Rethusa didn't waste any time. Charging in, she took on Sir Cow Douche.
"The rest of you, target the other three!" she screamed, making her plans obvious.
"Yes, ma'am!" the remaining 11 shouted in unison and got to work. They split into groups of four, with one group consisting of three, choosing between the remaining enemies: a butterfly mask, a pig mask, and a sparrow mask.
I didn't care enough about these groups to pay attention to their attempts—my focus was on Rethusa. She wielded her short sword with precision, keeping Sir Cow Douche close. Every time he tried to back away or gain distance, she was there, a maniacal expression plastered on her face. She was out for blood!
'This. This is how you should act!' Watching her fight like this was beautiful. I believe that if you're going to fight with the intent to kill, then there should always be death. Foolish people let their enemies live and wonder why they get screwed over later. An enemy is an enemy for a reason.
The two leaders appeared close to Artemis and me, their blades colliding with a screeching sound.
"Maledictum!"
"What?!"
Sir Cow Douche caught Rethusa off guard with a sudden shout. His mask glowed an eerie black before shattering into shards that shot toward her.
Dark purple markings spread across her face, her skin paling almost instantly. Her body swayed as if the strength had been drained from her.
"Tch. You annoying bitch! I was saving that for Artemis!" He clicked his tongue before kicking her with brutal force, sending her crashing into the trees. She didn't even try to get up. Her body twitched weakly, her breathing labored but still consistent—she was alive, at least.
"Now." Sir Cow Douche turned his attention toward us. With his mask gone, I finally got a good look at him—just some low-tier villain with brown eyes and an unhinged grin. A common thug with a few tricks up his sleeve, but I had to admit, he was at least crafty.
"Bastard, if you let me kill her, I'll leave—no issue." His gaze locked onto me, murderous intent pouring off him.
I laughed. The audacity of this guy was something else.
"Haha~ I doubt that. But I have to protect this woman. You can kill the rest, though!"
"I don't give a fuck about them! She has to go!"
"Then come get her." I shifted into a basic fighting stance, preparing for the inevitable clash.
He charged, closing the distance in an instant. I couldn't even react to his initial movement, but appearing right in front of me was his mistake.
With a swift motion, I spun—delivering a roundhouse kick straight into his left side. The impact sent him crashing into one of his barely breathing teammates.
He was clearly stronger than me physically, but his emotions blinded him. That allowed me to land such a blow, and with each failure, he'd only grow more furious—starting a vicious cycle that would inevitably lead to his defeat.
The lesson here? Don't lose control of yourself, and you'll be fine 90% of the time.
"DAMN IT! Butterfly, give me Sparrow's mask!"
I dashed forward, aiming to stop her—I didn't want to get hit with that mask's effects!
But I wasn't fast enough.
"Tch." Clicking my tongue, I knew exactly what was coming next.
"Seems like you know, bastard… Maledictum!"
The same eerie black energy manifested, shattering the mask into shards that shot toward me. They pierced my body before I could react, and almost instantly, I felt something flow through me—something… unexpected.
Not agony.
I felt better. A whole lot better.
[+200 Cursed Energy restored.]
"Oh?" My lips stretched into a massive grin. I never would have thought this could happen.
"Hahahaha~!" I laughed, clutching my stomach. This was too good!
Sir Cow Douche, on the other hand, looked utterly baffled.
"DAMN IT!" He stomped the ground and rushed toward me.
I still couldn't react to his speed—my physical stats weren't up to par—but I could hear him.
So, I channeled my cursed energy into my hair, and the moment he reappeared…
"Entrapment!"
My hair shot out, coiling around him like living chains, binding him in place.
He thrashed and screamed, trying to break free, but my hair wasn't weak. Being strengthened by cursed energy gave it a completely different level of resilience.
"When I get ou—"
"You won't."
"You think this hair can keep me?!"
I shook my head.
"Then what, bast—GAAA!"
A blade pierced straight through his heart. A short sword, driven from behind. His eyes went wide. His lips moved, as if forming a final insult— Then nothing.
"Nice assist!"
"Quiet, you annoying bastard."
Rethusa limped up behind me, letting go of her grip on the sword buried in Sir Cow Douche's chest.
I had noticed her movement after the second Maledictum, but given how weakened she was, no one else did.
'Hell, I wouldn't have either if she hadn't been in my line of sight.'
That's why I knew—the best way to kill Cow Douche was by surprise.
I was still too weak to fight him directly. I could stall, sure, but I wasn't strong enough to truly contend.
Watching the life finally leave Cow Douche's eyes, I turned my attention to the others. One had managed to escape, which meant this battle would definitely spread through whatever channels existed. My existence was no longer a secret—I'd likely irk some powerful people and become a target.
Whatever.
I just shrugged and decided to help the remaining members of Artemis' little group. Three more had died, leaving a total of eight survivors, not counting Rethusa. With her included, that made nine, but that wasn't my main concern at the moment.
Channeling cursed energy into my hair, I dashed toward Butterfly Mask, who was distracted—caught up in four simultaneous attacks.
Noticing my movement, Pig Mask screamed a warning.
"Butterfly!"
She snapped around, but it was too late.
She barely managed to avoid death at my hands, but one of Artemis' people landed the final blow before she could react. With that done, I spun on my heels, locking onto the last remaining enemy.
"NO! GUAH!"
Straight through the heart—no hesitation, no wasted movement.
[Sub-Quest: Completed]
- Rewarded: 10 Cursed Coins and a random skill from the Sukuna skill tree.
[Rewarding random skill...]
[Dismantle Given.]
[Dismantle - Level 1]
- A ranged slicing attack, utilizing Shrine to unleash its full lethality.
'If I could learn from Dismantle, then logically, I should be able to create my own variations.'
Dropping the corpse of Pig Mask, I focused solely on my new ability. I had many questions, but one stood out among the rest—what happens once a skill reaches max level?
That was the most important question.