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My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks, Chapter 33
🕑 Added 2023-09-07 14:13:40 +0000 UTCChapter 33: Komachi Assassination 3
—OoOoO—
In contrast to the chaos between Komachi and Nanako in the gymnasium, a peaceful and quiet condition was visible throughout the school. However, that didn't mean there were no phenomena there. Precisely what caused the atmosphere to feel peaceful was that the students and staff were all under the influence of a spell.
The magic curtain covering the school was to blame. As long as the curtain was not lifted, those within would continue to be in a coma. Not only that, but this spell also made it impossible for outsiders to see the situation inside as if everything inside was just going on as usual. In addition, normal people would feel reluctant to enter the school environment.
Behind that junior high school wall were three adults sitting helplessly tied up. Two men wore black suits and a woman in a black yukata. There didn't appear to be any severe physical injuries on their bodies, but their unconsciousness was undeniable. Meanwhile, standing directly facing them was a girl in a dark blue sailor uniform with a white scarf.
The girl had black hair. Her height was just a standard Japanese girl's height in general. In her right hand was a brown doll with lots of stitches and ropes entangling its body.
"Tsk, they came faster than I expected," said the girl.
Hasaba Mimiko, that was her name. She was the twin sister of Hasaba Nanako. Her presence at the middle school was part of their mission to kill Hikigaya Komachi. However, if Nanako acted as the executor, Nanako was tasked with monitoring the situation and securing their escape route if plan A didn't go smoothly.
Mimiko looked at the three adults. Her attention then turned to the watch on her left wrist.
'They came faster than I expected. There are no significant problems for now because they are only second grade. But Hiratsuka Shizuka must have been informed.'
Mimiko then looked at one of the school buildings, where a window was broken due to something breaking through it from inside.
'That one just now was a cursed spirit, right? Is that Hikigaya Komachi's? Nanako's domain seems to have been destroyed too.'
Mimiko considered following and helping her sister. Even though she was sure Nanako would be fine, she still felt worried.
Mimiko turned her gaze to the five photos on the ground. They were photos neatly arranged in a circle with a red heptagram carved into it. Four photos were selfies of Nanako in the school's gymnasium, while the rest were photos of the twins together on a beach in Okinawa.
'Well, it's fine. I'll go to her place when she runs out of three photos.'
Right after Mimiko decided, a photo of Nanako inside the heptagram circle symbol burned in blue flames.
'Tsk. I know I shouldn't jinx it,' thought Mimiko irritably.
Even so, Mimiko still looked calm. Because she knew that her twin still had at least four lives left today.
Hasaba Nanako probably had one of the most unique cursed techniques ever. Her Photography Technique wasn't only limited to editing what she captured. Basically, she could manifest what she took using her phone, of course, within certain limits.
One of her top spells was "escaping death", in which she managed to avoid death itself even though she had run out of blood or was seriously injured. However, doing so required a massive amount of cursed energy, and she could only use it once a day. Moreover, she would no longer be able to fight with the same intensity after using that ability.
But Nanako managed to overcome, or at least minimise, that weakness. By printing the photos she took with her smartphone onto photo papers that she had imbued with cursed energy, Nanako could at least make her "escaping death" ability more effective and efficient.
Unfortunately, it didn't come without its drawbacks. Even though this method could reduce energy consumption, the maximum number of photos she could print was seven. Apart from that, Nanako could only print it once a day. And when she did it, it required energy equal to when she did it live.
The new method she created did look very effective when viewed from the surface. However, to prepare for the seven photos, she had to avoid direct fighting for seven days because she couldn't fight at her best during that period. Moreover, this method would only be effective if Nanako succeeded in luring her opponent to where she took the photo.
In other words, if she previously took selfies in the gymnasium, she should also be fighting there, or at least in a nearby location. Because if her selfie was in Hokkaido while she fought in Chiba, she would just respawn in Hokkaido instead of Chiba if she died. Basically, it was an ability that was only effectively used with perfect planning.
