Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Laru and Manami, too, had solemn expressions.

The current situation seems to be worse than bad.

On the other hand, the sorcerers who were in the same situation as them showed a completely different excited expression.

"Aaaaaahh ...

"roar--"

The first screams began, startling everyone. Instinctively, everyone turned their gaze towards the direction from which the sound came. It was the cursed spirits, also imprisoned in this world, screaming in agony, their bodies engulfed in familiar flames.

Yes, it was the flames burning on the swords nearby. It must have been accidentally touched. Could this be the effect of the "Born Domain"?

As if encountering their nemesis, even a level one cursed spirit could not last more than a few seconds under such flames, while those with lower strength than level one could not even make contact before being vaporized and disappeared.

Everyone who was imprisoned and had relevant knowledge was stunned; they certainly knew what terrifying thing this was.

"Welcome to my world, everyone."

The Yue people's words were like the whispers of a demon to the curse masters; some of them were so drained of their strength that they collapsed to the ground, limp and powerless.

This is tantamount to saying it outright.

"field"

A personal ultimate technique in the world of sorcery. The principle of this technique is to use sorcery power to materialize the sorcerer's personal domain into reality and infuse it with a spell, thus constructing a domain in which the spell has been applied.

Within the area, you can receive a buff, and spells cast to apply the area will always hit.

Although it requires sufficient magical power, a high level of expertise in barrier magic, and a high level of understanding and mastery of one's own spells to activate, the spells will also experience negative effects such as temporary spell meltdown after activation.

However, that is something that should only be considered when facing an opponent who also possesses a domain-level advantage. In the current situation where neither side has been able to open another domain, who can destroy the power that is like another world in front of them?

Even their leader, Xia Youjie, couldn't use this top-tier power related to the core of magical energy. How could they, as mere little Karami, possibly escape from such a world?

Simple Domain? Don't be ridiculous. That's a closely guarded secret kept by certain families. How could it possibly be available to people like them?

On the other hand, the sorcerer's heart skipped a beat at this sudden turn of events. After seeing the cursed spirit burned away and realizing that this was a domain opened up by friendly forces, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Is this his birthplace? A world of swords and flames... and these things... are surprisingly 'heavy,' I wonder what their effects are."

She casually picked up a sword from beside her and immediately realized it was a fine weapon, one that could fetch a good price, and whose power even tempted her. Yet, this very weapon was simply stuck carelessly into the mound...

"Big sister, what does 'heavy' mean?"

Youyou, who also drew a sword, didn't feel anything special about it except that it was a good sword.

Mingming smiled slightly. It's no wonder Youyou couldn't sense it. If she weren't someone with such keen observation skills, she probably wouldn't have noticed it either. Every sword here was wrapped with some kind of aura, something that made her feel "weight". These swords were not just simple weapons conjured by magical power, or even just real weapons.

She didn't know what it was, but she could sense a threat. If this thing were to be unleashed, the destructive power it would cause would be unimaginable.

And these kinds of weapons are everywhere in the mountains!

Unbeknownst to them, it was the "karma" attached to each weapon.

Each knife carries a piece of history, a story, and a massacre.

Some blades have killed one person, some have killed a hundred people, some have killed an entire city... Those "karma" are solidified in the blade, quietly staying here.

In a world filled with mystery, "history" can become a source of power. For example, even an ordinary weapon, if used to accomplish some extraordinary feat and then passed down and celebrated throughout the world, will eventually become a true "divine weapon."

For example, the Holy Lance Longinus was named after the lance that pierced Jesus; or some weapons gained the power to "slay dragons" after assassinating emperors, that is, the power to attack those in power.

This is a different kind of power from the cursed power of this world.

To use another familiar term, each sword here is a Noble Phantasm that can unleash special power after its true name is invoked.

(It's strange, what kind of place is this that can imprison so many people at the same time...)

Meanwhile, Moth, a seasoned sorcerer, immediately noticed many other problems. Regardless of the effects of this field, the world itself was somewhat strange. There were at least several hundred cursed spirits scattered throughout the city. How did he manage to pull them all in?

