Five months had already passed since my enrollment at the academy. Since that day, Shoko had seemed to avoid me for a short while, but lately, things had returned to normal. In fact, she seemed to look upon me more favorably now, likely because I frequently used my techniques to alleviate her chronic fatigue.
"Touya. Are you finished?"
"Yeah. You should be able to initiate the taming immediately."
Currently, I was out on a mission with Suguru Geto. Recently, I had been making a conscious effort to accompany him on his assignments, assisting with the weakening and taming of cursed spirits. My goals were twofold: to build his affinity toward me and to bolster his strength. When Satoru eventually discovers the Reverse Cursed Technique and undergoes her inevitable awakening, I want to minimize the crushing sense of inferiority Suguru will feel.
I already knew the sheer, transcendent power Satoru would reach upon awakening, so I could handle it. But for Suguru, it was a different story.
"Touya, isn't your Cursed Technique a bit of a cheat? You just summon a shikigami, and the cursed spirit dies?"
"I'll admit it. Honestly, sometimes I feel like my own skills aren't improving because of them."
"Is there even room for your skills to improve? You're already effectively at the pinnacle, aren't you?"
"You shouldn't be the one saying that, Suguru. How many Special Grade spirits do you have under your command now?"
I had accompanied Suguru on nearly fifty taming missions. Thanks to that, he had been able to successfully ingest a massive number of powerful cursed spirits. Having finished the current exorcism, we climbed into the car and headed toward our next destination.
"Let's see... where to next? Mount Takao in Tokyo? It's not too far. What was the target this time? It was a Special Grade, wasn't it?"
"The Special Grade Imaginary Vengeful Spirit, 'Tamamo-no-Mae.' You've heard of it, right?"
"Ah, right. The Nine-Tailed Fox? It‘s legendary."
Tamamo-no-Mae. Also known as the Golden-Haired, White-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox. The legend describes a creature of peerless beauty with golden fur and a pale face that transformed into a woman to deceive the court.
"Yes. But it's likely not the actual creature from the legends; it's a cursed spirit manifested from the collective fear people harbor toward that story."
"True. One of the Three Great Evil Apparitions... it's bound to be powerful. Keep your guard up."
"Oh, come on. Touya will probably win anyway."
"I'm telling you to be prepared for some blood. If you get hurt, I might just refuse to heal you."
"There you go again, Touya. You say that, but you always end up helping. You're far too soft-hearted."
I brushed off Suguru's arm as he playfully draped it over my shoulder, my thoughts turning serious.
'Exactly... so please, just listen to me when the time comes.'
There was one more reason I stayed so close to Suguru. I was trying to gradually reshape his rigid, upright convictions. However, his stubbornness was no joke. Even if I chattered away beside him, he would only pretend to listen; the moment I broached certain topics, he would skillfully pivot or retreat.
"So, Touya. How does it feel? Among all of us, you're the one pulling ahead the most."
"Pulling ahead? Hardly. We're all just Grade 1 sorcerers anyway."
About three months after we began taking on missions, Yaga-sensei had summoned the three of us—including Satoru—to a meeting room within the stronghold of the Higher-Ups. Their forms were concealed behind massive, heavy screens, but their voices carried with cold clarity.
'Zenin Touya, Gojo Satoru, and Geto Suguru. You three are hereby promoted to Grade 1 sorcerers.'
At that moment, I had wanted to rip those screens down and see their faces, but I restrained myself. As we left, Yaga-sensei pulled me aside.
'Touya. They told me to pass on a separate message to you. They expect it won't be long before you ascend to Special Grade.'
Thinking back on it, I turned to Suguru. "Honestly... I don't know if I'm truly close to that level yet. Do I even fit the criteria for a Special Grade?"
Suguru pondered for a moment before nodding. "The ability to overthrow a nation by oneself... I think it's possible for you."
"I actually think you're closer to being a Special Grade than I am, Suguru. Just by releasing your horde of spirits, you could easily subvert an entire country."
"Don't be so humble. Anyway, Special Grade... there's only one right now, isn't there? Was the name Yuki Tsukumo?"
"Yeah. The fact that there's only one Special Grade sorcerer implies that she's currently the strongest among us."
Hearing that, Suguru spoke with a hint of incomprehension. "Why does someone that strong do nothing but wander around overseas? If she did her part, our workload might be a bit more manageable."
"Haha... who knows? I'm sure she has her reasons."
As we were talking behind Yuki Tsukumo's back, the assistant director addressed us.
"We have arrived. This is the entrance to Mount Takao. Since there is no recorded information on where the spirit manifests, you will have to find it yourselves."
"Yeees~ Thank you. We'll be in touch."
"Thank you for the ride."
The assistant director looked at me and Suguru as we bowed politely, offering a small smile and a deep sigh. "Haah... if only Satoru were even half as well-mannered as you two..."
With that parting shot, the assistant director drove off. I exchanged a look with Suguru.
"That's... probably asking for the impossible."
"Right?"
With a small laugh, we began our trek up the mountain.
"Sigh... it's been a while since I've hiked. It's really not my style..."
"Suguru, why don't you just release some spirits to scout the area? Like those Fly Heads?"
"Oh, good idea. I'll send out a few and we can just walk up at our own pace."
Suguru immediately summoned a few Fly Heads and sent them flying into the brush. My Divine Dogs were too large and might startle the target, so I kept them tucked in my shadow. After a long hike, Suguru suddenly stopped, sensing a signal that one of his spirits had been snuffed out.
"Touya. This way."
Suguru took the lead. We must have climbed quite high, as it took a considerable amount of time to reach the location where the spirit vanished. Yet, the area was unnervingly silent; not even the buzz of an insect could be heard.
"Suguru. Are you sure? This place is far too quiet."
"It definitely vanished right here... wait a moment."
Suguru scanned the surroundings before calling out to me, having spotted something. "Touya. There's a private residence here. I didn't think anyone would live this high up the mountain."
Following his gaze, I saw a traditional tatami-style house. "Strange. A house out here?"
As we approached the building, a young woman who looked to be around our age stepped out from within.
"Oh... what are you doing in front of my house?"
Suguru, taken aback, spoke hurriedly. "Ah! No, our apologies. We saw a house in such a remote place and just happened to..."
"I see. I live here with my grandmother. If you'd like, would you care to come inside for some tea?"
While Suguru was stumbling over his words in embarrassment, I answered for him.
"No, we're fine. We have to be on our way. By the way, might I ask what your name is?"
"My name...? This is a bit sudden... it's Wakamo."
"I see. Thank you."
The moment I heard the name, I knew. Turning my body as if to leave, I swiftly wove a hand seal and manifested Max Elephant directly above her.
"Cut the bullshit. You're nothing but a curse."
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