Because of these restrictions, Nanako could only prepare four photos at the gymnasium. The plan to kill Hikigaya Komachi began right after Yukinoshita Haruno was confirmed to have successfully transformed into a jujutsu sorcerer last Wednesday. And on this Monday was the execution. Meanwhile, the last photo prepared, or the fifth photo, was of the twins together in Okinawa. The image was intended so they could teleport directly there if they were pressed.
That was one of Nanako's "escaped death" abilities. Allowed her and anyone she wanted to teleport to a specific location. However, it wasn't like Gojo Satoru's teleportation skill, as Nanako had to literally "die" first to rise to the place she had prepared.
Regardless of its advantages and disadvantages, it was a troublesome technique if Nanako was fighting in complete preparation. She wouldn't be able to die until all the "lives" she had prepared were utterly used up.
—OoOoO—
"Now, how should I end this shit?" Nanako said, thrusting her katana deeper into Komachi's stomach.
Nanako sighed after feeling that there was no longer any resistance from Komachi. She slowly pulled the sword from Komachi's stomach, causing the girl to cough up blood. Giving the short black-haired girl the slightest push, Komachi's body went limp and fell to the ground, sprawled on the gymnasium floor.
Komachi's mouth dropped open with thick bloodstains staining her pretty face. The light in her eyes began to dim, and her eyelids felt heavy. Her breathing was heavy, and the blush on her face was fading.
"Seriously, you should be stronger than this, you bitch. Abe no Seimei united many sorcerers and established a better world for jujutsu sorcerers. But why are you, as his descendant, mindlessly playing with those monkeys?" Nanako said softly.
The blonde girl tightened her grip on the hilt of her katana to hold back the emotional turmoil she was feeling.
"If only people were like you, if only Gojo Satoru had been more serious about fixing the situation in jujutsu society, Master Geto would never have suffered even after his death!"
As if shedding all the burdens of thoughts bothering her since last year's incident, Nanako let out her thoughts full of mixed emotions.
She knew she probably looked like a whining child. She probably looked like a bitch who couldn't see anyone's blood on her hands. And she may seem like a villain who blamed the world for what she had experienced.
However, she didn't whine about what had happened. She knew very well that what she had done so far, together with her group, was contrary to the values upheld by humanity. Nanako didn't regret any of it. She had no regrets at all. However, what she felt was anger and hatred, and she didn't know who to vent at. Because of that, all she could do was curse the world.
Spending her childhood being chased by villagers for being monsters, Nanako grew up thinking that the humans she considered monkeys were the worst creations of the Almighty. However, as she began to get to know the ins and outs of the corrupt jujutsu society and even stab each other for power, Nanako couldn't help but wonder if jujutsu sorcerers were any better than normal humans?
The overlapping mixed feelings were frozen in her brain. However, she could suppress and lock those thoughts deep in her heart. For her, as long as she could be with Geto Suguru, the person who gave light to her life, she believed everything would be fine. She believed this dirty world wouldn't shake her faith as long as she was beside that person.
But it was just a time bomb wrapped in beautiful flowers that spoiled the eye. When Nanako had to be forced to accept that Geto Suguru had been killed, her world and illusions collapsed instantly. Her group was destroyed, her role model was gone, and she didn't know what to do because Geto left them without a single will.
Gojo Satoru spared her life, which only made things worse. It would be better if she died with her world collapsing.
"Both jujutsu society and those monkeys are shit, after all," Nanako muttered.
Nanako stared at Komachi, who had nearly lost the light in her eyes. She was sure the girl had no more strength left. The only thing keeping her eyes from closing was the sheer will that hadn't been completely broken.
With fragile movements, Komachi tried to form a hand seal on her right hand.
However, Nanako, who saw it, showed no mercy. She stepped on the wrist and thrust her sword into Komachi's palm. Fresh blood flowed from it, but Komachi didn't even have the strength to scream in pain.
As if not wanting to give her hope, Nanako took the dagger lying not far from Komachi's body. With a cold gaze, she thrust the dagger into Komachi's left palm so the girl wouldn't try anything wrong.
"Know your place, you little cunt!"
