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My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks, Chapter 37.
🕑 Added 2024-01-01 05:07:58 +0000 UTCChapter 37: Cursed Train 2.
—OoOoO—
"Omiya Station, we’ve arrived," said a blonde woman as she parked her van.
The woman looked back to check on the two people she had to guide in this job.
“Maki-san, have I told you several times to take your things through the trunk door?” said the woman while snorting.
“But it's more efficient this way.”
Maki answered the question without looking at the person she was talking to. She still continued to rummage through the trunk of the van through the passenger seat.
“Showing your ass to adults like this isn't nice, Maki-san,” the blonde woman replied again.
Her gaze then turned to the woman sitting beside Maki, who was still busy with her phone.
"What about you, Haruno-san?"
“It’s okay. I'm ready, Akari-san.”
The woman named Akari looked at Haruno with concern. After the successful assassination attempt on Itadori Yuuji, she knew that this mission aimed to kill Haruno. The pattern was the same. The inaccurate calculations led to incomplete information, so the opponent they faced was stronger than reported.
"Then, let's go," said Maki.
She was ready with her weapons bag and opened the door without waiting for a sign. Seeing that, Haruno took a deep breath and came out simultaneously as Maki. The building of Omiya Station stretched before her eyes, and she could only stare at it in silence.
"Are you sure you haven't missed anything?" asked Maki, who arrived beside Haruno.
Hearing that question, Haruno reflexively fumbled with the tanto on her back waist.
“No. All good."
Maki nodded at the reply. Without further ado, Maki then led the way to enter the station. Meanwhile, Haruno and Akari followed her from behind.
Maki and Akari wore the default outfits they usually wear, a Jujutsu High student and officer outfit for the assistant manager.
On the other hand, Haruno wore different clothes than them, considering that officially, her status was neither a student nor an assistant manager. Qipao was her choice. She wore a black sleeveless qipao with a cherry blossom motif on the bottom. There was a slit on both sides, starting from the ankles to 20 centimetres above the knee. Even though she was wearing traditional Chinese clothing, she chose black calf-high boots for her footwear.
Meanwhile, at her waist, there was a white corset that was tightly tied. It wasn’t only for decoration but also to make the body's curves appear more clearly. And at the back of the corset was a tanto, complete with sheath, which was positioned horizontally.
"There they are," said Maki.
The three women had arrived at the platform in question and were greeted by three first-year students chatting about who knew what. Hearing Maki's exclamation, they turned to the group that had just arrived.
“Ah, Maki-san! Haruno nee-san! And Nitta-san too!”
The first to greet them and the most enthusiastic about their arrival was Nobara. It wasn’t a secret that Nobara was Maki's biggest admirer. Meanwhile, even though they had only known each other for about a week, Nobara also showed closeness to Haruno. She was so happy because she finally met a girl on the same frequency, in the sense that Haruno was always connected to all of Nobara's topics of conversation. In fact, Nobara often consulted Haruno about the latest fashion.
“Hachiman-san isn't coming?” Megumi asked.
Maki and Haruno were busy talking to Nobara and Iroha. Seeing that, Akari decided to answer Megumi.
“He departed from Chiba with Ijichi-senpai. If there are no obstacles, they should arrive in another ten minutes.”
"Is that so? That's good then.”
Megumi didn't respond further, and Akari just nodded at the reply. They thought it would be a relaxing moment, but that thought was dashed when they heard an enthusiastic shout.
“Your clothing choice’s truly amazing, as expected of you, Haruno nee-san!” shouted Nobara.
The girl turned to Akari and looked at her with great interest.
“Nitta-san, can I change my uniform to something like this?”
Akari immediately put on a sour face when she heard the request. She immediately imagined that her workload would increase. However, as a professional assistant manager, Akari had the skills to dodge questions she didn’t expect.
“You can't, Kugisaki-san.”
“Eh? Why? Can't students order their own uniform models as long as it doesn't violate the basic provisions?"
“Well, you know, the budget for uniforms has been adjusted for this year, and that includes the initial design you want and the creation of a reserve stock of uniforms. If you submit a new design, it will be approved for next year's budget.”
“What the hell? I didn't know that things like that existed," replied Nobara, expressing her disappointment.
Meanwhile, Akari could only maintain her smile. Even though what she said only sounded like an excuse, that condition had to be accepted. After all, the Japanese Jujutsu Association was still managed by statutes and bylaws that had to be obeyed. If there was a change in the budget, it must be based on sudden needs. Therefore, if it was a budget allocation for trivial needs, it would never be approved.
