Chapter 9: Reverse Cursed Technique
Another half month passed in the blink of an eye.
The underground vault, cloaked in darkness, was filled with an ominous, eerie atmosphere.
In each of the four corners of the room, cursed spirits were stacked upon one another in grotesque shapes, crammed into the tight space.
They struggled fiercely, trying to break free from the chains that restricted their movements, their roars echoing non-stop.
Especially when their gaze fell on the figure in the center of the vault and his shikigami, they grew even more frenzied.
Some cursed spirits were drooling uncontrollably.
On a raised platform ten meters above the ground, which had been expanded and reinforced, stood all the members of the Hei and Kyujuru squads.
They held their chains firmly, ready and waiting for the boy in the center of the room to give the order.
Even Naobito, the former head of the Zen'in family and now the first in command of the Hei unit, stood on the platform with a stern expression.
Below, the number of cursed spirits had reached a terrifying four-digit count, ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 3 in strength.
This was the culmination of half a month's work, where the Zen'in clan's sorcerers had been dispatched on Mirai's orders to capture as many cursed spirits as possible.
It was also the largest gathering of cursed spirits that Mirai had attempted to devour so far.
...
Standing at the center of the vault, Mirai's upper body was bare, revealing scars crisscrossing his skin. His crimson eyes seemed to harbor a devouring vortex.
Glancing at the two shikigami by his side, Mirai coldly gave the command, "Release them!"
The sorcerers above quickly let go of the chains in their hands, their cursed energy surging, prepared to assist at any moment.
In the next instant—
ROARRR!!!
The moment the restraints were lifted, the cursed spirits surged toward the figure in the center like an unstoppable landslide, launching a fierce assault on both Mirai and his shikigami.
Boom!
The pitch-black shikigami, Nue, shot forward like an arrow released from a bow the second the cursed spirits were freed.
With a single charge, a straight line was cleared through the mass of cursed spirits, leaving behind countless mutilated bodies and a rain of putrid blood!
But the gap was soon filled again as the cursed spirits swarmed forward once more.
At the same time, four Grade 1 cursed spirits lunged at Mirai from all sides!
Just as one opened its massive, blood-soaked maw, another shikigami, the white Enkaku, lowered its head and charged, sending three of the cursed spirits flying with its antlers.
The remaining cursed spirit had green skin, the body of a pig, the head of a snake, and the claws of a wolf!
Its razor-sharp talons, as sharp as blades, were mere inches from Mirai's chest!
As the danger drew near, Mirai did not resist; in fact, his expression was one of anticipation. He even deliberately deactivated his Void Technique.
Splat!
A burst of blinding crimson bloomed in the darkness, blood spraying everywhere!
"Mirai?"
Naobito's face contorted in horror. He couldn't understand why Mirai hadn't dodged or countered the attack!
Why had he willingly deactivated the Void Technique, which rendered physical attacks ineffective?
Just as Naobito was about to jump down with his men to rescue Mirai, a loud shout stopped him in his tracks!
"Stop!"
"No one is allowed to intervene!"
All the sorcerers who had been ready to act froze in place, then returned to their positions.
The consequences of defying orders were far too steep...
At this moment, Enkaku, the shikigami capable of using the Reverse Cursed Technique, was being overwhelmed by the sheer number of cursed spirits! [T/N: Here Enkaku is Round Deer/Madoka]
As a shikigami specializing in healing, Enkaku was not suited for direct combat.
Naobito's face showed signs of internal struggle as he glanced at the young family head, whose chest was now a bloodied mess, his organs faintly visible through the torn flesh.
Such a severe wound... if he wasn't treated soon, there was a real risk that Mirai could die at any moment.
To Naobito, Mirai was the future of the Zen'in family.
Even if it meant defying orders, he couldn't let Mirai die here.
But then, in the next second—
Naobito's body stiffened, his eyes widening in disbelief!
Before his eyes, the torn flesh on Mirai's chest began to weave itself back together, healing at a speed visible to the naked eye!