Along with the curse, Nanako kicked Komachi's jaw quite hard. She didn't put much force into the kick, but it knocked Komachi unconscious, with fresh blood spurting from her mouth and nose.
Nanako stepped on Komachi's head and shook it to ensure the girl wasn't pretending to faint.
The blonde girl pulled out the katana stuck in Komachi's right palm after being sure there was no resistance from her target.
With eyes full of rage, which even she didn't know whose anger was aimed at, Nanako drew her sword straight into Komachi's heart. However, the sword stopped exactly an inch before the sharp tip penetrated her chest.
'You die! Die! Die! Die! I'll kill you!'
Even though her brain was screaming to kill Komachi immediately, her body wouldn't obey the order. Nanako's hands were shaking as if her body was betraying her will
The girl remained silent in that position for several seconds. Her eyes bulged to the point that her veins were visible on her sclera.
'Why? Why?? Why can't I do this?' she shouted in frustration in thought.
Was Nanako affected by a technique? No, she wasn't hit. It was just her body altogether rejecting her brain's commands. Or rather, her emotions and logic didn't run in the exact synchronisation.
According to the agreement, that terrible creature would return Geto's body if she succeeded in killing Hikigaya Komachi. However, deep inside, she had always wondered if sacrificing a girl with the same power as her master was worthy enough?
No, Nanako wasn't a hypocrite who thought she wouldn't kill a girl after everything she'd done before. Killing one or two lives was a trivial matter for her. However, in this case, for something involving Hikigaya Komachi, there was one thing that was more emotional than she had expected, which made her hesitate.
Nanako's smartphone, which she hung diagonally across her body, rang. She grabbed it and saw the name listed on the screen. By swiping a green circle icon to the right, Nanako had been connected by someone on the other side of the phone.
"Yes, Mimiko?"
It was Hasaba Mimiko, her twin sister. Even though they were currently in a middle school covered by a curtain spell, she could still receive incoming calls via her smartphone.
It wasn't because Nanako's smartphone was a cursed tool but because the mechanism applied to the barrier made it possible. Basically, the curtain, or barrier technique, used to cover this school didn't prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Everyone was free to do it. However, the curtain only prevented outsiders from seeing what was inside and gave the surrounding people an uneasy feeling to keep them from approaching the scene.
So, because it didn't prohibit anything from coming in and out, all objects, including electromagnetic waves as a medium for conducting cellular calls, could still be used inside.
"Are you okay? And… what about Hikigaya Komachi? Are you still not finished?" Mimiko asked.
Mimiko wasn't a stupid girl. Hearing Nanako casually pick up the phone, she should have known that the gymnasium situation was still under control.
"Well, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, anyway. And Hikigaya Komachi is…."
There was a clear pause when Nanako was about to answer Mimiko's last question. The girl looked at Komachi for a few seconds and then answered.
"… She managed to escape."
From all her considerations, Nanako still couldn't believe that she chose to lie to protect her target. But it had happened, and she would go with that story.
Meanwhile, Mimiko sounded doubtful behind the phone as she didn't respond immediately. However, it only lasted for a few seconds.
"Is that so? Well, it can't be helped then."
Before Nanako replied, the girl on the other end of the phone continued.
"Then, let's go. I've been attacked by three sorcerers. I was lucky because there wasn't a first-grade among them. But I'm sure Hiratsuka Shizuka or Hikigaya Hachiman will come soon."
"How much time do we have left?"
"Nothing much," there was a moment's pause, "I've told Si-Woo to wait for us at the meeting place. If you still have something you want to finish, just do it. I'll wait."
Nanako shook her head at her sister's understanding, even though she probably knew nothing about what happened at the gymnasium.
"Nah, it's fine. I'll go to your place."
—OoOoO—
Kong Si-Woo was a Korean stranded in the land of samurai for easy money. He came on a work visa, but his job in Japan differed significantly from what was written in the documents.
Much of his motivation for coming to Japan was recklessness. As a person with advantages in the supernatural field, he knew that Japan was an exceptional place as the country with the largest population of jujutsu sorcerers in the world. Like England, jujutsu sorcerers in Japan also gather in one organisation with close ties to the government. However, many wander around as illegal sorcerers, often called curse users, and commit crimes using their powers.
