Erina Nakiri pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm not entirely sure why, but I've heard that Magatsuhi-no-Ya is like the shadow world to ours. Sometimes, curses slip through from there into our world."
"However, most curses face restrictions once they enter the human realm."
"If you can't see them, they can't harm you."
Hisako's eyes widened with realization. "So that's how it works."
Erina continued, "Of course, it's not absolute. Some powerful or unique curses can break those restrictions and attack humans."
"But such curses are rare. The Onmyoryo monitors them and eliminates them before they can cause harm."
Morpheus's mind sparked with recognition.
Curses and Magatsuhi-no-Ya—these terms were from Twin Star Exorcists.
Truth be told, Morpheus didn't know much about the series, having only read part of the manga.
In his memory, the protagonist was named… Rokuro Enmado, was it? Something like that.
Rokuro was a classic shonen archetype.
As a child, he aimed to be the strongest onmyoji but gave up after a traumatic event, abandoning his dream.
Later, meeting the heroine rekindled his ambition, pushing him to strive for greatness again.
It was a familiar trope.
Morpheus had seen dozens, if not hundreds, of similar protagonists in anime.
The series hadn't left a strong impression, though he found its fight scenes stylish enough to skim through. Eventually, another manga caught his attention, and he dropped it.
He hadn't expected this world to include Twin Star Exorcists.
Morpheus dubbed this crossover world the ultimate mash-up.
While he mused, Erina and Hisako sprang into action, wielding their Light Dimension power to purge the school's curses.
These curses were no match for them.
Or rather, no match for the Light Dimension power, which was their natural bane.
Curses melted under it like snow in sunlight or butter on a hot skillet, vanishing without a trace.
In just over ten minutes, Erina and Hisako had eradicated a significant number of curses.
Morpheus felt a faint boost to his Light Dimension power.
Huh?
This surprised him. His followers' actions against the curses were feeding back to him.
The increase was minimal, but it was there.
Did that mean if he had enough diligent followers, he could grow stronger without lifting a finger?
A wild idea struck him.
Why not establish a religion, recruit masses of followers, have them eliminate curses, and grow stronger while lounging?
It wasn't impossible.
But a religion might need rebranding—perhaps as a corporation or group, more fitting for the modern era.
Meanwhile, as the battle continued, Hisako found herself growing more adept at controlling the Light Dimension power.
It not only enhanced her physical abilities but could also transform at her will.
She could shape it into a bow and arrow or a cannon.
Its versatility was astounding, incredibly practical.
But Hisako preferred turning it into a kitchen knife to "cook" The curses.
One slash, and they'd scream and dissolve into nothing.
Soon, however, she noticed something off.
Despite her efforts, the school's curses weren't dwindling.
"Miss, aren't there too many curses here?"
Erina gave a wry smile. "You know how this school operates. To forge the best chefs, Grandfather treats ninety-nine percent of students as stepping stones or discards."
"The pressure on students is immense, breeding negative emotions that easily spawn or attract curses."
"That's why there are so many here."
Morpheus snapped out of his thoughts, enlightened.
No wonder Totsuki was overrun with curses.
Recalling Shokugeki no Soma's plot, the students here faced harsh conditions.
Expulsion was a constant threat, and joyful student life was scarce, making the school a magnet for dark entities.
But if the school's leaders knew about the curses and did nothing, weren't they risking a mutation that could attack students?
Hisako shared the same concern.
"Don't worry," Erina reassured her. "Grandfather accounted for this. He partnered with the Onmyoryo, and the school is protected by a special array."
"When dangerous curses appear, the array's defenses activate and eliminate them."
Morpheus blinked. He knew little about onmyodo, practically nothing.
He hadn't noticed any array at Totsuki.
Prompted by Erina, he examined the campus closely and spotted something.
At five corners of the academy stood shrines.
Each housed a ritual object imbued with spiritual power.
Together, they formed a pentagram seal enveloping Totsuki Academy.
Morpheus guessed this was the array Erina mentioned.
Intriguing.
Though he wasn't well-versed in onmyodo, he knew the pentagram was called the Kikyō Seal.
It had no connection to the Inuyasha character Kikyo.
Invented by the great onmyoji Abe no Seimei, it was a seal for subduing devils and spirits.
The onmyoji had installed a Kikyō Seal at Totsuki to destroy harmful curses—quite creative.
Deserving of applause.
But Morpheus was puzzled. If they had a Kikyō Seal to eliminate curses, why leave any behind?
Then, a possibility dawned on him.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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