The curse-powered fist struck the curse spirit's head with a powerful blow, making it dizzy and forcing it to release the girl it was holding.
"Eri!"
Komachi quickly rushed forward to drag the unconscious Eri back.
Hikigaya Hachiman stood in front of the two, staring at the curse spirit with unwavering focus.
"Brother, what's going on here?"
Seeing the familiar figure in front of her, Komachi's panicked mood calmed a little, but her doubts only grew stronger.
"I'll explain it to you after we're done."
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't turn around, his serious voice came from ahead, "Right now, take your friends and get to a safe place!"
"Safe... where's a safe place?"
Hikigaya Hachiman paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Run upstairs! You'll meet a handsome guy with an Ike-face... just stay by him."
"Does big bro have some weird idea about girls' strength?"
Komachi couldn't help but mutter, but she obediently pulled her unconscious friend's arm around her neck and barely managed to support Eri.
Tsk, after seeing Yukinoshita-sensei fight so much, I've started to think girls might actually be stronger than I thought.
"No need to look for it, I'm already here."
A lazy voice rang out from the staircase. Komachi instinctively looked in the direction of the sound and her eyes widened.
A handsome young man with black hair was walking down the stairs, holding a fainted bob-haired girl in his arms. He had a relaxed smile on his face, as if he didn't find the terrifying monster in front of him to be a threat at all. He walked leisurely toward them.
The monster blocking his way, on the other hand, seemed to tremble and cower like it saw some great danger!
Hikigaya Komachi was stunned. Just moments ago, you were chasing us, and now you look so harmless?
"Dead fish eyes kid, what did you just say about me?"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Hayashizaki's slightly raised smile, a cold sweat slowly trickling down his face. "Uh, I said you are the most handsome man in the world."
Hayashizaki's face held a subtle smile. "Keep it up, let me see what progress you've made recently."
He walked over to Komachi, gently laid down Saki, and then turned to Hikigaya Komachi, giving a warm smile. "Hello, I'm Hayashizaki, I guess I'm your brother's sensei."
Surprised that he was speaking to her, Komachi stood up from the ground and bowed slightly, "Ah, hello! I'm Hikigaya Hachiman's sister, Hikigaya Komachi. Thank you so much for taking care of my useless brother!"
"No need to be so formal."
Hayashizaki smiled, placing his hand on Komachi's knee, where the skin had been scraped from the fall. He used a reversal technique to heal the wound.
"The wound... it's healed!?"
Komachi stared in wide-eyed amazement at the incredible scene. "So, does that mean Saki's injury is also healed?"
"Yes, it's fine now."
"That's great! I'm so... so relieved..."
A tear of joy and relief finally spilled from Komachi's eyes. She covered her face, softly sobbing, but her voice carried the happiness of being saved and the weight lifted from her shoulders.
From the initial panic when she saw the monster, to the helplessness and despair of having to leave her friends behind, she had been holding it all in. If she had broken down like Saki and Eri, they would have had no chance at all.
It was this strength that allowed the three of them to be saved.
From the corner of his eye, Hikigaya Hachiman saw his sister quietly sobbing. He let out a slow breath and refocused on the curse spirit in front of him.
Although Hayashizaki said he wanted to see what progress he had made, it seemed...
"Hayashizaki-sensei, this curse spirit looks like you've scared it out of its wits."
Hikigaya Hachiman twitched his eye as he looked at the white curse spirit shivering behind a shoe rack.
"Well, it seems so. There's nothing I can do about it now."
Hayashizaki casually waved his hand, and the curse spirit's head fell off its neck. Then, the body was set on fire and burned to nothing in the blink of an eye.
Anyway, whether it was given to Hikigaya Hachiman or handled by himself, it was still a kill. At least he could earn some points, even if it wasn't much—every little bit counts.
"That's it? It's solved already?"
Komachi's cute face showed a look of disbelief. The monster that had been chasing them for so long was dealt with so easily!?
"You're making a big deal out of this."
Hikigaya Hachiman sighed as he walked over to his sister. "So far, I've never seen a sorcerer stronger than Hayashizaki-sensei. Calling him the 'strongest' wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"Sorcerer?"
"Yeah, someone who can use curse power, like Hayashizaki-sensei and me."
By this point, there was no way to hide the truth any longer. Hikigaya Hachiman had to explain the basics of the world of curses and how he became a sorcerer to his sister Komachi.
Of course, he left out the part about his arm being cut off by Hayashizaki.
"So that monster was a curse spirit... Is the world really this dangerous?"
Just thinking about the terrifying appearance of the curse spirit made Komachi shiver.
"By the way, you're able to see curse spirits too? Most people can't."
Hikigaya Hachiman glanced at Hayashizaki, asking for clarification.
"Of course, there are people like that. They can see curses, but can't use curse power. People like them make up the 'Windows' at the High Special Agency."
Hayashizaki explained.
"Komachi is one of those people. Since you said this is the first time you've seen a curse spirit, it probably happened after you had close contact with one. When your life was in danger, your brain was stimulated and that triggered your ability."
"This just means your sister has the natural talent to see curses. She just needed something to trigger it."
The High Special Agency... that should be the group that dealt with Ooka's body last time, right?
"'Windows' means?"
Komachi asked curiously.
"They're key members of the High Special Agency's information network. Their job is to report any sightings of curses or other strange occurrences."
"So, does that mean I could become a 'Window' too?"
Komachi tapped her finger on her lips, deep in thought.
Before Komachi could finish speaking, Hikigaya Hachiman quickly shut it down. "No, this is too dangerous. I can't let you do something so risky."
"No, it's not impossible," Hayashizaki countered.
"Being a 'Window' isn't usually dangerous. In most cases, it's not even a proper job. You don't have to actively investigate curses, just keep an eye out in everyday life. If you spot a curse, you leave and report it. As long as the High Special Agency confirms the information, you get paid."
"But what if something like today happens again?" Hikigaya Hachiman asked.
Looking at the worried boy with dead fish eyes, Hayashizaki sighed. "You're just overthinking it. Accidents can't be avoided. Even if Komachi doesn't become a 'Window,' can we really guarantee that she'll never encounter a curse spirit again?"
"..."
Hikigaya Hachiman was speechless.
Actually, today's situation could have been avoided. If they hadn't gotten the idea to investigate a campus ghost story, they wouldn't have run into the curse spirit.
"Who could've known that a real curse spirit would exist..." Komachi mumbled awkwardly. "Besides, I only came because Saki-chan invited me."
If it were up to her, she wouldn't have done something so pointless. After all, to most people, campus ghost stories and urban legends are obviously fake.
She came along just for the thrill of an adventure.
Who would've thought they'd run into the real thing?
"Well... fine then."
After thinking for a moment, Hikigaya Hachiman reluctantly agreed.
---
---
You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu