Bibai Municipal Shoto High School was completely demolished.
The Cursed Spirit was gone.
Curses manifest in places where dark emotions pool. According to those rules, a new one would eventually form here one day.
But for now—and for the foreseeable future—the site would remain clean.
"So, you're saying you felt the 'vessel' of your soul expanding?"
"To put it simply, yes."
Back at the hotel.
Koyanskaya and I sat on the edge of the bed, deep in discussion.
"Then, every time we exorcise a Cursed Spirit...?"
"My Cost capacity will rise. Eventually, I'll be able to maintain multiple Servants at the same time."
"That is excellent news for you, Master. Though, it is a bit of a paradox—what benefits you isn't entirely pleasant for me."
Koyanskaya sighed and shook her head.
I knew exactly what she meant.
"Because it means less time for just the two of us?"
"Exactly. However, it would be foolish to let my greed compromise my Master's safety. You have my full support."
"Thanks."
I took her hand and offered a small smile.
I appreciated how well she was treating me, yet a flicker of anxiety remained. Was she planning a spectacular betrayal later? The thought was constant.
'Please, just go easy on me.'
There was no use worrying about it now. I shook off the nerves and refocused.
"In that case, we need to be more proactive in hunting Curses. We need targets with high density."
Koyanskaya's eyes sparkled. Seeing her motivated by a clear goal was actually quite reassuring.
"Hospitals, schools, haunted spots. We'll cycle through those, but we need to keep our distance from the Jujutsu authorities."
Especially the Jujutsu Headquarters and the Three Great Clans.
It was best to avoid those who pretended to be allies while sharpening their knives. They were tied too closely to national power.
"Understood. I shall ensure that 'human' follows those guidelines as well. He seems observant enough to figure it out himself, but one can never be too sure."
"I'm counting on you."
Koyanskaya harbored a distaste for most humans. When we were alone, she didn't bother hiding it.
She only acknowledged those she deemed useful or those who had survived long hardships alongside her. In other words, Toji hadn't passed her test yet.
'It'll work out.'
We had a contract sealed by a Binding Vow. I had saved his wife. There was no reason for Toji to betray me.
Besides, his capabilities were undeniable. It was only a matter of time before he earned Koyanskaya's recognition.
"Then let's start by clearing out the areas we've already marked."
"A wonderful idea."
"By the way... that snake curse back there. What grade would you say it was?"
Judging by its sheer mass, it certainly wasn't Grade 2. Size wasn't the only factor in grading, but it mattered. Mass equaled physical presence—it was like weight classes in combat sports.
If it was massive, the grade was likely high.
"Well, I'm no expert on these 'Curses,' but wouldn't it be around what they call a Grade 1? It was the strongest thing I've seen in this world so far."
"Grade 1. Seems about right, doesn't it?"
"Presumably."
We nodded in unison. There was no room for debate. A Grade 1 entity, plus a swarm of lesser Curses beneath it. While the quantity mattered, the quality of the 'experience' gained seemed far more significant—just like a high-level boss provides more growth than a hundred weak mobs.
"Good. We'll hit the locations Toji mentioned first, then decide our next moves based on the casualty reports."
"And what of those 'Curse Users'?"
Curse Users. Freelance sorcerers who lived outside the law. It sounded professional, but most were simply criminals using jujutsu for their own selfish desires. Like the man Toji had cut down yesterday.
"If they're trash, kill them."
Is it right for a human to kill a human? In my past life, I might have agonized over that question. Not anymore.
We had pruned Lostbelts to survive. We had committed a massacre that no one else could even conceive. Through that process, I had learned that some people simply deserve to die.
People like Beryl Gut, for example.
"Understood," Koyanskaya replied with a nod. She cherished humans as playthings, but she never hesitated to kill them.
"Alright. Let's get some food."
I stood up, wanting to shake off the grim atmosphere.
"Yes, Master."
Koyanskaya rose with me. I could already envision the crowd that would gather at the hotel buffet just to gawk at her. Good grief, how exhausting.
Toji woke up with the same thought: *Exhausting.*
Perhaps he had been working too diligently. Mental fatigue was weighing on him.
"Mmm... Toji?"
Early morning. The woman lying beside him rubbed her eyes. Her hair was cut short, and she carried an air of quiet, steady resilience. Zenin Sae, Toji's wife, was a beautiful woman.
She radiated light—just like the sunbeams currently peeking through the window.
"Did I wake you? I was trying to slip out quietly."
"Are you going to work?"
"No. Just getting some water. Go back to sleep."
Toji smiled, stroking his wife's hair with a gentleness that seemed impossible for a man of his build. Sae arched into his touch, purring like a cat.
"No, it's morning anyway. I might as well get up. Where's Megumi?"
"Quiet, as you can see."
Toji looked over at the crib. His son was sleeping soundly, his tiny breaths even and rhythmic. Megumi was a remarkably composed baby. Perhaps he felt the depth of his parents' affection, or maybe his instincts to cry had been quelled by how peaceful his life had become.
Either way, they were grateful. It made parenting far easier.
"Toji, bring Megumi downstairs. I'll start on breakfast."
"Yeah, alright."
Toji answered lazily as he rolled out of bed.
'Beautiful.'
He let out a short, admiring laugh as he watched his wife head for the door. Her bare skin was marked with the red traces of their passion—his marks. Her waist swayed slightly from the lingering fatigue he had caused.
