[Absorbed Cursed Energy. Points +8900]
As the "Curtain" covering the sky dissipated, the scene within was once again revealed to reality.
The grain processing plant was gone, reduced to scattered metal shrapnel. The entire valley looked as if it had been plowed by hundreds of excavators and bulldozers; the cratered ground was scarred with claw marks and holes everywhere.
Deep beneath the soil, buried under a piece of twisted scrap metal, a Teru Teru Bozu lay motionless. Even though it was planted head-first in the dirt, it didn't dare make a sound.
"I never thought I'd need my contingency plan—using a soul-splitting technique to separate my soul in advance!"
The filthy doll's face contorted with a very human, deep-seated resentment as it gritted its teeth.
"What the hell was that dog?"
The Bloody Butcher hadn't died initially. However, due to the severe wounds inflicted by the Flesh Hound's mauling, he was forced to abandon his flesh and anchor his soul into a Teru Teru Bozu he had personally crafted.
What he didn't know was that this action inadvertently neutralized the Flesh Hound's brand on him. Once his heart stopped and his physical body died, the brand vanished.
The giant Teru Teru Bozu monster outside appeared to be a Cursed Spirit formed from a Curse User's death, but in reality, it was the result of the Butcher's accumulated techniques over twenty years. All the Cursed Energy he had saved up was consumed in that battle.
Seeing the situation turn dire as the "Cursed Spirit" was about to be disemboweled by [Nue], he used the massive body as cover to burrow deep into the soil from its back.
"Bastard Sorcerers! Pushing me this far."
He could talk tough, but the Butcher wouldn't dare face that little girl again.
That duel had completely shattered his pride as a Curse User. How could a human exist who could command a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit and wield such a fierce blade?
The feeling of having his flesh torn open was something the Butcher never wanted to experience again.
Damn it. Ever since that freak from the Gojo clan appeared, life has been hard enough for us Curse Users. We just want to spread fear.
Creating disasters in front of ordinary people and letting the curse he bore absorb the negative emotions was the Butcher's specialty.
The curse the Butcher bore originated from a legend passed down for a thousand years.
It was said that a monk's singing could stop continuous heavy rain, which caught the attention of a member of the Imperial family.
Coincidentally, Tokyo was hit by a torrential downpour rarely seen in decades. The noble lord found the monk and asked him to sing to stop the rain.
But could the rain really be stopped?
The first attempt failed. Feeling deceived, the noble ordered the monk's hands cut off. The second attempt failed, and the monk lost his legs. The third time, the noble didn't want to hear him sing anymore, so he had the monk's head chopped off, wrapped in white cloth, and hung under the temple eaves, claiming that singing like this would make heaven hear clearly.
As a result, the rain lessened. The nobles were delighted, believing they had found the secret to summoning sunny weather.
And so, the eaves of the entire temple were hung full of human heads wrapped in white cloth, swaying back and forth. Before long, the sky cleared.
But inside the temple where the dolls hung, not a single person could be found. It was overgrown and eerie. Only in the temple well could one see that it was stuffed full of severed human hands and feet.
In ancient times, a mere thought from those in power could decide a person's life. This was the curse the Butcher bore: "A Teru Teru Bozu filled with a corpse."
If everyone in this city feared the Teru Teru Bozu, that terrifying power would strengthen the Butcher's curse, perhaps allowing him to touch the power of that realm.
Unfortunately, his enterprise collapsed halfway. Twenty years of effort, ruined in an instant.
It was impossible not to feel resentment. The Teru Teru Bozu might not have noticed it himself, but in his emotional fluctuation, a sliver of Cursed Energy leaked out.
"What's wrong, Kenmei?"
Having suppressed the combat form of [Nue] back into the Cursed Tool, Yomi Isayama looked even more drained than during the fight. Her face was pale, showing a hint of sickness.
"Yomi-nee, wait a moment."
Kenmei initially just found it strange. That monster was definitely a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, yet he only received 8,900 Points.
That was far less than the Grade 1 Curse he killed last time—a whole 1,100 Points less.
The one Yomi defeated was clearly stronger, yet the Points Kenmei received were fewer. If he didn't know the system collected Cursed Energy without a middleman, he would have suspected a transaction fee.
So, there was definitely something he didn't know involved. Then, a fleeting, unfamiliar fluctuation of Cursed Energy confirmed his suspicion.
"If I'm not mistaken, there might be a fish that slipped through the net."
Hearing Kenmei's words, despite seeing only a wasteland before her, the pale Yomi instinctively tried to draw her blade again to scan the surroundings. But a broad hand quickly grasped her fist, stopping her from unsheathing the sword.
"Yomi-nee, that battle took a lot out of you. Rest a bit. Don't push yourself."
Kenmei shook his head at her.
"Let me handle this one. No need to trouble yourself over small fry."
If that thing had any strength left, it wouldn't have passed up the opportunity seeing Yomi this weak.
But since there had been no movement until now, it was more likely hiding, waiting for Kenmei and Yomi to leave.
Against a spent force, Kenmei was confident he could at least go toe-to-toe.
Kenmei chose the most direct method: covering his eyes with psychic power to observe the scarred wasteland.
Soon, a Teru Teru Bozu buried head-first in the dirt, surrounded by pitch-black Cursed Energy, was revealed. Although it had minimized its Cursed Energy fluctuations to the extreme—fooling even Yomi—it couldn't hide from the "True Sight - Eye of Truth." There was nowhere to hide.
Kenmei crouched down, placing his palm on the ground. Dark blue psychic energy gradually charged at his fingertips, with visible sparks of electricity jumping.
Then, he released it all into the ground in one go!
ZZZT! With a flash of electricity and a sizzling sound, the patch of land in front of Kenmei was completely covered by his psychic energy, glowing blue.
The spot where the Butcher was hiding received special attention from Kenmei.
[Detected Cursed Energy. Points +1300]
Hearing this notification, Kenmei knew the job was done.
After cutting the psychic power supply, the smell of scorched earth filled the air. A wisp of smoke slowly rose from the spot where the Teru Teru Bozu had been buried.
Once the Teru Teru Bozu was dealt with, dark clouds filled the black night sky. With the fall of the first drop of rain, the heavens opened up, and soon Tokyo was covered in a torrential downpour.
[Detected Key-Type Special Equipment. Do you wish to claim it?]
Although somewhat surprised, Kenmei didn't hesitate and clicked confirm directly.
And so, his system inventory showed Occupied Slots +1, and a Teru Teru Bozu icon appeared.