Kirari stood in the center of the laboratory, drenched and disheveled, yet her eyes shone with astonishing intensity.
Genichi watched her calmly, but an indescribable feeling was churning inside him.
It had first appeared the moment Kirari became a Spirit Tamer. It felt like an invisible thread tugging at his soul, allowing him to vaguely sense that the world itself was undergoing some kind of change.
He couldn't explain what was changing, but he knew it was connected to him, to Kirari, and to the birth of the first Spirit Tamer.
"Kirari."
Genichi spoke in a calm voice.
"Show me what you gained from becoming the first Spirit Tamer."
The corners of Kirari's mouth rose slightly, and excitement flashed through her eyes.
Of course she understood what Genichi wanted.
He wanted to learn what ability she had obtained, test the limits of a Spirit Tamer, and see exactly what this newly born class could accomplish.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the new power within her.
The Frenzied Spirit had been completely consumed. Its power, consciousness, and very existence had all become part of her.
She could feel that power surging through her body like a sleeping beast waiting to awaken.
Then she opened her eyes and looked at Genichi.
His body stiffened slightly.
He could sense something approaching him.
It was invisible, colorless, silent, and completely undetectable.
It resembled air or light, yet also felt like something that didn't belong in this world.
Something wrapped around his neck.
Its touch was cold yet flexible, like a rope.
The rope slowly tightened, digging into his skin, crushing his windpipe, and cutting off his breathing.
An ordinary person would have already collapsed from suffocation. They would be struggling desperately for air, their mouth opening uselessly like a fish thrown onto dry land.
But Genichi wasn't an ordinary person.
His body had undergone countless enhancements. His mana was powerful enough to devastate the world, and his will could withstand any mental attack.
He simply gathered a trace of mana and released it.
The sensation around his neck vanished instantly.
It was as though something had severed the invisible rope, stripping it of all its power and causing it to dissipate into the air.
Kirari let out a muffled groan, and her face immediately turned pale.
Her body swayed, nearly sending her crashing to the floor. She caught herself against the experiment table and barely managed to remain standing.
The instant Genichi broke her ability, she felt as though something had turned against her soul. A violent, stabbing pain tore through her.
It wasn't physical pain.
It came directly from her soul, as though something had ripped open a wound deep within it.
Genichi studied her with a slight frown.
"Is this the ability you gained after becoming a Spirit Tamer?"
Kirari took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the pain in her soul.
She raised her head and looked at Genichi. Excitement still gleamed within her eyes, but it was now accompanied by a trace of reverence.
"Yes."
Her voice was slightly hoarse.
"The ability I gained is called Ghost Noose. It allows me to summon an invisible hangman's noose and use it to strangle someone to death."
Genichi raised an eyebrow.
Ghost Noose?
An invisible hangman's noose?
The ability resembled the sinister powers that often appeared in supernatural horror stories.
Curses, death hexes, and formless attacks that couldn't be anticipated or defended against.
Ghost Noose was precisely that kind of ability. It possessed no physical form, couldn't be destroyed by ordinary attacks, and was nearly impossible to detect with conventional mana perception.
If Genichi hadn't possessed extraordinary senses and reaction speed, even he might not have escaped that attack completely unharmed.
"What are its limitations?" he asked.
Kirari considered the question before answering.
"Distance. I can't use it from too far away. The maximum range is roughly thirty feet. I also need to see my target. If they're hiding behind cover or somewhere outside my field of vision, the ability won't work."
Genichi nodded.
Thirty feet was more than enough in close combat.
The true terror of the ability wasn't its power, but its concealment. Who would expect an invisible rope to quietly wrap itself around their neck in the middle of a fierce battle?
By the time they noticed it, it would already be too late.
"Do you have any other abilities?" Genichi asked.
Kirari shook her head.
"This is the only one for now. However, I think I'll awaken more abilities as I grow stronger and subjugate additional vengeful spirits."
Genichi fell silent for a moment.
"Can your ability affect vengeful spirits?"
Kirari considered it, then nodded.
"It should be able to, but I can't be certain until I test it myself."
Genichi narrowed his eyes slightly.
If Ghost Noose could truly affect vengeful spirits, Kirari's ability wouldn't be limited to killing people. She could also use it against the Frenzied Spirits inhabiting the Afterlife.
"Excellent."
Genichi nodded, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Your ability is extremely useful."
A smile appeared on Kirari's face.
It was the smile of someone who had received recognition, discovered her value, and proven that she could be useful to him.
She lowered her gaze to her hand, opening and closing her fingers.
The power continued surging inside her, waiting for the next time she called upon it.
"Master."
She looked up at Genichi, her eyes filled with adoration and dependence.
"Can I become even stronger?"
Genichi stared at her in silence for a moment before nodding.
"Yes. As long as you continue using your ability, devouring vengeful spirits, and subjugating more of them, your power will continue to grow. One day, you'll become ten or even a hundred times stronger than you are now."
Kirari's breathing quickened.
Ten times stronger?
A hundred times stronger?
What would that kind of power even feel like?
Her heart raced, her blood boiled, and an unprecedented excitement surged through her.
"However…"
Genichi's voice turned serious.
"Your ability may be powerful, but it also has a weakness."
Kirari's expression became solemn.
"What weakness?"
"Backlash."
Genichi looked directly at her.
"You must have felt it when I broke your ability. Whenever someone overcomes Ghost Noose, your soul suffers backlash. If your opponent is even stronger than I am, that backlash could kill you instantly."
Kirari's expression darkened.
Of course she had felt it.
She would never forget the agony of her soul being torn apart.
If she suffered it again, she wasn't certain she would be able to endure it.
(End of Chapter)
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