Some students with two or more uniform models were mostly second-year and above. In fact, their old model was no longer produced.
“Don't worry, Nobara-chan. If you want, I can help you produce the new uniforms, including replacement uniforms when the ones you wear are damaged."
Nobara's heart suddenly brightened when she heard Haruno's offer. However, that changed instantly when Haruno uttered her following words.
“Of course, terms and conditions apply. Including you yourself who have to bear the production costs."
“Eeh? It doesn’t sound good at all," complained Nobara.
“But don't worry, I'll give you a special cut.”
Haruno's next offer changed Nobara's mood for the better. Her expression looked quite enthusiastic, but she also seemed to be considering something, but her desire for a prettier uniform was much greater.
Realising this, Megumi expressed his opinion.
“Hey, if you fall for offers like that so easily, one day you'll be completely ruined by scammers, you know?”
Nobara glared at Megumi,
“Don't spoil the mood, you Gloomy-guro.”
Megumi immediately frowned when he heard Nobara's cursing. Meanwhile, Haruno laughed because she saw the two teenagers fighting. Next to her, Maki looked at Haruno with a complex look.
“You really don't hesitate to do business even in this dire situation, huh?”
"Well, actually, I didn't have such intentions before. But if you think about it, starting a uniform business, not only for students but also for jujutsu sorcerers in general, is a business with bright prospects, isn't it?”
Maki sighed while rolling her eyes.
“Whatever.”
What Haruno thought was quite simple. Jujutsu sorcerers always work with high intensity and mobility. Having a tear or two in their clothes while on missions was an everyday occurrence for them. It was possible to sew damaged clothes again, but that would reduce the aesthetics of the clothes. Therefore, all jujutsu sorcerers must have their own special clothing stock.
Taking advantage of the business opportunities that appear before your eyes, it isn’t impossible to reap large profits from that. Even though the association had collaborated with other producers, that was only a monopoly of their business. To break the monopoly was just an easy task for Haruno.
“I can also disguise it by producing other apparel and starting my own brand.”
"Aren't you a physics student?" Maki asked.
“I am. But business has nothing to do with the education I’m pursuing. Besides, I went into physics because I thought it was the most interesting thing to study at university.”
They heard a sound coming from the train tracks while immersed in the pleasant conversation. All eyes suddenly turned to the source of the sound. And they found a light that wasn’t very bright, slowly approaching the platform.
'This feeling...,' Maki thought.
In contrast to Maki, everyone on the platform was on alert, ready to deal with whatever came across the tracks.
Ring… ring. Ring... ring,
The sound of bicycle bells could be heard echoing along the tracks that crossed the platform. Megumi quickly headed to the edge to see what or who was approaching. And right after that, his tense shoulders started to relax. While his face reflexively showed an annoyed expression.
Ring… ring. Ring… ring.
The bicycle bell echoed once again as the object's lighting seemed to become brighter. And when the lights installed on the platform began to fully illuminate the figure, only then did they breathe a sigh of relief, except for Maki.
“You… could you come in a more normal way, Hachiman-san?” Megumi asked irritably.
Hachiman didn't just reply. He turned off the lights on his folding bike and brought it closer to the barrier between the tracks and the platform.
"What do you mean? Do you think I came in an abnormal way?”
Hachiman lifted his bike, giving orders to Megumi through eye contact to help him load the folding bicycle onto the platform area.
“Normal people wouldn't come by bicycle via train tracks,” Megumi replied.
“Normal people wouldn't ride bicycle over train tracks under normal conditions,” Hachiman corrected, “And you don't need to think using normal logic in this abnormal situation.”
Hachiman just walked away, leaving Megumi at a loss for words. When he arrived in front of the group, he looked at their faces individually, especially the first-year students and Haruno.
"What? Why are your faces so tense?”
“How we couldn’t get tense when an unknown object suddenly appeared?” Iroha protested.
“Eh? You didn’t think it was me?” Hachiman asked with a genuinely surprised expression.
He looked back at them one by one with his lazy eyes.
"I would understand if this girl and Haruno-san didn't realise it," said Hachiman, pointing at Nobara and Haruno.
Before continuing his words, his gaze then turned to Megumi and Iroha.
“But I'm surprised that you two didn't realise it was me.”
