Chapter 11

As Takizawa Sei had anticipated, the vengeful cursed spirit "Rika" furiously attacked the curse that appeared on the basketball court.

Sharp, piercing screeches erupted one after another. Two massive monsters were entangled in combat within his line of sight. Takizawa Sei remained unflinching, calmly continuing his conversation with Yuta Okkotsu. Yet, it was clear that Yuta’s focus was divided; eventually, he called it out bluntly, “Enough. You can see them, right? You can see them!”

Takizawa feigned ignorance. “See what?”

“The monsters… or rather…”

“No, I can’t see anything,” he pretended to be concerned. “You look worse than before. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”

Perhaps because Takizawa’s act was so natural, Yuta hesitated as if doubting his own judgment. He turned back, his eyes filled with a desperate resolve. Despite his trembling body, he surprisingly exuded a strong sense of manliness. “Rika, tear it apart!” It was as if he was born with an innate kindness to protect others.

Takizawa whistled, impressed by the stylish command.

He watched Yuta’s retreating figure with a smile. Daifuku, sensing danger, tucked his tail and slipped behind Takizawa’s legs. Takizawa couldn’t be sure whether the cursed spirits would harm animals—after all, they were living beings—so he put Daifuku into his backpack. The bag was too small for the dog, who struggled to fit his head inside.

He had found an interesting person.

Takizawa rubbed his phone screen, thinking he would explain everything to Satoru once this was over. Such a rare situation warranted only his handling to inspire confidence.

“Takizawa-san, you should leave first. It’s already late, and don’t you have a night shift?” Yuta tried to send him away.

But at that moment, a hole suddenly appeared in the empty lot beside them—a basketball-sized object had smashed through the ground with brutal force. Yuta dared not imagine the horrific damage such an impact would cause to a human body.

The successive blows blocked any escape route!

Without warning, Takizawa slapped Yuta on the shoulder. The boy flinched, thinking another attack was coming from behind, waving his arms wildly in panic before losing his balance and falling to the ground.

Looking up, he saw the young man smiling and said, “You’re really no good. Not only unstable on your feet but also cowardly.”

What the…?

Annoyed by the unexpected taunt, Yuta frowned. Then, eyes wide in shock, he was about to shout when Takizawa grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up.

The vengeful cursed spirit broke off from the battle immediately, shouting, “Don’t bully Yuta!”

Takizawa pushed Yuta behind him and cracked his fingers, loosening his joints. “Watch closely. These things are actually quite easy to deal with.”

On his shoulder hung a bow and arrows he had just obtained today from a curse user. He drew a full string, swept past the furious Rika, and aimed at the unfamiliar curse.

The young man narrowed his eyes, seemingly aiming at nothing in particular. Then, with a light release of his fingers, the arrow pierced the air like it carried a thousand destructive forces, swiftly merging with the curse and exploding with a bang.

The shockwave blinded Yuta, who raised an arm to shield his forehead, his heart pounding wildly. Before he could fully process the impact, Rika hid behind him, sobbing, “Yuta, it’s so scary. He’s so scary…”

Large tears streamed down the cursed spirit’s face. Yuta comforted her in surprise, “Don’t be afraid, Rika. He’s protecting me.”

The boy’s voice stopped her crying. Rika looked up and suddenly met Takizawa’s dark, penetrating eyes.

It wasn’t the blackness of his pupils but the gaze itself—overflowing with an inky depth.

Trembling, Rika shrank behind Yuta, her body seemingly smaller. Calmed by Yuta’s soothing words, she obediently melted back into the earth with a final “Let’s go home.”

She had been scared off.

Takizawa raised an eyebrow, feeling no remorse for frightening the little girl. He stepped over the dissipating remains of the curse and bent down to search.

“Takizawa-san, what are you looking for?”

“Weapons,” Takizawa replied, retrieving the arrow he had shot. “These things are expensive to custom-make. Can’t waste them.”

He approached and draped an arm over Yuta’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go somewhere else to talk about your situation.”

His tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable firmness. Yuta inhaled the fresh scent wafting to his nose and followed instinctively.

“The drinks… I haven’t gotten them yet.”

“Oh, so you like such exotic flavors?”

“…I just don’t want to waste them.”

This kid’s character was really easy to read, Takizawa thought.

Although curse users were generally madmen, perhaps Yuta had yet to reveal his crazed side.

Takizawa took him to the convenience store where he worked, quickly called a delivery service to send Daifuku back home, changed shifts with a colleague, donned his uniform, and emerged from the locker room. He handed Yuta a deluxe fast-food meal as he sat on a stool.

“Thanks.”

“My treat. After all, I did lure a high schooler out this late.”

Seeing no customers around, Takizawa got straight to the point. “Do you know what’s been clinging to you? Judging by how well you know her, this isn’t the first time.”

Yuta pursed his lips but evaded the question. “At first, Takizawa-san was teasing me—pretending not to see even though you could.”

“Ah, because your condition is serious,” Takizawa replied evasively. “If someone found out about you, you’d be sentenced to death.”

“?!” Yuta’s eyes widened. “Death penalty? No, I haven’t killed anyone! Why?! Just because of Rika?!”

Takizawa watched his terrified expression and thought the boy was quite the actor. “You’re not unaware of how dangerous she is. You’ve always feared her, haven’t you? Otherwise, why would you tell her not to hurt me?”

“…”

“You probably anticipated this ending a long time ago.”

Yuta lowered his gaze silently. For a moment, Takizawa glimpsed something dark and frenzied deep in his eyes.

“I see…”

It was you who turned her into this.

Yuta looked profoundly desolate, as if trapped and tormented by a long nightmare. “I was cursed by Rika… ever since the moment she died in front of me, she’s been attached to me.” He looked at Takizawa, the mysterious and unfathomable youth in his eyes. “Since you’re willing to take me with you, there must be a way to fix this.”

Takizawa covered his ears. “I don’t know. I’m not an expert.”

“Huh?”

“The only way to let her rest in peace is something only you know.”

“…Rika is very afraid of you.”

“Most cursed spirits are afraid of me,” Takizawa said, crossing his arms as he leaned on the doorframe. “Because I’m strong.”

Yuta muttered gloomily, “That much… you can tell just by looking.”

He hadn’t seemed so afraid before; those cursed spirits were always keen on attacking humans.

Takizawa called Satoru Go in front of Yuta and explained the situation. “There’s a kid… yeah, something like that. I’m just guessing. You’ll understand once you see for yourself. He’s got a good heart. You’ll probably like him.”

Yuta felt a bit embarrassed being praised openly. Then he heard Takizawa chatting on his own.

“Out on another business trip? The strongest sure is busy.”

“I’m slacking at work, planning to resign first thing tomorrow morning. Then I want to rent a shop and just do something casual… maybe a pet café?”

“Go, even if you say that, I’m not moving into your dorm immediately. Don’t you think that’s a bit sudden?”

They sounded so close. Who was he talking to?

Yuta stole a glance at Takizawa, who was multitasking, counting items on the shelves. Then his eyes widened in surprise. “You’re taking a vacation?”