Chapter 41: Exorcise
"How interesting... You really brought that cursed object out. Show me just how crazy you are, Tatsuro."
Perched in a tree under the moonlight, Gojo Satoru watched with piercing blue eyes as Tatsuro sprinted through the night.
Faster. I need to go faster!
Tatsuro clutched the ring tightly in his left hand as he ran, his steps swift and precise. Though he was running, his hand holding the ring was unnaturally steady. But the curse within it had already awakened and sensed something was off.
As black mist began to seep from the ring, Tatsuro poured chakra into his legs. A surge of crimson cursed energy erupted from his body—his speed instantly boosted. With each step, he leapt ten meters, closing in on his destination.
A head formed from the mist. Crimson eyes stared into Tatsuro's. The cursed spirit seemed confused, unaware of how it had been brought outside.
"What… are you doing?" it asked, voice low and suspicious.
Tatsuro looked ahead to the abandoned construction site and smiled coldly. "Sorry… but this is where I'm exorcising you."
With that, he hurled the ring through the air.
His dark pupils turned scarlet, a single tomoe spinning rapidly in his Sharingan.
"Enemy! Enemy!!"
The spirit now realized what was happening. It screeched as Tatsuro's cursed energy surged around him. With a flash of instinct, the spirit emerged fully from the ring, the black mist engulfing the air as it lunged toward Tatsuro.
But Tatsuro was ready.
His hands formed six hand seals in under two seconds. He inhaled deeply, his chest swelling with heat. Then—
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing sphere of flame roared out, expanding from a mere flicker to a four-meter inferno, lighting up the night sky and catching the spirit off guard.
"AAAHH! IT BURNS!!"
The spirit screamed and recoiled, clutching the scorched parts of its smoky form. Its rage intensified.
Then it swiped a hand toward Tatsuro—just a reflex. But the mist in the air instantly coalesced into a gigantic clawed hand, which shot forward to grab him.
"What?!"
Eyes widening, Tatsuro sprang backward just in time.
Boom!
The massive hand missed and slammed into the ground, shattering the pavement beneath it.
Tatsuro gulped. That mist may have looked harmless, but if that thing caught him, he'd be crushed to death.
He pulled off his backpack, unzipped it, and retrieved his cursed tool—finally feeling some security. That single fireball had cost him 150 cursed energy. It looked cool, sure, but he had to conserve energy now—or he'd literally burn out.
Clutching his weapon, Tatsuro's crimson eyes stayed locked on the spirit.
Then—
Drip.
A soft, strange sound echoed in the sky—like dripping water. The cursed spirit paused. So did Tatsuro.
A wave of cursed energy spread like ripples on a pond, eerie and oppressive. Tatsuro instantly recognized it—Gojo Satoru's Domain Expansion.
He chuckled.
"So you're here too, Gojo-sensei... In that case, I have nothing left to worry about. Time for an all-out fight."
Tatsuro didn't know what restrictions the system placed on his "solo exorcism" quest. But as long as Gojo didn't interfere directly, it still counted.
And even if he lost, Gojo would save him. No more hesitations.
Veins bulged in his arms. Muscles coiled in his legs. He dashed toward the spirit, which was still confused by the darkening sky.
Crack!
The ground splintered beneath his feet.
Tatsuro swung his cursed tool at the spirit.
Clang!
The blade met the spirit's massive hand. But before Tatsuro could react, the hand gripped tight. His blade shattered in an instant.
Crack.
The sound of breaking steel rang in his ears. Tatsuro's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected that. But now, there was no other option—he had to attack.
He released the broken handle and used the cursed hand like a springboard. His fist, cloaked in cursed energy, shot forward.
The spirit's body now had human dimensions—its main form was concentrated in the giant hand.
It swung its right fist at him. But Tatsuro saw through it.
"There it is—your weakness!"
Until now, he hadn't been sure how to defeat it. But the moment his blade shattered, he realized: that hand was off-limits.
Still, how could a semi-grade 1 spirit be that strong?
There had to be a catch.
And now he saw it—the spirit had channeled most of its power into the hand, leaving its body vulnerable.
If he had hesitated just now, he might've been entangled and killed.
But thanks to Gojo's arrival, he didn't hold back.
"Die!!"
His right arm exploded forward. The spirit's arm shattered.
It didn't even get a chance to scream before he landed another punch—then a full barrage of close-range strikes.
In a single second, he threw three punches. Blood spattered across his body.
The spirit's head caved in. Its body was shredded.
Only when it began to dissipate did Tatsuro stop.
The blood on him burned away into black ash and scattered into the air.
[Mission Complete. Rewards Distributing: 15 points, +100 permanent cursed energy.]
[Distribution complete.]
Clang, clang, clang—
The cursed hand vanished. The remnants of his broken blade clattered to the ground, echoing in the silent night.
Tatsuro stood there, unable to calm his heart.
His first real exorcism of a spirit at this level.
There was pride in it—but also a tinge of melancholy.
"Well done. Looks like I'll be able to recommend you for Grade 2 promotion soon."
Gojo's voice rang out from behind. The Domain vanished.
Tatsuro turned back and forced a smile. "It was just luck. Without your barrier, I wouldn't have dared go all out."
He bent down, picked up the ring, and pocketed it.
Gojo chuckled, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "Luck is part of strength too. How about grabbing a late-night snack?"
Tatsuro shook his head. "I need to return the ring. But… Gojo-sensei—can I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
"If the spirit didn't hurt anyone, and I just wanted to exorcise it for my own reasons… was I wrong?"
Gojo paused. "That's hard to say. My advice? As long as you have no regrets—that's enough."
---