--------------------------------------------------
"Weren't you wondering why your condition didn't surprise me, Mai-senpai? It's because I've dealt with much weirder things than this." Kai gave her a quick side-eye as he explained.
"???"
Before Mai could formulate a response, the Slit-Mouthed Woman slowly pulled down her surgical mask. A wide twisted smile stretched across her face as she locked eyes with them.
"W-What is that??" Mai's eyes blew wide open in disbelief.
Her face was a nightmare. The corners of her mouth were cut wide open, like someone had used a butcher's knife. Fresh blood dripped from the wounds. Jagged scars reached all the way to her earlobes, making her look terrifying. Somehow, a huge pair of scissors had appeared in her hand.
"Now, do you still think I am beautiful?"
The moment the words left her mouth, her figure vanished from the spot. She rematerialized directly in front of Kai. The lethal blades of her scissors plunged straight toward his chest.
Clang!
Kai casually raised a hand, catching the blades of the scissors without flinching.
"So it does have a sure-hit effect." Kai met the monster's eyes, his voice flat, like he was just talking about the weather.
"..." The Slit-Mouthed Woman stopped, stunned that her attack had been blocked. She tilted her head in confusion, trying to figure out how a human could stop her blades.
"Don't worry. The pain only lasts a second."
"?"
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
Red flames burst from Kai's hand. In an instant, the fire swallowed up the Slit-Mouthed Woman.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The blast hit her at close range, turning the monster into a screaming torch of fire.
"Spider Woman!"
A dark rift opened behind Kai. Thick strands of black hair whipped out, wrapping around the Slit-Mouthed Woman. The cursed hair trapped her in a tight cocoon.
After feeding on the malice from Tomie Kawakami, the Spider Woman's power had reached Special Grade. Beating someone who barely understood Domain Expansion was easy for her.
The Spider Woman used her hair to drag the captive to Kai's feet. Only the Slit-Mouthed Woman's twisted face was visible. She thrashed inside the cocoon, glaring at Kai with pure hatred.
"Human! I'll kill you! KILL YOU!"
Cursed Spirits from urban legends were smarter than normal curses, but that also made them hate humans even more. Kai didn't care about any of that.
"Relax. I'm putting a collar on you right now."
Kai lifted his free hand and pointed it at the struggling monster. A strong, swirling force pulled from his palm.
"Cursed Spirit Manipulation!"
As soon as the technique started, the Slit-Mouthed Woman's body twisted and changed. Realizing what was happening, she struggled even harder. The hatred in her eyes turned into pure panic.
Her struggles were useless. The technique's pull was too strong. No Cursed Spirit could break free from Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
In seconds, her twisted body shrank into a small, dense ball of black Cursed Energy. Kai popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
"Good job. You can go back now," Kai told the Spider Woman by his side. He always made sure to praise his tamed Cursed Spirits.
The Spider Woman couldn't talk, but her face brightened with joy at his words. Before leaving, she gently brushed a strand of hair against Kai's arm, then slipped back into the rift.
"Good girl." Kai was very pleased with how helpful she was.
————————————————————
Kai brushed off his hands and looked back at Mai Sakurajima. She still looked completely shocked.
"So, do you understand the danger of Cursed Spirits now?"
No amount of verbal explanation could rival first-hand experience. After facing death, Mai now truly understood the nightmare she was up against.
"..." Mai stayed quiet. She definitely understood what Cursed Spirits were now.
But when it came to being scared...
"Why do I get the feeling you're infinitely more dangerous than that monster?"
Now that the danger was gone, Mai's usual boldness came back. She gave Kai a wary look and spoke up.
That 'battle' hadn't felt dangerous at all. From start to finish, it was totally one-sided. The Slit-Mouthed Woman couldn't fight back at all. Mai honestly didn't see what was so scary about a fight where Kai just brushed the enemy aside.
"Hmm?" That blunt observation earned a raised eyebrow from Kai. He stared at her with renewed interest.
"N-Never mind, you heard wrong!"
Mai regretted her words as soon as she said them. The guy in front of her was no saint—he'd just pinned her down five minutes ago. Seeing his intense stare, she quickly tried to take it back.
"Didn't I already tell you?"
Kai walked over in three quick steps. He lifted her chin with his fingers, making her look up. She glanced away, too flustered to meet his eyes. Kai just chuckled quietly.
"Apologies don't work on me. Make a mistake, and you accept the punishment."
"You— Mmph!"
Again?
Maybe because she'd already been through this tonight, she didn't panic. After a moment of surprise, she relaxed into it. With his face so close, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
——————————
"D-Don't get the wrong idea. Earlier, I was just..."
As they walked down the quiet street, Mai's face turned bright red while she tried to explain herself. She rambled for a minute but couldn't come up with a real excuse. Thinking about their steamy kiss in the alley just made her blush even more.
She'd been caught up in the moment until Kai suddenly pulled back and whispered, "Are you sure you want to do this here?"
Kai knew he wasn't exactly a good guy, but he didn't want a girl's first time to be in a dirty alley. He wanted her to have a good memory. He wasn't just ruled by his desires. Still, if Mai liked that kind of risky stuff, he wouldn't mind.
That question snapped her out of it. She followed Kai in embarrassed silence for blocks before she could speak. She was scared he'd think she was easy. She wanted to explain, but couldn't find the words. Giving in like that was just too embarrassing.
"I get it," Kai said with a grin. "I heard you started as a child star. The industry pressure must be rough. It's normal to feel repressed with all that stress!"
"Yeah, as long as you understand..."
Mai sighed in relief, her shoulders relaxing. Everyone knew how tough society was in Japan, and the entertainment industry was even worse. Many failed idols ended up in adult films just to get by. The stress was unreal. The only reason Mai made it through was her 'plot armor' as an anime heroine.
A moment later, she realized what he'd actually said. Her face turned even redder. "You're the repressed one!"
"I have no reason to repress myself," Kai fired back smoothly.
"..."
'Tsk!' She knew it. She just couldn't win an argument with him.
"Also, keep your voice down. The neighbors are going to file a noise complaint against you."
They'd left the busy area and were now walking through a quiet neighborhood. Most people were already asleep. Realizing this, Mai quickly lowered her voice.
She glared at the boy next to her, annoyed. But as she thought about it, her face softened. He was definitely a jerk, but being with him made her feel safe. With him around, nothing could hurt her.
"Um..." Mai hesitated, biting her lip before finally breaking the silence. "Is there a way to fix my condition?"
Since he clearly had powers way beyond normal, fixing her invisibility syndrome shouldn't be impossible for him.
--------------------------------------------------
~ Every 400 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)