As Naoya watched Shoko heal the injured villagers with her Reverse Cursed Technique, his eyes narrowed in thought. He knew exactly the logic behind it—sorcerers controlled negative cursed energy, and by multiplying that energy by itself, they could create positive energy. That was the foundation of the Reverse Cursed Technique. It was a simple concept in theory, but executing it was a completely different story.
Once Shoko finished tending to the villagers, Naoya stepped forward. "I'm going to investigate the area. Here, take this."
He reached into his bag and pulled out a knife he had taken from the Zen'in Clan's storage, handing it to Shoko.
She raised an eyebrow, taking the knife with a small smirk. "You really are a thug, walking around with a knife in your bag."
"You never know when you'll need to stab something—or someone."
Shoko twirled the knife between her fingers, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Oh? Did you fall in love with me or something? Caring about my safety now?"
She threw his previous line back at him with a smirk.
"Don't misunderstand. I just need you alive for a couple of reasons."
Shoko tilted her head, her tone playful. "Oh? And what reasons would those be?"
"Let's just say you're more useful to me alive than dead. Besides, if something happened to you, people will thing that I'm weak or something"
"by people you mean Gojo and Geto right?"
"Tch. Don't flatter yourself. I don't care what those two think."
With that, he disappeared into the shadows of the forest, Shoko watched him go, her expression unreadable for a moment before she turned her attention back to the injured sorcerers, She knelt beside them, her hands glowing faintly with the soft light of her Reverse Cursed Technique as she worked to stabilize their conditions.
......
Meanwhile, Naoya moved through the forest with insane speed, his eyes scanning the area and his senses heightened to detect any trace of cursed energy. The dense trees and underbrush were no obstacle for him as he darted through the shadows, his movements almost too fast to follow. Every now and then, he would pause, his head tilting slightly as he focused on the faint pulses of cursed energy in the air.
There's something here.
The forest grew darker the deeper Naoya went, the oppressive atmosphere thickening with every step. The faint sound of rustling leaves and distant whispers filled the air, but Naoya moved through the shadows with practiced ease.
Finally, he spotted it—a cursed spirit, its form twisted and grotesque, radiating pure malice. Its eyes pulsed with a sickly glow as it prowled through the forest, unaware of the predator lurking just one step beside it.
"Semi-grade one, huh?"
The cursed spirit froze. Its head snapped toward Naoya, eyes widening in shock. But before it could react, he moved. A blur. A devastating strike.
The curse let out a guttural snarl, its form flickering as it staggered back, struggling to recover.
"Too slow."
Naoya's smirk never wavered as he delivered the final, merciless blow. The cursed spirit let out a piercing shriek before its body crumbled into nothingness, cursed energy dissipating into the night.
He stood in the clearing, brushing off his hands, his smirk still firmly in place.
"Pathetic."
Without another glance, he turned and walked back toward the village.
............
Back at the village, Shoko had just finished healing the last of the injured sorcerers when she felt a familiar presence approaching. She looked up to see Naoya emerging from the forest, his usual smirk plastered across his face.
"Took you long enough,"
"I had to make sure the area was clear."
"Well, did you find anything?"
"Just a weakling. Nothing worth worrying about," Naoya said, his smirk still in place as he brushed off his hands. But before Shoko could respond, Naoya's eyes narrowed, his smirk fading as he sensed something—a sudden drop in temperature, the air growing colder with every passing second.
Shoko noticed the shift in his demeanor and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw it: a towering, emaciated humanoid figure with frostbitten skin and icicles growing from its body. The curse radiated an aura of despair and malice, its presence alone enough to make the surrounding air feel like the depths of winter.
Kosetsu (枯雪)—a registered Special Grade curse born from the collective fear of harsh winters, freezing to death, and the despair of isolation. It stood there, its hollow eyes fixed on Naoya and Shoko, its voice a chilling whisper that cut through the air like a blade of ice.
"Are you the one who killed my dog?" the curse asked, its tone eerily calm but laced with an undercurrent of rage.
Naoya stepped forward, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your dog? Oh, you mean that weakling? Yeah, that was me. What are you going to do about it?"
"Naoya, don't provoke it."
Kosetsu's hollow eyes narrowed, the temperature dropping even further as icicles began to form on the trees and ground around them. "You… will pay for that."
Naoya cracked his knuckles, "Big talk for a walking snowman. Let's see if you can back it up."
Shoko stepped forward, her expression serious. "Naoya, this isn't the time for your ego. That's a Special Grade curse. We need to retreat and call for backup."
Naoya's smirk didn't waver, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Retreat? Please. You're underestimating me too much."
Before Shoko could argue, Kosetsu raised its hand, and a wave of icy wind surged toward them. Naoya moved instantly, grabbing Shoko and pulling her out of the way just as the ground where they had been standing froze over, jagged icicles erupting from the earth.
Shoko stumbled slightly as Naoya set her down.
