Chapter 68

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"What... is that?"

The goats and owls were fighting against something that somewhat resembled a cat.

A cat as big as a bear, perhaps closer to a lion or a tiger.

But what was different from a cat was that its entire body was silvery and oozing.

It looked like a large cat statue made of mercury.

It had four eyes like blue gems, and its mouth was wider than a real cat's, with long, sharp fangs lining it.

It was an unusual creature. No, it was uncertain whether it could even be called a creature.

Kuro shouted loudly.

"That's a Cursed One! But the number..."

"Kishaaa"

Even though there was a considerable distance, the Cursed One, which was fighting the goats and owls, turned towards us in response to Kuro's voice.

Then, it tried to charge towards us in one swift motion but was stopped by the goats, owls, and hawks.

It was a fierce battle.

The goats were fighting about ten Cursed Ones each.

The Cursed Ones were smaller than the goats but were numerous and swift, and the goats seemed to be struggling.

The owls and hawks were supporting the goats, fighting Cursed Ones that were several times larger than themselves.

While fighting, the owls and hawks cried out,

"Hohohoo!""Piii"

warning of the danger.

In the next moment, another Cursed One, identical in size and appearance to the one fighting the goats and owls, leaped at us from our right side.

It was a Cursed One that looked like a mercury cat.

"Hiu"

Kuro, who was on the far right among us, let out a scream.

Kuro tried to avoid it but was moving at full speed towards the Cursed One.

His body turned a moment too late.

"No!"

I faced the leaping Cursed One with my palm.

I didn't think I could do anything or that I could do anything.

It was just an unconscious, instinctive action.

"Gisha"

However, the Cursed One, which had been charging at us with incredible speed, stopped and tilted its head back.

It looked as if it had been hit by a high-speed stone on its head.

"Kokooooo"

Kurko shot out like an arrow, grabbed the Cursed One's head, which was thrown back, and dragged it down.

Then, the Cursed One's mercury-like body turned into sharp needles.

It looked like a porcupine.

The Cursed One tried to pierce Kurko, who was grabbing its face and pecking at its eyes with its beak.

"Kurko, be careful!"

"Kokoo!"

Even though Kurko was about to be pierced, he didn't flinch at all.

But if this continued, Kurko would not be unscathed.

Daw rushed straight at the Cursed One.

Daw, ignoring the sharp needles, bit the Cursed One's neck and

"Growl growl growl growl growl growl!"

shook it violently.

It was like swinging a wooden stick during sword training.

The Cursed One was slammed into the surrounding trees and the ground, and its mercury-like body scattered.

"From above!"

Just as Kuro shouted, a Cursed One the size of an ordinary cat descended from above.

"Uh-oh—"

I couldn't react in time, but

"Kuru!"

Caro jumped onto my head and

"Kyu kyu kyu!"

bit the Cursed One's neck and

"Gyaah!"

slammed it to the ground, making it scream.

"Growl growl growl growl growl growl!"

Daw, while swinging the leaping Cursed One, slashed the Cursed One that had fallen to the ground with his front claws.

After finishing off the Cursed One, Caro and Kurko quickly returned to Daw's back.

"Sure enough, that's Daw."

The frightened Kuro clung to my stomach and muttered.

"Daw, Caro, Kurko, thank you for saving us."

"Woof""Kyu""Ko"

"Is the Cursed One dead?"

"Yes. That one is dead. But—"

The owls and hawks were still in the midst of a fierce battle.

But if we keep taking them down one by one, we can manage!

I thought that in the next moment.

—Gijaaaaa

A terrifying sound came from the other side of the goats and owls.

"What? That?"

What appeared was a giant Cursed One, one size larger than the goats.

Its body was the same silvery mercury as the other Cursed Ones, with a large mouth and it walked on four legs.

The difference was that it had large wings on its back.

"Can it fly?"

"I, I don't know."

The presence of the giant Cursed One was completely different from the others.

