"Dark red! It looks dangerous, and in the domain space, it seems like Ryuji is using some kind of slashing technique!"
"Slashing technique?"
Nanami said nothing, simply shaking his head.
Clearly, the domain he was seeing was completely different from what others were describing. If this wasn't some kind of illusion, then there was only one explanation.
No one believed Nanami or anyone else would joke about something this serious.
"This is impossible!"
For thousands of years, there had never been a sorcerer who could open two domains.
"Hahahaha!"
Instead of concern, Gojo burst into laughter.
"Interesting! Really, really interesting!"
Upon realizing that Ryuji might be capable of wielding two domain techniques, Gojo's first reaction wasn't panic, but sheer excitement. With his overwhelming confidence in his own abilities, he wasn't one to feel threatened easily.
"I originally thought Ryuji's technique was similar to Yuta's imitation technique, but it seems to be something even more advanced!"
An imitation technique couldn't copy domains, nor could it combine multiple abilities simultaneously. But Ryuji seemed to have no such limitations.
After a moment of silence, Gakuganji finally spoke up in the conference room.
"So… is there any chance we could recruit him?"
Before, they hadn't thought too much about it. But now, if there was even a sliver of a chance, Gakuganji wanted Ryuji on their side.
Unfortunately, when Gakuganji looked around, both Nanami and Gojo were shaking their heads.
"That kind of guy won't sell his freedom for a few perks," Gojo said with a grin.
The most intriguing thought, however, was Gojo's own curiosity. "I wonder… would he be able to use my techniques one day? My Limitless technique? Or maybe even my domain, Infinite Void?"
The Limitless technique required specific principles to reach its full potential. But if it came to Infinite Void, it was a different story.
"…"
No one responded to Gojo's musings. They lacked his strength, and more importantly, his unwavering confidence.
Late at night, as quiet settled over the city…
In her room, Utaha sat alone, staring at her laptop with a helpless expression.
"Is it really impossible for me to awaken a technique?" she muttered to herself.
Despite knowing that Ryuji wouldn't treat her poorly even if she couldn't awaken a cursed technique, there was a pang of envy in her heart. Especially when she thought of her friends Miko, Hana, and Mai all possessing unique abilities within their group. Even Yukino and Yumiko had awakened their own techniques.
Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, staring blankly at the laptop screen. Though she had become a sorcerer, Utaha hadn't forgotten her original passion: writing light novels.
She wasn't doing it for the money; it was something she truly loved. And even with her new life as a sorcerer, she continued her work, though it was getting harder to balance everything.
"I feel like my time is running out," she muttered, staring at the empty document on her screen.
Should she give up?
As she typed away aimlessly, her mind drifted. After a long stretch of silence, she let out another heavy sigh.
"If only my cursed power could just… suddenly increase on its own," she typed, her fingers moving almost without thinking.
After a moment, she looked back at her screen. She had typed the thought aloud, though it had no bearing on her story. She was about to delete it when—
"Huh?"
Utaha froze. She suddenly felt a strange surge inside her, as if her cursed energy had inexplicably increased. Given that she had only a minimal amount to start with, this sudden boost was startlingly noticeable—nearly doubling her initial reserves.
"How… how is that possible?" she whispered.
She looked down at the line she'd typed. Her eyes brightened with a realization.
"No way…"
Heart pounding, she deleted the sentence, but her cursed energy remained stable. Pausing only a moment, she tried typing something new.
"It's going to be windy outside."
Nothing happened.
Had she just imagined it? Or was it just a random fluke?
Determined to try again, Utaha revised the sentence. "Outside the house, a strong wind will blow!"
Still, no response.
She rewrote it one more time, more specific this time: "In ten seconds, a strong wind will blow outside my house."
Ten seconds passed.
Then—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust whipped up outside her window.
"That's it!" Utaha's eyes lit up. She had actually done it. She had awakened a technique!
Excitement flooded her, until she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She began coughing, crimson droplets staining her hands, and her fingers cramped painfully.
"Backlash…" she realized.
Ryuji had once told her that certain powerful techniques came with a risk of backlash. The stronger the technique, the harsher the consequences, with some potentially costing the user their life.
But Utaha was overjoyed, not afraid.
The backlash only confirmed that she had, indeed, awakened a cursed technique. If she hadn't used a technique, there would be no backlash.
"Haha… Hahahaha!"
