Chapter 23: Senjutsu

Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra were indeed baffled, yet greatly astonished.

Hikaru didn't bother hiding anything. For them to be so shocked by a human cultivating Holy Light was already something—but if they found out that even a devil like Yuuto Kiba could train and wield a Holy Sword, that would be even more extreme.

Nonetheless, Sona was a high-class devil who had seen her fair share of unusual things. After making a mental note to ask her older sister about this when she returned, she turned her attention back to Kishimojin.

"That aside, what brought you to a place like this?"

"I wanted to lift a curse from my sister."

Yayoi Hozuki was unnervingly calm, especially for a child her age. Even in a situation like this, her speech was measured and logical—a composure many adults lacked. After all, most normal people who first learn of the existence of devils end up acting like the sky just fell in.

"A curse?"

Sona silently dropped the question she'd had in mind—why not just ask a devil for help? Because while devils are good at placing curses, lifting them was something else entirely.

"Are you here alone?"

"Yes, my sister Eiko is just a normal person,"

the little goth girl said, casually hefting the crowbar in her backpack.

Her statement left Sona and Tsubaki at a loss for words.

They could tell Yayoi Hozuki possessed some abilities. In addition to Sacred Gear wielders, humans in this world could also be exorcists, jujutsu sorcerers, mages, psychics—any manner of special power holders. After some probing, Sona discovered this little one was actually a self-taught sorcerer. Her bravery and innate gift immediately stirred Sona's desire to recruit her.

"As for purifying her corruption, I might be able to manage it."

While they talked, Hikaru crouched down to examine Kishimojin. The deity, who was already half-dead from being skewered, could barely move. When she saw him so close, only raw fear remained in her eyes.

Hearing Hikaru's remark, Sona turned to him in surprise:

"You have a way to remove Kishimojin's corruption?"

She and Tsubaki both wore skeptical expressions. After all, Kishimojin was a decades-old fiasco in the Underworld, and even after Sona inherited this territory, she could do nothing but maintain a barrier to keep people out. If even the Underworld couldn't solve it, how could he?

"We can give it a try. But if I succeed, I'll expect some extra compensation."

He spoke matter-of-factly. He was happy to help, but not for free. Currently, his relationship with Sona was purely cooperative; they didn't share the same closeness he had with Rias.

"Agreed."

Sona nodded right away. They couldn't just kill Kishimojin, because all those stillborn infant spirits would have nowhere to go, potentially spawning even worse evil spirits. If she could be cured and return to her role, the souls of those short-lived infants would find peace.

Hikaru gave a slight nod and then summoned his "life flame," performing a technique meant to cleanse curses. From his perspective, the infant-vengeance corrupting Kishimojin wasn't much different from a curse or a case of "going berserk."

He gathered his life energy and extended the senjutsu across Kishimojin's entire body, causing her to convulse as though being electrocuted. Sona instinctively wanted to stop him, but remembering her trust in Hikaru, she held back. They all watched as Kishimojin's trembling slowly subsided, and the inky black miasma around her dissipated.

"It's actually working?"

Sona's face lit with disbelief.

A short time later, the last trace of miasma peeled away, and Hikaru stood up with a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead. He wasn't yet fully adept at senjutsu, and he'd had to invent his own curse-removal process. A stronger curse likely would have stumped him at this stage.

"You really did it…"

Tsubaki's normally cool face bristled with shock—not only at the outcome, but at the power Hikaru had displayed.

"That technique just now—was that senjutsu?"

Coming from a sorcery clan, Tsubaki was very attuned to Eastern-style powers like jujutsu and senjutsu. Seeing Hikaru finish his work, she finally asked him.

"Yes,"

Hikaru replied, making no effort to hide it. Humans could learn senjutsu, too, though it was much harder for them than for a yōkai or a deity.

Sona and Tsubaki found it utterly astonishing. It was already impressive for an ordinary person to master one ability. But so far, Hikaru had displayed devil magic, Holy Light, and now senjutsu. One individual, simultaneously commanding three different power systems—just where had this prodigy come from?

Compared to him, it felt as though only Sairaorg Bael among the Underworld's younger generation could stand shoulder-to-shoulder. Sona's eyes gleamed—if she could rally him to her side, it would be an incredible boon. Indeed, with that in mind, she became even more determined to deepen their bond going forward.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 20 Chapters Ahead of Others!