Ch 24 first grade

After Ichiro woke up, he meticulously tidied his bed before heading down to the living room. There, he encountered Elizabeth nestled in her cradle, being attentively cared for by the woman who had accompanied Will and Margarette from the airport. The atmosphere gradually brightened as Kyle, Will, Margarette and their parents joined them, infusing the space with energy.

As they settled in for a warm, full breakfast, Kyle initiated the conversation, his tone curious yet friendly. "So, Ichiro, where did you disappear to yesterday?"

Will chimed in, his expression one of genuine interest. "Yeah, Ichiro, we didn't see you around all day. What were you up to?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was with my siblings yesterday since it's been two years since we last met. I was hoping I could spend some time with them, now that I'm here," Ichiro explained, his voice reflecting a mix of nostalgia and excitement.

"Oh, I see. Well, that's good then. You have to take good care of your siblings," Kyle replied, nodding understandingly.

"Yeah, by the way, Kyle," Ichiro interjected, his tone slightly hesitant.

"Yeah? What is it, Ichiro?" Kyle responded, turning his attention fully to him.

"Can I spend the whole day with my siblings?" Ichiro requested, his eyes hopeful.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead. And while you're at it, why don't you invite them to Elizabeth's birthday?" Kyle suggested, a smile forming on his face as he saw the genuine joy in Ichiro's expression.

"Really, Kyle? Is that okay with you, Sir Will?" Ichiro turned to Will, seeking his approval.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead, Ichiro," Will responded, offering his consent with a reassuring nod.

"Thank you very much," Ichiro expressed his gratitude, a sense of relief evident in his voice as he eagerly anticipated the opportunity to reunite with his siblings and share in Elizabeth's special day."

After finishing his breakfast, Ichiro swiftly made his way to his siblings. As he walked, he stumbled upon an abandoned building, its eerie presence palpable.

"Hmm, this place is looming with curse spirit. I wonder if I could gather some weak ones to add to my collection," Ichiro mused aloud, his eyes scanning the decrepit structure with a hint of anticipation.

After pondering for some time, Ichiro came to a conclusion. "Alright, now that we're here, we might as well go."

With determination in his stride, Ichiro began walking inside, each step echoing along the long corridor of the abandoned building.

"If I were a normal person, I would've been terrified, but that's weird. How come no curse spirits are approaching me?" Ichiro questioned aloud, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Oh, that's right. Weak curse spirits tend to run away when they sense cursed energy much greater than theirs. Alright, then," he concluded, his confidence bolstered by his understanding of the supernatural world around him."

As Ichiro paused in his tracks, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate intently. "Gather your cursed energy and put it in one place, and condense it," he muttered softly to himself, his focus unwavering.

After a minute or so of intense concentration, Ichiro succeeded in concealing his cursed energy. Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of a curse spirit The curse spirit's form embodies the essence of fear itself, its contorted body twisted into the shape of a screaming human face. Every feature is exaggerated and distorted, with eyes widened in perpetual terror and a mouth stretched into a silent scream, as if frozen in a moment of eternal agony. Its unsavory voice fills the room, a cacophony of chilling whispers and eerie echoes that send shivers down the spine of anyone who hears it. Each word drips with malice and despair, carrying the weight of centuries of suffering and anguishIts long arms, elongated and sinewy, seem to stretch endlessly, matching the grotesque proportions of its twisted body, The curse spirit's grotesque grin twists its already contorted face into a visage of twisted delight. Its mouth, stretched impossibly wide, reveals rows of jagged teeth dripping with dark, viscous fluid. Each tooth seems to gleam with malevolent glee, as if relishing the fear and despair it instills in its victims. The grin is unsettlingly wide, spreading across its face in a macabre parody of joy. Its lips are pulled back in a rictus of twisted pleasure, while its eyes gleam with a sinister light, reflecting the dark depths of its malevolent soul. its malevolent grin sending shivers of excitement down on ichiro's spine.

"Oh, finally," Ichiro remarked, his expectation evident in his voice. "Judging by the amount of cursed energy, it's probably around first grade." He let out a sigh, his hopes dashed out. "Sigh and here I was hoping it could be a special grade."

Despite his disappointment, Ichiro remained composed, already strategizing his approach to deal with the curse spirit before him."

As the curse spirit lifted its hand, forming a menacing fist, it anticipated a look of terror on Ichiro's face. However, to its surprise and frustration, Ichiro regarded it with disappointment instead. Enraged by this unexpected reaction, the curse spirit swiftly launched its attack, smashing Ichiro's head with brutal force, reducing it to smithereens.

But to the curse spirit's astonishment, Ichiro's hand suddenly gripped its hand tightly, catching it off guard. With a mixture of shock and fear, the curse spirit hastily severed Ichiro's hand, only to watch in disbelief as Ichiro's head regrew before its eyes, along with his missing limb.

