Chapter 17: Cooperation with Dairenji Suzuka
Time had suddenly become even more precious.
The news Amami Daizen had just revealed stirred a fierce urgency in Gin Tsumugi's heart, one far sharper than anything he had felt before. He had always carried a sense of pressure regarding the coming upheaval brought by the supernatural resurgence, and he had never once forgotten that his own strength was still lacking.
But this was different.
This was no longer some distant shadow hanging over the future.
The great change had already begun.
Every subtle shift in Gin's expression was noticed by Amami Daizen.
"Brat, if the sky really does fall, then we old bones will be the ones holding it up first." The old man's voice softened, though the weight behind it remained. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself."
He looked at Gin with unusual seriousness.
"You and Dairenji Suzuka are the hope of the future. Compared to Suzuka, who was forced to grow too fast and ended up with a few flaws in her temperament, this old man actually thinks more highly of you."
His tone carried both personal concern and the gravity of an elder speaking to a junior he truly valued.
For men like Amami Daizen, the older generation of onmyoji, there was a grim understanding they all shared. They would most likely spend the rest of their lives fighting without ever truly stopping the tide of supernatural resurgence. The real hope did not lie with them anymore.
It lay with the next generation.
With gifted young onmyoji like Gin and Dairenji Suzuka.
All the older generation could do was buy time, protect those promising seeds of Onmyodo, and make sure they did not die before they had the chance to grow into towering trees.
Then Amami glanced at Gin again and gave a snort.
"Besides, your strength has already risen to an absurd degree. If this old man's eyes aren't failing him, the real reason you came to the Onmyo Agency today is to have your strength reassessed and upgrade the rank on your onmyoji certificate, right?"
Gin smiled.
"I was just stopping by on the way."
Amami clicked his tongue.
He was not surprised that Gin was no longer trying to hide it.
Ever since the role playing system advanced, the spiritual power within Gin had surged to a new height, enough to reflect the state of Abe no Seimei in his youth. That kind of jump could not possibly be concealed from a National Level Onmyoji like Amami Daizen.
Not that Gin had any intention of hiding it in the first place.
If he wanted to hide, he would never have come here for evaluation.
"Still," Amami said, "for now, we old men can still buy you plenty of time. Don't get too eager for quick results."
He warned him again, and this time the concern in his tone was even clearer.
The reason was simple.
When Gin first entered, the old man had noticed the unusual restlessness around his aura and almost assumed the worst. He had thought Gin might have used some reckless, foundation damaging method to force a progress. Had that been the case, Amami would have been furious.
But the more he observed, the more he understood that was not what had happened.
The slight instability around Gin was only the result of freshly expanded spiritual power that had not yet been fully tempered and settled. Given a few days of refinement, that issue would disappear on its own.
Even more astonishing was the fact that Gin's foundation had not grown weaker.
It had become even broader and sturdier.
That was what truly left Amami inwardly amazed.
He could not help but wonder.
What professional rank had this brat's strength reached now?
Rank six?
Rank seven?
Or even rank eight?
"Go on, then." Amami waved him off impatiently while picking up his pen again. "This old man still has work to do."
He had already squeezed out more than enough time for this chat. The mountain of paperwork on his desk was not going to vanish by itself.
Gin gave a small smile.
"Then I'll leave you to it, old man."
With that, he turned and walked out, closing the office door gently behind him.
The moment he stepped outside, a voice rang out from nearby.
"White Fox, you're finally out. I've been waiting forever."
Gin looked up.
Standing there was a girl in black leather shoes and a black and red Gothic Lolita dress. She looked to be only around middle school age, with cute features, blond twin tails curled at the ends, and a lollipop in her mouth. Yet despite her appearance, the aura around her was sharp and unruly, like a born troublemaker who feared nothing.
Dairenji Suzuka.
Gin's lips curved slightly.
"So you're one of the National Level Onmyoji left behind at the Onmyo Agency too."
Suzuka pulled the lollipop from her mouth and flicked the stick neatly into a nearby trash can.
"So the old geezer told you already."
Without waiting for his answer, she swept a wary look around the corridor, then dragged Gin into a more secluded corner. There, she quickly set up a silencing barrier, sealing off their conversation from outside ears.
Her movements were practiced and cautious.
Only after the barrier was in place did she turn back to him.
"Well?" she asked bluntly. "Have you decided?"
Her eyes burned with impatience.
"Right now, not only is the Onmyo Agency short on combat power, but even a large portion of the Tsuchimikado Clan's forces are tied down on Honshu. This is the perfect opportunity."
Gin looked at her.
"Help you?"
He stretched the words slightly, almost deliberately.
Suzuka's expression immediately darkened.
"Hey. Are you looking for a fight?"
If not for the fact that the man standing in front of her knew an absurd number of ancient talismans and even spell formulas from the Heian period, she would never have come to him at all, much less laid out her plan so openly.
Seeing that she was genuinely annoyed, Gin let the teasing go.
"No problem," he said plainly. "I can help you."
Suzuka's expression eased a little.
Then Gin continued.
"But I want all your research on the Taizan Fukun Ritual. Everything."
Her face changed.
For a brief instant, resentment flickered in her eyes.
That research was not something trivial. It was the result of years of effort, obsession, and painstaking accumulation. Handing it over so easily, especially to this man who was clearly taking advantage of the moment, naturally left a bitter taste in her mouth.
But the next moment, another thought rose in her heart.
Her wish.
Compared to that, what did a little research matter?
If she could achieve what she wanted, she was willing to pay any price.
Let alone this.
With that resolve, Suzuka reached up, took off the fawn shaped pendant hanging around her neck, and placed it in Gin's hand.
"All of my Taizan Fukun Ritual research is inside." Her voice was cold, but unwavering. "I hope you're a man who keeps his word."
Gin closed his fingers around the USB drive hidden within the pendant.
"No problem."
A faint light flashed in his eyes.
"I'll be waiting for your message."
The Taizan Fukun Ritual was originally something his future role as Abe no Seimei was destined to master. Studying it in advance would almost certainly push his role playing progress higher.
More importantly, if he could personally perform the Taizan Fukun Ritual, the increase in role playing progress would likely be even greater.
That was the real reason he had chosen to cooperate with Dairenji Suzuka.
It was a clean exchange.
Suzuka wanted to use the Taizan Fukun Ritual to resurrect someone precious to her.
And he needed that same forbidden ritual to advance faster.
They were each taking exactly what they wanted.
Previously, Gin had hesitated a little about working with Suzuka. The risks involved were not small. Even with Amami Daizen willing to help him from inside the Onmyo Agency, there were still certain people who would not let matters pass so easily if this became known.
But things had changed now.
If he wanted to push his role playing progress upward as fast as possible, then this level of risk was entirely worth taking.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 10–50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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