Thunk!
The arm, cloaked in dark purple cursed energy, fell to the ground as if severed by an invisible blade, blood splattering across the dirt.
"Ahhh!" A gut-wrenching scream tore from the man's throat as the pain overwhelmed him, turning his once-imposing figure into a trembling wreck.
A small dagger lay quietly embedded in the ground, glinting coldly in the moonlight—a sight that sent chills down anyone's spine.
"Brother!" The other man, who had accompanied the larger one, gasped in shock and hurried over.
Ryuu remained sprawled in his chair, appearing drowsy yet completely unfazed. For some reason, the sight of him sent shivers down the man's spine.
"A Grade 1 cursed tool! Impossible! Even for the Zen'in clan, this level of cursed tool is incredibly rare!" The large man, still reeling from the loss of his arm, steadied himself with the help of his companion. He used cursed energy to stem the bleeding, his pale gaze fixed on the dagger.
From the craftsmanship alone, he could recognize its rank.
Even without seeing the exact curse imbued in the weapon, the fact that it sliced through his body so effortlessly left no doubt—it was a Grade 1 cursed tool.
"Zen'in Ryuu, don't push your luck! Theft of cursed tools is a major crime, so you'd better surrender," the man accused, convinced the tool had been stolen from the Zen'in family's collection before Ryuu had left. He hoped invoking the family's authority would force Ryuu to hand over the weapon.
Despite his injury, a greedy glint flashed in the man's eyes.
"Brat! You really think that having a Grade 1 cursed tool makes you untouchable? Using such a powerful cursed tool like a mere throwing knife—what a waste!"
"If I kill him now, then this cursed tool will…"
Bloodlust overtook him as he pondered taking the dagger for himself, his face shifting from pale to flushed as he began to drool over his imagined prize.
Ryuu caught the man's expression and smirked slightly.
"Zen'in Ryuu died fighting a cursed spirit, and I, arriving too late, managed to avenge him. That way, the cursed tool will be mine!" Ryuu murmured mockingly.
The man's face twisted in shock as Ryuu echoed the dark thoughts in his heart. He let out a cruel smile as his greed solidified into resolve.
"Idiot! Without that tool, what do you think you're going to fight me with?"
Boom!
In an instant, the man charged at Ryuu, dark purple cursed energy erupting around him, spearing straight through his underling's chest in his haste.
Thunk!
The poor follower never realized what he'd done wrong, even in death.
To kill and rob—that was his decision, and he would let no one know. For a Grade 1 cursed tool, he would have killed even his own family if they stood in his way.
"Die!" he laughed madly. "Dark Ghost Strike!"
The cursed energy coalesced into a massive, claw-like hand, descending from above to crush everything beneath it. The force distorted the very air, thick with corrosive power.
But Ryuu made no move to stand from his rocking chair.
He simply lifted a single finger, making a few seemingly lazy gestures.
The man's heart sank.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three flashes of silver split the air.
The daggers, identical to the one that severed the man's arm, floated around Ryuu, dancing gracefully through the air like butterflies, beautiful yet deadly.
They aimed directly at the man's chest.
The man's eyes widened in terror. Panicking, he withdrew his cursed energy and twisted his body, barely managing to dodge the projectiles by adopting a ridiculous, defensive stance.
"Four daggers? How could you possibly have four Grade 1 cursed tools?!"
Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!
"Four?" Ryuu's voice dripped with amusement as he eyed the man scrambling in the air like a desperate clown, barely avoiding the flying daggers.
With a snap of his fingers, the air behind him shimmered.
In the man's stunned gaze, countless daggers appeared, blocking out the sky like a murder of crows.
"No…"
"Divine Machine: Flock of Ravens!"
The man's coveted Grade 1 cursed tools—those very tools that had ignited his murderous intent—descended upon him in a torrent of silver.
His body, caught in a futile struggle against the assault, was swiftly consumed by the relentless onslaught of daggers, disintegrating beneath their swarm.
Ryuu exhaled calmly, absorbing the last remnants of the man's cursed energy with a deep breath. His Divine Thief technique allowed him to devour any cursed energy and convert it for his own use.
The deadly flock of daggers dissipated into the night, as if they had never been there at all.
Though it was his first time killing another human, Ryuu felt no discomfort.
After facing so many cursed spirits, taking a life was no longer an issue.
Besides—
Not all people are better than the curses they face.
Curses are always curses, but humans are not always human.