1. Special Grade Cursed Embryo (I)
The azure sky was bathed in golden sunlight, its rays illuminating the earth. The forest stretched endlessly, thick with verdant trees that shielded the depths from prying eyes.
Within the woodland, a black sphere hovered silently mid-air. Encircled by a dark crimson halo, it resembled a black sun, radiating its own brilliance beneath the dense branches and leaves.
A man in a camel-colored trench coat stood beneath the trees, gazing intently at the black orb. His kite-colored eyes seemed tinged with a ring of red light.
“Dazai.” A tall curse spirit with two branches sprouting from its head approached. Although its speech was not of human tongue, understanding was effortless. “Are you still waiting for it to ‘hatch’?”
“You really are fond of it,” remarked another curse spirit, short and squat with a head shaped like Mount Fuji, clearly baffled by Dazai’s behavior.
The man beneath the black sphere turned his head, revealing a handsome, refined face. His expression was calm, utterly devoid of any hint of affection.
His voice betrayed no emotion. “I thought it was customary, Jogo.”
“My encounter with you and Hanami was pure coincidence,” Jogo replied, glancing at Dazai with a sour disposition. “We certainly weren’t waiting for you on purpose!”
“Is that so?” Dazai looked toward Hanami. “But that’s not what Hanami told me.”
Jogo’s face contorted as if choked by words, turning to Hanami. “Hanami?!”
Hanami appeared equally perplexed. “Weren’t we waiting for Dazai to be born?”
“That was just us passing by and noticing a special grade curse spirit about to emerge, so we lingered a moment!” Jogo protested with increasing frustration, his manner none too clever.
“It was my first time witnessing the birth of a comrade,” Hanami said, gazing at Dazai. Though his appearance left much to be desired, his demeanor was gentle.
Jogo snorted coldly.
Dazai ignored his two ‘companions’ and continued to look up at the as-yet unhatched curse womb suspended in the air. “This is also my first time seeing his birth.”
Jogo and Hanami joined him in watching the curse womb above, their eyes brimming with anticipation. This was the second special grade curse womb they had encountered recently.
The first had been Dazai.
That day, Jogo and Hanami had indeed merely been passing through, yet they sensed the presence of a special grade comrade.
The two curse spirits altered their course and found a special grade curse womb in the midst of hatching.
They had not intended to stay. Though special grade curse spirits were rare, not all were worthy companions; at most, it left an impression and they might return for another look should they pass by again.
But then, the special grade curse womb began to hatch.
The timing was perfect, prompting the two curse spirits to linger, watching as the special grade curse womb produced—
A human?
The special grade curse spirits: ???
Dazai Osamu, being ‘born’ and watched by others: ……