Chapter 9:
The Second Evolution
The Crimson Eyes of the Zenin
Half a month later.
In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed.
The basement of the Zenin estate, shrouded in darkness, was filled with an ominous, suffocating pressure.
In the four corners of the massive pit, Cursed Spirits of various shapes and sizes were piled on top of each other. They struggled desperately against the chains binding them, their roars echoing off the reinforced concrete walls.
Over a thousand Cursed Spirits.
The strongest was Grade 1. The weakest was Grade 3.
This was the result of the Zenin Clan's collective efforts over the past two weeks. The entire clan had been mobilized to capture "food" for their new master.
On a viewing platform ten meters above the pit floor, the Hei unit and the Kukuru unit stood at attention. They gripped the release chains tightly, waiting for the order.
Naobito stood at the front, his expression serious.
This was going to be the largest "feeding" event since Mirai took power.
...
In the center of the pit.
Mirai stood alone. His upper body was naked, revealing the web of scars on his chest. His scarlet pupils glowed in the dark, spinning like hungry vortices.
He glanced at the two shikigami flanking him.
"Release them," Mirai ordered coldly.
Clank. Clank.
The sorcerers above pulled the levers. The chains dropped.
ROAR!!
Like a dam breaking, a thousand Cursed Spirits surged forward. A tidal wave of distorted flesh and gnashing teeth crashed toward the lone boy in the center.
"Go."
"Piercing Ox."
BOOM!
A jet-black bull shot out like a cannonball. The Piercing Ox could only move in a straight line, but the longer it ran, the more powerful it became.
It tore through the horde of spirits, leaving a blank, empty line of gore in its wake. Mangled remains and foul blood sprayed into the air.
But the gap was quickly filled. The horde was endless.
Four Grade 1 Cursed Spirits broke through the line, rushing Mirai from different angles.
"Round Deer."
A massive white deer with long, branching antlers materialized. It lowered its head and swooped down, its antlers smashing three of the Grade 1 spirits away with surprising force.
But the fourth one—a green-skinned monstrosity with a pig's body and wolf claws—slipped through.
Its razor-sharp claws lunged for Mirai's chest.
Mirai watched it come. He didn't dodge. He didn't summon a defense.
Instead, he looked at the claw with anticipation and deactivated his Kamui Intangibility.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed.
The claw plunged deep into Mirai's chest, tearing through muscle and piercing his lung.
"Mirai?!"
Naobito gasped, gripping the railing. He couldn't understand. Why didn't he dodge? Why did he turn off his invincibility?
Naobito prepared to jump down to save him.
"Stop!" Mirai shouted, blood dripping from his mouth. "No one moves!"
The sorcerers froze. They knew the price of disobedience.
Below, the Round Deer—the healer of the Ten Shadows—was swarmed by spirits. It couldn't reach its master.
Mirai fell to one knee. His chest was a bloody mess. His heart was exposed, throbbing weakly.
Naobito watched in horror. He's going to die. The future of the Zenin Clan is going to die because of arrogance.
Naobito couldn't take it. He flared his Cursed Energy, ready to intervene.
But then, his movement froze. His eyes bulged.
Below, the mangled flesh on Mirai's chest began to steam.
Muscle fibers knitted together. Bones snapped back into place. Skin closed over the wound. In seconds, the fatal injury was gone.
"Reverse Cursed Technique?!"
Naobito growled in disbelief.
He did it on purpose.
He put himself on the brink of death to force his body to understand the core of Cursed Energy. He grasped the sensation of negative energy multiplied by negative energy to create positive energy.
A ten-year-old boy learned RCT in the middle of a swarm of curses.
He is a monster even greater than Gojo Satoru.
...
Mirai touched his healed chest. A look of pure excitement flashed across his face.
"Great terror brings great opportunity," he whispered.
He had succeeded. The risk had paid off.
"Now... the main course."
