As night falls, the Nocturnals coo with anticipation for the hunt ahead. The moon shines with unusual brilliance. A soft breeze dances through the forest, moving the branches in a natural cadence. The lethargy brought on by the night's shroud is gently dispelled as a dark blue, eye-shaped mark glows dimly. Aurelius pries his heavy eyelids apart with effort. In the darkness of the room, he witnesses the plight of a child foretold in prophecy, endlessly fleeing. Aurelius sits upright, engrossed in the unfolding vision.
---
"Zankoku, you fucker, you told us that your inherent magic spell can show us the right way," A boy with blueish skin texture cursed as he looked around himself. They were in a cave found by Zankoku's inherent magic spell. Children of various age range were sitting in the tiny cave making the already cramped cave more crowded. The sweat and filth on their bodies combined and made this hellhole of a cave torturous. "You know as well as I do that, we must not make any more mishaps, idiot. This is our last chance, Zankoku."
"I know that too asshole," A skinny boy with horns protruding from his forehead hissed back. "Don't cross the line dickhead. If you are so awesome, why don't you go and find the path yourself with your ugly face. We arrived here on Chinese land because of me, understood?"
"You two stopped arguing. We don't have time for this," Two teenagers entered the cave and examined the children who were being quiet. The muscular girl stood two meters tall. Her light blue hair emitted a soft glow under the moonlight, and her skin bore faint, fresh bruises and cuts. Satsuki. She is one of the leaders of this group of misfits, problematic children.
Just three days ago, they were nothing more than abducted children in an isolated island, filled with despair. They were called 'Curse Children'. They were used as experimental objects in testing some rituals. Their past was erased using magic. They stayed at that island with no escape for over three months and waited their inevitable death just like others who had already perished. They barely maintained their sanity by encouraging and embracing each other.
And something changed about three months ago. They do not know the cause. But the children taken by those people to experiment on returned which was unprecedented. Those who returned had some sorts of mutation like having different skin color, having extra body parts. The dark-robed people seem to be fascinated as they came frequently to the mutated children. The leader of the devils, a witch with short stature and stone hard expression, personally got involved.
From that day on, the remaining of the thirty-two children underwent the torturous ritual which made them feel like their existence itself was teared apart and inserted with random organs painfully. They all became 'Curse Children'. The reason why the dark-robed people were interested in them is not because of the mutation caused by the ritual but the magic that they gained from that ritual. All curse children had their own unique inherent magic spells. These spells are very potent and can be wielded as if the caster is someone who has been diligently practicing only one spell for a lifetime. These spells cannot be contained using conventional magic spells. This power is what dark-robed pursued.
They had used their unique powers, unsuspecting guards and tightly knitted unity to come this far. And these broken children were led by the boy who had just come in with the blue-haired enormous girl.
"Calm down guys. The escape is near. Don't lose sight of it." Ningai said in his usual even tone. "So, Zankoku, how is your insects? We have already patrolled the area but just to be sure."
Zankoku, the skinny boy with horns said angrily. "I will do my job fucker. Don't be nosy." Zankoku shrank a little when he received a cold look from Satsuki, the blue-haired girl. "The guide hasn't show any path yet. We might need to wait."
"Ok, relax man. So, is everyone ok? The previous fight was not easy," Ningai asked Kuro who did not have a happy expression.
Yesterday, they engaged a battle with the pursuing dark-robed and five children were lost. They managed to kill three dark-robed people and had barely escaped. The morale of the children was quite low.
"The others are still doing fine. The problem is that guy, Saku. I understand that he and one of the dead are close but causing troubles to us the entire evening is not acceptable. Thanks to that fucker, the group that is barely holding on, collapsed like sand. I hate that guy. Can't we just leave him here to be captured? This is what he wants, isn't it" Kuro, the boy with blueish skin whispered all his troubles to his friends. From Kuro's perspective, the troublemaker should be eliminated so that the others can move on.
