Chapter 168 — Marrying This Man and Bringing Him Home Would Be Pure Bliss, Wouldn't It?
When humans subconsciously shout out loud, it is often to bolster their own courage, much like most animals do when intimidating enemies or prey; it is an instinct left over from ancient times.
A developmental history of a few thousand—at most ten thousand—years is not enough to completely overwrite this behavior engraved in our genes.
Thus, we can simply view those who like to yell at every turn as examples of atavism.
However, there are also martial artists who have undergone special training. Every shout accompanying their attacks is truly capable of regulating their own state, maximizing their force-delivery techniques.
Miwa Kasumi, who lacked that professional training, naturally couldn't achieve that level of effect, but for jujutsu sorcerers, this act holds another layer of meaning.
That is: helping them rapidly stir up their emotions, thereby increasing the production and activity level of Cursed Energy. Just like right now—
BOOM!!!
This was truly a scene of "flames reaching the sky." Because Miwa Kasumi hadn't fully grasped the specific amount of Cursed Energy required to wield the technique, and because she didn't want to disappoint Emiya, she poured her Cursed Energy into the blade all at once.
The pitch-black flames, like a gaping abyss swallowing everything, erupted forward, spreading straight out for dozens of meters before dissipating once they had nothing left to latch onto.
Under the devastation of this power, even the ground that was only grazed by the edges was left with a piercing, concave surface ranging from shallow to deep, with the deepest point reaching over a meter.
Regardless of the level of control or practicality, the raw power was absolutely up to standard.
"I... I did this?!"
Miwa Kasumi looked down at the shimmering blade in her hand, completely unable to process what had happened.
She had only subconsciously increased the Cursed Energy output because she was afraid the power she tested would be too small, but how could the result be this exaggerated?
Miwa Kasumi even wondered if [Emiyamaru] truly had a mind of its own, like a demonic blade draining her Cursed Energy dry.
But after careful perception, she found that her own Cursed Energy reserves were still abundant; she could perform an attack like that at least three more times. Was she really this
powerful? She almost didn't recognize herself. Even if you gave her a shovel, it would take over half an hour to achieve the effect she saw before her, wouldn't it?
"It looks like the results are acceptable."
"This is only 'acceptable' to you?!"
Miwa Kasumi instinctively wanted to retort to Emiya's evaluation, but then she realized—the man could probably achieve this effect whenever he pleased. She was the only "clown" here.
"Yes. Since you've only just mastered the Cursed Tool, you still have plenty of room for improvement. Don't forget to practice diligently from now on."
Emiya knew that if the anticipated war truly broke out, the students of the Kyoto school would inevitably be sent to the battlefield. He couldn't tell her exactly what was happening; with insufficient strength, knowing the truth would only bring Miwa unnecessary worry. It was better for her to be "cluelessly happy" like this.
"Don't worry, Emiya-kun, I will definitely do my absolute best!"
When someone has practically hand-fed you, if you don't put in the effort and action, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself. Even if only considering the power of the technique the blade just displayed, it was more than enough to handle most Grade 1 Cursed Spirits. However, "it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel"—relying solely on a Cursed Tool for improvement was clearly not enough.
Miwa Kasumi didn't need to learn too many other skills; the [New Shadow Style] alone was enough to take her to a certain level. After all, wasn't Kusakabe Atsuya, the man touted as the strongest Grade 1 sorcerer, at the forefront of this specific field?
On the other hand, Emiya still hadn't learned much in the way of Barrier Techniques—especially since he had recently given "Tengen" a "reality check." He probably couldn't even fully deploy a [Curtain] yet. He felt it was time to put solving this problem on his schedule.
"Oho, it's quite lively here. Principal Yaga would definitely want to punch someone if he saw this, wouldn't he?"
Sensing that things had progressed far enough, Gojo Satoru popped out of a corner at the right time, bringing Miko along with him. As an outsider, Yotsuya Miko didn't have the authority to wander freely around Jujutsu High, but things were different when Gojo Satoru was the one leading her.