The last two people Hachiman appointed simultaneously felt numb in their tongues. They couldn't reply to Hachiman's harsh criticism. However, it wouldn't be Iroha if she didn't try to find justification.
“You suppressed your presence until it became vague. How could you think we would immediately realise it was you?”
Hachiman just sighed, hearing the babbling.
“I'll tell Hiratsuka-sensei that you're still lacking in practice, then,” Hachiman said firmly, “You too, Megumi. More than anyone else, you should be the most experienced among them.”
“I’ve no excuse,” Megumi said, embarrassed at his mistake.
"But seriously. There's no need to report to Hiratsuka-sensei, right? After all, you completely suppressed your cursed energy. It was impossible for me to notice if I didn't use my technique," replied Iroha, who was still trying to defend herself.
However, the following reply wasn't from Hachiman but from Maki herself.
“You can't always rely on your cursed technique for basic things like that, Iroha. Even cursed energy tracking will sometimes give you false information if your opponent is skilled enough. Train your instincts because that will be a big factor that will make the difference.”
“Listen to that. Even though there's not much you can learn from that girl, there are still one or two things you can take away, like how she knew it was me," added Hachiman.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward when Hachiman and Maki lectured their juniors. Meanwhile, the main objects, Megumi and Iroha, only lower their heads. Nobara, who didn’t get much attention, couldn’t express her opinion. It wasn't like she never had Maki scold them. However, it was her first time seeing the new guy do so.
Likewise with Haruno. She always saw Hachiman as a calm person and rarely showed excessive emotions. Watching him scold his juniors was a new sight that had never previously occurred to her that Hachiman also had that side.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, Hachiman sighed.
“Well, whatever. Next time you must perform better than this. Anyway, I'm going to go get some coffee for a bit. Do you guys want something? My treat.”
—OoOoO—
Hachiman was at a vending machine outside Omiya Station after he scolded his juniors. Even though the lazy-eyed boy offered to buy them a drink to lighten the mood, no one wanted to except Maki. As for Haruno, she preferred to follow him instead.
"I didn't think you could be angry like that," said the short-haired girl.
His activities stopped momentarily just as he finished opening the canned coffee. However, it was only about two seconds until Hachiman drank the coffee. His brows furrowed as the thick black liquid passed through his mouth. It didn't taste like he expected, and at that time, what disappointed him most was that there was no Max Coffee around Omiya Station.
“It's not like I want to scold them,” Hachiman said after downing his drink.
“Oh, really?”
Hachiman nodded and continued, “It was all scripted. It was Gojo-sensei who asked me to create conditions where I could test their sensory abilities. And if they fail, he asked me to scold them in his behalf.”
“It was even more surprising to hear Gojo ask you to do that. I mean, why doesn't he scold them himself?” Haruno replied.
The woman then drank a cup of warm tea that she bought from a vending machine. Haruno didn’t mean to be a hypocrite woman. However, when she found out that someone was taking advantage of Hachiman by putting him in a bad image in that person's place, she wanted to put a curse on his face.
Hachiman looked at Haruno silently while drinking his coffee.
"I know what you mean, but if Gojo-sensei intervenes directly, what he’ll do definitely be harsher than what I did just now."
"You mean it?"
“If you think Hiratsuka-sensei’s a scary teacher, then Gojo-sensei’s a crazy asshole. If he wanted to, he would throw them into the abyss and let them survive on their own. Only then will he correct our wrongdoings. He used to be like that on us, and you can’t imagine how painful it was every time he punched our ass.”
Hachiman remembered the old days when Satoru humbled him and his classmates.
"Like learning from the hard way?"
Hachiman nodded at the question. Before he could get any words out, Haruno continued her question.
“Then, what about Maki-chan? And why are you only angry at Megumi-kun and Iroha-chan? Isn't Nobara-chan there, too?"
“Maki didn't know the plan, but she was able to realise that it was me because she naturally has strong instincts and we’ve known each other for a long time. As such, I’m pretty sure she knew it was scripted and she got along with it.”
Hachiman paused his words and drank the remaining coffee until it was finished. Then, he threw the can into the trash bin specifically for such things.
“For Megumi and Iroha, let's just say that they are both the most senior among the first year and Gojo-sensei believes they can be pushed even higher with more difficult means.”
“Even though Iroha-chan seems to only want to aim for the assistant manager?”