"Does it grip?" Naoya asked, his tone casual as if they were discussing the weather.
Shoko blinked, completely thrown off. "What?"
Naoya smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, it must grip," he continued, his hands still lingering on her waist and under it for a moment longer than necessary.
Shoko's eyes narrowed as she realized exactly what he was doing. "What are you—"
But before she could finish, Naoya cut her off, his smirk widening as he shamelessly ignored her protest. "Stay back, Shoko,"
"I'll end this soon," Naoya declared as he turned to face Kosetsu.
Shoko stared at him, her expression a mix of disbelief and anger. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"
Naoya didn't respond, his focus already shifting to the battle at hand. In an instant, he activated his Projection Sorcery technique, his body moving in a series of rapid motions that made him appear almost as if he were teleporting. He reappeared on the side of the curse, his fist already enchanted with cursed energy as he launched a devastating punch.
But Kosetsu was fast. The curse raised its hand, and a thick wall of ice erupted from the ground, blocking Naoya's attack. The impact sent shards of ice flying in all directions, but the curse remained unharmed.
Naoya landed a few feet away, his smirk returning as he brushed a shard of ice off his shoulder. "Oh? You were able to react to that?"
Before the curse could respond, Naoya activated his Projection Sorcery again, appearing behind Kosetsu in an instant. His palm pressed against the curse's back, and with a sharp, mechanical click, the curse's movements were locked into a single frame, frozen in place like an animated statue.
CRACK!
Naoya's foot lashed out, shattering the frozen frame like glass and sending the curse flying through the air. But Naoya didn't stop there. He dashed forward, his speed unmatched, closing the distance before the curse even had a chance to hit the ground.
Kosetsu, even mid-air, reacted instantly. Its hollow eyes glowed as a surge of freezing wind erupted from its form, turning everything in its path to ice. The air around Naoya crackled with frost, the cold creeping toward him, threatening to encase him completely.
But Naoya didn't flinch. Instead, he smirked. "Already saw that coming."
Rather than pressing forward, he shifted his stance, pressing a hand to the ground. His voice dropped to a low murmur—"Frame Fracture."
The moment the freezing air made contact with the ground, the terrain itself shifted, its normal conditions altered by Naoya's technique. The frozen air collided with the fractured frame of the ground, and in an instant, an explosion erupted, sending shards of ice and debris flying in all directions.
Kosetsu was caught in the blast, its form flickering as it struggled to maintain its shape. The curse let out a guttural roar, its icy armor cracking under the force of the explosion.
Naoya stood amidst the chaos, his smirk sharpening as he watched the curse struggle. "Not so tough now, are you?"
Without giving the curse a break or any chance to recover, Naoya darted forward again, He reappeared in front of Kosetsu, his palm slamming against its chest. With a sharp click, the curse was locked into another animated frame, frozen in place.
CRACK!
Naoya's fist shattered the frame, sending the curse flying through the air until it collided with a massive tree. The impact was so forceful that the tree itself shook, its bark splintering under the pressure. Kosetsu let out a pained groan, purple blood spilling from its mouth as it slumped against the trunk.
"This human… is very fast…" the curse muttered, its voice strained. "I need to use my maximum…"
Kosetsu raised its hand, attempting to form a hand sign to unleash its full power. But before it could even complete the motion, Naoya was already there. His palm pressed against the curse's chest once more, locking it into another frame.
But this time, Naoya didn't stop there. In less than a second, he touched the tree behind the curse, his cursed energy surging as he whispered, "Frame Fracture."
The tree, now altered by Naoya's technique, became like a ticking time bomb. Naoya's smirk widened as he pulled back his fist and delivered a devastating punch to the frozen frame of the curse.
CRACK!
The curse's frame shattered, sending it hurtling into the tree. The moment it made contact, the tree exploded in a burst of splintered wood and cursed energy, the force of the blast sending shockwaves through the forest. Kosetsu lay heavily damaged, its form flickering as it struggled to maintain its shape.
Naoya stood amidst the wreckage, his gaze lifting to the sky. A rare exhilaration pulsed through him, the thrill of victory settling deep in his chest. Defeating a Special Grade curse was no small feat—but more than that, it was a testament to how far he had come. The long road he had traveled all led to this moment.
And he couldn't help but revel in it.
But just as Naoya was about to turn away, the curse, with its final breaths, managed to form a complicated hand sign using its remaining seven fingers.
"Domain Expansion: Glacial Funeral."
The air around them shifted instantly, the temperature plummeting to unbearable levels. The forest faded away, replaced by a vast, frozen wasteland. Jagged ice spikes jutted out from the ground, and a blizzard raged around them, the wind howling like a chorus of the damned. The cursed energy in the air was suffocating, and the sheer weight of the domain pressed down on Naoya like a physical force.
Naoya's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene, his smirk faltering for just a moment.
"Doing the same mistake as Naobito, really?" he muttered under his breath, his tone laced with irritation.