Laughing despite the pain, Utaha wiped the blood from her lips. Her first thought was to rush and tell Ryuji. She quickly gathered her things, shoving a tablet into her bag instead of a laptop, it would be enough for her writing.
Even though it was dark, she didn't care. She wanted to show Ryuji her newfound power. She could only imagine the look on his face when he realized she'd finally awakened her technique.
Elsewhere, another person was wrestling with similar thoughts, Eriri, sitting in her room, sighing as she stared at her sketchpad.
"If only I could awaken a technique too…"
Yukino's ice powers, Yumiko's fire abilities… Eriri envied them both.
If only she could awaken a technique as well.
But unlike Utaha, Eriri didn't have an all-consuming obsession. She wanted a technique, yes, but she wouldn't let it haunt her. If it happened, it happened. If not, oh well.
"Anyway, that pretentious writer didn't awaken a technique either!" she muttered smugly, thinking of Utaha. As long as she wasn't the only one without powers, she could make her peace with it.
Little did she know, her rival's situation had changed drastically.
Humming, she picked up her brush, gazing blankly at her empty sketchpad.
"Ugh, the deadline's looming…"
As an artist known for her suggestive art style, Sawamura had a submission deadline coming up fast. But with everything happening recently, she'd been unable to draw anything.
"Really, I have zero inspiration right now!"
Holding the brush in her hand, she absentmindedly started drawing a large, cartoonish cat on her blank page.
"Maybe it doesn't even matter anymore," she mused aloud. "With the world going crazy, who cares about deadlines?"
Before she knew it, she had drawn a large cat on the page. It was simple, almost childlike in its cartoonish proportions.
Poof!
To her shock, the cat moved, as if brought to life. It began swimming across the page and then jumped out of the sketchpad entirely.
"Wha—?!"
Eriri stumbled back, shocked. She wasn't sure if she was seeing things.
As the cat leapt off the page, she tentatively waved at it, and the cat responded, coming closer to her.
"Did… did I do that?" She could hardly believe it.
She hadn't been trying to summon anything special, but there it was a large cartoonish cat, fully alive and responding to her.
"This… this has to be my technique!"
Eriri felt a rush of excitement. Ordinary art didn't just come to life like this. She must have awakened a technique, and it seemed linked to her drawings.
In her joy, she began to laugh. The cat, as if understanding her excitement, began to prance around her, mirroring her mood.
However, just as she was about to celebrate fully, she felt an intense wave of exhaustion. Her cursed energy reserves were drained, and she collapsed to the floor.
"Wha… I'm so… tired…"
Without enough cursed energy to sustain the cat, it started to fade, retreating back into the drawing as she lay there, too weak to move.
"Man… I'm just… so sleepy…" she murmured as she drifted off into an exhausted sleep, a faint smile still on her face.
"Why on earth is she sleeping on the floor?"
Sayuri had heard some noise coming from Eriri's room and walked over curiously. When she peeked in, she saw her daughter fast asleep on the floor, surrounded by an empty drawing board and scattered art supplies.
Shaking her head with a hint of exasperation, Sayuri whispered, "This girl…" She guessed that Eriri had likely been working late and just collapsed from exhaustion. Without thinking too much about it, she picked her daughter up and placed her comfortably on her bed.
After adjusting Eriri's blanket, Sayuri glanced at the empty drawing board and sighed softly. "I wonder if she's struggling with inspiration again…"
As she quietly left Eriri's room, a thought crossed her mind. "Come to think of it, it's been a while since I last saw Ryuji…"
Her cheeks warmed as she remembered their last meeting, and she found herself feeling a bit nervous. She resolved to make plans to see him again soon.
---
Meanwhile…
Ryuji was lounging at home when he suddenly heard a rapid knock at his door, followed by a familiar voice.
"Ryuji! Ryuji!"
Recognizing the voice, Ryuji strolled over to open the door, stifling a yawn as he did so. Before he could greet his visitor properly, Kasumigaoka Utaha all but threw herself at him, her face flushed from running.
"Utaha? What's going on?"
Just then, a system notification echoed in his mind.
"New entry detected from contact with target: Kasumigaoka Utaha. Golden entry available. Load entry?"
Ryuji blinked in surprise. A golden entry from Utaha? This was unexpected. But as intriguing as it was, he pushed the thought aside for now, focusing instead on the clearly exhausted girl in front of him.
