After thinking for a moment, Akira brought up another matter.
"Maybe we should talk about Black Flash first."
"There's nothing more I can teach you about that." Satoru Gojo waved his hand. "If you really want to learn Black Flash, you'll need someone who's better at using it than me."
"So you know someone?"
"Of course. I've already contacted him." Gojo grinned. "You'll be teaming up with him for a mission. You can leave today."
Hearing that, Akira immediately pictured a reliable adult man.
Someone who was good at Black Flash, experienced in actual combat, and capable of teaching others. If Gojo was recommending him, his abilities should be beyond question.
"No problem," Akira agreed. "But if you're sending someone who's better at Black Flash than you, and you want me to accompany him, I assume our opponent isn't ordinary?"
"That's right." Gojo nodded. "We're dealing with an organization of Curse Users. You've never fought Curse Users before, have you?"
"I haven't."
Akira understood what Gojo was getting at.
Fighting a Cursed Spirit and fighting a human were two different things.
Most Cursed Spirits relied on instinct. Even powerful ones could be predictable once their abilities were understood. Curse Users, however, could think, plan, cooperate, and set traps.
Having superior strength did not guarantee victory against an intelligent opponent.
In fact, carelessness could easily turn an advantage into a disaster.
"Since we're dealing with Curse Users, can you give me another two days?" Akira asked.
He wanted to prepare as many options as possible before the mission.
"Two days?" Gojo considered it briefly before shrugging. "Sure. But three days at most. I can't delay the mission forever."
"That's enough."
Akira smiled with satisfaction.
Ralts had taken three days to hatch, while Pancham had needed only one. His third Pokémon should be ready within that time as well.
After all, he had obtained this Pokémon Egg from a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit.
There was no way the reward would amount to nothing more than a prerequisite for learning Black Flash.
At least, that was what Akira believed.
Author: Third Magus
Unfortunately, reality had a habit of disappointing people.
Three days passed.
Then came the fourth.
Akira had already counted the extra day into his plans, thinking that four days should be more than enough for the Third Pokémon to hatch.
The result?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
For four days straight, Akira had practically lived with the Pokémon Egg in his arms. He held it while sleeping, carried it wherever he went, and checked it whenever he had a chance.
Yet there wasn't the slightest sign of movement.
Not even a small reaction.
"Seriously, how long are you planning to stay in there?"
Akira looked down at the thing in his hands and sighed.
Strictly speaking, calling it an egg wasn't entirely accurate.
Unlike Ralts and Pancham's eggs, this one didn't even have a proper shell.
It was a strange mass of black and white energy, with something resembling black flames or mist constantly circulating around its surface.
The two colors mixed together without completely blending, giving it an appearance that was difficult to describe.
If the System hadn't clearly identified it as a Pokémon Egg, Akira would have assumed he was carrying a Cursed Womb.
And considering where it had come from, that misunderstanding would have been perfectly reasonable.
After all, this was something obtained from Rika Orimoto, a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit.
It would have been stranger if it turned out to be completely ordinary.
There was another difference as well.
Unlike the previous two Pokémon Eggs, this one could freely switch between a physical and an intangible state.
Sometimes Akira could touch it like an ordinary object. At other times, his fingers passed straight through it as if he were touching a cloud of mist.
Fortunately, that strange property also made it convenient to carry around.
He didn't need to worry about breaking it or finding somewhere to store it. He could simply keep it with him wherever he went.
The only problem was that he had absolutely no idea what was inside.
"What kind of Pokémon are you, anyway?"
Akira couldn't help wondering.
If the Pokémon's quality corresponded to Rika Orimoto's status as a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, would it turn out to be a Pseudo-Deity?
Or perhaps a Mythical Pokémon?
Surely it couldn't be an actual god like Makoto.
Thinking of that possibility, Akira laughed at himself.
He was getting ahead of himself again.
Whatever hatched from the egg, he would raise it properly. When it came to training and taking care of others, Akira was quite confident in his own abilities.
At the very least, he could guarantee that much.
As for the Pokémon's identity, he would find out sooner or later.
For now, he had something else to deal with.
He had already made an agreement with Satoru Gojo, and it was time to meet the person who would teach him Black Flash.
