Ubusunagami refers to a deity in Japanese Shintoism, a guardian god worshipped as an ancestor or as the protector of one's birthplace. For that reason, it is also called a local deity.
Human emotions, however, are never simple. Even positive feelings are mixed with impurities.
Worship contains reverence, reverence carries fear, and fear often comes with aversion. In this world, positive emotions do not give rise to supernatural phenomena. Only negative emotions accumulate.
On top of that, people inevitably make mistakes. When someone believes in a protective deity, those mistakes give rise to guilt and fear toward that "god."
Under layers upon layers of negative emotion, the so-called "guardian deity" easily becomes a standardized mold for the birth of a high-level Cursed Spirit.
The three of them moved forward together. One advanced with extreme caution, one constantly scanned their surroundings, and one walked naturally with his head lowered.
The instant they stepped into the shrine grounds, a strange sensation washed over them. The surroundings, the smell in the air, even the lighting caused a vague physical discomfort. Yet when they looked closely, nothing had visibly changed.
As Yu Haibara looked around and scratched the back of his head in confusion, Kento Nanami spoke up.
"We haven't gone very far, but we can't see Kairi Miyu at all anymore."
Yu Haibara clapped his hands in realization. He remembered their instructor explaining this situation in class, but the knowledge clearly hadn't stuck. He could only laugh awkwardly.
"So that means…"
Akira Zenin said calmly,
"It could be the external manifestation of an Innate Domain, but I don't feel enough Cursed Energy for that. More likely, we've entered the interior of a barrier."
Kento Nanami nodded.
"We didn't encounter any other Cursed Spirits on the way here. Even if Zenin-senpai were nearby, that would only scare off the more sensitive ones. But there's absolutely nothing. That means whatever's inside this shrine is something big."
Yu Haibara slapped Kento Nanami on the shoulder and pointed straight ahead.
"Nanami, you probably don't need to analyze it anymore. It's already out."
What stood before them was a Cursed Spirit the size of a house. Its head was an upside-down fox skull, but its face opened outward like the petals of a carnivorous plant. A gaping fissure split its abdomen, from which countless tentacles stretched forth, each one studded with innumerable eyes that blinked and shimmered constantly.
Six limbs supported its massive body. A pair of its front legs were sunken into the ground, their faint bluish tint and the stench of rot making them look like the legs of a corpse trapped in a swamp.
The Cursed Spirit did not advance. It merely watched the Jujutsu Sorcerers who had stepped into the courtyard, using the eyes embedded in the gash on its abdomen. From its mouth spilled ceaseless muttering.
"Ah… ahh… ee… offer… offer…"
An indescribable sense of chaos surged into their minds. Yu Haibara kept scratching at the goosebumps crawling up his arms.
Akira Zenin gave the Ubusunagami Cursed Spirit a glance. This was clearly not something the current first-years could handle.
"Do you need me to step in now?"
Before Kento Nanami could answer, Yu Haibara spoke up immediately.
"I think I need this experience. This time you're here with us, Senpai, but what about the next time?"
Kento Nanami nodded as well.
"We might not make it back on time, but refusing to help a fellow student would be heartless."
He drew a blunt blade wrapped in mottled, spotted cloth.
"And besides, if every Cursed Spirit has to be exorcised by a Special Grade, then people like us have no meaning at all."
"But Haibara, let's make this clear first. When it's time to retreat, we retreat. Don't force yourself and try to tough it out. With Zenin-senpai here watching over us, don't let your hot blood go to your head."
"Understood!"
Akira Zenin nodded. He carved a shallow hollow into a nearby rock, sat down, and gave a light wave of his hand.
"Go ahead."
The moment Akira Zenin finished speaking, Yu Haibara charged straight at the Cursed Spirit.
The Cursed Spirit seemed sluggish. Its head slowly turned, trying to aim its "mouth" at the approaching attacker, but Yu Haibara's fist, packed with Cursed Energy, slammed into its face and knocked it violently askew.
The Ubusunagami fixed Yu Haibara with the eyes embedded in the tentacles on its chest. With a heavy rumble, jagged earth spikes suddenly burst up from the ground.