"Hoh, looks like it was a success," Ichiro remarked coolly, his voice tinged with satisfaction. "Man, thanks to the training I did with my new body, I was able to achieve new heights. Because I can freely absorbed, release, and heal myself with cursed energy, I can preset it so that the moment I die, lose consciousness, or get injured, my cursed energy would just heal my body automatically, and I was able to gained this profound ability by painstakingly train,good thing it paid off"

Ichiro's confidence swelled as he continued, "Meaning, even when I'm fighting, the moment I get injured, my cursed energy will automatically heal my body. I don't need to flow the cursed energy to that specific area anymore. So now, I can fight without worrying about sustaining fatal wounds. Hahahaha, I'm such a genius!"

Realizing he had been speaking aloud, Ichiro chuckled "Oh, sorry about that. Was I talking too loud?" he asked, his demeanor calm despite the chaos that had just unfolded"

As Ichiro finished complimenting himself and reveling in his achievement, he shifted his focus back to the curse spirit. While Ichiro's sense of accomplishment buoyed his spirits, the same couldn't be said for the curse spirit. Its expression morphed into one of increasing wariness as it assessed the human before it.

Realizing the futility of engaging in a battle with Ichiro, the curse spirit's survival instincts kicked in, and it made a desperate attempt to flee. However, before it could even take a step, Ichiro intercepted it with lightning speed.

"Do you really think I would let you go?" Ichiro's voice cut through the air with a cold determination, causing the curse spirit to freeze in its tracks.

Before the curse spirit could muster a response or attempt another escape, Ichiro was already standing in front of it once again. The curse spirit instinctively took a step backward, realizing that fleeing was not an option in this situation.

Undeterred by the curse spirit's attempt to retreat, Ichiro continued to address it, his tone firm and unwavering. "You may have underestimated me, but now that you're here, you're not going anywhere until I say so."

"You know, that was my first time being killed, so I want you to be a man and take responsibility. I mean, look at all this blood on the floor. A normal person would have died, you know," Ichiro remarked teasingly, gesturing towards the crimson stains surrounding them.

While Ichiro's tone was light-hearted and playful, the curse spirit remained tense, unable to comprehend what would happen next. Running seemed futile, and fighting Ichiro appeared inevitable.

"So, in that regard—" Ichiro began, intending to continue his taunting banter, but he abruptly paused as he noticed the curse spirit standing up.

"Hey, it's rude to interrupt when someone is talking, you know," Ichiro chided the curse spirit, but his words fell on deaf ears as the spirit continued its attack, slamming its fist toward Ichiro once again. However, much to its surprise, Ichiro reappeared behind it, effortlessly dodging the attack.

Before the curse spirit could attempt another assault, Ichiro swiftly captured its hand, holding it in a vice-like grip. "You know, there's also a new trick I found out about my cursed energy manipulation. You wanna know what it is? Here, let me show you," Ichiro remarked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

With a confident smirk, Ichiro began to exert pressure on the curse spirit's hand. In the next moment, to the spirit's astonishment, its hand began to vanish into thin air.

"Ta-da, see? Amazing, right? I can now erase parts of a curse spirit," Ichiro declared triumphantly, showcasing his newfound ability with pride"

While Ichiro showcased his new ability to the curse spirit, the entity struggled to process what had just happened. Its attempts to step backward were met with Ichiro's firm gaze, causing resentment and anger to simmer within it.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I just wanted to show you my new ability. No need to get so angry," Ichiro remarked, his tone almost teasing despite the gravity of the situation.

As the curse spirit attempted to regenerate its lost limb, it found itself unable to do so. Ichiro observed this with a knowing smirk before delivering his next revelation.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to tell you. The moment I made contact with your body, I was able to successfully pour my cursed energy into you. If you don't get what I mean, I'll say this in simple terms."

With a sudden chill in the air, Ichiro's demeanor shifted from cheerful to predatory. His gaze hardened as he continued, his voice low and menacing.

"Your existence hangs by the thread of my mercy alone," The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, emphasizing the control Ichiro now held over the curse spirit's fate.

After Ichiro uttered those chilling words, the curse spirit began trembling uncontrollably. Never before in its existence had it encountered someone who could instill such fear within its spectral form. Yet, with a last surge of courage, the curse spirit gathered its remaining strength and launched another attack at Ichiro.

But before the curse spirit could even reach him, Ichiro snapped his fingers with a flick of his wrist. In an instant, the curse spirit vanished into nothingness, leaving only a faint echo of its malevolent presence behind.

"If you ever reincarnate, just make sure not to repeat the same mistake," Ichiro's voice echoed through the empty space, carrying a warning that lingered in the air long after the curse spirit had disappeared.

With a sense of finality, Ichiro turned on his heel and strode out of the abandoned building, his purpose fulfilled. He left behind the remnants of his encounter with the curse spirit, ready to face whatever awaited him in his next destination, his resolve unshaken by the supernatural forces that had crossed his path,

"Well then of to my next destination"