That Time My Anime Life Got Cursed by Outer Gods-Chapter 35 - 34: Maze of Malice

Haruno stared in horror at the monster before her. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but just like the night before, her limbs refused to obey. It was as if her joints had been locked in place. She struggled internally, but no matter how hard she tried, her body wouldn't budge.

Gojo Satoru and Shiro Sakamaki were nowhere to be seen. Alone and helpless, despair consumed her. Her eyes clenched shut as silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

The monster advanced slowly, like a predator toying with its prey. Its joints cracked with a noise like grinding metal gears, a sound that sent chills crawling over her skin. Though vaguely humanoid in appearance, its movements defied biology—its head spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees, unnaturally and grotesquely.

It crept ever closer. Haruno felt herself plunge into a pit of frost, her entire body gripped by a biting cold. Her breath caught in her throat.

Just as the creature reached out to touch her—

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A sudden flash of red light burst from her body.

The eerie glow bathed the monster's outstretched arm, and instantly, a searing hiss echoed through the corridor. The monster recoiled violently—its arm now blistering red, as if scalded by molten iron.

"GRAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

It writhed in agony, its screams shrill and jagged, stabbing at her eardrums. Haruno opened her eyes, startled—she could move!

Without hesitation, she scrambled to her feet, spun around, and shoved open the door behind her. She bolted through—only to stop dead in her tracks.

Before her stretched a corridor with no visible end. Countless doors lined each side, all identical. No exit in sight.

No time to think.

Behind her, she could already hear the twisted metallic sound of the monster recovering.

She began to run—her lungs burning, heart pounding.

The red light from Shiro's spell still pulsed faintly over her body, but she could feel it fading. It wouldn't last forever. Once it disappeared... she didn't want to think about what would happen.

Her thoughts turned bitter—If it weren't for Shiro Sakamaki's protection, I'd already be dead. And it was Gojo Satoru who pushed Shiro aside. If things had gone according to plan...

Rage, fear, and adrenaline kept her legs moving.

The sound of the monster's pursuit crept closer with each passing moment. She dared not look back, afraid that it might be closer than she imagined. Her only choice was forward.

Then—a turn. A hallway to the right.

Hope surged. She gathered what strength she had left and dashed for it.

But as she rounded the corner...

Her heart sank.

Another corridor. Identical to the last.

Same wallpaper. Same doors. Same cursed loop.

Her knees buckled. She collapsed, breath ragged and lungs searing.

Behind her, the monster laughed.

It slithered toward her, just like before—slow, cruel, savoring the fear.

The red light from Shiro's runes flickered weakly, on the verge of vanishing completely. Her eyes welled with tears again, but she had no strength left to cry.

And then—

BOOM.

A deafening thunderclap shattered the silence.

The wall beside the monster exploded inward in a shower of rubble and light. A bolt of lightning split the air and hurled the creature into the next room.

"Tsk. Sorry I'm late, Yukinoshita Haruno."

Shiro Sakamaki.

He stepped through the smoke and lightning, his presence commanding. The moment the runes had triggered, he had sensed her position and charged straight through the illusion.

This wasn't a puzzle to him anymore. If a maze had no exit, there was only one solution—

Break it.

He had bulldozed his way through the distorted space, smashing through walls, banishing illusions with thunder. He had followed the flickering trail of her fading protection until he finally arrived.

Shiro knelt beside the collapsed Haruno, his heart heavy with guilt. If only he had acted sooner...

He gently lifted her into his arms.

She didn't speak—didn't need to. She buried her face in his chest, trembling, drawing warmth from the only comfort she had.

From the rubble, the monster rose once more, snarling.

But this time, it hesitated.

Fear flashed in its hollow eyes. Shiro's lightning crackled with energy—pure positive force, the natural nemesis of curse spirits.

The earlier strike had severely weakened it. And now Shiro stood ready, the air around him charged with raw voltage.

A black shadow extended from Shiro's feet and wrapped protectively around Haruno, keeping her safe.

Shiro raised his hand. Lightning sparked between his fingers, then erupted forward—piercing straight through the monster's chest.

In agony, the monster shrieked and retaliated. Black mist and energy surged from its body, transforming into sharp cursed spears that rained down on him like arrows.

But Shiro stood firm.

"Perfect timing."

Lightning burst from his body in arcs. Every cursed spear was vaporized on contact. With a thunderous roar, he unleashed wave after wave of electric strikes, each one crashing into the monster with devastating force.

Desperate, the creature tried to flee, leaping back into the corridor's shadows.

Shiro's gaze didn't waver.

He was not going to play around.

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