The filthy ground was covered in dust.
Mahito stared wide-eyed at the expressionless Choso, utterly baffled.
"Why?"
Mahito couldn't understand. As incarnated vessels, Choso and his brothers would clearly be better off living in a world ruled by cursed spirits.
Choso showed no emotion. Hurting Mahito was as unremarkable to him as a human stepping on a blade of grass.
He condensed cursed energy into blood, then shaped it into a blood-red boning knife.
He answered as he slowly approached.
"Don't bother bringing up how you helped us incarnate. None of us feels any gratitude for that.
Araki Itsuki has something we want. And since he spared my younger brothers, there's no question about whose side we'd choose."
Resentment stirred in Mahito's heart. So when those two failed their last mission, they didn't run away after spotting him in the distance like they claimed. Araki Itsuki made a deal with them.
But Mahito still couldn't understand. The three brothers had only just been awakened. How could Araki Itsuki have known what they wanted?
Surely that hateful man wasn't all-knowing and all-powerful?!
"What do you want?"
"If you understand, there's no need to explain. If you don't, explaining is pointless."
Mahito: ...
Just as Choso stepped within reach, the confusion on Mahito's face vanished, replaced by cold hatred.
Mahito suddenly sprang up in a sneak attack, punching at Choso's stomach.
But Choso was faster. With a single stroke of his knife, he severed the weakened Mahito's incoming fist.
"You can use Domain Expansion. Normally, the three of us would be no match for you."
"But things are different now. After your Domain Expansion, your cursed technique is burned out, and that fight just used up a lot of your cursed energy."
Thud.
Mahito's severed arm hit the ground along with the