The sky above the warehouse burned orange, painted in dusk's final glow. Inside, Riku stood in nothing but his boxers, sweat clinging to his skin, chest rising and falling from the final push of his evening workout. His muscles twitched beneath his skin, strained from a relentless grind of 5,000 push-ups, 5,000 sit-ups, and 8,000 jumping jacks—all while maintaining cursed energy over his body, Armament Haki on his limbs, and Kaioken humming beneath the surface of his veins.
He breathed deep, letting the tension fade, and slipped into his clothes piece by piece—black cargo pants, a sleeveless gray compression shirt, his usual black sneakers. He grabbed his water bottle, ready to head home.
Then it hit him.
A pulse.
Like something alive clawing at the edges of his senses. His cursed energy screamed in warning, crawling across his skin like static. A shiver raced down his spine. Every instinct in him turned to ice.
"What the hell is that?" he muttered.
His body reacted before he could second guess. Cursed energy erupted across his form, coating him head to toe. He layered Armament Haki on his legs and vanished into the air with Flash Step.
He blitzed across cracked pavement and rooftops until he skidded to a halt in a clearing surrounded by crooked trees and tall grass. The scent of rot hung thick in the air.
Then he saw it.
A cursed spirit—but unlike anything he'd faced before. Not grotesque. Not bloated or mindless.
Elegant horror.
Its body was thin but tall, with limbs too long to be natural. Translucent skin revealed black veins pulsing underneath. Its face was featureless save for a vertical mouth that split open to reveal rows of gleaming, serrated teeth. Six eyes, each blinking independently, sat above that grotesque grin, and black spikes grew from its back like bone-like wings.
It radiated death. Malice. Hunger.
Stronger than a Grade 1.
"Is this a… Special Grade 1?" Riku whispered, heart hammering in his chest.
The cursed spirit turned its head toward him, smiling wide.
Before he could react, it vanished.
He took a shaky step back, only to bump into something behind him.
His eyes widened in horror. Slowly, he turned.
It was right there. Grinning. Inches away.
He jumped back instinctively, cursed energy flaring and Haki surging. "Shit!"
The cursed spirit cackled softly, distorted and echoing like voices through static. It tilted its head and watched him with amused hunger.
'How the hell is it this fast?! I barely blinked!' Riku thought, sweat forming on his brow.
He dropped into a Muay Thai stance. "Fine. Usually when something is this fast… its defense sucks."
He dug his foot into the dirt and used Flash Step, closing the gap in a blink. His leg snapped up toward the thing's head.
The cursed spirit simply watched.
Then it moved.
Snap.
Its arm whipped out and caught Riku's leg mid-strike. Without hesitation, it lifted him and slammed him into the ground like a ragdoll. Air shot from his lungs. He coughed out saliva as his back cratered the earth. Before he could move, he was thrown again—this time slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.
Riku stumbled to his feet, arms trembling.
'It's toying with me.'
The cursed spirit crouched in front of him, face close, lips peeled back in another smile. Without warning, it backhanded him. His body flew across the field. He landed, rolled, flipped, and staggered back onto his feet.
Blood ran from his nose. "Damn it…"
The cursed spirit reappeared beside him again, crouched low. Riku swung on reflex, but a fist buried itself into his cheek before he could react. His head whipped sideways. His nose shattered. He tumbled backward in the dirt as blood splattered.
His regeneration kicked in, slowly mending the damage.
"Alright… if I can't match its speed…"
He slid into a Panantukan stance, fingers twitching.
"…then I dodge."
The cursed spirit launched forward, a blur.
Riku ducked, barely avoiding the strike. It grazed his shoulder, tearing skin. He planted both hands on the ground and launched himself forward, feet-first.
He missed.
The curse leaned back lazily, dodging with ease.
He retreated, breathing hard, trying to analyze.
'It's watching everything. It's reading me.'
He summoned Distorted Reflection and waited.
The curse attacked. He tried to reflect—but it was too fast. The curse bent around his counter and struck him again, forcing him to block. His arm rattled from the impact.
Every time he tried something, it was one step ahead.
His heartbeat pounded. Breath ragged. Body bruised.
The cursed spirit stepped closer, mouth widening into a predator's grin.
Then it lunged.
Riku gritted his teeth and focused. This time—Echo Delay.
The hit landed. He was thrown again.
He skidded back through the dirt. His jaw throbbed, vision doubled. But he stood up and looked.
'Did it work?'
The cursed spirit cackled. But then—its stomach jerked. The same force it struck Riku with just moments ago suddenly snapped back into it. Its torso dented inward with a blast of force.
Riku's eyes widened.
"It worked."
He smirked through bloody lips. "How could I forget?"
He raised his hand and activated Inspect.
[Inspect S+ Activated]
Target: Cursed Spirit
Grade: Special Grade 1
Height: 7'9"
Weight: 322 lbs
Cursed Energy Output: Extreme
Abilities:
• Hyper-Speed Movement
• Bone Lance Generation
• Multi-Layer Cursed Perception
• Enhanced Durability
• Shadow Stitching
• Reverse Tracking
Weaknesses: None exposed
Behavior: Predatory, sadistic, enjoys psychological dominance
Combat Style: Reactive, adaptive counter-striker
Riku's hands trembled.
'What the fuck is this thing?'
He exhaled sharply.
"I didn't want to use this again… but screw it."
He took a deep breath.
"Kaioken."
A red aura exploded around him, flames of power licking off his skin. His muscles screamed, veins bulging beneath his flesh. Pain surged—but so did power.
His eyes locked with the cursed spirit's, wild grin forming.
"Let's fucking go, you bitch."
He took a step forward.
"This time… it's going to be different."
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Is he still cooked with Kaioken? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z....Anyways I said I'd make him suffer and I am going to deliver yes this is going to be a hard fight yes he is going to get the Hulk treatment or was it Loki you know where Hulk grabbed Loki and just slammed him on the ground side to side. Or should it be the Broly treatment where he gets his face dragged across the ground? You decide.