"Did you roll up your sleeves?" I asked, observing the eyes burning with rage. I took a low stance, pulling the sword slightly backward, covering it with my body so that the Curse was barely visible from the Curse's side. "Unleash it back!"
Not waiting for any reaction, I fortified my legs even more with Cursed Energy. The ground beneath my feet began to melt, and with a slight crouch, I surged forward, leaving behind a trail of sound.
After transitioning to the seventh sequence and elevating [Enhanced Physical Attributes] and [Spirituality] to a high rank, my strength, agility, endurance, and resilience underwent a tremendous leap, jumping from merely superhuman to the level of second-grade Sorcerers who reinforce their bodies with Cursed Energy. By the way, speaking of this Cursed Energy, it logically increased. Even before I pushed the "Acting Process" to fifty-eight percent, there was already more than what my old man and that woman had, both of whom were among the strongest first-grade Sorcerers.
The distance between the Curse and me was minimal; thirty meters passed in less than a moment.
"Aspect One: Compression."
Being close to the creature, I swung the katana toward it vigorously. Two quick strikes formed a large crimson cross of fire on the Curse's body, searing a deep wound that encircled the entire front of the monster. A curious fact: despite the Curse's body potentially being made of concrete, wood, or even plastic, when you cut through them, the flesh beneath the blade felt as ordinary, well, human flesh. The Curse's body consists of Cursed Energy, but it is still flesh and bones, albeit much stronger, and, of course, blood.
Although my mind was swarmed with this whirlwind of thoughts, my body acted swiftly and accurately. I dodged iron beams flying towards me with minimal movement, then, by propelling myself strongly from the ground, vanished from the Curse's sight. Hovering above it, any other Sorcerer would lose a significant advantage — no ground support means risking your life. However, this rule restrained me much less.
At that moment, I called upon my Spiritual Energy. Somewhere deep within, from a small spark, a flame erupted, instantly engulfing my body, making it blaze with a bright white fire.
"Flaming Spear," I uttered, although it wasn't necessary to speak the name of the technique, but I couldn't resist... Besides, there was always this feeling that by shouting the name of my "skill," it became stronger.
The Cursed Energy followed the Spiritual Energy, nourishing and intensifying the existence of the spear made of blazing white fire that emerged above my blade. I could have created such a fiery spear directly from the air, but in this case, I wasn't sure it would be potent enough against a special-grade Curse. Certainly, after such an attack, the katana would become unusable, but it wasn't a Cursed weapon, and I was ready to sacrifice it in exchange for reinforcing my magic.
The dazzling white fire illuminated everything around, spreading infernal heat, which seemed incompatible with such a beautiful palette. The Curse couldn't help but notice such radical changes in its surroundings and, reacting instantly, turned its gaze towards the sky. Interestingly, instead of the usual growling, a flicker of fear appeared in its eyes. Like a little child, it fidgeted in place, seeking shelter, yet its fate was already sealed, and it was too late for that.
Taking the flaming spear in my hands, I swung it widely and threw it down. Instead of releasing it, I held onto the fiery "shaft" and descended with it.
My descent from the heavens resembled a white meteor streaking a white trail vertically across the horizon. It was a precise strike that pinned the creature to the ground. A second's delay, and white flames erupted around, burning the Curse from the inside out. Only the sound of the explosion, drowning the dying screams of the suffering creature, echoed through the vicinity.
"I believe your soul will now rest in peace," I mused aloud, observing the creature turning into ashes.
No matter how many Curses I exorcised, every time I encountered one developed and intelligent enough, I felt strange... It could be likened to killing a person, albeit a mad one succumbing to instincts, but still a person. Considering that many Curses don't live long before they're exorcised, they invoked an association with...
"Well, you've certainly set up a steam bath here," a cheerful voice from behind interrupted my thoughts.
Turning around abruptly, I saw a rather eccentric-looking man a couple of meters away from me. The first thing that caught my eye was his height, which didn't match the average Japanese person; he was a head taller. Next, his white hair, which stuck out in all directions and was partially covered by white bandages, especially those over his eyes. I knew who he was.
"So impressed by my brilliant appearance?" he said with a perpetual smirk, leaning slightly in my direction. "But I expected something more emotional."
Satoru, damn him, Gojo.
"Are you so unconcerned with things like rules and traditions, being an outsider Sorcerer?" he asked, pulling out a new pack of cigarettes and lighting one. "Doesn't this stuff bother you at all?"
"Rules? Traditions? Are those edible?" the white-haired man comically tilted his head and placed a finger on his chin. "Besides, it's not for you to talk about such things! You're a rabbit in the Sorcerer system. You get me?"
And it was true... After my grandfather's death, I hadn't thought about it much, but officially, I wasn't a Sorcerer, more of a master in summoning.
"So, are you a good cop or a bad cop?" I asked, looking at the man's smile, not sure what was on his mind.
