The moment Maki Zen'in confidently declared her intentions, Kurahashi Kyōko was struck speechless.
She clenched her fists quietly, biting her lower lip in frustration. Maki had only known Akiyama Ren for a few days—and yet here she was, boldly claiming her stake like it was nothing. It felt shameless. Unfair.
More than anything, Kyōko felt… defeated.
After all, she wasn't just here by chance. Her grandmother had given her a mission: to get close to Akiyama Ren, understand his abilities, and, if the opportunity allowed, become someone important to him. Maybe even his partner.
And yet—despite her objective—Kyōko had hesitated. She couldn't let go of her pride, her image as a proper daughter of the Kurahashi family. She valued the friendship she'd built with Ren, but as for taking the next step... she wasn't ready to cross that line.
Still, the sting of being outpaced was real.
By noon, the awkward tension had faded slightly, replaced by the focus of training. After finishing lunch together, Ren began another round of magical instruction for both Maki and Kyōko.
As the lesson started, Kyōko pulled out a slim, leather-bound notebook and handed it to Ren with both hands.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"It's... from my family's archives," she said, her tone shy but earnest. "I've been learning so much magic from you lately, and I felt guilty not giving anything in return. So... I copied down all the Onmyōdō techniques in our collection. Both Pan-Style and Modern-Style."
Ren opened the notebook and leafed through the contents. Meticulous hand-copied diagrams, sigil formations, barrier calculations—it was a treasure trove of spiritual techniques. Even as someone who had assimilated multiple supernatural systems, Ren could respect the value of traditional Onmyōdō.
"You copied all of this without your grandmother knowing?"
Kyōko hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. "She… doesn't know."
Ren blinked, then let out a short sigh. Naive girl.
To her, it was a gesture of trust. But in the eyes of most exorcist clans, it would be considered borderline treason. These techniques were family heirlooms—secrets passed through generations.
Still, Ren had no intention of giving it back.
Once something was in his hands, it became his. If the Kurahashi clan wanted it back, they'd have to come ask themselves.
But would they really dare?
With a faint smile, Ren closed the notebook and stored it inside a barrier scroll. "All right. In exchange for this, I'll teach you some higher-tier magic today. Something worthy."
Kyōko's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?!"
She had already experienced the overwhelming versatility of the foreign magic Ren wielded. Compared to conventional Onmyōdō, his spells felt more fluid, powerful, and less constrained by ritual.
Ren took a moment to review the archive of magical systems in his spiritual network, selecting a set from the God-Slayer World. It was filled with ancient deities, magic that defied logic, and warriors who merged sorcery with sheer physical might.
For Maki, who was a natural close-range brawler with no cursed energy but tremendous physical strength, Ren selected three synergistic spells: Body Reinforcement, Destruction Aura, and Calamity Purification.
These were spells drawn from a battle-mage archetype, one used by a fierce warrior woman in that world—someone whose fists could shatter magical barriers and whose strikes purified curses.
Perfect for Maki.
For Kyōko, whose strengths lay in mediumship and barrier manipulation, Ren chose more support-oriented magic: Spirit Mediumship, Wind Calling, and Aria of Binding—a melodic spell that enhanced her Shikigami and strengthened defensive wards through song resonance.
He began instructing the two with calm precision. Maki was a quick learner, adapting combat-based magic into her martial flow. Her body already refined by the rigors of Heavenly Restriction, she seamlessly absorbed Body Reinforcement, layering it over her natural strength.
Kyōko, meanwhile, was more methodical. She asked detailed questions, her Onmyōdō background helping her grasp the structural logic of foreign spells quickly. With her voice trembling from excitement, she successfully summoned a supportive wind Shikigami—one powered by both her ancestral rites and Ren's guidance.
As they trained, Ren split off a shadow clone imbued with memory-seal binding, assigning it to analyze the Onmyōdō text in greater depth. There were bound to be unique binding rituals and esoteric spells worth integrating into his arsenal.
The afternoon melted into dusk.
Eventually, Sakura and Hotarugusa emerged from the kitchen, calling out that dinner was ready. The trio paused their training, washed up, and gathered around the long table in the dining room.
