On the spacious hotel rooftop, Dark Koyanskaya, Foreigner, had set up a magical barrier on the roof. It served as a substitute for a Curtain.
While a Curtain would be convenient, it was too conspicuous, as it would overtly manifest as a black dome.
Magic, on the other hand, was inconspicuous. Although it required layering several spells, the effect was certain.
Sound dampening. Vision obstruction. Impact nullification.
Foreigner laid out three spells and pushed Naoya. Her Master was still sightseeing.
"Hah, hah…!"
Thirty hours into the training, Naoya's under-eyes were stained black.
His breathing was ragged. Having been pushed almost continuously, he must have felt like death.
'I… I am strong.'
I am strong. This was an arrogant thought, but to some extent, it was true.
At least within the Zenin family, there was no talent comparable to his, excluding the head of the family.
Of course, it was the same from the outside. The only ones were Gojo Satoru, said to be a talent of unprecedented proportions, and Zenin Toji of the Heavenly Restriction, or Tsukumo Yuki.
'Therefore, I will definitely become the best.'
I will reach the same heights as them. I can do it.
Naoya, despite his arrogance, yearned for the highest level of strength. Because he yearned, he strived.
However, now, that arrogance was thoroughly shattered.
"Remember this well: arrogance and disparagement are emotions only weak humans harbor."
The pink-haired monster swung the whip again, repeating the same words dozens, hundreds of times.
His cursed energy was already at rock bottom. All he could do was barely evade the attacks of the demonic beasts.
During that time, Naoya had used Projection Sorcery 56 times. It was a number that even a Special Grade Cursed Spirit would fall victim to several times.
'But, but…'
Not once. He hadn't succeeded in even a single attack.
Pride, self-esteem, skill. It felt like everything he had built up until now was crumbling down.
"It seems you've finally understood your place."
Foreigner retracted her whip and slowly walked over. Since the vessel was broken, it was time to make a new one.
"Do you know why you couldn't land a successful attack on me?" Foreigner squatted in front of Naoya.
Her moderately thick and firm thighs, and the smooth line of her knees, captivated Naoya's eyes.
"Because I'm arrogant?"
Naoya slowly raised his head and asked. Arrogance, disparagement. Without realizing it, Foreigner's repetitive lessons were ingrained in his mind.
Just like someone who had been called a monkey.
"That's right. It's because your vessel as a human is weak. If you had maintained your composure until the end, you would have hit me at least once."
"So, it means I'm weak, doesn't it?"
"You are weak. Even a famous sword, if swung recklessly, is useless, isn't it?"
Foreigner's eyes formed a sharp smile, and both corners of her mouth stretched wide.
'He's become quite naive.'
Bright red curved scars all over his body, including his back. A tattered mental state.
Foreigner gently whispered to the dazed Naoya, as if corrupting a person.
The current time was 5:03 AM. Foreigner's whispers continued for approximately 2 hours and 47 minutes.
"Master. The training is complete. It was a bit rough due to the short time, but the effect wasn't bad."
On the day of return, 8 AM. Dark Koyanskaya, Foreigner, who had gone up to the rooftop, returned.
"Good work. What about him?"
"I instructed him to go back. I made him promise to keep it a secret, and even neatly healed his injuries."
"Even the finishing touches were clean. You worked hard."
I lightly patted the backside of Foreigner, who had returned after her hard work. It was praise, not harassment.
"Thank you, Master."
Foreigner smiled, her eyes crinkling, and sat beside me. She seemed to be in a very good mood.
"Judging by his manner of speaking, I thought he'd be fixated on Toji, but you handled him well, didn't you?"
"I crushed him very thoroughly, you see. If I had spent a little more time, I might have been able to change the human, which is a bit of a shame."
Foreigner licked her lips and folded her arms, in a posture that lifted her heavy breasts with her forearms.
Foreigner, Dark Koyanskaya, was sadistic by nature. She enjoyed abusing humans.
As such, if she had proceeded as she wished… he would have become a sow, not a human, right?
'That's a bit much.'
Rather kill him than have Naoya become a sow? I wouldn't want to see that.
"So he just went back obediently?"
"Yes. Now his thoughts about women will probably change a bit. It was a little fun after a long time."
"If you had fun, that's what matters."
It's good that she enjoyed herself, and the result is good too. Very desirable.
"Oh my. You're back?"
Click. Assassin opened the bathroom door and came out. Her makeup was already done.
"Yes. I educated that ill-mannered child as thoroughly as possible. While it won't change his personality completely, it's quite decent."
"You worked hard. And the control?"
"Of course, I made him cast a binding vow to prevent information from leaking."
The two Koyanskayas looked at each other and smiled, reassuring yet sly.