According to Gojo, this was a reliable adult man.
And when Akira finally met him, he realized that the description was surprisingly accurate.
A cup of coffee.
A newspaper.
An immaculate white suit without a single visible crease.
The man's shirt and tie were perfectly arranged, and his blond hair had been combed neatly into place.
Even the way he sat gave off the impression of someone who followed a strict daily routine.
The only unusual part of his appearance was the strange eyewear resting across the bridge of his nose. Akira couldn't immediately tell whether it was a specialized detection device or simply a pair of sunglasses.
Apart from that, the man looked exactly like a Wall Street elite who handled transactions worth millions with a few taps on his keyboard.
It was difficult to imagine someone dressed like this spending his days fighting Cursed Spirits.
When the man noticed Akira approaching, he immediately set down his newspaper and stood up.
There was no attempt to act superior because of his age or seniority.
"You must be Akira. I'm Kento Nanami. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Nanami."
Akira gave a slight bow.
For a brief moment, the polite greeting and formal atmosphere made him feel as though he had returned to his old workplace.
Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long.
Because the next words out of Nanami's mouth were anything but polite toward a certain someone.
"What on earth is that man thinking?"
"Hm?"
"I understand arranging for you to learn Black Flash, but sending someone your age to fight Curse Users? What exactly is Mr. Gojo planning?"
Nanami adjusted his glasses, clearly displeased.
Akira thought about it for a moment.
"Maybe he trusts us?"
"Trusts us?"
"Yes. He probably thinks we're both reliable enough to handle it. You and me, Mr. Nanami."
"No."
Nanami shook his head without hesitation.
"He's probably just being lazy."
"..."
Akira couldn't immediately argue with that.
Considering Satoru Gojo's usual behavior, it was an entirely reasonable conclusion.
"By the way, Akira, how did Mr. Gojo introduce me to you?"
"Your personal information?"
"Yes."
"Well..."
Akira recalled Gojo's exact words.
"Kento Nanami, twenty-seven years old. Lives in Tokyo. Unmarried."
Nanami nodded.
"So far, that's correct."
"He used to work as an ordinary office employee at a securities company. Every night, he worked overtime until eight before returning home."
"Continue."
"He doesn't smoke and only drinks occasionally. He goes to bed at eleven every night and makes sure to sleep for eight hours."
Nanami's expression began to change.
"Before going to bed, he drinks a glass of warm milk and spends twenty minutes stretching. Once he lies down, he falls asleep immediately and sleeps soundly until morning."
"..."
"He wakes up feeling refreshed, with no fatigue or stress left from the previous day. Even the doctors say he's perfectly healthy."
Akira finished reciting the introduction.
For several seconds, Nanami said nothing.
Then he adjusted his glasses.
"I don't do stretching before bed."
"Oh?"
"And when I worked at the securities company, I often stayed much later than eight."
"I see."
"More importantly, none of those details have anything to do with this mission."
Nanami's expression remained completely serious.
"There's only one thing you need to understand."
"What is it?"
"Work is crap."
"..."
"Overtime is even more crap."
Akira nearly applauded.
What a wonderful statement!
A man dressed like a successful financial executive, wearing the most serious expression imaginable, had just delivered the kind of complaint that countless working adults would agree with.
If there was ever a sentence that represented the feelings of ordinary employees everywhere, this was certainly one of them.
As expected of Kento Nanami.
Unfortunately, Nanami had absolutely no idea what Akira was thinking.
He simply continued speaking in the same matter-of-fact tone.
"Therefore, regardless of what Mr. Gojo has arranged, there is one rule you must follow while working with me."
"Please go ahead."
"We start at nine in the morning and finish at six in the evening."
Nanami paused to make sure Akira understood.
"Absolutely no overtime."
"That still sounds like a regular job," Akira muttered.
"Exactly."
Nanami nodded as though Akira had just said something perfectly sensible.
"When I was studying at Tokyo Jujutsu High, I realized something. Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is also crap."
"..."
"I left and became a salaryman, only to discover that ordinary work was no better."
Nanami picked up his coffee and took a sip.
"Since both are crap, I decided I might as well choose the one that suits me better. That's why I returned to the Jujutsu World."
He put the cup down.