Fortunately, the spikes had clear warning signs before emerging, making them easy to predict. As Yu Haibara dodged the spikes shooting up beneath his feet, he glanced at the gaping wound on the Cursed Spirit's face and rubbed his reddened, slightly swollen hand.
"Ow, that really stings. This thing's harder than rebar, isn't it?"
Taking advantage of the Ubusunagami's diverted attention, Kento Nanami slipped in beneath its feet.
"My technique divides the target's length into equal segments and forcibly creates a weak point at the 7:3 position."
The blunt blade sliced through part of the tentacle extending from the Cursed Spirit's chest, drawing its attention and reducing the frequency of earth spikes aimed at Yu Haibara.
"It works the same on living and non-living targets. Even if something looks like two things fused together, it can still be treated as a single whole."
As he revealed his technique, Kento Nanami struck the "weak point" on the Ubusunagami's thigh, severing the leg cleanly at the root.
With its right rear leg gone, the Cursed Spirit's massive body tilted to one side. It swayed several times before barely managing to steady itself.
Its body was hard but not particularly agile. When it came to localized damage, Kento Nanami's technique was surprisingly compatible with it. However, the Ubusunagami's sheer size meant that landing truly effective blows would require techniques like technique extension.
But Nanami still couldn't use the Ratio Technique's extension smoothly.
Kento Nanami used his technique again, cutting off another of the Ubusunagami's hind legs. At the same time, Yu Haibara was caught off guard and sent flying by an earth spike. Fortunately, his Cursed Energy reserves were still plentiful, and he wasn't seriously injured.
Akira Zenin glanced at the figure that landed beside him.
"Haibara, wait a second."
As he spoke, Akira Zenin's shadow rippled, and a pair of fist guards emerged from it.
"Grade 2 Cursed Tool [Copper Shock]. It produces a bit of vibration on impact. Mostly meant to protect your hands. It's not expensive anyway. Use it for now."
Yu Haibara picked up the earth-colored gauntlets and slipped them on.
"Thanks, Senpai! But I won't take them for free!"
"Fine. Just give me about five million."
"Uh… Nanami's still fighting that super dangerous Cursed Spirit. I'll go back him up first!"
In just that brief exchange, Kento Nanami had already been forced to keep dodging the earth spikes erupting from the ground, unable to organize an effective counterattack.
Yu Haibara leapt into the air and punched the Ubusunagami's face again. Whether it was because he used his full strength or because of the Cursed Tool, the blow shattered half of the parasite-like face.
The Ubusunagami let out a shrill roar. A massive stone slab, larger than a house, materialized in front of Yu Haibara. If it slammed down, he would be crushed into pulp.
Seeing this, Kento Nanami slid out from beneath the Ubusunagami. Blue Cursed Energy flared around his body as he clenched his teeth and drove a punch into the slab.
"[Ratio Technique] —Collapse!"
Cursed Energy surged in, and the slab exploded. The flying fragments, infused with Cursed Energy, blasted craters into the surface of the nearby Cursed Spirit.
"It worked!"
Successfully pulling off the technique extension, Kento Nanami finally felt a wave of relief. But the next moment, a gigantic carnivorous flower-like mouth suddenly grew from the ground, waiting to be "fed." If bitten, it would tear their entire lower bodies apart.
Just as Yu Haibara was about to be swallowed, he grabbed Kento Nanami and hurled him outward with all his strength. No matter what, he would always choose to save others first.
Before Kento Nanami could even regain his footing, the Ubusunagami Cursed Spirit was suddenly shattered into pieces by an unseen attack. A second strike reduced its entire body to dust. The massive mouth vanished instantly, and the surrounding environment gradually returned to normal.
"Rain of a Thousand Needles."
Yu Haibara and Kento Nanami fell to the ground, gasping for breath, both of them still somewhat dazed.
Akira Zenin lowered his hand, stood up, and walked over, looking helplessly at the two who were clearly swept up in the heat of battle.
"Don't get so tense. You didn't forget about me, did you?"