These savage groups were often only oriented towards money and pleasure. However, brokerage jobs had quite promising opportunities in this country because it was difficult for them to get clients. After all, they had to act carefully.
Kong Si-Woo came to this country only with a sense of recklessness. He had been through a lot, suffered many losses, and once even hit the jackpot after meeting an unbelievably strong human. However, he thought that his work recently was very sickening.
"I might seriously consider returning to Korea after this," he said as he blew smoke from his mouth.
The white smoke floated freely until it came out of the car through the left open windshield. Meanwhile, Kong Si Woo just sat back in the driver's seat, daydreaming about something he never thought he would miss.
"Maybe he was the worst bastard I ever knew, but working with him was much more fun."
The sound of a car engine warming up was in the background. The wind from the North East that blew gently always accompanied his reverie. The fresh air flowed and replaced the stuffy atmosphere in the car.
It had probably only been about two minutes since he started reminiscing about his past. But he heard a sound from the back door of his car opening. Si-Woo looked in the rearview mirror above and found a pair of twin sisters entering the car and looking for a comfortable sitting position.
"Is everything done?" asked Si-Woo.
"Kinda," replied the gyaru girl.
It was a lackadaisical reply. Even though they tried to cover it with flat expressions, Si-Woo could clearly feel the dull atmosphere surrounding the girl.
"You good, Nanako?"
While waiting for the girl's answer, Si-Woo put his car in gear. While slowly releasing the clutch pedal and stepping on the gas, he started accelerating the vehicle.
Even though it was driving on the highway at optimal speed to get out of Chiba as quickly as possible, nothing came out of Nanako or Mimiko's mouth. However, the wait paid off when the short-haired girl started to sigh.
"Stop making a gloomy face. It really ruins the mood, you know? If you really thought so, why didn't you just kill her when you had the chance?"
Nanako flinched. She glared at her sister sitting in the seat next to her.
"What? It's not like I couldn't kill her, but she escaped—."
"And you think I'll believe that story?"
There was silence after Mimiko interrupted Nanako's words. The gyaru girl seemed to swallow back the words she was about to say while the person she talked to stared at her sharply.
"I mean, come on, we are sisters. We've been through a lot of things together. Do you think I can't tell if you're hiding something?" Mimiko insisted.
Nanako looked Mimiko straight in the eye. Her lips felt like they would tremble when she saw the sincerity radiating from them.
Feeling that there was no point in dodging anymore, Nanako slammed her back against the back of the car seat. However, she didn't reply to Mimiko's question and just closed her eyes. After a few seconds passed, she opened her eyelids again and looked at Si-Woo, who was focused on driving.
"Hey, Si-Woo, Master Geto once said that you two have known each other since before you worked together, right?"
Si-Woo, suddenly dragged into the conversation, looked at Nanako through the rearview mirror before answering.
"Well, you can't say we know like close friends, though."
Si-Woo thought back to his words. It wasn't difficult to answer, but he didn't know how to express it to them.
"You could say, maybe my relationship with Geto was initially like an enemy. As you know, I am an underworld broker. I also used to have a powerful colleague. And yeah, that guy killed someone Gojo and Geto were supposed to protect."
Si-Woo paused his words for a moment to take a breath.
"Since that tragedy, a hole appeared in Geto's heart. Something that was only vague at first, but it was only a matter of time until the hole got bigger."
"And you started monitoring Master Geto's condition?" Mimiko asked.
Si-Woo nodded and replied, "That's how it is. Maybe he found out about me because he wanted to hunt down those involved with the incident? Who knows. But I knew Geto because I realised he would drop out of Jujutsu High sooner or later and become a big criminal. People like him are the best money makers for me."
Both Nanako and Mimiko growled in annoyance at this answer. They didn't like it if the person who had made the most contribution in their life was only seen as making money. However, on the other hand, they also understand that that was how the world of jujutsu works.
In fact, since Geto started working with Si-Woo ten years ago, they have maintained the professionalism of their relationship.