During the meal, Hotaru Gusa raised her head suddenly, blinking her large eyes. "Master," she said sweetly, "there are still so many rooms in the house. Can Yuki-nee, Hakuro-nee, and Ubume-nee live with us too?"
Ren paused mid-bite, chopsticks hovering in the air.
He hadn't thought about it, but the question was fair.
He had ten Shikigami in total, each contracted through a modified version of the Ten Shadows Technique. Hotarugusa, Kyonshi Ani, and Kyonshi Imouto were usually outside with him, but the others—Yuki-onna included—remained in the Shikigami Domain, like sleeping guardians waiting to be summoned.
It wasn't exactly fair treatment.
Still, some of his other Shikigami, like Shiro Mujou and Kuro Mujou were adult male spirits—it wouldn't be appropriate for them to live in the same space, especially with the girls.
(I know what you're gonna say about this and I agree)
Kyonshi Ani was an exception—he still appeared as a child, and his spiritual energy reflected a young mental state.
After a few moments of thought, Ren smiled.
"Sure," he said. "Tomorrow, I'll purchase the villa next door. The others can move in there. That way, everyone gets their space."
"Yay! Master is the best!" Hotarugusa beamed.
Kyonshi Ani and Kyonshi Imouto lit up with excitement. They, along with the others, had been bound to the Ten Shadows Technique—a legacy technique passed down through the Zen'in clan. Even though they resided in the shikigami realm, the bonds they shared were genuine. Letting their elder siblings join them in the physical world felt like a family reunion long overdue.
Maki Zen'in, who had been sipping tea, raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Wait, Ren… you use the Ten Shadows Technique?"
Kurahashi Kyōko nodded before Ren could reply. "You didn't know? He can replicate your family's technique—perfectly."
"What? That's impossible," Maki said, blinking in disbelief. "There's already a current successor. How could there be another?!"
Ren simply smiled. "My Innate Technique is called The Alpha-Omega Codex. It allows me to analyze and reproduce any technique—sorcery, onmyōdō, even cursed techniques—down to its deepest essence. I don't copy them… I integrate them."
He explained again what he had once told Kyōko, laying out the foundations of his unique ability. But this time, with Maki's knowledge of cursed techniques and Heavenly Restriction, the implications struck far deeper.
Maki sat frozen, her jaw slack. In a world where sorcerers were lucky to awaken even a single cursed technique, someone capable of wielding all of them wasn't just powerful. He was divine.
"That means…" she hesitated, then leaned forward, intensity flaring in her eyes. "You can use Infinite Void?"
Ren gave her a sly grin. "Wanna see?"
He activated his Six Eyes. His dark irises turned an ethereal shade of crystalline blue, reflecting infinite layers of cursed energy calculations. A soft glow radiated from them, and the surrounding atmosphere distorted subtly under the weight of domain expansion.
"It's really… the Six Eyes," Maki whispered, awestruck.
"Touch my palm," Ren offered, raising his hand.
She did as instructed—but when her fingers came within five centimeters of his skin, they stopped. A nearly invisible veil of cursed energy halted her. No matter how much strength she used, she couldn't break through.
"The Infinity," she murmured. "This really is Gojo-sensei's technique…"
Her previous understanding of Ren's strength crumbled, reformed, and shattered again. Before her stood someone who had transcended bloodlines, houses, even the shackles of technique compatibility.
Kurahashi Kyōko then asked with a knowing smirk, "Did you tame those shikigami last night?"
"I did," Ren replied. "All seven of Hotaru Gusa's siblings now serve under my Ten Shadows."
"I knew it!" she said, hands on her hips. "Only you could've caused such a ruckus last night. The whole spiritual energy network lit up like a beacon."
Earlier that morning, Kyōko's father, Kurahashi Genji, had called her. His words were firm: "Whatever it takes—befriend Akiyama Ren, align yourself with him. The Onmyo Agency will even send Tsuchimikado Natsume and Dairenji Suzuka to support you."
(See attached)
Apparently, Ren's value had reached the attention of the highest echelons.
And with reason.
He was no longer just a sorcerer.
He was a walking anomaly—a god in the making.
Little did they know...