“It just depends on mentality. After all, there’s no prohibition on an assistant manager having abilities that are at least equivalent to a second-grade sorcerer or even more.”
Even if they talk about first-grade sorcerers, some people only aim for that level to obtain the various privileges available without being willing to participate in activities. Hachiman now officially held special grade status. Deep in his heart, he would stop at that level and enjoy his life relaxed without working because he would still get a high monthly salary. However, he had responsibilities that required him to continue to develop to avoid the worst.
Likewise with Iroha. Rather than a coward who was reluctant to go any further, Iroha was a true opportunist who knew how to make the most profit with as little capital as possible. Precisely because the girl had a clear view of the world of jujutsu, she knew what she had to do for her own benefit. However, although Hiratsuka accepted her as a student who took part in an assistant manager training program, which Hiratsuka initiated, she saw a talent in Iroha that should not be wasted.
'There's no need to doubt Megumi. If Gojo-sensei's story about the previous Ten Shadows user is true, it’s certain that Megumi's potential is enormous. As for Isshiki, she’s talented. I'm sure that spoiled bitch could become a first grade at best.'
Meanwhile, for the last question about why Hachiman didn't scold Nobara, he thought that Nobara was just a newbie, just like Haruno. Being too hard on people didn’t seem to do anything good. Moreover, Hachiman himself didn’t really care about the girl. It wasn't like Megumi, whom he had known since childhood, or Iroha, who spent much time under Hiratsuka's tutelage.
"Speaking of that, I'm sorry because this past week I couldn't meet you in person," said Hachiman.
“Nah, it's fine. I understand. If that happened to Yukino-chan, I probably wouldn't leave her and guard her 25 hours non-stop.”
“The Earth only has 24 hours for one rotation, though?” Hachiman trailed off a bit, “Or technically, it’s 23 hours and 56 minutes.”
Haruno smiled in response to that.
“That's the point, Hikigaya-kun.”
News about the assassination attempt on Hikigaya Komachi spread very quickly, and it got a lot of attention in jujutsu society.
Everyone knew that the Hikigaya family was under the protection of the Gojo Clan. Apart from that, Hikigaya Hachiman himself had been officially named a special grade. Not to mention, the connection he had with Hiratsuka made someone think a thousand times about attacking Hikigaya Komachi. In other words, only people who were passionate about something or were truly crazy would dare to do it.
The only evidence found at the scene was a cursed tool imbued with a barrier spell. Apart from Hiratsuka and Tengen, only three major clans could make such an item. Naoya's presence at the scene also strengthened the suspicion and, at the same time, complicated the problem. But whatever it was, it kept Hachiman by Komachi's side until everything was declared safe.
“So, how is Komachi-chan? Say hi to her. Sorry I haven't been able to visit her," said Haruno.
"Honestly, she was discharged from hospital yesterday. But this afternoon, she was brought home unconscious by one of Hiratsuka-sensei's acquaintances."
Haruno looked at Hachiman silently. She was about to reply, but Hachiman preceded her,
“But don't worry. Nobody attacked her this time. It's just that, it seems Komachi is frustrated because of her defeat. This morning she went to school. But she skipped class and trained alone until she was blue in the face.”
“So, Komachi-chan is just exhausted?”
Hachiman nodded slowly without intending to say anything. That caused silence between them until Haruno decided to open a new topic.
“Hey, why are you late, anyway? Is that because you're still accompanying Komachi-chan?”
“Well, partly because of that. But mostly I still play PUBG with Okkotsu and Inumaki. Although it was really annoying and we were doomed.”
The final destination of Yuta's training was Africa. Even so, as Yuta's mentor and travelling companion, Miguel first took the teenager on a tour of several countries. When they were playing PUBG, Yuta said he was in Saudi. Even so, Hachiman wasn’t used to playing with people from other countries because of the ping problem.
“Uh…. You guys are something, huh? Maki-chan before coming here also stopped at McDonald's to try some of the new menus. I mean, even though she knew that her father herself had set up this mission so that it would look like Maki-chan had died on a mission, she didn't waver at all.”
Haruno was silent for a moment and looked up at the night sky, which didn’t show the beauty of the constellations because it was blocked by light pollution. Her gaze looked far away over an uncertain future. However, there were many mixed emotions in that clear vision.
Hachiman could guess what the woman wanted to say. But he decided to keep quiet and let Haruno express it on her own accord. Only a few seconds passed before the elder Yukinoshita uttered her words.
