Pain thrummed in your skull as you forced your eyes open. Your breath came ragged, limbs trembling as you tried to push yourself up. The air was thick with the remnants of the battle, the scent of cursed energy clinging to the ruined walls around you.

Your fingers dug into the cracked floor as you slowly got to your feet, ignoring the sharp ache lacing through your muscles. The special-grade curse loomed ahead, still monstrous, but weaker. Something had changed. The overwhelming pressure it once held had dimmed.

And you knew why.

Suguru.

A fleeting touch of cursed energy—familiar, distant, untouchable. He had been here. He had helped. And then he had left.

You swallowed down the emotions that tried to rise in your throat. There was no time for that.Because even weakened, this thing was still strong.And you were not done.

With a sharp inhale, you threw your hand forward, summoning the curses you had absorbed over the years. Shadows twisted and unraveled, forming monstrous figures around you. A hulking centipede-like curse curled protectively, clicking its fangs. A winged creature took flight above, its red eyes gleaming. A skeletal beast let out a low growl, its claws dragging across the ground.

"Go."

At your command, they lunged. The air exploded with movement. The centipede curse coiled and struck, its body slamming into the special-grade with enough force to crack the earth beneath them. The skeletal curse lunged from behind, claws carving deep into the creature's back.

You darted forward. The winged curse dove from above, aiming straight for the creature's exposed side—

—But the special-grade countered.

With a flicker of motion, it lashed out, grabbing the winged curse mid-flight and crushing it in an instant. A burst of cursed energy followed, sending you hurtling backward.

You barely caught yourself, landing hard on your hands and knees, coughing.

It had absorbed more energy from the curses you sent after it. Of course. That was its technique.

Think, think—

Your grip tightened around your weapon. A cursed dagger, blackened with years of battle.

You couldn't just send your curses blindly. You had to be smarter.Your voice came out sharp, commanding.

"Surround it."

The remaining curses obeyed, moving swiftly, forming a loose circle around the special-grade. Its grotesque, shifting body twitched as if sensing the shift in your tactics. It was waiting. Watching.So you did the same.A standoff.

A moment stretched. A heartbeat.Then—you moved first.With everything you had, you charged.

The battlefield became chaos. You weaved through the clash of monsters, slicing, dodging, striking with precision. The special-grade was fast, its attacks brutal, but you had years of training drilled into your bones.

Masachiro's voice echoed in your head. "Stay unpredictable."

So you did.

You feinted left, then slashed upward, your dagger embedding into its side. A bellowing screech. Cursed energy erupted, black and wild.

Another opening.The centipede curse lunged again, this time wrapping tightly around its arms, constricting.

"Now—"

You leapt.Dagger in hand, you drove it straight into the creature's skull.

A soundless scream.

A tremor rippled through the air. The special-grade shuddered. Twitched. Then fell silent.And then, like ink dissolving in water—it disintegrated.

Gone.

For a moment, there was only silence.Then, the realization hit.You had won.

The battlefield was quiet now, save for your ragged breathing. The cursed dagger in your grip felt heavy, slick with remnants of the special-grade curse's energy. It was over.

But your mission wasn't.

Your eyes landed on the Sukuna's finger lying amidst the rubble. A relic of unmatched malevolence, pulsing with dense, ancient cursed energy. But beside it, something equally sinister shimmered in the dim light—

The special-grade curse's essence.

A sphere. A condensed mass of cursed energy, twisted and tainted by its unique technique. The ability to manipulate curse energy, to heighten or suppress it, to control those bound by it.

And you had to absorb it.

Your stomach twisted, but your hand moved on instinct, picking up the sphere. It was warm. Pulsing. It almost felt... alive.

You hesitated.

Absorbing regular curses was one thing, but this? This was special-grade.Still, you had done it before.With a sharp inhale, you swallowed it.

And then—hell broke loose.

Your entire body convulsed. A wave of cursed energy exploded from within you, like fire ripping through your veins. Your breath caught in your throat as your vision blurred. The world around you tilted, your limbs stiffening as if shackled by unseen hands.

And then—screams.

Not yours.

Your curses.

They howled, screeched, and turned.Against you.

The centipede curse lunged first. Its once-loyal form twisted in the air, fangs bared. You barely dodged, stumbling backward, heart pounding. The skeletal curse followed, its claws swiping inches from your face.

You had lost control.

The realization slammed into you. Your cursed energy was no longer yours alone. The ability to manipulate curses—it was now inside you. But instead of you controlling them, they were rebelling.

Your breath hitched.

"What have I done?"

Before you could react further—Masachiro stormed in.

His presence was immediate. The sheer relief on his face was evident before it twisted into horror.

"Kid!" He rushed toward you, his expression darkening. "You—You absorbed it already?!"

You barely registered his words, your knees buckling under the pressure of the cursed energy raging inside you.

"You idiot!" His voice was sharp, panicked. "Do you even know what kind of curse this was?! That thing wasn't just a parasite—it was a damn conductor. It could manipulate every curse in its reach—AND NOW THAT'S YOU."

You gasped for breath, gripping your temples as your own curses snarled at you. They shouldn't be able to do that. They had never turned on you before.

Masachiro didn't hesitate. He moved, fast. His presence alone was enough to send your rampaging curses staggering back. He pulled you by the collar, eyes burning with frustration, anger—fear.

"You think you're just some tool for them?" His voice dropped lower, but it was no less sharp. "You think you can just keep swallowing this shit and nothing will happen?! YOU'RE A DAMN KID, NOT A WEAPON!"

You wanted to argue. To tell him this was your duty.

But your own body disagreed.

Because right now?

You weren't the one in control anymore.

CHAPTER COMPLETED.