"This system must have been adapted from some trash mobile game…"
Akira toyed with yet another fragment of a Z-Crystal in his hand, his expression indescribably strange. He wanted to throw it away but couldn't bring himself to do so.
For something like this, there's usually only one word to describe it: useless.
"Gar~ Gar~" Seeing that her master was in a bad mood, Gardevoir became upset as well.
Akira quickly comforted her, "It's not your fault, Gar-chan. It's the system's problem."
Today marked the tenth day of Akira's cursed spirit grinding tour around Tokyo. He had been clearing one map per day, but the results were frustrating.
It wasn't that there had been no gains.
But first, the drop rate wasn't great—on average, it took two to three maps to get a single Z-Crystal fragment.
Second, none of these fragments were duplicates.
And the most annoying part? So far, none of the fragments could be used by Gardevoir.
On top of that, there were still no signs of acquiring a second Pokémon. Other than looking like a grind-heavy, pay-to-win mobile game, Akira couldn't think of any other system as unscrupulous as this.
He suddenly felt nostalgic for games like Fate/Grand Order and Granblue Fantasy—the former was more laid-back, and the latter was generous, with plenty of tempting bonuses.
"Gar—" Gardevoir let out a new sound, a different tone of "Gar," indicating "next" in Japanese.
Akira's mastery of Gardevoir's language was now max level.
"Let's keep clearing the map. Even if we can't get a Z-Crystal you can use, at least we'll gain some levels."
After ten days of grinding, Gardevoir had leveled up rapidly, surpassing level 35 and learning new skills, boosting both her offense and defense.
At this point, if they were to return to Yoshiwara Shrine, there would be no surprises.
Not only had her combat power increased, but so had her understanding of battle. Let's not forget, Gardevoir had spent eight years leveling up by fighting the same low-level enemies, so her battle experience was severely lacking.
Even though Akira had been teaching her theoretical knowledge, reading about battle isn't the same as experiencing it firsthand.
Previously, Gardevoir had been like a noblewoman hidden away from the world. Now, she was truly stepping through the door to combat.
Hearing Akira's words, Gardevoir tugged at his sleeve with one hand and pointed ahead with the other.
"Are you saying there are cursed spirits to grind over there?"
"Gar~ Gar," she nodded and then shook her head.
Akira was puzzled. "Not just cursed spirits—something else?"
"Gar~" She nodded.
"Good or bad?"
Gardevoir pointed to the red gem-like decoration on her chest, a symbol of her heart.
"A good thing, huh. Heh."
Akira smiled. Although Gardevoir hadn't yet learned her ultimate skill, Future Sight, she was showing potential in that area.
This made Akira very grateful. Even if he had terrible luck going forward, it had all been worth it for this one exceptional first pull.
Besides, there were only so many types of Z-Crystals. If they kept grinding, eventually, they'd get what they needed.
"Alright, let's go check it out. But first, let me call Mom and let her know I'll be home late."
On the seventh day after they moved into their new home, Hayami gave up accompanying Akira on his excursions.
It was simply too discouraging.
She was the oldest, yet the weakest.
The experience she had always prided herself on was of no use in the face of Gardevoir's overwhelming power and Akira's calm and cautious approach.
In the end, her role was reduced to setting up the "Curtain" for concealment, and beyond that, she didn't need to do anything.
Additionally, her presence felt diminished.
Akira doted on Gardevoir far more than usual. Every time Gardevoir did something impressive, Akira would praise her, pat her head, hold her hand, or give her a hug, which made Gardevoir incredibly happy. In the process, Hayami often felt overlooked.
While a mother should be happy that her son and daughter have such a close relationship, she couldn't help but think, What about me? Don't I seem a little unnecessary here?
Fortunately, Hayami's Barrier Enchantment technique allowed her to prepare barriers in advance and activate them when needed.
Though her sorcery rank limited the range and duration of her barriers, it didn't matter much since Akira wasn't always away from home. Setting things up before he left worked just fine.
Akira wholeheartedly supported this arrangement. After all, bringing his mom along for spirit-clearing was a bit awkward, and he couldn't pull off certain flashy maneuvers without feeling embarrassed.
It was clear that while Akira's skills were solid, he hadn't fully mastered the art of being thick-skinned.
However, his legs were more than up to the task—riding his bike full-speed.
Until he got his motorcycle license, this was the fastest and most convenient mode of transportation. Plus, it gave him the thrill of taking his pokemon for a ride. What's not to love?
Speeding at 70 kilometers per hour.
Feeling as free as the wind.
But the next thing he saw—was a school?
Though it wasn't what he expected, it wasn't that strange either.
Japanese students are notorious for being under a lot of pressure, so it wasn't surprising that negative emotions would accumulate in schools.
Once Akira finished his tour of the famous haunted sites, his next target would be schools.
What puzzled Akira was the unmistakable surge of cursed energy coming from the school and the signs of combat.
"Looks like I'm not the only jujutsu sorcerer who doesn't follow the rules. Or could it be a reckless curse user?"
Let's clarify a few things.
Cursed energy could be compared to chakra in Naruto or qi in Battle Through the Heavens. Anyone who mastered cursed energy was superhuman.
In all of Japan, the number of people who had cursed energy had only recently surpassed four figures.
Ordinary people couldn't see cursed spirits, nor could they harm them. Only attacks infused with cursed energy could deal damage to cursed spirits. Jujutsu sorcerers had always been humanity's protectors against cursed spirits.
With this power disparity and their role as protectors, some jujutsu sorcerers started seeing themselves as rulers, viewing ordinary people as monkeys, livestock, or even ants. It's not hard to understand why some of them became tyrants.
That's where curse users come from.
Of course, understanding is one thing, but agreeing is another.
Akira liked the saying, The strong should limit their actions to ensure the freedom of the weak.
You don't have to be a hero, but at the very least, don't become a villain without limits.
"If it's really a curse user, then I'll just kill them. After all, that's how the Jujutsu Alliance handles things—at least on the surface. And who knows, maybe killing someone will make them drop something valuable."
Akira murmured to himself, his expression gradually becoming twisted. But Gardevoir wasn't scared because Akira's intentions were good.
He parked his bike near the school's outer wall. After thinking for a moment, he decided against sneaking in directly. Instead, he took out a "Wedge" that Hayami had made and slapped it against the wall.
"Born from darkness, blacker than black, purify the filthy and corrupted."
The dusk-colored Curtain descended from the sky. Anyone with half a brain would realize that a third party had intervened, which would surely affect their actions.
"So, do I sit back and wait for them to come out, or do I charge in for a more direct approach? The former is safer, but the latter is definitely more fun."
Just as Akira was weighing his options, a voice came from inside the Curtain.
"Don't move!"
And just like that, Akira found himself unable to move.