Chapter 18 — Sword Spirit
"So, there's one more thing you need to keep in mind for this mission."
"The so-called general rule of 'attack the Tsukumogami's core'—throw it out."
"Unless there's absolutely no other choice, do not damage a Tsukumogami's main body. If a shikigami's core is injured, its strength as my shikigami will be permanently reduced…"
I see now.
As Nishimiya Momo continued her explanation, realization dawned on Ren.
On the way here, he'd been openly envious of Momo's ability to fly. After successfully deciphering the Flame Curse's technique, he'd even been considering copying her flight ability.
Yet no matter how carefully he observed her, he never once saw her activate an innate technique—no gestures, no telltale cursed energy flow. There was nothing he could analyze or replicate.
So that was the reason.
The so-called "flight technique" wasn't Momo's technique at all—it was the ability of the broom Tsukumogami.
Momo's true innate technique wasn't flight.
It was Tsukumogami Manipulation.
And now everything else made sense too.
No wonder someone with only semi–Grade Two strength was participating in a Grade One exorcism.
She wasn't backup.
She wasn't support.
She was the core of this entire operation.
Ren had thought he was here to exorcise a curse.
Turns out, he'd wandered into a game of Pokémon instead.
If you stretched the analogy a bit, Momo was the trainer, and he was the Poké Ball.
You could always look for another Poké Ball—but without the trainer, the whole mission would be meaningless.
"…That's the situation in a nutshell."
Momo clenched her small fist, eyes shining.
"Let's go, Ren!"
"…Hey."
Ren rubbed his forehead, black lines practically forming above his head.
"Could you not say it like that?"
"I'm not Pikachu or Bulbasaur, you know…"
...
No long after stepping into the dōjō, they were greeted by a corpse.
The body had been cut cleanly in half at the waist, blood soaking a wide stretch of the floor.
"Be careful," Nishimiya Momo whispered from midair. "We're already inside the curse's activity range."
Ren nodded lightly, eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings.
They'd been warned this was a curse with extremely aggressive attack tendencies—though even without that reminder, Ren would have stayed on high alert. Having only recently entered the jujutsu world, he treated cursed spirits with extra caution.
Under the veil of night, everything felt indistinct and oppressive. As they moved deeper inside, they encountered more bodies—broken, scattered. Most of the dead wore swordsman training uniforms, shattered wooden swords still clutched in their hands.
Dōjō disciples, most likely.
Ren couldn't help but feel a chill. What must they have felt in their final moments, watching the treasured blade they worshipped daily suddenly turn into a killing curse?
No—
From their perspective, it would have been even worse.
Ordinary people couldn't see cursed spirits. To them, it wouldn't have looked like a monster at all—just a beloved sword suddenly leaping up and slaughtering people on its own.
That was far more terrifying.
Ren shook his head, forcing the image out of his mind, and continued scanning the area.
Then he noticed something.
Across an artificial stream, on the grassy lawn beneath bluish-green shadows of trees, stood a person.
Judging by the silhouette—female.
Her features were obscured by shadow, but she wore the same white training uniform as the corpses they'd seen earlier. In her right hand was a katana, and her black hair was tied back into a practical ponytail.
The grass rustled.
The black-haired, white-clad woman stepped forward, revealing a face with downcast eyes and an expressionless calm.
A dōjō disciple?
What—weren't all personnel supposed to have been evacuated?
No—wait—
"—Whoosh!"
A violent tearing sound split the air.
In an instant, all doubt vanished from Ren's eyes, replaced by a screaming sense of danger.
"Move!" he shouted, kicking off the ground and leaping sideways.
Crack—crash!
From the woman's position straight toward where Ren had been standing, a fissure ripped across the ground. Bricks and stone exploded upward, and an instant later came a thunderous boom as the wall behind him collapsed completely.
Ren turned back toward the "woman."
In her right hand, the blade gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
It was a real sword—not a wooden one.
His gaze rose to her face again, and this time he noticed something chilling.
Beneath the tree shadows, where her ears should have been, there were instead a pair of pure white wings.
"Damn it." Ren spat under his breath.
So much for assumptions.
This was his first time encountering a curse that looked this human. He'd almost made a fatal mistake.
At least ordinary people had it easier—
To them, this would just look like a cursed sword attacking on its own, not a mysterious swordswoman.
"…A human?"
From the startled sound Momo made in midair, it was clear she'd nearly fallen for it too.
The curse, however, had no such hesitation.
Its first strike having missed, it immediately raised its blade again.
Shhhk!
Another shrill sound tore through the air.
An invisible slash—formless, unseen—shot straight toward Ren.
His brows knit together as he jumped again, narrowly avoiding it.
The moment his feet hit the ground, his eyes locked onto the curse's sword arm.
This was bad.
Its slashes weren't like his cursed-energy blades. They were invisible, impossible to see—he could only judge them by posture and the direction of sound.
If he tried to clash head-on with visible cursed blades, he'd be at an inherent disadvantage.
"Wind Scythe!"
Just as Ren was considering his options, Momo's clear shout rang out from above.
She twisted her broom midair, snapping the tail end upward.
Whoosh!
An invisible air blade shot forth—just as formless as the curse's attack—racing straight toward it.
Nice!
Ren's eyes lit up.
Turns out this "Pokémon Trainer" actually was useful. Her broom wasn't just for flying—it could launch cutting attacks too, evenly matched with the sword curse!
But before his relief could settle—
The sword spirit remained utterly calm. It simply raised its blade once more.
Clang!
A sound like colliding steel rang out as the two invisible slashes met head-on in midair.
Then—
Crack.
"Huh?"
Momo stared blankly at the half-length broom handle left in her hand.
A split second later, realization hit.
"Waaah—?!"
She screamed incoherently as her body plunged downward.
Ren shot forward, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Waaah—!"
"Stop screaming," he said calmly. "You're safe."
"…Huh?"
Cradled in Ren's arms, Momo froze. It took her a moment to process the situation.
"R–Ren…"
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her small face flushed crimson, filled with embarrassment and guilt.
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