“I was nervous and felt like a student who had just entered a new school year. But at the same time, I was also excited and thought, I might not be able to see tomorrow if I don't give everything I have. Isn't it proof that I'm really alive? Moreover, this is a special night to go on a suicide mission.”
Okay, what Haruno said was completely different from what Hachiman thought. He was right about Haruno being nervous, but Hachiman didn't know that the words that came out next would have the nuance of sounding like a crazy person. But that was understandable. Haruno was too perfect to coexist with normal society. She could do and achieve anything with little effort, even without using her family name.
However, that perfection led Haruno to an unexciting life. That made Her so excited when she got that thrill back when faced with the endless possibilities in the world of jujutsu. In the past, Haruno wouldn't miss anything even if she stopped walking. However, here, she would probably die right then and there if she let her guard down even a little.
"If it were the old me tonight, I would have just been at a lively but very boring party. Standing surrounded by people I don't know and smiling at their awful jokes.”
Haruno showed a charming smile. That wasn't the smile of a maniac girl looking for life challenges. It was just a faint smile, a sincere one created purely because she found a world where she could express herself much better.
"Today is my birthday, you know?"
Hachiman's eyes reflexively widened.
“Wait, for real?”
"Yeah, for real," replied Haruno with a slight nod.
There was a pause that made Hachiman feel awkward. Even for someone who always thought negatively like him, being sent on a suicide mission right on her birthday was the wildest imagination he had ever imagined.
Realising the awkwardness clearly written on her interlocutor's face, Haruno expressed her sincere opinion.
“Even though this sounds like a sad irony, for me this is better than being exposed in the middle of the ballroom and surrounded by people who aren’t even my acquaintances.”
Hachiman didn’t immediately reply to those words. His eyes were busy capturing all the expressions and changes in her facial expression. It was tough to decipher what the woman was really thinking. After all, Haruno was a woman with a thousand faces. What she was showing right now were unmistakably sincere words that came straight from her heart. However, it was hard to imagine that such a strong expression was also used to bury her fears and worries.
Hachiman wasn't sure what she was thinking. He never got a definite answer whenever he dealt with Haruno. Whenever unsure about something, his instincts always took the most important role in his decision-making.
“Now that you brought it up, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I pretended not to hear it and didn't say anything.”
Haruno was quite surprised at that reaction. However, she immediately put on a mischievous smile.
“Oh, do you want to wish this Onee-san a happy birthday, Hikigaya-kun? I'm not forcing you, but Onee-san would be very happy if you did.”
Haruno leaned over, bringing herself closer to Hachiman. She poked Hachiman's cheek with a smile and a mischievous look using her right index finger.
Hachiman felt disturbed and tried to move his body away while pushing away Haruno's hand.
Hachiman didn't know what he should do for Haruno's birthday greeting and present. He could have just said the template words and been done with it. However, his useless pride forced him to repeatedly swallow those words whenever he was about to tell them.
Those glazed eyes wandered in various directions, looking for something that could represent his words. Omiya Station was one of the big stations in Saitama, surrounded by many shops and department stores. One of the public facilities offered at Omiya Station was a pedestrian walkway built above the main road. Everyone would immediately be treated to the view of tall buildings filled with lights and billboards.
However, many of the lights had been turned off because it was already night.
Hachiman's eyes caught a red advertisement board that lit up brightly. The board was installed vertically, and it said Wendy's First Kitchen. An idea suddenly appeared in his head. And to ensure whether this idea could be executed, Hachiman reached into his trouser pocket to take out his smartphone. He pressed the power button only to see the clock on the screen, 22:59:02.
'58 seconds left. Alright, this should be good.
Hachiman turned to Haruno, staring at those violet irises. The boy took a deep breath. Even though he didn't want to say happy birthday directly from his mouth, he still had to gather the courage to execute his plan.
Time was running out, and Hachiman knew he had to do it soon.
"Haruno-san, can you see the Wendy's advertisement across there?"
“Uh… yeah, why?”
Hachiman glanced at his phone. The screen shows the 50th second, or 10 seconds until 23:00.
“I'll count down from three. When that's done, please blow towards the billboard.”
"Why?" Haruno asked.
“Just do it. You’ll understand.”
Haruno glanced at Hachiman while narrowing her eyes. However, she threw away all the speculation and let Hachiman show her what he was cooking in his head. Making sure Haruno had obeyed his words, Hachiman started counting down.