"I will talk to him. Oh, thanks for that barrier in the last battle by the way. That was really helpful," Ningai patted Kuro's shoulder. The four of them are the leaders so they have to shoulder this responsibility unimaginable to most people their age. The three remaining ones discussed some plans as Ningai walked to a corner of the cave.
"Saku, what's up?" Ningai set down while signing heavily. The fight before had drained him considerably. His inherent magic spell allows him to transfigure all the nearby objects and elements. This spell played a big part in why they can break out of that island. Ningai looked at the pink-haired boy who had as much power as him.
Saku, the boy has two extra arms and two mouths on cheeks, four mouths on his now four palms. The most exceptional thing is that the boy had too much magic energy. It is sensible even for him who is nothing in magic expertise. What's more, he is talent at magic, too. He had already learnt some spells used by the dark-robed.
"You can leave me behind, Ningai," the pink-haired boy quietly muttered. Ningai wasn't surprised. He figured that Saku could hear Kuro's somewhat harsh words despite the blueish skin boy lowering his voice. After all, they were occupying a cramped cave which was too small for twenty-five children to comfortably stay in. Saku's one weakness, which stands out in stark contrast to his talent, is his excessive compassion.
All the curse children had unbelievable will and determination. They had no past and these three months period was the world for them. So, they were quite resilient in dealing with the troubles. However, Saku seems like a real child and has some naivety. He hadn't killed a single person till now. And this caused some dissatisfaction with him.
Ningai was about to comfort him when Zankoku shouted urgently "They are coming here. Dammit. How were they still able to track us down?"
The oppressive atmosphere within the cave hung heavy as Zankoku's warning echoed through the damp, narrow chamber. Tension seized every child's heart, the fear of capture gnawing at their nerves. Outside, the night was silent, a foreboding stillness that promised danger.
"We need to move. Now!" Ningai ordered, his voice steady despite the turmoil churning within him. The children, hardened by their harrowing experiences, moved quickly, their eyes reflecting the glimmer of hope and the shadow of despair. They slipped out of the cave one by one, the cold night air biting at their skin, but it was the least of their concerns.
The forest beyond was a labyrinth of twisted trees and thick underbrush, the perfect place for an ambush—or an escape, if they were lucky. But tonight, luck was not on their side.
As they emerged from the cave, the dark-robed figures were already closing in, their forms barely discernible in the shadows. A murmur of incantations filled the air, the dark-robed conjuring their magic with practiced ease. The children's hearts pounded with the realization that they were trapped.
"Scatter!" Ningai commanded, his inherent magic spell flaring to life. The earth around them shifted, trees and rocks contorting under his will, creating barriers and obstacles to slow their pursuers. But the dark-robed were relentless.
A burst of red light erupted from one of the dark-robed figures, a wave of scorching heat that incinerated the foliage in its path.
Zankoku reacted instinctively, his horned head lowering as he unleashed a swarm of insects from his body. The swarm collided with the fire, a clash of nature and arcane force that sent sparks flying.
Kuro, the boy with blue skin, raised his hand, a shimmering barrier materializing just in time to deflect a stream of dark energy aimed at a group of younger children. The barrier cracked under the pressure, and Kuro gritted his teeth, reinforcing it with all his might.
Satsuki, with her towering frame, charged forward, her body glowing faintly as she activated her own inherent magic. Her fists, wrapped in a translucent aura, slammed into the ground, causing a shockwave that rippled through the earth, knocking several dark-robed off their feet. But the enemies were quick to recover, retaliating with spells of their own.
A sickly green mist began to seep from the ground, spreading rapidly through the trees. The curse ate away at their strength, sapping their energy and slowing their movements. Panic began to set in as the children realized they were being overwhelmed.
Zankoku's insects faltered, their movements sluggish as the mist took hold. Kuro's barrier flickered, then shattered under a renewed assault. Satsuki, despite her formidable strength, was struggling to stay on her feet, her body trembling as the curse weakened her body.
