Chapter 17 — Tsukumogami Manipulation
"Well?"
Once Ren had settled into place, Nishimiya Momo asked with a cheerful grin, her tone light and teasing.
"Pretty comfortable, right?"
"Yeah."
Ren nodded, a flicker of surprise crossing his brow.
It really was unexpected.
The moment he sat down, a gentle current of air lifted and supported him, fitting perfectly to the curve of his hips. It felt softer than the finest cotton—yet at the same time, its support and stability surpassed any sofa he had ever sat on.
"Hold tight—we're taking off!"
"H–hey, wait?!"
The broom surged forward in a burst of wind and shot straight out the door.
Caught completely off guard, Ren's body pitched backward. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Momo by the shoulders.
The petite girl was yanked backward by his grip, her entire body tilting with his. At the same time, their shared center of gravity shifted, and the broom's handle snapped upward, sending them rocketing straight toward the ceiling.
"What are you doing?! Grab the broom, not me, you idiot!"
"Huh?!"
Ren hurriedly let go and reached for the handle instead.
At the same time, Momo clenched her teeth and fought to regain balance, desperately adjusting her control. Just before they slammed into the ceiling, she finally managed to twist the broom's trajectory—
Only for a wall to suddenly loom right in front of them.
"Hey, hey, hey—senpai! The wall! The wall!"
...
The two of them went crashing and swerving through the hallway, zigzagging wildly as they blasted out in a blur, knocking over a trash can that sent it rolling across the floor, paper scraps flying everywhere.
At the classroom doorway, Miwa and Mai stared at the chaotic scene, exchanging blank looks.
"…Do you think those two will really be okay?"
"I–I think so…" Miwa said uncertainly.
"Ren is… really strong, after all."
---
Meanwhile, having already climbed high into the sky and finally stabilized—no longer flailing in panic—Ren was fully immersed in his first-ever experience of flight.
This was the first time he had ever looked down upon Kyoto from above.
Night had already fallen.
Beneath the deep indigo sky, layers upon layers of buildings rose like silhouettes, bathed in brilliant lights—an urban nightscape so beautiful it was almost unreal. High above, fierce winds rushed toward him, making his breathing slightly labored. Cold air slipped down his collar and into his sleeves, sending chills through his body.
Ahead of him, the girl's golden hair fluttered wildly in the wind. Stray strands brushed lightly against his face, carrying with them a faint, delicate fragrance that tickled his skin. The crisp night air mingled with that subtle scent, and as Ren breathed it in—gazing at the dazzling city below while watching streaks of clouds and fading twilight race across the sky—he felt his mind clear, his spirits lift.
Flying really was far faster than navigating traffic-choked city streets—especially during rush hour.
After barely ten minutes, they descended in front of a courtyard surrounded by white walls and blue tiles, with upturned eaves and ornate brackets—a complex built in a distinctly traditional architectural style.
Several black sedans were parked in front of the vermilion gate, and a group of staff members in suits were already waiting.
"Report the situation," Nishimiya Momo said smoothly the moment her broom touched down, addressing a man who hurried over.
"Yes."
The middle-aged man with black hair immediately began.
"All personnel inside the dojo have been evacuated. Residents within a fifty-meter radius have also been fully cleared."
"However, by the time we received the initial report, casualties had already occurred. There were three confirmed deaths at that time. While we were en route, another seven deaths and one injury were reported."
"That makes a total of ten dead and one injured."
The man sucked in a sharp breath.
"Even the sole survivor is critically injured. His left leg and right arm were severed at the root. He lost a massive amount of blood and is currently unconscious. He's undergoing emergency treatment, but his survival is uncertain."
"So please be extremely careful. This is an attack-specialized curse, with exceptionally strong aggression and lethality."
"Do we know what the curse looks like?" Ren couldn't help asking.
The man glanced at him. "It's a Sword Spirit."
"A sword… spirit?"
"A curse transformed from a sword. It possesses the form of a blade—and the killing power of one as well."
"A curse from a sword?" Ren frowned, confused.
"Something with a physical form? But aren't curses usually—"
"I prefer to call them Tsukumogami," Momo interjected crisply.
Her usually youthful face was uncharacteristically serious, shedding much of its childishness and giving her the air of a seasoned senior.
"That's the traditional name—and the general classification for this type of curse."
"Tsukumogami…" Ren repeated, rolling the unfamiliar term around in his mind.
"You already know that curses are entities born from the accumulation of human negative emotions," Momo continued.
"Normally, they don't possess a physical body—their form is made entirely of cursed energy."
"Tsukumogami, on the other hand, are created when ancient objects are steeped in curses over long periods of time. They're a special class that exists somewhere between cursed objects and curses."
"Unlike ordinary curses, they rely on a physical vessel and therefore have a tangible form. But unlike cursed objects, they possess autonomous consciousness."
Ren nodded. "Understood. Is there anything special we should be careful about when dealing with them?"
"Because they have a physical core, directly attacking that core can damage them," the man explained.
"That's a general rule when fighting Tsukumogami."
"Additionally, this curse originated from a famous sword enshrined within the dojo."
Noticing that Ren was a newcomer, he elaborated further:
"A dojo is a place where people clash, compete, and struggle—an environment that naturally accumulates violence, anger, frustration, and resentment."
"A sword itself is also a symbol of killing. It instinctively attracts those kinds of curses."
"When negative emotions converge around such an object, the curse born from them naturally becomes extremely aggressive and lethal."
"Therefore, during this mission, you must be especially cautious of its attacks."
"Actually…"
Momo pressed her lips together slightly before speaking again.
"You've already encountered this kind of curse before."
"…What?"
Ren frowned.
When had he ever seen one?
Up to now, he'd only faced curses twice. The blue-haired stitched-face curse? Or something from the abandoned factory—perhaps the flame curse? Could that have been formed from a boiler or gas tank?
No—modern objects like boilers didn't exactly qualify as ancient artifacts.
Seeing his confusion, Momo broke into a grin.
"You're sitting on it right now."
"…What?!"
Ren sprang up in alarm and looked down at the broom floating in midair beneath him.
Don't tell me—
"That's right."
Momo cleared her throat and spoke solemnly.
"This broom is a Tsukumogami."
"My innate technique—Tsukumogami Manipulation—allows me to subdue such curses and turn them into shikigami under my control."