"Do you want... power?"
Jason vaguely heard an extremely unfamiliar voice in his mind, and he was certain that it wasn't coming from the system. It seemed to be transmitted directly from the shield to his brain.
"Are you angry... wanting to destroy everything?"
Hearing these words, Jason felt his heart suddenly tremble. Immediately afterward, the skill tree of the shield appeared before his eyes. The normally calm icons began flashing erratically, as if a virus had invaded them or an old TV signal was disrupted.
Suddenly, the entire skill tree flipped, and the background shifted, neither black nor red. The skill tree began to rearrange itself, and at that moment, all shield skills became unusable, leaving only a single shield icon glowing with a strange light.
Cursed Series Liberation.
[Shield of Wrath]: Ability not released yet. Equipment bonus effects include a protective magic flame and enhanced wrist strength. Exclusive skills: Conversion Shield (Attack), Iron Maiden.
The shield in Jason's hand morphed, the dark red light transforming it into a bright red shield adorned with ominous flame shapes. As the Shield of Wrath appeared, a flood of killing intent surged within him, like a dam breaking loose.
"Ah~~~"
The feeling of being consumed by emotion grew stronger, and Jason could no longer contain a scream. His eyes turned red, the bright red shield in his hand slowly darkening with rage, exuding fiery flames. A series of skill icons that only Jason could see began spreading from the shield, running along his arm, extending across his entire body as though threatening to swallow him whole.
But he kept shouting inwardly, "Rules or curses, don't think you can control me like this."
"What happened to Shield Hero-sama?"
"What's going on with that shield? I've never seen Lord Shield Hero use it before."
"Did it evolve by absorbing Tyrannosaurus Rex material?"
"No, that aura is far more violent and terrifying than a Tyrannosaurus Rex."
Raphtalia, Jack, and the others stared at Jason in shock, unaware of what was transpiring.
"He's about to be consumed; such a fool!"
Fitoria seemed to grasp what was happening and raised her hand to point toward Jason in the distance. At that moment, he looked up, and his red eyes returned to normal. Yet Jack and the others instinctively took ten steps back when they saw the clarity in his gaze.
Fitoria sensed the killing intent still present in his eyes, unaffected by the apparent return to calm. She was taken aback. "You haven't been consumed by the curse!"
"Consumed? My willpower is stronger than you think."
Jason's lips curled into a chilling smile.
Although he spoke lightly, it wasn't easy. If he hadn't already battled against the rules and strengthened his willpower, the situation might have overwhelmed him.
"You are a man full of surprises, but use the curse power sparingly," Fitoria warned, raising her hand again. A burst of light and crackling sound enveloped the Shield of Wrath, disturbing its power, extinguishing the flames, and reverting it to the original shield.
"Sealed magic, is it? Then what about this?" Jason pressed fragments of the Dragon Emperor, taken from the Corpse Demon Dragon, onto the gemstone of the shield. The fragments that couldn't be absorbed before merged into the gemstone entirely this time.
"The Dragon Emperor fragment may enhance the curse's power, but it's useless. Don't waste your efforts; my seal isn't that easily broken."
As Fitoria finished speaking, there was a cracking sound, and her seal shattered.
"Impossible!"
For the first time, disbelief flashed across Fitoria's face. She hadn't expected the seal to break. What she didn't know was that Jason's [Shield of Will] provided resistance to all effects, including seals. With the Shield of Wrath's reinforcement and added resistance, he broke the seal in one fell swoop.
But as the Shield of Wrath reappeared, the negative emotions intensified. Having consumed much of his willpower already, Jason's expression grew ferocious, the flames spreading once more. Flames even emerged from cracks in his armor, blasted apart by Fitoria's earlier attack. For a moment, he looked like a demon wreathed in fire.
The curse's power surged, strengthening the Shield of Wrath:
[Shield of Wrath]: Ability not released. Equipment bonus effects include protective magic flame, wrist strength enhancement, Dragon's Fury, Roar. Exclusive skills: Conversion Shield (Attack), Iron Maiden.
After absorbing the Dragon Emperor fragment, the Shield of Wrath experienced its first growth. The flames carved into the shield transformed into a red dragon pattern, and Jason's [Disciple of Hell] changed along with it.
However, Jason hardly noticed, as he was busy battling an inner storm without end.
"Damn... This isn't good. I underestimated this, and my mind is becoming clouded."
Jason, exhausted from using so much willpower, felt himself on the verge of being overwhelmed by negative emotions, unable to maintain clarity. At that moment, a faint glow emitted from a shield icon among the locked row of skills—it was [Shield of Will].
Seeing that glow, Jason felt as though a cold bucket of water had poured over his mind, bringing him back to his senses. The [Shield of Will] did indeed have some resistance to curses.
"It's truly a treasure."
With the help of the [Shield of Will], Jason began suppressing the negative emotions.
"It's sheer foolishness. You survived the first time, but you still continue. It seems I'll have to kill you before the curse completely consumes you," Fitoria said sternly. She didn't believe Jason could withstand a second assault from the Shield of Wrath, especially as the erosion continued; no one's will could endure that.
She prepared to attack while Jason was still engaged in his struggle with the Shield of Wrath.
Now that she had decided, Fitoria moved instantly.
Without warning, she vanished from her spot and reappeared in front of Jason in the blink of an eye.
"Master Shield Hero—Jason! Be careful!"
Though Raphtalia, Jack, and the others didn't fully understand what was happening to him, they cried out in alarm as they realized he was in danger.
At that precise moment, Jason's shield, still wreathed in flames, spread open like a fan, meeting Fitoria's attack mid-air.
Boom!
The force of their clash caused the ground beneath them to collapse inward, forming a crater. A powerful shockwave burst outward from their point of impact, whipping through the area and forcing Jack and the others to shield their eyes from the blinding gust.
Fitoria's sharp gaze flickered with astonishment—not just because Jason had regained his sanity, but because he hadn't budged an inch under her assault.