Twisted and Accursed, Chapter 19

Taylor stared at the Cursed Spirit, her heart pounding in her chest. The banshee hovered before her, its mournful wails slicing through the night, each cry more desperate and agonizing than the last. The energy inside Taylor surged, responding to the threat, and she felt a strange connection to the spirit—a resonance of fear, anger, and pain. She then turned to Alice. “Hey, Alice, can you make sure no one interferes?”

There were heroes and villains running around. The last thing Taylor needed was for one of them to get involved and die. None of them could even hope to perceive her Ghosts, let alone the Cursed Spirit.

Alice nodded and brought her hands together. Her monstrous features strained for a moment as she activated her ability, pushing it further than usual, covering the whole block, isolating them from the rest of the world.

“Alright,” Taylor muttered under her breath, feeling the energy pulse in her veins. “Thank you, Alice.”

“Wooh!” Alice chuckled. “That was a little tiring.”

The banshee’s wail reached a fever pitch, and without warning, it lunged at her. Its clawed hands stretched out, grasping for her throat. Taylor’s instincts kicked in. She leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the spirit’s grasp, and felt the blue energy around her fists intensify. It crackled and hissed, begging to be unleashed.

“Let’s dance,” Taylor whispered, raising her fists. Yeah, she wasn’t sure why she did that, but punching a spiritual creature seemed like the opposite of a good idea.

Alice’s ghostly form flickered into view beside her. “Be careful, Taylor! It’s strong, and it’s not playing around!”

“I know,” Taylor responded, her voice steady. “Mister Randall, Liam—keep it distracted!”

At her roaring command, the two ghosts materialized, moving with unnatural speed. Mister Randall, a towering figure with a gaunt face and hollow eyes, charged at the banshee, his long, bony arms outstretched. Liam, larger and bulkier but somehow faster, darted around to the spirit’s side, his movements almost a blur. The banshee shrieked, spinning to face the new threats.

Liam swung a massive arm at the banshee, and for a moment, Taylor thought he’d make contact. But the banshee was faster. It twisted mid-air, its body bending in impossible ways, and dodged the blow. Alice lunged at it from behind, but the spirit vanished, reappearing a few feet away, its mournful wail now a furious scream.

“Damn it!” Taylor cursed under her breath. “It’s fast.”

The banshee’s eyes—or the glowing orbs where its eyes should have been—locked onto her. It screeched and lunged again, this time with terrifying speed. Taylor had no time to think, only to react. She thrust her hand forward, and the blue energy shot out from her palm, forming a barrier between her and the spirit.

The banshee collided with the energy, and for a moment, it seemed to be repelled. But then the spirit’s form began to warp and twist, pushing against the barrier with unnatural force. Cracks appeared in the energy, and Taylor felt the strain as the banshee forced its way through.

“Brat, how's it hanging?” Sukuna’s taunting voice echoed in her mind, his chuckle echoing in her subconscious. "Can't even properly control Cursed Energy? Sheesh, you're even lamer than I previously thought."

“Shut up!” Gritting her teeth, Taylor pushed back with all her might. The energy flared brighter, and with a shout, she forced the banshee back. The spirit was thrown across the street, crashing into the side of a crumbling building. Dust and debris exploded into the air as the wall gave way under the impact.

For a moment, everything was still. Taylor breathed heavily, her hands shaking from the exertion. She glanced at Alice, who looked back with wide, worried eyes.

“Did I get it?” Taylor asked, her voice uncertain.

The answer came in the form of a blood-curdling scream. The dust settled, revealing the banshee’s form, now more distorted and monstrous than before. Its once tattered robes were now black as midnight, and its mouth had widened into an unholy gape, filled with rows of serrated teeth. The spirit’s arms had lengthened, its claws scraping the ground as it slowly floated back into the air.

“No,” Taylor whispered, dread filling her stomach. “It’s getting stronger.”

Sukuna’s mouth reappeared on her cheek, his voice a mix of annoyance and amusement. “Of course it is, brat. That’s how these things work. It’s feeding on your fear, your doubt. The whole city’s feeding it too. Keep that up, and it’ll tear you apart.”

Taylor swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus. “Mister Randall, Liam—back off! Alice, stay with me!”

The ghosts retreated, their forms flickering as they hovered around Taylor protectively. The banshee let out another ear-splitting wail, the sound reverberating through the empty streets, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Taylor knew she had to end this quickly. According to Sukuna, the banshee was feeding off the negative energy in the area, growing stronger with each passing second, and she had no reason to think he was lying. Actually, Sukuna, for all his malevolence, didn’t seem at all like the type to lie. She couldn’t afford to doubt herself any longer. No more questions. No more thinking. She had to trust her instincts and just fight.

“Alright,” she muttered, feeling the energy within her surge again, this time more controlled, more focused. She could form barriers apparently. Though, to be honest, Taylor had no real idea how she was able to do it. The ability just sort of came naturally to her, almost instinctual. She hated that the easiest way to call on her energy, however, was by focusing on the grief she felt over the loss of her mother. “Time to exorcise this thing.”

The banshee charged again, faster than before, its form a blur of shadow and rage. Taylor stood her ground, eyes narrowed, waiting until the last possible moment. When the banshee was almost upon her, she released the energy and formed a shield wall in front of her.