(If we're talking about coverage area, this capture area is too huge, even five domains couldn't achieve this, so who exactly is he...?)

Before he could react, another anomaly occurred.

With a soft snap of his fingers from the boy in the center, all the swords stuck in the mound trembled and flew up.

Unlike the cursed spirits who were still unaware of the situation, the curse masters with their own thoughts felt a chill run down their spines. They seemed to understand what the true spells of this field were, but this was far too terrifying.

Countless swords rose from the ground in accordance with the expectations of the Yue people, pointing their sharpest edges directly at those whom the Yue people regarded as threats.

The next moment, a sword tide of slaughter, like ten thousand swords returning to their origin, ensued.

Countless swords formed a torrent, attacking all the cursed spirits that the Yue people considered enemies.

Like being bombarded by countless Barrett rifles, the once dense and terrifying swarms of cursed spirits were now like tofu meeting a kitchen knife, instantly blasted into mincemeat under this onslaught, without any suspense, and in the end, they didn't even have time to dissipate naturally.

"Yue people, spare those curse masters."

Moth shouted hastily. In his view, the situation was now settled, so keeping these guys alive might be more valuable, even if they could be used to restrain the yet-to-appear Xia Youjie.

After all, Xia Youjie had noticed before that he cared a lot about these people, so they had additional value.

The Yue people did not respond, but the visible torrent of steel did not overwhelm the curse masters.

The moth breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

The curse casters were so frightened they dared not move, a tactic that saved their lives. Of course, there was nothing that could be done about the few who ran off and were accidentally killed.

The clash of swords and the chilling glint of steel seemed to pierce through their bodies and into their souls, subjecting these disgusting madmen to the scorching heat of their very being.

It was the same flame as the one the Yue people used during their trials, but unlike the Yue people, for them, whose will was consumed by desire, the power of this steel and flame made their souls feel as if they had been thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil in hell, and even a single glance would subject them to unimaginable torture.

Thus, in less than half an hour, the crisis of the Tokyo Night Parade of One Hundred Demons was completely resolved.

And the name of the rising star Kawasaki Koshito became known in the world of sorcery. With his powerful combat strength, special talents, and unprecedented bizarre domains, a new "Special Grade" sorcerer who was not officially recognized was born.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Not long ago, a vocational college.

For Xia Youjie, the initiator of the war, returning here was like coming home. The barrier spells of those high-level pawns were as simple as children playing house in front of him, and they had remained unchanged for years, which had made Xia Youjie lose the desire to show his disappointment.

After taking down a few half-monkeys, Xia Youjie headed towards the dormitory. Through the intelligence transmitted from inside, he knew exactly where Yigu Youtai was at that moment.

Ah, what need is there for such a corrupt system to exist?

At that moment, he suddenly thought of Riko Tennen, the girl who died in front of him. Her death seemed so ridiculous in the face of this reality.

He casually set up an "account".

Although it might alert the people inside, it doesn't matter. It doesn't conflict with his purpose, or rather, he wants the people inside to know that he's here. Ideally, Yi Gu should come too, so he won't waste time looking for him.

Xia Youjie walked on the familiar stone path, his pace unhurried, with a kind and benevolent expression.

The trees on both sides swayed in the night wind, and their shadows swayed with them. He looked up at the moon in the sky, which was so round it was blinding.

It was a dark and windy night, perfect for bloodshed, but the darkness seemed to be man-made.

"stop."

The sound came from the side.

Xia Youjie stopped and turned his head away.

The panda stood at the edge of the tree's shadow, its body slightly leaning forward, its arms hanging naturally at its sides—a posture ready to pounce at any moment. On its hands, it wore an inconspicuous glove.

Standing next to him was Dog Roll, who, like the one he had observed last time, covered the lower half of his face with a special mask, his exposed eyes intently staring in their direction.

"Why aren't you asleep so late?"

Xia Youjie smiled. "Are the rules at vocational colleges this lax?"

"It was just daytime a moment ago. Who with a brain would believe such nonsense?" The panda took a step forward. "This is not a place for you."

