[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 16

Looking at the unconscious Akaike, Kai found himself thinking—

(I wouldn’t say it was pure luck that I defeated Akaike, but… I definitely had luck on my side. Being able to use Hakujutsu on the fly proves it. From now on, I’ll need to eliminate this kind of uncertainty.)

“Uh… so, what do I even do about this situation…”

Having acted on impulse and knocked Akaike out, Kai had completely failed to consider what came next.

“Kai-sama… I must apologize.”

Now that Akaike was unconscious, Kagami’s restraints appeared to have been lifted. She bowed deeply before Kai.

“I sincerely regret taking on work from Akaike while serving as your tutor.”

“Ah… um…”

“I must confess everything. At the time, I believed Akaike’s request to investigate you—a spirit vessel and an anomaly—was a matter of social importance. But now, I realize that was wrong. This is how I honestly feel.”

“……”

“I am prepared to accept any punishment.”

“…Punishment…?”

Kai looked conflicted.

“There’s no punishment… But, Kagami-sensei, I want to ask you one thing.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Can I trust that everything you taught me… you taught with your full effort?”

“…! O-Of course! Even if I accepted that job under false pretenses, work is still work. I, Kagami, may be unworthy, but I’ve always given my utmost effort to every task.”

“…Then that’s enough for me. I’m glad you were my teacher, Kagami-sensei.”

Kai smiled gently as he said this.

“Eh…”

Kagami froze.

Her cheeks flushed faintly pink.

“W-What am I thinking…!? Kai-sama is five years old…!”

She shook her head rapidly, as if to rid herself of the thought.

(…Huh?)

Kai looked at her curiously.

Then, a voice echoed in his head.

[Hey, kid…]

(Hmm? What is it?)

[You… absolute numbskull.]

(Huh—!?)

Douma’s sudden insult, straight out of a grade-school playground, left Kai reeling.

(Whatever… This isn’t the time to deal with whimsical Uncle Douma.)

“S-So, Kagami-sensei… What do we do about him…”

Kai asked, pointing nervously at the unconscious Akaike.

“…Right.”

Kagami glanced at Akaike with visible reluctance and examined him.

“It seems he’s unconscious, but alive.”

“That’s a relief.”

Kai let out a small breath.
Even in this kind of world, he didn’t want to commit what had been the ultimate crime in his previous life—murder.

“Well then, Kai-sama… Shall we dispose of the evidence?”

Kagami produced a saw and a bag from who-knows-where.

“NO, NO, NO! Kagami-sensei, now is not the time for jokes!”

“Eh…? …Understood.”

Kagami nodded, though her puzzled expression remained.

(…Wait, was that not a joke…?)

As cold sweat beaded on Kai’s forehead—

“Heyyy, Kai~! Meguri~! I’m home!”

His father returned casually from the hospital.

“Kagami-sensei, thank you for everything. Luckily, Mayumi’s doing just fine—…wait, huh? What’s going on here?”

Kai’s father discovered Akaike collapsed in the dojo—and froze in place.

◇

Afterward, Kai and Kagami explained everything that had just happened.

“Wait, um… sorry, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around all this…”

His father looked completely bewildered.

“So, Kagami-san was actually a spy, and Lord Akaike tried to kill Kai? And to think Lord Akaike held such thoughts about me and Mayumi… No, I suppose that doesn’t matter right now…”

(…‘Doesn’t matter,’ huh, Dad? You’re surprisingly laid-back about this…)

“More importantly… Did Kai really defeat Lord Akaike…? And you’re telling me Kai used Hakujutsu…?”

“Yes, Shirakami-sama. There’s no mistake.”

“…! But Lord Akaike, for all his faults, is still a Class 4 Nōkyū Exorcist! And Kai defeated him alone…?”

“Yes, Shirakami-sama. Without question.”

“…!”

Kai’s father was at a loss for words.

“W-Well, I didn’t do it all by myself. Kagami-sensei was there too…”

“No, I was of no help at all.”

(Eh…!?)

Kagami flatly denied it.

“Kai… I’m just glad you’re safe. Truly…”

His father pulled Kai into a tight embrace.

(……)

“Kai… but let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes?”

“Why weren’t you carrying the doll I gave you?”

“Eh…?”

“I gave it to you, didn’t I? The hitogata, when Kagami-sensei first arrived. I told you to keep it with you at all times…”

“Uh… yeah. I do have it, though…”

Kai showed him the doll, carefully stored in its protective case to avoid damage.

“W-What…!? You were carrying it?”

“Yeah.”

(I mean, you did tell me to always keep it on me, but what even is this thing…?)

“……S-So… what you’re telling me is… even in front of Akaike, the shikigami didn’t activate because it judged the situation wasn’t even remotely dangerous for Kai? That it wasn’t even worth reacting to…? T-That’s… impossible…”

His father muttered under his breath, stunned and in disbelief.