“Three… two… one… and now!”
With the instructions given, Haruno blew towards the billboard. Initially, no instant reaction occurred. Hachiman was even nervous and didn't realise he was holding his breath. However, in the next second, the lights illuminating the billboard flickered. In less than a second, it was completely dead.
'It wasn't as smooth as I hoped. But since it works, it works,' thought Hachiman.
Meanwhile, Haruno was stunned for a moment, but her brilliant brain quickly processed the meaning of the boy's actions. Instantly, her eyes widened. Her face felt a little hot, and she didn't realise that a thin red streak had appeared on her cheeks.
What Hachiman did was quite simple and maybe a little silly, too. On birthdays, blowing out candles was a ritual that couldn’t be ignored. Unfortunately, Hachiman had no candles, and his mouth was too proud to say those simple words. Therefore, he took another alternative.
He used an advertisement board from Wendy's restaurant across the street as a substitute for candles. By using the right calculations and accompanied by luck, Hachiman could use the billboard as a substitute for candles.
Luckily, they were right outside the station just before 11pm. Why? Even though the metropolitan city in Japan was known as the city that never slept, a regulation was implemented in Japan, stating that all lights in buildings must be turned off at 23:00. Therefore, no light should be on.
That regulation only applied to lights in buildings. Meanwhile, the public service sector, household lights and public facilities such as street lights and bus stops weren’t bound by those regulations.
Meanwhile, as far as Hachiman knew, Wendy's was supposed to close around half past ten in the evening. Seeing that Wendy's lights were still on even though it would be eleven o'clock in a minute, Hachiman was sure the lights would turn off on time. And as he expected, even though it was three seconds late.
Haruno immediately fixed her expression but was still reluctant to look at Hachiman. Unfortunately, Hachiman was also too shy, so he couldn't see the scarce sight of Haruno.
"Seriously? Where did you learn this from?” Haruno asked after managing to control her expression.
Hachiman, who had also finished fixing his expression, began to dare to return Haruno's gaze.
"Nothing, it was just spontaneity."
Haruno was very impressed with that answer. How Hachiman could think of that idea spontaneously showed that the boy was very skilled at adapting even though he was quite clumsy. However, it also meant one thing.
“You're also talented at seducing women, huh? Did you learn that from Gojo too?”
This question did sound like a joke. But the way she said it and the look in her eyes showed that she wasn't joking. Or maybe Haruno was joking. Unfortunately, her body language couldn't completely cover what she wanted to hide.
Haruno looked straight into Hachiman's eyes as if those purple irises were trying to decipher everything inside the boy. Hachiman felt extreme nervousness when Haruno suddenly looked at him. He even subconsciously turned his head back. His heart was beating loud enough that he worried Haruno would hear it.
Haruno stared at Hachiman intensely, but it wasn't like she didn't like what Hachiman had done just now. It was more like she was in a bad mood when imagining that Hachiman had the talent to be a player.
However, more than that, she was deeply touched by the small effort but full of creativity that Hachiman suddenly showed. Birthday celebrations with billboards instead of candles might sound silly and something that didn’t have any capital. But Haruno liked it. There was no special reason behind it. She just liked it, that's all.
A small, sly smile appeared on Haruno's face.
“Hey, it's my birthday, right? This is my day, So, you’ve to grant my selfish wish, okay?”
—OoOoO—
The atmosphere on the platform was very awkward after Hachiman and Haruno returned from buying drinks. It wasn't like the first-year students were reluctant after being heavily criticised by Hachiman. However, the reason behind the awkwardness stems from the atmosphere that radiated between Hachiman and Haruno. More precisely, it came from Hachiman.
Haruno looked quite normal even though she was quieter than before. Meanwhile, Hachiman clearly seemed to have more thoughts. In fact, sometimes, a very thin red tinge would appear on his cheeks.
However, all that changed when they suddenly felt a surge of cursed energy. Their eyes reflexively widened. Maki had a very low affinity for curses, and Haruno, who was just a newbie, could even feel it.
Hachiman scanned all directions. He even took the time to check on Maki's condition.
'There weren't any changes and Maki didn't seem to be affected in any way. Could this be….'
“Hachiman-san!”
"I know."
That thought process was interrupted when Megumi suddenly called him. Without further explanation, Hachiman knew what the messy black-haired boy wanted to say.
