Chapter 66 — Ten Shadows Technique
"No need," Megumi replied without hesitation.
"It's just demonstrating my technique, right? If you need it, Ren-senpai, I can show it as many times as you want."
His decisiveness actually caught Ren off guard.
"Uh… are you sure you don't want to think it over?" Ren asked. "There's a chance I might actually learn your technique."
"Learn—not take it away," Megumi said calmly. "My own technique isn't going anywhere."
"And besides, Kyoto and Tokyo are allies. You saved my sister. I trust that you're not a bad person."
"So if this helps you get stronger, it benefits all of us."
Ren nodded slowly. The boy's righteous reasoning almost made him feel a little embarrassed.
So learning his technique… was somehow helping him instead?
"Then… what about the Zenin clan?" Ren asked. "Shouldn't you at least consult your family?"
After all, these great jujutsu families were notoriously protective of their inherited techniques.
"No need," Megumi answered even faster than before, without the slightest hesitation.
"I have nothing to do with the Zenin clan."
"My surname is Fushiguro—not Zenin."
"…Alright then."
Ren didn't fully understand the history between Megumi and the Zenin family, but since Megumi was so firm, there was no reason to press further.
"Shall we begin?"
"Yeah."
—
The group found an open training field, and Megumi began his demonstration.
"This is the most basic application of the Ten Shadows Technique."
He formed hand signs, and a pool of shadow spread beneath him.
"Shadow manipulation."
"You can store objects within the shadows and retrieve them when needed. However, the weight of anything stored is still borne by the user."
Ren rested his chin on his hand, nodding thoughtfully.
A storage ability… that's incredibly convenient.
Even with the limitation of bearing the weight, it was still far better than carrying equipment all over the body—less risk of losing things, too.
"Is the weight distributed evenly across the body?" he asked.
"Yes."
That made it even better. Compared to carrying items on the back or waist—where the strain is localized—this method would feel lighter and allow for smoother movement.
"For example—"
Megumi reached into the shadow and pulled out a three-section staff.
"This is a Special Grade cursed tool that Maki-senpai left with me—Playful Cloud."
He paused slightly, then added with a hint of pride,
"I've heard that if you sold this on the market, it'd fetch at least five hundred million yen."
"What?!"
Megumi was clearly satisfied seeing the exact same shocked expression Ren now wore—the same one he'd had when Maki first told him.
Maki… Ren thought.
Didn't expect her to be secretly rich.
And here he was, saying he'd get her some cursed tools in the future—that sounded ridiculous now.
But then again… if she already had a Special Grade cursed tool, why didn't she use it during the exchange event? Why stick to that ordinary naginata instead?
So she was holding back…
Maybe next time, he should spar with her again—but this time, she'd better bring Playful Cloud.
And also—
Ren narrowed his eyes slightly.
Why was her equipment being kept by another guy?
If she had to store it somewhere, shouldn't it be with him?
Letting out a quiet huff, he made up his mind.
At the very least, he would master the Ten Shadows Technique's shadow storage ability as quickly as possible.
Megumi placed Playful Cloud back into the shadows.
With a wave of his hand, the darkness dissipated.
"Next, I'll demonstrate the actual application of the Ten Shadows Technique."
"The actual application? That wasn't it just now?" Ren asked.
"No," Megumi explained patiently. "What I showed earlier was just a basic auxiliary function. The true nature of the Ten Shadows Technique is a shikigami summoning art—using shadows as a medium, forming hand signs to summon corresponding shikigami."
"This is my first shikigami."
He formed another hand sign.
"Divine Dog: Totality."
A massive black-and-white hound leapt out from the shadows, landing heavily on the ground. It raised its head and let out a ferocious howl, its imposing body turning toward Ren in a clearly threatening stance.
The excitement in Ren's eyes deepened.
"Uh… I should probably explain something first," Megumi said with a light cough.
"Senpai, if you do learn this technique, the first thing you'll summon won't be Divine Dog: Totality, but two smaller Divine Dogs."
"Why?" Ren asked, surprised.
"Well…" Megumi looked a little awkward. "My… Divine Dog… was defeated in a previous battle."
He quickly shifted the topic.
"This ties into a key characteristic of the Ten Shadows Technique. First—once a shikigami is completely destroyed, it can't be summoned again. So you need to be careful. If a shikigami is in bad condition, it's best to dispel it in time to avoid irreversible damage."
"Second, when a shikigami dies, its power doesn't disappear completely. Its technique and strength are inherited by other shikigami."
"My Divine Dog: Totality is what resulted after one Divine Dog died and its power was inherited by the other."
"I see," Ren nodded.
"Then," he asked thoughtfully, "how does Totality compare in strength to the original two Divine Dogs?"
"It's far stronger," Megumi said, his tone growing animated. "A normal Divine Dog would struggle even against a Grade 2 cursed spirit. But Totality has enough attack power to seriously injure even a Special Grade curse."
—
Why does this feel familiar…?
Ren stroked his chin.
Something ordinary on its own… but when combined, its overall strength increases exponentially.
This Divine Dog: Totality… felt oddly similar to his own approach.
"I get it," he said, nodding again.
Then suddenly, he raised a hand, interrupting Megumi just as he was about to continue.
"Fushiguro, I have a question."
"Earlier, you mentioned two important points. But about the first one—why do I need to be careful about it?"
Megumi blinked.
Ren continued calmly,
"If that's the case… wouldn't the optimal strategy be to summon the Divine Dogs for the first time—"
"—and immediately kill one of them, so the other inherits its power and becomes stronger?"
"…Huh?"
Megumi froze, his lips parting slightly, eyes blank.
He had never considered that before.
And yet… the logic made sense.
No—not just some sense.
It made a lot of sense.
But at the same time, something about it felt… wrong.
Was it too cruel toward the shikigami?
No… it wasn't just that.
If killing one immediately upon summoning was truly the optimal choice—
Then what was the purpose of the original shikigami in the first place?