Sense

"Family technique?" Yoshi questioned, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Yes, our clan's main business centers around crafting cursed tools. Creating cursed tools is our secret family technique. We're not originally sorcerers, but we can embrace that path if we choose to, all while continuing our family trade," Yoshi's grandmother explained.

Although just a 4-year-old, Yoshi couldn't grasp most of what her grandmother said, yet she nodded in agreement.

A ninja suddenly materialized and knelt before them.

"Lady Kairi, the three major clans have sent representatives to offer their condolences."

"I will meet them. Take Yoshi to her room and send a maid to attend to her."

"Y-yes," the ninja replied, fear evident in his voice.

As Lady Kairi departed, the ninja stood behind Yoshi and softly assured her, "Young lady, please proceed. I'll guide you from behind and keep you safe."

"Okay," Yoshi agreed, her thoughts still consumed by her parents.

Soon, she found herself in her room, drifting into sleep. The bandage covering her eyes became bothersome, prompting her to remove it unconsciously during her slumber. She only awoke the following morning.

The maid assigned to Yoshi woke up early, rousing the rest of the servants to start their day and thinking about attending to the young lady.

Yoshi woke up early due to her lengthy rest. As the door to her room opened, she gazed upon the maid.

Upon locking eyes with the Yoshi, an excruciating scream escaped the maid, her body contorting in pain.

"AAARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Ninjas swiftly arrived, and Lady Kairi rushed to Yoshi's room at the same time.

Confused, Yoshi turned her gaze towards one of the ninjas, puzzled by the sudden screams. The ninja, too, writhing in agony, his cries of pain echoing through the mansion. The other ninjas recoiled, and Lady Kairi's voice rang out as she reached Yoshi's room.

"Yoshi, close your eyes!"

Yoshi complied, her grandmother's urgency clear in her tone.

"Rest of you, remove the bodies, and don't return until I instruct you."

Ninjas moved the now motionless bodies from the scene.

Observing her granddaughter amidst the chaos, Lady Kairi couldn't help but think, 'Even in all of this, she remains unafraid, even in her confusion.'

"Yoshi, do you understand what just happened?"

"Yes. The maid and the ninja screamed when I looked at them. Grandma, am I scary?"

Yoshi's innocent question hung in the air. 'Right, she's still a child. I need to explain carefully,' Lady Kairi thought as she sat down beside Yoshi, retrieving the bandage with a talisman from the floor.

"Yoshi, you're not scary. You've inherited the eyes of our Shifuin clan. They're a special-grade cursed tool created by our ancestors. Your father used to possess them as the previous clan head. Now, you've inherited them from him."

"But I didn't scream when he looked at me."

"That's because it doesn't affect our family members. Outsiders will be hurt, though. Do you want to hurt anyone?"

"No. Yoshi won't hurt anyone unless they make me angry."

"Good girl. Now, don't remove the bandage, alright? If you don't like it sometimes, You can see me with your eyes."

"What can these eyes do, Grandma?"

"Your eyes grant good clairvoyance—never mind. You can see very far, souls, and cursed energy in great detail, better than a normal sorcerer. Yoshi, just remember, don't use your eyes to look at living people."

Yoshi didn't understand most of the terms but she still had something in her mind.

"But why can't I use my eyes to see anyone?"

"You'll gradually understand as I train you. For now, refrain from using your eyes."

"Okay, but..."

Yoshi agreed, yet the lingering question remained.

"Why did they scream though? Why can't I see others with my eyes?"

"Sigh~, this cursed tool intended to replicate the six eyes of the Gojo clan, but the result was imperfect. The members of the Gojo clan of that time came to know about the experiment and cursed the tool, causing us to be unable to look into outsiders' eyes. Regardless, get ready. Your training begins today."

The remaining maids returned to their tasks, tending to Yoshi. They carefully drew a warm bath, their hands steady despite the unease that lingered in the air.

As they washed her, their movements were cautious. Yoshi's dangerous power had left an indelible mark on their minds, a reminder of the potential consequences.

Once the bath was complete, they draped her in a training dress. Their eyes betrayed a lingering fear. Though their hearts trembled, they did not dare to be careless.

In the vast ground filled with various talismans, Kairi stood with Yoshi standing in front of her.

"Now, let's begin with basics. Cursed energy comes from negative emotions. Humans emit cursed energy continuously, which results in cursed spirits. But we sorcerers are different; we contain it and use it to exorcise curses and cursed spirits. You will work hard from now to be a good sorcerer while I teach you our clan's secret techniques."

"Grandma, what does exorcising a cursed spirit mean? Does it mean defeating it?"

"Yes. Now, without controlling your cursed energy. You can't do anything, even learning our clan's techniques is impossible, let alone exorcising curses. So, I will be teaching you how to control and increase your cursed energy."

"Increase?"

"You already have a lot of cursed energy which you are born with, but a sorcerer can increase their cursed energy by generating it from even the faintest spark of negative emotion. Granted, it won't be a massive increase, but it's a significant enough amount."

"Why? You said I already have more."

Despite Yoshi's childish questions, Kairi patiently explained.

"I will answer it if you manage to control your cursed energy. I will teach you how to do it, but before that, you have to sense it. Close your eyes and try to feel the cursed energy around you."

Curious about what her grandma said, Yoshi closed her eyes and felt the surroundings. She can 'see' a powerful presence in front of her. There are also many people in her home, though they are not intimidating, and there are even normal presences outside her home. She understands that these are people around her.

"Can you 'sense' everyone near you?"

"Yes."

"Now, remember that feeling and open your eyes."

Following her grandmother's instructions, Yoshi immediately felt the difference. Her perception is even better now that she's seeing reality along with the blackish illusion surrounding the world. Her eyes grant her tremendous quality and range in perception.

"Your eyes provide you with vast perception no normal sorcerer can use. Other sorcerers like me look at the world similarly but just have a small range, and probably, our perception of souls is weak compared to yours. You'll get used to this in a few days; sensing cursed energy doesn't need any effort."

"Now then, take this doll."

Kairi gave Yoshi a kids' doll, it appeared from a piece of paper in her hand. Seeing such a cute doll along with a trick, Yoshi brimmed with excitement, but as soon as she held the doll, it vanished out of existence.

Her eyes dimmed, and she felt like crying.

"Now now, if you cry, I will not give that doll to you."

With tears almost from her eyes, Yoshi said, "But Grandma! The doll is gone!!"

"Who said it is gone?"

Yoshi looked in front of her eyes to see the doll on the ground.

"The doll is still there. You aren't just unable to hold it because you lack control over your cursed energy. If you want to hold it, you should channel your cursed energy into it."

Until evening, Yoshi tried to hold the doll but no matter what she did, the doll would vanish when she tried to touch it.

'It's going to be one long lesson, especially with this child,' Kairi thought, looking at the stubborn-looking Yoshi trying hard to hold the doll while cursed energy was escaping from her body continuously.