"Are you… hurt?" he asked, noticing the faint pallor of her skin and the slight trembling of her hands.
Utaha shook her head with a tired but bright smile. "I'm fine… just a bit worn out."
By now, Mimiko and Nanako, Ryuji's housemates, had come out of their rooms, rubbing their eyes sleepily.
"Utaha?" Nanako asked, surprised to see her standing at the door so late at night.
Utaha gave them a quick nod, acknowledging their presence, but her attention quickly returned to Ryuji.
"Here, let me heal you first," Ryuji said, activating his RCT to treat whatever minor injuries or exhaustion she might have accumulated.
While he worked, the two sisters exchanged curious glances, picking up on the tension and the unusual situation. It was clear that something significant had happened.
Once the healing was complete, Utaha let out a sigh of relief, visibly more at ease. The residual pain from her earlier experience had faded, and she felt much better.
"Thanks, Ryuji," she murmured. Then, with a playful smile, she added, "Guess why I'm here?"
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Awakened a technique, didn't you?"
Utaha's smile widened. "Bingo."
The sisters, Mimiko and Nanako, exchanged looks of amazement.
"So, that's why you're hurt?" Nanako asked. "Was it the backlash from using your new technique?"
Utaha nodded. "It's… a bit more powerful than I expected."
Ryuji's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Show me."
Utaha pulled out a tablet from her bag. Under everyone's watchful gaze, she typed a simple sentence on the screen:
"In five seconds, a flame will appear in front of me."
Five seconds later—
Whoosh!
A small flame, about the size of a basketball, flickered to life in mid-air before her. It lasted only a moment before vanishing, but the strain was immediate. Utaha's face turned pale, and she coughed, a hint of blood appearing on her lips.
"Whoa! That's incredible!" Mimiko said, wide-eyed.
Ryuji quickly placed a hand on Utaha's shoulder, activating his RCT again to ease the strain and heal her.
"Your technique… it's like a written version of the Cursed Speech technique," Ryuji observed thoughtfully.
Mimiko and Nanako nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's similar to the Inumaki family's Cursed Speech technique, but it's activated through writing instead of speaking."
Utaha, now feeling a bit more stabilized, grinned. "It's pretty amazing, right? I can make anything I write come true… within reason, of course."
Ryuji's expression turned serious. "Just be careful. Techniques like this come with heavy backlash if overused, especially if you try to do something big. You need to be cautious until you can master the RCT yourself. I won't always be around to heal you."
Utaha nodded, fully aware of the dangers. But she looked at Ryuji with a spark in her eyes, as if to say, I'll work hard to catch up.
Ryuji chuckled, seeing her determination. "Well, there's one downside to this, though."
Utaha tilted her head. "What's that?"
"You probably won't be able to keep writing light novels."
Utaha looked surprised, but she quickly realized what he meant. Since her technique activates based on writing, even something innocuous like storytelling could potentially trigger it.
"Ah… that's true," she said, a bit wistfully. "I guess I'll have to put my light novels on hold."
But then her expression softened, and she smiled warmly at Ryuji. "That's okay. I've found something more important to me now."
Ryuji's heart skipped a beat as he looked at her, feeling the sincerity in her gaze. He didn't say anything, but his eyes softened in response.
Meanwhile, Mimiko and Nanako were watching with a mixture of amusement and resignation. Utaha seemed to sense their presence again and turned, raising her chin slightly in a playful challenge.
"You two have had Ryuji's attention all this time. Tonight, it's my turn," she said with a teasing smile.
The sisters rolled their eyes but relented, heading off to other rooms without a word. There were plenty of vacant rooms in Ryuji's house, after all.
With a soft laugh, Utaha slipped her hand into Ryuji's and led him toward his room. "Ryuji, I'm here to stay tonight."
---
In the early hours before dawn, as Utaha finally drifted off to sleep in his arms, Ryuji opened the system screen, his curiosity piqued by the new golden entry.
"Golden Entry: Curse Script"
The description confirmed what he suspected, Utaha's technique allowed her to alter reality through written words, similar to Cursed Speech but activated through text. It was powerful, versatile, and came with considerable backlash if overused.
"Load Entry?"
Ryuji chose to load it, feeling that even though it overlapped with some of his other abilities, it could still prove useful. There was always some value in adding new layers to his power.