"If you've known and monitored Master Geto for a long time, tell me," Nanako paused, "Why didn't Master Geto kill the Tokyo students at that time?"
Si-Woo tried to think carefully about the answer to this question. However, let alone finding an answer, he didn't know where this conversation would go.
"What do you mean?"
"According to Miguel, Master Geto could have killed them easily, but instead, he let them live," Nanako explained.
Nanako, who had been silent all this time, also chimed in, "Yeah, it bothers me a lot. Not only that, why did Gojo Satoru also spare our lives?"
Si-Woo's focus, which was initially on Nanako, shifted to Mimiko. Meanwhile, the girl seemed to take a deep breath to continue her words.
"Larue was happy to help Tsukumo Yuki with her research, and Miguel was willing to help train Okkotsu Yuta. So, it's only natural that Gojo Satoru would consider giving them a second chance. On the other hand, Toshihisa and Manami successfully escape from Tokyo. That just left the two of us. We aren't as strong as Miguel and Larue, nor do we've values like them. But why? Why was Gojo Satoru still letting us off the hook?"
Mimiko poured out all her complaints with just one breath. The burden of thoughts that had been bothering her since the end of the Hyakki Yako incident last Christmas continued to haunt her endlessly. Nanako and Mimiko didn't understand how Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru thought. On paper, they were enemies and had completely different objectives.
However, even though they were representatives of their dreams, the two refused to take repressive measures on certain things, as if they had double standards.
Not getting an answer, Nanako asked another question.
"I understand that Master Geto spared the lives of Hikigaya Hachiman, Inumaki Toge and that Panda. But it was strange since Master Geto didn't kill Zen'in Maki, a monkey even lower than humans."
What Nanako revealed was true. Geto Suguru's main goal was to create a world where only jujutsu sorcerers exist. Those who couldn't use jujutsu sorcery didn't belong in his ideal world. This primordialism view made Geto not hesitate to kill ordinary humans, even considering them as pests. Based on this logic, Zen'in Maki should be included in the cluster worthy of being killed.
"Thinking like that is why you'll never understand Geto properly," said Si-Woo sarcastically.
Nanako and Mimiko made offended faces at this statement. However, Si-Woo didn't care and continued his words.
"It's simple, you know? Because he loves everyone, the young generation, in Jujutsu High. Those youngsters are a breath of fresh air that could bring about change in the future. That was why Geto also had pinned his hopes on them, on Gojo Satoru's ideas and his students. Even though they have different ways, their aim is still the same: to create a better place for jujutsu sorcerers."
Si-Woo paused for a moment to take a breath.
"The same goes for Gojo. He may condemn Geto's path, but he also hopes for change in jujutsu society. Even though Geto looks like a crazy bastard, even though Gojo is the strongest being who can wipe out a country instantly, they aren't the ones who'll take away the future of young sorcerers."
Si-Woo's tongue felt numb when he said that long sentence. It wasn't his style to utter words of praise like that. However, what happened let it happen. After all, what he said was the result of his observations before and after the two people parted ways.
"Your words seem to say that Master Geto was only half-hearted when trying to kill Okkotsu Yuta and steal Orimoto Rika," said Mimiko.
"Exactly. If Geto was serious, he would've deployed his entire army in Tokyo at once instead of dividing it in two."
Si-Woo's words trailed off. His expression looked like he was thinking about something. Something that even he wasn't sure was true and whether it was worth telling the two girls. However, after a few seconds, the man made up his mind.
"This is just my assumption, but it's possible that Geto was in an inner conflict then."
The twins raised an eyebrow and looked at Si-Woo sitting in the driver's seat before them. Realising that two pairs of eyes were looking at him demandingly, Si-Woo continued.
"He loved everything at Jujutsu High, but ironically, he believed that killing Okkotsu Yuta and capturing Orimoto Rika was the key to defeating Gojo Satoru. Maybe… just maybe, at that moment, he realised that his ambition was starting to undermine the basic values he defended. And deep inside, he wanted someone to stop him before he completely strayed from who he is."
