At this moment, the girl in a suit couldn't help but doubt the spell she had painstakingly cultivated.
Compared to him, she felt like a child playing make-believe.
"Wait a moment, young man—please stay. Do you currently belong to any official organization or magical authority?"
While most students remained confused and dazed, An Geji, a teacher of the people, reacted quickly and thought even faster.
A young talent who lacked formal magical training yet could casually eliminate a special-grade cursed spirit—such a person was a godsend to the magical world, which was in dire need of reinforcements.
If she could recruit this mysterious young man into Jujutsu High School... then perhaps the world would soon witness the rise of a fifth "Super Magician"!
"Sorry, miss. I don't plan to join any organization for now."
Ren looked at the beautiful shrine maiden, whose charming face was marred by a faint but terrifying scar.
Though Kurosawa Ren was moved by her sincerity, he still declined her offer without hesitation.
With the Demon Hunting App now in his possession, he could freely hunt to earn Saint Quartz.
Joining Jujutsu High School meant being forced to take on dangerous missions, throwing himself into fire and chaos for someone else's sake.
That kind of bargain held no appeal for someone like Kurosawa Ren, who valued a peaceful and stable life.
As for acquiring new mantra abilities or special-grade gift cards? He didn't need to beg anyone. He'd earn them on his own terms.
[Four-Star Commemorative Costume: Assimilation]
[Description]: An ability card awarded to the boy after exorcising his first cursed spirit.
"Teacher, will he win?"
"He will."
[Gift Effect]: While equipped, this gift allows the user to naturally convert magical energy into mantra without paying additional costs.
The special-grade curse spirit—born of the resentment of a dead infant—exploded into twenty full Saint Quartz upon defeat.
The remaining wolf-shaped spirits had their rewards doubled thanks to the effects of the [Three-Star Gift: Girl's True Love].
A 30% chance might not sound like much, but in practice, it paid off handsomely.
By the end of this battle, Kurosawa Ren had collected a total of:
35 Saint Quartz
3 Talismans
21 Saint Quartz Shards
Adding in what he had left over from the last mission—three crystals and a talisman—he now had:
38 Saint Quartz
4 Talismans
24 Saint Quartz Shards
Absolutely thrilling.
Absolutely satisfying.
This monster-hunting trip had yielded enough for a full ten-roll summon.
It was a massive win.
"So… in that case, would you at least give us a way to contact you?"
An Geji clenched her teeth, unwilling to lose such a rare and gifted talent.
The world was plunging into chaos. The government could no longer conceal the existence of cursed spirits.
To find someone as powerful as Kurosawa Ren was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was shameless, but she still asked for his contact information.
If they ever encountered another special-grade cursed spirit, at least they could try to reach out to him for help.
Ren saw no harm in agreeing to such a harmless request.
He pulled out his phone and exchanged numbers with both An Geji and Miwa Kasumi.
"Thank you, Kurosawa-kun!"
It was this young man who had defeated the cursed spirit—and saved her life.
Looking at the bright, handsome figure before her, Miwa Kasumi's pale face turned beet red.
She quickly grabbed her katana, bowed deeply, and disappeared with An Geji around the corner.
"You're really not going to join Jujutsu High?" Mizaki Ming watched them leave, blinking her red eyes curiously. "Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High are the only two schools in the entire country that formally train sorcerers."
"You're already this strong. If you learned to harness actual magical energy, you could easily take your power to the next level."
"No need. I have my own path."
Of course, Kurosawa Ren wasn't about to reveal that with the Assimilation Card, he could already convert magic into cursed energy on his own.
He turned his gaze to the quiet spirit hiding behind Mizaki and smiled.
"Mizaki, aren't you going to introduce your new friend?"
"This is my sister—Fujioka Misaki. But she insists on using my surname now. So, you can call her Mizaki Misaki."
"Hello, I'm Kurosawa Ren."
He politely extended a hand toward the ghost girl peeking out from behind Mizaki Ming.
"Big brother… I'm Misaki. Thank you for helping onee-sama."
"Stop calling me that! It's weird—so weird!"
Unlike her aloof older sister, Misaki Misaki was lively and open.
