Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

"Static universe!"

The moment the words fell, gray mist spread outwards from Rito's feet.

In an instant, a complete sphere of about fifteen square meters enveloped the four people.

Time stood still at that moment.

Every suspended dust particle rests in its proper place, and the boundary between light and dark is cut into an absolutely precise geometric pattern.

Rito stood at the very center of this static universe, his pupils reflecting everything within the domain.

Xigong's wind blade stopped in mid-air, its downward motion frozen intact three feet above the withered leaves.

Kamo's blood dripped to a spot two feet in front of Rito, the dark red sphere reflecting the tattered collar of his school uniform.

The three blades pressed close to his forehead, less than an inch from his temple, and then stopped moving.

The orange-red light deep inside the mechanical wrist cannon quieted down, like a spark welded to the cannon barrel.

The moment the domain took shape, Rito felt as if something had been taken away from his body.

The total amount of magical power also decreased by one level at this moment.

"If you want to get something, you have to pay an equal price." This was what Gojo Satoru said to Rito a month ago, before the test.

He knew that Gojo Satoru was referring to the constraint setting in the original work.

Knowing something is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another.

In the test, Rito, driven to the brink, tries to save his companions while passing the test.

For the first time, Rito voluntarily imposed a restraint in order to win.

In exchange for the maximum total amount of spell power in the next month, three seconds of the complete domain expansion will be available.

But this time, he won.

This is the second time.

"When all the heat is concentrated at one point, the entire space will fall into complete stillness."

Even though it was the second time he had seen this effect, Rito still felt a little excited.

Since learning this move, he has only been able to develop a half-finished field.

Although its performance in battle was still objective, it was far inferior to a fully-fledged domain.

"We must grasp the full scope of the field, not trade it away at such a cost!"

The thought flashed through his mind, and Li Ren gathered his incantation power, raised his fist, and smashed it forward fiercely.

boom!

His fist slammed hard into the abdomen of the nearest tricycle.

The unsuspecting tricycle was sent flying backwards.

One second!

Then there's the mechanical pellet.

boom!

Rito turned sideways and raised his leg, his kick, imbued with cursed power, directly shattered the mechanical ball's torso.

He turned around and grabbed Xigong from above, slamming him to the ground.

Two seconds!

Finally, there's Kamo.

The disbelief that lingered in his eyes before the domain unfolded still remained.

"How could a newcomer who has only been enrolled for less than half a year have already developed a domain...?"

No one explained it to him.

The next instant, Rito's fist appeared in front of him.

Three seconds, that's it!

In Kamo's eyes, Rito was just being attacked by four people.

However, when he shouted the words "Expand the domain," everyone collapsed in the blink of an eye.

And a fist burning with azure magical power gradually magnified in his eyes.

"No......"

boom!

Rito's fist slammed into Kamo's face.

He wouldn't show any mercy to this guy who was targeting him.

With a single punch, Kamo's body flew backward like a tattered sack.

Drops of blood spurted from his mouth and nose, splattering onto the surrounding ground.

The world is quiet.

"Itadori, your best friend... is quite something!" A fighting spirit ignited in Toudou's eyes, but the next second he suddenly grinned, "I wonder what kind of woman he likes."

Itachi seemed stunned, only reacting after hearing Toudou's voice, and nodded sluggishly.

"Yes, Rito is very strong."

After saying that, he ran straight out from beside the East Hall, shouting at Rito as he ran, "What kind of move was that? It was so over-the-top!"

Dongtang didn't follow. Instead, he crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on Rito, past the messy ground.

On the other side, at the edge of the woods.

Fu Hei's loosened fingers trembled slightly at his side, and the red marks on his palms from his fingernails had not yet faded.

Then, she smiled with relief and said in a voice so low she could barely hear herself, "Rito, you are indeed a trustworthy partner."

"Rito is as reliable as ever." Kugizaki stretched and let out a long breath, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

Maki stood half a step behind the two of them, her gaze fixed on Rito through her glasses, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up.

It wasn't surprise; the expression seemed more like confirmation of something he had already guessed.

Just then, a series of heavy footsteps came from behind Fuhei, accompanied by the crisp sound of cedar branches being snapped.

The panda squeezed through the woods on the other side, its round body brushing off a large patch of cedar branches and leaves, scattering needles all over the ground.

"We just finished dealing with this, what's the situation over there?"

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His dark eyes blinked back and forth between the fallen Kyoto school member and Rito in the center of the arena, then remained silent for a full two seconds.

Before Panda could even react with surprise, Dog Curl peeked out from behind him, his dark pupils sweeping across the open space before finally settling on Rito.

"Mentaiko."

Dog curled up his thumb and didn't lower it for a long time.

The panda looked down at him and then raised its paw as well.

"Yes, the panda thinks so too."

Meanwhile, at the edge of the woods on the other side of the open space.

Zhenyi leaned against a cedar tree, her revolver hanging at her side.

From the moment Kugizaki turned and left until now, she should have gone to meet up with Kamo, but she hasn't taken that step yet.

Her gaze passed over the pile of fallen leaves and landed on the manager in the center of the field.

He then looked past Rihito and towards the figure carrying a naginata in the distance.

Maki stood at the edge of the forest, the tip of her naginata touching the ground, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Zhenyi glanced at it for a second, then looked away.

"A freshman beat up Kamo and the others... Maki, does your Tokyo school only produce such outrageous people?"

After saying that, she put the revolver back in its holster and turned to walk into the depths of the woods.

In the center of the open space.

The remaining gray fog in the area has not yet dissipated.

Sanlun clutched his abdomen and knelt on the ground, the knife slipping from his hand and landing in a pile of dead leaves two steps away.

She looked up, her gaze passing over the scattered metal fragments, and when it landed on Rito, her lips moved slightly.

"You're kidding..."

First grade, less than half a year since starting school.

She wanted to continue, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

The mechanical pellet's torso was scattered all over the ground, and a few metal joints were still making faint clicking sounds.

Nishimiya lay on her side on the withered leaves, the broom rolling three steps away.

Kamo lay on his back, his face swollen with fist marks, and his breathing was slightly rapid.

Almost simultaneously, the words Kamo had spoken in the Kyoto school preparation room echoed in the minds of all four of them.

"Newcomers without practical experience will find it difficult to play a role in team battles, even if their techniques are unique."

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, illuminating Rito's tattered school uniform.

Blood was still seeping from his left shoulder, and his chest was heaving violently, but his spine never bent from head to toe.

Kugizaki cupped his hands around his mouth and called out to him.

"Hey, Rito!"

The man looked in the direction of the sound.

Itadori was running towards him from the edge of the clearing, Kugizaki was waving at him from the edge of the woods, Fushiguro was standing next to him and nodded, and Maki was tilting her head with her naginata on her shoulder.

The panda held up one thick bear paw, while the dog quietly stood beside it, holding up the same finger.

Rito slowly exhaled a breath of white air, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

Then, he was about to take a step—

boom!

Deep in the forest, a surge of magical power exploded without warning.

The density and purity of that cursed power caused the withered leaves at his feet to instantly crumble into powder even without wind.

In that instant, Rito stopped in his tracks, and Itachi's halfway-rushing figure also came to an abrupt halt.

Dongtang's eyes narrowed in that instant, and the smile on his lips vanished in an instant.

The next second, under everyone's gaze, a figure slowly walked out from the depths of the dense forest.

Its pace was not fast, but with each step it took, the ground trembled slightly.

The sunlight shone on it, but it didn't bring out any warmth.

It had no eyes on its face, but everyone felt them in that instant.

Something is watching them.