The Black Building and the Curse Spirit

Yuto rubbed his throbbing temples, struggling to digest the flood of information.

"So, if there's a Level 2 curse spirit in the Black Building, why haven't the curse masters dealt with it?" he asked.

The heterochromatic girl fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Because not long ago, a Special Grade curse spirit appeared in Kyoto, dealing a devastating blow to the curse master forces. It was only thanks to the Special Grade curse master, Satoru Gojo, stepping in personally to kill it that we avoided total disaster."

"Now do you get it?" she continued, her voice low and steady. "It's not that the curse masters don't want to handle the Black Building's curse spirit. With evil spirits and curse spirits popping up everywhere lately, they're stretched thin. The government's barely keeping a lid on it."

"A Special Grade curse spirit in Kyoto? But the news said it was a natural gas explosion…" Yuto's eyes widened as realization hit. He'd found it strange at the time—'how could a gas explosion cause such widespread destruction?' But he'd moved on. Years of peaceful living had dulled his instincts. It wasn't until he inherited the Heroic Spirit System that he began to notice the dark currents lurking beneath this tranquil reality.

"By the way," he added, "you really trust me to take on a Level 2 curse spirit in the Black Building?" They'd only met today, and she was already dragging him into a fight like this.

"If you're scared, you can leave," Mei Misaki replied, her pale face as still as a pond. "I didn't want you here myself, but Misaki insisted you're special and begged me to bring you along."

Yuto faltered at her calm retort. If he remembered right, Mei's younger sister, Misaki Misaki{ Misaki Fujioka}, had died of leukemia at 16 due to a curse. 'Has this world's timeline flipped upside down?'

Mei didn't elaborate. Instead, she stepped into the pitch-black interior of the Black Building. Seeing this, Yuto followed without a second thought.

The name 'Black Building' was spot-on. The moment they entered, darkness swallowed them whole, not a single ray of light in sight. A heavy, oppressive aura pressed in from all sides. In this blinding void, it felt like some shapeless, unseen entity was lurking in the shadows, watching them, raising the hairs on their necks.

'Hm? The Magic Meter's buzzing?' Yuto thought. The Magic Meter Craft Essence on his belt vibrated at a high frequency, sending constant alerts. 'Does that mean the Level 2 curse spirit is up ahead…?'

It seemed the curse spirit hadn't wandered far.

"The 'curtain' sealing the Black Building looks rushed," Mei observed, her expression unfazed despite the gloom. "Even someone like me, who isn't deep into curse energy, could waltz right in."

'But Yuto's surprising…' she thought to herself. 'He doesn't have curse energy, so how'd he get in so easily? Misaki said his body's unique, brimming with a vast power unlike curse energy…'

Thanks to his Red Dragon Heart, Yuto's night vision had sharpened considerably. It wasn't as clear as daylight, but he could still make out his surroundings. It felt like stepping into a domain akin to an inherent barrier. The darkness was thick, like syrup, silently seeping in to drown him.

"!"

A sudden jolt of danger spiked through him. His instincts kicked in, and he leaped back, materializing a Black Key in an instant.

"Projection, start!"

The Black Key, forged purely from magical energy, felt like a claw in his grip. Yuto thrust it forward, piercing the chest of a wolf-shaped monster lunging at him.

"Awooo!" The creature howled in agony as the massive force skewered it clean through. The Black Key, a Holy Church tool for exorcism, was perfect for banishing evil.

Sizzle! Like cold water splashed into boiling oil, the dark spirit's body erupted, its piercing shrieks churning the surrounding black mist. The wails roused other curse spirits. From the swamp-like shadows, several more wolf-shaped curse spirits burst forth, charging straight at him.

"Watch out!" Mei clenched her teeth, her heart racing with worry. She barely had time to shout a warning before a shadowy figure of a young girl appeared behind her. Her speed surged as she moved to intercept the beasts.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Yuto said, his pupils dilating. Despite the danger, fear didn't touch him. His chest burned like a furnace, the Red Dragon Heart pumping immense power through his veins. A golden sword, shimmering with starlight, materialized in his hand.

A brilliant glow cut through the darkness. The Sword of Promised Victory shot forward, piercing three wolf-shaped curse spirits in an instant. A blue exorcism rune followed, slicing through the rest. In the blink of an eye, the creatures were skewered like shish kebabs, effortlessly dispatched by Yuto's blade.