At first, she shyly clung to her sister's shadow, but after a brief chat, she was calling Ren "Onii-chan" and cuddling into his arms like a spoiled kitten, refusing to let go.
"Hehe~ Onii-chan's arms are so warm... Misaki hasn't felt warmth like this in forever."
"Can my magic really make you feel warm?"
Even though she was technically a ghost, Ren could feel her skin and contours against him.
From his perspective, she felt cold to the touch—like soft jade. Delicate, smooth, and finely shaped, just like a living girl.
Perfect for cuddling in the scorching summer heat.
"Get up! How shameless! Lying in a boy's arms like that—aren't you embarrassed?!"
The usually calm and collected Mizaki Ming blushed furiously, trying to pull her sister away with her little hands.
Mizaki Sisters: Total Contrast.
It had to be said—they looked nearly identical. Same face. Same petite build.
But their personalities? Total opposites.
Even though Ming acted mature and rational, she still had her cute moments when caught off guard.
"No! I won't let go!"
Misaki clung to Ren like a limpet, soaking in his warmth as if her very soul depended on it.
She rolled around in his chest, unwilling to be pulled away.
"You little brat! If you don't come out right now, don't even think about going home tonight!"
"Ugh, Ming, you're so annoying!"
Ultimately, sisterly authority triumphed over ghostly clinginess.
Misaki made a funny face, then reluctantly slipped back into Ming's shadow.
"It's getting late. Let me take you home."
From the moment they arrived at the cursed site to now, several hours had flown by.
The sky was draped in nightfall, ink-black and vast.
Starlight shone down, scattering shadows across the ground.
Kurosawa Ren reached into his cloak and pulled out his Ceremonial Gift: Armored Cavalry Motorcycle.
With a flick of the wrist, a silver-gray motorcycle materialized out of thin air.
"Vrrrooom—!"
The engine purred low and powerful. Twin headlights pierced the night.
"You're seriously a weird guy," Ming muttered.
After everything today, she wasn't even surprised anymore—not even when Ren summoned a motorcycle out of nowhere.
"Vrrrrooom…"
Revving the engine, Ren took off in style with Mizaki Ming riding behind him.
A streak of light trailed behind as they vanished around the corner.
"My sister passed away from leukemia a year ago... but she didn't move on. She turned into a ghost, and now she lives inside my shadow."
"To understand her condition, I gradually got pulled into this whole supernatural mess."
The night wind howled as city lights flickered around them.
As they entered the city, Ren slowed down, weaving carefully through the bustling night market. He was in high spirits.
Like Artoria Pendragon, the famous Saber-class Servant, his Riding skill was also at Rank B.
He could control any non-magical mount with ease.
The seasoned rider drove with smooth precision.
In the breeze, Mizaki Ming opened up and began sharing her story.
"Misaki has two powers. The first lets her fuse with me—our bodies become one. When that happens, my speed increases drastically, my strength is enhanced, and my attacks gain cursed energy."
"The second power lets her teleport within a three-kilometer radius... but it puts a huge strain on her body, so I rarely let her use it."
"..."
"This kind of bond… kinda reminds me of Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto."
Ren listened intently to her soft voice, recalling that infamous couple from Jujutsu Kaisen.
After Rika's death, she left Yuta with her technique and cursed energy reserves.
Together, they were nearly unstoppable.
That's why Yuta Okkotsu was one of only four special-grade sorcerers in the world.
If Misaki were like Rika... that would've been perfect.
But, unfortunately, she wasn't quite on that level.
"We're here."
While chatting, they'd arrived at Mizaki Ming's home.
She lightly hopped off the backseat, ready to say goodbye.
But the shadow behind her suddenly twisted—and a petite black form leapt out, merging into Ming's body.
"Onii-chan, it's still early. Won't you come in and stay a while?"
Warmth and softness pressed into him again.
The once-cold Mizaki Ming now smiled warmly, acting all lovey-dovey.
Her delicate little hand tugged at his sleeve as she cuddled into Ren's chest, pouting and pleading.
"I don't mind."
Kurosawa Ren smiled helplessly.