[Explosive Advantage] Engaging in a Mental Battle with the Strongest Evil Spirit Since Birth, I Exceeded the Measurable Magic Limit – The Humble Conquest of the Cursed Child - Chapter 1

 

“Ugh…! Whoa, it’s shaking…!”

Right now, I’m in the middle of experiencing a massive earthquake.

The tremors are so intense, it feels as if the entire room is being torn apart.

I can hear unfamiliar sounds—loud cracking and snapping noises coming from somewhere.

A major earthquake has struck.

In other words, this is the moment I have been preparing for—the time to put all my survival measures into action.

It’s the middle of the night.

I was asleep in bed, so I decide to stay put and endure the shaking until it subsides.

People spend about one-third of their day asleep.

And that’s when they’re at their most vulnerable.

So, of course, I had planned for this.

I had made sure that there were no pieces of furniture near my bed that could fall on me.

That meant staying still was safer than making any rash moves.

Gradually, the tremors begin to weaken.

At the same time, the nightlight goes out, plunging the room into darkness.

A power outage.

But the emergency light, which is designed to activate when the power goes out, flickers on immediately.

I equip myself with the shoes, headlamp, helmet, and whistle I had placed next to my pillow, then head straight for the entrance.

Even though all my furniture was secured, various items have still been scattered around.

Using my headlamp to illuminate my surroundings, I carefully navigate my way outside.

This house is a two-story wooden structure left behind by my parents.

For someone living alone, it’s a bit too spacious.

That aside, it was built under the new seismic standards, meaning it should theoretically withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake—at least once.

But not twice.

In past disasters, there have been instances where magnitude 7 earthquakes struck multiple times in quick succession.

That’s why I have to evacuate immediately.

I grab the emergency bag I had placed by the entrance and successfully make my way outside.

The house is far enough from the ocean that the risk of a tsunami is low.

Still, I use the radio in my emergency bag to check for any warnings.

No issues so far.

Everything has gone according to plan… I’ve made it past the first crisis.

Even in the face of such a massive earthquake, I’d say I handled it calmly and efficiently.

Japan is a disaster-prone country.

In a place like this, disaster preparedness is crucial.

I’d like to think that I’ve taken my preparations more seriously than most people.

I mentioned earlier that this house was left behind by my parents.

That’s because they died in an earthquake.

Leaving me behind—alone.

…Just an ordinary, single office worker.

If I’m more cautious about earthquakes than most, it’s because of that reason.

“Alright. It’s a warm season, and there’s no tsunami threat. I should head to the pre-designated parking lot.”

I don’t hesitate.

I shouldn’t hesitate.

—Or so I thought.

“Help…”

“…!”

A voice.

It’s coming from beneath the ruins of a collapsed old wooden building.

But I had already made my decision.

I wasn’t going to hesitate in moments like these.

If I encountered a stranger who had little chance of survival, I would prioritize my own life.

That’s what I had decided—or so I thought.

The voice crying for help was young.

In other words… likely a child.

This is reckless.

I know this is reckless.

My parents died trying to save someone else’s child.

At the time, the adults praised them, calling them honorable and brave.

But as a child left behind, I couldn’t understand it.

Even now, I still don’t.

And yet—

My feet are already moving toward the voice.

“Ah…! Damn it…!”

Cursing under my breath, I pull a crowbar from my emergency bag and start prying away the debris.

After that, everything becomes a blur.

—

“Th-thank you… so much.”

The child finally crawls out through a gap in the wreckage and looks up at me.

“Yeah… I’m glad you’re safe…”

I manage to squeeze out a response.

Even with all my disaster preparations, I’m just a regular office worker who spends his days sitting at a desk.

My body is already reaching its limit from the unfamiliar exertion of rescuing someone.

And that’s when—

“Ah…!”

A strong tremor strikes again.

The aftershock I had feared.

“Uwaaah!!”

The child screams.

“…!”

—

The shaking finally subsides.

“O-Onii-san…”

The child, whom I had instinctively shielded with my own body, calls out in a trembling voice.

…Damn it.

I had told myself—

Not to act impulsively.