Si-Woo saw the reaction of the pair of sisters through the rearview mirror. They looked to be contemplating what the man had just said. If it was his usual self or him in the past, Si-Woo probably wouldn't mind them. However, this time was different. Maybe it was the result of his cultivation of wisdom increasing as he got older, or it could just be a suggestion from someone getting tired of this world.
"Just like Geto was reluctant to kill the Tokyo students and Gojo was forgiving of you, you probably had your own considerations as to why you didn't kill Hikigaya Komachi."
Nanako was silent momentarily before replying, "I don't know. I'm not sure either."
"Don't worry about it. You may feel burdened because you failed to complete the mission. But you did the right thing by not lying to yourself."
These words may sound trivial. However, it contained deep meaning. Si-Woo has seen many people weaken and become dull when they reject their true selves. That wasn't an experience he had gained from just a year or two of struggling. That was the conclusion he came to after observing the rapid development of Gojo Satoru and the death of Fushiguro Toji.
Gojo Satoru was someone who should be firmly tied to the destiny of the Star Plasma. However, he wasn't burdened at all by his failure to protect Amanai Riko. He may have hit a depression point but didn't let it curb him. He did whatever he wanted, became a free being and broke free entirely from the fate that shackled him.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Fushiguro Toji was outwardly free from the bind of cursed energy destiny. However, he actually lived with regrets. He kept denying his true self and wanted to assert his existence in the world of jujutsu.
That was an irony. A human who should be tightly bound by destiny managed to let go and leave it all behind. Meanwhile, a human born to be free from everything bound himself to the logic of those who reject him.
'From the start, the goal of this mission wasn't to kill Hikigaya Komachi but to create a commotion in Chiba. Hikigaya Komachi is the perfect target for that. However, that creature deliberately forbade him to tell Nanako and Mimiko his true objectivity. He just wanted to take advantage of them and experiment to find out how far they would go with the promise of returning Geto's body.'
Si-Woo tsked in annoyance, which drew the attention of the two girls. However, the man ignored them and focused on the highway before him.
'In terms of strength, he's far below Gojo Satoru. However, for some reason, I think that whatever creature possessed the Geto's remains was far more terrifying. More than that, he knew very well how to piss off Hiratsuka Shizuka.'
—OoOoO—
Hiratsuka had never been this angry in her life. She had always chosen to live peacefully and not get involved in the organisation's internal affairs since her graduation from Tokyo Jujutsu High. She locked herself up in Chiba, even withdrawing from the world of jujutsu for three years.
She didn't do all this just to calm herself down after her classmate died due to an error in estimating the threat by the association. However, she was aware of her position as the second owner of the barrier technique after Tengen. Moreover, Hiratsuka's status was the same as Yaga Masamichi. Many believe that they both actually deserve to hold the special grade title.
With all her privileges, Hiratsuka was very vulnerable to being mistaken for having the same political views as Gojo Satoru, considering she was a junior he often relied on. Therefore, she limited her operating area to Chiba to maintain her neutrality.
Hiratsuka, who only took jobs that were impossible for other people to do or that had a high risk, emphasised that the distribution of missions in Chiba would be evenly distributed. That indirectly meant mid-level sorcerers didn't have to worry about being sent on high-level missions in Chiba.
That made many people indirectly think that Hiratsuka was a leader in the Chiba Prefecture, just like the Gojo clan in Tokyo and Zen'in and Kamo, who share territory in the Kansai region. Given her ability as a barrier technique, it only strengthened her status in Chiba. Her name may not be well known among the grassroots because Hiratsuka was more focused on dealing with dangerous missions and interacting with several prefectural officials than the grassroots. However, the active sorcerers in Chiba City were genuinely grateful for her existence.
Chiba had become a relatively safe place and a comfortable environment for jujutsu sorcerers since Hiratsuka returned five years ago. But it fell apart after several significant events occurred there. It started with the looting of the Chiba Museum by Quanxi and the vengeful spirit Hijikata Toshizo. Then, the incident in the city of Narita turned Haruno into a jujutsu sorcerer. And the latest was the assassination attempt on Hikigaya Komachi.