"Eh, EH?! Is that so!
I... I'm so sorry!"
Before actually coming to the Tokyo school, the old Miwa Kasumi had always had a wish: to personally meet her idol, Gojo Satoru.
One shouldn't underestimate this man's lethality toward women—who wouldn't like a tall, lean, and uniquely perfect-looking member of the opposite sex?
Most importantly, not just women, but all living creatures have a tendency to admire the strong. Is there anyone with more "strongman appeal" than Gojo Satoru, the consensus [Strongest] of the jujutsu world?
However, this emotion usually only exists before one truly gets to know the person. Like expectation itself—once the expectation is met, there's nothing left. Miwa Kasumi's current goal was very clear, but for Gojo Satoru, the "Strongest" who supported the jujutsu world, she truly viewed him as a senior and an idol.
Human beings are indeed strange creatures—thinking about "eating" (marrying) someone on one hand, while treating that person's peer as an elder on the other. It's practically immoral!
"Don't tease her like that. It won't take much effort to repair anyway, and I was the one who asked her to test the power."
Emiya walked in front of Gojo and waved his hand, then fixed his gaze on Miko behind him. "Are you in a hurry to leave? Or did this guy Gojo drag you here?
If you're not in a rush, why don't you come over to my place for dinner?"
"!!!"
Though it wasn't a formal invitation, it was an invitation nonetheless. Who knew how long Miko had been waiting for this day?
"I'm fine with that, Emiya-kun. Your cooking is excellent, after all."
While her mind was laughing, Miko's face didn't change much. She only wore a slight smile—a technique for controlling expressions she had practiced for years.
A girl must not show her emotions too proactively; in almost every story, characters like that—or pure tsunderes—get eliminated without suspense.
Although truth be told, even if she wanted to, she couldn't show overly intense emotions; she was already used to this composure.
"If you're fine with it, then that's great. It's always livelier with more people."
'Wait, 'more people'... what does that mean?!'
By the time Miko realized what those words implied, it was too late. Emiya had already turned his head and extended an invitation to Miwa Kasumi as well: "So, Miwa-san, would you like to join us too?"
"Yes, I can come too!!"
For a moment just now, Miwa thought she was going to lose... it seems it's far from time to lose! Even a "useless" Miwa has her uses, because she has a powerful support group of best friends who can provide her with clever strategies to win by surprise at any time.
But Miko's side was lacking. Her big-chested best friend (Hana) only thought about food and hunger; could she provide any effective help? Too weak!
Thus, tens of minutes later, four people sat around the small dining table in Emiya's home, forming a rather tragic "triangular" standoff. Aside from Gojo Satoru, who had placed all his attention on the delicious food in his bowl, the two young girls were still secretly observing each other.
Gojo Satoru didn't deign to observe the movements of these little girls. Because there were many people, Emiya had prepared a lot of food this time. Being shrewd, Gojo had already started eating what was in his bowl while eyeing what was in the pot. When it comes to eating, nothing is more important than the meal itself.
Unlike the simple-minded Gojo Satoru, Miwa Kasumi had already simulated dozens of possibilities and plans in her head; she was just one step away from pulling out her phone to exchange intel with her "military advisors." But just as she was about to find an excuse to take action, the aroma of the food wafted over to her, causing her body to have an honest reaction immediately.
Grumble—
Hungry!
Why does it smell so good? Maybe just one taste? To make it to the Tokyo school, she hadn't even eaten lunch; her body had protested several times already.
Having made her decision, Miwa Kasumi immediately picked up her spoon and gently stuffed a bite of food into her mouth. Her taste buds and brain were instantly conquered by the flavor—
Who knew what kind of life Miwa had lived before? To support her two younger brothers, she had always been as frugal as possible. The food she ate was either made by herself or cheap bento; there was never any sense of enjoyment. But compared to the delicacies before her, what was the difference between the food she used to eat and chewing on wax?
Now, only one thought remained in Miwa Kasumi's mind:
'If I married this man and brought him home, my life in the future would be incredibly happy!!!'
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