The banshee collided with the wall, and for a moment, the wall bent and shuddered, before seemingly moving to engulf the Cursed Spirit entirely. Now, Taylor definitely had no idea how she was doing any of that. The banshee’s scream turned into a deafening roar as it fought against the almost gooey shield, its form distorting and flickering as it struggled to tear its bulk from the shield that now suddenly was a trap.

Taylor pushed harder, pouring all her will into the shield. The banshee shrieked, its form beginning to unravel, strands of shadowy energy tearing away from its body as it ripped itself apart just to be freed. But it wasn’t enough. The banshee was fighting back, its own energy clashing with Taylor’s, creating a maelstrom of power that threatened to consume them both. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing or how she was doing it, but she wasn’t about to complain. The problem, however, was that the banshee possessed far greater control over its power than Taylor did. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out the fact that it was winning their little clash.

Just when Taylor thought she might lose control, she heard Alice’s voice, clear and strong in her mind.

“Taylor! Use us! We can help!” Right. She’d almost forgotten about them.

“Okay!” Taylor screamed, her whole body straining to keep the banshee in place. “Rip it apart while it’s distracted!”

Taylor’s shout barely left her lips before Mister Randall and Liam surged forward, their spectral forms blending with the shadows as they descended upon the banshee. Alice remained at Taylor's side, her small hand gripping Taylor’s sweater, providing a strange, cold comfort. The banshee thrashed against the energy trap, its cries of fury echoing through the night as it tried to tear itself free.

Mister Randall was the first to strike. His long, skeletal fingers raked across the banshee’s distorted form, drawing out a scream that was more rage than pain. The spirit twisted, trying to lash out at him, but Liam came in from the other side, his heavy fists slamming into the banshee’s back with a force that shook the very air. The banshee’s form wavered, flickering like a dying flame as it struggled to hold itself together.

“Keep it up!” Taylor yelled, pouring more energy into the trap. The blue aura surrounding the banshee thickened, the light intensifying as she focused on containing the spirit. But even as she tried to hold it in place, she could feel the strain, the overwhelming pressure of the banshee’s power pushing back against her. It was like trying to hold onto a live wire, and the energy was threatening to burn her out.

“Taylor!” Alice’s voice cut through the chaos. “I can weaken it! Just hold on a little longer!”

Taylor gritted her teeth, nodding as she fought to maintain the energy barrier. Alice’s ghostly form shimmered, her eyes glowing with an eerie light as she stepped forward. The banshee’s thrashing grew more violent, sensing the new threat, but Alice was undeterred. She reached out, her clawed hand plunging into the banshee’s chest, and Taylor watched in awe as the spirit began to convulse, its screams growing louder and louder with every passing moment.

Alice’s hand glowed with a cold, white light, and the banshee’s form began to unravel, strands of shadowy energy peeling away like old, decaying cloth. The banshee’s screams grew more frantic, more desperate, as Alice’s power tore into it, weakening its hold on this world. The once overwhelming presence of the Cursed Spirit began to diminish, its strength draining as Alice’s cold light spread through its form.

Taylor could feel it too—the shift in power, the way the banshee’s energy was faltering. The pressure pushing against her was lessening, and for the first time since the battle began, she felt a surge of hope.

“We’ve almost got it!” Taylor shouted, her voice hoarse from the effort. “Just a little more!”

Mister Randall and Liam continued their assault, their blows landing with increased force now that the banshee’s defenses were crumbling. Each strike sent ripples through the banshee’s form, distorting it further, making it harder for the spirit to maintain its shape. She felt its form crumbling. But there was something else happening to it as well, borne of its rabid and primal desperation.

The banshee’s cries turned from anger to fear, a high-pitched wail that echoed through the empty streets. It was losing, and it knew it. But even as it weakened, the spirit wasn’t done fighting. With a final, desperate shriek, the banshee’s form exploded outward, a wave of dark energy bursting from its core and slamming into Taylor’s barrier. Alice screeched in pain as the Banshee grabbed her by the wrist and twisted.

“Alice!” Taylor screamed, the mental connection between them allowing her to perceive Alice’s pain. The Banshee threw Alice onto the ground – hard.

Taylor tried to rush forward. But the force of the explosion sent her staggering back, the energy in her hands flickering as she fought to maintain control. The banshee’s form slowly unraveled, disintegrating into wisps of shadowy mist, but it wasn’t going quietly. The dark energy lashed out in all directions. Taylor felt the impact like a physical blow, the energy ripping through her barrier and sending her sprawling to the ground. She hit the pavement hard, the breath knocked out of her. And she was pretty sure she’d fractured a few bones there. Alice and the others were similarly sent hurling through the nearby buildings.

If she lived through this, then this was definitely going to hurt in the morning.

And then... the air shifted. Taylor felt it. And she was pretty sure the Ghosts felt it as well. A bubbling, roaring torrent of energies exploded from within the Banshee – something new, something greater than before. Taylor forced herself up, her breath hitching. The Banshee hovered above the ground, its glowing eyes locked onto hers. And then, it brought its hands together and, for the first time since their battle began, the Cursed Spirit spoke.

“Domain Expansion....”