Hiratsuka was informed that a foreign curtain was lowered at a middle school. And she became even more agitated when she discovered it was Komachi's school. When she got there, the fight was over. She saw that three second-grade sorcerers were unconscious and tied up. However, what angered her even more, was when she saw Komachi's helpless and badly injured figure.
There was a stab wound to Komachi that nearly went through the heart and another stab in the stomach. Sharp objects also pierced her palms, while her right elbow was slightly dislocated. Her nose was broken, and she had many bruises on her head.
Hiratsuka initially wanted to chase down the perpetrators. However, she abandoned her intention when she saw Komachi's dire condition. She instead chose to treat Komachi's wounds using the Reverse Cursed Technique and took her to Chiba University Hospital for further treatment.
"What about things over there?" Hiratsuka asked with the smartphone to her right ear.
A local sorcerer who often worked under her was the one talking to her via phone.
"Yes, everything went according to your instructions. We've engineered the crime scene and made it look like a gas leak. And as for the damage to the gymnasium window, we made it look like someone carelessly played."
That wouldn't prevent the emergence of oblique rumours about oddities occurring at that junior high school. Many students and staff would undoubtedly think about various kinds of conspiracy theories. However, the Komachi assassination incident also dragged quite many civilians. Thus, fabricating the crime scene and controlling the news was an attempt to prevent the rumours from spreading.
"Good," replied Hiratsuka.
"We've also investigated as you requested, and the results are the same as your estimates. In fact, we found something that might make you unhappy."
"What do you mean?"
The sound of someone gulping their saliva roughly came from behind the phone.
"The curtain hasn't disappeared even though we found no sign of the person who cast it. And when we investigated further, we found a special grade cursed tool with a barrier spell ready to be used."
"Are you sure?" asked Hiratsuka.
"Yes, I am."
Hiratsuka bit her lip to hold back her anger. She knew she shouldn't be hasty in jumping to conclusions. However, the evidence at the crime scene makes it difficult to shake off the preconceived notions in her mind.
From the start, the barrier technique was complicated. Because of that, only those who specifically had a cursed technique in the form of a barrier technique could unleash its full potential unless there were people with 1,000 years of experience in this field.
If it weren't for the Tengen barrier protecting mainland Japan, the effectiveness of the curtain used by the assistant managers would have dropped drastically. They still indirectly depend on Tengen to use even the simplest barrier spell. So, making cursed tools that could store barrier spells was much more complicated.
That thing was indeed possible to make. However, not just anyone had the knowledge. Tengen and Hiratsuka were the ones who naturally possessed such knowledge, but Tengen also taught certain people in the past the method of making such tools. And in the current era, only the three great clans could do it apart from the two of them.
In other words, if the cursed tool was found at the crime scene, it was very likely that the elite of Japanese jujutsu society was involved. However, Hiratsuka didn't want to jump to conclusions. After all, even if only a few people could make it, there could still be people who bought it through the black market.
"Alright, secure that thing. I'll take a look later," Hiratsuka said while massaging her temples.
"Understood. Then…."
Before her interlocutor had time to finish her sentence, Hiratsuka interrupted him first.
"Anything else?"
There was a few seconds pause as if the man on the other end seemed hesitant to explain. However, he wanted to report something that couldn't be put off.
"There are two or two pieces of news, all of which aren't good news."
"Tell me," said Hiratsuka briefly.
"Firstly, a first-grade cursed spirit came to the crime scene."
Hiratsuka seemed to sigh as she closed her eyes. However, she noticed something a little odd about the news.
"Wait. Did it come there? Not born, but came?"
"Yes, ma'am. There is a first-grade cursed spirit that suddenly entered the curtain you created. I don't know why it came, but at least it shows no signs of resistance for now."
Hiratsuka massaged her temples again. She moved her smartphone to her left ear, where she had previously put it to her right.
Even though Hiratsuka could quickly deal with a first-grade cursed spirit, it still posed a severe threat. Some second-grade sorcerers could handle that, but the aftermath of the rioting would be quite fatal.
