The old shrine on the hill was silent except for the chirping of cicadas. The faded stone steps wound up through wild grass and sun-bleached paper talismans, long forgotten by time.
Riku stood at the shrine's center, barefoot on the warm stone, eyes closed, breathing slowly.
Cursed energy radiated off him in gentle pulses—not wild or explosive like before, but calculated, stable. Controlled.
A small rock floated before him. Then another. Then a third.
He lifted a hand.
> "Cleave."
The air shimmered. All three rocks were instantly, perfectly bisected—clean vertical cuts, so fine they didn't fall until gravity caught up.
He frowned.
Still too slow.
He could feel the technique responding to intent—reading the cursed energy level of the target and cutting at their weakest point. It wasn't like other attacks. Cleave didn't just destroy—it judged.
The issue was precision. The more targets, the more calculations needed. Too slow in combat.
He stepped back and summoned five more rocks. Sweat trailed down his temple.
> "Cleave."
One cut. Two. Three—
Then the rest dropped, untouched. His cursed energy flickered unstable.
"Ugh."
"Too serious," came a voice behind him.
Riku turned. Momo stood there, arms crossed, bottle of melon soda in hand. Her face had the beginnings of a smirk.
"You know, watching you slice pebbles for an hour is weirdly hypnotic."
"I'm training," Riku replied calmly, picking up another stone.
"Right, right—training to become an even more terrifying cursed guy," she said, walking up. "You ever just… relax?"
"I don't see the benefit."
"Well, lucky for you," she said, cracking open the soda, "I brought backup."
She plopped down on the steps, patting the spot beside her.
He hesitated.
"C'mon," she said, grinning. "Even monster boys need rest."
He eventually sat, albeit stiffly. Momo took a swig and burped without shame. "Classy, right?"
He blinked. "Elegant."
She laughed—loud and unrestrained.
Then she glanced at him. "You know, you've changed."
"I've what?"
"When I first met you, you were all shadowy and broody. Now you still have the shadows, but at least you let people talk to you. That's progress."
He tilted his head. "I don't remember being broody."
"You glared at vending machines."
"I was evaluating their structural weakness."
Momo snorted. "See! You do have a sense of humor buried under all that cursed muscle."
Riku looked away, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Then—BOOM.
A low growl rumbled from the forest edge.
Momo stood instantly, cursed aura flaring. "Spirit?"
Riku's eyes narrowed. "Worse."
From between the trees emerged a creature—massive, black and gold, hunched like an ape but with glowing symbols across its chest. Its mouth split vertically, revealing a single red eye.
A hybrid curse—a failed fusion of human spirit and curse beast.
It roared and charged.
Momo moved first—delivering a brutal kick to its chest, but the creature absorbed it and swatted her back.
Riku stepped forward, aura igniting like fire across his shoulders.
He raised a single finger.
"Cleave."
A line of energy sliced across the beast—deep, brutal—but it didn't fall.
It staggered, then adapted.
Riku narrowed his eyes. "Ah. One of those."
The hybrid lunged again, but this time, Riku ducked under the swing and drove his fist into the monster's ribs, cursed energy rippling through the impact.
> "Cleave."
This time, the cut was internal—precise, through muscle, not surface.
The beast shrieked.
Momo joined him with a flying elbow, and together they moved in sync—one laughing, the other focused, but both unrelenting.
Riku finally leapt into the air, spinning midair.
> "Cleave. Final Line."
The energy lashed out in an arc—perfect and absolute.
The hybrid curse collapsed, split in two.
The silence afterward was broken only by the soft fizz of Momo's spilled soda.
Riku landed beside her, brushing dust from his arms.
She was breathing hard but grinning like a maniac. "Okay… that was awesome."
He looked at her, golden eyes glowing. "We make a good team."
Momo gave him a sideways glance. "That a compliment?"
He nodded. "Objectively, yes."
She laughed again, louder this time, and shoved his shoulder lightly. "You're weird, y'know that?"
"So I've heard."
They sat again, the ruined forest behind them, the old shrine ahead, and a new calm settling between them.
Momo leaned back. "So. Cleave and laugh?"
Riku looked at her. "New motto?"
She held up her soda. "Better than cry and die."
He nodded solemnly.
"Cleave and laugh, then."