"[Talent entry system]
Host: Ryuji Hoshino
Bloodline: Human
Loaded entries: Soul Devouring [Red], Yin-Yang Eyes [Gold], Presence Concealment [Gold],Tranquility [Gold], Reverse Cursed Technique [Gold], Monster Attracting Physique [Gold], Third Dimension, Dreamwalker [Gold], Physical Strengthening [Gold], Cursed Speech [Gold], Shadow Manipulation [Gold], Malevolent Shrine [Gold], Blackbird Manipulation [Gold], Idle Transfiguration [Gold], Anti-Gravity System [Gold], Horizon of the Captivating Skandha [Gold], Binding Technique [Gold], Curse Script [Gold]Iron Fist [Purple], Combat Intuition [Purple].
Points: 80,120!"
As he scanned through his list of loaded entries, he couldn't help but notice how his powers were steadily expanding.
---
The next morning…
In the Service Club room, Ryuji had just sat down when he heard someone calling his name excitedly.
"Ryuji! Ryuji!"
He turned to see Sawamura Eriri bursting into the room, her face lit up with excitement as she clutched a blank drawing board.
The other members of the club looked up curiously as she approached, seemingly oblivious to their attention.
"Ryuji! I… I've awakened my technique!"
Ryuji blinked, nodding at first, but then did a double-take. "Wait, what?"
Just yesterday, Utaha had awakened her technique. And now Eriri, too?
Originally, Eriri had planned to meet Ryuji last night.
But unexpectedly, she'd fallen asleep, exhausted from using up her cursed energy. When she woke up in the morning, she barely had time to rush to school.
Finally, during lunch break, she had her chance.
Excitedly, she wanted to show off her newfound abilities to Ryuji and the others.
Yukino and the rest, who had been getting ready to practice, paused and looked over curiously.
"What kind of technique did you awaken?" Yukino asked.
"Hehe!"
Eriri grinned, but didn't answer directly. Instead, she took out her drawing board and shot a smug, provocative glance at Utaha.
See, I'm ahead this time!
"…"
Utaha didn't say anything, but she raised an eyebrow. This silly girl... does she really think she's won just because she awakened a technique?
Under everyone's curious and slightly puzzled gaze, Eriri started drawing on her board. Thanks to her artistic skills, it didn't take long for a creature to take shape on the paper.
"Come forth!" she commanded, waving her drawing board dramatically. The creature she'd drawn suddenly sprang to life, flying out from the page.
The unexpected scene left everyone stunned, including Ryuji, whose eyes widened in surprise.
"So, what do you think?" Eriri looked at Ryuji eagerly, clearly hoping for his praise.
"Very impressive!" Ryuji didn't hesitate to compliment her.
Just based on this performance, it was clear that Eriri's awakened ability had a lot of potential.
"With enough spiritual energy, you might even be able to draw some powerful creatures," Ryuji mused. Compared to Utaha's curse-based technique, Eriri's ability was actually quite versatile—and potentially even more powerful.
"Hehe!"
Eriri didn't care what anyone else thought. Hearing Ryuji's praise made her beam with happiness.
She couldn't resist throwing another smug look at Utaha. "Jealous?"
She was clearly thinking, Look at me, I've awakened a technique, and you haven't!
Her thoughts were practically written all over her face, which only made Utaha roll her eyes.
In the past, she might've felt a little envious. But now...
"It's undeniable, this is a pretty powerful ability," Utaha said, nodding. She wasn't going to deny Eriri's talent, especially after Ryuji had acknowledged it.
But then she added, "It's just a shame it's in your hands."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Eriri snapped, clearly offended. "Are you saying I can't draw? If anything, this technique suits me perfectly!"
Utaha shrugged. "Oh, I'm not questioning your drawing skills."
She pointed at the creature Eriri had summoned. "But don't you see anything... off about what you just drew?"
"What's wrong with it?"
Eriri looked down at her creature, ready to argue, but then froze. In her excitement, she hadn't paid much attention to what she was drawing. Now, staring at it, she realized it was... a mass of tentacles.
Why did I draw so many tentacles?
Without looking up, she could already feel the others' amused and slightly puzzled gazes.
"So," Utaha said with a smirk, "I guess you just revealed your... tastes."
"Bang!"
The summoned creature vanished, as if bursting like a bubble. Partly because Eriri didn't have enough cursed energy to maintain it, but also because she was beyond embarrassed.