"If there are no signs of resistance, just leave it alone then. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't leave the school building, and no one else enters the barrier."
First-grade cursed spirits could be categorised as high-level. Monsters at that level had a tendency to act aggressively. If they chose to remain silent and appear calm, it only meant that they were in the process of evolving to a higher level. However, that was Hiratsuka's worry. She was confident enough in her own performance and that of her people that there was no way she would miss the cursed spirit ready to evolve in Chiba.
But the facts say otherwise. Or rather, she suspected someone had deliberately released a cursed spirit amidst the commotion.
'What do you really want to aim for?' Thought Hiratsuka, who couldn't find the answer no matter how hard he thought.
The man on the phone looked patiently, waiting for Hiratsuka's response. However, seeing how the woman showed no other reaction, he took that as a sign that he could move on to the following report.
"Speaking of banning others… there was actually someone forcing their way into the scene."
Hiratsuka's eyebrows furrowed at that answer.
"What? How? You've done according to my instructions, right?"
"We did. We even said that it was a direct order from you," he replied.
The frown on Hiratsuka's forehead deepened. It was inevitable that the person in question was a jujutsu sorcerer. And considering that the report she received was regarded as bad news, that meant the sorcerer wasn't someone she was familiar with.
"Tell me his name," said Hiratsuka coldly,
"It is… Zen'in Naoya."
Hiratsuka's grip on her cell phone tightened upon hearing the name. If she couldn't control herself, her phone might have been destroyed instantly.
'Naoya? That jerk? No wonder they didn't dare to forbid it. Besides, what is he doing here?' Hiratsuka thought.
The woman closed her eyes to take a deep breath. After holding the air in her chest for a few seconds, she opened her eyes and exhaled slowly.
"I can't go there right now because I'm accompanying Mrs. Hikigaya at the hospital."
Hiratsuka paused while looking at the clock on the wall in the hospital corridor.
"The school should have already ended by this time. That boy must be on his way here. However, I'll tell him to go see Naoya first."
"That boy… you mean Hikigaya Hachiman?" asked the other person in doubt.
"Of course. Who else could it be if not him?"
The incident with Komachi's assault had occurred earlier, at least around half-past ten. However, after Hiratsuka learned the victim was Komachi, she only told their mother. The reason was simple, she felt that Hachiman would go crazy if he found out that his sister was being targeted for assassination.
Because of that, Hiratsuka chose to withhold information to wait for developments on Komachi's condition. After that, she asked Asuka, their mother, to explain things well to Hachiman and tell him to stay calm.
Long story short, that was Hiratsuka's plan. However, her patience vanished after the various problems that occurred today. From the assassination attempt on Komachi, the use of a cursed tool that only a few people in the Japanese jujutsu society could make, the appearance of a suspicious cursed spirit at the crime scene to Naoya, who suddenly appeared.
She didn't want to jump to conclusions too early. But Hiratsuka couldn't deny the fact that the series of events in recent times were tough to ignore. Moreover, she had seen enough people starting to belittle her and ignore her words.
Hiratsuka wouldn't act aggressively, but she couldn't just leave them be. She had had enough of those seeking trouble in her territory. Thus, she would seriously assert her position from now on.
She couldn't go to meet the man who was one of the candidates for head of the Zen'in clan. However, Hiratsuka was confident that her student could convey her greetings to him well.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello. Sorry for the late update. Honestly, I'm really dissatisfied with this chapter. After I left the hospital, I don't know, I felt like it was difficult to write this chapter. I had the idea, but I couldn't put it into words. Maybe I have writing block?I don't know.
To be sure, I'm really not satisfied with this chapter. I wanted to keep editing it, but I realised that would just delay it even longer. So, I'm not going to shy away from anything if you guys find this chapter a bit off.
And for that, I'll probably take a month off from this story. It's not like I'm going to stop writing things. I might write another story to refresh my brain. I mean, I don't know. Maybe my writer's block on this story will heal while I'm work on another story? Who knows, right? So, I hope you can understand and I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.
Comments
Deadlock tv
Glad to see you back. Hachimans going to humble this guy naoya.
