In a small cabin on a snowy mountain, Altoria was being warmly hosted by a boy around middle school age.
"Here's some black tea, and some chocolate too."
The boy's enthusiastic movements suddenly paused.
"Um, I forgot to ask earlier, what's your name?"
It seemed like he hadn't seen anyone in a long time, as the boy spoke a bit incoherently.
"Just call me Saber. And you?"
Altoria smiled at the boy, signaling him not to be nervous.
"Sa...ber? Miss Saber, are you a foreigner?"
"It's Saber. I'm from Britain."
Altoria wrote a few letters on the table with her finger.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. My name is Komori Tomo, I'm from Saitama Prefecture."
Komori Tomo's face was full of apology. Ever since that accident, he had been too scared to stay and ended up hiding in this rarely visited snowy mountain.
After that, Komori Tomo hadn't interacted with anyone for a long time, especially someone as beautiful as her.
"Saitama? That's quite far from this mountain. What are you doing here alone? Aren't your family worried?"
Altoria was a bit curious.
She could sense the Cursed Energy emanating from the boy and knew he should be a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
While speaking, Altoria took out her phone and sent Komori Tomo's name to an Assistant Supervisor, asking them to look up his information.
"I..."
Komori Tomo stammered, looking hesitant.
"It's okay if you don't want to say."
Sensing Komori Tomo's nervousness, Altoria spoke to comfort him.
The warm words and gentle demeanor eased much of Komori Tomo's tension.
It's okay to say it. Even if I have to accept punishment in the end, it's only right.
"I... I hurt a classmate."
Having made up his mind, Komori Tomo lowered his head and revealed the secret he had kept hidden for so long.
"Why?"
Altoria didn't believe such an honest and shy boy would intentionally harm others.
"They were always bullying me. I don't know what happened that day, but I just lost control, and then..."
Komori Tomo's voice grew quieter, as if he was afraid the girl in front of him would blame him.
"Didn't you ask an adult for help?"
"My teacher said, 'Why do they only bully you and not others? You should look for your own problems and try to get along with your classmates.'"
Komori Tomo recalled his teacher's ever-formulaic, somewhat sickening smile.
"My mom isn't well. I don't want her to worry."
Komori Tomo was from a single-parent family. His mother worked three jobs to provide him with a better environment for his studies. After a serious illness, her health had been poor ever since.
"Can you tell me what happened that day?"
Altoria didn't rush to judgment.
"That day, the three of them pushed me into an abandoned botanical garden. They said, 'Since you like flowers, we'll push you inside.'"
Komori Tomo's memories surfaced.
The three people who always bullied him grabbed his shoulders, one on each side, and pushed him into the botanical garden, which was rumored to be a place of urban legends.
They even said, "Don't you like flowers? I heard there are rare species here."
"Then, we encountered a monster."
Komori Tomo's body trembled slightly as he spoke.
"That monster, like a legendary man-eating tree, swung its vines and grabbed us. I was so scared. Then, for some reason, a power surged within me."
"Next, I summoned so many thorns that they strangled that man-eating tree, and then..."
Komori Tomo paused.
"Then they started shouting 'monster' and throwing stones at me. I was both scared and angry, and then I attacked them."
Hearing this, Altoria understood Komori Tomo's experience.
Komori Tomo possessed the talent of a Jujutsu Sorcerer and awakened his Cursed Technique in a life-or-death situation.
Since Jujutsu Sorcerers draw Cursed Energy from negative emotions, the Komori Tomo of that moment couldn't control his emotions and attacked the people who had been bullying him with his Cursed Technique.
Those three individuals likely saw the Cursed Spirit and Komori Tomo using Jujutsu because their lives were threatened by the Cursed Spirit.
Beep beep.
The phone's sound rang out, and Altoria received a photo from the Assistant Supervisor.
The photo contained information about Komori Tomo.
Since Komori Tomo was one of the missing persons in the Cursed Spirit incident, the Jujutsu Headquarters happened to have his investigation files.
"Those three are fine."
"Huh?"
Komori Tomo let out a surprised sound.
"According to the Jujutsu Management Council's files, those three only sustained minor injuries. One of them lost a lot of blood and was more seriously injured, but none of them were life-threatening."
"Is that so."
A smile appeared on Komori Tomo's face.
He had thought he had killed the three people.
But if I had killed them.
No, no.
Komori Tomo shook his head fiercely.
"Also, I think you did the right thing."
Altoria's sudden words made Komori Tomo look up in surprise.
"What's wrong? Resisting injustice and oppression is inherently the right thing to do, isn't it?"
Snap.
Altoria's words seemed to break some kind of shackle within Komori Tomo.
Komori Tomo, who had always been taught to be obedient and well-behaved, to not resort to violence when encountering problems, and that enduring for a moment would bring peace, seemed to undergo a transformation at this moment.
Thump, thump.
Footsteps could be heard from outside, as if something was moving through the snow.
Altoria's gaze sharpened, and she got up to look outside.
Just as Altoria was about to draw her sword, Komori Tomo suddenly stood in front of her.
"It's dangerous, Miss Saber, step back."
A green Summoned Spirit, covered in thorns, appeared in front of Altoria.
This was the Cursed Technique Komori Tomo had awakened.
Summoned Spirit: Thorn Beast
Techniques: Thorn Entanglement, Thorn Strangling, Absorption, Parasitic Seed, Fatal Bloom.
A white Cursed Spirit, three meters tall, appeared outside. Komori Tomo commanded the Thorn Beast to release its thorns, tightly restraining the Cursed Spirit.
"Yes, this is it."
Altoria nodded as she looked at the Cursed Spirit.
Three days ago, a rescue team had saved a mountaineer who had been attacked by a Cursed Spirit on the snowy mountain.
According to the mountaineer, they had been attacked by a Bigfoot on the mountain. Her father had voluntarily lured the Bigfoot away to protect her, which was how she survived.
Seeing that Komori Tomo was about to lose his grip, Altoria stopped watching from the sidelines.
The invisible sword in her hand swung towards the Cursed Spirit, which was relentlessly attacking with thorns and getting closer to Komori Tomo.
"Huh?"
Komori Tomo looked at the scene in surprise.
At this moment, Altoria was bathed in the early morning sunlight, appearing so sacred against the backdrop of the white snow.
"Listen carefully, Komori Tomo."
"Ah, yes."
Komori Tomo instinctively straightened his body, as if about to be lectured by the dean of students.
"To bravely resist when faced with injustice, to step forward when faced with danger – these are all virtues. So, hold your head high, Komori Tomo, you are a fine warrior."
A warm current surged through Komori Tomo's heart, and tears involuntarily streamed down his cheeks.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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