I Won't Trust You That Easily

Boom!

Kinji Hakari and Kirara Hoshi were dragged into a wide area deep in the sewer. Thick steel pipes surrounded them, and the air reeked.

Once they regained their senses, the two used Cursed Energy to sever the white threads and landed safely. They temporarily used Cursed Energy to stanch the bleeding from their wounds.

"This must be the Cursed Spirit's lair!"

Kinji Hakari's expression turned grave.

Using the light from their Cursed Energy, they surveyed their surroundings.

Countless white threads crisscrossed the broad sewer. The enemy had completely taken it over.

What's more, prey resembling silkworm cocoons hung upside down in midair. It wasn't hard to tell from their shapes that they were all human.

Pairs of glowing green eyes lit up in the darkness, surrounding the two of them.

"One, two, three..."

"Seven Grade 2 Cursed Spirits, and one Grade 1!"

Kirara Hoshi felt the Cursed Spirits around them, sweat beading on his forehead.

One Grade 2 Cursed Spirit would've been manageable, but seven of them, plus a Grade 1? This was way beyond the scope of the mission, wasn't it?

"Kirara, are you scared?"

Kinji Hakari had calmed down. He wasn't frightened by being surrounded. On the contrary, faced with such a desperate situation and knowing they couldn't escape, he was growing excited.

"What do you think?" Kirara Hoshi rolled his eyes at him. How could he not be scared in a situation like this?

He wasn't some kind of freak.

"Nothing to fear when you're backed into a corner. Besides, Teacher Zenin is still outside.

"As long as we hold out until he gets here, everything will be fine."

Kinji Hakari had adjusted his mindset. The worst that could happen was death, but if they gave it everything they had, there was still a chance.

Now they'd see whose luck was better—theirs or the Cursed Spirits'. Who would die first?

"Go!"

Kinji Hakari activated his Cursed Technique first and launched an attack.

Seeing this, Kirara Hoshi could only grit his teeth against the pain in his abdomen, activate his Cursed Technique, and back Kinji Hakari up.

"Hiss!"

Several Cursed Spirits attacked at once, sending seven or eight white threads shooting toward the two of them like spikes.

The Grade 1 Cursed Spirit stood about two meters tall. It kept spitting venom to interfere with them while directing the Grade 2 Cursed Spirits to coordinate their attacks.

In just a few seconds, Kinji Hakari and Kirara Hoshi were badly injured.

"Ugh!"

Kirara Hoshi had a limited number of marks and couldn't mark so many Cursed Spirits. Several white threads struck him, piercing his arms and legs.

A huge web stuck him fast. He couldn't muster any strength, and his consciousness began to blur.

"Kirara!"

Clutching his left arm, Kinji Hakari hurriedly backed away, trying to save Kirara Hoshi.

But the Cursed Spirits gave him no opening. Attacks came at him from every direction.

At this rate, Kinji Hakari would be skewered like a pincushion.

Yet, faced with so many attacks, Kinji Hakari seemed to give up resisting. He stood still without dodging.

He fixed his gaze on the Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, a hint of madness rising in his eyes. "Is this the end of the line? Then I'll take a gamble!"

He formed a one-handed seal and raised it in front of him. His Cursed Energy erupted all at once. "Domain Expansion!"

At the most dangerous moment, he unleashed the Domain Expansion every sorcerer yearned to master.

The surroundings began to tremble. His overwhelming Cursed Energy formed an enclosed space, pulling every Cursed Spirit inside.

Domain Expansion: Gambler's Ruin!

"Hiss!"

The Cursed Spirits pulled into the Domain were instantly unable to attack Kinji Hakari. They could only watch as he began playing Gacha.

Meanwhile.

Outside, Shinsuke Zenin appeared. Seeing Kirara Hoshi hanging in the web, still breathing, he breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he was alive, that was what mattered.

Then he turned to look at the Barrier beside him, riddled with cracks, and raised an eyebrow.

"This kid's got talent."