"What's the big deal? At least Ryuji said my technique is strong!" Eriri huffed, trying to brush it off, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
She looked like a petulant child, which only made teasing her more fun for Utaha.
Smiling with barely concealed amusement, Utaha pulled out a tablet and looked at Eriri. "Well then, would you like to see my technique?"
"???"
The other girls, except for Ryuji and the Kaba sisters, who already knew, looked over curiously.
They'd thought Eriri was the only one who'd awakened a technique. But now it seemed that Utaha had as well.
"You... you have a technique too?" Eriri's eyes widened in disbelief.
Is this woman my nemesis or something? Eriri thought. She'd only just awakened her own ability, and now Utaha had one as well.
If Utaha could read Eriri's thoughts, she would've laughed. I can't help when my technique awakens, can I?
"Hmph! Well, I doubt your technique is as useful as mine," Eriri said, still confident. "I just need to build up my cursed energy a bit more."
"Oh, really?" Utaha smirked. "Let's put that to the test."
Without another word, she began typing on her tablet.
"What are you doing?" Eriri asked, confused.
"Just wait thirty seconds," Utaha replied casually. "In a moment, a breeze will blow your drawing board right out the window."
"???"
Eriri looked skeptical. "Utaha, are you crazy? I'm holding the board. How could it just blow away on its own?"
But before she could finish, a sudden gust of wind swept through the classroom, catching her off guard.
"Hey! My drawing board!" Eriri yelped, trying to grab it, but it slipped out of her grasp and went sailing out the open window.
"Cough…"
Utaha started coughing, her hand trembling slightly as she put down her tablet.
Seeing this, Ryuji sighed. He reached over, placing a hand on her shoulder, and activated his RCT, quickly healing her.
Utaha's discomfort faded, and she looked up at Ryuji with a grateful, but mischievous, smile.
"My drawing board!" Eriri cried, running over to the window.
"Don't worry," Utaha said with a smirk. "I'll buy you a new one."
"I don't want you to pay for it!" Eriri huffed. Although losing the drawing board was annoying, she could always buy a replacement. She shot a look of indignation at Ryuji, as if hoping he'd scold Utaha on her behalf.
"..."
Seeing her pitiful expression, Ryuji couldn't help but smile. If you keep looking like that, people will want to bully you even more.
But for Sayuri's sake, he decided to show her a little sympathy. He gestured for her to come closer.
"Come here."
Eriri's eyes lit up with joy, and she instantly forgot about her lost drawing board, rushing over to him.
"Hehe!"
Leaning close to Ryuji, Eriri looked happier than ever. She even threw a triumphant look in Utaha's direction, as if to say, See? Even if you threw my board away, I still have him.
"Tsk."
This girl has really grown up, Utaha thought, amused. But she wasn't jealous. Just a little annoyed by Eriri's smugness.
After all, who do you think was with Ryuji last night?
"Both Eriri and Utaha have some impressive techniques," Yukino noted, breaking the silence. "They're unique and hard to counter."
Yumiko, who had recently awakened her own fire technique, nodded in agreement. While her and Yukino's techniques were straightforward attacks, Eriri and Utaha's abilities were much more versatile. If you weren't careful, it'd be easy to fall into their traps.
"Everyone has their own strengths," Ryuji said, nodding thoughtfully. "Eriri's technique uses a lot of cursed energy, while Utaha's comes with a bit of backlash. It's hard to say which is better. They each have their pros and cons."
"And both have side effects," he added.
"Side effects?" Eriri looked up in surprise. She hadn't thought about any drawbacks to her technique.
"See?" Utaha snorted. "This is why you'll always be a step behind. Do you even think about important things?"
Eriri glared at her. "What side effects? Ryuji didn't say anything about that!"
Utaha just smirked. "That's because he told me yesterday evening."
The implication in her words was clear, and Eriri's face flushed with irritation.
"Yesterday… evening?"
Eriri was no stranger to certain implications, thanks to her knowledge from the manga and light novel world.
"Damn it, you…!"
"Hmmph!" Utaha crossed her arms, clearly enjoying Eriri's frustration.
"Anyway, shouldn't we be discussing the side effects instead of squabbling?" Miko interjected, bringing them back to the topic.
Utaha nodded, her face turning serious. "Because my technique involves writing, I can't write light novels anymore."
