Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

The signal to start the team battle exploded in the sky above the forest, and a white curtain of magical energy slowly unfolded, enveloping the entire area.

As soon as the signal sounded, the man took a step.

Instead of rushing into the depths of the forest, he first checked the status of the communication equipment and then quickly scanned the surrounding terrain.

In early winter, the forest is dense with tree trunks, and fallen leaves form a thick layer underfoot, making a soft, crunching sound when you step on them.

This type of ground is not suitable for concealing movement patterns, but conversely, others cannot hide either.

"Kuzan, Toudou's target is definitely you. You should be aware of that."

Fu Hei's voice came through the communication channel, his tone as calm as ever.

Don't worry.

There was no nervousness in Haddō's voice; instead, there was a hint of anticipation.

"The rest of you should disperse into pre-arranged groups, hunt down cursed spirits to establish a score advantage, and avoid direct confrontation with people from Kyoto."

After Fuhei finished speaking, two confirmations came through the communication channel.

Li Ren didn't speak in the channel; his group was operating independently.

This was a suggestion made by Fukuro before the match.

Li Ren's techniques are most efficient in single combat, and the Kyoto Academy has almost no information about him.

Rather than having him bind his actions to his teammates and expose his information, it's better to let him roam freely within the area as a free unit, providing support as needed based on the battle situation.

"Rin." Fu Hei called out to him in the channel.

"I'm listening."

"be safe."

"understood."

Li Ren replied briefly, then turned off the continuous receiving mode of the communication, leaving only the emergency call channel open.

He moved in a northeast direction, at a moderate pace.

The fallen leaves underfoot made a rhythmic rustling sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet forest.

He did not deliberately conceal his voice, because under these terrain conditions, it was impossible to completely erase his tracks.

Instead of wasting energy on walking silently, it's better to focus your attention on sensing the power of the spell.

His magical perception spread forward, covering a range sufficient for him to detect ambushes in advance without consuming too much magical power.

The area ahead is 'clean', with no signs of any cursed spirits or remnants left by the sorcerer.

After walking for about five minutes, the first cursed spirit appeared next to the first abandoned power distribution room.

It was a level two fly-head-shaped cursed spirit, curled up behind the rusty iron door of the power distribution room, its body somewhat deformed by the space of the power distribution room.

Its reaction was quick; it sensed the threat as soon as Liren entered within ten meters and pounced on him.

The rational approach did not slow down.

The moment the level-two fly-head-shaped cursed spirit pounced, his body shifted half a body length to the left, and the cursed spirit's claws grazed his sleeve.

Immediately afterwards, Rito's right fist, imbued with azure cursed power, pierced into the cursed spirit's head from the side.

boom!

With a muffled thud, the cursed spirit's body froze in mid-air for a moment.

Then the entire head exploded like a crushed egg, and the purplish-black debris splattered onto the rusty iron door of the power distribution room, making a hissing corrosion sound.

One fatal blow!

Rito withdrew his fist and shook off the remaining filth from his hand.

When he first entered the academy, he might have needed to put up a fight against level two cursed spirits, but after months of training and two real battles at the steel mill and Scorpion Village, opponents of that level no longer posed a threat.

The communication channel remained silent at this moment, with the occasional muffled sounds of clashing magical energy coming from the distant forest, presumably indicating that one of the groups had already engaged in combat with the Kyoto school.

Liren had no intention of going to provide support.

His greatest asset right now is his intelligence advantage.

The people at the Kyoto school don't know his background, so he might give them a big "surprise" later.

After resting for a moment, Rihito continued moving northeast.

The second cursed spirit appeared on the roof of an abandoned tool shed, in lizard form, and was at the near-level one.

Without hesitation, Rito rushed forward again.

Just like before, it was a crushing defeat without any suspense.

Then came the third, then the fourth, and the battle became increasingly fluid.

Meanwhile, the score was quietly accumulating and steadily rising.

But his mind wasn't entirely focused on the hunt.

While exorcising the cursed spirits, the rational person's thoughts did not stop.

"The real person should have already infiltrated the college. Although Mr. Gojo is aware of the risks, it's unclear what he will choose."

"While it's very likely that he'll be sitting in the meeting, just like in the original story, it's also possible that he'll personally stake out the warehouse."

"If Gojo-sensei were to go there in person, Masato might be in trouble."

"But if we don't take it seriously and send others to monitor it, then it's only a matter of time before the real person gets the item."

Thinking this, Rito pushed aside a drooping, withered branch in front of him, without stopping.

"And there's something very important: if the plot doesn't go too far off track, Hana should still appear in this forest."

The thought of Hua Yu made him slow down his actions by a beat.

"Hana-no-Kami is a Special Grade opponent, not someone I can face head-on right now. Although there are still Itajō and Tōdō in the forest, I can't give advance notice of this, otherwise I can't explain the source of this information."

Li Ren's brows gradually furrowed.

If you want to keep Hanae, notifying everyone is the best option.

However, doing so carries a great risk; a slight misstep could expose his identity as a time traveler.

This is his biggest secret, and it must never be revealed.

Therefore, pass!

"I need a natural trigger point, a signal that everyone can perceive."

Until then, we can only wait.

As he pondered, the fifth cursed spirit emerged from under the pile of dead leaves, its six segmented limbs thrusting out simultaneously.

Li Ren did not dodge; the withered spell was released from his palm and struck the cursed spirit's shell.

The decay rate was almost twice as fast as it was two months ago; the outer shell became brittle within two seconds and was then shattered by the cursed power.

He withdrew his hand and adjusted his breathing.

"It's so frustrating. I know everything, but now I can only wait here."

"In the end, it's still too weak."

Rito sighed softly, then continued on his way.

At that moment, the sense of magical power ahead suddenly reacted.

Li Ren paused in his steps.

It is a mixed signal.

There was the aura of a cursed spirit, as well as the remnants of a sorcerer's cursed power, and there was more than one of them.

The cursed spirit reacted very strongly, at least to level one, or even close to level one.

The sorcerer's remnants were scattered around the cursed spirits, as if they were engaged in battle.

"Is anyone there?"

Thinking it over, Rito narrowed his senses further and quickly identified the affiliation of one of the streams.

It's Kugizaki.

Another, even more potent curse was approaching at high speed from a more distant direction, carrying undisguised hostility.

Kugizaki is bearing the pressure alone.

The near-level one cursed spirit reaction was still lingering within her combat range.

Li Ren looked up, and a few rays of clean sunlight pierced through the gaps in the tree canopy.

A muffled explosion came from afar, startling a flock of birds into flight.

He stopped hunting, channeled his magical power into his legs, and instantly sprinted off in that direction.