However, before he could answer further, a light they believed came from an electric train approached them. Hachiman understood what his junior was thinking.
“Just looking at the quality of the cursed energy alone, it should be on par with Turbo Granny.”
Hachiman considered telling them all his analysis. However, he decided against it because he thought it might panic some people. Moreover, he saw Maki and Megumi, who understood the situation well.
‘I’d leave it to Megumi to explain the situation to his friends.’
The electric train stops at the platform with a notice commonly heard at every station.
“Megumi, you know the situation, right? As long as you don't get on the train, it should be fine," said the guy.
Hachiman looked at the junior he considered his younger brother even though he wouldn't admit it with his mouth. They had known each other since childhood and often trained together. However, both were reluctant to admit their relationship was even thicker than blood.
Maki also checked on their condition. Once she was sure everything looked fine, she was the first to take a step forward.
“In other words, starting from here is our task.”
—OoOoO—
“So, it's true that we're in the domain, huh?”
Maki sat on the train bench with her arms crossed before her chest and her right leg resting on her left leg. Haruno sat next to her, listening to Hachiman and Maki's discussion. Meanwhile, the only boy in the group stood before them.
“That's how it is. But looking at you who aren’t yet affected, I'm sure this isn’t a modern-style," said Hachiman.
“And seeing its very fast activation, which you even noticed too late, it reminds me of Kinji's domain. However, there’s nothing yet that can trigger this domain effect," Maki replied.
“I think so too.”
Hachiman paused for a moment because the next explanation might be pretty long.
“It would be absurd if I didn't notice a cursed spirit near us. If this creature’s strong enough to use a domain, I should be able to sense its presence within a radius of 200 metres. Moreover, the Cursed Train of this era and the one that last appeared seven years ago, the difference in strength is too big.”
Hachiman had never faced the Cursed Train before. However, on his way here, he had studied the documents containing records about the Cursed Train seven years ago and the latest reports compiled for the newest generation. In fact, there was no significant difference between the records seven years ago and the latest one.
However, when Hachiman witnessed it firsthand, he realised that the report he received was completely inaccurate. In fact, even someone like Maki, who wasn't talented in jujutsu, was aware of this oddity.
“If this is indeed similar to Hakari-senpai's, perhaps the reason we weren't able to realise this creature's existence before is also part of the advantage of activating this domain. But in some cases, the construction may be a little different.”
“That's right. Not only the activation, Kinji's Sure-hit was too fast, suddenly the effect had started just like that. However, these domains are different. Even though it has fast activation, we don't receive sure-hits that can trigger the domain effect.”
"Or maybe this domain has a different way of working."
Hachiman's reply made Maki speechless. She listened carefully to avoid missing a word the boy was about to spit out.
“Hakari-senpai's domain requires the target to be sure-hit first so that the mechanics in the domain work. However, considering that we didn't receive any sure-hit, it could be that this domain works in reverse. In other words, there’s a strict mechanism that must be met and must not be violated for the sure-hit to be active."
Maki lowered her right leg, which she crossed over her left leg. She slightly widened her legs and leaned forward slightly. Her right hand rubbed her chin with her left hand on her thigh.
“That makes sense. The reason we don't feel its presence when releasing the domain may also be because the mechanism requires the cursed spirit to continue hiding until the activation process is complete," said the bespectacled girl.
Maki's eyes widened at her words as if she realised something important about the domain rule. She then looked at Hachiman and found that the boy nodded, giving a sign that they had reached a consensus conclusion.
“Wait, it isn’t hiding, but the creature is waiting for us at the last point of the process. It's hard to explain, but doesn't that mean that if we don't get off at the next stop, we'll automatically exit this domain?”
Hachiman nodded at the deduction.
“That's what I thought, but it's just a hypothesis. The truth is still not out.”
Meanwhile, Haruno, who didn't understand the context of their discussion, could only gape while looking at Hachiman and Maki alternately, depending on who was talking. However, being isolated and knowing nothing never satisfied her.
“Hey, you guys haven't forgotten that I'm here too, right? At least explain what a domain is.”
Hachiman and Maki were both attracted to Haruno after hearing the protest. In the next second, the two looked at each other and looked back at Haruno in silence.
Hachiman, who was responsible for mentoring Haruno in jujutsu, had yet to teach Haruno knowledge about domains. That made her completely unable to follow the discussion that Hachiman and Maki were having. She had indeed been trapped in Mahito's imperfect domain, but that happened when she was unconscious. Therefore, Haruno didn't have both knowledge and experience regarding domains.