"Wait, what?" Eriri looked shocked. She knew that Utaha's dream had always been to become a famous light novelist. Was she really giving that up?
Though they bickered constantly, Eriri did care about Utaha. Both of them had few friends, and over time, they'd grown closer in their own way.
Noticing Eriri's concern, Utaha gave her a soft smile. "Don't worry. I've already found a new dream that's even more important."
"A new dream?"
Eriri noticed the way Utaha was looking at Ryuji as she said it, not even blinking.
"…"
This damn guy, Eriri thought, cursing herself. If I'd known she was this frustrating, I wouldn't have worried at all. What a waste of my emotions.
"So… what about my side effects?"
Utaha, already familiar with her own drawbacks, smirked, clearly enjoying Eriri's panic.
"Oh, didn't I mention?" Utaha's teasing smile widened as she leaned in. "Since your technique is linked to your drawing, Eriri… you might lose the ability to paint altogether."
Eriri's face fell, panic spreading across her expression.
No way! I have a deadline coming up! she thought, her mind racing. The idea of not being able to draw, it was like a nightmare. Drawing was her passion, her identity.
"Relax," Ryuji said gently, patting her shoulder. "With practice, you might regain full control over your technique and continue drawing like before."
Hearing Ryuji's reassurance, the tension in Eriri's face slowly eased.
"Yeah," she muttered, a little less anxiously. "And maybe… maybe I don't need to worry about painting as much. I have a new dream now."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Ryuji, leaning closer to him, a soft smile on her face.
"Tsk!"
Utaha couldn't help but scoff. Look at Eriri, trying to act all grown-up and sweet in front of Ryuji.
Seeing Utaha's reaction, Eriri smirked inwardly. Who says I have to be a loser? Just wait, I can be just as amazing as you.
Ryuji, meanwhile, was oblivious to the silent rivalry brewing between the two girls. His attention was on something else entirely.
"Successfully connected with target: Sawamura Eriri! Golden entry triggered. Would you like to load it?"
Golden entry? Ryuji blinked, momentarily surprised, and mentally checked the details.
Golden Entry: Ink Incarnation
So, that's the name of Eriri's technique—Ink Incarnation.
He skimmed through its description and nodded. In simple terms, it allowed the user to bring drawings to life, giving them certain special abilities based on their imagination and cursed energy. It was powerful, but it wasn't without its limitations. The strength of the summoned creatures depended on the sorcerer's own cursed energy.
The more cursed energy a sorcerer had, the more real and powerful the summoned creatures would be. But if there wasn't enough energy, even a fierce-looking creature would only be an empty shell.
Interesting…
Ryuji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. While the technique had its drawbacks, there was no denying it was a versatile and potent skill. And since the strength of the spell relied on cursed energy, Eriri's limitations wouldn't apply to him. His cursed energy had grown massive from devouring other curses, pushing his power to a level beyond most sorcerers.
In fact, he suspected that even if he combined the cursed energy of every sorcerer in the world, it still wouldn't match his. Of course, that was just a feeling, but it spoke to his confidence in his strength.
"Load it."
The moment he confirmed it, he felt the Beast Mimicry Spell entry integrate with his abilities. It was a good addition to his skillset, one he could leverage in interesting ways.
"[Talent entry system]
Host: Ryuji Hoshino
Bloodline: Human
Loaded entries: Soul Devouring [Red], Yin-Yang Eyes [Gold], Presence Concealment [Gold],Tranquility [Gold], Reverse Cursed Technique [Gold], Monster Attracting Physique [Gold], Third Dimension, Dreamwalker [Gold], Physical Strengthening [Gold], Cursed Speech [Gold], Shadow Manipulation [Gold], Malevolent Shrine [Gold], Blackbird Manipulation [Gold], Idle Transfiguration [Gold], Anti-Gravity System [Gold], Horizon of the Captivating Skandha [Gold], Binding Technique [Gold], Curse Script [Gold], Iron Fist [Purple], Ink Incarnation [Gold], Combat Intuition [Purple].
Points: 80,120!"
After reviewing his entry list, a thought struck him.
"Maybe I should find some time to actually learn how to draw…"
Ryuji grimaced slightly. It would be embarrassing if my 'creatures' were just blobs and squiggles. Even if they were strong, the enemy would probably die laughing.
He shook his head. I definitely need some practice.
