Chapter 5. The Kyoto Incident (Part 1)

"Sometime in the future, you'll find yourself in a situation where reality and fiction become one," the old man lectured me as he took a sip of beer while I attempted to catch a small curse, about the size of a cat, of the second rank. "In such cases, treat everything as a given that you need to use to your advantage."

"Are you talking about illusions?" I panted, trying to catch my breath as I summoned my cursed energy. Is this really a curse of the second rank?

What kind of speed is this?

"Not necessarily. Sometimes you find yourself in circumstances where it seems like an illusion, but in reality, everything you see is real. You just couldn't grasp it," the old man scratched the scar on his neck and replied. "By the way, you overlooked Buggy."

In that very moment, something at an incredible speed slammed into my groin... My chimichangas!

"Fuck that filthy bastard already!" I cursed this shikigami with every fiber of my being.

"Watch your language." 

"Suck it!"

...

Everything went exactly as he said!

From the very beginning, I thought that a curse powerful enough to alter its surroundings resided in the house of horrors. Many factors pointed to this, such as the concentration of cursed energy in one of the distant rooms and numerous residual traces throughout the house, leading deeper and deeper, as well as the uneven distribution of cursed energy across the territory, with more of it the deeper I was inside the "building."

But in the end, it turned out to be a farce!

"When reality and fiction become one, treat everything as a given," the old man continued to instruct me, even when his ashes had already scattered over Fuji. "But I think we'll end this lesson here."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and held it.

Name: Yami Sukehiro

Path: Red Priest - Low Sequence 7: Pyromaniac

Acting Process: 58%

Abilities: [Enhanced Physical Attributes - High Rank], [Heightened Senses - High Rank], [Trap Mastery - High Rank], [Survival Knowledge - High Rank], [Spirituality - High Rank], [Sense of Danger - High Rank], [Provocation - High Rank]

New Abilities: [Pyrokinesis - High Rank], [Fire Spells - Medium Rank], [Fire Resistance - Medium Rank]

Having joined the Seventh Sequence about two years ago, I had not only become a true Master Pyromancer but also significantly expanded my knowledge of Cursed Energy, allowing me to use Cursed Vision without any seals.

"And if I use a seal, its power will increase," I murmured into the void, forming a bird seal, a copy from Naruto. "Enlightenment!"

In an instant, an amazing sight unfolded before me.

"I've seen you somewhere before..."

In any case, I rose from the stool and, with a movement honed a thousand times, drew the blade from the scabbard hanging on my left thigh.

Simultaneously, from the depths of my soul, Spiritual and Cursed Energy merged to manifest something to this world on a completely different level than regular Cursed Techniques.

"Aspect Two: Flame Armor," my words were imbued with a strange power capable of altering reality.

The second of the seven Aspects of Pyromancy allowed me to convert Cursed and Spiritual Energy into a thin layer of flames above my body, creating a fiery armor around me.

"Aspect Seven: Fire Sorcerer," I ran my hand along the blade, gradually igniting it.

The seventh of the seven Aspects of Pyromancy had the ability to infuse my weapon with fire, significantly enhancing its power.

"Let's see if you're worthy of something more," I grinned ferociously and swung the katana horizontally. Due to the intense heat, the space in front of me distorted, and a wave of fire erupted from the blade.

The creature didn't have time to react, as my attack soared towards the wooden ceiling, breaking it and scorching the cursed energy in its path. But this was just the beginning—a destructive wave of fire pierced through the next floors, leaving behind only charred wood, the smell of a bonfire, and a gaping hole that revealed the bright night sky, shrouded in a dark veil.

The room filled with crackling burning wood, dust, and the scent of charred materials. It was a brief moment of calm before realization set in.

"AAAAH!" a horribly unpleasant scream of pain or displeasure rang out.

"Initially, it was hard to realize because the cursed energy was distributed in a way that made it seem like the source was somewhere in the distant room," I stood in the middle of the ruined room, watching the purple liquid oozing from all directions, and burst into laughter. "But it turns out this house is your body!"

Right after my words, the ground beneath my feet shook, the walls around me started to twist, causing the purple liquid to multiply. However, when it hit my fiery cover, it evaporated. In the next moment, a huge amount of debris, furniture, and clothing began to spew from this creature, hoping to get rid of the intruder in my body. I, on the other hand, didn't resist and flew at a high speed in an unknown direction.

