Chapter 147
"Hah..."
The instant the pure blue energy entered his eyes, Kiriya nearly groaned.
The sensation was difficult to describe. It was like running a marathon beneath the blazing midsummer sun, reaching the point of collapse, then stepping into a cool room and drinking fresh spring water.
It lasted only a moment, but the feeling burned itself into his memory.
More importantly, he could sense a change in his Sharingan.
The increase was tiny, almost impossible to notice, but there was no mistaking it.
His ocular power had grown!
"I knew it."
Kiriya opened his eyes and stared into the distance, excitement spreading across his face.
"This world is perfect for me."
Cursed spirits were creatures made from cursed energy.
Cursed energy itself was born from the negative emotions of human beings.
In terms of the Naruto world’s system, it was a form of spiritual energy—one of the essential components used to create chakra.
The Sharingan was said to awaken and evolve through gaining love and losing it, but the real cause was the special chakra produced when the user experienced intense emotional changes.
After reading the Second Hokage’s research notes on chakra and considering Hestia’s advice, Kiriya had formed a theory.
That special chakra was most likely a highly refined form of spiritual energy.
If he could not generate enough of it through his own emotional experiences, then perhaps he could absorb it from an outside source instead.
And cursed spirits were essentially masses of cursed energy—in other words, condensed spiritual energy.
Cursed spirits usually formed in places where human fear, grief, hatred, and memory had gathered over long periods.
Because of that, their bodies often contained a small amount of highly concentrated energy hidden among the impurities.
That pure essence was exactly what the Sharingan needed in order to grow.
In most worlds, spiritual energy like this would simply scatter and disappear without leaving a trace.
But the laws of this world allowed it to gather, take shape, and remain behind.
To Kiriya, that made the entire world a treasure vault.
One that existed for him alone.
Even these weak cursed spirits had produced a noticeable change in his eyes. What would happen if he absorbed hundreds of them? Thousands?
Tens of thousands?
And what if he absorbed the essence left behind by a few special-grade cursed spirits?
How far could his Sharingan evolve?
Three tomoe?
Mangekyō?
Perhaps even the Eternal Mangekyō?
"Keha.. KEHAHAHAHAHA..."
The future looked so bright that Kiriya could not stop a wicked grin from spreading across his face!
"No, no. I’m supposed to be one of the good guys!"
He caught himself, forced the grin away, and replaced it with the sunny smile of a perfectly innocent young man.
Then he headed toward the rooftop door.
He could already sense several more cursed spirits inside the building, and he was eager to continue his meal.
Just as he stepped into the stairwell, however, he stopped.
A low vibration passed through the air.
Kiriya turned and looked up.
A black point had appeared high above the school.
Like a drop of ink spreading through clear water, it quickly expanded across the sky. Darkness poured down from it, forming a vast barrier that enclosed the entire school.
The bright, peaceful campus was swallowed in shadow, instantly taking on the oppressive atmosphere of a horror film.
"A Curtain."
Kiriya studied the darkened sky.
"Looks like some jujutsu sorcerers have arrived. I wonder who—"
Then he slapped his forehead.
"Why am I standing here thinking about it? If I’m too slow, they’ll steal all my kills!"
He immediately rushed into the building.
...
Outside the school, a thin man with the exhausted face of an office worker being slowly murdered by his job stood in front of two figures.
"Panda-san, Maki-san, your mission is to exorcise the cursed spirits inside the school. If possible, please also rescue the missing children."
Kiyotaka Ijichi was carefully repeating the mission details.
"Yeah, yeah, we heard you."
Maki Zenin impatiently waved him off.
Her green hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she carried herself with the confidence of someone who was already tired of standing around.
"How many times are you going to repeat it? My ears are starting to hurt."
"We should get inside before those kids finish being digested."
"I apologize. Maki can be a little blunt, but she means well."
Panda spoke gently from beside her.
"It’s fine. Really, it’s fine."
Ijichi quickly waved both hands, then began reciting the incantation for the Curtain.
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."
The sky above the school darkened.
"I wish you both good fortune." Ijichi bowed deeply.
"Leave it to us."
Panda patted his chest and followed Maki toward the school.
"Maki, you were a little rude back there. Ijichi-san was only trying to help us."
"I know."
Maki rubbed her forehead.
"That’s why I came straight here to do the job, didn’t I?"
Then she pointed at Panda.
"But let’s make one thing clear. When the fighting starts, don’t steal my targets!"
"Kukuku. No promises."
Panda laughed shamelessly.
"A target belongs to whoever gets there first."
"You really are asking for a beating." Maki snorted.
She made a mental note to drag Panda into a sparring session once they got back. He had an irritating habit of getting worse whenever nobody hit him for a few days.
Just as she made that decision, a figure appeared at the edge of her vision.
Maki stopped.
"Panda.... You see that?"
"Mm."
Panda’s expression grew serious.
"That’s a human. No cursed energy at all, so probably an ordinary boy."
Then he tilted his head.
"What’s with the outfit? Is he cosplaying? It looks pretty good on him."
As if he had heard them, the boy turned and gave them a bright, friendly smile.
"Is this really the time to comment on his clothes?"
Maki covered her face, looking completely fed up.
"What were the people investigating this place doing? How did they miss an ordinary civilian? Did someone screw up the evacuation and leave him inside?"
Before either of them could move, the wall behind the boy exploded.
A cursed spirit the size of a small house burst through the debris.
Its enormous mouth was packed with spiraling rows of saw-like teeth, and it lunged down to swallow him whole.
"Move!"
Maki immediately unzipped her weapon case and pulled out a long spear.
She and Panda broke into a sprint, reached the front of the school building, and launched themselves into the air.
Neither of them held back.
Even so, they were too far away, they would never reach the boy in time.
"Damn it!"
Fury flashed through Maki’s eyes.
’What kind of idiot handled the evacuation?’
Because of someone else’s carelessness, another ordinary person was about to die to a cursed spirit!
Then the supposedly helpless boy moved.
With a light step, he slipped out of the creature’s jaws, he turned and drove one of his fist straight into its face!
Boom!
The impact exploded through the cursed spirit’s body.
It managed only a short, confused grunt before its entire body burst apart, spraying chunks of flesh in every direction.
The sight was as violent as it was overwhelming.
Maki and Panda stopped in midair, their expressions going blank.
"That punch..."
Panda stared at the remains.
"He doesn’t have any cursed energy. How did he do that?"
Maki tightened her grip on her spear, eyes locked on the smiling boy below.
"And who the hell is he?"
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