"Hey, Megumi. Sleep well?"
Toji lifted the infant effortlessly. The child felt like a feather in his hands. The baby didn't even stir when spoken to. Toji carried him down to the first-floor living room and settled in, turning on the television.
"*Yawn*..."
He stretched, his superhuman physique—more perfect than any masterwork sculpture—on full display. Like his wife, he hadn't bothered with clothes yet.
"Toji, couldn't you at least put on some pants?" Sae called out from the kitchen. She was busy searing some meat.
"You aren't wearing any either, are you?"
Toji grinned as the aroma of cooking meat wafted through the house. Good smells, a good woman. Every detail was a source of profound happiness.
'I'm truly grateful.'
Leaning back against the sofa, Toji savored the simple fact that he was alive.
"By the way... that person who gave you the medicine. Are they very busy?" Sae asked while plating the meat.
Toji tilted his head back toward the kitchen. "Why do you ask?"
"I just want to say thank you properly. Because of them, I didn't even need rehabilitation. I could just come right back to my daily life."
"True enough."
"And you started working for him because of that gratitude, didn't you? How is he?"
How was he?
Sometimes busy, sometimes not. Toji blinked, pondering for a moment, but he already knew the standard answer.
"Hard to say, but he's definitely got a lot on his plate. I doubt he has time for guests right now."
"Oh, really? That's a shame. I really wanted to meet him."
Sae sighed as she finished setting the table: freshly cooked meat, vegetables, and pickles. It was a proper, hearty spread.
"I'll mention it to him."
"Really? I hope it works out. I'm so indebted to him."
"Me too."
Toji stood up with a grunt.
"Man, I really don't want to go to work."
He scratched his chest with his right hand as he headed for the kitchen, his sleeping son cradled securely in his massive left arm.
We spent the next day conquering most of the haunted spots Toji had identified. Finally, we entered the final objective: the Inunaki Tunnel.
The front of the tunnel was blocked, so we took a side path over the ridge. It was a trek that would have been a nightmare if I were alone.
"Huh?"
A few steps into the tunnel, the landscape shifted. The darkness transformed. Dim light flickered over ancient, traditional Japanese buildings lining the area. It felt as if we had been transported into the Japan of centuries past.
"Master, is this...?"
Koyanskaya furrowed her brows. The sheer gloom of the space clearly irritated her sensibilities.
"Yeah. This is likely an Innate Domain."
"Sharp eyes. You're right."
Toji pulled a blade from the mouth of the worm curse—his Soul Liberation Blade.
"Knowing what an Innate Domain is... was your family involved in the jujutsu world?" he asked probingly. He was naturally curious about my origins.
"No. I've been an orphan since birth. Never knew my parents. I only escaped the orphanage about six months ago."
"You escaped on March 1st, so it's been exactly half a year," Koyanskaya added with precision.
Had it really been that long already?
"Then how did you—no, never mind. Asking questions will only give me a headache," Toji sighed, waving off his own curiosity. He'd clearly decided that ignorance was bliss when dealing with us.
"Anyway, an Innate Domain is basically the realization of a mental landscape. When you imbue a Cursed Technique into it, it becomes a Domain Expansion."
Toji's explanation aligned perfectly with my knowledge of this world.
"Master. Surely, this is a blatant rip-off of a Reality Marble—"
"Hush, let's stop right there."
I leaned over and covered Koyanskaya's mouth as she whispered. I couldn't have her exposing the metaphysical 'truths' of the world in front of Toji.
Ah! Another person had just realized that the creator of this world's laws was the undisputed King of Plagiarism.
"Ahem. Regardless, this isn't reality. We have to 'exorcise' the master of this domain. That's the only way out."
Toji began to stretch, loosening up his muscles. In this world, 'exorcising' was synonymous with purification.
"Thank you for the detailed explanation. So the main takeaway is that this isn't real world, yes?"
A predatory grin tore across Koyanskaya's face. It was the wicked smile she only wore back in her days as a Beast. A sudden realization flashed through my mind.
"Koyanskaya."
"Yes, Master?"
"Watch your output. If you hit it too hard, you won't just collapse the Innate Domain—you'll bring the entire tunnel down on us."
"Of course. Do not worry."
She gave a playful wink and leaped into the air. Just as I expected. Fortunately, the ceiling of this domain was incredibly high—vanishing into a distant, infinite darkness. It gave Koyanskaya plenty of room to soar.
"Boss. My instincts are screaming at me to run. What is she planning?"
Toji took a step back. His Heavenly Restriction gave him a sensory edge that was practically divine. Even without knowing what a Noble Phantasm was, he could feel the pressure.
"A Noble Phantasm... in your terms, I suppose it's like a Maximum Technique? Something like that. Let's step back a bit."
A Maximum Technique was the ultimate form of a sorcerer's personal jujutsu. It was separate from a Domain Expansion. Most Noble Phantasms fit into that category, given that Domain Expansions were just imitations of Reality Marbles.
'And I'm sure those Reality Marbles were inspired by something else too.'
I backed away slowly, keeping a close eye on the sky. I'd seen her fire this thing many times, so I wasn't afraid, but I still needed to be careful.
"What kind of Maximum Technique could possibly..."
Toji followed my lead, retreating. A moment later, a bloom of fire ignited in the dark, distant heavens.