"Don't misunderstand, though. My way of thinking is very different from Mr. Gojo's."
"In what way?"
"I trust him, and I rely on his strength."
Nanami answered without hesitation.
"But I don't respect him."
Akira almost laughed.
There it was again.
First came the famous complaint about work and overtime, followed immediately by another famous statement about Satoru Gojo.
He had barely met Nanami, yet he was already hearing one memorable line after another.
What a pity.
Nanami was a genuinely good person, but he was still an ordinary human rather than a god.
If he had possessed a status comparable to Makoto's, perhaps he could have seen through the limitations of Jujutsu Sorcerers and found a way beyond them.
Of course, that was only Akira's idle thought.
Nanami had already moved on.
"Anyway, Akira, you'll be accompanying me on this crap job."
"Understood."
"I only have one expectation."
"What is it?"
"That you yourself aren't crap."
"..."
Akira considered the standard he was being held to.
Then he smiled.
"If we're using Satoru Gojo as the benchmark, I think I can be quite confident."
Nanami looked at him.
"Explain."
"First, I'm never late."
"Good."
"Second, I don't go around messing with people just because I'm bored."
"Very good."
"Third, I don't suddenly disappear and leave my responsibilities to someone else."
Nanami nodded in satisfaction.
"Those are all basic requirements for being a decent person. Please don't use Mr. Gojo as your standard."
"Understood."
Even though his words were sharp, Nanami looked genuinely satisfied with Akira's answers.
Akira smiled slightly.
This was exactly the kind of person Kento Nanami was.
He complained about work, criticized people without hesitation, and made no effort to hide his dislike of unreasonable behavior.
But beneath that strict attitude, he was considerate of others.
Even his complaints about Gojo came partly from the fact that he didn't approve of sending a young student into a dangerous mission without proper preparation.
A sharp tongue and a soft heart.
That description suited him perfectly.
"All right, Mr. Nanami. What's next?"
"Originally, I planned to spend one or two days helping you adapt."
"Adapt?"
"Yes. Before taking you into an actual fight, I wanted to evaluate your abilities and explain how Black Flash works in practice."
Nanami glanced at his watch.
"Unfortunately, we received an urgent notice from the higher-ups. The mission can no longer be delayed."
"So we're going straight into action?"
"That's right. I'll have to teach you while we carry out the mission."
He sounded distinctly unhappy about the arrangement.
"Situations like this are common in the Jujutsu World. It's also one of the crappiest parts of this job."
Akira wasn't particularly bothered.
"It's fine. Black Flash isn't something I can learn just by listening to an explanation anyway."
"That's true."
"And without a worthy opponent, there wouldn't be much value in trying to use it."
Akira spoke casually, but Nanami's expression immediately grew serious.
"Akira."
"Yes?"
"There's something I need to make clear before we begin."
His tone changed enough that Akira straightened his posture.
"Our opponents this time are Curse Users."
"I know."
"Then you should also understand that they're human."
Nanami looked directly at him.
"Fighting a human is different from exorcising a Cursed Spirit. They can think, make plans, and deliberately exploit your weaknesses. Some of them are willing to do things a Cursed Spirit wouldn't even consider."
Akira listened without interrupting.
"More importantly, there's the matter of taking a human life."
Nanami continued in a firm voice.
"A Cursed Spirit can be exorcised without hesitation. But when you're facing another human, every decision carries a different weight."
He paused briefly.
"Don't treat this as another training exercise just because you want to learn Black Flash."
Akira understood.
Nanami wasn't questioning whether he had enough strength to defeat a Curse User.
He was warning him about what might happen once he actually fought one.
An intelligent enemy could set traps, use hostages, or force him into situations where strength alone wouldn't solve the problem.
And if the fight reached the point where someone had to die, the responsibility for that decision would remain with him.
That was something no amount of combat training could completely prepare him for.
Nanami watched him carefully.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Akira nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Nanami."
"Good."
Nanami finally relaxed his expression a little.
"Then let's get ready. We have work to do."
"From nine to six?"
"From nine to six."
"And no overtime?"
"Absolutely none."
Hearing that firm answer, Akira couldn't help smiling.
At the very least, working with Kento Nanami was already looking much more pleasant than working with Satoru Gojo.