Chapter 6 – One-Tomoe Sharingan
"Where are we?" Yuta asked, looking around the empty, abandoned school building.
"It's an elementary school," Gojo said, his tone growing serious. "But… one where several children have gone missing."
"Missing?!" Yuta exclaimed in shock.
Gojo nodded. "Most likely the work of naturally manifested curses—common in places like this."
"Children were abducted by curses?" Tatsuro asked.
"Exactly. Two so far," Gojo replied.
Maki, carrying her long black weapon case, added, "Places that accumulate memories are more prone to generating curses—like schools and hospitals. Every time people recall strong negative feelings, they gather and create cursed energy… and eventually, curses."
"Yep. Our job is to exorcise the curses and rescue the kids. If they're already dead, we recover the bodies," Gojo said, lifting his hand and forming a hand sign with his index and middle fingers.
"From darkness comes birth—deeper than black, stained and defiled… be exorcised."
Drip—
A droplet echoed above them. Tatsuro looked up to see a liquid like black ink slowly expand into a dome, covering the school grounds.
Whoa… seeing it in person hits different than in the manga… he thought.
Yuta gasped. "It's night already?!"
"Relax," Gojo said casually. "This is a veil. It conceals you from the outside world and allows curses to manifest. You can easily deactivate it from the inside. Be careful—don't die, okay?"
With that, the black veil sealed them in, and Gojo waited outside.
"Die? Sensei!" Yuta called out nervously.
Tatsuro interrupted, "Don't look around. The curses are already here."
"What?!"
Yuta turned just in time to see Maki draw her naginata from her bag.
Three tall, one-eyed curses had appeared on the path before them. Identical in appearance, their bodies began trembling as they let out distorted whispers:
"Come… in…"
Their thin arms reached up to their single eyes, then plunged into their mouths—sewn shut with thick black thread. As they pulled the stitches apart, sticky white fluid dripped from the gaps.
Disgusting…
Even as someone who'd observed dissections, Tatsuro felt sick.
Snap!
The threads snapped. A massive tongue slithered out. The mouth fully opened, revealing the curse's grotesque face.
The three curses charged, drooling and snarling like starving beasts.
"They're coming straight for us!" Yuta shouted.
He glanced at Tatsuro, who looked oddly calm. "What do we do?!"
"Geez, you're such a coward," Tatsuro scoffed, then pointed at Maki. "Those three losers aren't even enough for her. She's not worried—why are you?"
His words were ridiculous… yet somehow confident. A classic case of "eating soft rice hard."
"…"
Yuta was speechless. We're both transfers, but why is he so different from me…?
Maki, who had been ready to fight, froze when she heard Tatsuro using her like a meat shield. She also recalled him grabbing her leg earlier.
She narrowed her eyes, then lowered her weapon. "If you're so strong, then why don't you take care of them?"
"…"
If I could, would I be hugging your leg for protection?!
Tatsuro groaned internally. He had a system mission to exorcise ten curses—but these three were clearly too strong. Still… maybe if he could activate the Sharingan…
He had unlocked it once during the doll fight. He knew how to do it now—guide cursed energy into his eyes. He'd never tested it intentionally, but it was worth a shot.
And besides, Maki wouldn't just stand by and let him die… right?
Alright, screw it. Let's try this.
The curses were now just over 20 meters away. At their speed, they'd reach him in seconds. Tatsuro shut his eyes and forced cursed energy into them, just as he had done before.
What is he doing?! Is this guy crazy?!
Maki tensed, gripping her naginata again. She didn't like him, but that didn't mean she'd let him die.
The curses saw him close his eyes and grew even more excited, their snarls echoing across the courtyard.
Faster, faster…
Tatsuro was panicking. Why is it taking so long?! Last time, it activated instantly!
I'm gonna die!
I'm seriously gonna die!
His intense survival instinct flooded his body with negative emotions, converting into cursed energy. It surged into his eyes, reaching full capacity.
Tatsuro's eyes snapped open—crimson irises with a single tomoe spinning fast.
There it is!
The one-tomoe Sharingan.
He could now see everything: the curses' movements, their weak points—the world slowed around him.
Let's go.
He guided cursed energy into his arms, preparing to strike.
"You guys step aside. I'll handle these three."
With a confident smirk, Tatsuro stepped back to buy a few seconds.
His eyes… they were different!
Yuta and Maki immediately backed away. The curses, provoked, ignored them and charged at Tatsuro.
"His eyes changed," Yuta murmured.
"I'm not blind, thanks," Maki said, watching Tatsuro easily dodge the curses' attacks. She relaxed her grip on her weapon and muttered, "Didn't expect him to be that capable."
He weaved through their attacks with precision, like he had seen it all in advance.
Those eyes… are they the reason?
Is he related to Gojo-sensei?
No… he doesn't look like him. Hair color's wrong. Face is different. Just the attitude feels similar…
But still—dodging alone won't defeat these curses.
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