In a second, I sped through long corridors; in a moment, I passed a room with children's drawings. The scene unfolding before my eyes was like a movie based on my adventures in this house, but this time everything was different—surrounding objects and even the space itself twisted, collided, and broke apart. Wooden cabinets, a grand piano, and chairs tested my strength but shattered into pieces, unable to withstand the impact of my body.

And finally, I broke free from the clutches of this creature. My feet touched the ground with unwavering force, leaving two long furrows on the ground as I came to a halt in front of the furious opponent.

"Can't handle the heat?" My face twisted into a sly grin as I witnessed the torment of the curse.

In response, a wild roar echoed. This creature was unlike anything I had seen before. Its body seemed to be composed of shifting shadows, constantly changing its form. Enormous, sharp teeth extended from its jaws, which turned out to be the porch of the house of horrors, and its red eyes gleamed ominously, like devilish fires. Every move of this monstrosity was accompanied by a sinister growl that sent shivers down my spine, and the earth trembled.

"I've definitely seen you somewhere before!"

Recalling a "vibey" movie from my previous life, I held my katana before me, and it was immediately met with an attack from the creature. Its teeth, made of sinisterly twisted pieces of wood, extended for a powerful strike, but I managed to parry the attack with my hands. The sound of metal and wood colliding shook the air, but I remained on my feet. The creature emitted an irritated growl and extended its tongue again, but this time, I dodged it and called upon my Cursed Energy. A pleasant tension filled every cell of my body as a wave of energy emanated from me.

"Aspect One: Compression."

This Aspect was slightly different from the others. It involved compressing the flames before releasing them in one or more attacks. Of course, the longer the compression, the more flames gathered, resulting in a more powerful strike. However, when exactly does the compression start? When I speak the "incantation"? Or when I summon the flames that I intend to compress?

The flames that covered the sword for fifteen seconds consolidated on the cutting edge of the blade and, flaring up sharply, surged towards the curse in the form of a five-meter "slash." Although the creature was mostly made of concrete and exhibited a strange resistance to Cursed Energy, my fire still incinerated its body, causing it to scream in pain.

"Do you see the meaning?" I crossed my weapon with my hand and spoke. "The flames conjured by Spiritual Energy burn the very soul."

As if understanding my words, the curse roared furiously and lunged at me. First, heavy planks and concrete debris were thrown at me, but I easily dodged them, predicting the trajectory of the attack. I had been trained by that damn army guy! I was used to dodging a hail of bullets and buckshot!

Suddenly, from the depths of this maelstrom of cursed energy and stone, an energy beam shot out! Its speed was so astonishing that my eyes barely had time to react. If it weren't for my high-ranking [Sense of Danger] and the constant vigilance the old man had taught me, I would have had to face the attack head-on. Instead, a moment before the beam hit my body, I arched my body to evade the attack, and the residual heat was absorbed by my fiery cover.

But there was no time for relief. In the same moment, as the beam passed me, dozens of iron rods erupted from the ground and coiled around my legs, followed by concrete projectiles and clouds of shattered glass. Surrounded by a whirlwind of deadly threats, it became clear that the path to victory was not as straightforward as it was with curses of the first rank or lower.

First, the creature had managed to heal from external damage. Second, it had trapped me.

My heart pounded fiercely, my breathing was deep and steady, and a predatory grin of excitement adorned my face. But who was the real hunter in this battle?

I called upon my Cursed Energy again, and for the first time in this fight, I fortified my own body. This instantly changed the course of the battle: I effortlessly broke free from the numerous steel rods restraining my legs and then shattered all the stone projectiles with a series of strikes. I didn't even notice the cloud of glass swirling around me.

So, what did we have at this point in the battle? It was a curse of a special rank, and therefore, it should not be underestimated for its intelligence and cunning. While it had a diverse arsenal of abilities, they were all long-range attacks and posed no real threat to me. Perhaps the main ability of this curse was the pocket dimension inside it, but it was no longer a threat. If it weren't for its remarkably tough body and fast recovery, I could have handled it with one hand... Alas, the lonely bachelor's lot. Well, no point in hiding it—I was incredibly happy to have the opportunity to burn this creature!

"Come on, attack, or I'm getting damn bored staring at your disgusting face," I made a hand gesture, signaling it to come closer, and assumed a combat stance.

My high-ranking [Provocation] had worked as intended. In less than a second, the curse roared furiously. A two-meter lamp post pierced the air and shattered against its reinforced, Cursed Energy-protected back.

"Did you roll up your sleeves?"