The New Power

Ryosuke sat in the back of the classroom, but his mind was elsewhere. While the math teacher rattled off equations at the board, he couldn't help but notice the blurry, menacing figures lingering near the windows.

Cursed spirits.

Creatures he never would have been able to perceive before. But ever since his encounter with the system, it was as though a new sense had awakened within him. An invisible third eye, capable of seeing the unseen.

At first, he had tried to ignore them, convincing himself that it was all just a bad dream. But the more he observed them, the more he realized they were real. Yet, these spirits, small and lacking distinct features, seemed harmless—like shadows with no substance. They floated around the room, indifferent to the students and the teacher, completely detached from their world.

Ryosuke sighed, annoyed. It was hard to focus on quadratic equations when cursed spirits were weaving between the desks. He closed his eyes, trying to shut off this "third eye." The creatures disappeared from his sight, but the feeling of their presence lingered in the back of his mind.

"Ryosuke?" The stern voice of the teacher jolted him back to reality. "The answer to the question?"

The stifled laughter of his classmates brought him crashing down to earth. Embarrassed, he mumbled an excuse and avoided his neighbor's gaze.

"Get it together, Ryosuke," his neighbor muttered with a mocking smile. But Ryosuke ignored him. He wasn't in the mood for classes today.

At the end of the day, while his friends headed to the arcade as usual, Ryosuke dragged his feet towards the deserted schoolyard.

His heart raced at the thought of what he was about to do. Use his new powers.

Ever since he had received Overhaul, that incredible ability, he had only one desire: to test what he could really do.

Which was completely normal. What Otaku wouldn't be tempted?

He found a quiet spot, away from prying eyes, behind the gymnasium.

Ryosuke took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to focus. The excitement mixed with a hint of apprehension made his hands clammy. This was all so new to him.

Sure, the theory was clear in his mind, but he knew nothing compared to actual practice. He needed to test this new ability, understand its limits and implications in a world where battles could break out at any moment.

"All right… let's start small," he murmured to himself, crouching down to pluck a handful of grass.

He stood up, holding the green blades between his fingers. It felt strange to think he was about to attempt something supernatural with such a simple piece of vegetation. But he knew that magic was real here, fueled by the cursed energy that permeated this world.

He focused intensely on the grass, then allowed that energy, still raw and untamed within him, to manifest. At first, it was a slight vibration in the air, almost imperceptible, but it quickly grew. Ryosuke could feel his veins pulsing with the force of the energy, a familiar warmth taking over his fingers.

A faint crackling sound filled the air, and the blades of grass in his hands began to change. Slowly, they disintegrated into green dust, each cell of the plant breaking down. It was as if he was erasing the very existence of matter.

"It actually works…" he whispered, amazed.

But that was just the beginning.

Concentrating more cursed energy, he tried to rebuild the matter. The reverse process, theoretically more complex, required more finesse.

He closed his eyes, visualizing the shape of the grass, its texture, its chemical composition. Then, slowly, he channeled his cursed energy into his hands, imagining the particles coming together again, reconnecting to reform the matter.

He opened his eyes and was stunned. Where there had been only dust seconds earlier, the blades of grass had returned. But there was a difference. The vibrant green they once had was now dull, replaced by a sickly shade of green.

"Interesting…"

Ryosuke studied the dull grass between his fingers, his thoughts racing. What he had just done wasn't just an impressive feat — it was more than that.

Something had changed within him. He had felt the cursed energy flow through him naturally, as if he were one with it.

This was different. Not like in My Hero Academia, where Chisaki had to touch things to decompose and reconstruct them. No. He didn't need his hands. All he had to do was let his energy diffuse into the air, into the matter.

"I don't need to learn control…" he muttered, astonished. "I… I already control this power."

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember the sensations. That energy coursing through his veins was his, as if it had always been a part of him. There was no learning curve. Everything came naturally, with an unsettling ease.

He decided to push further. How far could he stretch his power?

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Chapter : Not the classic Overhaul