And that was considering the fact that, as an Otherworldly, as I called myself, a user of Spiritual Energy and an owner of abilities that clearly didn't originate from this world, I had excellent skills in analyzing people. But even with all that, I couldn't figure out what was going on in this guy's head, and I was a Provocator, after all...
"Why does the new generation have such a low opinion of me?" Satoru asked, scratching his forehead with his index finger. "I understand if there were some elder in my place, but me? I've always fought for the right cause. I mean, sure, I've beaten up a few Sorcerers and destroyed a couple of buildings, but it's nothing special. In the past, the people around me were much more hospitable. By the way, speaking of the environment, the weather in Kyoto is terrible these days, it's almost always raining or snowing, making everything seem so gloomy. It's nothing like it is in Tokyo right now, where it feels like spring, and it's very convenient. I prefer this kind of weather much more."
I was stunned. How could someone just change the subject and start talking about the weather like that? I let out a subdued sigh.
"Sorry, sorry, I got carried away," he chuckled, pretending to be amused. "So, what was I saying?"
"Tell me, what did Satoru Gojo do in gloomy Kyoto?" My skepticism and wariness were not unfounded.
"Yami Sukehiro - a sixteen-year-old Sorcerer of a special grade," Satoru began, as though reading out a verdict. "It sounds like you've earned a reward for becoming a Four-Eyed Monster..."
"First of all, it's a newly-born Curse of a special grade. Many first-grade Sorcerers, with proper training of course, can exorcise a Curse of a special grade that lacks techniques and territory. Secondly, don't act like a girl, and let's get to the point. Are you the strongest or just a loudmouth?"
How could I dare to talk to the most powerful being of our time like this? The answer is simple: my grandfather's influence. But, more broadly, I was confident in myself and in Satoru Gojo himself. Despite being eccentric and selfish, qualities that hadn't been seen for a long time, this guy was primarily, as one bald hero put it, "Being the strongest is pretty dull and lonely," and therefore, this guy wouldn't miss the chance to raise a Sorcerer who might become even stronger than him.
"Quirky... I like it," Satoru said, clapping his hands. But he continued with a much more serious tone, "If you want specifics, here you go. The higher- ranked Sorcerers noticed you, and after weighing all pros and cons, they decided to detain you as an 'Especially Dangerous Potential of Special Grade.' Sounds cool, doesn't it?"
Listening to this news, I couldn't help but shake my head in annoyance. Not that it surprised me. I was prepared for the fact that the old guard, which now ruled the world of Sorcerers, wouldn't be thrilled about my appearance. But what surprised me was how stupidly they decided to deal with the problem I represented. Arrest and confinement? Are they idiots? If they were so afraid of another Geto Suguru appearing, they should have killed me immediately. But no, these idiots are playing their behind-the-scenes games. Meanwhile, from above, Satoru Gojo is watching them, taking control of everything with a sly grin.
"So, how about buying yourself some time?" Satoru finished his tirade with a cunning smile.
"Is this an offer I can't refuse, or is it a negotiable offer?" I asked, looking at the "helping hand," not responding immediately.
"Neither one nor the other. This is my personal initiative."
"A coup?" I asked, pretending to be surprised, staring at the most powerful Sorcerer of our time.
"Exactly. And for this, I need strong people who will be strong enough to stand with me on equal footing," Satoru replied, and after a short pause, he continued, "What do you want? Women? Men? Power, money, influence? Or maybe something more down-to-earth, like friendship and love? Enough 'bliss' to go to the moon? Everything can be yours..."
"You do realize I'm sixteen, right?" I interrupted, looking at Satoru questioningly.
"Isn't it around your age that guys start thinking about such things?" he asked, tilting his head, mumbled the white-haired man.
There was silence between us for a while.
To be honest, even without Satoru's offer, I had planned to enroll in the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School. Not to become an official Sorcerer, no, in this day and age, such formalities were almost meaningless. The reason was much more serious—there were opportunities here not only to save the world from imminent disaster but also to change it. Besides the extensive collection of knowledge and Cursed Objects, there was something there that, according to my calculations, would be the basis for realizing my plan.
In addition, being reborn in an anime and not encountering the main characters... could I even be the main character?
"Don't act like a girl. I was in school once too, and I was quite the rascal," Satoru said, yawning and ruffling my hair.
First of all, this guy had no sense of personal space! Secondly, I should note that I was a head taller than my peers, and due to constant training, my body was quite well-defined... I don't want to brag, but I was popular among the girls. That didn't sound very humble, and it made me feel a bit inferior.
"Well, there's always a taller mountain," I replied, making a deep inhale. "I'm starting to understand old lady Yaga," Satoru sighed, shaking his head.
"Okay, that's enough! Since you're being like this, I'll show you the height of my mountain," Satoru began to limber up.
"I don't need to see your mountain," I raised my hands in surrender. "I agree to enroll in the Jujutsu High School."