He'd managed to use Domain Expansion during a minor Grade 2 assessment mission. It was only a prototype, but once he'd succeeded once, he'd do it again.

"Teacher Zenin, you're here..."

Kirara Hoshi forced his eyes open and looked at the blurry figure in front of him. "Teacher, is Kinji okay...?"

"He's fine. Just rest for now."

Shinsuke Zenin pulled Kirara Hoshi down from the web and laid him flat on the ground.

Just then, Geto Suguru arrived. Seeing the Domain on the verge of collapsing, he froze. "Is this one of this year's first-years?"

A first-year could use Domain Expansion?

"Perfect timing. Help treat his injuries."

Looking at Geto Suguru, Shinsuke Zenin spoke without the slightest courtesy.

"You want me to treat him? Hey, have you got any idea what side we're on?"

Geto Suguru couldn't make sense of this man's train of thought.

He was a Curse User now, and Jujutsu High was his enemy. Why should he help them?

"Fine, fine. I won't fight you for this Cursed Spirit, all right?"

Shinsuke Zenin conceded.

"You said it."

At that, Geto Suguru's eyes lit up. He summoned a Cursed Spirit and had it tend to Kirara Hoshi's wounds: stopping the bleeding, bandaging him, and stabilizing his condition.

"Crack!"

Just then, the Domain, already riddled with cracks, burst apart. Kinji Hakari was sent flying, and Shinsuke Zenin caught him.

Seeing the familiar face, a faint smile appeared on Kinji Hakari's face. He'd lost, but he'd also won.

He'd been lucky to pull off a Domain Expansion on his first try. But he'd also been unlucky, since he hadn't hit the Jackpot and hadn't beaten the Cursed Spirit.

All in all, his good luck had won out. At least he'd held on until his teacher arrived.

"Roar!"

A three-meter-tall spider Cursed Spirit let out an angry roar. It had nearly been killed by a human.

If it hadn't devoured the seven Grade 2 Cursed Spirits in time, it might have lost.

Looking at the Cursed Spirit, which had now reached Quasi-Special Grade, Shinsuke Zenin felt tempted.

"You promised me. Don't interfere!"

Geto Suguru hurriedly summoned two Cursed Spirits. Rainbow Dragon, with its extraordinary toughness and a grade of at least Grade 1, appeared at once and lunged at the Cursed Spirit that had just advanced to Quasi-Special Grade.

At the same time, a three-meter-tall, fat, one-eyed Buddha emerged from the ground, a skull necklace hanging around its neck.

The Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, Skull Daruma, possessed immense destructive power and impact force.

The moment it appeared, it punched straight through the spider Cursed Spirit's abdomen. Working with Rainbow Dragon, it took the Cursed Spirit down in moments.

Only after he'd securely swallowed the Quasi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit did Geto Suguru feel at ease.

"Was that really necessary? I said I wouldn't take it from you. Did you have to rush so much?"

The corner of Shinsuke Zenin's mouth twitched. Since when had Geto Suguru become so impatient? He didn't seem like a villain at all.

"Hmph. I won't trust you that easily."

After absorbing the Cursed Spirit, Geto Suguru looked pleased. It had been ages since he'd absorbed such a disgusting Cursed Spirit.

"I'm leaving. Hopefully, we never meet again."

Having absorbed the Cursed Spirit, Geto Suguru had no reason to stay. He left without hesitation.

Watching Geto Suguru's rather dashing figure, Shinsuke Zenin shook his head. It seemed Geto still hadn't grasped the intricacies of Cursed Spirit Manipulation.

If he remembered correctly, Cursed Spirit Manipulation let its user absorb the Cursed Techniques of Cursed Spirits at Quasi-Grade 1 or higher and use them for himself, didn't it?

"What a shame. A Quasi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit."

Thinking that he'd given a Quasi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit to Geto Suguru just to keep his students safe made his heart ache.

Fortunately, Geto Suguru would have to return it to him eventually. Not only would he have to give it back, he'd have to cough up quite a bit more...