"Is that… Cursed Speech?"
Leon's body froze instantly, but his mind remained sharp.
A high-level cursed technique—one that forced commands into reality through the power of spoken words. Judging by the distinctive voice and tone, there was little doubt about who had used it.
So it's the Inumaki heir already…
Leon exhaled quietly, tension easing. "Good. Not rogue sorcerers—just the main cast causing chaos again."
Still, something felt off.
Cursed Speech carried heavy backlash. The stronger the command and the stronger the target, the more strain it placed on the user's throat. Considering the powerful curse he had sensed earlier, the boy inside the barrier was probably paying a steep price right now.
"That command only happened because I dropped a Curtain," Leon muttered. "Partly my responsibility, then."
He glanced at Gardevoir. "Let's go."
"Sha!"
The binding force faded within seconds, and Leon vaulted over the school wall, following the dense surge of cursed energy deeper inside the campus.
What he saw next made him pause.
The cursed spirit was enormous—nearly two stories tall, its swollen body resembling a grotesque caterpillar. Its sheer mass alone gave it devastating physical power, and the suffocating concentration of cursed energy around it felt like standing inside a storm of malice.
"Definitely at least grade one," Leon said under his breath. "Maybe stronger."
The creature burst free from a partially collapsed building, its massive arm swinging downward and slamming a panda-shaped figure into the concrete. The ground cracked under the impact as the curse lurched forward, preparing to crush him.
"Don't move!"
Another Cursed Speech command rang out. The curse slowed briefly—just long enough for the injured panda to scramble away at impossible speed.
But the effect faded quickly. The giant curse resumed its pursuit, its enormous body rolling forward like a collapsing wall.
A girl with a high ponytail leapt down from above, striking the monster's head with a long-bladed weapon. The blow left a visible wound, but the creature's massive bulk absorbed most of the damage. Its jaws opened wide, preparing to swallow her whole.
"Maki!"
The panda shouted in alarm. Nearby, the boy who had used Cursed Speech tried to speak again, only to cough blood—the strain on his throat already severe.
Midair, Maki gritted her teeth. She was only sixteen—far too young to die here—but the descending shadow of the monster's mouth left her nowhere to escape.
Then, suddenly, her falling body stopped.
She felt herself pulled backward, lifted away from the creature by an invisible force.
Floating above the battlefield was a white-clad figure—Gardevoir—her posture elegant, psychic aura shimmering like a crown of light. Below, a young man in a pale jacket stood calmly in the middle of the cursed energy storm, raising one hand casually.
"Nice timing, Xiaosha."
Maki landed safely beside Inumaki, staring in shock. She had never seen these two before—yet their strength was unmistakable.
Before she could speak, the enraged curse redirected all its attention toward Gardevoir, swinging its massive arm in a violent arc.
Gardevoir vanished.
A heartbeat later, she reappeared beside Leon—Teleport—her most reliable battlefield maneuver.
"Gardevoir," Leon said calmly, "Meditate."
She placed a hand over her chest, eyes closing as her psychic energy condensed inward, sharpening rather than expanding. Leon had no intention of dragging out a battle against something this large. He wanted overwhelming burst damage—fast and decisive.
The giant curse charged again, shaking the ground with each step.
Leon stepped forward instead of retreating and raised a hand, calling out loudly, "Hey, ugly—over here!"
The taunt worked.
As the monster barreled toward him, Leon grabbed a nearby roadside tree, cursed energy surging through his body. With a sharp pull, he tore it free from the ground and hurled it like a spear, the impact knocking the creature slightly off balance.
Not enough.
So he moved to the next step.
Nearby construction equipment sat unattended—one of the campus roads had been under repair. Leon sprinted forward, braced himself, and shoved the heavy road roller directly into the monster's path, forcing it to collide with the massive machine instead of reaching Gardevoir.
"Hold it right there," he muttered.
By the time the creature finished smashing through the obstacle, Gardevoir's meditation was complete.
Her eyes snapped open.
"Now," Leon said, making a slicing motion with his hand. "Telekinesis."
Invisible force wrapped around the giant curse, compressing from every direction. Size offered no advantage against wide-range psychic pressure.
"Dazzling Gleam."
Light gathered at Gardevoir's chest, bending the surrounding air as it concentrated. A brilliant flash erupted forward, blasting a massive hole straight through the creature's torso. The destructive energy overwhelmed its regeneration, shredding its body faster than it could recover.
When the light faded, the once-towering monster had shrunk to a broken mass barely a meter tall.
Gardevoir slammed it into the ground with a final burst of telekinesis, pinning it in the crater it had created earlier.
Leon stepped forward, kicked the loosened road roller wheel, and sent it crashing down over the remains—his own cursed energy reinforcing the blow.
Silence followed.
The cursed spirit was gone.
Leon brushed dust from his hands, glancing toward the stunned students nearby.
"Well," he said lightly, "looks like we made it in time."