Later that evening, at the Sawamura mansion, Ryuji was reclining in a chair, deep in thought.
Sitting before him, kneeling with perfect posture, was Sayuri Sawamura giving him a sloppy blowjob.
"Woo—" she gasped softly, suddenly realizing something. She quickly got up, hurried to the bathroom, and returned a moment later, her face slightly flushed as she resumed her place in front of Ryuji.
"What's gotten into you tonight?" she asked playfully, glancing up at him. "You actually called me over while Eriri is home?"
Mature and graceful, Sayuri carried an air of elegance that always brought a smile to Ryuji's face.
"I missed you," he replied smoothly, rubbing his hands over her head.
She chuckled and moved to sit beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I don't know what's going on with her lately," Sayuri murmured. "For the past two days, after Eriri comes home, she heads straight to her room after dinner. I thought something was wrong at first."
Her concern for her daughter was clear. At first, she'd kept an eye on Eriri's behavior, but eventually, she'd relaxed, realizing there was no danger.
"She's probably practicing her cursed energy," Ryuji said, smiling.
Since Eriri had learned that Utaha had awakened a technique as well, she'd thrown herself into training with uncharacteristic dedication, not wanting to be left behind.
"Practicing cursed energy?" Sayuri was puzzled. "I thought it wasn't possible for Eriri to be a sorcerer?"
Ryuji chuckled and explained how he'd helped Eriri unlock her potential as a sorcerer.
Sayuri listened, her eyes widening as she processed his words. "You… you gave her the ability to become a sorcerer?"
She stared at him, her expression a mix of awe and admiration. Is there anything this man can't do?
A new thought crossed her mind, and she looked at Ryuji with a hopeful smile. "So… could you…?"
"Of course." Ryuji smiled. He wasn't about to leave Sayuri out. "But let's handle this later."
With a grin, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
Sayuri gave a soft laugh, leaning into his embrace. "Alright."
---
Meanwhile, in her room, Eriri was panting from her training session, feeling drained. She had been pushing herself hard, yet her cursed energy had only increased by a small amount.
Ugh, maybe I should just give up and go to sleep… she thought.
But then she shook her head. No way. I can't slack off!
Determination flashed in her eyes. "There's no way I'm letting that fat woman look down on me!"
The thought of Utaha mocking her if she fell behind was enough to rekindle her motivation. They might quarrel constantly, but that rivalry was also her drive.
"For myself… and for Ryuji!" she said aloud, clenching her fists.
After a brief rest, she returned to training, focusing on condensing her cursed energy.
---
A few hours later, Sayuri was back with Ryuji, who was finishing up the process of using Idle Transfiguration to unlock her potential as a sorcerer.
As the last traces of cursed energy settled within her, Sayuri opened her eyes, marveling at the faint glow of power now resting within her.
"So… this is cursed energy?" she whispered, sensing the strange but exhilarating power now flowing through her.
She turned to Ryuji, a serious expression on her face. "Ryuji, I think it's best if Eriri and I keep quiet about this—your ability to make people into sorcerers, I mean."
Sayuri was no fool. With the existence of cursed spirits becoming public knowledge, she could easily imagine the chaos if word got out that Ryuji could turn ordinary people into sorcerers. It would be a never-ending flood of people begging for power, and worse—powerful factions that might try to manipulate or control him.
Ryuji chuckled, appreciating her concern. "Don't worry. I'm not afraid of trouble. I don't intend to play the hero or the villain. But if people do try to push me… well, they'll see exactly how strong I am."
His tone was calm but carried an underlying sense of power. He wasn't someone who would bend to the will of others.
In a world where people like Gojo Satoru once stood as the pinnacle, Ryuji felt ready to surpass that. He would make his mark and reshape the sorcery world as he saw fit.
The era of Gojo Satoru was ending. The era of Ryuji was about to begin.
Sayuri's eyes softened. She could see Ryuji's determination, his strength. She reached out, placing her hand on his arm, leaning close.
"I don't need anything grand. Just knowing I have a place by your side is enough for me."
As a woman who had seen the complexities of life, Sayuri had no unrealistic expectations. She didn't need promises. All she wanted was to remain part of Ryuji's life.
Ryuji looked down at her, smiling. "You're mine, Sayuri. Now and always. Don't even think about escaping."
Sayuri blushed but nodded, her heart fluttering.
"Mm. That's all I want."