If I Hadn’t Done This, I Would Have Been Safe by Now…

By now, I should have already reached the parking lot, far from any collapsing buildings, cheerfully setting up my emergency campsite.

But instead—

“Damn it… it hurts… it fucking hurts…”

A sharp object had pierced deep into my body.

“U-Uwaaaahhh!!”

The child scrambled out from under me and ran off as if fleeing for their life.

It’s fine.

It’s not like I expected anything in return.

But to think I’d die the same way as my parents…

Though, I suppose there is one difference.

A silver lining, if you could call it that.

I don’t have anyone left to protect.

No family to mourn me.

Still, I can’t help but wonder…

What was the point of my parents’ and my own life—both trampled by a force of nature we had no control over?

Humans are powerless before nature. Maybe that’s true.

But are our lives really so insignificant that they can be erased with nothing more than a passing remark?

…It’s frustrating.

So damn frustrating.

Darkness overtakes my vision.

◇◇◇

“Uuuu… uuuuaaahhh!!”

A woman’s anguished cries echoed through the dimly lit room.

It was the sound of a mother in labor, enduring unbearable pain.

“Mayumi…”

A man watched her with deep concern.

Surrounding them were several priestesses, dressed in ceremonial robes, silently observing the struggling woman.

Then—

“…It’s time.”

“Yes… Lord Shirakami, we shall now begin the Summoning Ritual. Please step back.”

One of the priestesses addressed the man.

“…”

His face, filled with worry, twisted with conflicting emotions.

“Lord Shirakami… You have already steeled yourself for this. Please, step back.”

With those words, the man hesitated, his expression contorted in grief, but ultimately took a step back.

“…Forgive me.”

He murmured, bowing his head toward the priestesses.

“There is no need to apologize. This is our duty… Besides, we bear this burden together.”

“…I’m still sorry.”

The man repeated, voice heavy with sorrow.

And then—

“We now commence the Summoning of the Demon God Douma.”

The pregnant woman’s screams of agony filled the room.

The five priestesses encircling her began their incantations.

A five-pointed star formed beneath them, its lines connecting each priestess, centering on the woman in labor.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!”

Her cries grew louder, more desperate.

The Summoning of the Demon God Douma.

It was the fate of the Hama Clan.

Long ago, humanity suffered under the curses of vengeful spirits.

These spirits brought disasters and massacres, spreading calamity wherever they went.

And so, to contain the destruction, a desperate measure was devised—

The Summoning Ritual.

A newborn child would serve as the vessel for the spirit, its body fulfilling the ghost’s unquenchable hunger.

By repeating this ritual once every few decades, the curse could be confined to a single soul—minimizing its impact on the world.

And among all the malevolent spirits, none was more feared than the Demon God Douma.

And now, that very ritual was taking place.

“The baby is crowning!”

The midwives and priestesses braced themselves.

Even when restrained, the Demon God’s curse was ruthless.

The moment the child was born, the mother was doomed to die.

“NNNNGHHHHHAAAAAH!!”

With one final, agonizing scream—

“Ogyah… Ogyahhh!”

A loud, healthy wail rang through the chamber.

Panting heavily, the mother’s expression softened.

“Hahh… hahh… Congratulations… Thank you for being born… and I’m so sorry.”

She whispered, her voice trembling yet full of love.

A mother cursed to die by the very ritual that had given birth to her child.

Her final words became her parting gift.

Some of the priestesses silently wept.

“Ogyah… Ogyahhh!”

A dark, malevolent aura began swirling around the newborn.

“Goodbye… Kai…”

The mother closed her eyes.

But then—

“…………………………Huh? W-Wait… did the ritual work?”

The priestesses stared in shock.

Because the mother was still alive.

【…Kill… I will curse them all… I will turn my hatred into death… and kill them all.】

(Wait, no. That’s definitely not happening.)

【…!? W-What is this!? This is supposed to be a newborn!?】

(…What the hell is this voice in my head?)

【Impossible…! This can’t be happening…! Such an immense mental presence… from an infant!?】

(…Wait. Why does my head feel weird…?)

【Why!? Why can’t I take control!?】

(…This makes no sense. And also… am I a baby right now?)

“…”

(…Well, I guess I should cry or something.)

“Ogyahhh…!”