Just a little over 30 hours. It was astonishing that one person had been reformed in such a short time.
Indeed, for unruly ones, a beating has always been the cure, it seems? The All-God manages it again.
"Then we can return at our leisure."
Assassin nodded, cementing the idea. I thought the same.
Zenin Naoya had changed. It was almost a shame I hadn't seen it, having been asleep yesterday.
After returning from the trip, I rested for two days. The fatigue from the journey seemed greater than expected.
Traveling by day, hunting cursed spirits and curse users by night.
It was understandable, having moved while cutting down on sleep. Even with a fully grown body, I must have been tired.
'I feel a bit better.'
After two days of deep rest, I felt refreshed, and my mind was clear. Now, I should move as usual.
'How should I move?'
Hunting cursed spirits grants experience, but so does hunting curse users. In both cases, the higher the grade, the better.
Cursed spirits, curse users. Toji was more knowledgeable about curse user information between the two.
The curse user site, also mentioned in the Jujutsu Kaisen anime. That's primarily where he gets his information.
"All curse users are like this, but this guy is particularly malicious. He's killed a total of 30 people with curses."
Inside the plane bound for Okinawa, Toji sat beside me and gave a briefing.
"He's trash."
"He is trash. And he's a bit tricky to deal with. The return is small compared to the risk."
The bounty was low, and the danger was high. It was likely no one would step up, even if an assassination request came in.
"So he's safe and sound?"
"Yeah. Not exactly 'walking around openly,' but he moves quite confidently."
"Didn't they try to handle it by spreading rumors?"
"If you provoke them like that, things escalate. If things escalate, sorcerers get involved. And besides, they don't know he's a curse user."
There was one reason sorcerers didn't touch curse users: they were too busy.
But what if the scale of the incident grew? Even if busy, it would become a priority to handle.
The curse users knew that too, so they were cautious, to survive.
"I understand."
"Hm. That's why it's good if we catch him. A family that holds a grudge against him made the request."
The client who put a bounty on this request was rich. The purpose of the request was revenge for a friend.
Very few people in this world knew of the existence of cursed spirits. In simple terms, they were the powerful elite.
So the client initially thought it was a simple accident, but upon investigation, they found it wasn't.
'The human world, truly…'
Curse users kill people for money. Clients kill people with money.
It was a frustrating and unfortunate situation with similar implications. Of course, the curse user was trash.
"The exact location has been identified, right?"
Immediately after getting off the plane, I walked through the airport with Toji and asked.
Assassin, Foreigner. The two Koyanskayas were also following behind us.
As always, I hadn't made them spiritual forms.
"Hm. This method involves sniping, so I've pinpointed a good spot. I'll guide you well."
Toji smiled confidently and led the way.
From car rental to driving, selecting a sniping point, and even today's accommodation, his preparations were meticulously detailed, uncharacteristic of a delinquent.
Thanks to that, we rested comfortably, then moved in the evening. We took up position on the rooftop of a three-story building, overlooking a typical single-story house.
There was only one entrance to the third floor. That entrance was blocked, and the opponent's position was clearly visible.
"Hmm. This looks good."
Assassin created a sniper rifle, then lay prone on the corridor ceiling, aiming the gun towards the house.
The angle was perfect, and the preparation was perfect. Now, all that was left was to wait for the opportune moment.
"Firing."
A few minutes after waiting, Assassin pulled the trigger as if on cue.
Bang! A pink laser fired from the muzzle, scoring the air.
The laser traced a diagonal line, piercing through the window of the house opposite, and then through something beyond it.
No, 'exploded' was the correct word, as a human head had evaporated without a trace.
'He's definitely dead.'
As his head exploded, I felt a surge of experience points. This made it certain.
"Sniping complete. The target is confirmed dead."
Assassin straightened her posture and caught her breath. Now, all that remained was the cleanup.
"He reacted the moment the shot was fired. From the looks of it, he seemed to have used cursed energy, but it must have been woefully insufficient."
Toji, sitting beside me, made a comment. It was a cold, concise assessment.
A person was killed. No one felt any guilt over it.
What I killed was a pest and a beast, not a human.
"I'll just handle the cleanup and return. Please wait outside, as it might be uncomfortable for Master to see."
Assassin de-manifested the sniper rifle and took out a pistol. A pistol would be more convenient in a confined space.
"Huh?"
Assassin, about to leap, froze in place. Following her gaze, I saw something writhing inside the house.
One, two. The shadows visible through the yellow windows steadily increased.
"Ghosts?"
"No, what's with the sudden talk of ghosts…"
Toji stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
Clatter! Just then, bizarre figures poured out of the house in droves.