The team had just finished training at Master Kairo's temple. Their bodies were still sore, but their cursed energy now flowed better. For the first time, they felt a strange mix of confidence and fear.
The world outside was still broken.
The red zones were spreading.
And the cursed spirit inside Aki was getting stronger.
---
A Strange Sound
That evening, as the team sat near a small fire behind the temple, a sound echoed across the sky.
Not thunder.
Not wind.
It was… a voice.
> "To all cursed beings… rise. The age of silence is over. Come home."
The voice wasn't human.
It was deep, twisted — like a thousand whispers speaking at once.
The sky flickered with static.
Ren looked up. "What was that?"
Kairo stepped out of the shadows, frowning. "That… is what I feared. A cursed broadcast."
"A what?" Rei asked.
Kairo looked serious now. "It's a command. A signal sent out using cursed frequency. Someone — very powerful — just called all cursed spirits back to their origin point."
Yumi stepped forward. "You mean… they're gathering?"
"Yes," Kairo said. "And if they succeed… they can form a Cursed Core."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "That sounds bad."
"It is," Kairo replied. "It's how cursed worlds are born."
---
The Spiral Watchtower
Ren opened the map.
"Where are they going to meet?"
Kairo walked to a small shed and pulled out a scroll. He placed it in front of them and tapped on a tower drawn in the center.
"The Spiral Watchtower," he said. "A lost structure once used to monitor cursed flows across worlds."
Aki's eyes narrowed. "I've seen it. In my dreams."
"It exists," Kairo confirmed. "And if this summoner reaches the tower and fuses the spirits… it will become a cursed god."
The team went silent.
Then Ren said, "Then we have to stop it. We'll go there."
---
On the Move
They packed quickly.
Kairo gave them a device — a compass that tracked cursed movement.
"You'll need this," he said. "Also…"
He tossed Aki a small crystal.
"It's a soul limiter. If the cursed spirit inside you tries to take over… break it."
Aki nodded. "Thank you."
The team started moving at dawn.
The Watchtower was four zones away. Between them and the goal were cursed fields, abandoned cities, and now — wandering spirits drawn by the call.
---
Zone Shift
By nightfall, they reached the edge of the first cursed field.
Black fog covered everything.
Bones stuck out of the ground like trees.
The cursed energy here was heavy. It made their skin itch and their heads buzz.
Rei drew her blade. "Something's watching us."
Kael adjusted his goggles. "Five… no, six signals."
Yumi whispered, "They're already gathering."
Suddenly, the ground cracked.
From the soil rose creatures — twisted forms with glowing eyes, arms like broken machines, and teeth like glass.
The spirits screamed.
> "The tower... belongs to us!"
Aki stepped forward. "You'll have to get through us first."
---
The Fight
The battle began fast.
Kael blinked behind two enemies and took them down with a time-flip shot.
Rei moved like a shadow, slashing echoes with double strikes.
Yumi drew quick traps, freezing three cursed beings in place.
Ren used his Creation Spiral to change the shape of the ground — forming a wall to block the bigger ones.
Aki didn't move.
He stood still — breathing deeply.
The cursed spirit inside him growled.
> "Let me out. Just once."
Aki whispered, "No."
He raised his hand.
Blue divine energy mixed with red cursed power.
> Fusion: Divine Curse Pulse – Level One.
A wave of balanced energy exploded from him, purging the spirits instantly.
The others turned to look at him in awe.
"You okay?" Ren asked.
Aki wiped his brow. "Barely."
---
A Warning
After the battle, they set up camp.
Kael sat near the edge, watching the fog.
Yumi patched a wound on her leg.
Aki sat alone, staring at the limiter crystal.
Then, a message appeared on Ren's comm device.
A single line:
> "You can't stop what's already started."
Then… it erased itself.
Rei frowned. "We're being watched."
Kairo's voice echoed faintly from the compass.
> "You don't have much time. The Watchtower is activating. And if it reaches full charge… this world will collapse.