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A few minutes later, Ryosuke found himself in a secluded corner, away from prying eyes. He had slipped into a small abandoned courtyard behind a building where no one was likely to pass by at that hour. The walls were covered in graffiti, and trash bins littered the ground. The perfect place for his experiments.
The cat was still struggling in his arms, clawing at the air, unable to escape. Ryosuke held it tightly, feeling his heart beat faster and faster. His hands trembled slightly, but he refused to let go of the animal. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts before focusing on what he had done with the plants.
He stared at the cat, and almost instantly, the same lights he had seen with the herbs appeared. Three distinct glows. The first and faintest seemed to surround the cat's physical body—its muscles, bones, everything that made it a tangible creature. The second was brighter, more powerful. Ryosuke instinctively knew it represented the animal's soul, its thoughts and primal instincts. But the third glow… it was different this time. With the plants, it had remained still. But now, it moved—vibrating with strange, wild energy. It was the cat's spirit.
Unlike with the grass, Ryosuke could feel more of the animal's emotions and sensations.
The cat kept struggling, and Ryosuke could sense its fear, its confusion.
Carefully, he tried manipulating the first glow.
Immediately, the animal reacted—its limbs stiffened for a moment before going limp. Ryosuke had altered the cat's muscular structure, temporarily disconnecting its muscles without harming it. Fascinated, he loosened his grip slightly, watching the feline, which could no longer move as if its limbs no longer responded.
"Interesting…"
He then moved on to the third glow—the cat's spirit. Slowly, he pushed a bit of his cursed energy into the spirit glow. He expected resistance but was surprised by how easily he could alter the animal's consciousness. Instantly, the cat stopped struggling. Its eyes, once full of panic, suddenly went blank, as if plunged into some kind of trance. Ryosuke had disconnected the animal from its survival instincts.
"I can manipulate its awareness… or at least put it on pause."
But the most intriguing was still the second glow—the soul. Ryosuke knew that tampering with the soul was far more complex and dangerous. Yet, driven by an uncontrollable curiosity, he decided to try.
This time, the reaction was immediate and violent. The cat's soul responded like a wild beast, pushing back Ryosuke's energy with unexpected force. A wave of sensations overwhelmed him—the animal's deep fear and, more surprisingly, fragments of memory.
Ryosuke briefly experienced blurry images—memories from the cat—flashing through his mind. He saw streets he'd never walked, encounters with other stray cats, the gnawing sensation of hunger. There was a complexity he hadn't anticipated.
"The soul… it's more than I thought. It has its own memory, its own identity," he murmured, impressed.
Suddenly, he released his hold on the soul, frightened by what he had just touched. The cat snapped back to awareness in an instant, and sensing an opportunity, it leapt from Ryosuke's arms and bolted down the alley, disappearing into the darkness.
Ryosuke remained still for a moment, his mind spinning with all the new information he had uncovered. He ran a hand through his hair, a strained smile on his lips.
"This… this is really terrifying," he said aloud this time.
But what he had learned today was essential. He now had confirmation that he could manipulate not only bodies but also minds and souls. It opened up infinite possibilities… but terrifying ones as well.
Ryosuke looked at his still-trembling hands. He stayed there for a moment, eyes fixed on the spot where the animal had disappeared. He was relieved he hadn't killed it, but the power he possessed still frightened him.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and started walking again, his heart still heavy. He had gotten what he wanted: a better understanding of his power. But he also knew he still had much to learn.
The great Curse Parade was approaching. By then, Satoru Gojo would have a true rival.
Ryosuke returned home as night began to fall. The streetlights cast a faint glow over the streets, and the air had turned cooler. He gently pushed the front door open, careful not to make too much noise.
The house was calm, almost peaceful. As always, his mother was in the kitchen, probably cleaning up after dinner.
"Did you have fun?" she asked, not looking up from the sink.
Ryosuke smirked slightly, thinking of his recent "tests."
"Yeah, it was nice," he replied. "Actually, I brought a little gift for Sayuri. Where is she?"
His mother turned toward him, slightly surprised. "Sayuri? She's already in bed… It's barely ten. What did you bring her?"
Feigning innocence, Ryosuke reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a small gray kitten. The animal opened its wide round eyes and let out a soft meow.
"I found him in an abandoned box," Ryosuke explained, holding out the kitten to his mother. "I remembered Sayuri's been wanting a cat for a while, so I thought this might make her happy."
His mother stared at him, incredulous, glancing back and forth between her son and the kitten. "You… brought home a cat? You? But you don't even like animals!"
Ryosuke shrugged, sounding casual. "It's not that I don't like animals, I'm just not a fan of taking care of them. But Sayuri's different. I figured she'd be happy, so… here we are."
His mother hesitated, watching the kitten begin to curl up in Ryosuke's arms, purring softly. "I don't know… You do realize taking care of a pet is a big responsibility, right?"
Ryosuke nodded confidently. "I know. That's why I'll help her. I promise to make sure she takes good care of him. And if it doesn't work out… I'll bring him back where I found him."
She looked at him for a long moment, then sighed. "It's rare for you to push for something like this, especially for your sister. I thought you two were always at each other's throats."
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, I still hate her… but in the good way."
His mother smiled in return, touched. "Alright. But it's your responsibility too now, got it?"
"Promise!" he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Mom."
He quickly climbed the stairs, the kitten nestled against his chest. When he reached his room, he gently closed the door behind him, smiling at the thought of Sayuri's reaction the next morning.