Chapter 92: Mysticism Teaching (BONUS)

"First of all, I need to emphasize that evil spirits are not inherently frightening."

"Often, the human heart is far scarier than any evil spirit."

"After all, most evil spirits are born from human emotions."

Ren knew he had to set an example for the girls.

At the very least, he needed to ease their fear—otherwise, they wouldn't be able to face the spirits properly.

"There are two main causes for the birth of evil spirits."

"The first is an unwillingness to accept fate."

"Most evil spirits originate from those who were killed, their strong refusal to die becoming the negative energy that fuels their existence."

"The second is unresolved emotions, hatred, jealousy, love, or an obsession too powerful to fade."

"These emotions can also lead to the creation of evil spirits."

He explained the common causes of spirit formation in simple terms.

"Of course, there is a third, special case."

"A Beyonder with Beyonder characteristics can transform into an evil spirit under specific circumstances, retaining self-awareness."

"But that scenario shouldn't exist here."

At this moment, Fujiwara suddenly raised her hand.

"Teacher Amamiya, why wouldn't it exist here?"

"Because there should only be one Beyonder in this world."

Ren dismissed the thought outright.

There were no other Beyonders in this world.

And without other Beyonders, there was no possibility of one becoming an evil spirit.

"So, the third scenario is nearly impossible."

"Given what I just explained, the key takeaway is that evil spirits are not terrifying."

"And more importantly, the power you've obtained can be used to counter them."

Ren paused.

"To clarify, the elemental abilities Sanzenin and Miss Maria acquired can be used against evil spirits."

"But the Ice-Ice Fruit that Shinomiya-san obtained doesn't naturally counter them."

"However, Shinomiya-san can enhance the abilities of the Ice-Ice Fruit."

"Evil spirits are a form of negative energy, and energy follows certain rules of motion."

"So…"

"Absolute Zero."

Kaguya immediately understood.

Evil spirits required negative energy to sustain their existence. Since energy is a form of motion, it could, in theory, be stopped.

Thus, Absolute Zero could halt the movement of energy.

"Amamiya-san, that doesn't sound easy to achieve."

"It isn't."

Ren confirmed her concern.

Absolute Zero was the theoretical limit of the Ice-Ice Fruit.

According to his analysis, it should at least be able to freeze the negative energy of evil spirits in place.

However, once the mystical aspect was factored in, it wasn't just energy motion that needed to be considered, positional variables also came into play.

That meant Absolute Zero should be effective against beings below the demigod level.

If faced with a demigod or higher, its effectiveness would likely diminish.

That said, in this world, there were no beings above the demigod level.

This, Ren was certain of.

Therefore, if Kaguya mastered the Ice-Ice Fruit's full potential, she wouldn't have any issues dealing with enemies below the demigod level.

Of course, this was also the absolute limit of a Devil Fruit's abilities.

"The power of a Devil Fruit also depends on training and application."

"You may not be able to do it now, but at least it's possible."

"This should be your goal for the future, Shinomiya-san."

After addressing Kaguya, Ren turned to Ran.

"The real challenge lies with Mouri-san."

"The ability she obtained is purely physical, and she isn't accustomed to supernatural occurrences."

Ran was at a complete disadvantage when it came to dealing with spirits.

Her abilities had almost no effect on them, and her inability to adapt to the supernatural was a major issue.

Ran understood this all too well.

"S-Sorry…"

"There's no need to apologize, Mouri-san."

Ren reassured her.

"Everyone has their own weaknesses."

"Being afraid of spirits isn't a failing. I was afraid of them, too."

"In fact, my fear was far worse than yours."

"Having a weakness is normal. The important thing is whether you choose to confront it."

That was the key.

Ran's fear wasn't a problem in itself, what mattered was her willingness to overcome it.

Taking a deep breath, Ran understood she couldn't let this fear hold her back forever.

She would likely encounter evil spirits multiple times in the future. If she remained frozen in fear, she would only drag everyone down.

So, she had to keep improving.

"I… I'll try my best."

Though her face remained pale, Ren could see that this was a major step for her.

After all, people naturally avoided what they feared.

He didn't expect Ran to suddenly become fearless overnight.

But just having the determination to try was already a significant improvement over running away.

"That's good."

Ren offered her some words of encouragement.

"Mouri-san, don't pressure yourself into overcoming your fear immediately."

"We all have weaknesses to work on."

"…Yeah."

Though still nervous, Ran felt a little better.

It would take time for her to fully adapt, but at least she was willing to try.

"Now, about the situation on this island."

"Despite the large number of evil spirits, as I mentioned earlier, they lack self-awareness and act purely on instinct."

"And because the people responsible for their deaths are still on the island, their instinct is to roam the entire area."

"However, because their range of movement is so vast, their negative energy is spread thin, making their impact on humans minimal."

"The worst they can do is cause nightmares or affect someone's mental state."

"In other words, this is a great opportunity."

"Mouri-san, would you like to accompany me tomorrow?"

Since the spirits on this island were less aggressive, this was a good chance for her to gradually acclimate.

Ran hesitated for a moment but ultimately took a deep breath.

"…Alright. I'll go with Amamiya-san tomorrow."

However, after making the decision, she seemed to waver.

"B-But Amamiya-san, let's take it slow tomorrow…"

"Of course."

"In that case, I'll join too!"

With both hands on the table, Sonoko, who had been quietly listening, suddenly stood up.

***

Bonus for 1200 PS next bonus at 1400 PS. Don't forget our goal guys, it's almost weekend xD.

Support me on patreon to read 20+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.