Mirai stood up. He looked at the sorcerers above.
"Keep your distance," he warned. "And brace yourselves."
Mirai formed a complex hand seal.
Naobito recognized the seal instantly. His face went pale.
"Everyone! Step back! Deploy defensive barriers! NOW!"
"Non-sorcerers, cover your heads and get down!"
The moment Naobito finished shouting, the ceiling of the underground cavern cracked.
"Max Elephant."
BOOM!!
The ceiling shattered.
A colossal pink elephant, wreathed in water and Cursed Energy, descended from the sky like a meteor.
It slammed into the pit floor with the weight of a mountain.
A deafening roar erupted. A shockwave of water and force pulverized everything in the pit. The remaining hundreds of Cursed Spirits were reduced to dust in the blink of an eye.
Even the viewing platform collapsed, sending debris flying.
Mirai stood in the center of the destruction, untouched. He spread his arms, closing his eyes as he felt the massive influx of Cursed Energy flood into his dimension.
For two weeks, the Gedo Mazo had been feasting. And now, with this final offering...
It was evolving.
Inside the Kamui Dimension:
The withered, wooden statue shuddered.
Slowly, painfully, it grew thin, wooden legs. It stood up in the void.
The single eye on its forehead snapped open. Nine scarlet tomoe spun within it.
And on its back... the ten giant protrusions began to bloom. From the tips of the tails, white, humanoid shapes began to form. They looked like humans made of white clay.
White Zetsu.
Mirai smiled. An army. An infinite army.
...
Cough. Cough.
Back in the real world, the sorcerers pushed aside the rubble. They were bruised and battered by the shockwave.
Sunlight streamed into the basement through the hole the Max Elephant had created.
Naobito dusted off his yukata. He looked down at the boy standing amidst the ruins of the basement.
He wanted to curse. He wanted to scream.
But looking at the pristine, healed skin of the boy, and feeling the terrifying new pressure radiating from him... Naobito swallowed his words.
Resentment soared to the heavens. But fear kept them silent.
In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed.
The basement of the Zenin estate, shrouded in darkness, was filled with an ominous, suffocating pressure.
In the four corners of the massive pit, Cursed Spirits of various shapes and sizes were piled on top of each other. They struggled desperately against the chains binding them, their roars echoing off the reinforced concrete walls.
Over a thousand Cursed Spirits.
The strongest was Grade 1. The weakest was Grade 3.
This was the result of the Zenin Clan's collective efforts over the past two weeks. The entire clan had been mobilized to capture "food" for their new master.
On a viewing platform ten meters above the pit floor, the Hei unit and the Kukuru unit stood at attention. They gripped the release chains tightly, waiting for the order.
Naobito stood at the front, his expression serious.
This was going to be the largest "feeding" event since Mirai took power.
...
In the center of the pit.
Mirai stood alone. His upper body was naked, revealing the web of scars on his chest. His scarlet pupils glowed in the dark, spinning like hungry vortices.
He glanced at the two shikigami flanking him.
"Release them," Mirai ordered coldly.
Clank. Clank.
The sorcerers above pulled the levers. The chains dropped.
ROAR!!
Like a dam breaking, a thousand Cursed Spirits surged forward. A tidal wave of distorted flesh and gnashing teeth crashed toward the lone boy in the center.
"Go."
"Piercing Ox."
BOOM!
A jet-black bull shot out like a cannonball. The Piercing Ox could only move in a straight line, but the longer it ran, the more powerful it became.
It tore through the horde of spirits, leaving a blank, empty line of gore in its wake. Mangled remains and foul blood sprayed into the air.
But the gap was quickly filled. The horde was endless.
Four Grade 1 Cursed Spirits broke through the line, rushing Mirai from different angles.
"Round Deer."
A massive white deer with long, branching antlers materialized. It lowered its head and swooped down, its antlers smashing three of the Grade 1 spirits away with surprising force.