"I'm here to find someone." Xia Youjie said kindly, putting his hands into his sleeves. "I'm looking for Lord Yiguyou."

He doesn't want to see you.

"Really? But I'm sorry, I'm not asking for your opinion."

The two of them instantly tensed up.

As the two most reliable people in their grade besides Yue Ren, they were trusted by Gojo Satoru, so he informed Xia Youjie in advance that he might attack the high school and Yigu. Afterwards, the two clearly expressed their willingness to stay and act as guards, so they rushed to the scene as soon as they sensed the intrusion.

Xia Youjie looked at them, his smile unchanged.

"Get out of my way," he said. "I don't want to lay a hand on you."

"That's not up to you."

The panda charged forward first, moving much faster than an ordinary sorcerer, its footsteps echoing with a muffled thud. It swung its right arm, its fist coated in magical energy, and its gauntlets, imbued with this energy, instantly transformed into massive steel claws, slamming down with its full weight towards Xia Youjie's head.

Xia Youjie turned to the side.

The panda's fist grazed his ear, missing its mark, but the force of the punch slammed into the tree trunk behind him, snapping the thick tree in two and sending splinters flying.

"Not bad strength." Xia Youjie took a step back.

He raised his hand.

Panda tried to pull back his fist, but it was too late. Xia Youjie was much faster than him, and his fist had already hit Panda's chest. Panda let out a muffled groan.

The panda flew out, crashed through two walls, and was buried inside by the broken bricks.

"Flatten it!"

Dog Roll's voice came from behind him. Xia Youjie felt a sudden, heavy force strike his head, and the next moment he disappeared into the suddenly appearing giant crater.

"Is it resolved?"

"Mentaiko (It feels so real!)"

"Great, that should solve Yigu's problem. The things the Yue people gave us are really powerful. Normally, you would have lost your ability to fight after this."

"Salmon (yes)!"

"What are you two doing here? Someone has raised a 'tent,' is this an intrusion?"

The two turned around and saw Maki standing in the middle of the road, holding a naginata. She seemed to have just noticed the situation and rushed over.

Just as the two were about to greet each other, they noticed that Maki's expression gradually changed from confusion to horror, as if she had seen something incomprehensible... Hahaha, what a coward! What could be so frightening behind them...?

"Run!"

The next moment, the two turned around sharply and saw Xia Youjie, a man standing on the head of a cursed spirit exuding a terrifying aura, with a ferocious smile on his face.

"That's really impressive!"

A moment later, Yi Gu, who had rushed over, witnessed a scene that he could hardly believe.

His friends, who used to laugh and talk with him and care for him, were all lying in pools of blood. Maki's leg was crushed, Panda's body was almost gone, and Inu-maki was lying on the ground with his face covered in blood. In the center of his vision, a man he had seen once was tidying up his clothes, which were covered in dust. Several strange-looking cursed spirits guarded him.

Xia Youjie was extremely excited at this moment because he was moved. Just now, he witnessed the potential of the sorcerers he had been pursuing. In order to protect their companions, the sorcerers fought with all their might against him, an enemy, and even exceeded their own limits, posing a considerable threat to him, a special-grade sorcerer. It was amazing. If everyone were a sorcerer who thought of their companions like this, what a wonderful future this world would be... Therefore, all monkeys should die.

Sensing Yigu's approach, he spoke.

"The world I longed for is right before me. I'm sorry, Yigu, I actually hoped you could live, but it's all for the new world, so please die."

As he finished speaking, the boy opposite him, who had gathered his companions together and used the Reversal Technique to heal them, finally raised his head. In his eyes was anger and a tempered will.

The serious injuries to his companions made him realize the cruelty of reality. Now, someone needs to stand up and completely defeat this guy in front of him.

Xia Youjie noticed that the boy's eyes were different now.

His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils were shrunken, and his cursed power overflowed from his body, twisting into visible shapes around him.

"Urika!"

Accompanied by his shout, the terrifyingly imaginary cursed spirit, Rika Kimoto, reappeared behind the boy.

"I'm going to kill you!"