Ningai, his breath coming in ragged gasps, tried to transfigure something to stop the spread of the green mist, but it resisted his magic, swirling around him. He could feel his control over his own body slipping, the power of the dark-robed was too great for them to contend with. The spell was casted by a small witch, the leader.
Amidst the chaos, Saku fought with grim determination, his multiple arms and mouths casting spell after spell, using hand sign magic foci desperately trying to keep the enemies at bay. But he was outnumbered and outmatched. A bolt of black lightning struck him, sending him crashing to the ground. The pain was excruciating, and he struggled to rise, his body trembling with exhaustion.
[System Activating... 5% 10%....]
One by one, the children fell, their bodies littering the forest floor. The dark-robed figures closed in, their leader—a small, stone-faced witch—stepping forward with a cold smile.
"You thought you could escape?" she sneered, her voice a whisper of venom. "This is where your rebellion ends."
[100%]
[Congratulations. You have been chosen as the host for the system "Sukuna Incarnate"]
Saku, lying prone on the ground, felt a surge of despair. His friends were being captured again, and he was powerless to stop it. The curse that had been laid upon him during those torturous experiments stirred within him, a dark force that he had always tried to suppress. But now, in his moment of utter helplessness, something within him snapped.
[Detected critical condition. Automatically opening starter pack]
[You obtained Enhanced Strength]
[You obtained Enhanced Agility]
.
.
.
His eyes snapped open, glowing a fierce red. His body convulsed as an overwhelming power surged through him, tearing at his very being. The dark-robed leader took a step back, sensing the sudden, terrifying change in the boy.
[You obtained Sukuna Summon Card (trial for 100 minutes, 40% power)]
[Due to critical situation, the Sukuna Summon Card will be used automatically]
Saku's form twisted, his extra arms and mouths elongating grotesquely. A malevolent aura enveloped him, pulsating with raw energy. He rose to his feet, his posture no longer that of a frightened child, but of something far more dangerous. His voice, when he spoke, was layered with a deep, sinister resonance.
[Sukuna has arrived]
"You should have killed me when you had the chance," he said, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
In an instant, he was upon them. The dark-robed figures barely had time to react before Saku tore through them with impossible speed and precision. His new form granted him power beyond their understanding—a devastating combination of speed, strength, and unearthly magic.
He didn't just kill them; he annihilated them. People were being sliced continuously left and right. The leader tried to counter, casting the Fiendfyre, but Saku's hand caught it mid-air, crushing the wand into two pieces.
With a swift motion, he decapitated the witch, her upper and lower body separating.
The forest was silent, the oppressive energy in the air dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. The children, dazed and battered, watched in awe and horror as Saku, now a figure of nightmares, turned to them.
"Run," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Run, and don't look back. I'm doing a favor to my incarnate, so it's best not to test my temper"
Ningai and Satsuki, barely able to comprehend what had just happened, hurried to gather the children. They fled into the forest, not daring to question the reprieve they had been given.
Saku remained behind, his eyes scanning the forest for any sign of pursuit. He knew that more dark-robed would come, that they would send more powerful forces to reclaim their experiment. But he didn't care. All that mattered was that these little weasels had a chance to escape.
For an hour, he stood guard, the forest eerily silent around him. No more dared approach after three waves of attack. Eventually, as the first light of dawn began to pierce the horizon, Saku allowed himself to dissolve into the shadows, his monstrous form fading into the ether. Life is full of everything, huh. Saku lamented as he closed his eyes.
---
In the silent night, Aurelius whispered in ethereal voice.
"In shadows deep where curses dwell,
A child of night shall rise and swell,
With arms of four and hearts of pain,
To break the chains, to cleanse the stain.
The Bane of Curse, his name shall be,
A storm to set the cursed souls free.
With whispered wrath and silent roar,
He'll end the night, forevermore."