The giant Cursed One opened its large mouth and ate a nearby Cursed One.

"...It's eating."

After finishing its meal, the Cursed One's curse power seemed to increase.

"Has the curse progressed this far..."

"Kuro? What do you mean?"

"That's a cursed guardian beast."

The one that only the Cursed One can see seems to be the result of a cursed guardian beast.

"But we can only see the Cursed One?"

"It was forced to drink the core of the curse and was transformed into a Cursed One."

"Can it be un-cursed?"

"Probably not. ...Sadly, it can only be defeated."

Kuro looked truly sad.

"Meaaaaa!"

At that moment, a goat shook off the Cursed Ones clinging to it and charged at the cursed guardian beast, headbutting it.

—Ginyaaaaa

The cursed guardian beast screamed and scattered its mercury-like body around.

Then, it released wind blade magic in all directions.

The goats didn't avoid it and received the attack. Blood splattered around, but it didn't seem to be fatal.

The small owls, which could have been fatally injured if hit, skillfully avoided the attack.

Wind blades also flew towards me.

"Oh no"

I instinctively faced the wind blade flying towards me with my palm.

It was the same reaction as when a stone suddenly flies at you and you instinctively protect yourself.

—Bashun

The wind blade flying towards me somehow dissipated.

At the same time, I felt a voice saying, "It hurts, it hurts, help me, it's painful."

"...Kuro. That one is still alive, right? It hasn't fully become a Cursed One?"

"Huh? Yes, that's true, but it's only a matter of time. It can't be cured anymore!"

"That's not true!"

Kuro said that, but I knew it could be un-cursed.

I didn't know why I knew. It might just be a hunch or an instinctive intuition.

But I was certain I could un-curse it.

"Daw! Run towards that one."

"Woof!"

"Get close quickly and un-curse it!"

"Woof woof!"

Daw started running. The Cursed Ones rushed to stop us.

The presence of the surrounding Cursed Ones was not just ten or so. It could easily be dozens, even over a hundred.

There seemed to be several times more Cursed Ones around us than the ones the goats were fighting.

"Luria, it's better to retreat for now."

"Run?"

"For Luria's safety, that's the best option."

"But if we run, we won't make it in time."

"Probably, it's already too late."

Kuro had a complicated expression.

Kuro was also uncertain whether we would make it in time.

"Kuro, don't worry. We'll make it in time."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Instinct!"

The Cursed Ones rushed at us from all sides simultaneously.

"Damn!"

I placed my hand on the nearest Cursed One and shouted.

I didn't know if it would work or not.

But I had done the same thing earlier, and the Cursed One had flown away.

I didn't understand the mechanism or the reason, but I wanted to try it.

"Gisha!"

Sure enough, the Cursed One flew away.

"Hmm?"

"L, Luria. Maybe—"

"What is it, Kuro?"

"I'll explain later! Try to will the Cursed Ones to disappear with all your might!"

"Okay."

If Kuro said so, it was worth trying.

"Disappear!"

I shouted while strongly willing it.

In the next moment, I felt a sudden loss of strength from my body.

The strength in my hand gripping Daw's fur was lost, and I almost fell.

"Careful, careful. You almost fell."

"Woof?"

"I'm fine, Daw is running."

I managed to grip the fur again and steady myself.

Daw, who had momentarily slowed down, accelerated again towards the owls.

At that moment, Kuro shouted.

"We did it!"

"Huh? What happened?"

"The Cursed Ones... are gone."

"What? Why?"

I looked around.

"Woof woof"

Daw, who was too surprised, completely slowed down and walked slowly.

The Cursed Ones that were fighting the goats and owls were all gone.

The unpleasant presence of the Cursed Ones, which had been suffocating, was almost gone.

"K, Kuro, what happened?"

"Woof woof?"

I was so confused that I started speaking like Kuro.

Daw was also confused.

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A comic adaptation has also been decided. Details will be announced later.