"Domain. Well, that's just one trick that's quite troublesome," said Hachiman.
Haruno looked at the boy. She was clearly dissatisfied with the answer. However, seeing how Hachiman and Maki reacted, she understood why they did that. She didn’t know what they meant by domain, and they said the train was part of it for whatever reason. But Haruno was sure that it wasn't just an ordinary spell.
However, Hachiman, who said there was nothing to worry about without explaining, indicated that he didn’t want Haruno to be too burdened by the existing conditions. Domains may be scary, but this one wasn’t a severe problem. That's the message Haruno got.
"Well, you have to give me extra classes for that later," said Haruno.
“Sure thing.”
A mechanical notification sounded three times, indicating they had arrived at the next stop. The door automatically opened, and the group of three stepped out of the carriage without hesitation.
The view outside the train was similar to modern stations in big cities. They were on a spacious platform and looked clean. However, the lack of lighting and thin fog haunted the atmosphere. A hypothesis was created so that they didn't need to explore all corners of the domain that took in visuals of the entire station building. Their goal was clear, go to the tap-and-go machine and see what awaited them afterwards.
It didn't take long for them to reach that point. Even so, the group never stepped past the card reader machine.
“Hachiman, you know this is our mission, right?” Maki asked.
“Yeah. Don't worry. I won't help unless you guys are really going to die.”
"Sounds good."
The three of them still didn't take a step. Behind the tap-and-go machine, there was nothing unusual. However, their gut feeling was sure that their target had somehow hidden there.
“So, how are we going to get there? This side seems to be blocked by an invisible barrier.”
Haruno said while touching the air above the rows of automatic payment machines. As she said that, ripples appeared in the air that Haruno touched as if an invisible wall separated them from the other side.
However, the question was answered when the bar on the payment machine opened.
"Remember, this is our fight," said Maki for the second time.
Without waiting for a reply from Hachiman, she nonchalantly stepped out and was followed by Haruno, who entered through the machine next to her.
“You're so chatty today,” Hachiman complained with a sigh, “I won't bother you. Besides, there are other things I want to try.”
Hachiman closed his eyes, imagining the movements he had observed from Iroha for the past four months. Something that Kusakabe had shown twice, but in different forms. Something he had also seen from Todo Aoi when he fought with him last year, but also in a different form from Iroha and Kusakabe, and most importantly, Todo didn’t use a sword in his movement.
'I don't know if this will work, considering that the sure-hit effect could be as fast as Hakari-senpai's info dump. But it wouldn't hurt to try.'
Hachiman opened his eyes. Even though the thought process looked like it took a few seconds, in reality, it was just a second. In fact, Maki and Haruno had yet to completely pass the tap-and-go machine.
'I'm more familiar with the one Iroha uses, but it should also work even if I don't use a sword.'
Hachiman stepped past the machine. And when one foot was about to pass through it, he immediately planted that foot to form a specific shape. So that when his other leg passed through the machine, his stance would immediately form perfectly, as if he were about to draw a sword.
At that moment, Hachiman immediately cast the spell he learned amidst his boredom while learning how to use the domain.
“Natural Spirit's Comprehension Style: Simple Domain.”
Maki and Haruno widened their eyes when they heard the spell being uttered. They simultaneously turned to Hachiman and watched an imaginary circle forming with a radius of 2.5 metres and Hachiman as the centre.
Maki smiled excitedly when she saw what Hachiman was doing.
“This bastard.”
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: First of all, sorry for the delay. I actually wanted to upload this chapter yesterday, but I couldn't because I got too carried away by the New Year's party.
There's not much I want to discuss in this chapter. I just hope my explanation of the domain isn’t confusing. But if there’s a part you don't understand, feel free to ask. I may not be able to answer it right away because I don't know why my email isn't receiving any messages from Patreon even though I've tried to fix it, but I'll definitely answer your questions.
That's all from me. Happy New Year and cheers!
Comments
Aka Daia
Yes, that's my point. Thank you
Alexis Chagoya
So if I understand, you explain kinjis domain as applying the sure hit(aka the info dump) in order to initiate the mechanism(the gambling) but this domain you have to follow a mechanism(enter train, and get off at next stop) to initiate it's sure hit which we havent seen yet.
