Michimitsu was terrified that one day his brother would make a wish to Nanika to turn him into a mindless plaything. So, taking advantage of the opportunity to subdue Ryoumen Sukuna, they framed an unimportant bodyguard for Fujiwara no Michitaka's death.

After Fujiwara no Michitaka's death, all the ministers who had followed his orders remained completely silent. Fujiwara no Michimitsu seized the opportunity to install the emperor's cousin on the throne and married his eldest daughter to him.

As for those puppets, those who needed to be killed were killed, and those who needed to be eliminated were eliminated, so there were no major mistakes.

Only after everything was settled did they visit the shrine's master.

At this moment, the black-haired boy was sitting upright under the eaves, with two monks dressed in dark yellow robes beside him, who were chanting the scriptures for the day with their eyes closed.

The black-haired boy was clearly not interested in the scriptures in his hand; his attention was entirely on the bells hanging under the eaves. The tassels hanging from the bells were covered with imperial coins, and when the wind blew, the bells made a clear and pleasant sound.

Upon seeing Fujiwara no Michimitsu and his entourage arrive, the two monks bowed slightly and withdrew.

"Lord Alluka, the clan chief passed away a few days ago. It was done by Uruhiko. We plan to execute her tomorrow."

As he finished speaking, Fujiwara Michimitsu silently observed the changes in the expression of the black-haired boy in front of him.

His feelings about Alluka's existence were rather complicated.

Although Fujiwara no Michitaka was completely transformed by his desires, Alluka's abilities were too unstoppable, and the Fujiwara family's development was inseparable from him.

"Oh, they are paying the price for their actions, and once they've paid it, they'll be happy."

Alluka tilted his head, his grey-blue eyes glancing at Fujiwara no Michimitsu. Those were pure eyes that seemed to see right through people's hearts, and Fujiwara no Michimitsu was momentarily dazed by his gaze.

He felt as if he had been completely seen through. In the sweltering evening, he didn't know when, but his back was covered in a layer of cold sweat.

"Lord Alluka... both of your family's elite forces have been annihilated by a monster. The Emperor intends to invite him to the Nirayama Festival in half a month. Could you and Lord Naniga eliminate him together on the day of the festival?"

Unlike Fujiwara no Michimitsu's impulsiveness, Fujiwara no Michimitsu did not intend to make extensive use of Alluka's abilities.

Over the years, with Fujiwara no Michitaka's continuous prayers, the search for offerings has become increasingly difficult, and there have even been occasional instances where they have inadvertently involved nobles.

Fortunately, Fujiwara no Michitaka wasn't too stupid back then and knew to find a scapegoat for his actions. However, none of them expected that Ryoumen Sukuna's abilities would be so unsolvable, and even after mobilizing so many of their family's elite forces, they still returned empty-handed.

The two-faced, four-armed monster is still approaching Heian-kyo. The newly enthroned emperor is terrified of it and doesn't even dare to preside over the Nijinsai festival, which is scheduled for half a month later.

Fujiwara no Michimitsu believed that if Lord Naniga intervened, he would surely slay the monster in Kyoto. Then, when they searched for a more hidden sacrifice, they would not disturb the nobles of Heian-kyo.

One thing that bothered him was that they didn't know the monster's name; Ryomen Sukuna was just a folk name for the monster.

The adult's ability is triggered by his name. In order to prevent the appearance of a second two-faced monster in the territory, he thought long and hard and decided to ask Lord Alluka to take action in the dark on the day of the New Tasting Festival.

With Naniga here, there's no worry about not being able to defeat that monster.

"OK."

Alluka raised her head slightly and slowly extended her hand to Fujiwara no Michimitsu as if embracing everything.