But the fourth one—a green-skinned monstrosity with a pig's body and wolf claws—slipped through.
Its razor-sharp claws lunged for Mirai's chest.
Mirai watched it come. He didn't dodge. He didn't summon a defense.
Instead, he looked at the claw with anticipation and deactivated his Kamui Intangibility.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed.
The claw plunged deep into Mirai's chest, tearing through muscle and piercing his lung.
"Mirai?!"
Naobito gasped, gripping the railing. He couldn't understand. Why didn't he dodge? Why did he turn off his invincibility?
Naobito prepared to jump down to save him.
"Stop!" Mirai shouted, blood dripping from his mouth. "No one moves!"
The sorcerers froze. They knew the price of disobedience.
Below, the Round Deer—the healer of the Ten Shadows—was swarmed by spirits. It couldn't reach its master.
Mirai fell to one knee. His chest was a bloody mess. His heart was exposed, throbbing weakly.
Naobito watched in horror. He's going to die. The future of the Zenin Clan is going to die because of arrogance.
Naobito couldn't take it. He flared his Cursed Energy, ready to intervene.
But then, his movement froze. His eyes bulged.
Below, the mangled flesh on Mirai's chest began to steam.
Muscle fibers knitted together. Bones snapped back into place. Skin closed over the wound. In seconds, the fatal injury was gone.
"Reverse Cursed Technique?!"
Naobito growled in disbelief.
He did it on purpose.
He put himself on the brink of death to force his body to understand the core of Cursed Energy. He grasped the sensation of negative energy multiplied by negative energy to create positive energy.
A ten-year-old boy learned RCT in the middle of a swarm of curses.
He is a monster even greater than Gojo Satoru.
...
Mirai touched his healed chest. A look of pure excitement flashed across his face.
"Great terror brings great opportunity," he whispered.
He had succeeded. The risk had paid off.
"Now... the main course."
Mirai stood up. He looked at the sorcerers above.
"Keep your distance," he warned. "And brace yourselves."
Mirai formed a complex hand seal.
Naobito recognized the seal instantly. His face went pale.
"Everyone! Step back! Deploy defensive barriers! NOW!"
"Non-sorcerers, cover your heads and get down!"
The moment Naobito finished shouting, the ceiling of the underground cavern cracked.
"Max Elephant."
BOOM!!
The ceiling shattered.
A colossal pink elephant, wreathed in water and Cursed Energy, descended from the sky like a meteor.
It slammed into the pit floor with the weight of a mountain.
A deafening roar erupted. A shockwave of water and force pulverized everything in the pit. The remaining hundreds of Cursed Spirits were reduced to dust in the blink of an eye.
Even the viewing platform collapsed, sending debris flying.
Mirai stood in the center of the destruction, untouched. He spread his arms, closing his eyes as he felt the massive influx of Cursed Energy flood into his dimension.
For two weeks, the Gedo Mazo had been feasting. And now, with this final offering...
It was evolving.
Inside the Kamui Dimension:
The withered, wooden statue shuddered.
Slowly, painfully, it grew thin, wooden legs. It stood up in the void.
The single eye on its forehead snapped open. Nine scarlet tomoe spun within it.
And on its back... the ten giant protrusions began to bloom. From the tips of the tails, white, humanoid shapes began to form. They looked like humans made of white clay.
White Zetsu.
Mirai smiled. An army. An infinite army.
...
Cough. Cough.
Back in the real world, the sorcerers pushed aside the rubble. They were bruised and battered by the shockwave.
Sunlight streamed into the basement through the hole the Max Elephant had created.
Naobito dusted off his yukata. He looked down at the boy standing amidst the ruins of the basement.
He wanted to curse. He wanted to scream.
But looking at the pristine, healed skin of the boy, and feeling the terrifying new pressure radiating from him... Naobito swallowed his words.
Resentment soared to the heavens. But fear kept them silent.
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