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

The rain stopped.

But the sky did not clear up.

That thick black curtain still hangs over Shibuya, swallowing up all light.

The streetlights on both sides of the street had long been turned off, with only the burning ruins in the distance providing a dim orange-red light source.

Liren stood in the middle of the broken crossroads, his chest heaving violently.

His school uniform was soaked in blood and mud, and the deep, bone-revealing wound on his left arm was slowly freezing.

That was the result of him forcibly stopping the bleeding with a coffin.

Every breath tasted rusty, and my lungs felt like they were being repeatedly cut by a dull knife.

"Rito-chan, you've gotten weaker."

The real person emerged from the firelight, a joyful smile on his face covered in stitches.

His right arm had fully recovered, and there was even a layer of magical energy covering the joints, similar to a carapace.

In the battle just now, Rito struck that arm three times with his withered and decaying weapon, but each time the real man used his transformation of non-action to adjust his soul structure in time, peeling off the decayed parts and regenerating them.

The person in charge did not answer.

"Or perhaps..." The real person's smile twisted, "...are you tired of being my toy?"

Before he could finish speaking, his right arm suddenly deformed.

The bone blade tore through the air, whistling sharply as it slashed straight at Rito's face.

Rito dodged to the side, the bone blade grazing his nose before slicing into the concrete wall behind him.

Debris flew everywhere, one of which struck his right shoulder, spraying blood everywhere.

"Too slow!"

Simultaneously, the real person's left arm changed, and a hammer-like fist swept in from the side.

Li Ren hastily crossed his arms to block.

boom!

A dull thud echoed through the street.

Rito was thrown back by the impact, his back slamming heavily into an abandoned car, leaving a dented human-shaped mark on the roof.

"Cough cough..." He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his vision blurred.

"Get up, Rito-chan!" Makoto's voice came from the front, trembling with excitement.

Rito struggled to his feet, bracing himself against the wrecked roof.

He glanced at his hands.

My arm was trembling slightly.

If this continues, he can only last three more minutes at most before his magical power is exhausted, and he will be killed by the real person like an ant being crushed.

"No, we must find a breakthrough."

Li Ren gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.

Compared to before, the real person has become much stronger, and has even developed a special way to deal with the decay of his own techniques.

Without special means, it would be difficult to cause him any harm.

Suddenly, scenes began to appear in his mind.

It was an afternoon not long after the exchange meeting ended.

Training ground for higher vocational colleges.

"Too slow!"

As Maki's voice exploded in his ear, a hand was already on his shoulder.

The next second, the world spun around.

Rihime's back slammed heavily onto the grass, letting out a muffled groan.

"Every time you make a move, you're thinking about 'how to hit him with the spell,' not 'how to actually hit him.'" Maki looked down at him, her tone merciless.

"Your technique is very powerful, but your body can't keep up with it."

Rito got up from the ground and brushed the grass clippings off his body.

"Then what should we do?"

"Forget about the spell for now," Maki said.

"Train your body to the point where you can react without thinking. Once you've achieved that, add the technique back in."

From then on, Rito would stay at the training ground for two extra hours every day.

Simple boxing, dodging, and footwork.

Repeat it again and again until the muscles memorize every movement, until the body can react automatically without the brain's commands.

Liren opened his eyes.

The real person was approaching again.

Bone blades, iron hammers, long whips—his arms constantly shifted forms, each strike carrying deadly precision.

The opponent dodges, blocks, and retreats.

Sweat mixed with blood dripped from his chin.

"Not enough, not enough, not enough!" The real person grew more and more excited with each attack, increasing the frequency of their attacks. "Rito-chan, is that all you've got?"

The person in charge did not answer.

He is feeling.

Feel your breath, feel the flow of incantation within your body, feel the contraction and relaxation of your muscles with each punch.

Just like during training.

Forget about the techniques, just focus on the body itself.

Then--

The moment the real person's bone blade slashed down again, Rito did not retreat.

He took a step forward.

This was an extremely unusual action. A normal person would instinctively retreat or dodge when they saw a blade coming at them, but Rito chose to meet it head-on.

A hint of surprise flashed in the real man's eyes, but the attack did not stop.

Just as the bone blade was about to sever Rito's neck, Rito turned to the side.

The blade grazed his collarbone, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his skin.

At the same time, his right fist was already brimming with power.

"It's not 'How do I hit him with the spell'...."

Li Ren muttered to himself.

"Instead, the first thing to do is 'how to hit him'."

A fist was thrown.

This was a pure, body-driven straight punch.

But it slipped right through the man's defenses and struck his ribs.

boom!

A dull thud exploded in the air.

The real person leaned back slightly, and the smile on their face froze for a moment.

"That punch...not bad." The real man licked his lips. "But brute force alone can't kill me."

Just as he was about to retaliate, Rito's second punch followed.

This time, the surface of his fist was enveloped in cursed power.

A deep blue light illuminated the dimly lit street.

The moment the fist struck the real man's chest, Rito felt a strange resonance.

It was as if the body and the power of the spell had reached perfect synchronization at this moment.

It's like two parallel rivers suddenly converging, creating towering waves at the same point.

scoff!

Black, lightning-like sparks burst forth on the surface of the fist.

"Oops!"

The real person's pupils suddenly contracted.

He wanted to back away, but it was too late.

The man's fist slammed solidly into his chest.

Bang--!!

The dull thud suddenly became sharp and piercing.

The real person was sent flying backwards, tumbling several times on the street before coming to a stop.

He struggled to lift his head, a trickle of black blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Wow--!"

A mouthful of blood gushed from his throat instantly. The man looked down at his chest.

There was a clear fist mark, and the surrounding skin was disintegrating, decaying, and turning into grayish-white debris at a visible speed.

That's the effect of decay.

But unlike before, this time, the decay was almost twice as fast.

"Black Flash...?"

The real person raised their head, and the smile on their face became somewhat distorted.

Li Ren ignored him and looked down at his right fist.

The lingering effect of black lightning still remained on the surface of his fist.

Black flash.

He really did it.

In that instant, the body and the power of the spell resonated perfectly, triggering a synchronization rate that could only exist in theory.

At the same time, with the black flash's blessing, the power of the withered spell was nearly doubled.

"As expected, Black Flash not only increases the physical damage of attacks, but also enhances the effects of spells."

Rito took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.

But this is not the time to be happy.

Although the real person's injuries were more severe than any before, this level of damage was not fatal to a top-tier cursed spirit.

"Rito-chan, you're really amazing."

The man stood up from the ground and dusted off his clothes.

The decay in his chest was still spreading, but he seemed completely unconcerned.

"You know what? It's been a long time since I've been injured this badly." He stretched his shoulders, his tone carrying a strange sense of satisfaction.

"So, to express my gratitude to you..."

His smile turned eerie.

"I should get serious."

Li Ren felt a chill run down his spine.

The next second, the real person raised his hands and formed a complex gesture in front of his chest.

His magical power began to rise at a terrifying speed, and the surrounding air began to tremble.

"Judging by the time, it should be about right."

The real man raised his eyes, and for the first time, genuine seriousness appeared in his pale white pupils.

"Domain Expansion—"

In the next instant, giant hands emerged from the void.

Layer upon layer, endless.

In less than two seconds, it completely covered everything around it, forming a perfect black sphere.

The rational person was swallowed up in it.

"—Self-isolation and stagnation."