Chapter 17: Special Grade Cursed Spirit — Shinbura
The spider Cursed Spirit was as large as an elephant, emitting standard Grade 1 Cursed Energy fluctuations. Its eight compound eyes were tightly shut, making a faint "rustling" sound, seemingly unconcerned by the trivial disturbance above its head.
"Damn it! You ugly monster! Let me go! Miss Mei! Where are you?!"
The girl cursed with a crying voice, her words slightly distorted from being hung upside down. She sounded both angry and wronged, with an undisguised fear.
Her Cursed Energy level was crystal clear under the insight of the Sharingan, only at Grade 2, and its fluctuations were chaotic, clearly indicating she was terrified.
It was a young Utahime Iori. Just as Gojo Satoru said, her strength… well… had a lot of room for improvement.
Toho Hiroshi instantly confirmed her identity; the scene was truly a bit comical.
In a deeper corner of the cave, another smaller figure was curled up.
It was a little girl, about four or five years old, wearing a cute dress and neat short hair. Her small face was pale and covered in tear stains, and her mouth was tightly sealed by a sticky web, allowing only faint "whimpering" sounds.
She had no Cursed Energy; she was just an ordinary child, tied up like a small zongzi by rough spider silk, her eyes filled with extreme fear and despair.
Just as Toho Hiroshi observed, the dozing Grade 1 spider Cursed Spirit seemed to be completely enraged by Utahime's continuous "harassment." It suddenly opened its scarlet compound eyes, let out a sharp hiss, raised a sharp, spear-like leg, and fiercely stabbed towards the upside-down Utahime.
"Ah—"
Utahime screamed in terror, closing her eyes, almost feeling the foul wind brought by the leg.
The expected piercing pain did not come. Instead, she heard a soft "hiss" and the spider Cursed Spirit's even sharper, pained shriek.
Utahime trembled as she opened her eyes, only to see an unfamiliar black-haired young man appear in front of her at some point, his back to her. The young man casually raised a hand and precisely caught the leg that could have pierced steel plates.
Even more shocking, a jet-black flame, like night, seemingly capable of devouring all light, instantly spread from the young man's palm onto the spider Cursed Spirit's leg and began to burn at an astonishing speed.
"Amaterasu."
The young man's clear, cold voice echoed in the cave.
The spider Cursed Spirit struggled and shrieked madly, trying to extinguish the black flames, but all was futile.
The black flames ignored all physical means, steadfastly burning and annihilating its limbs. In a few breaths, they turned most of its legs and part of its torso into nothingness. Finally, after a violent convulsion, the Cursed Spirit completely dissipated, leaving only a wisp of smoke and a strong burnt smell.
A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, instantly killed.
The upside-down Utahime watched dumbfounded, even forgetting to struggle.
So, so strong. Who is he?
Toho Hiroshi dealt with the guard and then turned around.
The Sharingan glowed with a faint scarlet light in the dim cave, appearing mysterious and powerful.
He condensed Cursed Energy at his fingertips and, with a gentle flick, cut the spider silk ropes binding Utahime.
"Thud."
Utahime fell to the ground, grimacing in pain, but she didn't care about that much, frantically tearing off the sticky ropes still clinging to her body.
"You, who are you?"
Utahime looked at Toho Hiroshi, still shaken, her face flushed with embarrassment.
It was too shameful to be seen in such a disheveled state by a strange, yet powerful, male peer.
"First-year student of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Toho Hiroshi."
Toho Hiroshi spoke concisely, his gaze sweeping over her, "Can you still move?"
"Of, of course I can."
Utahime forced herself to stand, trying to maintain some senior dignity, though her Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer status was unconvincing in the face of someone who could instantly kill a Grade 1. "I'm Utahime Iori, a fourth-year! Thank you."
Toho Hiroshi said no more, quickly walked to the little girl in the corner, carefully used Cursed Energy to cut the spider silk on her, and gently tore off the web covering her mouth.
"It's alright now, you're safe."
Toho Hiroshi softened his voice, trying to comfort the frightened child.
"Waaah, Daddy, I want Daddy."
As soon as Rika Orimoto was free, she immediately burst into tears, clutching Toho Hiroshi's clothes tightly, as if he were her only lifeline.
"Good girl, you'll be able to find Daddy soon."
Toho Hiroshi ruffled her hair, stood up, and shielded her and Utahime behind him.
His Sharingan stared intently at the denser darkness in the deepest part of the cave. The Cursed Energy aura there was rapidly escalating, becoming colder, stickier, and more terrifying.
"It seems the main event is just about to begin."
Toho Hiroshi's voice carried a hint of solemnity.
Utahime also felt that chilling Cursed Energy, her face instantly turning even paler than before. She instinctively shrank behind Toho Hiroshi, her voice trembling: "This… this Cursed Energy… it's definitely more than Grade 1! The 'Window' made a mistake!"
Rustle, rustle—
A scalp-tingling friction sound came from the depths of the darkness.
First to emerge were several pale, slender female arms, covered in hard chitinous shells. Then, a distorted figure slowly crawled out.
It had the upper body of a human female, with pale skin and an eerie yet inhumanly ferocious face. Its long black hair writhed like a living thing.
Its lower body, however, was an enormous spider abdomen covered in strange patterns and bristles, with eight sharp legs supporting its massive frame.
Its Cursed Energy was immense and malevolent, clearly reaching Special Grade level.
"Hiss~ More delicious food, and insects disturbing my metamorphosis."
Shinbura let out a bizarre sound, a mix of a female voice and an insect's hiss. Its compound eyes locked onto Toho Hiroshi and the two others, filled with greed and killing intent.
"Spe-Special Grade!"
Utahime's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground, barely holding herself up by leaning against the nearby rock wall. Her voice was tearful: "It's over, it's over, we're dead for sure this time…"
Toho Hiroshi took a deep breath, and the Three Tomoe in his eyes quickly transformed into a complex Mangekyo pattern.
He gently pushed the still-sobbing Rika towards Utahime: "Take her to the cave entrance and protect yourself."
"You're going to fight it alone?"
Utahime cried out in disbelief, "That's a Special Grade!"
"I know."
Toho Hiroshi's Cursed Energy began to boil around him, and the purple Susanoo skeleton vaguely started to appear, "So, don't get in the way."
Utahime was choked by his words, feeling both fear and embarrassment. But looking at Toho Hiroshi's calm yet immensely powerful back, she gritted her teeth, picked up little Rika, and stumbled back towards the cave entrance, her mind in chaos: When did Tokyo Jujutsu High get such a monster?
However, he seems slightly more reliable than that scoundrel Gojo Satoru.
Shinbura let out a sharp shriek, and its massive figure suddenly pounced, moving at an astonishing speed. Its pale arms tore through the air, aiming directly for Toho Hiroshi's head.
The battle erupted instantly.
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