"Reverse Cursed Technique?!"
Naobito gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing!
Only now did he realize the deep meaning behind Mirai's seemingly reckless actions!
Zen'in Mirai... he was a genius surpassing even Gojo Satoru!
Finally understanding, Naobito obediently stepped back, his face now filled with joy.
...
Looking at his fully healed chest, a flicker of excitement passed across Mirai's face.
After intentionally injuring himself countless times and having Enkaku heal him using the Reverse Cursed Technique, Mirai had spent more than half a year studying and mastering the technique.
In the face of death lies great terror, but also great opportunity!
Originally, he had planned to rely on Enkaku if his attempt at the Reverse Cursed Technique failed.
But at the last moment, a fleeting thought of either success or death crossed his mind.
By sending Enkaku away in that mad gamble, not only did Mirai manage to learn the Reverse Cursed Technique, but he also deepened his understanding of the core mechanics of cursed energy.
"Now that's what I call a pleasant surprise!"
With his goal accomplished, Mirai reactivated his Void Technique.
Ignoring the cursed spirits surging toward him like a tidal wave, he watched as Enkaku slipped into the shadows, just as his enormous Serpent burst out of the darkness!
The Ten Shadows Technique could summon no more than two shikigami at a time, and even Mirai was bound by this rule.
But the two shikigami fought like demons in the cursed spirits' midst, slaughtering their way through the horde!
Nuei, a shikigami that could only charge in a straight line, had armor-piercing abilities, and the longer the straight path, the more powerful its attacks became! [T/N: You may read Konjiki somewhere, if unedited, it is Nue, actually. Don't know why but author used it.]
If the cursed spirits filling the vault were like the waves of an ocean, then Nue was the speedboat cutting through the water at full throttle!
The white airwaves left in its wake and the brief moments of emptiness that followed were awe-inspiring.
With the Reverse Cursed Technique mastered, Mirai was in a fantastic mood. In an unusually generous gesture, he called out to the people above.
"Stand back a bit, and make sure you put up your defenses."
But Mirai seemed to forget, or perhaps simply didn't care, that the people above had their backs against the wall, with nowhere to retreat.
Mirai formed a complex hand seal, pouring an immense amount of cursed energy into it.
The well-exercised Serpent and Nue plunged into the shadows once more.
Recognizing the hand sign from the Ten Shadows Technique, Naobito's face changed drastically!
"All sorcerers, put up your strongest cursed energy barriers! Non-sorcerers, duck and cover!!"
No sooner had Naobito shouted his warning than the vast vault began to shake violently!
Under the terrified gazes of the sorcerers, the ceiling above them suddenly collapsed!
BOOM!
A massive elephant, its body unimaginably huge, came crashing down from above!
Its thick limbs and enormous rear slammed into the ground!
With a deafening explosion, dust and rubble flew everywhere! The remaining few hundred cursed spirits were instantly reduced to ash!
The platform on the second floor also crumbled into pieces!
Mirai, who had reactivated his Void Technique, paid no attention to the debris flying around him. He merely spread his arms wide, relishing in the dense cursed energy that filled the air.
After more than half a year, thanks to the collective efforts of the entire Zen'in family, the Gedo Statue had finally undergone its second evolution, much to Mirai's delight.
In the boundless void of Kamui Space, Gedo Statue lay dormant, its emaciated body now sprouting a pair of slender legs.
Its single eye, nestled in its forehead, opened, revealing nine rotating crimson tomoe.
Even more exciting to Mirai were the ten enormous tails swaying in the void, faintly revealing countless white humanoid cursed spirits.
...
Clatter, clatter...
Pushing aside the pile of rubble before them, the injured sorcerers had mixed expressions.
They couldn't tell if it was because they were basking in the sunlight for the first time in this dark underground space...
Or if it was the unexpected "care" shown by their commanding leader...
Naobito bit his lip, glaring at Mirai, who stood in the center with a look of utter bliss on his face, as if he wanted to curse him but didn't dare to.
His resentment soared to the heavens!
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